Blog Posts by Diva Toolbox

MarinaCI am often asked by many frustrated Moms, "How do I get my little one to eat what the rest of the family is eating?" I ask my normal Mommy question, did they try the meal and not like it? Most times the answer is "No they just don't want it so I make them something else and my husband and I eat the planned meal."

I find so many families are making several different meals every night not only does this make a long day even longer but it causes cranky times at dinner when it should be family time.

How do we get everyone to eat the same meal? I always suggest menu planning I would give each child their day to choose a side dish so they have some input and they also know that it is their day that always makes them excited for dinner time. But and I mean But they have to try or eat the other things on their plate. I don't say they have to finish everything on their plates but they have to at least try them. Mom you cannot budge on this once you fall back and make them what they

KathleenCAct now to reach this awesome goal in less than 1 week. That's right, less than 1 week. All we ask you to do is give up one thing. Clutter! Paper clutter that is.

As Americans we collectover 34 pounds of junk mail a year. The average person filesover 3000 documents a year with about 97% of those documents never referenced again. Our sense of importance and value seems to have gotten misdirected throughout the years. We spend more time trying to find items that we have put somewhere around our home or office, instead of using this extra time with our family and activities we enjoy. Statistics show than an average of 90 minutes a day is spent looking for lost or misplaced items.

I recently worked with a client in his home office who shredded over 40 pounds of paper and recycled about the same! My client was invigorated. This huge organizationalweight had been sitting on his shoulders for years and was now, almost magically removed. A sense of creativity resurfaced. Energy was

LizCSo what are YOU eating tonight?

You know how it is. Full of good intentions, you plan your day/week/monthly menus, fill the house with good food and have the best of intentions for healthy eating.

That's Monday.

And you chop, slice, saut, cook and produce a great meal.

Tuesday too.

Wednesday you have an evening meeting, various offspring need to be picked up or dropped off for soccer/tuba lessons/knitting marathons and you are, frankly, exhausted. So you go for a quick easy meal.

Thursday it's a freezer meal and Friday it's takeaway.

There is a reason for this.

You are NOT a failure, an unhousewifely slob, or a bad mother.

You ARE busy, living an interesting life and have family/friends/pets with interesting lives. And that takes your time AND your energy.

So this week I'm going to say to you, relax, take it easy and loosen the dietary corsets. If you're not sticking to whatever rules you've set yourself why beat yourself up about it?

And

JenniferTIn the book Hard Optimism, Price Pritchett writes, "The mind is now the main productivity tool. Thinking has become the key competency. People's thought processes are the most important performance factor."[1] This means that all human action begins in the mind - a confluence of our desired outcomes, imagination, and creativity. The best professionals visualize desired outcomes and practice their scenarios thousands of times to solidify the wiring between the brain and the body so that it becomes automatic.

Business school and/or your business experience taught you these mental skills - self-efficacy, perseverance, mental toughness, awareness, focus - to a degree; the business professionals who learn them well and practice them consistently succeed. Whether your main work is leading your business and team - researching, planning, strategizing and setting goals - or taking part personally as a salesperson or active producer, creator or manufacturer - you can use mental skills

LizCoslineIn any team there has to be a clear picture of where the team is headed. This means that every person on the team has to have the same definition and know the vision of the leader. But this is actually possible? Can every member of the team understand in the same way the leader or manager does? This is extremely unlikely unless there is discussion about it. It's not good enough to simply give an employee team the mission statement of the company or organization. Though good to know it is more about how that team fits into the statement along with how it relates to their job.

There are so many different kinds of teams. There are teams at companies often called departments. There are sports teams from little league to the pros. There are organization and volunteer teams. Families are actually a team structure and there are virtual teams. It doesn't matter what kind of team it is every team will need certain things.

Each team is going after many of the same things. It is going

undefined yvonneWith living amidst a challenged economy, everyone is looking for innovative ways to either increase or just maintain a steady income. The question so many are now asking is what can be done at a personal level to create our "own economy" and thrive?

Solutions can arrive from thinking outside the box and stretching into new territory, such as meditation, visualization and positive affirmations to supplement our efforts. An increasingly popular practice here in the west is the 5,000 year old science of Feng Shui, which is gaining new appreciation as an effective tool for attracting abundance.

Two areas that need attention for increased prosperity include good Feng Shui in your home and office, and harnessing the power of your mind and thoughts.

Feng Shui Cures for Prosperity

Your state of being is strongly linked to your everyday environment. Feng Shui is about working with the energy of your surroundings, and the intentional clearing and arrangement of objects to

You make well-meaning resolutions to improve your life. But your resolutions fade under the stress of multiple demands on your time and attention. Oftentimes the resolutions are history before the month is done. How can we ensure that we actually benefit from the good intentions that we made with such conviction?

Many years ago I made an earnest resolution to work less and to spend more time on my personal life, family and health. Being a type A personality, it was easier to say that than to follow through. By late in the same month, as I am running through another airport, I realized that I am already back to my old pattern of working seven days a week. On the next plane ride I took the time to ask myself a few hard questions. From that experience I developed these Five Guidelines to have a Happier, Healthier and more Successful Life. Isn't that what we are ultimately after?

1. Make resolutions that you can manage. Specify your desired end result and make the goals

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It may be tempting to help out your husband or your child by co-signing a loan for them. For instance, let's say your husband has a low credit score and yours is higher, he might ask you to sign with him to get a loan with a lower interest rate. Or perhaps your child wants to begin establishing a credit history but needs a co-signer to get a credit card You think it's a good idea and are willing to help.

However, before co-signing for a loan you must be aware of the consequences and possible negative outcomes that could haunt you for many years. Below are four major points you must consider:

1. This is the most important fact to realize- being a co-signer means you have joint liability or responsibility for paying back all of the debt. If the other signer doesn't or can't pay then you will be totally on the hook. Therefore, when you sign the paperwork for the loan commitment you should be prepared to pay the full amount of the loan back, or else don't sign on the dotted