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07 Jul

What Corporate Social Responsibility Means to your Business

Posted in Customer Service, Synergy Suggestions on 07.07.16 by John Meloche

Yesterday we talked about the Synergy Team: the local soccer team we sponsored that’s representing their country in Turks and Caicos right now. We discussed the benefits of such charitable actions. Today we’re going to elaborate more on the ethical side of a business and how good morals can improve your business in all sectors. Now this all has to do with Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR). What does CSR mean? Well, Corporate Social Responsibility is essentially what your business does for your stakeholders, meaning what your business does for anyone who’s impacted by your operations.

Now that we know what CSR is, why should businesses practice it? Why should businesses be motivated to being proactive partners in their community? Well for one, when you are kind to your community, then your community will give back. We mentioned this yesterday, if your community knows that you’re trying to help them, then they will support you. Now by community we’re not just talking about potential customers. Employees are also included in this conversation and when they see that you’re trying to help them out, they will dedicate more effort and work to your company. This in turn strengthens your operations and makes your business more efficient.

CSR also serves as a superb promotional tool. It’s a great way to get your name out there and make your brand known. The publicity you receive from these CSR activities are extremely beneficial to your company as they only help you reach new clientele. The best part about this, is that your name is out there and it’s in a good way: it’s all good publicity!! The result is you gain more respect throughout the community because of your kind actions.

CSR is a dynamic tool that can trigger growth and additional success for businesses. It has a significant impact across all functional areas of a business. Putting money into the community could be the best way to garner further customer support. So the best investment, is the one in your community.

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06 Jul

The Synergy Team

Posted in customer satisfaction, Customer Service on 06.07.16 by John Meloche

Charitable acts reflect well on your company. They enhance your brand image and show the altruistic and caring side of your business. Nothing sells more than a commitment to the community. Not only are these acts the ethical thing to do, but they also aid your business by improving your image all around the neighborhood. With that being said, we have our own little story to tell.

Right now there is a local soccer team representing their country in an international tournament. They’re playing in Turks and Caicos (Lucky, I know right!!!) and going up against teams from all over. Well we here at Synergy might’ve provided some team SWAG. Not only that but we helped design a new jersey for the team just for this tournament. We made sure that they were equipped right and wore colors that showed what country they were representing.

Small things like this can really help your business. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also enables you to expand your clientele. When you help people, they want to support you. It’s these kind of acts that create loyalty between people and businesses. Sometimes people just want to see the human side of a business and want to know that your business doesn’t just care about profits.

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10 Jun

5 Ways To Add Personal Touches To Your Customer Interactions

Posted in customer satisfaction, Customer Service on 10.06.16 by John Meloche

Two Businessman touching hand for coordination workIn yesterday’s blog, we highlighted the benefits of surprising your customers. Going out of your way to show them that you care can greatly improve your brand’s reputation and secure customer loyalty for the long haul. As we pointed out, adding personal touches to your customer interactions is a great way to “wow” and surprise your company’s supporters. But what are the best ways to do that?

Here are five suggestions:

1. Offer “thank you” notes. An expression of appreciation can go a long way. Customers like to know that the businesses they support care about them. “With the endless amount of options out there, is it really so much to ask that a business say ‘Thanks!’ to a new customer?” asks Gregory Ciotti on Shopify.ca, “You might think that thank you notes have lost their impact, being that they are such a tried and true tactic, but you would be dead wrong.”

2. Remember special occasions. In the “getting to know your customers” game, it’s a good idea to keep in mind particular things about them. Are they parents? If so, it’s a great idea to wish them Happy Mother’s and Father’s Days when the times come. Are they married? If so, you may want to send Happy Anniversary greetings their ways. “Call them on their birthday,” reminds Rupesh Patel on LinkedIn.com, “Remembering your customers during these special occasions will convey to your customers that you are sincere about building a connection with them.”

3. Be proactive. The better you get to know your customers, the easier it will be for you to guess what they’ll need in the future. Of course, becoming a better people person won’t turn you into a mind reader. But being able to gauge what products and services you offer that would most impress your client base is a great way to keep your customers engaged. Anticipating the needs of your company’s supporters will certainly go a long way in keeping them happy.

4. Offer a life-changing opportunity. This sounds like a bit much, at first, doesn’t it? But, as Patel explains, it can all be achieved through a very simple, yet memorable gesture. “It sounds unconventional, but giving your customers a lottery ticket is a great way to surprise them,” he suggests, “Who knows? You might be giving out a lottery ticket that will eventually change someone’s life.”

5. Offer help without being asked for it. Ciotti offers an excellent example of this. “When a woman in the store lost the diamond from her wedding ring, she became distraught and began crawling around on the ground looking for the ring,” he details, “A Nordstrom employee saw her crawling under the clothing racks. Once he found out what was wrong, he immediately got on his hands and knees and joined the search!”

Ciotti goes on to point out how such a gesture was an act of going over and above the call of duty. “When the duo came up empty-handed in the search for the ring, the employee asked for assistance from two building service workers,” he continues, “Together, they sifted through vacuum bags until they found the diamond mixed in with dust and dirt. Now that’s going above and beyond the call of duty, and it’s the sole reason why Nordstrom has a (great) reputation.”

At Synergy Marketing, we’d like to offer you our help in improving your personal interactions with your customers by helping you select the ideal promo gift to give them for free. To get more information or to place your order, give us a call at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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09 Jun

3 Cool Ways To Surprise Your Customers

Posted in customer satisfaction, Customer Service on 09.06.16 by John Meloche

abstract 3d illustration of flash with text 'surprise' isolated over white backgroundIn our last blog, we revisited the concept of giving out freebies and the incredible impacts they can have on your customers. If you’re looking to significantly stand out from your competition, giving out freebies can certainly do the trick. As you know, Synergy Marketing has been in the business of providing Canadian business owners with fantastic promo gifts for many years. Using them as free giveaways, our clients have greatly improved their rates of customer satisfaction.

This is because getting things for free generally comes as a surprise to customers. Freebies offer that “wow” factor that helps to separate one brand from the next. There are, of course, numerous ways to surprise your customers. And many of them come with offering up perks and benefits that won’t cost your customers anything extra. Implementing these practices can definitely help you to grow your client base and keep it loyal.

Here are three cool ways to surprise your customers:

1. Waive the extra charges. There are few things that customers like hearing more than “I’ll go ahead and waive those charges for you”. You can place the concept of charge-waiving in the same category as giving away freebies, as it serves as a way to save your customers money. Who doesn’t love that? “Waiving the extra costs is a great way to delight your customers as well as build loyalty,” says Rupesh Patel on LinkedIn.com.

2. Check in with them. Don’t assume that the customer interaction is over once he/she leaves your store. There is still an opportunity to continue the connection. Did you receive an email address or phone number upon having the customer make his/her transaction? Ensuring that you do so will help for you to keep in touch with your customers in the future. This fosters strong growing relationships.

“Imagine the impression a business would leave if after buying your first set of golf clubs, you got an automated email from ‘Jim’ asking you how they were treating you, and if you’ve been able to hit the driving range yet?” poses Gregory Ciotti on Shopify.ca, “Pretty powerful stuff, and all hinging on the very frugal cost of a personal follow-up email. This is also useful for birthdays, holidays, or even better, some other personal event that you learned about from a customer.”

3. Take time to make personal connections. There’s a big difference between simply saying “hello” to people who walk into your establishment and taking the time to introduce yourself. When you meet new customers, be sure to offer your name and ask for theirs. That way, you’ll hopefully be able to greet them personally the next time you see them. Customers remember the efforts made by business owners to get to know them.

Patel champions the concept of spending time with your customers to get to know them personally. “When guests walk into your lobby, they expect that you won’t spend a whole lot of time with them,” he writes, “Take them by surprise by really getting to know them, listen and then recommend local hot spots or your favourite restaurant. Just get to know your patrons.”

Be sure to check back for tomorrow’s blog as we go into greater detail about how you can make those personal connections with your customers. And don’t forget that giving them freebies is always a great way to do just that! To place your order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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08 Jun

Nothing Beats Freebies In The World Of Customer Satisfaction

Posted in customer satisfaction, Customer Service on 08.06.16 by John Meloche

Free smiley iconWe really have to say that we’ve nailed it with the title of today’s blog! We’re not sure we’ve ever come up with a blog title that is more accurate in depicting what Synergy Marketing stands for. More importantly, today’s blog title is a testament of truth for any business owner in any industry. If you’re looking to truly “wow” your customers, you simply can’t go wrong with offering them something for free.

At Synergy Marketing, we have many years of experience proving this. Our clients regularly communicate to us how much our fantastic promotional products please their customers. Especially when those gifts are specifically chosen to meet the needs of particular customer bases, they come off as amazingly thoughtful and generous expressions of appreciation. Customers expect to pay for goods and services. This is likely why it’s so rewarding for them to get things for free from businesses.

On LinkedIn.com, Rupesh Patel explains the feelings that customers get when they are met with such surprises. “Everyone likes freebies!” he exclaims, “No matter how small your gift may be, your customers will surely appreciate the gesture. A bottle of water or cold drink upon arrival. A local Italian restaurant often asks me if I would like a complimentary beverage while I wait for my take out. – This is a great memorable surprise.”

Being memorable, it needs to be mentioned, is a huge part of growing the success of your business. By offering a freebie, you significantly stand out from your competitors who are not offering their customers anything for free. One of our clients recently explained to us that a recent trip to a restaurant was memorable, not just because of the great food he ate, but because of the coupon he received for a free appetizer the next time he visits for a meal.

Guess who’s going back to that restaurant in the near future? On Shopify.ca, Gregory Ciotti explains that restaurants don’t even have to offer appetizers to bring customers back. The customary, complimentary after-dinner mints can often do the trick. “If you’ve ever read that fascinating study about the power of mints—where waiters received a 21% better tip when they left two free mints—you know that reciprocity is a powerful psychological trigger, and that it doesn’t take much for a gift to leave an impact,” he informs.

He goes on to mention that when freebies are given to customers, they leave lasting impressions. This is especially true if the freebie is of special significance to its recipient. Keep in mind the personal interests of the people who support your brand. Ask probing questions and learn more about their likes and dislikes. When you offer freebies that speak to these preferences, you’ll stand a much greater chance of securing long-time loyalty.

“The amazing team at UserTesting.com asked for my home address out of the blue one day,” reports Ciotti, “After telling them, about a week later I got a package in the mail filled with delicious beef jerky! Why beef jerky? UserTesting.com sells, well, user testing software, so that’s a little odd isn’t it? Here’s where things get crazy: I had briefly mentioned on Twitter that quality beef jerky was putting a dent in my wallet.”

Ciotti admits to being astounded that the company’s marketing strategist would remember something like his love for beef jerky. At Synergy Marketing, we highly encourage you to think of the things that your customers would like to receive from you for free. The better the surprise, the stronger the impact! Of course, we offer a wide range of amazing high-quality promo gifts that can serve as your surprising freebies.

To place your order for the promo gift of your choice, give us a call at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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07 Jun

What Are The Best Ways To Interact With Your Customers Online?

Posted in Customer Service, Small Business Advertising on 07.06.16 by John Meloche

dp6pfFWPiVNN+fTY9gAFKSFCaOeCoLyOXPcZa5v6bAz086jRgHYKVRQMNsVn8WzMB1U3PKEqE7Th7siZWbCox9cT9lnjdNfMNIRWI8vShtJvmb8d8dZds6mwu10jHZJVriMb3tfDbyAlTJoxzEVYGanNgjVjYBN39a6K2Ghv7q2W29lkIebb9PAZr8vJ8nqO/rJGes//oD8IC2/qxtfBAkZRZ40lOExCh/ZtticrSoy116dyhTSAUVe0WVYVQi/nZH2Dl+Tr2uA=It’s no secret that using the internet to connect with customers is a must in today’s business world. But because so many people utilize the internet for personal social interactions, it’s important to not get your brand name tied into matters of a personal nature. For example, the way you would interact with your friends is different than the way you would interact with your customers. So, it’s really no different online.

The problem is that some business owners get a bit too friendly with their audience through their social media accounts. Now, let it be clear that there’s nothing wrong with being friendly. We highly advocate friendliness when it comes to interacting with customers. But starting conversations with “yo, what’s up?” using your company’s social media accounts may not necessarily be good for business.

Why is it important to maintain a professional attitude online? You never want your brand to be misunderstood or misinterpreted. No matter how friendly you decide to be, never lose your sense of professionalism. “Be pleasant, but not overly friendly with online customer interactions,” says Stephanie Walden on Mashable.com, “If there’s one thing social-savvy commenters will call a brand out on faster than a poorly placed typo, it’s getting too chummy online in an awkward, insincere manner.”

She goes on to point out that it’s a bad idea to use emojis and other symbols that are in keeping with informal text messaging and internet-speech. Using overly casual language, cheesy puns or banter and improper grammar and punctuation can hurt your company’s brand image. Keep in mind that there are many other members of your target audience out there who may be looking to your social media accounts for information. You don’t want to turn them off.

How important is responding to customer questions in a timely manner? The probably-too-obvious answer is that it is extremely important! In fact, social media are commonly used as modern day help desks. If customers ask you questions or make requests for help using their Facebook or Twitter accounts and you don’t respond within a day, most of them will consider themselves ignored.

“Millennials in particular can be averse to speaking on the phone, and reaching out via social may come as second nature,” informs Walden, “Having a dedicated person paying attention to online inquiries is key. Be sure this employee knows to check not only Twitter mentions or Facebook post comments, but also the comment sections on any company-produced blog posts, as well as direct messages on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram — and yes, even the dreaded YouTube comments.”

Should social media be used to handle disputes? We would definitely advise against it. If a customer has become disgruntled and has used social media to air his/her grievances, it’s best to contact that customer directly. Not only should you be treating the matter in a serious enough way that you put in a phone call to the customer, you definitely don’t want an argument of any kind to be made public.

“Every now and then, you’re going to have to deal with a customer on social media voicing complaints, sometimes in an obnoxious manner,” admits Walden, “It’s key to get these heated conversations offline, as quickly as possible and in a way that not only placates the upset customer, but also communicates to online observers that the issue is being handled.”

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02 Jun

3 More Ways To Knock The Socks Off Of Your New Clients

Posted in customer satisfaction, Customer Service on 02.06.16 by John Meloche

three socks hanging on a rope clothesline isolated on whiteIn yesterday’s blog, we revisited the topic of impressing your clients. But we’re not just talking about the clients that you’re used to doing business with. Making strong first impressions on your new clients can do wonders for your helping you to establish yourself as a top-choice professional in your industry. When you meet your new clients, it’s important to find ways to knock their socks off!

Here are three more ways to do that:

1. Be organized. Okay, so your new client has given you the opportunity to prove yourself. Don’t take it for granted. Just because you’ve secured a new client, it doesn’t mean that he/she will remain loyal. It’s up to you to constantly work towards making good impressions. And a great way to make a good impression early is to be completely organized and on top of everything that needs to be handled right away.

On TheFreelanceHustle.com, Kayli admits that this is “easier said than done when you’re juggling multiple clients and deadlines. That is why you need to have the right systems and processes in place. Workflows and reminders are a life saver for staying on top of your projects and keeping your clients in the loop on your progress. If you can appear to be organized and professional your clients are going to have more faith in you/think you’re a miracle worker.”

2. Be as inquisitive as they are. When working with new clients, you’re bound to get asked a number of questions. The more questions you get asked, the better. This is because the curiosity of your new customer proves that he/she is interested. Be sure to do the same. Ask questions that will help you to get to know your customer better. The knowledge you attain will go a long way in being able to help you meet your customer’s need for many years down the road.

On SkillCrush.com, Randle Browning highlights the fact that it’s important to ask a lot of questions at your first meetings with new clients. “First meetings with clients can feel like auditions (and they kind of are),” she describes, “To keep the meeting from feeling like a trial, ask the client a lot of questions.” She goes on to note that you should make sure to prepare your questions well in advance of the first meeting.

3. Offer a welcome package. Kayli explains that a welcome package helps your new clients get better assimilated with your business. “When you start working with a new client, they are likely going to have a lot of questions,” she reiterates, “Put them at ease, and save yourself heaps of time, by creating a welcome package for all of your new clients. You can tell them about your office hours, your process, any systems you use, and anything else they need to be aware of to get started. It’s also a great time to send a checklist of things you will need from them.”

If you’re really looking to blow the socks off of your new clients, you’ll want to do something that most business owners won’t. Sending welcome packages along with messages of gratitude for your new working relationship will do the trick. Your packages should also include a number of your company’s fantastic promotional gifts which always come in handy. They’ll serve as great reminders of how awesome your company is!

To place your order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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01 Jun

3 Ways To Genuinely Impress Your New Clients

Posted in customer satisfaction, Customer Service on 01.06.16 by John Meloche

Smiling young man shaking hands with an insurance agent or investment adviser as he sits in a meeting with his wife in her officeIt’s often said that marketing your business towards your current customers is a lot more effective and inexpensive that promoting it to new customers. That doesn’t mean, of course, that you shouldn’t attempt to get your business new clientele. Growing your customer base requires hard work, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. But once you get those new clients, what should you do to ensure you impress them enough that they remain loyal?

Here are three ideas:

1. Show your human side. Speak to your new customers like people. Let them get to know that you’re a down-to-earth, honest-to-goodness human being who will be a joy to do business with. In most cases, this is what truly endears people to work with new businesses. If you push too hard with sales attempts, it could turn your new customers away. You want to make people feel comfortable visiting your place of business time and time again.

“Your goal is to get the client to trust you and hire you, but that doesn’t mean you should get right down to business,” writes Randle Browning on SkillCrush.com, “Before you dive into the tech talk, take a few minutes to get to know your client. If you’re on a video call, ask about where they live or comment on something you love in the background. If you’re together in person, ask them how they like the taco place across the street.”

2. Express your gratitude. We can’t think of a bad time to say the words “thank you”. Showing your appreciation is a great way to display your good-natured personality and genuine happiness about your newfound partnership. After all, as a business owner, there is nothing to be more thankful for than a person who is willing to help you grow your business. On TheFreelanceHustle.com, Kayli agrees that it’s important to always say “thanks”.

“Clients are what keep us in business so it’s important to thank them for that,” she insists, “I’m not saying that you need to remind them that they put food on your table, but a nice ‘hey, thanks for doing business with me’ every once in a while is always appreciated. Once you’ve wrapped a project be sure to include a sincere thank you in the handoff. Sending a hand written note and small, thoughtful gift are also a really nice touch.”

3. Do your research. Chances are that your new clients did a little bit of research on you and your company before deciding to do business with you. It’s only right that you do the same. Having a strong understanding of your clients’ backgrounds will give you greater insight into what you can do to wow them. Doing your due diligence will also demonstrate a level of professionalism that can set you apart from your competitors.

“Researching your client’s competitors and peers immerses you in their world,” says Browning, “The more knowledge you bring to the table about industry standards, common issues, or new changes in the client’s field, the more your client will trust you to make good decisions throughout the freelance project.” Be sure to check back for tomorrow’s blog as we continue to list ways that you can knock the socks off of your new clients!

And don’t forget that to place an order for the promo gift of your choice to promote your business, you call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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10 May

Chat Live With An Agent Now!

Posted in Customer Service on 10.05.16 by John Meloche

Live Chat Button with Hand Shaped mouse CursorSince Synergy Marketing’s inception, we have utilized the phone as our number one source of communication with our customers. We continue to encourage our customers to give us a call at 1-877-748-9884 in order to speak with any of our friendly and knowledgeable sales reps about the wonderful array of promotional products that we have to offer. However, you may have noticed that our website has incorporated a new wrinkle in recent weeks.

What is that new “wrinkle” on our website? That wrinkle is our brand new “live chat” feature which enables our website’s visitors to speak with one of our live agents in real time through their computers! Considering that Synergy Marketing has always been about providing our customers with options, it only made sense for us to provide our prospective clients with another communication option. And it has certainly worked wonders for us so far!

Why is “live chat” so effective? Perhaps, it’s because it’s so easy to use. On the home page of our website, you’ll notice a red icon at the bottom right corner of the screen. It reads “Chat live with an agent now!” Just below that, it reads “Have a question?” By clicking on the icon, you will be prompted to fill out your name and your question. There are two boxes to input your information. One reads “Your name?” while the other reads “Start off the conversation…”

Once you’ve completed filling out the boxes, simply click on the red “Start Chat” button which is located below them. Within seconds, you’ll be speaking to a live representative who will be able to assist you with any questions that you have. We’ve found that this new interactive approach to our website has greatly assisted curious website visitors with getting the information they need to make smart choices about which promo gifts to use to advertise their brands.

How did we establish the “live chat” feature? Thanks to Tawk.to, we have implemented this new widget on our site and it has allowed us to engage with our website visitors in real time. We’ve found that it has made life a lot easier for our potential customers because not all of them have time to make phone calls. “Live chat” features allow busy online users the ability to multi-task. The conversations take place at paces that are comfortable for them.

With our new “live chat” feature, information seekers can ask their questions, do their own work and surf the web as they please. If they were on the phone, they would be required to provide their undivided attention. And we know that, at times, this can be considered too time consuming. Especially when your customers are business owners – like ours are – live chats allow busy workaholics to be a lot more efficient with their time.

How do live chats help to grow your business? According to Kissmetrics.com, “an ATG Global Consumer Trend study found that 90% of customers consider live chat helpful and an emarketer.com survey found that 63% were more likely to return to a website that offers live chat. The report goes on to say: ‘62% reported being more likely to purchase from the site again. A further 38% of respondents said they had made their purchase due to the chat session itself. All these attitudes were even more prevalent among respondents who bought online at least weekly.’”

Please feel free to give our new “live chat” feature a try right away! Of course, you can always place your order for the promo gift of your choice by calling Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or emailing us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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28 Apr

3 Ways To Improve Relationships With Angry Customers

Posted in customer satisfaction, Customer Service, Synergy Suggestions on 28.04.16 by John Meloche

Businessman holding two papers with happy and angry face each on themIn yesterday’s blog, we revisited the topic of angry customers. It’s a topic that most business owners wish to avoid, but it’s an important one nonetheless. Dealing with disgruntled customers should be seen as learning opportunities. The better you handle such situations, the better you’ll be able to improve your business overall. Your ability to resolve issues with angry customers can actually make or break your company.

So how can you improve your relationships with them? Here are three ways:

1. Don’t take it personally. It isn’t easy to avoid an emotional response to someone who is expressing anger towards you. You’re only human. However, it’s important to keep in mind that when a customer is upset with an aspect of your business, it isn’t a personal attack against you. Give your customer the opportunity to vent and realize that your job is to improve the relationship between the customers and your brand. This person doesn’t have to be your personal friend.

“When a customer is upset, remember that it is not a personal attack,” asserts Shari Waters on About.com, “Let them talk as long as they need to, not only to get it off their chest, but to thoroughly explain the problem. Listen carefully! You cannot fix what you don’t understand, so be sure to ask the customer enough questions to learn what is bothering them. By simply listening, the customer will realize that you are interested in their problem and he/she will eventually calm down enough to discuss the situation in a positive manner.”

2. Endeavour to work with your customer to find a resolution. Don’t assume that you know exactly how to fix a customer’s problem. There’s no better way to come to a resolution than probing your customer to discover exactly what can be done to satisfy him/her. Let your customer know that you care about his/her business and that you’re willing to find a solution that will prove it.

“When your customers decide to purchase your product or service, they commit to a financial relationship with you,” explains Ron Burley on Inc.com, “When problems arise, they want to know that you’re willing to listen and aren’t going to run for the door. A positive statement that you are willing to work with them to find a solution, rather than being their adversary, begins a conversation that can be your best insurance against that customer going rogue and blasting you on the Internet.”

3. Request further feedback. So you’ve resolved an issue. That’s excellent. But have you discovered ways to avoid such incidents in the future? Use the experience to learn more about how you can improve customer relations going forward. Don’t be afraid to ask your customer if there is anything more you can do to improve your business. You may just find it to be the best way to grow your company’s reputation.

“Dealing with each unpleasant customer should be a learning experience,” says Waters, “Customer feedback should be viewed as an opportunity for change. Keep in mind that not all customers can be pleased. Some people are just complainers and nothing you do will change that. But everything you can correct about this situation will help with future events. Keep improving in areas over which you have control.”

Of course, it never hurts to offer your customers useful promotional gifts that bear your company’s name and logo as a way to resolve issues. To place your order for the promo gift of your choice, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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Saturday, August 5, 2017

Power Poppy ~ Cherries and Berries

Hello, Friends! I've got something super sweet to share with you today. It's a remixed digi from Power Poppy called, Cherries and Berries. Take a look...

Isn't this just perfect for summer card making?! I love that juicy cluster of cherries! The strawberries and raspberries are sweet, too and I like that there are varying sizes of the berries, along with a blossom or two. SUCH attention to detail! The sentiments are perfect and the fonts are dreamy! This delicious digi set is available now in the Power Poppy Shop. Buzz on over to the Power Poppy blog and get inspired by my team mates and then grab this set and have a crafty weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Martinborough Martinborough Martinborough

Located in the Wairarapa, Martinborough is just one hour's drive from New Zealand's capital city Wellington. Martinborough has long been a favourite weekend destination for those seeking escape from the city. Now that Martinborough's fame has spread, more and more New Zealanders and overseas visitors are enjoying the Martinborough region's rural charm and hospitality.

The key attraction of Martinborough (apart from its high number of sunshine hours and low rainfall) is wine and all that goes with wine tastings, buying, talking with Martinborough's winemakers, walking through Martinborough's vineyards and generally absorbing the Martinborough atmosphere. But Martinborough's scale is perhaps it's greatest advantage. Everything is boutique-style, the big wine producers are absent. Park your car in the Square and stroll to the vineyards, the nearest is only 5 minutes away. The Square forms the centre of the interesting 'Union Jack' flag layout of the streets.

Whatever your interest, we at The Claremont will advise you on what are the best activities for you and we can make arrangements for all your needs. Here are a few of our recommended suggestions:

Golf Cross - Patuna Farm

Here's a great new golf option! Try something a little different with Golf Cross. A new game played with an oval ball using goals, not holes. The course is on a working farm in a beautiful river valley. Use your own clubs or hire on site. Catering also available on request.

Horse Trekking – Patuna Farm

Meander along a crystal clear river or ride the ridge tops to experience the incredible views of South Wairarapa, on horseback. A great way to view our magnificent slice of New Zealand.

Adventure Courses – Patuna Farm

Would you like to take on the Pole to Pole Ropes Course in the fantastic Wairarapa hill country and be challenged? Or you could try the Big Swing for a pure adrenalin rush. These and many other options available at Patuna Farm.

The World Of Paua

Discover The World of Paua - open 7 days. Visit the factory and view the crafting of quality jewellery and gifts. Enjoy a free tea or coffee in the tearooms surrounded by a wonderful undersea mural.

Wairarapa Gourmet Wine Escapes

Wairarapa Gourmet Wine Escapes offer a great day out. Enjoy wine-tastings at four Martinborough wineries, a light lunch at one of the many cafes and finish the day with a visit to the Martinborough Wine Centre.

Other Martinborough Options

You can enjoy the action or just relax with a pleasant chardonnay and totally unwind.

  • Golf - a picturesque and well renowned golf course
  • Squash and tennis courts
  • Smallbore rifle shooting
  • Walks and Hikes - a range of pleasant scenic walks as well as longer hikes around the plains, hills and mountains
  • Hau Nui Wind Farm - 21km South East of Martinborough
  • Seal Colony at Ngawi - see them in their natural habitat – a truly wonderful experience. Just remember to respect their space especially when they have young
  • Toast Martinborough held in November of each year, with tickets through Ticketek
  • TK Day is hosted by Te Kairanga Vineyard and is a day of fun, live music, great local wines, and should be a must on your ...... calendar (usually held in January each year)
  • The Martinborough Country Fair is held on the first Saturday of February and March. This popular fair is one of New Zealand's largest with a huge variety of things to see and many interesting things to buy.

Please contact your hosts at The Claremont for more information about these and other attractions and activities in the area.


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Mr Smith

If you’ve been following the gaming industry this week, it is certain that you already know how strongly Microsoft has been pushing gaming on its latest operating system. Just this week, it was confirmed that another Xbox One exclusive is coming to Windows 10. Forza Motorsport 6 Apex is the next Windows 10 exclusive that is set to showcase the technical prowess of the new DirectX 12 API.

That is not all, it has also been confirmed by the studio behind the series that all future installments will be developed concurrently on Xbox One and PC. Microsoft has been bringing major first-party Xbox One exclusives to PC, and we have been pretty busy this week keeping up with all the announcements, rumors and fan reactions. This strategy of Microsoft has not been received well by everyone. Many Xbox One owners feel cheated that their must-buy exclusives are suddenly not-so-exclusive anymore.

Talking about these fan criticisms and the assumption that Microsoft is no longer committed to consoles like they used to be, the Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, joined IGN in a recent podcast to answer those questions.

Spencer commented by saying that Microsoft is “more committed” to the console than it has ever been. And while it is committed to bringing the biggest franchises to both Xbox One and PC, he said that “it doesn’t mean that every game ends up on both platforms”. You can check out the comment at the 21:13 mark here.

Make no mistake, Microsoft is very aggressively pursuing the idea of creating an eco-system and you can expect more announcements in the future, but now at least we know that not every Xbox One exclusive will be available on PC, and vice-versa. This should cool down Xbox owners, since there may yet to be exclusives coming for their console.

The year’s Game Developers Conference, held just a couple of weeks ago at San Francisco’s Ruby Skye night club, saw Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) host an invigorating press briefing that not only convinced the masses to join the virtual reality cult, but also talked about upcoming games that are going to utilize AMD’s new technology to deliver a next-generation gameplay experience.

Ubisoft took this opportunity to take the stage and officially confirm the existence of Watch Dogs 2, revealing that the sequel to the 2014’s open-world third-person stealth shooter is going to feature support for DirectX 12.

Ubisoft refrained from giving away more information, or even adding details to what kind of improvements are fans in for with Watch Dogs 2’s DirectX 12 integration. That being said, seeing the developer’s presence at AMD’s press briefing suggests that the sequel is going to be highly optimized for the red team’s graphical units. Suffice to say, AMD is going to take this opportunity to showcase the performance abilities of its cards; recent releases of pro-NVIDIA games have already done enough damage as it is.

On the note of proving oneself, Ubisoft suffered a major dent to its reputation when the first Watch Dogs was released. In the wake of downgrade allegations, launch issues, bugs, glitches, broken code, and more, Watch Dogs can only be described as an incredibly forgetful experience. Hence, Ubisoft has to all but ensure that Watch Dogs 2 is a great game.

Watch Dogs 2 is expected to be in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. A release window has yet to be mentioned or even teased by Ubisoft. Considering how we’ve been hearing about the game’s rumours for the past two years or so, it’s possible that we get to see a late 2016 launch.

We expect Watch Dogs 2 to get an official reveal at E3 2016 this summer. Let’s hope that Ubisoft has learned much from its prior experience with the first game and is going to work on those mistakes to ensure a well-received sequel.

Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is gradually learning how to get more vehicles on the roads by accelerating its production rate at the Tesla Factory at Fremont, CA. However, its expansion of service centers is not up to pace with the increasing numbers of deliveries, causing frustration for new owners.

Earlier this week, Automotive News published a report which stated that delays in service appointments are expected to increase for the Model S and Model X owners. The publication quoted a Model X owner who previously had a Model S, saying that his local service center could not give an appointment before 10 days. He further added that it is “a long time for a $130,000 car.” He said that the company immediately fixed every issue when he had the Model S.

“Now that the company has grown, service has become a problem,” said Ethan Shapiro from Florida. Previously, he had to wait about a week to get the SUV’s fault door latch fixed.

Chris Terry, another Tesla owner from Denver, reported in August that he had to wait for five weeks before the service station could repair the windshield of his Model S. Although Tesla agreed to fix the issue for free, Mr. Terry’s problem has not been solved.

Tesla currently has 61 service centers in the US with 10 locations “coming soon.” In 3QFY16 Shareholder Letter, Tesla said that they opened 17 new locations in the period while delivering 24,821 cars worldwide. Thus, it is clear that the company is unable to keep up its service with deliveries growth.

The problem may accelerate as it plans to bring another 25,000 vehicles on the road in this quarter and over 600,000 cars in 2017 and 2018. Interestingly, Tesla said that it saw a 92% reduction in reliability issues in 2016 compared to 2015.

Despite such poor servicing of vehicles, Blue Book’s Karl Brauer believes that there has not been a big effect on the Tesla brand as early owners are not completely dependent on their Model S sedans and Model X SUVs. Dunne Automotive President, Michael Dunne, believes that the owners are well aware of such issues before buying a Tesla car as they know “they are part of this experience of the first breakthrough electric vehicles.”

The Country Caller discusses whether or not the stock represents an attractive investment opportunity following recent declinesWhy Phillips 66 Lost Its Momentum?Is Phillips 66 A Lucrative Investment?

While most energy companies struggled to keep their ship afloat, Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) managed to post strong financials last year. As a result, the stock surged 12.59% on the back of lower crude prices, as this meant lower feedstock costs and better refining margins.

Since 2016 started, Phillips 66 has lost some momentum in shares. During the first two months, the stock declined 3.19%. The Country Caller explores the reason for this decline and explains whether or not it is the right time to invest in it.

Why Phillips 66 Lost Its Momentum?

One of the key reasons for the company’s poor performance was the shrinking refining margins as a consequence of increased crude prices. Even in 4QFY15, Phillips 66 saw a steep decline in refining margins as oil price declined from $21.44 a barrel in 3QFY15 to $12.72.

As long as oil price keeps on increasing, refining margins would shrink and hence profits would get hurt. In addition, gasoline inventory has also been in surplus in the US. With gasoline supply exceeding demand, prices would are likely to remain suppressed. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) stated that gasoline price would decline from $2.43 per gallon last year to $1.89 this year.

In 2015, gasoline demand was also high, which contributed to the company’s positive performance. Moreover, fuel-efficient cars and environment-friendly vehicles led gasoline demand to decline though, adding to the company’s worries as the stock posted poor performance compared to last year.

Is Phillips 66 A Lucrative Investment?

One reason to invest in Phillips 66 is its diversified business portfolio. As lower refining margins continue to impact profitability, its investment in other segments continues to reap profits.

For example, olefin products such as 1-octane, 1-butene, 1-hexene, etc have positive future demand. The company can take advantage of high demand of these products owing to its integrated business model. An important point to note here is that the company is making strategic investments in segments which present positive long-run upside potential for the organization.

Another example includes its petrochemicals project in the US, at the Gulf Coast. The project is nearing completion, and is expected to come online by mid-2017. This project would enhance Phillips 66’s polyethylene and ethylene capacity by almost 40%.

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In addition, the company has a healthy liquidity position. At the end of 2015, it had operating cash flow worth $5.7 billion, along with $4.8 billion in cash. Its debt is less than $9 billion, which means it has the capability to honor its debt easily with its strong cash position. Any improvement in refining margins would mean further upside potential for company. Phillip 66 stock has gained 7.16% year-to-date (YTD), suggesting that it represents a lucrative investment opportunity right now.

The Country Caller explains why the rally in Freeport shares would end soon

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) stock has shown impressive performance, as it has surged over 86% year-to-date. The positive momentum in shares is attributed mainly to recovering oil and improving copper prices. The company has also taken certain appreciable measures to respond to difficult operational conditions.

The $17 billion company has made several asset divestitures and lowered its cost base in order to achieve the improved investor confidence it enjoys now. Still, The Country Caller believes that the ongoing rally in shares would end after the company would report its 1QFY16 results next week, as the performance is expected to turn out as unsatisfactory.

In fiscal year 2015, Freeport incurred about $6.35 billion worth of capital expenditure. It said that it aims to reduce this figure to $3.4 billion this year, and to $2.3 billion next year, in an investor presentation. The company is apparently making effort to overcome negative future cash flows.

However, the company would not be able to reap benefits soon after making these cuts, as it would need time to see the results; given that it has been suffering under a huge debt burden, it would be desperate to get relief. By March 2015, the company had lowered its dividend by 80%, and in December, it announced a complete halt in order to save about $240 million annually.

This is how difficult operational conditions have gotten for the company. Freeport has also made asset divestments which investors anticipate would provide much-needed liquidity. However, these asset divestitures are like a double-edged sword, as even though they would provide some cash, once commodity prices recover, the company would be poised to any increased revenue and profitability opportunities.

Additionally, these divestments mean that the company’s future output would be lower, leading to bleak future performance. Asset sales would also not be immediately beneficial for the company, which investors are likely to see in its 1Q earnings, and hence shares would be more likely to decline.

For instance, Freeport announced disposal of its stake in Morenci mine, which is expected to provide it around $1 billion, but might not reflect in first quarter results, as the deal is expected to close later this year. Also, Freeport is expected to benefit by around $263 million by selling its stake in Lundin Mining, but the deal is still not closed and wouldn’t have any impact on its upcoming earnings.

Moreover, the company expected oil prices to be around $37 barrel for the past quarter, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) benchmark for crude oil averaged around $33 per barrel. This means that its performance from the oil segment would not be satisfactory either.

All in all, Freeport has taken some good steps to restore its financial health, but these steps would take time to reflect on its sheets. Hence, we expect the positive rally in shares would soon be over after the company would miss its earnings estimates next week.

Alibaba has launched a campaign against counterfeit products to ensure online shopping accuracy

At the inaugural of Rights Holders Collaboration Summit, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) announced to launch intellectual property (IP) joint force system to strengthen collaboration and partnership with multiple brands globally. The Chinese e-commerce giant revealed its aggressive plans in the conference to stamp out fake goods in an aim to urge international brands to support the company in its anti-piracy drive.

Earlier today, the online retailer announced a new online system which would help remove fakes and keep track of the goods in order to facilitate strong coalition and cooperation with global brands. The IP Joint Force System is expected to build a great working relationship as Alibaba continues to battle against the IP infringement and counterfeits. The online shopping powerhouse has witnessed an embarassing hit in the face of counterfeit products. Earlier this year, Alibaba was ruled out of the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition of Washington.

Under the new system, individual portals would be assigned to each participating brand to enhance transparency and improve customer relationship with the brands. Alibaba, being the third party marketplace, would keep track of authenticity of each of the brands by seeking information from the rights holders about suspected products. In case of infringement, the company will then initiate Good Faith Takedown process to remove the product listing. This campaign is reinforcement in Alibaba’s strategy to improve online shopping accuracy.

Option traders are confident that neither the SEC Probe nor the Softbank sale will have any impact on Alibaba stock

Alibaba Group Holdings (NYSE:BABA) stock has recently been bearish amid investor concerns on the recent SEC probe into its accounting practices. While this has created some negative sentiments in the investors, option traders feel that there is nothing to worry as they have strategies to defend their positions. Option traders feel that Alibaba would remain a strong scrip despite the SEC investigations or the recent Softbank sale of its stock.

One of the confident investors of the Chinese e-commerce giant has sold some 21,000 put options that expire in August. The strike price of these options is $60. The transaction implies that if the stock price goes below $60, the investor will have to buy 2.1 million shares of the company. Meanwhile, another bullish investor has taken a different approach; this investor has brought 7,500 call options for July with a strike price of $82.50. This bet would only pay off the investor if the stock price is above the strike price.

In the past one year, Alibaba stock has traded between $57.2-91.6. The company is expected to report quarterly results in August and is expected to report a quarterly revenue of $29 billion with an EPS of $4.16. However, a few analysts feel that Alibaba Group has immense pressure from competitors within the US. Alibaba rival, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) touched its all time high this Monday and is expected to touch a $1000 soon, according to analysts. That, accompanied with a slow chine economy poses some serious challenges.

However, it is worth noticing that despite major challenges, these investors have betted on the company. Street Houses such as Deutsche Bank and Robert W. Baird are also bullish on the stock and expect it to set a new 52-week high. The indicative TP is $99.17, which offers almost 27% upside from the current levels. Let’s see if Alibaba stock can perform up to the expectations of Street Analysts.

The Country Caller takes a look at Guess and Box before their earnings release today

Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES) and Box Inc. (NYSE:BOX) are expected to post their quarterly results after the closing bell on November 30. Both companies will announce their results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2017 (3QFY17). It appears that both companies will outperform Street expectations on top and bottom lines.

Guess is all-set to post its 3QFY17 results after the closing bell today. Wall Street analysts expect the company to post earnings per share (EPS) of 14 cents, representing an increase of 6.67% year-over-year (YoY). Moreover, analysts also predict earnings to remain flat on a quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) basis. expects GES to post EPS of 16 cents, meeting the higher-end of the company’s EPS guidance of 11-16 cents.

Furthermore, revenue is expected to clock in at $551.16 million, which would represent an increase of 5.8% YoY, and would be in-line with the company’s revenue increase outlook of 5-8%. expects to company to post revenue of $552.79 million.

Box Inc.

Box Inc. is expected to post its results after market closes today. Analysts expect loss per share (LPS) of 19 cents. The company’s LPS outlook stands at 19-20 cents. expects the company to further lower its loss to 17 cents. Additionally, the California-based company announced LPS of 14 cents in the preceding quarter.

Moreover, the consensus revenue estimate stands at $100.72 million. Analysts predict the cloud storage business to meet its revenue guidance of $100-101 million, and they expect revenue to rise about 28% YoY. revenue forecast stands at $101.35 million.

The Country Caller explains why this analyst remains skeptical on Valeant shares despite the announced credit amendment

After raising his price target on Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl. Inc. (NYSE:VRX) shares to $22 last week, Piper Jaffray analyst David Amsellem has now reaffirmed his price target and Underweight rating on the stock. The analyst has updated his thesis on Valeant shares after the company announced an amendment to its credit facility yesterday.

The drug maker revealed yesterday that its creditors have allowed it more time to pay back the $31 billion debt it has on its shoulders. CEO Joseph Papa plans to sell non-core assets to make a large payment this year, as he revealed during the company’s second quarter earnings call last week.

While Morgan Stanley believes this news would be good for the company, the Street does not believe so. Valeant shares closed down 2.7% yesterday at $29.19. Piper Jaffray analyst acknowledged that this agreement does give the company “more breathing room” but he still believes the stock remains “uninvestable.”

Mr. Ansellem said that the stock trades at 8.4 times his enterprise value/earnings before interest taxes depreciation and amortization 2016 (EV/EBITDA 2016) estimate, based on the company’s $4.8-4.95 billion guidance it issued two months ago. Explaining his bearish outlook on the stock, the analyst said that expectations for Valeant’s recovery in the second half of 2016 remain “overly optimistic.” He also said that the non-core asset sale, even if the company goes through with one, would not stabilize shares, and that EBITDA is unlikely to stabilize beyond 2016.

In order to explain his cynical view on potential asset sales, the analyst said if the company sells the assets for $8 billion at 11 times approximate EBITDA, like it said it would in its earnings call, EBITDA would fall to $4.07 billion, taking Valeant’s overall debt down to $22.8 billion. That, according to the analyst, would translate into a pro forma debt/EBITDA ratio of 5.6 times, which would still be very high, and a pro forma EV/EBITDA ratio of 7.9 times, which would be unattractive owing to the overall pressure on the venture. Mr. Ansellem said: “Put another way, given these dynamics, why would the shares be rewarded for the execution on the potential divestitures that management already cited?”

The approval of the drug will bring a new window of opportunity for the companies, both geographically and therapeutically

Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) and Ionis have been filling their mutual investigational molecule nusinersen for the New Drug Application (NDA) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The molecule is indicated for the management and treatment of type-1 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
In August 2016, both the drugmakers have published their ENDEAR clinical study results in relation to the SMA type 1 disease with achievement of the primary endpoints. With reference to the results, the companies have shifted patients in an Open Label Extension Study from clinical trial. The investigational molecule has shown drastic improvement in the motor symptoms of patients receiving the drug.

Biogen has worldwide rights of the drug, for which it has paid $75 million to Ionis. The company has to pay other royalties for the clinical trials, regulatory approvals and marketing of the drug. In addition, Ionis is eligible to get $150 million in downstream payments in relation to the regulatory milestones.

MDA has provided $750,000 to Adrian Krainer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York for the clinical research on the early stage patients of SMS to vitalize the role of nusinersen. Otherwise, MDA has invested approximately $45 million to ascertain and develop the role of nusinersen to look for other pathological aliments.

Moreover, the companies are planning for the submission of the drug to European Medicines Agency (EMA) in October 2016 and other geographical areas by the end of 2016. The EMA committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has given approval for Accelerated Assessment reducing the standard protocol time.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a debilitating disease affecting the patients via muscle wasting due to nerve cell degeneration. Approximately one in 10,000 live births are affected by this disease. According to Biogen’s statistics, there are 35,000 infant patients suffering from the debilitating disease across US, Europe, and Japan.

There is no treatment available till date for the disease and if approved, the drug can generate $1 billion on yearly basis. The molecule has already gained secured status due to its vitality in the US and Europe and is expected to gain approval from the regulatory agencies keeping in view of the important role it has to play.


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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Project: Etched Bottles

It's always smart to buy kitchen supplies or ingredients like olive oil in bulk, but the giant jugs are a little unruly to pour and a little unsightly to keep on the counter.  This project is a cheap, easy, eco- and budget-friendly way to solve all those problems.  The bottles can also be used to store dish-detergent, vinegar, beverages, and other condiments. You can etch anything on them, words like I did, or pictures to match your decor, it's all up to you.

  • Clean, empty wine bottles with the labels removed
  • Contact Paper
  • Xacto Knife
  • Glass Etching Paste (most arts/crafts and hobby shops carry this)
  • Cheap, plastic paintbrushes like the kind little kids would use
  • Pouring tops (you can get these cheaply at a kitchen supply store) OR corks

  1. Trace or draw your image on the contact paper.
  2. Peel off backing and stick on bottle where you want it to be positioned
  3. Cut out the letters using the blade, being careful not to cut yourself.
  4. Remove the unwanted pieces.
  5. Apply etching paste according to directions (Hint: to achieve even, opaque etching I had to reapply the paste on mine every 5 minutes and leave it on for 20 minutes, which is much longer than recommended on the package.  You may have to experiment on some junk glass first to get the correct timing.)
  6. Clean off glass according to etching paste instructions.
  7. Peel off contact paper and wash and dry thoroughly.
  8. Fill with liquid and put on pouring top.
vinegar, olio, and l'acqua
ALSO: Check out my friend Sarah's blog at Simply Step Back to see her glass etching project!

    1. Those turned out beautiful. I got some etching cream for Christmas and have been twiddling my thumbs trying to figure out what to etch for much too long...this looks like fun :)

    2. I have to ask. Do you have a stainless steel sink?

      I have a porcelain sink and think this might be a no-go for me. Unless I used plastic tubs or something....

      Do tell though, I've always wondered why I'm the only one with a porcelain sink. :)

    3. I do have a steel sink in the kitchen (which is where I did this project). The etching cream doesn't come into contact with the sink very long though, the paste is applied to the glass and sticks there pretty well. We set ours on an old towel to keep them horizontal rather than vertical, just in case it drips. The only time the etching cream would be in the sink would be when rinsing the brush or the bottle. I'm guessing that you could throw away the cheap brush, or rinse it in a cup, and wipe off most of the cream before putting the bottle in the sink. That way the etching cream would be VERY diluted by the time it came in contact with the sink!

      Hope that helps! This is a fun project, and especially fulfilling because of the instant satisfaction of it all.

      Happy Crafting!


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Good Form Welcomes 'Variations' by Iconic Mid-Century Design House Rex Kralj

Auckland furniture and design store Good Form is proud to announce the launch of a significant expansion to the Rex Kralj product range in conjunction with the recent Salone del Mobile in Milan. Echoing the history of the brand with its unique utilitarian perspective and mid-century origin, the suite of new designs are defined by clean lines and timeless modernity.

Rex bench seat & Small CC table

Small CC table

Founded by Niko Kralj in Slovenia in 1952, Rex Kralj has since become known for its significant contribution to 20th century industrial design. Krajl's work is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and is also part of the collection of Design Museum Danmark in Copenhagen, among other high profile international exhibitions. Today, Rex Kralj continues to produce a number of Niko Kralj's iconic mid-century designs while also collaborating with leading contemporary designers who channel its rich heritage for inspiration.

Draw table

Bar table CC & Bar stool CC

Dining table CC & 4455 chair

Project bar chair

The brand's new offering includes dining, lounge, storage and office furniture in the traditional materials used by the company; oak, beech, walnut and plywood. Each piece is available with a new range of customised finish options and an upholstery selection in fabric or leather. New finish options have also been added to existing designs to add a deluxe element.

The extensive range of new designs ensures the brand remains relevant to contemporary interiors. Where previously Rex Kralj only offered a small dining table solution, now there are two impressive designs which cater to a large space. These are elegant adaptations of two successful chair designs which the company has produced in the 1950s, the CC Stool and the Mosquito Chair. Similar developments have been made with another existing design, the Shell Chair.

Small table trio SQ

Shell Square dining armchair

Shell lounge chair (available in a range of timbers and colours) & Medium CC table (with optional marble top)

Shell dining armchair, Round dining table CC & Small CC table

1960 Chair 'Utility Edition'

Mosquito collection

Shell Square dining armchair

The newly introduced Square Chair beautifully combines an organic form with a linear, steel tube frame and is designed to suit a range of interior spaces. The new, thoughtful designs and existing range of classics offer an intelligent, skilfully crafted approach to interiors.

It's easy to see why Good Form directors Dan and Emma Eagle hold this brand in such high regard. The collection can be viewed at the Auckland gallery, and is also available to purchase online

One last reminder, the CULT x TDC COMP closes at midnight tonight!

To win the ultimate DENFAIR Melbourne experience for you and a friend (including return flights from NZ, a two night stay at the iconic Prince Hotel and wonderful dining experiences) pop over to Instagram and follow the simple steps.

Good luck!

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Tag: Arlene Foster

The Magical Mystery Brexit.

There’s been a Brexit post planned for ages, but things seem to change and each piece in time seems no longer relevant. So . . . time for a recap and quick look at where we are, which might seem not that much further on . . .

There are a sequence of events that create a mystery in the whole Brexit process to date, and is important to solve going forward. In January 2017 the Lancaster House speech set out what sort of trade and wider relationships the UK might have with the EU and the world.


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Archive for the ‘Psychology’ Category

Never have I felt more alive than when my knees dropped into the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean for the first time. I felt the wave of a thousand emotions pour over me in the same way that the ocean waters rushed over and almost through me.

Oh the places you’ll go!

After he made it through, I marched up to the window (still in skates) and said the one liner that really captures this entire tour:

The 12 Defiant Celebrations

I will never forget my â€œ12 Celebrationsâ€ in defiance of the blasting winds on highway 26 between Hatch and Deming, NM. Iâ€™ve never felt so strong in the face of true difficulty.

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Donate to Cause!

We operate on a pretty lean budget, and we wouldn't have made it this far without the support of our friends and fans. Maybe you can help keep us going for a day!


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Saturday, January 18, 2014

Graveyard Rabbit Carnival - Call For Submissions!

 A photographer:
Here I lie, taken from life.

The topic for the February 25, 2014 edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival is: A Favorite Epitaph.
With this topic we renew the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival. What is a GYRabbits Carnival you ask? The GYRabbits Carnival is a themed collection of blog posts by members of The Graveyard Rabbits Association.

A favorite epitaph: Does the epitaph tell a family story? Have you found some genealogy clues in the writing? Is there a brick wall breaker in the epitaph? Is it odd or humorous? Show us the photograph of the epitaph if you have one. We are all interested, so share with all the rabbits!

Submit your post to the carnival using the submission form. Submissions for this edition are due by February 15. Be sure to include a short description of your post in the “remarks” section of the submission form.

I have had problems with the Blog Carnival while setting up this edition and post. Just to be on the safe side, if you do not receive a receipt, copy the blog carnival submission information and drop it in an email to me - Better safe, than missing the carnival. Thank you!

Frederick William Unger, Epitaphs: A Unique Collection of Post Mortem Comment (1904), Internet Archive, January 2014, 72,


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How On a daily basis Farm Work and Out-of-doors Projects Generate Learning around High School Much better for Adolescence

She reported her candidacy at your girlfriend school’s real wood lectern, emblazoned with a sketching of a tasteless wolf. That it was early June, and EB’s no-nonsense attire — some pale teal sweater together with black, ironed shorts — made the woman stand out from the slouching, jean-clad candidates aligned beside the.

She study confidently via her equipped statement. “Every fundraiser we tend to did this, every education event, everytime one of my commitments important something, When i was there. ”

Speaking within length of her vision plus qualifications — at one particular point she reminded your ex 47 childhood friends that she had dependably, ,loyally executed policeman duties “since I was chosen in latest grade” — EB looked up every so often on her friends, sprawled on the grass looking at her. Some boys were laughing in addition to poking each other with branches, but most on the students did actually listen having genuine fascination. All clapped respectfully anytime she complete.

Showing confidence and even speaking about the very responsibilities this lady has fulfilled, EB Hoff, 18, announces their candidacy regarding class treasurer at the Telstar Freshman Academy’s 4-H middle campus throughout rural Maine. (Emily Kaplan for The Hechinger Report)
The kind of control and burden that shone through EB’s speech is certainly actively enthusiastic at this infrequent program in agricultural Maine. The Telstar Youngster Academy, or TFA, it calls for all her district’s 9th graders in a hands-on knowing method the fact that uses outdoor-based projects and also community-building functions as strategies to teach all around several exercises.

This diet regime is focused at helping individuals feel plugged into each other and their community within a place where — as with so many outlying areas hurt hard through the opioid increased prevalence and the 2008 recession — connectedness plus a shared sensation of motive have been in limited supply.

Kelly Dole, the actual school’s technology teacher, tells that when she first started off teaching in Telstar High school graduation, in 1998, learners were generally unprepared for life-long after highschool. Coming from agricultural townships on western Maine, half of these individuals qualified without charge or reduced-price lunch, and plenty of were portion of families enduring unemployment, home violence or perhaps substance abuse. For her a long time at the traditional high school, this girl saw the girl students becoming increasingly aimless and also disengaged.

Kelly Little, who has shown science so that you can freshmen within her Maine school region since 98, says the recent shift to outdoor project-based learning within the Telstar Freshman Academy “has been a real positive in kids’ existence. ” (Emily Kaplan for those Hechinger Report )
But since 2014, she says, in the event the district introduced this new outdoor project-based tactic, students’ dream and good sense of credit rating have greatly improved. Rather than go to a standard high school, just about all freshmen throughout MSAD 44 — a western Maine district like the rural areas of Bethel, Newry, Woodstock and Greenwood — invest every early morning at the Bryant Pond 4-H center (which also serves as a summer season camp), along with return to the leading high school to obtain lunch as well as take numbers and aesthetic classes. Contained in the program, the very freshmen do intensive community-building exercises, including tending to wildlife, learning to ordinary climb, managing a restaurant — and coaching oneself as they work for scholar government.

“This style of discovering, this household atmosphere that individuals have right here, it’s a genuine positive throughout kids’ resides, ” Little said. “The kids only need opportunities by this program that can be really particularly astonishing. ”

David Murphy, who has provided as the district’s superintendent given that 2002 (and has worked during the district seeing that 1984), revealed that the strategy was born for necessity. “High school is not actually working for most children, ” he said. “And it’s definitely not working for small schools having rural children. ”

Just before 2014, individuals were distracted and lumpen, often doing the work bare minimum for you to graduate from senior high school (if they were doing at all). To change those attitudes toward school, Murphy reasoned the fact that district should reimagine students’ first, crucial year with high school, to begin with move with eighth so that you can ninth score. “If that will transition can feel scary or intimidating for children, or once they don’t look supported, or maybe if they simply just feel confused, it’s difficult to get that time back, ” he claimed.

Working with Ryder Scott, the particular statewide after of the College or university of Maine 4-H Campy and Finding out Center, Murphy created a system that amalgamated outdoor in addition to farm-based education and learning with educational instruction, in the end creating a skills of five: a good humanities tutor, a discipline teacher, a patio education professor and a couple of 4-H individuals. Together, people created a programs that makes use of state instructional standards in personalized discovering projects which will reflect students’ particular requirements and interests, such as taking good care of the campus goats and also planting some sort of self-sustaining in-class garden.

Tara Pocock, an educator and even 4-H specialist, fixes often the rain gutter on the grounds barn. (Emily Kaplan to the Hechinger Review )
Additionally , they take advantage of confidential grants to compliment, among many other experiences, a class trip to New york, D. C. — which happens to be particularly meaningful for the several students who have never journeyed outside oriental Maine — and a mentorship program for kids who have encountered trauma.

Dole said that this specific holistic, student-centered paradigm has changed her route to teaching — for the better. Right now, she mentioned, as she approaches her lesson arranging and him / her teaching, this lady asks herself questions your lover never required before: “Do I need just about every single kid to totally deeply comprehend plate tectonics? versus, like a 14-year-old, How much does it imply to be a college student? What does it mean to be effective in a set or get along with others? Or even communicate within an effective process? Or to be considered positive pressure in your community? ”

Though the program is still quite recent, schools leaders say students’ academic growing (as measured by standardised tests) seems to have improved, and an external record by the Maine Mathematics plus Science Ligue found of which students by themselves reported an increase in their awareness that they can change lives in their forums and that they will be learning ability that will help them within the foreseeable future. However , based on faculty and also students the same, the benefits of TFA’s approach are generally difficult to parcel.

EB Hoff, the applicant for treasurer, put it pithily. At the end of the speech, this girl smiled from her class mates and speech of their then chapter, 10 grade: “I can’t simply wait to start buying a difference. ”


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Important: An Address to the Ninth Episcopal District
Christian Recorder: January 4, 1894

30 Young St.,Atlanta, GA,.December 26th, 1893.

To the Ministers of the Ninth Episcopal District, including the Conferences in Mississippi, Arkansas and the Indian Territory.

Dear Brethren,

As letters have begun to come in from presiding elders and a number of the pastors from your respective conferences congratulating my assignment to your district with regrets at Bishop Arnett’s removal, and tendering me a large number of receptions, provided I will accept, makes it evident that you have been apprised of the fact that the Bishops have assigned me to the oversight of that Episcopal district.

Therefore, it becomes necessary for me to make a few remarks through the chief organ of our Church that you may understand the situation and know what to expect should my life be spared and no modification of this assignment should be made. I hold the ministry and membership of the Ninth Episcopal district in the highest esteem. It was my first district after being consecrated to the bishopric and our connection has no better. Your treatment of me was simply royal and if I failed to reciprocate, it was the fault of the head and not the heart. But nevertheless, had I been present when the bishops were assigning me to your district, I should have stubbornly protested, not just for any cherished dislike for you, but because of my vast responsibilities and present incumbent duties.

I fully recognized the fact that the bishops had the power under the fundamental prerogatives vested in the episcopacy after the death of Bishop Payne to change Bishop Arnett to the Third Episcopal district and assign me to the Ninth. For while I am in favor of the episcopal district system as a necessary expedient until we can reach a plane of higher development, I am fully aware that the General Conference has no original and fundamental right to make the assignment nor can it have until thus clothed with such jurisdiction by the majority of all the annual and lay membership throughout the connection, but it is not the custom for the General Conference to do so and that custom will remain law until the bishops at some future time shall resolve not to obey it and that will be the end of it, for the General Conference will be powerless to execute the law of expediency.

But I beg to inform you in advance that it will be impossible to visit among you, reply to your letters and give that attention to the running machinery of the work that I did when I was your Bishop before. Then I had nothing to look after but your wants and needs, but now it is quite different. I am at the head of the Missionary Department of our Church and have been treated worse in our efforts to raise money to extend the work and help our starving missionaries than ever I will be guilty of treating any one else at the head of any department of our Church. I am therefore trying to run a missionary spirit in our Church that will make it better for the next Bishop if I should not be the recipient of its benefits. This occupies a good deal of my time and attention, especially so when ministers and even doctors of divinity will order hundreds of paper and refuse to pay them and ultimately become too mean to reply when their bills are sent to them. Then I have Michigan, Canada, the West Indies and Africa to look after and visit and I have not been able to do that. I have not visited the West Indies at all beyond the two trips to Bermuda, where I did not do half they desired me. I have treated Michigan shamefully, yet a nobler set of brethren cannot be found. I have not set food upon Hayti, San Domingo, Demerara, Barbados, St. Thomas, Jamaica, Trinidad and other places where whole congregations are offering to unite with our Church and even white ministers as well as scores of colored are pleading for their presence of a Bishop that they may connect themselves with the A.M.E Church, and tens of thousands are waiting to welcome us to their embrace and support, and where the grandest possibilities are in store for our connection that were ever offered to a Christian body, and the same may be said of Africa. They are pleading for our Church at Bathurst, at the Gold Coast, at Lagos and even down as far as Cape Colony and also at other places in the Colony of Sierra Leone and the Republic of Liberia. I had to meet all of my expenses when I went Africa the last time, nor have I got a cent of it yet, and while I may not go this incoming year, if my life is spared I must return the next year whether the Church pays my way or not. Dr. Derrick or myself must visit the West India Islands in a month or so. The doctor has promised to go, however, which will be a bit of a relief.

This will give you a little idea of my responsibilities. Had the General Conference done as the Council of Bishops requested it at the last session elected and consecrated a missionary bishop we would not have been in the fix we are, and even now if the Council of Bishops would take my advice they would assemble at once and select a missionary bishop and consecrate him and assign him to foreign work. A majority of the annual conferences, I am sure, would endorse and sustain our action even if the General Conference did not approve of it. Necessity knows no law when it involves the salvation or damnation of immortal souls. If I were not a bishop myself I would issue an appeal to the ministry of our entire connection and request them to write Bishop Wayman, our present senior bishop, letters by the thousands and urge him to present their request to the Council of Bishops that they proceed to elect a missionary bishop and consecrate him and assign him to our foreign work at once. I believe our bishops would do it if they knew they had the sanction of the Church; yes, even the leading men of the Church. Bishops of other churches do it and what better are we? But I shall do the best I can by you, an although I may not visit you I shall assemble the presiding elders of the respective States in council at my convenience and may possibly hold a few literary conventions as I did when I was your bishop before you and serve you by that means to the extent of my ability and opportunities. Should you write me and get no reply you need not be insulted. My letters amount to from five to twenty per day. I have more than a thousand here now unanswered and yours will have to share with the rest, for it is impossible to reply to them all. But I hope the presiding elders of these seven additional conferences will do their whole duty and relieve the bishop of as much as possible and thus avoid the necessity of the pastors appealing from their action and administration to the bishop in charge.

I shall hold myself, notwithstanding as I said before, I recognize the plenipotentiary power of the bishops to make the change and assignment, as Bishop Arnett's proxy, for when I am out of the country I shall have him in charge of you any way, and even when I am here you are free and welcome to appeal to him for all the advice, council and assistance you may desire and he will have the freedom to exercise the same without any bar, let no hindrance upon my part, for as we have no Pope or Archbishops the theory is that all the bishops are one man. All the presiding elders of the district will please send me their names and post office address.

- Copyright © The #HMTProject -


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What's On

Your guide to everything in North East

Dynamic Hexham duo cook up a storm - GALLERY

A shiny, iridescent blue and green striped mackerel has just been produced from a bag, and placed on the butcher’s block trolley, ready for filleting and skinning.

Judy Walker, gives a cookery demonstration at her home in Hexham
Judy Walker, gives a cookery demonstration at her home in Hexham

A shiny, iridescent blue and green striped mackerel has just been produced from a bag, and placed on the butcher’s block trolley, ready for filleting and skinning.

In the capable hands of cookery demonstrator Christine Pike (aptly named for today’s demo) she makes it look so simple for the half dozen women gathered for today’s masterclass on fish.

After carefully filleting – all fingers and thumbs intact – she finishes off by skinning the mackerel.

Related content

This is followed by a demo on how to fillet a flat-as-a-pancake lemon sole, deftly performed by cooking partner Judy Walker.

The dynamic cooking duo are hosting a cookery demo and lunch with the theme of Fabulous Fish, consisting of demos on two starters and four fishy mains.

The large kitchen of Judy’s splendid Edwardian home in Hexham, with its focal-point Aga and quarry tiled floor, is soon filled with the most tantalising smells.

Starters of smoked mackerel and cheese pate and smoked salmon savoury custard (a kind of soufflé) and mains of salmon and sugar snap laksa, Asian-style mackerel, baked stuffed lemon sole and fish pie with spinach and sweet potato, are all dishes on today’s demo menu.

Attendees, including retired teachers and a lecturer, all keen home cooks, are eagerly digesting all, from the techniques on filleting and skinning, as well as inspiring recipes and tips on what to look for when buying fish.

Bright shiny eyes, smells of the sea, and intact scales being just a few of the pointers.

“It’s very informal, just ask questions as we go along,” we are urged, as Judy says: “There’s a slight element of Blue Peter as we go along, with some bits prepared before we start.

“Our philosophy is keep it simple, not too expensive, but you can make these dishes look really nice.”

Fabulous Fish is the title of today’s course – and none of us can find fault with that description, after a sit-down lunch in Judy’s dining room, to sample the delicious creations.

Judy and Christine, both in their 50s, set up their cookery demo and catering business, The Secret Ingredient, about a year ago and hold courses in Judy’s home about once a month.

Judy, who is married to Peter, a professor of architecture at Ulster University, was prompted to start up the business after being made redundant from her last marketing job.

She has worked in public relations for about 20 years, even having her own consultancy for a long time, but struggled to find another job after being made redundant.

A mother of three grown-up children, Laurence, 23, and twins Phoebe and Angus, 20, Judy has always been a passionate home cook. She decided to capitalise on her love of cooking and took the plunge, enlisting her friend Christine’s help.

“We used to go to cookery demos and we came away saying, ‘we could do that’.”

So they did precisely that.

“I’ve always been interested in cooking and eating and going to each other’s houses. There wasn’t much in the way of cookery demos in this area.

“I was made redundant, then reassessed. I had applied for other jobs. There’s an age thing. There’s no doubt about it. So I thought what else can I do.”

Judy, who is also an Aga-authorised cookery demonstrator and demos for Walter Dix & Co in Team Valley, Gateshead, says: “I started thinking about what I love doing. That’s when I started badgering Christine – and it was fortunate they wanted a demonstrator at Walter Dix.

Christine says they started out doing demos with friends at first.

Judy says: “We did a taster day and asked people what did they like, what did they not like, and based on that research we set up.

Cooking themes include preparing ahead for a dinner party, Easter and family suppers. Upcoming lunches include a veggie-themed course and a Christmas demo.

Christine says they are conscious of money being tight so are only charging £30 per person for the demo and lunch.

Judy says: “We aren’t pretending to be chefs or anything like that. We want people to come to the courses and really feel they will cook what they have seen. We want to make it accessible.”

Christine, who is trained as a schoolteacher, also lives in Hexham, and is married to John Pike, one of the founder directors of Derwent Valley Foods, makers of Phileas Fogg foods.

A mother of three grown-up sons, she says: “John’s been in the food industry forever. He’s retired several times!”

After Derwent Valley Foods he set up Union Snack. “Then he’s helped set up Trees Can’t Dance (chilli sauce company at Haltwhistle) with Dan May.”

Judy and Christine know each other from when their children went to school together at Dame Allan’s in Newcastle. “We used to share lifts.”

Christine says: “I would describe myself as a home cook. We have 70 years’ experience of cooking between us! It’s been a lot of fun setting up the business. It’s great fun practising together. It’s an interesting sideline.”

Judy, who is also a member of a writing group, Carte Blanche, which meets at the Brunswick Methodist Church beside Fenwick in Newcastle, has just won a £200 prize in a short story writing competition.

Two of her friends from the writing group have come along to her course today.

One of the demo attendees is Sue Rylance, 70, of Cullercoats, a retired history lecturer, who taught undergrads at Durham Uni for 12 years, and also taught on Teesside.

She, too, is part of the same writing group as Judy, as is her lunching friend Louise Hislop.

Sue has three children, son James who lives in Peru, daughter Kate, a nutritionist, and Nick, who works in publishing in London.

This is the third cookery course she’s attended at Judy’s house. “I love making soups and I like fish. This is where today’s course has been so good. Living so close to the fish quay you get wonderful fish. I love the mackerel pate and I love the Asian-style mackerel.

“I find the demos fascinating. I love the tasting lunches and I leave full of enthusiasm.”

Her friend Louise Hislop from Wylam last attended the Easter themed demo.

Louise, who works part-time as an administrator on the apprenticeship side of North Country Leisure, said: “I have enjoyed this more than the first one. This is more useful. I have picked up lots of tips and we get to see how to fillet the fish.”

Next demos are on October 23: Vegetarian Cooking for all, and November 20: Easy Entertaining at Christmas.

(Serves 4)

4 fillets mackerel

Salt and pepper

Grated zest of lemon

1 clove garlic, grated

1cm piece fresh ginger, grated

1 spring onion

1 fresh red chilli

2 limes

Coriander (couple of sprigs)

4 tsp sesame oil

4 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp runny honey

Olive oil

To serve: coriander, mint, spring onion

Start with the sauce. Put the garlic, ginger, spring onions, lime zest and chilli into a small bowl, then roughly tear the coriander leaves and add the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey and lime juice.

Add a little olive oil to taste. Reserve.

Put a griddle pan/frying pan on the heat to get hot, add a small amount of oil, then fry the mackerel skin side down. Press down with a fish slice, then add seasoning and lemon zest.

Cook on a medium heat for about 5-6 mins. Flip them over for the final minute. Serve with the sauce drizzled over and top with spring onion, mint and coriander.

David Whetstone
Culture Editor
Graeme Whitfield
Business Editor
Mark Douglas
Newcastle United Editor
Stuart Rayner
Sports Writer


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The Casual Women’s Every Day Essentials

Happy Monday! Today's post is all about fashion essentials. I live a causal lifestyle and my sense of style reflects that. I am pretty much always on the go so I need my staple pieces that I can count on and run out of the door. At the same time I love feeling and looking put together. I like that extra accessory to elevate my outfit just a bit. I have complied a list of both clothing and accessories for the busy stay at home mom or working women on the weekends (and everyone in between). I hope you enjoy my picks!

The Tee

I love a good t-shirt. It is my #1 go to item. During the winter I tend to gravitate toward long sleeved crew necks. Because t-shirts are rather, well, basic I look for a subtle twist. A cut out in the shoulders, ruching detail or a luxurious fabric are all great options. Solid colors such as navy, gray and black go with absolutely everything. A good tee can be dressed up or down with adding or taking away accessories.

Patterned Scarf

A scarf will completely elevate an outfit. I would say that this is my number one accessory during chilly months. It's rare that you will catch me without one. I love a good pattern such as leopard or anything abstract. Fabrics such as cashmere or wool/silk blends add a lush look and feel.

Skinny Jeans

This is a no brainer for me but can be kind of controversial. Not everyone loves skin tight jeans. Over the years I have learned to splurge a little more on jeans. Here's why. The quality of higher end jeans is impeccable. They are buttery soft and tend to have the perfect amount of stretch. A good pair of denim will last forever if you take care of them. Learning what works for your body type is they key. Not all high end jeans are equal. I have found that Hudson fit me like a glove. They have inseams for petite frames and their soft fabric basically feels like second skin. I haven't turned back since.

A good pair of booties brings an outfit to life. I am all about shoes and these were number on my list to purchase this past fall into winter. Booties go with everything and there are a ton of options! I would suggest a manageable heel to accommodate your life style. Trust me, those 4 inch booties look so good on display, but I will never wear them to my daughter's gymnastics class.

Simple Gold Jewelry

A few years ago I began investing in real jewelry versus costume jewelry. Don't get me wrong, I love a good cocktail ring, but there's something about the perfect piece that you never have to take off. I am an earring girl so a good pair of studs was one of my first purchases. I love the thought of passing jewelry down to my daughter. Go with what you'll wear every day whether is a beautiful necklace or a classic ring.

Oversized Sweater

When I find that perfect not too big, not to snug sweater I grab it and never look back. This winter has been all about oversized sweaters and for a good reason. If you're a leggings girl a good sweater is perfect. If you're into denim then tuck your sweater in to your jeans and viola! A below the waist (not cropped) option is flattering on just about everyone.

Crossbody Bag

As a mom I consider a crossbody bag an essential. It is small enough carry what you need for weekend errands or mom's day out. At the same time you can tuck it right in that baby bag! I like to keep my items separated when I have the baby bag so that I can find things easily. This is the perfect way to do that.

Matching Socks

Ok so this one might seem kind of strange but hear me out. So let's rewind to those perfect booties that you have. When you sit down, wherever you are, what is peeking out? Your socks! I love matching my socks to my outfits to instantly feel more put together. I can't count how many times I've received compliments on my patterned socks. They're a must! (tip: don't have time to find those matching socks before running out the door? Keep a pair in your shoes so that they're ready to go!)

Don't feel like getting dressed at all today? A tailored sweatshirt does the trick! To feel like I'm not in lounge wear I love one that is fitted or has some type of detail. Cut out details can be found all over now!

Leather Jacket

Last but certainly not least is the leather jacket. I like faux leather for my budget. There are some amazing quality ones now! I found my favorite one at American Eagle (on clearance!) 4 years ago and it's still going strong. It also looks great layered under your coat for the frigid winter months.

Thank you for reading and the continued support. Don't forge to subscribe!

Have a great week,

  1. This is totally the post for me! I am 100% all about the casual life! But I like looking stylish too so these are some great options for comfy casual :) Especially that gray sweater! Enjoyed this, thanks for sharing!

    1. Hello Charli! Thank you so much for reading and leaving a comment. I’m glad that you found it helpful :). Take care.

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