My Own Version of Heaven

Okay. If you read my blog often, you know how much I love books. My dream is to live right across the street from a library. So when I saw this, I could not believe it. It's my dream chair. I could live in that chair. Of course, I'd need a coffee machine nearby. But that's easily arranged.

My most current dream, and one that doesn't appear to be in the offing right now, is a vacation. It doesn't have to be exotic. It doesn't have to be luxurious. In fact, I found this vintage vacation on the same site as my dream chair, and it would be just right. Nice and quiet. Low stress.

Last but not least, the Kahlua-flavored brownies found on - yes, you guessed it - this same site would make me one happy camper. Mmm.

Just set me up in a little camper by the sea. Make sure my chair stocked with books is inside it. And don't forget to leave a plate of chocolate Kahlua brownies. Now that would be my version of heaven. And no, this is not a paid advertisement for The Style Files. What's your version of heaven?

Read more »

Were the Seven Dwarfs Right?

I came across an article recently at Pick the Brain that really has me thinking. It was about how listening to music can increase our mental focus and productivity. Blog author, John Wesley, recounts his "aha!" moment while playing video games to music in Focus Better by Listening to Music. He found that if he played while listening to music, his style of play became much more natural, and his decision-making process sped up measurably.

It's long been recognized that music can change a person's mood. I know an upbeat song will lift me when I'm feeling down. Inversely, I cry every time I hear Johnny Cash sing "Hurt." But it's a good cry. You know the type - cathartic. And I'm thrown right back to the '70s every time I hear a song by Elton John or the Eagles. Music is emotionally powerful.

But the idea that music could actually increase your productivity and focus is interesting and, I think, worth pursuing. So if you want to do your own experimentation, I highly recommend the new Pandora Internet Radio. My brother had told me about it. But it wasn't until this weekend that I really had a chance to check it out.

The neat thing is you can listen to a variety of music, but all in a similar vein. So if you feel like a little Doobie Brothers (Am I dating myself?), make a Doobie Brothers station. Pandora will only play songs in the same genre and style as the song or artist you name.

Who knows? Maybe listening to music while working does make us sharper. Maybe we all should whistle while we work. Do your own experiment and let me know.


Find thousands of Bilingual jobs at LatPro.com.

Read more »

Food or Gas? That is the Question

Am I the only one having to make hard decisions about where I will and won't drive? I've never been one to fill up my tank. I just can't afford it. But I've started putting more in lately, simply because if I don't, I might as well camp out by the pump. Ten dollars worth of gas is getting me nowhere.

The Associated Press reports that recent polls show that 46% of Americans believe that near-record gas prices will cause them serious financial hardship this year. The worst of it is there seems to be no real concrete reason why gas is so high. Somehow, the fact that gas prices in European cities like Oslo and Norway are three times higher doesn't make me feel a lot better about the situation.

So what's a driver to do? LifeClever.com has a list of 5 Ways to Instantly Find Cheap Gas, and it's pretty neat. Yes, I said neat. There are websites, methods of tracking gas on your mobile device, even a widget that constantly updates the lowest price for gas in your area. Check it out.


Learn more about Hispanic Recruiting at LatPro.com.

Read more »

Top 5 Stress Busters for Worn Out Parents

I've been feeling pretty stressed out lately. So I've been trying to come up with ways to cut back on the chaos around my house or at least soften the edges a little bit. And after reading lots of articles on said subject, I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to be able to get rid of all my stress. It's just a natural byproduct of life. But I might be able to limit it in some fashion. And so I present the Top 5 Stress Busters for Worn Out Parents:

1. Stop procrastinating. Procrastination leads to stress. For me, this means forcing myself to spend 30 minutes a day tackling something on my list of "Onerous Tasks That Must Be Done." You know what I'm talking about - that phone call to the IRS, the bill that needs to be mailed.

2. Say no more often. The world will not end. You'll see. Someone else will pick up the slack.

3. Unplug your phone. I had mine disconnected. I'm totally cellular now. And very few people have my cell number. Ah, the sweet sound of silence.

4. Take things one day at a time. Try not to look ahead to far and see trouble coming. This is a hard one for me, but I'm working on it. Get through each day as it comes. I've found that my worst fears hardly ever come true. Somehow in the end, it all works out.

and my favorite,

5. Relax your standards. You do not have to be perfect. Your house does not have to be perfect. Your kids do not have to be perfect.

Read more »

Cool Site O' the Day

Just stumbled across this site. It has the most comprehensive list I've seen of tools for freelancers. It's The Freelancer's Toolset: 100 Web Apps for Everything You Will Possibly Need at Codswallop. There are organization tools, calendars, money management tools, storage solutions, writing, design, and productivity tools, virus and spyware protection programs, networking tools, website building apps, and just some plain neat things that you'll want to check out. I'm still investigating the list myself, but I've already found some great stuff! What does the word "codswallop" mean? It's an English term for nonsense.

Read more »