I can now save my images at 300 DPI instead of the default of 96 DPI in Powerpoint.  This will be great when creating my greeting cards, uploading logos to Vista Print or just coping an image off the web to use in a website. 

Go here to learn how.
http://www.motifolio.com/tips2.html#Microsoft_Office_2007_and_2003

I have HP Pavilion dv7-1450us Entertainment Notebook PC.  I love my "taj mahal" and do all I can to take care of it.  One day, my wireless botton just stopped working.  One minute it worked, the next it didn't.  Weird.....It remained an amber color and wouldn't turn on.  I did some online research which didn't give me any ideas on what to do.  I was just about to call my local maintenance guy, when i decided to do a simple procedure.  It seemed too simple, but i did it anyway......I removed the battery....waited 30 seconds and put it back in.  So that is exactly what I did, and by golly it worked!  So before you spend $75/hour for a computer geek, take out the battery.  I love saving money, don't you?!!!

I don't know about you, but I've had it with SPAM.  I am now getting emails from some pizmier overseas telling me that he wants to wire $4,000,000 to a bank account in the USA.  Because he's not a citizen, I would get a portion of this money in exchange for opening a bank account for him.  Ok.

I did some reseach and found some good information to pass on to you. 

When reporting SPAM email, you will need to have the full header of the email you received.  Most email programs have a method of acquiring this information.  For example, if you have Outlook 2007, here are the steps you need to take.

 Right click your message
Click on "Message Options"
Highlight the Internet Header
Click "Forward" on the email you want to report
Paste the Internet Header information into the email

Send it to:

www.spam@uce.gov
http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/contact.shtm

Recently my family and I came back from a much needed vacation.  My husband and I took our kids on a cruise to the Caribbean.  A much needed get-away and one that should be taken more than once every five years.

We are so involved with work, the kids with school that taking a vacation seemed like so much work, a lot of money and there's always the thought, "Will we all have fun together for 10 days?"

I remember my husband sending me an email with a picture of a cruise ship and a comment on how fun this would be.  That's all I needed to get the ball rolling and make the reservations.  We had about three months to make payments, and our flight to Florida would be paid for through frequent filer miles.  My husband made "Platinum" in 2010 so he isn't around much, except for weekends.  A big price to pay for "free" tickets.  They weren't so free when you think about how his entire year was sucked up flying back and forth.  We appreciate his hard work though, and are grateful for employment even though his office is half way across the country.

Anyway, my husband wanted his "cruise" idea to be just he and I.  But I figured the kids aren't going to be around much longer - one in college, one a junior in highschool and one in middle school.  This vacation was considered the last Horrah! before Michael decides to move out and then our daughter will be off to college studying solar systems and all we'll have left is our Little Buddy and two cats.  Where does the time go?

In all my preparation and dreams of how great this vacation was going to be, it certainly didn't live up to my dreams, but then it never does.  We actually had a GREAT time, and I'm so glad we took the kids.  Our son, Michael brought his girlfriend too, whom we love and adore.  We started at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and took in the new Harry Potter exhibit, and ride.  Wow!  The wait to get in was two hours, but well worth it.  The ride was spectacular - it felt great to fly through the air, up and down mountains and through passageways!  They sure did go all out.  I felt like I was actually at Hogwarts!

After Universal we boarded a Carnival ship for a seven days cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.  We had a great time taking the kids to the islands, swimming in the ocean, shelling and just relaxing.  My husband and I were surprised how much the kids wanted to hang with us on the ship and even on the islands.  I guess we're not that boring after all!  It was a very successful family vacation, and we were all ready to go home when our ship pulled back into port.

I have to say that five years is way too much time between vacations.  i have vowed to at least go every other year and start saving for it right now.  We have talked to our college son and mentioned that we'd love to take another cruise and that we'd love to have him join us again.  The only difference is that he'd have to pay his own way.  He was cool with that, and is already planning on setting money aside for our next adventure on the open seas.  I love that! 

If you haven't had a family vacation in quite sometime, or worse yet never at all - it's time to start planning.  There are so many fun things you can do on any type of budget.  The most important thing is to be with your kids.  Enjoy them, laugh with them and get to know them.  I adore my kids, and a parent's job is never done - but I am noticing that my two oldest kids are transitioning from being dependent to becoming independent.  It's bitter sweet, and I'm so proud of how kind and compassionate my kids are.  They will be great parents someday!  I guess we did good honey!

Ok, back to work and back to reality!  Life is grand.....

Today marks the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti.  Reader's Digest is teaming up with Save the Children.  Here's an excerpt from their February issue.

        Save the Children is one of the many private organizations doing excellent work in Haiti.  Reader's Digest is partnering with the group to help provide health care, clean water, sanitation, and school supplies to children like Kiki Joachin and their families. To donate, go to savethechildren.org/readersdigest, or mail your check to Save the Children, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880. Write "Reader's Digest" in the memo line on your check, and we'll report back on the good your donations do.

If you recently downloaded an update for Outlook 2007 and find that toggling between folders is very slow, and your computer is locking up - here is the link to uninstall the update.  Microsoft is aware of the problem and has issued uninstall instructions.  I literally added two hours to my day yesterday because of this problem.  Glad i found the answer!!
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/outlook/archive/2010/12/17/issues-with-the-recent-update-for-outlook-2007.aspx

Many people ask the same question when meeting someone for the first time, "so what do you do?"  When I say, "I'm a virtual assistant."  I usually get a split second blank stare, and then I need to explain what a VA is.

1.  What is a Virtual Assistant?  In a nutshell, a virtual assistant is someone that assists a person (usually a small business owner) with tasks they don't know how to do, or don't have time to do.  We work out of our home-offices, and usually have more than one client that we service.  There are many types of VA's from the web/blog designer, answering services, copy writer, copy editor, back office managers, etc.  We either work on a retained hourly basis or an as-needed basis.  It's totally up to what the client's needs are.

The type of virtual assistant services I offer  are back-office manager services and anything that would be considered administrative in nature.  I also offer the latest technology services that are popular among business owners such as creating facebook fan pages, facebook ads, ppc ads, skype, jing, online meeting services, online greeting card services, etc.  I set up whatever it is you need, teach you how to use it, and/or maintain it for as long as you need.

2. What sets Q1 Consulting Services apart from other VA firms? I pride myself on the relationship I have with my clients.  I am not just a task oriented professional.  I learn about your business, how it operates, who your customers are, what your goals are, and then work with you to achieve those goals.  Because I am in-the-know of the latest technology and what is popular among successful business owners, I can implement for you exactly what you need to be doing now to help you achieve those goals.

3. How would I work with a Virtual Assistant? I communicate via email and phone. I also use Skype for those times when we need more of a face-to-face meeting, such as showing a sample of a product.  All of my email is categorized for each client.  I have a separate email address for each client, so when I receive a message, that message gets automatically filed within the correct client folder.  I am also available via cell phone if you need to reach me right away.  I do not have a team like many other VA's have.  I felt that by working alone, I can really focus on my clients and know exactly what it going on day-by-day.  I also like to keep my client list small.  I don't like to stretch myself thin, because sometimes there are last minute requests that need my attention and I like to keep a couple hours open each day for emergency situations. 

4.  How much do you charge for your services?  I charge $30/hour for my services.  I bill every two weeks.

5. How do you manage all of your projects?  It takes a well organized person to manage multiple projects.  It is something I am very good at, and I pride myself on my managerial skills.  I create a to-do list every afternoon for the following days tasks.  I check them off as I complete them. Seems simple, but simple works for me.  I have a separate notebook and three ring binder with folders stored with important information for an easy quick glance of each client.

For recommendations click on my linkedIn Profile badge on the right side of the screen. 

 It's that time again, the holidays are upon us and mot of us are frantically trying to think of gifts for all those special people on our shopping lists.  of course we want gifts that fit our budget, so here's a unique list of gift suggestions for "the LARGE of heart, and small of purse."

These gifts won't cost you a dime, but that doesn't mean they have no value.  On the contrary, if you give one of these gifts, you will give the most priceless gift of all: yourself.

The Gift of Listening - Psychologists tell us that one of the greatest things we can do for one another is listen.
The Gift of Signs of Affection - Take the time to give your loved ones signs of affection.
The Gift of a Note - Write notes to your loved ones.  They can be as simple as "I love you" or as creative as a sonnet.
The Gift of Laughter - Everyone loves to laugh. Give those you love this gift. Just cut out a cartoon, clip a joke, copy a riddle or save a cleaver article.  Your gift will say "I love to laugh with you."
The Gift of a Game - Offer to play your loved one's favorite game with him or her.  Even if you lose, you'll be the winner.
The Gift of Doing a Favor - This gift is made more valuable when it anticipates a request rather than when it responds to one.
The Gift of a Compliment - It is great therapy for us all.
The Gift of a Cheerful Disposition - Your gift of cheerfulness will be a precious gift for everyone - including yourself.
The Gift of Prayer - Praying for Christ's special blessing on a loved one or friend is the greatest gift you can give this Christmas.

May you be blessed with the gift of health, happinenss and prosperity this Christmas season and the new year.

Connie

Quick blog post today folks.

Many people are looking for ways to supplement their income.  Here's what I do, maybe you will find it to be exactly what you were looking for. 

Go to my website and
  1. watch the video - Click button #1
  2. Try the product for free
  3. Check out the membership and customer options.
  4. Call me when you're ready to join my team.
http://bit.ly/alH0Np

To your success!