As a salesperson, it is likely that you spend a certain amount of your day traveling. Whether or not you are a traveling salespeople, there are several deductions you are specifically eligible for. Any costs you incur which you are not reimbursed for are typically tax deductible. However, you should proceed with caution. Consult a professional tax preparation company to be sure you are eligible for each deduction.

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Any work related expenses that you are subject to and not reimbursed for are usually eligible. If you are required or choose to continue your education, part of those costs may be able to be deducted. Additionally, any licenses or union fees you are required to maintain can amount to a large deduction. In some cases, if you choose to leave your job and find a new one, you may be able to deduct job search expenses. These expenses related to job hunting are an often surprising and generous deduction.

If you are a traveling salespeople, you are nearly guaranteed additional deductions. You can deduct mileage you incur, and other expenses. If your expenditure is considered ordinary and necessary, it is likely deductible. For instance, an ordinary expense may be a client luncheon you are hosting or installation costs for installing equipment. Necessary expenses are those such as a phone line. It is imperative to remember that deductions can only be counted once, and nowhere else on your tax return. Also important is that none of these salespeople related deductions pertain to family matters such as mileage to yours son’s ball game.

If you are a traveling salespeople and unfortunately incur a mishap on the road, the government won’t cover these costs. The IRS will not accept deductions from speeding tickets, parking tickets or accidents while on the job. This is not considered a necessary deduction. Additionally, any over-extravagance, such as a limo from the airport to the hotel, can oftentimes be considered non-deductible as it may not be necessary. Your work clothing, unless you are required to wear one specific uniform, is not eligible for deductions. Unnecessary memberships and dues may also be considered nondeductible.

As a salespeople, you are eligible for common business deductions. Travel expenses and other necessary and ordinary expenditures can all count as deductions for your tax return. Before filing your taxes, always be certain that you meet all eligibility requirements for each deduction.

Deductions For Salespeople

Find more tax deductions

Time allotted: 90 minutes

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Organization: large group

Objective: Students will demonstrate the understanding of the components in a narrative by using pictures about segregation to write the narrative.

Student worksheet available at http://www.trinaallen.com/rollofthunderstudent.html

Teaching Mode: Direct

Provision for Individual Differences: Students are heterogeneously mixed. The combination of modeling by the teacher and students will help to meet the needs of the varying abilities in the classroom. This assignment is open-ended enough for all students to find success “where they are” (Gardner, 2004).

Teaching Strategies: Some lecture, dialogue, modeling, discussion, group critique, planning.

Teaching Behavior focus: Focus will be as facilitator. Students will direct the lesson by creating the model used to demonstrate narrative writing.

Materials needed for this lesson:

oOne copy of a picture depicting segregation for each student– ideally with larger copies available for fine details.

oPaper- pencil

ooverhead, board and markers, or chalk

oGeneral classroom supplies

Lesson Activities:

Step 1. Anticipatory Set: (Motivation)

oAs review, ask students to write a definition of segregation. Volunteers will state their definitions. Write the definition on the board for students to refer to as they write their narratives. (Students should have read and discussed segregation and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry prior to this lesson).

oDistribute pictures depicting segregation- one to each student. Or ask students to bring pictures from magazines that demonstrate segregation or reverse segregation. Hang several larger pictures on the wall so students can use them for greater detail.

oStudents will examine their picture individually for five minutes, writing details on the worksheet.

Note: Newspapers and magazines are good sources of pictures for this lesson as well as the following online museum Web sites.

Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/news/jimcrow/index.htm

Norman Rockwell Museum http://www.nrm.org/

Online Tours of the National Gallery of Art http://www.nga.gov/onlinetours/index.shtm

Web Museum, Paris http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/

Step 2. Objective (Overview of learning outcomes to pupils):

Students will use pictures about segregation related to their unit of study for Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to:

odemonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of narrative writing by writing a narrative.

odemonstrate connections between images and words by using narrative writing to build understanding of content.

ouse detailed vocabulary in writing their text.

Step 3. Presentation (Input) of information:

Students will review the following characteristics of narrative writing as a whole class: developing plot, character and setting using specific detail and ordering events clearly using chronological order.

Direct students’ attention to one picture on the board. As a whole class have students brainstorm possible events and characters this picture illustrates about segregation. Place the words or phrases under the following headings on the board as students share their ideas. Have students fill this information in on their worksheets.

Characters Setting Situation Feelings Vocabulary

Step 4. Modeling/Examples:

Use one character from the class table. Model writing a narrative on the board from the character’s point of view by calling on students to give the details. Encourage students to describe the picture and to invent an original story related to the segregation illustrated in the picture. Decide as a class whether to tell the story that leads up to the picture, or to narrate the events that follow the picture. Write events in chronological order on the board as well as including the character’s feelings and thoughts.

Step 5. Checking for Understanding:

Have students evaluate the story written on the board that they created by checking the blank before each element of narrative writing that they find in the class story about segregation.

1. _____ One character’s point of view.

2. _____ Details about the character .

3. _____ Details about the setting.

4. _____ Details about the situation.

5. _____ The story was in the correct chronological order.

6. _____ The narrative contained feelings and thoughts.

Circulate as students work to check for understanding. Call on students to share their evaluation to be sure all students understand the content.

Step 6. Guided Practice:

Using the picture that they were assigned (or the one they brought from home) students will brainstorm possible events and characters by filling their ideas in the same table used in step 3:

Characters Setting Situation Feelings Vocabulary

Circulate to check for understanding.

Step 7. Independent Practice:

Have students choose one character from the table and write a narrative similar to the one modeled for them in step 4 from that character’s point of view. Students will invent an original story related to the segregation illustrated in the picture. They will decide whether to tell the story that leads up to the picture, or to narrate the events that follow the picture. They will write events in chronological order and write about the character’s feelings and thoughts.

Step 8. Closure:

Students will be evaluated using the same rubric used in step five, Checking for Understanding. Refer students to that evaluation rubric and ask students to give the example from the story previously written on the board to illustrate each area from the rubric. The stories can be assigned as homework or completed as class work as per the preference of the teacher.

Note: This lesson is modified from Gardner, T. (2004). A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words: From Image to Detailed Narrative, from http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=116.

Using Pictures to Teach Narrative Writing with Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Trina Allen left a successful career as a middle school teacher to concentrate on her writing. She is a versatile writer, whose passion is fiction. Her fiction and nonfiction publications have appeared in various magazines such as Education Today, Science Scope, Dana Literary Society, and Thunder Sandwich. She is excited to be finishing Katharine Taylor and the Magic Quilt, a historical fantasy set in 1775 America, for children ages nine to thirteen. When she isn’t writing she is spending time with her husband, working out, playing chess or reading and watching thrillers. For more information or to view and discuss her writing visit http://www.trinaallen.com

1) Master Bedroom

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2) Teenager Bedroom

3) Kids Bedroom

4) Guest bedroom

All these bedrooms have their own decorating considerations. When it comes to wall decor for bedrooms many people think that either painting a wall or applying wallpaper on them is the only option available.

But these two techniques can be combined together for an altogether different look as well. It is not always necessary to apply the same paint to all the walls. Try finishing walls with contrasting colors or a combination of wallpaper and color on the same wall.

If your bedroom receives ample amount of direct sunlight, then you can very creatively make use of shadows for decorating purposes on wall. First observe the wall that receives direct sunlight and then you can “obstruct” the entry of sunlight using a mild steel grill or stained glass painting so that the wall receives interesting shadow patterns. The beauty of this is that since the direction and intensity of the sunlight changes constantly, you will have an ever changing wall decor piece made for you, free of cost.

Another idea is to instead of using picture frames on walls, how about painting the picture on the wall itself. Of course if you live in a rented house, you will have some limitations, but it can be done.

Another options for bedroom wall decor is faux finish plaster or even tile cladding using rectangular or square tiles. Even multicolored tiles can be used for the entire wall to create a mural of your choice. Thus a bedroom wall can be easily treated with little creativity for big results without spending big money.

Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya

Bedroom Wall Decor – Creative Bedroom Wall Decor Ideas

Want more amazing bedroom wall decor ideas? visit my website http://www.ModernWallDecor.net to explore some great wall decor themes that can transform your home into a stunning interior masterpiece.

There are numerous examples of words that do not have a direct English translation. An untranslatable word usually arises from two things. One, the practices and rituals of a country or culture are not practiced in another country hence they have no need for a word to describe it. Two, sometimes foreign languages have a more precise meaning that simply hasn’t been adopted into whatever native tongue you speak. Regardless of how it arose, it is a fact that there are thousands of words that can not be translated succinctly into another language. Whenever a foreign word is used often enough, it is sometimes assimilated into the native language.

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Here are some examples of untranslatable words;

Drachenfutter – Literally translated as dragon’s food. They gifts that a husband brings to his wife after pissing her off. It is usually an attempt to avoid her wrath by giving her chocolate, flowers or other small gifts.

Spesenritter – Literally translated as an “expense knight”. At a dinner or other social situation, it is a person who shows off by paying the bill with their firm’s money.

Atang (Ilokano)- At a feast, it is food put aside for the souls of the departed.

Untranslatable Words

If you’d like to see more examples of untranslatable words visit http://www.betterthanenglish.com

In this famous quote from Act II of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet tells Romeo that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention, and the fact he is a Montague and she a Capulet (warring families) means nothing to their love.

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However, there is some strong evidence from the UK’s Cranfield University – and elsewhere – that the name one gives a project does have a marked impact on the behaviour and motivation of the people involved. It may surprise you, but the name you give to your Intranet Project could well be the most important decision you make in the early stages of mobilisation!

The Direct Approach

There is an argument in faour of naming your Intranet Project the – wait for it – “Intranet Project”! Often, so-called “secret squirrel” names (where one has to ferret out from colleagues what Project Banana is all about) serve only to create an unnecessary air of mystique (fit only for secret M&A projects). They can also serve to be divisive, by separating ‘people in the know’ from people outside the immediate project audience.

The functional approach

A functional name focuses on what the intranet does (e.g. search, find, access). This enjoys the same benefits as the direct approach, but affords one a little more poetic license. What about names like “Project Connect” or “Project Gateway”, which serve to signal the core “must have” requirements for the project?

The conceptual approach

There is a problem with the direct or functional approaches; Research from Cranfield has demonstrated that people on projects tend to be very heavily influenced in their actions by the name of the project itself. If you call your project the Intranet project, it is a working intranet (i.e. the technology) that you will get. If your ambition was something much more visionary, such as a wholly new way of working for your people, you are likely to be disappointed!

The conceptual name targets what is achieved by the functionality, rather than the functionality itself. For example, if your company name was BigCo and your purpose was seeking to get everyone in the company working together, you could call the project “Project OneBigCo” or “Project Unity”. For the aforementioned new ways of working objective, you could use “Project Future Workplace”.

The abstract approach

The abstract approach deals with how the project makes people feel. For example, “Project Bliss” (for happiness), “Project Wizard” (for magic) or “Project Pulse” (for fast-pacedness). Although one world usually fails to capture all you are trying to achieve with an Intranet Portal, this approach can prove highly effective (particularly where counter-cultural).

If all else fails

Nothing grabbed you so far? Well there is no saving you, then! I suppose there are always the standard fallback options: names of greek or roman gods, names of planets, names of birds and names of dances. These have the added value that – if you spawn follow-on projects in a sequence – you have ready-made logical follow-on project titles. Incidentally, “Project Mercury” would be my recommendation for planets or gods (as Mercury was the roman god of communications).

For more ideas on project names, why not check out my presentation in chapter 10 of my (free to access) Intranet Portal Guide.

Intranet Project Names – Some Ideas

David Viney (david@viney.com) is the author of the Intranet Portal Guide; 31 pages of advice, tools and downloads covering the period before, during and after an Intranet Portal implementation.

Read the guide at http://www.viney.com/DFV/intranet_portal_guide or the Intranet Watch Blog at http://www.viney.com/intranet_watch.

What do you need to know in order to take care of your Ground Orchids properly? Let us take a look. There are several conditions that need to be addressed about the care of your orchids. What type of light, humidity, spacing, how often to water, how to water, what type of soil or covering is best, and lastly, what type of fertilizers, if any should be used, are all the important questions you need to ask and know the answers to prior to growing your own ground orchids. Below you will find the answers these questions.

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First let us look at the lighting requirements of ground orchids. The Ground Orchids grow best when they are provided light shade from the suns harmful rays. They like light just not direct light in the heat of the day.

Next comes the question what kind of humidity does your new plant need? Well they do not like it extremely humid but they do thrive in about 75-80 % humidity. This is not required though, but they do prefer it.

Next on the long list of important questions is what are the spacing requirements for ground orchids? Orchids of this type require that there be spacing of 3-6 inches between each other. From one cluster it is possible to split and make 3 or more individual plants.

Next on the list of things is the topic of watering. How often and how much water your Orchids require should be one thing you do find out when purchasing your new plants. Well as for the how often? To water the flowers regularly is the key. Do not let the flowers wilt or dry up by not receiving enough water. How much water is a little trickier! This totally depends on the type of cover or medium you use. A plant should not sit in water yet it should have enough that the media stays arrogated. Too little water and your plant and flowers will shrivel and wilt; too much water and they will start to collect harmful bacteria that can eventually kill your orchid.

As for what type of covering or media is best to use? The coverings that will best suit your orchid’s needs are moss or stones. Any media that allows the water to flow through to the roots and have sufficient room for the roots to grow will be alright to use.

If you follow the above mentioned tips and adhere to them, then there is no reason why your Ground Orchids should not thrive. Growing orchids is fun but takes a lot of consistent work to reach the most desired results, a strong and beautiful plant. Here is to happy and healthy orchid growing.

Taking Proper Care of Your Ground Orchids

Marty owns Orchid Care which helps people learn the secret techniques of orchid care

You will need a round serving tray or a specially designed veggie tray that has divided cavities for placing your vegetables in. If your tray doesn’t come with a vegetable dip container, you will need to supply one.

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It is recommended that you choose 5-7 vegetables to present on your party tray.

Preparation:

Wash and pat dry all of your vegetables. Cut off any roots, stems or unwanted leafy portions.

Vegetable Selection:

Leafy Lettuce: Separate the lettuce leaves and use them to line your vegetable tray.

Broccoli: Cut florets off the stalk into individual serving-sized pieces.

Cauliflower: Cut pieces from head of cauliflower into individual serving-sized pieces.

Cherry Tomatoes: Remove stems. Wash and pat dry.

Cucumbers: You can remove the skin or leave it, that is entirely up to you. Slice cucumber into 1/4″ thick round slices.

Carrots: If using baby carrots, you will will not need to slice them down. If using full-sized carrots, you will need to slice them down into sticks measuring approximately 1/4″ by 4″ in size.

Celery: Cut off leafy portions. Cut celery stalks into 4″ long pieces.

Radishes: Cut off top portion of radishes and any roots that might remain. It is best to use radishes that are less than 1 1/2″ in diameter.

Mushrooms: If you are using baby mushrooms, leave just a 1/4″ of the stem remaining. If using larger sized mushrooms, slice them down into individual pieces.

Green Pepper: Remove the stem and seeds. Cut down into sticks measuring 1/4″ by 4″ in length.

Assembly:

Arrange the lettuce leaves on your tray, covering the entire bottom of the tray. Take your prepared vegetables and arrange them around the tray in sections. Try to keep your colors separated and spread out the green colored vegetables. I like to use a green vegetable, then a colored vegetable and then another green vegetable and so forth as I go around my tray. Leave an opening in the center of your tray for your vegetable dip.

Once you have all your vegetables onto the tray, its time to garnish the tray.

Garnish Ideas:

If you are using a flat serving tray, you can separate your vegetable sections by laying a celery stick or carrot stick between each section. I like to add some additional color by garnishing with green and black olives, purple cabbage curls, radish shaped flowers or even a few green and red grapes.

Here is a great dip recipe.

Dill Weed Vegetable Dip

1 c. sour cream

1 c. mayonnaise

1 tbsp. dill weed

1 tbsp. parsley

1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. minced onion

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Chill for several hours before serving. Serve with raw vegetables. Makes 2 cups.

Creating the Perfect Vegetable Tray

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989. Shelly is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at:
Web: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com
Recipe Blog: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

Instead of or in lieu of flowers, I recommend memorial seed cards. The cards are eco-friendly and instead of sending flowers that die, friends and family can grow flowers in memory of the departed. The seed paper is handmade and in the paper making process a variety of wildflower seeds or forget-me-not seeds are added to the paper. When the paper is planted the flowers grow. The most popular memorial card option is plantable heart seed cards. The top of the card says, “Plant this card and wildflowers will grow” and the bottom is personalized with, “In Loving Memory of…… Always in our Hearts.” Cards are often purchased by family or friends and the cards are handed out at the service. There is a growing trend in office coworkers sending these plantable seed cards as an appropriate funeral gift to family members of coworkers or if the coworker passed then the office gives the cards to the family to distribute at the funeral. We suggest that a child or young adult hand each person who enters the service a card. Sometimes the cards are handed out with a memorial folder or program.

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It’s also becoming popular to send a memorial seed card before the service as an invitation to people who may want to attend the service. The card is custom printed with the time, date and location of the service. That same type of card has also been used after the funeral as an eco-friendly thank-you note to those who may have sent a donation or provided a meal for the family. Another use for the flat memorial seed cards has been for class reunions. A card is handed out to each of the attendees saying, “In memory of our following friends from the class of 1979 who are gone but always remembered”, and the names of the departed are then listed on the card.

It’s common in the Catholic church to provide a prayer or mass card at a funeral. A more modern memorial card choice is a plantable cross seed card. The cards can be printed to say, “God called her home, and now heaven’s gardens are more beautiful. Plant this cross and wildflowers will grow in loving memory of……” Another option is to use more of a celebration of life focus for someone who may have been more spiritual than traditionally religious.

Another option is the butterfly seed cards that contain forget-me-not seeds. This option is a folded card and allows you to add a poem or verse on the inside left side, and the loved one’s name on the right side.

Hopefully, now when you see “in lieu of flowers” you’ll know there is an option to send a gift of keepsake cards as a funeral favor that grows wildflowers or forget-me-not flowers in memory of your loved one.

In Lieu of Flowers, Consider Memorial Seed Cards As a Funeral Gift

Memorial cards and Funeral Gifts

Plantable Memorial Seed Cards

Mary Hickey is an urn designer and thought leader in the funeral industry. For some drastically needed new life celebration ideas, contemporary memorial poems and verses visit her site Next Gen Memorials. She is co-founder of Renaissance Urn Company, based in San Francisco.

As a retail owner or a manager you need to learn more about your company. There is a powerful tool called SWOT (Strengths; Weaknesses; Opportunities; Threats) Analysis that will help you to do this research. What are your company’s strengths and weaknesses? Are there opportunities in the future? Is the company facing any external threats?

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Why is it good to do? Because all successful businesses build on their Strengths, need to improve their Weaknesses, use Opportunities and be aware about Treats. You can use SWOT analysis for business planning or strategic planning, competitor evaluation, marketing, business and product development, etc.

You can be more specific and evaluate only one area:

1. Product (what are we selling?)

2. Process (how are we selling it?)

3. Customer (to whom are we selling it?)

4. Distribution (how does it reach them?)

5. Finance (what are the prices, costs and investments?)

6. Administration (and how do we manage all this?)

SWOT Analysis Advantage – free and fast!

The great advantage of using SWOT Analysis that it is free! You and your team could also generate new ideas about how your company (store) could use strengths to defend against threats in the market in a very short period of time. You will analyze how you could maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses, use internal and external opportunities and overcome threats. It is also a great team building activity.

How to use this technique

You will need to organize a brainstorming (40 min to 1 hour) meeting with your team. If you have a large team, you can divide it into groups of 5-6 people. Explain to your team the purpose of the meeting and the rules of brainstorming activity. They are: do not no criticize or judge, welcome any ideas, respect others point of view, focus on quantity not quality, and record ideas and thoughts.

Provide the details of the SWOT Analysis. Give each group a prepared flipchart. In order to make it, just draw two lines to make 4 squares. Write the titles for each square. A square on the top left will be Company Strengths; the square below it will be Opportunities, the square on the right – Weakness, and the last one – Threats. Let your team brainstorm and write down all the ideas they have.

You will be very surprised about how active and creative your employees will be during this meeting. I recommend that at the end of this meeting each group makes a presentation and has an opportunity to ask questions and have a discussion.

Strengths

Strengths are resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competitive advantage. Think about what do your company (store) does well. Use your customers’ point of view – how do your clients see and describe your strengths?

Examples

• Good reputation among customers

• Excellent customer service

• Superior product performance vs. competitors

• Cost advantages

• Direct delivery capability

Weaknesses

The absence of certain strengths may be viewed as a weakness. Is it anything you could improve? What are the areas for improvement? List the areas that are a struggle. What do your customers complain about? What do your customers see as your weaknesses?

Examples

• Poor reputation among customers

• Customer service staff needs training

• Large administration component

• Lack of following-up procedures

• Small market presence

Opportunities

Try to uncover areas where your strengths are not being fully utilized. Are there new opportunities that will arise soon for your company? How can you turn your strengths into opportunities? Is there a product/service area that you could do well in but are not yet competing?

Examples

• New technologies

• New market niche

• Loosening of regulations

• Removal of international trade barriers

• Local competitors have worse products

Threats

Look both inside and outside of your company for things that could damage your business. Can your weaknesses become threats? Internally, do you have financial, development, or other problems? Externally, are your competitors becoming stronger, are there new trends?

Examples

• Shifts in consumer tastes

• Change in market demand

• Emergence of substitute products

• Environmental effects

• New regulations

How to Do Retail Company SWOT Analysis

Nina Telpoukhovskaia is a President of Be Best Professional Development Centre, bestselling author of 5 books in Russia and Canada, including Retail Sales. 6 Steps to Double Your Profit. She is an inspiring workshop leader, sales coach and consultant, dynamic and knowledgeable public speaker with 22 years of unique international teaching experience.

[http://www.best-retail-training.com]

If you have hard water, you should first add a spoonful of borax to the washing water. Then, use lukewarm water and a mild, non-alkaline soap or baby shampoo to mix in the water. While rinsing the silk, you can add a few tablespoons of distilled white vinegar to the rinse water to dissolve any soap residue. You should make sure you only soak the silk in this water product for about one to two minutes. Any longer can result in damage to the silk and will not turn out how you wanted it clean.

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Lastly, keep in mind that you should not twist or wring out the silk fabric because it can damage.

After washing, you should hang to dry. Avoid putting it into the dryer because the fabric can shrink and also harm it. Never use direct sunlight to dry silk, this will damage it and also fade the color of the silk. If you do not want to go through the hassle or hand washing the silk and waiting for it to dry, you can always take it to a dry cleaning company, they will do the best work for you.

Make sure you clean your silk as often as you can to avoid harming it or ruining it. Take caution when cleaning because you should always hand wash it or take it to your nearest dry cleaning place.

Silk Cleaning

Visit [http://www.paolettiscleaners.com] for more info.

Please visit [http://www.paolettiscleaners.com] to see more cleaning tips.