Staying Healthy: 5 Daily Things You Can Do To Improve Well Being
A lot of people spend an incredible amount of time sitting in front of the computer on a daily basis (myself included). We often have a hard time making sure we give our bodies the exercise, nutrients, and balance it needs. Here’s 5 things you can start slowly doing that will improve your well being – cause every little bit helps!
Body Break’s Hal Johnson and Joanne McLoud would agree.
- Ditch The Drive: If possible, walk to work – or bike. It’s something that will add that extra bit of activity into your routine, and will help you wake up and unwind from your day.
- Switch From Coffee To Tea: This one is hard, but if you can swing it – there’s plenty of benefits to ingesting tea (including keeping those teeth whiter!)
- Take A Multi Vitamin and Omega 3s: You won’t notice the benefits of taking both of these immediately, but after working them into your daily routine you’ll start to see your energy levels increase. Not to mention, Omegas do wonders for you hair, skin, and nails.
- Get 8 Hours Of Rest: Easier said than done, but if you make sure to go to bed earlier – or even sneak in a nap after work, your body is sure to thank you. After all, you can’t reach full potential unless your body feels rested.
- Indulge Yourself: It’s important to reward yourself regularly. Whether that’s a drumstick from the convenience store, a glass of wine after work, or a night out on the town – you need to make sure you’re enjoying yourself. Life isn’t about deprivation, it’s about moderation.
A DVD’s Lifespan Is 30 Years & Your Undeveloped Film Is As Good As Gone [INFOGRAPHIC]
I have an extensive DVD collection. In fact, some may say the amount I own is absolutely ridiculous. The thing is, I love them- I cherish my DVDs as though each is a child bore from the fruits of my labour. You can imagine the horror I felt upon discovering the below INFOGRAPHIC. As it turns out, a well used DVD can be garbage within 30 years – this means my favourites are going to burn out faster than the ones I rarely watch. That just isn’t fair. This INFOGRAPHIC details the life span of a lot of our common data storage tools (remember floppy discs?) – and I thought you might find it interesting to see how much longer your undeveloped film will last before it’s gone forever.
Client News: Pin Buttons Bring Community Together Over Live Stream Exhibit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 28, 2012
TORONTO, ON – On September 28th 2012, the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (CLGA) will play host to an exhibit compiled of decades of archived ‘LGBTTQ’ identified pin buttons. Earlier this summer, these buttons were launched online for public review (http://pinbuttons.ca) in an effort to collect and identify the stories and meaning behind their creation. The buttons are continuously updated and added throughout the duration of the project, which comes to a close in late 2012. The exhibit, ‘Pushing Buttons’ will act as a facilitator for the community to engage with the pin buttons in a variety of different media forms (audio, video, and print) while simultaneously acquiring archival information and stories from the attendees. The exhibit will be broadcast through live stream for Canadians to share in the ‘Pushing Buttons’ experience.
For decades, buttons have voiced political statements worn by the masses to spread awareness during specific campaigns worldwide. Since their original design patent in 1896, the simple communication abilities of a single button have passed the test of time. Specifically for the LGBT community, buttons have been used for a variety of reasons ranging through forms of protest, to conveying messages without use of the spoken word. Creator William Craddock comments, “The Pin Button Project is about sharing history through the display of photographs of pin buttons that represent a range of causes, events, organization, and identities from our various pasts. It’s about provoking memory and inviting individuals to share their memories with others. It’s a place for discussion about the past – and about the present. And it is, of course, a place to look at and enjoy all of the visual appeal that these buttons from the past have to offer.”
This particular exhibit marks the first ever LIVE stream event from the CLGA. General Manager Scott Kettles speaks to his enthusiasm regarding this particular milestone, “We’re thrilled to grant access to our content through new and exciting digital mediums. We are continuing to enhance and innovate the ways in which we distribute our archival pieces and The Pin Button Project marks an important place in the CLGA’s history, contributing to our ongoing objective to keep LGBTTQ stories alive.”
The ‘Pushing Buttons’ exhibit opens on September 28th, 2012 with a public reception at the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (34 Isabella St., 2nd and 3rd Floor) from 7:30pm – 10pm. Complementing the launch will be “create your own button” stations that will allow attendees to make their mark and contribute to the exhibit. For more information, visit http://pinbuttons.ca.
Pushing Buttons reimagines the space of The Pin Button Project (www.pinbuttons.ca), an online experience that engages individual memory and storytelling through the exhibition of a rich history of LGBTQ+ buttons from the holdings of the CLGA. In the online project, users engage with the artifacts – and each other – by asking questions, stating opinions, and sharing personal stories. In Pushing Buttons, the online is brought into the physical as space and content are reimagined into an enveloping and interactive experience that turns the spectator into witness and calls attention to the historical and present roles of various buttons, from social activism in the streets to social media activism on the web.
About The Pin Button Project:
The Pin Button Project is an online interactive exhibition and oral history project featuring pin buttons from the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives. Viewers engage by asking questions, stating opinions, and sharing their own stories.
About Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives:
The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives was established to aid in the recovery and preservation of LGBT histories. Its mission: to acquire, preserve, organize, and give public access to information and materials in any medium, by and about LGBT people, primarily produced in or concerning Canada. To support this function, the Archives also maintain significant non-archival collections, which include a research library, international subject files, and an international collection of queer periodicals. It is the CLGA’s mandate to make this information available to the public for education and research. Over the years, the CLGA has helped hundreds of people – students, artists, journalists, lawyers, filmmakers complete numerous projects inside and outside of the LGBT community.
Website: http://www.pinbuttons.ca
Twitter: @PinButtons
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ThePinButtonProject
The Pin Button Project is sponsored in part by:
For interview requests or high-res photography, please contact:
Cory Stewart
Embrace Disruption
647.638.1586
10 Writing Tips For Business, Blog and More!
With the school year coming up fast, it only makes sense that we review some of our writing skills- and make sure we’re up to snuff! Recently PRdaily posted an article that I found useful for my own review. Check out these 10 tips to ensure you’re ‘write’ on track!
1. Numbers/numerals. It’s no secret that PR people and numbers often aren’t friends, but we can remember this rule: Write out numbers one through nine, and use figures for 10 and above. Spell out a number if it starts a sentence (unless it’s a year, such as 2012).
2. Titles. Capitalize formal titles only when they precede an individual’s name. If the title falls after the name, then it’s lowercase. So: President Barack Obama is running against Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts.
3. Web site or website. If your AP Stylebook is dated 2009 or earlier, you may not be aware of this change: In 2010, the AP made “website” one word. As some of us may remember, it was “Web site.”
4. Like versus such as. This one’s easy to understand—harder to remember. So, here’s an easy way to remember it: If you can substitute “for example” into a sentence, then use “such as.” For example, the following sentence is incorrect: “He writes for a variety of publications like Esquire,Vanity Fair, and Time.” Instead, it should say: “He writes for a variety of publications such asEsquire, Vanity Fair, and Time.”
5. Toward/towards. AP style follows the American English form, toward. In British English, towardsis preferred. The same goes for forward, backward, upward, downward, etc.
6. Commas and periods and quotation marks (oh, my). “No further explanation needed,” she said. “Just do it.” (Unless, of course, you’re writing in Great Britain.) That is to say: In the United States, periods and commas fall within quotation marks; colons and semicolons stand outside them.
7. Who versus whom. Both words are pronouns. Who refers to the subject of a clause; whomrefers to the object of the clause. Here’s a trick: Answer the sentence using the word him (or he). Ifhim works, the correct usage is whom. For example: “Whom did you visit? I visited him.” Notice it that’s not, “I visited he.” On the other hand, if he works, the correct word is who. For example: “Whosent this email? He sent the email.”
8. Email. Another recent change: Drop the hyphen in email. (Before 2011, AP style said to write “e-mail.”)
9. Seasons. It’s almost fall. Notice that “fall” is lowercase. Seasons are never capitalized. Also, omitof: “In summer 2009 …”
10. That versus which. This can be tricky. One way to tell the difference is to determine whether the clause that either word introduces can be deleted without changing the sentence’s meaning. If the clause can be cut, use “which.” If not, go with “that.” For more on this tricky subject, see “‘That’ vs. ‘which’: Easy tricks for determining when to use each word.”
Hana Bieliauskas is a project manager in the Columbus, Ohio, office of CMA (@CMABuildsTrust), a national public relations agency based in Kansas City, Mo. Follow her on Twitter @hanab08. A version of this story first appeared on the CMA blog.
Mommy Knows Blog: A Q&A with Yee Wittle Things’ Brandi Yee
I wrote a post a few days back about the power of Moms, and their HUGE influence online. I thought it would be great to interview a successful Mommy blogger, and find out just ‘how she does it’. Brandi Yee is the owner of a very popular blog entitled Yee Wittle Things, and just so happens to be part of my high school alumni (small world, right?). She took a moment to answer some of my questions – and peel back the curtain on the mommy blogger industry.
1. How did you get started as a ‘mommy blogger’? I actually started my blog over a couple years ago after my mom suggested I try it. She already had a “dog blog” and since she knows I’m passionate about writing, thought it would be a great fit. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me, and the chance to share my thoughts with other people from all over was intriguing and motivating! I was home with my two young kids and had the itch to start writing again, so what better way than to base my blog on what’s most familiar to me; my family.
2. How did you build an audience, and how long did it take? My blog was casual and slow in the beginning, as the first year was just odd postings here and there since my kids were so small and demanded so much of my attention and time. I actually only had a few followers during that time! Once I started posting regularly and joining blog hops, I saw a steady increase in my audience and it was encouraging to see my blog growing and attracting different people from all around the world. Being active in the blogging community is key in gaining traffic and building an audience.
3. You do a lot of reviews and recommendations on your site – was this always the objective? Not at all actually. When I first started my blog, my daughter had just been diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy and it was a way for me to express my thoughts and feelings about that, and connect with other parents going through similar experiences. As my kids got a little more independent and I could focus on my blog more, I started posting my thoughts on favourite products I use in my own home. I’ve always loved sharing with friends and family products that I love and have made a positive impact in my everyday living. If you find something good, why not share it, right? I noticed other bloggers were working with companies on reviews and once I started reading more into it and learning about it, felt it would be perfect for my blog. I wanted to share family friendly products to my readers and present them with my honest opinion on them. I want my blog to be a place people can trust and feel confident in knowing that the reviews presented are 100% my own honest opinion of my experiences with the products.
4. Do you work with companies/brands to expose their products? What happens if you don’t like something? The one thing I love, is introducing readers to companies/brands that they haven’t heard of before, have heard of but haven’t tried or have wanted to try but needed to know an opinion first. I’ve worked with so many companies who have AMAZING products that I would have never known about otherwise and am now in love with that deserve the exposure. So many people will read a review and comment similar to, “Wow, I’d never heard of this (company and/or product) before but am now intrigued and want one or want to learn more!”. It’s a great feeling working with companies who are doing something wonderful and deserve the recognition. Fortunately, I have not come across a product for review that I’ve had a completely negative experience with (knock on wood), but if that were to happen, I would simply let the company know my thoughts first before posting a review and leave that up to them whether they’d still like it posted or not. I would never post a negative review without alerting the company first. I prefer to keep an uplifting atmosphere on my blog and introducing positive products that will compliment any lifestyle and family.
5. What do you enjoy most about being a mommy blogger? I love the connections and friendships I’ve made with people, like other fabulous bloggers, as well as relationships I’ve built with some wonderful companies. I am so fortunate that I’m able to be home with my kids, while pursuing my passion of writing and staying socially connected. Social media is such a great platform for being involved with others and keeping up with our world as it evolves and my blog allows me the freedom to be with my family while doing something enjoyable for myself as well. The possibilities with blogging are endless and there’s so much to explore!
6. What advice do you have for aspiring mommy bloggers? Be unique by being yourself. Write about what comes easy to you and what’s most familiar in your life. Don’t be afraid to ask for help either. Bloggers are extremely generous in offering advice to others and I’ve learned a lot from my fellow blogger friends. Also, be involved! If you’re involved in social media and supporting other blogs, you’ll find your blog will benefit as well. Establishing those relationships with others is important to keeping your blog active and gaining support.
Remember to check out Brandi’s blog: Yee Wittle Things, and follow her on Twitter!
How To Get A Job Right Out Of School
If there’s one thing I regret from my post-secondary days, it’s that I didn’t work an internship in the field of my choice while in school. Yes, things ended up working out – but I spent a lot of time soul searching and jumping from job to job without purpose. Perhaps an internship would’ve helped me focus and actually put some of what I was learning at school into context. Because let’s face it: school isn’t always the best way to learn.
I came across an article initially posted on PR daily back in September 2011. It has some great tips for people starting out in school, and how to maximize their time while not at class throughout the day. Have a look through these tips that are guaranteed to help in obtaining that coveted position out of school.
Work part time. Balancing school, social life, and a job will teach you time management. You’ll spend the rest of your life trying to strike a work/life balance, so the time to practice is now. You’ll make some money, gain experience, and still have time to party; you’ll also have to be more focused and disciplined when you focus on homework. If at all possible, make that job an internship related to your field. It’s never too early to gain relevant experience.
Attend (at least) one networking event per month. Join a student organization, attend an event hosted by a professional organization in your industry, attend a conference, arrange a lunch with a professor or mentor, travel to the city you want to live in when you graduate and meet with alumni from your school, attend a career fair—the options are endless. Try to schedule events to get you out of the house and into a situation to meet people with something in common.
Make time for fun. You know that as a student your top priority needs to be your schoolwork. Don’t slack on the grades. Work hard, learn as much as possible, and take college seriously. It will pay off once you hit the workplace. But make time for fun, too. Unfortunately, too many college students sacrifice their social lives to stay on top of overwhelming class workloads. Find a balance. Meet new people. Spend time with friends. After everyone graduates and parts ways, it’s harder to spend time together, so don’t waste the time you’ve got.
Find a mentor. Reach out to someone you think can give you good advice and will be able to teach you something about the career path you want to take. See if that person is willing to grab lunch, a drink, or have a phone call every few weeks or so to talk about current events, case studies, job advice, or anything else you think will help you along the way. Having mentors throughout your career will be valuable. It’s never too soon to start.
Go to an industry conference. Find out whether any conferences in your industry of choice are happening locally—or close enough to drive—and find a way to attend. If registration prices are out of reach for your professional development budget, contact the organizers to find out if there is a student rate or whether they might waive your registration fee if you help with the set-up or by checking in attendees. You can also ask a professor or student organization leader if they can help you find sponsorship to attend on the organization’s behalf and be prepared to come back and share what you learned. You will meet professionals in your industry, and you will probably gain valuable information from the speakers. It’s great fodder for interviews when you’re inevitably asked what you’ve done beyond your course work to prepare for a position.
Do something on your bucket list. Seriously, use your spring break to travel somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit, start that side project you’ve been meaning to get around to, learn a new skill, jump out of an airplane (with a parachute, please)—do something that will totally energize you to do what you want with your life.
Become a student of your industry. Learn about different agencies or companies you think you may want to work for. Learn who the big players are in the industry. Follow the news. Educate yourself about technologies and trends that will someday affect your work and your clients. Train yourself to be constantly learning about what will make you a more valuable employee.
Build a portfolio. Keep track of work you do along the way, and set it aside so you can easily build a portfolio when you need it. You don’t want to throw together a sloppy set of work samples you compile at the last minute when an interviewer asks for it. If you stay organized and create work with the intention of showing it to your potential future employer, you’ll have more options to choose from before you need them.
Twitter Is Stupid and Other Interesting Stats
If you’re into twitter (or obsess about it like I do), it can come into conversation often. However, you sometimes hear the snarky: “I don’t use twitter – what a waste of time. I don’t want to know what people are eating for breakfast.”
This post is for you sassy pant folks who think you may be too good for twitter, or that it’s a narcissistic time waster. As it turns out, the DATA shows that breakfast is not the first option on the twitter menu – it’s actually the last. Diffbot (http://www.diffbot.com) recently just released some pretty interesting analytics based on tweets from July 10th-July 11th, 2012, and here’s the digest.
Status Updates Come Last
36% of tweets are images being shared
16% are articles – yes, NEWS! (well, mostly)
9% is a tie for video and page sharing
8% is product hawking
In last place comes status updates, and shared error pages at 7%
Image via Diffbot.com
Pretty outstanding stuff, no? Diffbot gets into more granular details about this content, and you can check that out here.
So the next time someone says they’re not interested in reading about breakfast – remind them: we don’t tweet about our OWN breakfast, we share articles about someone else’s.
5 Top Stats On Why Moms (& Mom Bloggers) Run The Internet
We all adore and love Moms. Whether they’re your own (hopefully), or someone else’s – Moms make a huge impact on our lives. The lesser known fact? Mommies are HUGE influencers online. In fact, Mommy blogging has become one of the biggest and best ways for stay at home Moms to still enjoy working while being a big part of their kid’s lives. With that in mind, here’s 5 top stats showing you why Moms rule the Internet.
1. 3.9 million women with children write blogs in the US. By 2014, that number will jump to 4.4 million. (eMarketer)
2. 55% of active (daily) social media moms said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog. (NPD Group, Inc. via Technorati)
3. 18.3 million internet users who are moms read blogs at least once a month. (eMarketer)
4. One in four of moms have purchased a children’s product because of a recommendation from a social networking site or blog. Half of all moms use social media while watching TV. (NPD Group, Inc. via SFGate)
5. 90% of moms are online vs. just 76% of women in general. (eMarketer)
None of these stats are extremely surprising, but it does bring to attention that Moms make up a large part of the Internet. Because of their huge presence, along with the amount they’re sharing, commenting, and recommending – it’s important that brands take note. The truth is, when a Mom recommends something to another Mom – the credibility is significantly higher than a broadcasted message from a brand. Imagine what social media and blogging has done to make this ‘word of mouth’ recommendation system insanely scalable! Food for thought – and as it turns out, Mom IS always right.
Marketing Grew Up In The 50s
If you’ve been reading Embrace Disruption, it’s no secret how much I absolutely adore INFOGRAPHICS. I stumbled upon this one outlining the history of marketing. I found it amazing how quickly everything moved post 1950s! Have a look for yourself, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Why Complaining About Facebook Timeline Is A Big Mistake
As of late, I’ve noticed something pretty alarming on Facebook. There are far too many people in my news feed that complain about being forced into using Timeline. Having recently sat down for a chat with a close friend/ HR pro, I thought I’d share 4 points from their perspective on why you should cut out the Facebook complaining.
1. You look resistant to change.
No one wants to hire someone who isn’t willing to embrace disruption. Adaptability is key in any workforce, and those who aren’t willing to change directions on a dime aren’t seen as assets.
2. You seem unable to handle new tasks.
Is it really that difficult to use the new timeline? No. Voicing your gripes in an online format implies that you aren’t capable of working with new platforms or programs. Again, pretty undesirable.
3. If you complain about this, what else are you going to complain about?
Something relatively small like this scenario is hardly a pressing matter. When you outwardly cry about Timeline, your employer will be lead to believe you’re apt to complain publically if something goes wrong at work. Again, the check mark can be ticked in the undesirable category.
4. It’s just Facebook.
If you don’t like it, get rid of it. No one is making you use it, so fix your problem in one easy click of a button.
Hopefully this post helps you think through those potential posts ridden with complaints. Remember, even with the highest privacy settings – HR departments have ways of accessing your profiles. Be smart about your social.
And for those of you who do end up deleting Facebook because of Timeline: see you in a couple of days.
