Chocolates are popular as a toothsome sweet treat as also as a gift item. This speaks of passion and love. Whether it is Valentine's Day or Christmas or simply a weekend chocolates can be taken to the heart's content and offered to others too to win over their hearts. Indeed, chocolates are romantic gifts. Information about the top places for obtaining gourmet chocolate is important for going about with making the best chocolate purchase deals. One can simply chance upon some truly marvelous products by approaching the top gourmet chocolate concerns of esteem.
The name of Godiva comes first to the mind with the mention of premier gourmet chocolate providers. This is a popular luxury brand that makes a great presentation in terms of taste and gifting qualities. Apart from the range of delightful caramels, truffles etc. there is also a range of sugar free chocolates on offer.
Christopher Norman Chocolates is another top provider of extraordinary luscious and sensory provoking chocolate confections with classic flavors. One can get a taste of freshness in the unique products that are created in the New York factory from time to time using all natural ingredients.
Chocolates resembling semi precious gems can be secured from the top chocolate provider- Marie Belle New York. This is a provider of a signature line of chocolates made combining the best chocolate and the finest chosen ingredients while employing superior skills and techniques. A range of exotic flavors can be obtained displayed like gems in beautiful Italian boxes.
Lake Chaplain Chocolates is a top Vermont based producer of sweet indulgences- gourmet chocolates. From here is obtained the special combination of a rich fine-chocolate-making history, a heritage of craftsmanship and wonderful Vermont flavors.
The favorite truffles can well be obtained from the esteemed chocolate destination- Romanicos Chocolate. Hand rolled chocolate truffles with delectable flavors are its specialty. There are also beautifully packaged gifts of chocolates made available from here. The special Piccolo Art Collection offered from here contains hand painted chocolates that are filled with almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and caramel from Argentina.
L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates also feature among top gourmet chocolate destinations. The providers of the premier quality chocolate profess to procure the chocolates directly from the authentic sources. The chocolates contain herbs, spices, local honey, Mexican vanilla beans, nuts and dried fruits secured from the very best sources. Securing a box of chocolate from these people can certainly be a worthy buy.
Gourmet chocolates can indeed make special occasions seem all the more special. And with the chocolates obtained from the top gourmet chocolate providers an awesome experience worth cherishing for a long, long time is assured.
This video started out a lot better, it had more stuff on the end and evem a blooper reel but my powerdirector was being lame and I had to edit out a LOT of stuff. This also was originally a video for LiveFromForks (youtube.com/livefromforks) but no one got back to me on if I could upload it so yea, here it is! Just me talking about Breaking Dawn, the release parties, etc. =) links: www.myspace.com/twilight_sm www.myspace.com/twilightmyspacefans BTW, Godiva is the chocolate place doing the Twilight packaged bars. "Godiva Chocolatier has released a special chocolate bar with the cover of Stephenie Meyer's first book "Twilight" on the product's sleeve."
Valentines Day is, traditionally, a holiday for lovers. For that reason, single people may feel left out and dejected this time of year. For them, Amazon.Com offers a full assortment of Valentines Day Gifts for Singles.
Maybe you've just ended a relationship, or you're a happily single person who nonetheless dreads the much-lauded holiday for lovers. Maybe you have a friend in a similar situation, whose day you'd like to brighten with a Valentines Day gift. Or maybe you'd like to celebrate your singlehood, by treating yourself to a Valentines Day custom-made just for you.
Why not start with a box of chocolates; one that you don't have to share, that's for your enjoyment only? Forget the diet and indulge yourself in a sumptuous one-pound box of Leonidas Belgian Chocolates: Signature Dark Chocolates Assortment. This sinfully delicious box contains 28 pieces of pure dark chocolate with a variety of fillings, adorned in Leonidas' signature wrapping paper and ribbon; not that either is likely to last long once you tear into this chocolaty delight!
If tasty milk chocolate is more your style, you may also enjoy Godiva Milk Chocolate by the famous Godiva Choclatier. Open up that classic golden Godiva box and enjoy 22 pieces of yummy milk chocolate, with flavors that include Cinnamon Blush, Coffee Feather, Open Oyster, Almond Praliné Raindrop, Pecan Caramel Duet, and more.
Traditionally, romantic movies and music play important roles in Valentines Day celebrations. Yet for someone who is fresh out of a relationship, a mushy ballad, or for that matter a movie filled with love scenes and sappy sentiments, might not be for you. Luckily, Amazon.Com offers a number of media resources custom-designed for the single person.
Beyonce's musical paean to the unattached woman, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On it)" is available on Amazon via MP3 download; as is the classic Love Stinks by the J. Geils Band. The film Love Stinks, meanwhile, is now available on DVD at Amazon.
Speaking of movies, Amazon offers plenty of flicks custom-designed for a single person trying to survive Valentines Day. From chick flick relationship survival stories like An Unmarried Woman and Hope Floats, to fun revenge fantasies like The First Wives Club, Addicted to Love and Diary of a Mad Black Woman, you can laugh and cry along with Hollywood's finest, from the comfort of your home entertainment center.
Literary inspiration is also available to singles this Valentines Day, courtesy of the much celebrated Chicken Soup book series. Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul celebrates the joys and explores the challenges of single life, adding laughter and wisdom to the mix for a satisfying read.
Also available for the avid-and unattached-reader is Xavier Amador's and Judith Kiersky's Being Single in a Couple's World: How to Be Happily Single While Looking for Love, an entertaining, informational paperback that explores the ways that singles can find happiness in a "coupled up" world.
If you're single, don't mope and cry your way through Valentines Day. Eat, enjoy music and films, read, laugh and live through Valentines Day gifts for singles; make Valentines Day a celebration of love. The love you have for yourself.
Doreen Dailey took time out from her seven-horse stable in the Freehold, NJ area to drive to Monticello Raceway to compete in Tuesdays 7th Annual Lady Godiva Pace. The trip proved fruitful when she guided Bali Mystic N to a neck victory over Arts Investment. In Dire Need rounded out the top three. The final time of 2:00:1 is an event record having eclipsed the 2:00:3 mark set in 2007 when Devan Miller guided Bring The Pain to victory in the race strictly for women drivers. Dailey received a huge trophy and a box of Godiva Chocolates, the winning horse took home the blanket and the winning owners, Ken Clairmont and Lucia Ann Les, took home the lions share of the purse. New this year is that fact that the Lady Godiva Pace is now part of the Mildred Williams International Driving Series. The charity of choice today was the American Heart Association. (Monticello Raceway) (c)2009 Monticello Raceway / Roberts Communications Network LLC
A Step by Step Plan to Romance Your Wife on Valentine's Day
0 comments Posted by Althauser at 4:50 PMDo you and your friends often ask each other, what you can do to make your marriage last? To make it last and to make it better, isn't all that difficult. You must want it to last and remember the Golden Rule. Do not treat or speak to your spouse in a way you would not enjoy. Next, must come the surprises. Not a card and candy on Valentine's Day, it is boring, expected and mundane. Besides, you have sent flowers many times, even to where she works; her co-workers knows that someone cares and she get "bragging rights". Women love bragging rights.
You have also left unexpected messages after a tough day. Or, just doing some chores you don't usually do, without being asked. You consistently give compliments and reassurance too, and not just when you "want something". You are known for a surprise dinner or breakfast; whether you cook it or go out. You make time just for yourselves and communicate. Flowers or a card for no reason, are given and sent. You will pick up the dry cleaning or the kids when it's not your turn. You are the type of man who will do the unexpected to remind yourself why you fell in love in the first place. You know it will only get stale if you let it.
It's Valentine's Day 2007 and you really want to 'knock her footies' off! Here's an idea. It will take some planning but you are up for it. It will make your sweetheart feel loved and appreciated for months, even years to come.
Here's a step by step plan for a Valentine's Day neither of you will ever forget!
1. Call the office and arrange to have the day off for her. Tell them she's likely to come to work for a few hours but do not mention anything to her. You are to take the day off, too. Have your calls sent to your mobile because she's going to call you for sure! 2. Arrange a sleepover for the kids that night. But more on that later. If no kids, disregard everything relating to the kids from here forward.
3. Call to have a cleaning service clean the house. Tell them to arrive promptly at 8:30AM. You'll be home while someone is there.
4. Call and hire a limousine for the day. The driver is to be her chauffeur, bodyguard and personal attendant for the day! Fax or email them the day's itinerary. Request fresh fruit, chilled San Pellegrino and sparkling cider with 8 champagne flutes be available. Order at least 4 bottles of the water and 2 of the sparkling cider.
5. Call a florist an order two-dozen red and one-dozen yellow roses. Have the red roses picked up by the limo driver.
The driver will deliver red roses to her at work when he picks her up.
The yellow ones will be delivered to you home.
And the other red roses will be picked up by the driver before getting you.
You are to go to the Jewelers (something sparkly), Victoria's Secret (sexy lingerie and a bathrobe, each wrapped separately) and her favorite boutique in the Mall (something semi-formal and sexy) at least a week before Valentine's Day and select the items of your choice for her.
Have them gift-wrapped.
Request a long stem red rose be given to her when she arrives at each store, with a love note that you have written.
They'll do this for you just ask! Remember to tip them handsomely! Your note tells her of your love and instructions not to open each gift until she receives a note to do so.
Also, buy a box of Godiva chocolate for the kids from the two of you; and for her, from the kids. If no kids, give it her from you.
Take the kids to buy Mom's card the weekend before Valentine's Day. Don't tell them about the other surprises. There's something for them, too.
6. Call a Day Spa and arrange a manicure, pedicure, cut & shampoo, massage, facial and makeover. Have a single long stem red rose given to her as she signs in at the desk. Set this up for 12:00PM. Instruct them to give her the one-hour massage first followed by lunch, which is being brought in, then the manicure and pedicure, the cut & shampoo, facial and makeover.
7. Call a Personal Chef and arrange to have dinner prepared and served at your home promptly at 6:00PM. Have him prepare her favorite entrée and dinner, dessert and bottle of wine or San Pellegrino if she doesn't drink. You will meet and interview the chef before 'the day' and be there to let him in to help you work your magic. Have the chef prepare a light lunch for her also and have it delivered to the Day Spa at 1:00PM.
Items #1 through #7 are arranged at least two weeks in advance. It's Valentine's Day and here is how it all unfolds:
05:30AM You get up half hour earlier and serve your wife breakfast in bed. This and having the kids bring their cards to her will be the only unusual thing taking place that morning. Don't forget to give her your card, too. Get everyone out on time and you return home after you are certain she has left.
08:30AM Cleaning lady arrives.
10:00AM Limo driver picks up red roses from florist.
10:30AM Limo driver picks up your sweetheart from work, taking her roses and a card. He goes inside and asks for her. He escorts her to limo and whisks her off to the beginning of a most memorable day arranged by you!
11:00AM Wife arrives at the Mall. Limo driver takes her to Geiss and Son's Jewelers where she receives a long-stem red rose, a wrapped gift and note from you expressing your love and instructions not to open gift until later.
She is escorted to Victoria's Secret and receives the same as above.
She is then escorted to Cachet's and receives the same as above.
11:30AM Wife is back in the limo and beside herself with glee! She's called you, how many times by now?
12:00PM Wife arrives at the Day Spa. She receives a long-stem red rose with a card from you. This card tells her to open the box marked, "open me now" from Victoria's Secret. She unwraps a lovely bathrobe for her luxurious afternoon at the spa. They will carry out your wishes as given to them. The pampering begins with a deep tissue massage.
01:00PM Wife is enjoying lunch at the spa in her new bathrobe. (She's in a private room. Don't be alarmed!)
01:30PM The pampering continues . . .(manicure, pedicure, cut & shampoo, facial and makeover) Meanwhile . . .
Your house has been cleaned and the cleaning lady's gone.
The yellow roses have been delivered by the florist.
Your dark suit, white shirt and burgundy tie have been ready for this day! (You're looking GQ or Brooks Brothers-like, for sure!)
The driver will pick up the red roses before picking you up from your house.
You've packed the kid's overnight duffle bags, not forgetting their school clothes for the next school day or the Godiva chocolates.
02:00PM Personal Chef arrives and begins his preparations.
03:00PM You are picked up by the driver from your home; bringing the roses, chocolates and duffle bags with you. The chef is left to help make this a magical day for your sweetheart.
03:30PM Kids are picked up from school and taken for an excursion in the limo! Give each of them the chocolate with their Valentine's Day card. Fill them in on Mom's day! Enjoy sparkling cider in champagne flutes with them. Make a toast! See the city as a tourist or let the kids show off for their friends!
04:30PM You and the kids arrive at the Day Spa. All of you go inside with roses and chocolate in hand, to get Mom. She's radiant in the jewelry and dress you selected for her! You and the kids escort Mom to the limo.
05:15PM Make another toast with the family as the kids are driven to where they will spend the night.
06:00PM You and your wife arrive to your home promptly. The driver is tipped handsomely and leaves.
You and she enter your home, candlelight and a path of rose petals make a trail to the dining room and your bedroom. (You know how to keep the home fires burning! You only wanted a suggestion for an extra special Valentine's Day 2007!) Go, you! A very romantic touch! (You had these delivered with the yellow roses to your home.)
Soft music is playing. The chef takes the roses and packages from her as you take her to the family room for a slow dance. You share a kiss.
You escort her to the dining room and is served a romantic, scrumptious candlelight dinner and dessert.
You're wondering how she looks in that sexy underwear and lingerie.
I guess it is time to dismiss the chef and me. Before I leave, I know you want to thank me for giving you a 'sweetheart' of a plan. She's the most beautiful girl in the world to you. You love her with your heart, mind, body and soul. You would be this extravagant every day but you know it is not necessary. She loves and accepts you without all the fanfare. But . . . you will have added not only to her bragging rights but to her thanks to God, yet again, for the best husband and father in the world! Keep Him and each other first and it will last. You can tell her where the idea came or not. It can be our secret. Do you wonder how you'll top this next year? Ask me, I would love to help!
Note: This plan can be adapted for a stay-at-home Mom or retired wife, any day of the year and from a wife to her husband, very easily.
Here are 13 marketing ideas that if properly executed, will improve your sales results... GUARANTEED! This is good news; so don't waste money doing useless marketing when you can spend it wisely. Yes, the devil is in the details, but if you don't take some time to look at your plan you will fail, even the Cheshire cat knew that.
#1. Create a marketing/business plan for a 12-month period. Your plan can be simple, but it should provide a road map for your marketing. Project the number of homes you want to sell this year and then determine your marketing budget. It should be at least 5% and rarely more than 10% of your gross revenue. Now you know what you can afford to spend. Any plan is dynamic and can change, but revising a plan is better than a knee-jerk reaction from a lack of planning. Don't forget expenses like Realtor sales co-ops, model home expenses, literature, media, and point-of-purchase displays and plan renderings...
#2. If you still have standing inventory, make sure you have good Realtor relationships. Realtors often control between 70-85% of all home sales in a market, particularly standing inventory homes. Since Realtors are occasionally hesitant to sell to-be-built homes, relos are often very good prospects for speculative homes. So make sure you are getting a brochure, e-mail or something into the Realtors hands on a regular basis since they generally control the relo market.
#3. One of the most overlooked but cost effective tools are small 14" x 22" directional signs. These signs are without a doubt the best dollar for dollar value for builders. The sign should only have a directional arrow, your company/community name and a product designation (townhomes, single-family homes). That's it, just simple directional information. It's not fancy, big design stuff here, just a plain sign that clearly communicates directions. The job of a directional sign is to communicate directions!
#4. If you don't have a website, go out and immediately have one professionally created. The cost ranges from $3,000-$10,000 depending upon complexity. According to recent statistics, as many as 70%-85% of all new home searches begin on the web. The three keys to a successful site are: navigational ease, design strength, and upload speed. Don't overdue it. Complex websites are often too slow, difficult to navigate and worst of all expensive. Start out simple and just get online... it's imperative so do it now!
#5. Do not rely on search engines for customers to find your site! Too many builders believe that coming up in the top 10 of a search engine is easy, it's not. I know all about those emails you get saying, "we guarantee you will remain in the top 10 of three search engines for at least one year." Most of those people are lying to you! Market your URL everywhere you spend marketing money and utilize portals such as move.com and newhomesource.com. Prices run as low as $135 per office a month and these sites will drive you leads.
#6. What candy bar fills you up? What car is the safest? Who delivers pizza in 30 minutes or less? Which chocolate will you give a client, Hershey's or Godiva? Every question adds up to one often overlooked marketing concept: the unique selling proposition (USP). You must understand your USP if you want to increase sales. Your USP is a marketing message that clearly communicates your product's most distinctive and compelling selling point. It will answer the question, "Why should I buy from this builder?" As builders there are several USPs you need to consider. You must continually market the USP of your business in order to maintain and improve your brand image. This is a long-term effort that generally does not produce traffic to sales centers. It is subtler, yet effective in building brand. The second, and I believe most important USP, is the one you have for each individual community you market. The USP for every community you build in can be very different because the target market is also very different. You must understand your audience and formulate a USP based on their real needs and desires, not your concept of what they want.
#7. Create professional advertisements. You must understand that the 18-year old at the local paper may have twelve ounces of design judgment, but they probably don't have an ounce of wisdom concerning ad creation for the building business. Your ad may be the only chance you will ever have to attract that potential client, will you trust it to someone without the experience necessary to truly hit the target. Make sure once you understand your USP; state it powerfully in the headline, and reinforce it in subheads and body copy. Tie the graphic to the headline to reinforce and empower the presentation. Spend the money to do your advertising professionally.
#8. Clean up your home sites. Many buyers visit your homes when you're not there. So it's very important to put a good face on what they see. Clean up the inside and outside of your homes every Friday so the site doesn't leave you looking shoddy, sloppy and disorganized. Perception is reality! If you are perceived as sloppy and disorganized by visiting prospects, you are sloppy and disorganized to the person who believes it: the customer you may lose.
#9. Good site signage is worth every dollar you spend. If your site signs are getting ratty looking, invest some money and get new ones. Once again, these small oversights are glaring clues to prospects about how you do business. A sign can communicate, "we don't care about the details," or "the details are very important to us." Put the best possible face on your marketing.
#10. Maintain consistency in your marketing message. That means the same colors, shapes, logo, and tag line if you use one, should be used everywhere: trucks, hats, signs, coffee cups, brochures, etc. Inconsistent imagery creates disjointed marketing and reduces the effective brand value. Take the time to create a palette of correct imagery and use it. It will pay off in the long run.
#11. If you can't afford a model home, but build speculative homes, try these ideas. Arrange a special Realtor event just before settlement with a light lunch so the local agents can get a taste of your construction quality and have an opportunity to meet with you personally. Make sure you open the home for an open house (without carpet or with additional carpet protection) the week before you settle. Keep a brochure box filled with company literature in an obvious place during construction. Ask the new owner for permission to put a small sign out front that says, "Future Home of Mr. and Mrs. Young." These small gestures will produce results if performed consistently.
#12. It's spring and that's the best possible time to get great photos of your homes. Take the time and money to get 3-5 great shots of your beautiful homes at least once a year. Always get photos of your homes for marketing use, preferably with nice landscaping and after the homeowner has occupied the house. If you do this you should always get a written approval from the homeowner to use the home in ads or brochures.
#13. Good marketing is a series of often-small steps that will help you grow your building business from a mom and pop shop to a successful building business or from 75 houses a year to 150. If you add a little to a little long enough you get a lot. Pay attention to the small marketing points and the larger ones will take care of themselves.
The end of the year is almost here and the time to plan a holiday/end of the year bash at work has arrived!
This year, you're in charge-what are you going to do?
Whatever you do-don't bring in some balloons and fast food and a keg of beer!
There are so many fun ways to have a great end-of-the-year work celebration-and without that much effort on your part either.
Here are some that I personally have been to and had the most fun attending:
A few years ago, the owners of our business decided we should all do something more than eat dinner and go home. They wanted something interactive that would get us all talking about something other than what we did all day at the "9 to 5" location.
What did they do? Where did they go? Not far from our business was an "entertainment" mall. You know the kind-a multi-plex theater, at least a dozen restaurants and shops to go into. One of the venues was a theme restaurant called Dave and Busters-they rented one of the open-yet-set-apart areas for all of us. The package they chose came with a buffet dinner, 2 drinks from the bar and $15 dollars worth of tokens each. The tokens could be used to play video games, indoor basketball, games of pool, group wifi games, etc...
We all had a blast! We found a new camaraderie that we never knew existed. We talked to one another's spouse, talked about our families and our outside interests. Then we took the tickets we won and went to the "gift" area and picked out a bunch of silly gifts.
It was a fun and memorable evening!
Another year at the same firm, the owners found a bowling alley that not only rented us several lanes, but set up a "tournament", an appetizer bar and a soft drink/beer bar. The winner of the tournament received 2 free sets of bowling for 4 at their next visit and the owners added an extra vacation day to the pot. Again, this made our group closer than before and raised our working moral!
If your business is part of the vast majority who have to cut back on celebrations this year-try hosting a potluck and "Pageant of the Regift"! Everyone does the usual for the potluck, but everyone brings something from home-unwrapped, puts their name in a hat and then start handing out the gifts. It's a great way to get rid of Aunt Sadie's homemade knit bunny hat or Grandma's hand-painted jam jar. It provides a good laugh for one and all!
Now the last idea is a slight re-make on the actual theme that the company I worked for did-our bosses always received a lot of gifts from vendors, everything from flat screen TV's to plastic key chains. So, they still would call it the "Pageant of the Regift", but they would start with the "best" gifts and work down the "worst" items. One year I received a 5 pound jar of pistachios and a vendor stamped coffee mug set. Another, I received a "spa" set (wash puff, back scrubber, a hot/cold eye mask and several scented candles), a box of Godiva chocolates and the all important vendor stamped new mouse pad!
The point is-make your year-end get-together one that brings your work buddies together and gives everyone a different point of view as to who you are and how much fun you can have!
Happy Holidays!
Godiva is a 10 month Birman chocolate point kitten playing with a piece of yarn.
TV Commercial on Asian Food Channel (Channel 69)Singapore Editor : Sebastian Ting Produce & Post Production at AFC
Top Ten Gifts to Give Single Women on Valentine's Day to Make a Good Impression
0 comments Posted by Althauser at 6:09 AMValentine's Day is just around the corner guys and I want to give you suggestions for the best gifts to give women to make a lasting impression on her. This is a very important and special day for women and any special gifts you give her will win her heart.
A lot of guys are confused as to what to get a woman for Valentine's Day. They may just take the easy way out and just get flowers or a romantic card. Well, you can do better than that. You want to stand out from the rest of the guys. In other words, you want to impress her so much, she will never forget you.
Here's a list of gift ideas for Valentine's Day that are guaranteed to win her heart:
Gift certificate for a manicure or pedicure.
Find out her favorite color of roses and surprise her with a bouquet of roses.
All women love chocolate, so a box of Godiva chocolates would be an excellent gift.
Starbucks gift certificate.
Most women love to wear lingerie. It makes them feel sexy. Get her a gift certificate for a lingerie store such as Victoria's Secret.
Movie theatre tickets or tickets for an upcoming concert would be a good gift.
Sterling silver anklet or bracelet is sure to impress.
You can't go wrong by giving her scented candles. They love them!
Women love to take bubble baths. Buy her some bubble bath. Hopefully, you can join her in the tub to soak in the bubbles, if you know what I mean.
Ambercrombie & Fitch T-Shirt or Sweatshirt.
There you have it! Now go out and get her something. These gifts don't necessarily have to be with your sweetheart. They can be for someone who you wish was your sweetheart.
Since Xocai made it's appearance in the marketplace the chocolate world (and also the fitness food world, the diet industry and undoubtedly your e-mail inbox) has been buzzing with the idea of "healthy chocolate." While there definitely are benefits to dark chocolate and unquestionably benefits to a number of the ingredients utilized in the unique "healthy chocolate" the very simple continues to be that the most effective way to get healthy, slim down, have more vitality and prevent possibly uncomfortable side effects is to simply eat a healthy diet, workout and for God's sake indulge yourself every now and then.
The entire notion of a "healthy chocolate" is laughable and rather reminiscent of the notion of a "cookie diet". One who expects to slim down through eating only cookies can't possibly expect as many health rewards from their diet as they might were they to simply get up exercise and eat proper meals in the first place. That said - is there any reality to the "healthy chocolate" stories which are floating around on the web?
Xocai is a product owned by MXI Corp. Their business framework operates similar to that of Mary Kay, they recruit resellers who are paid out a portion of revenue and compensated with bonuses and allowances for product sales volume. Regrettably due to this method numerous resellers are quite happy to tell you absolutely whatever you are prepared to hear in order to make their sale.
Xocai is a popular new toy on the chocolate market being pushed everywhere you look by anybody and everybody that has subscribed to their resellers program. What about the actual product though? Most Xocai items incorporate dark chocolate. There are several benefits of including a small amount of dark chocolate in to your daily diet. These health benefits include reduced blood pressure, lowered cholesterol, enhanced blood circulation and lowered probability of infarction. So now we've got the benefits that may be found in Xocai along with plain old high quality low-cost dark chocolate. Exactly what does Xocai have that regular dark chocolate hasn't got? The greatest bragging point of Xocai or "healthy chocolate" is the ORAC values of ingredients in the particular products.
What are ORAC values? ORAC values are Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity units, a means of calculating the antioxidant values of particular ingredients. Antioxidants like those present in dark chocolate are beneficial for a lot of reasons but specifically for neutralizing free radicals in the body (which according to popular belief slows aging.) So back to those ORAC levels in "healthy chocolate." It's well known that dark chocolate has high levels of anti-oxidants, we also are aware that particular "superfoods" include high levels of antioxidants too. Fruits like the acai berry and blueberry are regarded as two of those "superfoods" and contribute significant amounts of antioxidants in supplementation to the already large levels of antioxidants in dark chocolate. It is basically a matter of mathematics then when it comes to the question of why Xocai has such large antioxidant values, whenever you blend several items with high antioxidant values it only adds up that the ORAC levels are going to be greater than one of those items alone.
Is Xocai a sensational revolution in healthy chocolate? Most likely not. Does Xocai offer some gains that can't be obtained in standard dark chocolate? Possibly, however were you to consume a few acai berries or blueberries with your dark chocolate you'd probably take in just as many antioxidants as you would with the Xocai mixture and pay a substantially smaller amount of your paycheck. The truth is, if you are searching to become healthy think about foregoing the chocolate all together and augment your diet with all-natural berries along with other foods high in antioxidants like standard unsweetened cocoa powder, cranberries and spices.
Then why the hype? Healthy chocolate is a unique product on the market which includes two of our favorite words, healthy and chocolate. Even though our minds realize that this could never be the sensation we would like it to be we persuade ourselves that it is...or else we're persuaded by the countless Xocai resellers. While Xocai does absolutely incorporate natural ingredients and health and fitness benefits it's not a staple of a nutritious diet and regrettably numerous "healthy chocolate" sales reps are pushing it as such. Xocai is not only not an efficient to way diet but it is a very costly one. The soundest way to diet is and always will be eating healthy unprocessed foods and integrating physical exercise into an everyday routine. It also needs to be mentioned that the jury is still out on whether acai berries really do offer any kind of slimming benefits at all without the inclusion of thermogenic additives.
Well since there are some advantages to Xocai are there any negative effects? The so called "healthy chocolate" includes acai berries that in addition to antioxidant advantages also have the natural quality of cleaning the bowels. This can lead to diarrhea and increased bowel movements. It's also entirely possible that anyone who has a serious allergy to pollen could have a serious allergic reaction to acai berries causing itching eyes, congestion and a rash. While there is little data available about the specific adverse side effects of Xocai in general it could be well worth noting that every website in searching range about Xocai also ends up having a "buy your healthy chocolate here" link on it too.
Xocai is the most recent idea, the follower to the acai berry diet, that was the follower of the cookie diet, that was the follower of the Hollywood diet and it is certain that there will be a newer idea to follow Xocai when it's moment passes. Meanwhile I recommend that you use caution but most importantly use your common sense. A healthy chocolate with absolutely nobody telling you about their unfavorable experience but simply everyone publishing their remarkable experiences with reseller links? Even Godiva have their critics.
Chicago is a big-time sports town with die hard fans for their Bears, Bulls, Cubs, and the World Champion Chicago White Sox. Even if you don't like baseball, you'll have the time of your life just like Ferris Bueller as you take in a Cubs game at Wrigley. The Windy City does a nice job blending in the new while maintaining its old world charm. Incorporated as a town in 1833, Chicago has grown to be the nation's third-largest city (with a population of more than 3 million), the birthplace of the first skyscraper and one of the few international US cities. Chicago today offers a truly cosmopolitan flare that adds to any visitor's big-city adventure - a beautiful city in the Midwest heartland that radiates a spirit of energy.
With 77 neighborhoods (yes, we did say 77), you can go from one to the next in a split second before you realize you're in a different area with completely new sights and sounds. Having unmistakable character, each of this city's neighborhoods brings a whole new array of shops, restaurants, attractions, historical elements, and intrigue.
Shopping on Michigan Ave. is truly magnificent, so make sure you work that into the plan.
Chicago is also known for its deep dish pizza, so you must try some while in town. Yes, the toppings are buried under the sauce, but trust us...it is fantabulous and worth the 40 minute wait. We like Gino's East and Giordanno's, but as you will see there are many other solid choices.
Whether you want to cozy up in a casual neighborhood bar or don your best black dress for some late night cocktails, Chicago has it all! Here are just some of our journeyPod Picks:
RiNo - A sleek River North lounge (the name's a spin on this), RiNo boasts low-slung seating, spotted "pony" chairs, kudo horn chandeliers, exposed beams and a bar top made with the midsection of a 200-year-old tree. Open till 4 a.m., RiNo lures locals and celebrities for after-hours action with a relaxed vibe. The music ranges from the latest hip-hop to 80's flashbacks, and the drink menu features everything from PBR in a can, to signature martinis and VIP table bottle service. No promises, but those of you hoping to beat the hefty cover are advised to arrive earlier than 11pm. And for all you girls out there - the restrooms contain goodies galore (you'll find everything from cosmetics to lollipops.) RiNo is located at 343 W. Erie St. (at Orleans St.).
Carol's Pub (Lincoln Park) - Talk about a traditional honky-tonk, Carol's Pub will remind you of the days when country music (and Uptown), belonged mostly to hillbillies. Drawing an eclectic crowd from early morning to early morning, this bare-bones venue with cheap booze and an "anyone's welcome" vibe is irresistible! Founded in 1973, Carol's Pub features dart tournaments on weeknights, and a house band on weekends. The bar menu offers basic beverages - namely beer, mixed drinks and Jaeger shots; and food options that include your typical bar eats like burgers, pizza and hot wings. If you're in a karaoke swinging mood, stop by on a Thursday night. Carol's Pub is located at 4659 N. Clark (at Leland St.).
Rockit Bar and Grill (River North) - Perhaps as penitence for making so many folks wait behind Le Passage's velvet rope, Chicago club impresarios Billy Dec and Brad Young opened up this new Wild Wild West meets big city multi-level space with upscale bar and grill. Promising a laid-back vibe that "checks the attitude at the door," Rockit is a great destination if you're in the mood for fussied-up comfort food and a Western-chic late-night lounge scene. Boasting a large first-floor dining area and an upstairs lounge with pool tables and plasma TVs, which celeb-designer Nate Berkus (you know you've seen him on "Oprah"!) has designed - you'll find comfy chocolate leather chairs, wood tables and exposed brick walls adorned with rustic elements. Specialty "Rocktails" include fruity concoctions like the Bomb Pop (raspberry and lemon vodkas, blue Curacao, lemonade and grenadine) and the Rockit Root Beer (Stoli Vanil, Godiva white-chocolate liqueur, and root beer). The place is located at 22 W. Hubbard St. (bet. Dearborn State Sts.).
Fulton Street Lounge (West Loop) - Nestled among the warehouses of the West Loop (and right next to high-end dining spot Follia) and in the thick of the booming Fulton Market District, this spot draws the beautiful people for after-work cocktails and late night libations. The open setting allows local crowds to build without ever getting too cramped, and the chic minimalistic décor adds class (and not haughty-taughty-ness). Groups here tend to convene on the comfortable plush seating at low, game-style tables; or find their way to the summer patio. Check out the lounge's creative, seasonal martinis. Found at 955 W. Fulton Market.
Suite Lounge (Old Town) - Expect a New York loft-like atmosphere when you arrive at this 1,800 square-foot space with a drink list that reads more like a dessert menu (think: martinis rimmed with graham cracker crumbs, Pop Rocks or frosting). Boasting a 20- to 40-something crowd, the space features two bars, tables and booths, and several private nooks for those who want to seclude themselves from the scene. Suite Lounge features house and trance and electric lounge style music influenced by Ibiza DJs. Know this: despite its sexy interior, Suite Lounge encourages a surprisingly relaxed attitude towards dress - jeans are the standard for men and women, and you can wear your Pumas without a hassle. The lounge is located at 1446 N. Wells St. (at Schiller St.).
D.O.C. Wine Bar (Lincoln Park) - Although the name refers to the European wine designation, it also happens to be the initials for Dunlays on Clark - which boasts geometric design elements like large porthole windows, a high lumber ceiling and a shiny metal backbar and skylight. Perfect for wine aficionados who are interested in sampling reasonably priced wines from around the globe, D.O.C. featuers 150 international bottle choices, with 30 by the glass offerings. The wine bar's menu includes small plates of choices like duck quesadillas, buckweat crepes and pizza. If you're coming to socialize, find a seat at the bar or couches surrounding the fireplace or at the banquettes lining the wall. If you're interested in a more private setting for deep conversation, try the intimate and sexy scarlet-drenched back room! Psst... On Sundays, all flights are half-price; Mondays, the 20 for $20 special offers a good variety of choices at a deep discount. D.O.C. Wine Bar is located at 2602 N. Clark St. (at Wrightwood Ave.).
J Bar (River North) - Talk about an upscale martini lounge. Located in the sleek and luxurious James Hotel, this lounge boasts modern design elements, candlelit cocktail tables and plasma TV screens to set the swanky scene that begins with the velvet ropes outside. Boasting "deconstructed" versions of traditional cocktails (like the signature James Hotel martini - that features blue raspberry vodka, elderflower cordial and served in a martini glass coated in a hard, raspberry candy shell. Remember: anchoring the south end of Rush Street's nightlife, J bar is an early evening or a late night destination. James Hotel can be located at 610 N. Rush St. (at Wabash Ave.).
reserve (West Loop) - Looking for a swanky, fashion-focused lounge, an elite atmosphere and first-class bottle service? reserve is where you go! Just make sure you dress in your very best designer threads so that you can make it past the door. Bling-bling and bottle service are definitely the name of the game at this place. With gleaming red tiles, a wall of bamboo and sexy crimson Asian-inspired décor elements, this bi-level venue is always attentive to its 20- to 30- something crowd that typically reserves tables and orders bottles of champagne (that range from $120 to $1,000 a bottle). Tuesdays are SIN DR ("Service Industry Night Done Right") nights geared toward fashion and service industry elite, requires no cover charge and complimentary cocktails from 10 to 11 p.m. Other times, if you're looking for reduced or comp. admission, just send an RSVP email to info@reserve-chicago.com and you'll be good to go! reserve is located at 858 W. Lake St. (at Peoria St.).
The Wild Hare (Wrigleyville) - Calling itself the reggae capital of America is not too much of a stretch for The Wild Hare - ya' mon! Every night of the week, local, national and international bands make their way to the stay at this club (which has doubled in size over the last ten years and invested over $100,000 into its sound system). In a given month, you'll find everyone from Shabba Ranks to other such renowned performers as Rita Marley and Tony Reble traveling from Jamaica to perform here. This place still draws a large crowd who's always in the mood for a little Red Stripe (Jamaica's favorite beer), the signature house rum and great music. DJs spin between sets or when no band is booked and cover charge can be as high as $20 for big-name performers such as Yellow Man. The Wild Hare is located at 3530 N Clark Street (Cross Street: Addison Street).
Can you Please Them All? Universal Search Engine Ranking Algorithms
0 comments Posted by Althauser at 12:20 AMSearch engine specialists used to spend inordinate amounts of time creating pages that ranked well at just one search engine due to algorithmic weighting of known and very specific ranking factors. But with duplicate content penalties and increasing complexity and number of strongly emphasized factors converging, most SEO's are moving toward using tweaks to important pages, rather than what were once known as separate "Doorway pages" or alternately, "Hallway pages" meant for just one engine for dozens of search phrases per engine.
Most SEO firms now realize that the vast majority of referred search traffic comes from Google and that it is followed only (often at less than one-third the referral traffic) by Yahoo and then half as much again from MSN (with Ask trailing far behind at just fractional percentages of the referrals brought by the others). Therefore, most optimization efforts are spent toward making Google happy, and the others will mostly fall in behind by bestowing rankings at similar positions to those achieved at Google. Still, there are many interested in improving positions at Yahoo, MSN and Ask once they have achieved their best rank at the big G.
First speaker Aaron Wall of SEObook.com emphasized that algorithms are always in a state of evolution and offered a brief overview comparing observed ranking factors of each of the top search engines. Wall elicited a chuckle from the audience with the webmaster's quip, "A good search engine is one that ranks my sites well, a bad engine is one in which my site does badly." He suggested that there is "No such thing as a perfect algorithm." Wall asserts that, of necessity, SEO techniques evolve with the algo's. Because you rank well in one engine, it does not mean you'll do well in all.
Infrastructure or algorithmic changes may have unintended side effects. Wall mentioned Google Sandbox effect and suggested that it was really a side effect of an aging factor added to the algorithm, but that its' effect was positive overall to the index, so it was kept. He moved to discuss "Big Daddy" infrastructure effects, which for many webmasters meant large numbers of temporarily disappearing pages dropping from search results.
That effeect of BigDaddy update was widely discussed in webmaster forums when it resulted in wide swings of results for many until the index was able to readjust and settle over a few weeks. Many sites didn't regain positions they had before Big Daddy because they emphasized factors in their optimization that were downgraded by that major overhaul to the Google infrastructure.
Wall mentioned that new publishing formats can create algorithmic "holes" and gave two examples - Wikipedia and blogs. This was an "advanced" session, according to the conference schedule, so terms were not defined and it was assumed that most in attendance understood how different those publishing formats are. He also suggested that many will always attempt to game the system as new formats emerge. (Suggesting that he was aware of those two publishing systems being used to game the search engine ranking system currently.)
Wall continued his rundown, suggesting that Yahoo focus was quite literal for years, but recently changed to be more like Google. "Nepotistic links" still working there. Bias toward commercial sites with their algo's. MSN newest to search and they entered when spam was already heavily gaming system. Google has biased toward information resources like .gov and .edu best at determining true link quality and bad links can hurt crawl depth. Places a lot of weight on domain level trust. Aggressive duplicate content filters. Google looks much more at linguistic patterns than the others and filters out some hyper focused pages. Some have called that "over-optimized".
He mentioned that ASk is not studied as much as others due to small size, so less is actually known about their algo's.
Dave Davies of Beanstalk SEO then took the stand, emphasizing items such as site architecture and URL importance on his first slide, showing standard SEO factors such as key content appearing higher on the page, above the fold. Heads around the room nodded as attendees agreed with the basics as he reviewed each item on the standard SEO checklist.
As he moved to the "code to content ratio" he claimed it was a sizable weighting factor for his clients. While not revealing names of those clients, he did show several slides of example sites with keyword phrases highlighted and circled on the pages. He claims that extensive on page use of javascript, nested tables and complex table structure hurts many sites and that when Beanstalk switched to "table-less design" from table structures, that his own site saw immediate increases in ranking with absolutely no changes to content. He went on to discuss SE friendly URL's and "flat filing" of dynamic content.
Davies said that when optimiizing for separate engines - MSN is by far the easiest, then Yahoo then Google. But then he said, "Ranking on MSN is essentially useless though, so I'd rather be on page three of Google than on page one of MSN." He claimed that relative ranking results in far more traffic, even though few searchers go past the first two pages of results. Google has very much higher referral numbers, so rankings are worth more on page three of Google results than page one of MSN. Determining which engine to target first for top ranking is therefore, quite easy. Ranking on MSN search is still not as valuable as ranking well on Yahoo.
Other factors include age of a page, content adjustments, freshness, keyword density, How it fares in search results (clicks from result pages out to SERP listed site), backlinks, visitor stats and user analysis. Traffic is better that way. Referrer analysis - where are they coming from. Which keyword phrases are actually converting? Path analysis important to determine what users do on the site and then comparing each of the engines for path analysis and which engines result in more referred users taking the most desired action from each engine. Do users referred from MSN result in sales or quote requests? He recommends doing that same analysis at each of the engines referring search traffic.
Next up on the panel of experts for "Can You Please Them All" session was SEO Michael Murray, VP Fathom SEO, who suggested that audience members make slow subtle changes to their important pages and overall to the site, and recommended against major reworking. Don't do a complete overhaul. Make some baby changes first to get rankings and go from there. He warned attendees, "You can't get all the rankings with one page. Think multiple pages to achieve results for different engines.
Murray provided a fun example of what it takes to woo a search engine when he said, "MSN is easy, it just takes a little kiss." The powerpoint slide showed the MSN name and a photo of a Hershey's Kiss. The next slide showed the Yahoo name along with a heart shaped box of chocolates and a couple talking. He said, "Yahoo is fickle. It's sometimes slow but comes around." Then showed a slide for Google showing a box of long stemmed roses, a box of the best Godiva Chocolates and a wedding ring and said, "You've gotta completely romance them."
He emphasized important page structure issues and classifed them in terms of "Tiers: First Second and Third on page architecture." Showing page titles, headings, first paragraph use of keyword phrases. Make good use of the pages you have - Don't abandon longstanding pages for lower ranked terms, add more to pages, rather than swapping new keyword phrases targeting a different term. He gave examples of sites switching content management systems, resulting in complete URL changes site-wide, then asking him, "What happened to our traffic?" A question many SEO's have heard from both new clients coming for initial SEO and long time clients who neglected to tell their SEO they planned the site remake. Few understand the ramifications of site redesign on ranking.
Murray then listed "Keyword development and Assessment tools" like Google 300, Wordtracker KEI, web analytics Sales data, charting performance, influence of root words. Derivitaves of words. No corporate names or bylines in title tags. Use of keywords far more important than the corporate name or catch phrase. Discussed getting ranking 3rd or 4th position on Google until the corporate board of directors asks for company name in the title tag and the site ranking dropped to #22. "Which actually made me happy!" He said he told them rank would drop if the title tag was used for branding and reported the new position to them. They reversed the request and the rank increased after changing back to previous tags.
Get ranking for important keyword phrases first, then adjust tags to include any additional info. He recocmmended that sites don't show "breadcrumbs" for sections of site in title tags, as is often done. Home > Brand > Model > Product is far less important than the actual item description. He recommended what he called "Page Freeze" for backup to previous tags when ranking is lost at any time as was discussed in the example above. Backups of previous tags on well ranked pages should be saved so they can be reverted to those versions if rankings fall following a change to those tags. Home page is best bet for best words. Test tactics, go slowly.
The session turned into a list of best practices and SEO basics when all were done, but proved that it never hurts to pay close attention to what matters most. When top SEO's present that laundry list of issues, it emphasizes how important the basics are to top ranking. The title "Can You Please Them All" was essentially answered, "Yes, if you use best practices and target Google."
Copyright August 8, 2006 by Mike Banks Valentine
Visit www.drinkstv.com to download and print this video drink recipe and more!
Most women experience PMS symptoms at different points of their lives. PMS (premenstrual symptom) is usually characterized by anxiety, irritability, depression, craving sugary foods and feeling bloated. There are many homeopathic and nutritional solutions for relieving the PMS, but a regular yoga asana practice can be tremendously beneficial as well.
Many women experience chocolate and sugar cravings before periods. Chocolate contains magnesium, a mineral that decreases menstrual cramping and helps normalize glucose metabolism. Magnesium is also found in bananas, dried apricots and almonds, so keep that in mind when the next PMS hits.
Poses for sugar cravings:
Bow Pose - Dhanurasana
The bow stretches and tones the ovaries, uterus, and abdominal organs. It increases the overall energy and improves the mood.
Lay face down on the floor. Bend your knees, grab a hold of the outsides of your ankles and on the inhale come up, arching your back and trying to reach the top of your head and your feet up towards the sky and towards each other. Keep drawing your feet towards each other, eventually drawing your knees together. Hold for five to ten breaths.
Modified Bridge Pose
Modified bridge pose rejuvenates and tones the reproductive organs as well as the abdominal organs, relieving carbohydrate cravings.
Lay down on your back, with the knees bent, soles of the feet hip width apart on the floor, as close as possible to your body. Arms are extended next to your body. On the inhale, raise your seat, your lower back and your middle back upwards, raising up on your toe tips. Take a yoga block and place it on its highest level under your sacrum (a flat bone that's located right under your lower spine.) Place the soles of your feet back on the floor and interlace your fingers on the floor behind the block. Breathe for as long as you need to. You should feel a wonderful sense of release from this pose.
Poses for anxiety and irritability:
Child's Pose
The child's pose focuses the breath on the organ systems in the abdomen and pelvis, which helps massage and tone them. The gentle inversion of head, neck, and torso relaxes the back muscles and eases the lower back pain.
Kneel with your buttocks resting on your heels. Bend at the hips and let your torso relax on your thighs and your forehead rest on the floor. Relax your arms and hands on the floor beside you with the palms up and the fingers pointing toward your feet. Stay for ten breaths.
Upward Facing Dog - Urdva Mukha Svanasana
This pose is a backbend; it tones the abdominal organs. By raising the energy up, it also has a tendency to improve the mood.
Begin with arms bent at the elbows next to your chest, fingers pointing forward, elbows in. On an inhalation, rise up from the forehead, nose, and chin, continuing the stretch through your neck, upper torso, and lower torso until your entire pelvic basin is tilting upward and your thighs are poff the floor. Straighten the arms, broadening your shoulders down and away from the ears, stretching and curving your spine. Your weight is supported on the tops of your feet and your hands.
Poses for Bloating
Modified Wide Angle - boddhakonasana
The modified wide-angle pose reverses the effects of bloating and fluid retention in the legs and feet.
Lie on your back with your pelvis against a wall, your legs extended up the wall, and your arms resting at your sides. Open your legs into a V on the wall. Breathe easily, holding the position for 20 deep breaths.
Shoulderstand, headstand and handstand and plough pose tend to improve the mood as well. However, you should avoid practicing these inverted poses when menstruating.
Now give yourself an extra long Savasana (final relaxation pose.)
Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing up, and your feet a comfortable distance apart. Close your eyes and relax. Allow the floor to support you.
After the relaxation, meditate for a few minutes. Maybe you saved yourself a trip to GoDiva.
Godiva Chocolates - The Perfect Valentine Heart For Him Or Her
0 comments Posted by Althauser at 6:50 AMThink Godiva chocolates are cliché for Valentine's Day? Think again. Chocolates are the quintessential expression of love and affection! Rich chocolates excite the taste buds and the emotions, too. Chocolates trigger the release of endorphins in the body. Endorphins are the chemicals that make us feel good, happy, and content. Can you see why gifts of chocolate are perfect for Valentine's Day?
Now, here's the best part: You can give Godiva chocolates to your love on Valentine's Day, and you should, because Godiva chocolates are known as one of the very best quality, best tasting, and most loved brands of chocolates the world over.
Combine Godiva with the traditional and endlessly romantic symbol of the heart, and you're sure to win his or her devotion on Valentine's Day and throughout the year - even throughout your lives!
Godiva chocolate hearts aren't limited to one or two gifts. You have some wonderful choices for showing your love this Valentine's Day.
Let's start with the Godiva True Love Heart Box. Give your true love this 29-piece heart-shaped box of chocolate deliciousness that features such tempting and decadent treats as Midnight Swirl, Coconut Pyramid, Almond Praline Raindrop, Cinnamon Blush and more. The sweet variety offered in this beautiful heart, full of rich Godiva chocolates, is the perfect way to express your true affection.
If you really want to impress, go for the Godiva Satin Heart Gift box. This gorgeous keepsake heart box full of treats is decorated in luscious satin. You can tempt your favorite guy or gal with a selection of rich and velvety milk, white and dark chocolates, all nestled in a luxurious box that is worthy of keeping as a remembrance of a particularly romantic day.
Are you looking for a cute, romantic gift to give someone you like a lot, and would like to get to know better? Try the Valentine's Day Chocolate Heart Lollipop by Godiva. Leave this sweet treat where he or she will find it, with a cute note. Godiva Chocolate Heart Lollipops are also great gifts for kids and good friends.
For a delicious indulgence to gift the one you love with, try Godiva Dark Chocolate Heart Biscuits. These traditional European biscuits are heart shaped, topped with dark chocolate and filled with heavenly chocolate truffle cream. Share these over rich coffee after a romantic and sumptuous Valentine's dinner.
Godiva chocolates are the premier chocolate, and Valentine's Day is the perfect time to share such sweet gifts with those you love the most. Both men and women love to indulge in a special chocolate treat, and you can create a perfectly magic romantic mood with rich chocolates, presented in the one shape that we all recognize as a symbol of love and affection-the heart.
Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Be prepared to attract that new date, or let your friends and loved ones know how much you care, or get your romantic partner to swoon, with the unmistakable taste of Godiva chocolates.
It's time to deviate from the normal, mixing up a chocolate margarita cocktail. A little tequila, some sweet sour, some Godiva chocolate liqueur and more!
Some people just can't seem to live without chocolate. Chocolate makes their mouths water and some would even say that it comforts them whenever they feel depressed. Chocolate addicts would give anything they can to get their hands on the world's finest chocolates. I happen to be one of those people who absolutely adore chocolate.
My day would not be complete without having a bite of chocolate. And whenever possible, I try to get hold of the word's finest chocolates. Godiva and other chocolates from Belgium are considered the best chocolates in the world. Meticulously crafted Belgium chocolates are so incredibly satisfying that it's impossible to close your eyes when you're eating them. The world's finest chocolates may be pricey but it's worth it if you can enjoy the best available treats. It doesn't matter if you enjoy dark, white, or milk, the best quality chocolates are definitely worth your money.
I personally prefer my chocolates to be on the lighter side. I always go to a nearby Godiva stand whenever I want to give a Valentines Day gift to my wife. She really appreciates Godiva chocolate because they are regarded to be among the world's finest chocolates. I've tried all kinds of chocolates from Taiwan, Germany, and, Belgium and Godiva is without a doubt the best one I ever tasted. My personal favorite is the open sea shell with the truffle inside. The makers of Godiva chocolates go to a lot of trouble to craft each piece to perfection.
Do you also want to enjoy the world's finest chocolates? Maybe you've find it hard to get hold of them in your local area. If they are hard to find in local stores then you can look for them online. Not only will you locate the world's finest chocolates, you can benefit from promotions and discounts as well. With just one click on your PC, you can find yourself in chocolate heaven.
TRADITIONAL GIFTS
Gift Baskets
Gift baskets are something you can buy or make. If you want to save a little money, purchase a nice, inexpensive basket from Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, or other retail chains and then fill it with items like baby powder, lotion, diaper cream, washcloths, bibs, sleepers, bottles, teething ring, pacifiers, and so on.
For a nice, added touch, purchase a second basket for the parents. In this basket, add some crackers and cheese with sparkling grape juice, Godiva chocolates, bubble bath, gourmet coffee, homemade cookies or muffins, two movie tickets, and so on.
Knitting
Beautifully, hand knitted blankets, bonnets, jackets, and other gifts are always a welcomed gift. With this type of baby gift, it is apparent that the person put tremendous time and effort into making something special, something warm and cherished.
Shoe Bronzing
This continues to be a cherished tradition. Bronzed shoes could be given as a certificate for the couple to have done after the birth of the baby or this makes an excellent gift for adopted babies.
Today, more than 14 million baby shoes have been bronzed. While only shoes were bronzed at one time, today other baby items can be bronzed to include stuffed animals, pacifiers, baby bottles, etc.
First Tooth Holder
A timeless, silver-plated first tooth holder is something the soon-to-be parents would love. These holders can be engraved with the baby's initials or name and some have a nice Plexiglas hinged lid to protect the precious tooth.
An alternative to this is the "First Curl" holder for the baby's first haircut, as seen in the photograph to the right.
Picture Frames
Couples always love cute picture frames, perfect for showing off the newest member of the family. You will find every design imaginable such as a pewter frame with a Noah's Ark motif, ceramic frames with tiny bunnies or ducks, crystal frames, etc. With this type of gift, the theme of the nursery can be matched perfectly.
"Piggy" Bank
Although you could stay with tradition and go with a little piggy like the one shown, baby banks are available in all shapes, sizes, and designs. Something made from pewter or silver looks beautiful and will last for years, making it the perfect keepsake.
The opportunities for gifts are endless. The main thing is to think about what the parents will need for their newborn baby. Babies go through tons of diapers, crib sheets, bibs, sleepers, and socks so you would always be safe with any of these items.
©2004 Babyshowermoments.com, All rights Reserved
hahahaha it is pt. 9!! at party_____ abby: wow his house is amazing!!! katie: IKR abby: so whatcha wanna do first? katie: i wanna find ryan he's sooooo cute! abby: you wanna go out with ryan? katie: uhh yeah! abby: okay lets go get the other lovebird! katie: uhmmm i'm not sure but okay. abby: *see's ryan* walks over ryan: hey abby hiii katie katie: hiiii! abby: ryan come here ryan: okay both: *walks into kitchen* abby: ryan do you wanna go out with katie? ryan: we LA DUH! yesss abby: cool go hang out with her! ryan: okay *walks off* abby: i wonder where justin is i'm gonna go find him! *walks around until she has to go to the bathroom* *walks in to the bathroom and see's*.... justin: *making out with random hot slutty girl* random hot slutty girl: hot god justin your so sexy! *runs hands through hid hair* justin: you too sexy! i love so much more than anyone!! abby is just standing there in tears________ justin: see's abby** o crap abby i'm so- abby: save it you bitch! *runs out* justin: *runs after her* ABZ WAIT I'M SORRY!!! Abby: *keeps running* later that night abby: *crying* katie:* comforting her* justin is a dick abby he's a loser! abby: i know but i really wanted to believe in him! WITH JB ryan: you dick whats your problem? chris: yeah mean seriously!? justin: i know i am a dick and i feel horrible!! chris and ryan: YOU SHOULD! justin: i know i have to fix this? text convo: j: abby can i please explain? a: sure but it's not gonna help you dick! j: it started out as ...
Many people decry the lack of inexpensive alternatives to the current costs of enjoying oneself in the "new" Las Vegas. Vegas used to be a town of cheap rooms, inexpensive food, and free entertainment. But all that's been changing since the sixties when they figured out they could take the talent in the lounges, build a closed-in theater, put the acts in there and start charging admission. Little by little as the town progressed to a corporate bean-counting oasis and the mob self-destructed, things that were free or cheap disappeared. Of course now Strip land is worth $40 million an acre and the costs of greed flow downward.
Regardless, here's a great way to spend a lovely afternoon for less than $10 for two.
Find your way to the new Palazzo Hotel and admire the beautiful granite and marble accoutrements, a two-story waterfall, as well as the gorgeous artwork and design that CEO and founder Sheldon Adelson is noted for since he constructed the building of the adjacent Venetian Hotel Casino. The Palazzo Hotel connects directly to the Canal Shops in the Venetian and one can access either property quite easily. The one thing that you notice about the Palazzo that is different than most casino areas is the wide open floor plan with more than enough room to move and a very good ventilation system. As the stench of the cigarette smoke is impossible to eliminate altogether it is a vast improvement on all other gambling joints.
You never do know what you're going to see on any given day. The day we were there we kept running into a dozen drop-dead gorgeous contestants for the Miss USA pageant, as they were shopping and simultaneously being filmed, and escorted by a bevy of security guards. Directly above the Palazzo casino floor Emeril Lagasse's "Table 10" restaurant, high end jewelry stores and accessory boutiques, and the Double Helix bar were open for business but other stores were still under construction. Smooth jazz emanated through the area as a pianist and bassist played unmindful of their surroundings. Walking on, my wife and I stopped into Barney's of New York so she could look at $8,000 dresses and $1200 shoes. The salespeople seem grateful for any traffic as there were a few buyers that day. We then made our way up the escalator to the Canal shops. We stopped at Godiva chocolates and split a tasty peanut-butter filled chocolate to the tune of four dollars-pricey but Heaven in small bites. Walking through a replica of St. Mark's Square, a crowd gathered around a living statue dressed in pure white and whiteface and people posed with him taking pictures and leaving generous tips. At the Peter Lik Photographic Gallery we spent time gazing at his beautiful imagery, recognizing many of the places that we ourselves had been on these huge enlargements of scenic wonder.
We walked past the many shops and of course watched the gondolas go by and stopped for a cappuccino and banana nut muffin. We sat and people-watched as the ultra rich, beauty queens, and normal people bustled by, all on their own singular quests. The shops there are quite diverse from Venetian glass and ceramics to high-end lingerie, Magic shops and modern art to gowns and denim. All said and done we spent a little less than $10, and didn't even have to spend that, for an interesting and fun afternoon. So you see, a cheap date is possible here and having lived here now for close to 15 years, it's still never ceases to amaze me how incredible this town really is.
Xan Chocolates: Ladybug Truffles (Milk Chocolates) Review
Xan Chocolates: Ladybug Truffles (Milk Chocolates) Feature
- All Milk Lady: Milk chocolate ganache covered in a milk chocolate shell decorated with white chocolate
- Raspberry Ladybug: Our signature Ladybug! Deep raspberry and dark chocolate filling in a whimsically decorated shell.
- Hazelnut Ladybug: Dark & milk chocolate shell sprinkled with chopped hazelnuts covers a dark chocolate ganache mixed with hazelnut praline
- Pecan Praline: Filled with Southern pecans, this striped beauty has all the elegance & intensity of a prowling tiger.
Xan Chocolates: Ladybug Truffles (Milk Chocolates) Overview
Decadent, Dessert-Sized Delights! All natural Ladybug truffles were named after a lucky little ladybug who joined us one day .
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Apr 06, 2010 05:43:14
Xan Chocolates: Ladybug Truffles (Dark Chocolate) Review
Xan Chocolates: Ladybug Truffles (Dark Chocolate) Feature
- Raspberry Ladybug: Our signature Ladybug! Deep raspberry and dark chocolate filling in a whimsically decorated shell.
- Sea Salt: Crystallized sea salt & buttery caramel combined with luxurious dark chocolate if you close your eyes, you can almost smell the ocean.
- All Dark Truffle:Rich, intense, dark chocolate ganache covered in a dark chocolate shell decorated with dark chocolate swirl
- Grand Mariner: Dark chocolate swirled with citrus-sweet juiciness you could be in the middle of an orange grove!
Xan Chocolates: Ladybug Truffles (Dark Chocolate) Overview
Decadent, Dessert-Sized Delights! All natural Ladybug truffles were named after a lucky little ladybug who joined us one day .
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Apr 06, 2010 05:42:13
Little kid gets beat up because of Godiva Chocolate
Xan Chocolates: Saintly Sins Collection Review
Xan Chocolates: Saintly Sins Collection Feature
- Raspberry Sin: Manna from Heaven - Pure Raspberry and 100% Organic Blue Agave Nectar encased in Signature Dark Chocolate.
- Strawberry Sin: A bursting liquid blend of pure strawberry, 10-year old balsamic vinegar and 100% organic blue agave nectar encased in signature blend dark chocolate.
- Pineapple Sin: Liquid Gold - Pure Pineapple is blended with 100% Organic Blue Agave Nectar encased in Signature Dark Chocolate.
- 29 Calories, 1 Gram of Fat per piece
- Low-Glycemic, Gluten Free, Diabetic Friendly (not Sugar-Free), Non-Dairy & Vegan
Xan Chocolates: Saintly Sins Collection Overview
Sometimes it's Good to Be Naughty! National Award Winning Chocolates that fit anyones lifestyle.
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Apr 05, 2010 05:28:54
30pc Handmade Belgian Chocolates In Easter Bunny Tin Review
30pc Handmade Belgian Chocolates In Easter Bunny Tin Feature
- Decadent & Delicious Handmade Belgian Chocolates
- Free From Artificial Ingredients & Preservatives
- Unique Easter Gift
- Keepsake Bunny Tin
30pc Handmade Belgian Chocolates In Easter Bunny Tin Overview
Send a loved one an Easter bunny filled with 30 of our decadent handmade Belgian chocolates. This mouth-watering assortment of chocolates is sure to be enjoyed! Bunny design will be picked at random.
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 30, 2010 04:49:59
Godiva Caramel Liqueur Carameltini ft Britney Spears 3 three
0 comments Posted by Althauser at 11:29 AMgirly-drinks.com How to make a carameltini or caramel martini using Godiva Liqueur. Britney Spears 3 as background music.
Leonidas Belgian Chocolates: 1 lb Napolitain Orange Dark Chocolate Squares
0 comments Posted by Althauser at 11:24 AMLeonidas Belgian Chocolates: 1 lb Napolitain Orange Dark Chocolate Squares Review
If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more, to dream all the time. ~Marcel Proust
Imagine you are drinking coffee or a chai tea and your mouth is warm from the heat of your beverage. You then take the smallest bite of an Orange Napolitain and suddenly your mouth is filled with the exotic flavor of melting dark chocolate busting with the flavor of orange. It is similar to the flavor of a candied orange peel so you have the flavor of orange zest mysteriously escaping from what could only be described as the silkiest dark chocolate in the world.
Definitely an Indulgence that reveals culinary genius! Each piece is individually wrapped in a beautiful orange wrapping displaying the shield of the Greek warrior Leonidas, King of Sparta. The chocolates are actually named after the founder Leonidas Kestekidis who immigrated to the United States and then moved to Belgium.
I first tasted Leonidas chocolates while in Brussels, Belgium. Since then, I have wondered about where I could purchase these delicious chocolates without having to fly to Belgium. I must say that once you taste a Leonidas praline filled chocolate, you will remember the taste for life! Since reviewing at Amazon, I discovered chocolates in gold boxes that resembled the boxes I remembered from Belgium. Enlightenment!
Leonidas now has over 1700 stores and sales locations worldwide and they offer over 80 varieties of fresh chocolates. The chocolates are air freighted weekly from Brussels so you will always find the quality to be superior. My chocolates arrived fast and were as fresh as if I had purchased them in Belgium. They were carefully packaged in the famous gold boxes with signature wrapping and a ribbon. The boxes were then placed in protective Styrofoam containers to protect the chocolates during shipping. The expedited shipping is recommended from May to early September.
If you wish to try all the Napolitains, I'd suggest the 1 pound sampler Ballotin with six varieties. You may also want to look for the new Palet d'Or. A deeply delicious and strong bitter chocolate filled with ganache. The center is made with butter, cream and chocolate and the outer coating is a masterpiece with gold decorations. If you prefer milk chocolates, look for the Milk Chocolate Assortment. They also have a dark, white and milk chocolate assortment. The chocolates can also be ordered in smaller party favor boxes and they will definitely impress your guests.
If you have been dreaming of the most delicious orange flavored chocolates in the world, you have to try these chocolates. You can nibble on them while drinking hot chocolate, chai tea or coffee. If you fall in love with the orange flavor, wait until you taste the cinnamon Napolitains.
~The Rebecca Review
Leonidas Belgian Chocolates: 1 lb Napolitain Orange Dark Chocolate Squares Feature
- An entire ballotin filled with one of Leonidas' newest additions, Napolitain Orange
- An exotic blend of dark chocolate and orange flavor
- Pefect over coffee with friends
- Net weight 1 lb - Approx 70 Pieces - each piece individually wrapped
- Ideal for gifts, or simply to indulge yourself!
Leonidas Belgian Chocolates: 1 lb Napolitain Orange Dark Chocolate Squares Overview
Napolitain Orange, an exotic blend of dark chocolate and orange. The perfect accompaniment to coffee after dinner with friends.
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 30, 2010 01:20:09
Xan Chocolates: The Jewel Collection Review
Xan Chocolates: The Jewel Collection Feature
- Coconut Pecan Caramel: Coconut, pecans and non-dairy buttery tasting caramel, like German chocolate icing.
- Espresso Almond: Our non-dairy buttery tasting espresso caramel surrounds a whole roasted almond encased in dark chocolate, bold and crunchy
- Butterscotch Caramel: The classic taste of butterscotch in a buttery tasting caramel
- Ancho Chili Caramel: Alderwood smoked salt and just the right amount of heat from ancho chilis makes this buttery tasting caramel the best you have ever had.
- Agave Sweetened, Non-Dairy, Gluten-Free and Vegan
Xan Chocolates: The Jewel Collection Overview
The Oxymoronic Caramel - Discover your inner princess with these Non-Dairy Chocolate Treasures
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 29, 2010 04:43:22
Chocolates are such a tasty stuff loved by all the ages. Chocolates are mainly made up of cocoa solids. In a chocolate the basic amount of cocoa used is about 70%. Chocolates have some beneficial qualities to health. Chocolates have the traces of iron, calcium and potassium and vitamin A, B1, C, D and E.
Cocoa has the content of magnesium. Magnesium deficiency leads to hyper tension, heart diseases, diabetes, joint problems and pre-menstrual tension (PMT or PMS).
BENEFITS FOR MEN AND WOMEN
o High intake of magnesium content is good for Cardiovascular System and hypertension.
o Fat in high quality chocolates will not increase the cholesterol level, because the fats used in this are saturated.
o Pre-menstrual drop in progesterone levels is the main cause for the violent mood for women. Adding magnesium will cure it till the level.
HEALTHIEST CHOCOLATE
A plain dark chocolate is the healthiest as this contains 70% of cocoa. This may not have a large amount of sugar in it. In case of white or milk chocolates, the content of chocolate solids will be less. Dark chocolate is allowed in popular Montaignac diet. These are high in sugar content and saturated fats. HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) will be tragic for both teeth and health.
Chocolates of commercial and hand made works are more of sugars. They are generally known as Fondant and Praline, fondant is almost 100% sugar.
Janet has developed the chocolates with high quality filling in it. The centre of the chocolates is mostly covered with chocolates made up of 70% of chocolate solids. In case of milk chocolates, it is made with 33% of chocolate butter.
DO'S OF CHOCOLATE
The studies in the content of a chocolate say that chocolate has a content of flavonoids. It is a type polyphenol antioxidant. The University of Scranton proved that chocolate has high antioxidant content when compared with the other foods. In a dark chocolate it contains eight times the polyphenol antioxidant that found in strawberry. In November 2001, Pennsylvania State University found that the chocolate eaters have got good cholesterol. This is found in 23 peoples. In August 2005, researchers from Italy found that the dark chocolate can lower the blood pressure in people with hypertension. It is suggested to take chocolates. Taking chocolates once in a while will not harm.
Cocoa has antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay.Smell of chocolates increases the theta waves of the brain. This relaxes you more.
Cocoa butter in chocolates contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat helps in increasing the fat.
Drinking a cup of hot chocolate may decline the wish to eat.
Eating chocolate increase the life span in men.
Mexicans use chocolate to treat bronchitis and insect bites.
Carbohydrates in chocolate will increase the level of serotonin levels in the brain. This increases the sense of well being.
DONT'S OF CHOCOLATE
o Caffeine and bromine in cocoa do not cause nervous excitability.
o It is non addictive.
o Stearic acid in chocolate does not raise the level of bad cholesterol.
NEGATIVES OF CHOCOLATE
o This triggers headache in migraine sufferers.
o Milk chocolate is high in high in calories, fat and sugar.
o Giving chocolate for the pets is harmful. It contains theobromine, which pets cannot digest.
Whos Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf (A Taylor Lautner fanfic) - Ch. 9 Friendly Advise
0 comments Posted by Althauser at 2:24 PMOHK we are still on with Taylor's POV.. Hope u like it !! Vote && comment [[ u know i luhv that !! ]] ha ha !! have a good dayyyy ________________________________ It wasnt that I did not believe I had a crush on Natalia. She is [[PERFECT]].. so sweet and totally not like [[OMG !! its TAYLOR !!]] .. I mean how many people are like that around me anymore. She makes me feel as though i have known her for YEARS !! I love being around her. She does not treat me like [[Royalty]] .. She is true to herself as she is to me.. But the thing now is WHAT SHOULD I DO?? I am [[CLUELESS]].. This rarely happens and now as i was staring at her i knew there was something [[ I HAD TO DO !! ]] AS Much as i did not want to ,, I left a shrug for Natalia to keep her warm and stepped out of my Trailer. I was wandering around set when i spotted [[ JUST]] the person i wanted to talk to. I went over and tapped her shoulder **Hey Tay whats up ??** Was the sweet greeting i got. Ashley was one person who i went to with all my problems. She surely was tiny like a pixie but had an EQ that went through the roof. ** Hey Ash .. I Needed Your help .. Uhm...** i dint know how to say. You could say i was [[TONGUE TIED]] **BOY!! Tay u at a loss of words ?? THATS A FIRST ** she mused !! ** Well Actually Ash YEAH !! Its not often someone [[TAKES MY BREATH AWAY]] ** i said. ** OH TAY [[ FAKING A BLUSH ]] AM i looking that good ??** she said and started laughing. I joined in with her but soon it was back to me ...