Wordpress and Business

WordPress and small businesses are something that should go hand in hand. WordPress is a website that allows users to create their own website using their tools, designs, and expertise. They offer both free versions as well as upgraded premium ones for those who feel they need an added kick to their site! In high school, my newspaper class ran an online paper using this company as their domain, and it allowed the staff to create some spectacular pages for the paper. We could choose everything from the layout to the fonts and colors that were used in each post and page. Below is a video showing just how you can create your own site with WordPress;

They offer a great service for those in need of assistance when trying to create a professional looking website or blog, and their pricing is even affordable for the upgraded services.

WordPress is a great tool for businesses because they are both affordable as well as professional in what they do. With the free version, you get 3 GB of space to show your vision as well as support from the community and a wide variety of designs to choose from. If you want a little extra help and more designs to choose from, you can pay just $8.25 a month and receive email as well as live chat, along with getting a custom site address, 10 more GB of space, no ads, a custom design and VideoPress, which allows you to create and upload video blogs straight into your website. For $24.92 a month (usually for businesses), you receive all of that, plus unlimited premium themes and unlimited space for your content.

In beginning a free blog with them, it immediately assists you in trying to find the best design possible. It will ask questions about what it is that your site will be used for and from there, chooses some select pre-made designs to get you on your way. After that, they help you find a web domain that hasn't already been taken (which can actually be very hard to find). Finally, they will ask you what plan it is that you desire and voila! Your new adventure begins.

Once it is started, you can begin customizing it to look the way that you would want it to, you can change it's privacy, add posts and different pages. You can make it into whatever you could imagine it to be!

Another cool feature that WordPress includes is it's community forum, which allows different businesses and bloggers to connect to share ideas an opinions on each other's content. (Unless you choose to remain private, in which case no one but you can see your posts/site.) They also have a discover tool, where you can search based on your interests to find more blogs or businesses that have similar websites as you.

Whether you are looking for something for personal or professional reasons, WordPress is the way to do it. To start on your own blogging or business journey, click here!

OneNote, Multiple Ways

I think Microsoft Office OneNote Program is awesome!! I was enrolled in a Business Office Systems course (BOS 106) that outlined this tool and showed me a lot neat tricks and tips. The app incorporates the other Office tools, such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. OneNote is similar to OneDrive, as far as creating storing and editing documents.  Here you can watch a quick tutorial on the features that OneNote provides. For my class I had to purchase the subscription to use Microsoft Office Products.

This app is available as a desktop version, which I use, as an online tool, can also be downloaded and accessed on any capable tablet or phone. Amazon, Clipper and Chromebook also allow access to OneNote.

The program is sectioned by “Notebooks” or different places where things can be stored. You can make each Notebook specific to something in your life, school, different classes, work, recipes, home, financials, etc. There is also the ability to share Notebooks with others so collaborations can take place. For example, if you are working on a project for school or work you have the ability to share the Notebook so others can edit and that way everyone in the group can contribute their parts to the project without having multiple files which can have a not updated version. Another trick that will work in this instance is you can work offline, so if you are collaborating on a project you can individually work offline so noting id revealed until you are complete then you can sync the Notebook so everyone in your group you are working with can see your results or finished product.

Most people have probably seen these links on their web browsers and have no idea what they mean.

These links give you the option to send a web page to OneNote without copying or sharing the link or web page itself. The second option is if you are reading an article online, or maybe even want to write a rebuttal to something you can take Linked Notes where you click the Linked Notes tab and a OneNote note taking page will be docked to your screen and once you start typing OneNote will link the web page you are taking notes from and leave an icon from your browser showing that the notes were taken from a Linked Notes session.

"A Place For Mom"

                                                                                       You Cannot Throw Your Momma From A Train!

Okay, so that's a joke I have with my mom from an old movie title.  On a serious note, I was just that frustrated.  I would never do that of course.  You might not have ever thought about what to do, if your parents suddenly couldn't take care of themselves.  There is such a wide range of issues that could arise.  I mean from hospital visits that require rehab or home rehab; to the loss of memory where a much extended plan is needed.  Just the thought of what to do and the steps to take, who to call, can send your brain into a whirlwind of stress.

I currently am the caregiver for my own parents.  I have taken advice from other family members, health care professionals, and whoever else wanted to put in their two cents of information.  I found this site about a year ago and literally they have been an incredible resource for me.

The site, “A Place for Mom”, http://www.aplaceformom.com/assisted-living, has an incredible pool of suggestions for you.  However, I zoomed in on the assisted living process, because of how the site walks you through the process.  The process of what assisted living is and whether or not your love one is ready for this step.

Not every family is the same, and sometimes it can be very difficult not only to figure out who to talk to, but also what questions to ask.  The company offers senior advisors.  All you have to do is click on your area for an advisor located near you.  Last spring, I was able to connect with an advisor from the Ann Arbor area who answered so many questions and connected me with a local facility.  At the time my mother had just come out of surgery, needed rehab and a plan of care.  Just the thought of all of it was unbelievable.  I love my mother and I have a thing for caring for seniors.  A Place for Mom and their team really gave me the education I needed to move forward with her plan of care.  Transitioning for your senior or even yourself is not always that easy.  The advisor walks you through the entire process; from talking to your loved one about what their looking for and should expect. 

There’s always a question of how much?  What can the family afford?  Is there any kind of assistance if we can’t afford the right place?  The site offers a ‘senior living cost planner’ that enables you to learn what to expect and what to look for with where you stand financially.  You can either utilize the data on the site or counsel with their senior advisor.

There is a boat-load of information that helped me get through all of it with losing the guilt about the whole transition. There are a few articles that were very helpful for me.  #BMG155 #APlace4Mom  #AssistedLiving

http://www.aplaceformom.com/senior-care-resources/articles/assisted-living-residence-checklist

Connecting Families to Senior Living

Barnes & Noble Nook and Amazon Kindle

Back in the day before smartphones, tablets, and e-readers you could purchase a wide variety of books from Barnes & Noble from the classics taught to us in school to sci-fi, fantasy, self-Help books and so much more. And if they didn't have the book you were looking for you could order it on the spot and have it delivered or pick it up from the store. If you didn't want to wait, you could always check out their leading competitor at the time, Borders, and they would usually have the book you were looking for. Then in 2007 Amazon came out with it's very own e-reader, the Kindle. Barnes & Noble came out with it's own e-reader, the Nook, in 2010. From there, purchasing and reading books would never be the same. 

B&N Nook 1st Edition (right); Amazon Kindle 1st Edition (left)

Now you could buy books comfortably anywhere that had Wi-Fi access and be able to read any of the books you purchased anywhere. And the best part (besides not having to lug around alotta books for us fast readers), e-books are usually a couple dollars cheaper than both the paperback and hardcover versions of the books--and occasionally there are sales and deals the e-books that normally don't happen to a physical version of the book until it's been out and published for quite some time. But, then a new problem arose.

Some books and author's were only available on Nook or vice versa, and Amazon would have sales and discounts on their books. Then the ultimate problem: what if you forgot your Nook? You were just out of luck--until both Barnes & Noble and Amazon decided to put the same information and capabilities of your e-reader into a convenient app that could be accessed on any smart device like the Nook mobile app and Amazon Kindle mobile app.

Provided as a free download in Android's Play Store and Apple's iTunes store all that is needed to start reading your (already purchased books) is to log into your respective B&N/Amazon account and download the book you want to read. 

You can Buy books on any smart device

Once logged into your account, you can purchase books on any of your smart devices. It is worthwhile to note that the Nook only allows you to store one payment method, whereas the Kindle allows multiple stored payment methods via your Amazon account. When purchased, your book is downloaded and available immediately for you to read. 

Books saved in the Cloud

Unlike the earlier generation Nook and Kindle readers, memory space for both e-readers now function in the Cloud--mostly so that your hundreds of books don't inhibit you from buying and reading more books (trust me, I had to keep buying bigger micro SD cards with my gen 1 Nook to contain my entire book collection.) However, one downside of the Cloud functionality is that you have to have access to Wi-Fi and/or data on your smart device, which can be difficult sometimes if you're out somewhere where neither of those are available but you really want to read a certain book. Likewise, the books you download do take up some space on your smart device which does add up over time.

You can Customize the display of your book

Both the Nook and Kindle apps provide options for you to change the background color of the book, the font type and size, as well as line-spacing and margins of the book. While not as many options are provided as with the actual Nook or Kindle devices, one added feature is that you can change the brightness of the book you are reading which is handy depending on where and what time of day you are reading. 

Share your reading activity on Social Media

You can also share the book you are reading on a variety of Social Media options from the apps to post and talk about it, as well as share it with your friends. This is useful for reading groups, or for getting the word out about a really good book, as well as advertising for the author.

Deals online for e-books on Nook & Kindle

Best part about e-books is the tendency for e-books to go on sale and/or be on promotion, as well as new and upcoming authors who are providing their books for free. With the advent of publishing online and through e-books vs. actual print, it's easier than ever to discover new authors (as well as to become a new author yourself.)

One site I use frequently for deals on e-books across the Nook and Kindle platforms is Bookbubs. It's completely free to sign up for, and similar to how Barnes & Noble and Amazon asked you to pick a whole bunch of books you liked across different genres so they could cater their suggestions specifically to you and your reading habits when you created your account, Bookbubs has you pick out favorite books and genres, and they will send you a daily e-mail of suggested books that are on sale or free and they will tell you which platform the book is available on--Nook, Kindle, and even Google Play Books. 

~*~ 

And to help convert you to being an e-reader, these video's help highlight some of the reasons, questions, and even functionality and practicality about an e-book vs. an actual book. I used to be one of those people that would only read an actual book until 3 things happened: 

1. Books are expensive and its tedious to get to the bookstore when you read so fast

2. I got attacked by my bookcase trying to get a singular book free

3. I lost the use of my left arm for a year and half and it's pretty hard turning pages one-handed or always keeping your book on a flat surface

Then I realized the beauty of an e-reader containing all of my books, being able to buy them anywhere, and only carry around a lightweight device like my phone. Not only could I read at any moment, but I found myself reading more and more books and branching out to new authors and genres. Especially when the mobile app version became available. I still carry around my gen 2 nook for practicality and battery life over my phone, but when I'm in a boring situation with nothing but my phone, I can pick up right where I left off in my amazing book and be happy--and no extra lugging around a book required! 

The Real Reason you should buy an e-reader

E-book vs. Physical Book

Tropical Smoothie Goes High tech!

Tropical Smoothie Goes High tech!

With the world being so busy and fast paced, Tropical Smoothie cafe has jumped at the opportunity to gain time for their customers. Just about everybody has tried to find ways to speed up business and the internet is the way. Tropical Smoothie cafe has  created an online app that allows you to order your delicious smoothie and healthy sandwich from your phone.

The idea is great. You are  a busy person who is trying to walk from your car in a busy parking garage, to your office which is 3 blocks away. Your hungry as well and quickly jump on your phone and  order your smoothie and sandwich. As you walk by the Cafe, you simply walk in give your name and walk out. No wait! and no “What can I order for you today”. On top of that, Tropical Smoothie cafe will now make you a rewards member after you spend 55 dollars using the app. This allows for a discount the next order you make. Not only that, if you would like to order traditionally inside of a cafe you can still build your rewards just by scanning your phone to receive the order credit on the app.  They understand the world of fast paced living sometimes has you eating unhealthy quick items and they want to make sure you can actually eat healthy while still on the go!  In an article written by Neil Hughes with Inc he speaks on how well Tropical Smoothie Cafe has adapted to this new technology and are using the app idea correctly!!  You can read the complete article by visiting,

http://www.inc.com/neil-c-hughes/how-this-cafe-uses-technology-to-drive-sales-traffic-and-profitability.html

Located on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/tropicalsmoothiecafe)

, Twitter (@TSmoothieCafe)  and Instagram (tropicalsmoothiecafe), Tropical Smoothie Cafe is truly taking the brand to social media sites and doing a mighty fine job keeping the brand in the news and growing their cafes on a high paced rate for success! Their social media sites include many different hashtags, one that is trending currently is #TSCFlipFlop, this hashtag is something to learn about!  It represents the brand's fundraising efforts teaming up with Camp Sunshine to send many children, all with terminal illnesses, and their families to Camp for a week!  Tropical Smoothie Cafe as a whole is committed to raising $1 Million dollars each year for Camp Sunshine!  Tropical Smoothie Cafe not only works together as a team to collect donations inside their individual cafe’s they also give back to the customers who donate by giving away free smoothies to all their guests on #NationalFlipFlopDay!  This year the day falls on June 17th which is also the day the App goes live in all of the Michigan Cafes!  Here’s to a company that is not only growing in size but is growing in the technology behind them! #LiveBetterFeelBetter

Having A Bad Day? Feed Your Soul Pancakes!

 

We all have had bad days; even the most optimistic person has things in their life that sets them back a step or two.  It isn’t always easy to find a small bit of sunshine in an otherwise rainy environment, which is where websites like Soul Pancake come into play. This site excels at bringing a bit of laughter, happiness and inspiration into your day, irregardless of how you start it.

Laughter 

Soul Pancake an entirely visual site, with short videos that display positive messages for people of all ages. For anyone having a particularly bad day, this video is for you!

Amazing right?  Imagine if you had been in that room!  Every bit of your bad day would have just frolicked away!

Happiness 

It is said that happy people live longer, but who knew it could make you smarter?  It is interesting to see what happens to happy vs. not so happy people who are given a puzzle to solve in this video:

Isn't it amazing what you can accomplish when you are in the right frame of mind?

Inspiration

Inspiration doesn’t always come from people who have lived a long life and have been through their share of challenges.  Sometimes it comes from a voice who hasn’t lived long, but that somehow, someway, still understands how to live a full and grace-filled life.  This video touched my heart.

There were other amazing videos on this site that are well worth checking out, especially if you need a little bit of cheering up, are looking for something to make you happy, or are simply looking to be inspired.  If your soul is hungry, give this site a try! It won't disappoint!   www.soulpancake.com.

Group Me "The best way to chat with everyone you know! #GROUPME #BMG155

GroupMe is a free app that allows you to message multiple people at once. I know what you're thinking: Yes, you can already text-message multiple people at once--all you have to do is add multiple numbers to the 'To:' field in your texting app (even non-smartphones have this ability). GroupMe is different, though. Instead of just letting you send messages to multiple people, it also allows you to have a group conversation.

Let me explain. When you text multiple people at once, all you're really doing is sending the same message to a bunch of different recipients. However, if any of those people text you back, then their response goes only to you--text messages don't have a 'Reply All' button.
 GroupMe is like a default Reply All button. GroupMe sets up a dedicated number for each texting conversation, so when you text multiple people at once, they get a text message from that number. Then, when they reply to the text message, their reply goes to everyone in your GroupMe conversation. So it's like a group-chatting app, except via text message.

Your friends don't have to have GroupMe installed for it to work--which is a good thing, because it means that people who don't have smartphones can also partake in the fun. Only the conversation starter needs to have GroupMe installed. However, if you want to message someone directly through GroupMe, the recipient of the message will need to have the app installed on their phone.

GroupMe isn't just about texting, though; it also has conference calling, a mapping service (which gives the approximate locations of the other chat participants), and a still-in-beta 'Ask a Question' feature.

Group me works on any device.

GroupMe's main screen looks like a texting app--it has all of your grouped conversations, a search button, a prominent 'Start a Group' button, and buttons for Home, Contacts, Featured, and News. The Featured button takes you to a list of GroupMe "partners" and lets you start groups focused on said partners. The News tab is just a random newsfeed of sorts.

Starting a group is as easy as pressing the green plus button at the bottom of the home screen and adding a couple of worthy contacts. Message them once, and your contacts receive a couple of texts, including a note declaring that they have been added to a group, as well as a list who else is in the group with them. Any member of the group can start a conference call by dialing the phone number your group has been assigned for the duration of your group conversation.

The original conversation starter can also disband the group--but once a group is disbanded, its private group number ceases to exist.

GroupMe is an innovative way to get multiple people involved in one conversation. It can be annoying to have your phone constantly go off whenever someone replies to the group, but the tool itself and service is great if you're trying to get a group of people together to meet, or if you have a bunch of friends who really love to talk to one another.

Check out the Group me site!

Benefits of Hospice

                The benefits of Grace Hospice care at end of life can be more beneficial than not having Hospice Services. Family members end stage of life can be very stressful and sad. Having access to knowledge and expertise from professionals in end of life care can make the quality of life outweigh the quantity of days.

          Hospice can be a scary idea for someone who is unfamiliar with the topic. There is a common misconception that those on Hospice Services are on their deathbeds. For family members it signifies a death is "around the corner." Hospice is a choice for someone who is terminally ill that no longer wants to seek curative or aggressive treatments for their disease. They are letting the natural progression of the disease take its course. Not only is Hospice for the patients, but it is there to support family members and caregivers during their time of need.  Hospice helps support families with their spiritual and emotional crises, as well as psychosocial needs. One of the most important goals for Grace Hospice care is keeping the patients comfortable, and allowing them to pass away with ease and dignity as they approach the end of their lives.

            Our company motto is:

"For each employee to treat every patient as their own treasured loved one, providing care that affords a quality of life that outweighs quantity of days, and supports caregivers as their hearts find healing."

                             Skilled Nurses are there to monitor the patient's decline, pain level, and skin integrity. Nurses are there to provide care during terminal restlessness or difficulty breathing, keeping them comfortable along the way. Their knowledge and compassion provides a confident environment. Certified Hospice Aides are one of the most important services that can be provided to a patient at end of life. Aides help with the daily living tasks that someone who is terminally ill can no longer do for herself or himself such as bathing, shaving, dressing, incontinence checks, and emotional support. Social Workers help to guide patients and families through the unknown. They help find resources for housing, legal documentation, and insurance questions. Chaplains provide spiritual and emotional guidance and offer bereavement support to the family after death. Volunteers also offer important Hospice Services as they can sit with patients to help relieve caregivers of burnout and breakdown.

                     People without Hospice Services may have a difficult death. They do not get the comforting support and medical care that they deserve. Families could fall into emotional turmoil which could lead to distress for the dying person. Confusion could arise at time of death as to what to do with the body, who to call, and whether or not to call an ambulance. It can be very difficult for someone to care for a loved one alone at the end of their life. Having all of the services provided in Hospice Care will make caring for a terminally ill person easier on the family members and caregivers.

           In my opinion, having the support from a team of professionals during a loved one’s end stage of life would be the most beneficial to all involved. The goal of hospice is for someone to have a comfortable, peaceful passing. People shouldn't have to be alone, and Hospice can help. Having a team available around the clock brings amazing peace of mind.