3 Ways to Have a Successful Day

More than we could probably ever read in a lifetime has been written about how to be successful and what makes for success. This short list from Prevention.com, however, is unique and interesting for a few reasons. It’s quite short and offers concrete activities at a focused time. They found that successful and wealthy people do three main things when they get up in the morning, before even having breakfast.

Maybe they will make a difference for you, too.

The things are:

* Make that to-do list: Yes, before they even have their coffee, they make their to-do list and set their goals for the day. They detail tasks that need to get done and deadlines that need to be met – and they tick them off throughout the day.

* Turn on the music: This is interesting. They listen to uplifting playlists and enjoy this energy for their morning commute or at home before they head to the office.

* Get the mantra right: They read inspirational quotes and mantras from others to light that fire that they need for the day.
None of these ideas take very long and they don’t require too much brainpower. Try it. You just might like it.

Creative Ways to Say I Love You on Valentine’s Day

It’s not always easy to come up with something creative to do for that loved one on Valentine’s Day. Here are some great ideas…many of which won’t break the bank! Have a great day with your loved one and be creative.

Ode to the Inventor of Pac-Man

For those of you who love Pac-Man, today is a sad day. And that’s because Masaya Nakamura, the founder of Namco, has died. Namco is the Japanese company started in 1955 that that was responsible for Pac-Man.

Pac-Man was designed by the video game engineer Toru Iwatani and first came to the market in 1980. It was named, by Guinness World Records, as the world’s most successful coin-operated video game.  The company has actually estimated that Pac-Man has been played more than 10 billion times.

The spin-offs of Pac-Man have been never-ending. Pac-Man has been adapted for cell phones and Nintendo, for Xbox and PlayStation, for animated films, for TV series and for loads of merchandise.


And where did Pac-Mac’s classic design start? According to Bandai Namco, it was inspired by none other than pizza. The name comes from the Japanese phrase that describes the Pac-Man eating the dots. It’s called “paku paku” and from that we got Pac-Man.

 

How Starbucks Got Its Cup Sizes

It’s interesting to see where the names of the Starbucks Coffee cups come from. The options for cup sizes are short (8 ounces), tall (12 ounces), grande (16), venti (24) and trenta (31). So where did the sizes come from? Howard Schultz opened his first coffee shop in Seattle in 1986 and the shop had just three sizes: short, tall and grande.

Starbucks describes that Schultz “became captivated with Italian coffee bars and the romance of the coffee experience. He had a vision to bring the Italian coffeehouse tradition to America.” He wanted cup names that would reflect his vision.

So how did a tall become a small? In the early days at Starbucks they had three sizes. They were short, tall and grande. When the venti size was introduced the short dropped off the menu and tall became the new short.

Great Ways to Bake with the Kids for Christmas

There are so many great ways to keep the kids business as Christmas approaches. Here, you’ll learn some easy tips for baking with your kids and getting them into the holiday spirit. Enjoy!

One Clever Way to Make More Babies

baby-165067_640European fertility rates have plummeted so much that people are going to great lengths to get people to make babies. Italy has the lowest birthrate of any country in the EU, and one of the lowest around the world.

A group of hotels in Assisi, Italy is actually offering couples who conceive with them – a free holiday. Ten hotels have signed up for this baby initiative which plans to either reimburse guests or offer another trip to those who prove they’ve conceived during their stay.

Of course, some are angry with the campaign, arguing that the sexual theme isn’t appropriate in the ancient city’s historic and religious environment.

Now, how can a couple cash in on this free vacation? They have to produce their newborn’s birth certificate that dates nine months after their stay (give or take 10 days). As organizers of the campaign said, “Giving birth to a child is an act of deep love, which should be encouraged despite the multitude of difficulties in life.”


Hotels that are offering the package include: Farm Basaletto; Farmhouse Casa Faustina; Farmhouse Le Mandrie di San Paolo; Hotel Upper Room Hotel Cristallo from Moro Gallery Hotel Assisi; Hotel Dei Priori; Hotel Fontebella; The Castle Hotel; and Hotel Windsor Savoia.

Italy isn’t the first country to have this fertility push. In June, Denmark ran a campaign that urged people to have more sex. The spot was called “Do It for Mom!” and encouraged Danes to go on more holidays to up the country’s birth rate.

Now that’s some interesting marketing for you.