Can’t You See I’m Working?

 by: C. J. Hayden

For many working parents, telecommuting or a home business may seem like the answer to your prayers. You want to have more time with your kids and greater flexibility, so you take the leap, install a second phone line, and set up a computer in the dining room.

But the first thing you may discover is that working from home includes many unexpected distractions. Children, your spouse, neighbors, and the family dog come and go. They make loud noises, ask for your help, or interrupt to ask a “quick question,” always just long enough to break your concentration.

Your family and friends don’t seem to understand that you’re working. They ask you to run errands, expect you to handle chores, and want to chat on the phone. When you see the pile of laundry or stack of dishes sitting there waiting, you may be tempted to take time out from work to clean up a bit.

You’d like to keep your house livable and be available to the people you care about, but it’s just too much for one person to manage. When can you get any work done?

The way out of this dilemma is to set clear boundaries on your space, time, and responsibilities. If your office has a door, try having “open-door” time and “closed-door” time. When your door is open, the kids can come say hello, ask questions, or tell you about their day. When the door is closed, it means “Do Not Disturb.”

A good way to explain this to children is to tell them you need some private time, not just that you are busy. If your office doesn’t have a door, you need one! Try to find another place in your home where you can create some private space for at least part of the day.

Setting regular working hours will help you manage your time better as well as give some guidelines to your family. Build your hours around the family activities that are important to you. If your kids get home at 2:00, for example, set up your work day from 8:30 to 2:00 and 4:00 to 6:00.

Your schedule can change each week to allow for your children’s activities, when necessary. Choose how many work hours per week makes sense for you, design a schedule, and post it on your office door. Highlight the open times, and let everyone know that’s when you are available to them.

If your family expects you to run errands and handle chores during your work day, it may be time to hold a family meeting. Explain to your children (and remind your spouse) that it may look like mommy or daddy is playing on the computer or chatting on the phone, but this is his or her job, and it contributes to the family’s income.

Start by listing all the jobs that need to be done for the household, and who does them now. Instead of assigning chores, try asking each family member to volunteer for something. If there are lots of tasks left over, be sure to ask if they really need to be done, or done as often. (Dusting, for example, may need to go by the wayside.) If you are doing chores during time you could be making money, consider hiring someone else to clean your house, service the car, or drive the kids to after-school activities.

When one of your boundaries gets tested, learn to hold the line. If you give in even once, don’t expect the boundary to hold up. Try making the closed door, posted schedule, or job roster the bad guy instead of yourself.

Instead of, “I’m too busy to talk right now — you’ll have to wait,” say, “The door is closed now, would you please come back when it’s open?” When friends phone during work time, ask them to call back after hours. And when someone doesn’t do one of their chores, don’t do it for them. Serving a meal on dirty dishes may seem extreme, but it will get the message across.

About The Author

C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Hired Now! and Get Clients Now! Since 1992, she has helped thousands of professionals make a better living doing what they love. C.J. is a Master Certified Coach who leads workshops internationally – in person, on the phone, and on the web. Find out more about C.J. and get a free copy of “How to Find a Job in 28 Days or Less” at http://www.gethirednow.com.

Source: http://www.365articles.com

Crack the Clandestine Code of Diamonds

 by: M J Plaster

Precious, brilliant and expensive—why wouldn’t diamonds be a girl’s best friend? When giving the most significant gift of a lifetime, most men, and even the women who receive them, know precious little about diamonds. By the time they’re old and experienced enough to know about cut, shape, grade, brilliance, color, weight, and setting, they already have the diamond of a lifetime. Crack the vocabulary, and you’ll be on your way to purchasing your first diamond with confidence.

The Four Cs

Diamonds are not created equally! “The Four Cs of Diamonds”— cut, clarity, color, and carat determine diamond grade. A diamond certificate accompanies each diamond and includes grades for each of the four Cs as documented by a gemologist. Learn what these terms mean to avoid that “deer in the headlights” look when the jeweler uses these terms.

Cut refers to the physical cut, not the shape of the diamond, and it affects the brilliance of the diamond. If the cut is too shallow or too deep, the refraction of the light detracts from the brilliance. Grades for cut, from best to worst, include Ideal, Premium, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. The Ideal grade applies exclusively to round diamonds.

Clarity measures the purity of the diamond. Most diamonds include some flaws, called inclusions. All but the rare flawless diamonds contain inclusions of varying number and size. The Clarity grade measures the purity of the diamond, the relative absence of flaws. Clarity grades the appearance under 10X magnification. Top grades include F (flawless—forget it, you’ll never see this), IF (internally flawless, you’ll never afford it), VVS1-VVS2 (very, very slightly flawed—not we’re getting a little more realistic), VS1-VS2 (very slightly flawed), and SI1-SI2 (slightly flawed). All but the VS1-VS2 and SI1-SI2 diamonds contain flaws that are invisible or barely visible under 10X magnification. Lesser grades include I1- -I3 (flawed and obvious without magnification). If price is a consideration, then invisible to the naked eye is a reasonable tradeoff.

Color actually refers to the absence of color in diamonds. The finest diamonds are colorless, which allows them to absorb and reflect more light, displaying more brilliance. White diamonds range from ice white to light yellow. Color is graded on a scale from D-Z, with D-grade diamonds being colorless and Z-grade diamonds containing the most color. Grades G-J are near colorless to the human eye, and offer the best value for the money.

Carat refers to weight. Because large diamonds are extremely rare, the price rises exponentially rather than arithmetically according to carat weight.

Each of the four Cs affects price. Once you set a budget, determine the attributes most important to you and select your diamond according to your preferences.

Learn a few more simple terms, and you’re well on your way to demystifying the world of diamonds and carrying on a conversation with your jeweler that will turn the heads of less astute shoppers.

Shape also affects price, but only in terms of “shape appeal,” how pleasing the shape is to the naked eye. By far, the most popular shape is the Round diamond, and it’s the most expensive as well. Fancy shapes such as Emerald, Marquis, Pear, Heart, Oval, Radiant and Princess, are less expensive than Round diamonds. Side by side, fancy diamonds look larger than Round diamonds of equal carat weight. If you want something out of the ordinary, a fancy shape might be right for you.

Facets refer to the flat, polished surfaces of the diamond. The round diamond checks in at 58 facets, the most facets of all the shapes. The most important facet is the top or Table facet—the largest facet. Diamonds cut to perfection enable the facets to refract the light brilliantly.

Settings should enhance the brilliance and size of the stones, not detract from them. The range of choices is stunning, from the metal to the prong display. Even more than shape, the setting reflects your personal preference and style.

Now that you understand the clandestine vocabulary of diamonds, you can relax and have fun while selecting that one-of-a-kind, perfect diamond for you.

About The Author

M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for http://www.jewelry-4-u.net/diamonds.htm, http://www.jewelry-4-u.net/engagement-rings.htm, and http://www.jewelry-4-u.net/gifts.htm. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.

Source: http://www.365articles.com

Star Sapphire Diffused, Information And Facts

 by: www.kaisilver.com

Diffused Star Sapphire, Is This A Real Sapphire?

This is a most commonly asked question relating to the diffused star sapphire. We will answer this question right away, before going into details of the diffusion process. The gemstone used to make a diffused star sapphire is a sapphire. The diffusion process is done on the surface of the sapphire gemstone and could extend to around a millimeter into the gemstone. The process is done to create the star effect on the gemstone and the gemstone is then called a diffused star sapphire.

The sapphire gemstone is extremely hard and measures 9 on the Moh’s scale of hardness. The hardness of the gemstone is not affected by the diffusion process and the gemstone therefore retains it’s originally physically properties.

A sapphire that has been made into a diffused star sapphire cannot be polished or recut for the second time. The reason is quite simple, the diffusion treatment is done only on the surface and extends into the gemstone for a very small depth. Polishing or recutting would take off this surface treatment and cannot therefore be done. There is good news though, most buyers never repolish or recut the gemstones that are set in jewelry. This is specially true of sapphires which are extremely hard and scratch resistant gemstones. Given this fact, the diffused star sapphire gemstone is a good and reasonably priced gemstone.

Diffused star sapphires can be had in fairly large sizes of 10×8mm oval, 12×10mm oval and even 14×12mm oval. They are always smooth cabachon cut gemstones without facets. Given the large sizes in which diffused star sappphires are available, these gemstones are used to make spectacular male rings in gold and sterling silver.

You can read a complete report on the diffused star sapphire gemstone and also see a very sturdy and big diffused star sapphire men’s ring at this link:

http://www.kaisilver.com/star-sapphire-man-ring-01.htm

We will be back with more interesting and useful information on jewelry and gemstones.

Thanks and God Bless.

Ms.Tuk

http://www.kaisilver.com

About The Author

Ms.Tuk is senior executive at http://www.kaisilver.com the world’s leading online provider of high end custom jewelry. All jewelry can be ordered in white or yellow gold and with gemstones of your choice. You can even send us images of your favourite designs for us to custom make.

Source: http://www.365articles.com