Have you ever wanted to be certain you would find a parking space when you arrived at the shopping mall?

Simple.

Ask the Parking Angel!

There are angels eager to help us in a range of mundane tasks — but only if we actually ask for that help. And, when we are out and about, there are several angels dedicated to getting us a smooth, safe passage.

The Parking Angel is probably the best known of the angels for helping with mundane, but frustrating tasks. Simply visualize whereabouts in town you wish to have your parking space and, when you arrive there’s a great deal more than a 50% chance you’ll find a space ready and waiting for you.

And, even if there isn’t one right there, you’ll probably only have to wait a few seconds for someone to drive away, leaving you a nice convenient slot!

Other angels connected with automobiles are Traffic Light Angels, which — if you simply ask — will speed your journey by arranging the traffic lights to be green more often than they are red.

You can also have a Traffic Angel to keep a watch over you to ensure you don’t get into a speed trap. If you are in danger of exceeding the speed limit, you will find your car slows down, quite involuntarily to keep your driving record unblemished!

Not only will there be an angel to watch over you, as you drive. You can also ask an angel to watch over your car, perhaps when you park it in a dark side street, at night. They will form a protective shield around your car and so keep it safe until your return.

Whenever, you have a task, lighten the load by asking an angel for help. Remember what it says in the Bible: “Ask and ye shall receive”.

Gaynor Peck owns http://www.AngelsAboveUs.com helping people understand the important part angels can play in our lives.

Visit her website and blog for more interesting articles on angels and how they can make our lives better.

It is a common belief that new homes are fault free. The truth is that all types of new construction should have third party inspections performed to ensure that your home is being built with quality standards.

Most major cities in the United States enforce a required number of inspections at different stages of the process. Many builders of residential real estate will cite these inspections as being the reason why inspections aren’t necessary.

Time and time again, regardless of the number of city inspections, real estate consumers purchasing new construction commonly find problems after moving into their homes within 5 years. Many times, these problems can be attributed to a defect during the build process of their home. Unfortunately, consumers are forced to rely on the warranties provided by their builder. This home warranty process has been known to be time consuming and stressful.

What can you do when buying a new construction home? Get your own inspection. Inspections can be performed in two key areas during the construction of your home; pre-drywall and final walkthrough.

Pre-Drywall Inspection
Before the drywall has been installed in your home, ask your sales counselor or real estate agent about performing an inspection. At this stage of your construction, main load bearing studs, wiring, and plumbing can be easily seen by an inspector. Builder sales counselors will usually recommend that you perform your inspection prior to your pre-drywall walkthrough so that all items found on your inspection report can be addressed with your builder’s superintendent (the person managing the build out of your home).

Pre-Walkthrough Inspection

If you performed a pre-drywall inspection, this follow up visit by your inspector will simply be an assurance that all items requiring repair were repaired or replaced. This inspection will also verify that appliances, fixtures, and building code violations are reported and given to you to provide to your builder.

Many new construction builders of residential properties will not bring up your options to an outside inspection for your new home. Performing one, however, is highly recommend and can offer a significant piece of mind to you and your family well into the future.

Steven Castaneda, Realtor, is a real estate consultant with Keller Williams Realty in Houston, Texas. He has been consulting on Houston Texas Real Estate transactions for 2.5 years, and focuses on coaching his clients to make the most informed and intelligent decision possible with their real estate investments.

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You may have heard of the Akashic Records in connection witb the famous clairvoyant, Edgar Cayce. He was said to have drawn on the Akashic Records when making remarkably accurate predictions for the future. He also used them to cure disease, by entering into a trance and describing the condition of the sick person, as if he could see right into their body.

Angels are involved in the Akashic Records on two levels. Our personal guardian angel records our thoughts and deeds, keeping our personal Akashic Record updated. And the angels that oversee the Akashic Records are called the Lords of Karma. We’ve all heard of karma. Essentially, it means: “As ye sow, so shall ye reap”.

Many people believe there exists a store of all the information accumulated by mankind, since their creation. This is because energy cannot be destroyed — but simply transformed into a different form. Many scientists, includling Carl Jung believed it is possible to connect with this vast storehouse of thoughts and knowledge and this forms the source of all inspiration.

Many creative people, such as Mozart and Shakespeare, are said to have been able to tap directly into this source. That would explain why Shakespeare, a writer from a rural backwater, seemed to know so much detail about kings and the way of their courts. The writer, Coleridge was hard at work writing his amazing work “Kublah Khan”, when a knock at his cottage door somehow broke the connection and the rest of his creation was lost. And Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of the light bulb and the gramophone, also spoke of ideas coming out of thin air.

It is also believed every thought and deed that every human has ever had is recorded on what they call the Book Of Life or the Akashic Records. Think of this as a giant database of human life — far larger than the database in the biggest supercomputer in the world.

The word “Akasha” is Sanskrit for “boundless space”, but the concept of such a record existing embraces many cultures and religions. Mention of them appears in both testaments of the Bible, as well as in the folklore of the Arabs, the Assyrians, The Babylonians, the Hebrews and the Phoenicians.

Gaynor Peck owns http://www.AngelsAboveUs.com helping people understand the important part angels can play in our lives.

Visit her website and blog for more interesting articles on angels and how they can make our lives better.

Copyright 2007 Gaynor Peck and AngelsAboveUs.com

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There is a growing concern about the power that is given to the focus on anything I want even if it does not line up with the word of God.

Words do have Power. But where does the Power come from? As a big believer in the power of God I know where I stand. It is true that the bible says; The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21)
Does this mean I can say DIE to someone I do not like and they will die? I believe that it does mean that IF I speak words that are negative to someone and IF they believe them, it can kill their spirit, confidence and faith.

Also, if we encourage someone, and they BELIEVE IT, it can restore and give life to a weak self-esteem or bout of hopelessness and depression..

I believe that the real secret is our CHOICE of using words that line up with the word of God. That is where the not so secret power lies.

I do not have to quote the scripture to someone that says; But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)
But I may need to quote it to MYSELF to make it a personal affirmation and reminder. As a result my choice may be to encourage that day rather than discourage.

I can choose to encourage someone to stay in school when they feel like quitting, to stay faithful when they want to cheat on a mate, to stay the course when they want to give up on a dream.

The real secret is to get as much of the powerful scriptures that have the truth of God in our minds and heart so that they will come out of our mouth.

Rosie Horner-All Rights Reserved-2007
Visit http://www.wordscanhurtorheal.com to get a copy of the mini-poster to remind you and others about our word choices.

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When we are in a long-term relationship we sometimes find that we are caught in conflicts that make us feel crazy. We don’t understand what they other person is talking about and they don’t seem to understand what it is we are trying to tell them. Often this is about the time couples give up on their partnership and call it quits. Why does this happen? How can we stop it?

It happens because we are animals. Yes, essentially we are human animals driven by instincts that we don’t have conscious awareness of, but that are driving our behavior nonetheless. It’s not terribly complicated, though it’s not all that easy to change. Understanding what drives us and why we react the way we do, and why our spouses are reacting the way they are; helps us move through it to a (hopefully) happy resolution.

We can stop it, but it’s sometimes really hard. To begin with, recognize that whatever it seems like the conflict is about is not what it’s really about. I know it’s hard to accept but what you are really upset about it not that he didn’t call when he said he would or that she got upset with you for being late. That may be what triggered the discussion, but it is not the source of the upset. Let me explain.

When we feel we are being attacked or threatened in someway we feel that we are the Victim, and the offending person (our partner) is the Villain (perpetrator, bad guy, whatever) on an emotional level. Now, we may know intellectually that this person is our lover, our spouse, our intimate partner, etc., but we don’t feel that way when we are feeling attacked or threatened. On an emotional level, we are the Victim and they are the Villain. As long as we are emotionally in this place, our relationship is ultimately doomed.

Our instinct then, is to attack back in order to feel safe or that we are protecting ourselves. I call taking this position being in the “Self-Protector” position. Of course, if we are “Rescuers” we might instead, let our partner off the hook by saying, “Oh, it’s okay. I’m sorry, I am getting upset over nothing” thereby placating our partner and avoiding a fight. But the end result is the same, we haven’t stopped feeling like a Victim and they are still the Villain in our heart.
So if fighting back or placating are not the answer, what is? How do we stop the craziness?

The answer is simple, but not easy. We take ownership of our part in whatever upset our partner, or of what is upsetting us, and then providing empathy and respect for our partner. This is what it looks like:
Sara: John, you said you were going to be here at 8, and when you didn’t get here or even call, I got worried. Then I felt hurt and like I don’t matter to you. Can you tell me what was going on with you?

John: My being late was unavoidable. My boss called a last minute meeting because sales are down and it ran over, then I had to go by my mothers to help her with her car and I lost track of time. To be honest, I knew you would be mad that I was late and I just couldn’t deal with it right then, I was too stressed. I know it must have hurt, I really didn’t mean to hurt you, but I can see that I did. I am sorry.

Sara: (Crying) You were afraid I would be mad? Of course I was mad. You let me down. But I can see that if you were stressed you wouldn’t want to face it right then, I am sorry my anger makes it hard for you to talk to me. I’ll work on that.

Obviously, “Sara” and “John” are able to be really respectful, honest, and not reactive. It’s really hard to not be reactive when we have been hurt. But taking the time to find out what is going on with our partner (using whatever words we can muster) allows us to step back and see them as a human being, with problems and issues of their own, and not merely our offender.

To do this we have to be able to do something called “Containment’. Containment is where we hold back on expressing our reactions to something before hearing the other person out. We listen thoroughly to what is really going on before we respond. This allows us to get the whole story and the feelings behind it before saying out piece. Containment is a skill that has to be learned consciously and requires attention and intention to accomplish, but it can be done, and it’s so worth it.

The next time you are caught up in one of those crazy making discussions, try this. Shut up, contain your reactions, listen, and then start “mirroring” your partner and ask them to tell you more. “Mirroring” is when you say back to your partner what you are hearing them say, it’s not parroting them word for word, but summarizing and re-phrasing what you have heard, then checking it out, “Did I get that right?” or “Is that right?” As you ask for more, say, “Is there anything else?”, “What else”, “What else can you tell me about it?” or “Is there more?” When they have said all they can say about it, see if you can find something in what they have said to empathize with, even if you don’t agree with them, before you respond.

Most of the time, once you have fully heard your partner out, your reaction will be quite different than it was initially. Suddenly our defensiveness is down and we have a chance to respond to our partner with ownership of our part, empathy for what they are going through and respect for who they are.

Melody Brooke, MA, LPC, LMFT is an author, motivational speaker, workshop presenter and counselor. Melody holds an MA in Counseling and Guidance from Texas Woman’s University. She is also a Certified Radix Practitioner, Right Use of Power Teacher and InterPlay Teacher. Melody’s 19 years work with individuals, couples and families provides her with a unique approach to solving clients’ problems. Her life-altering book, “Cycles of the Heart: A way out of the egocentrism of everyday life”, is based on her experience helping people resolve their relationship difficulties with themselves and others.

http://www.melodybrooke.com

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I’ve had the pleasure and honor to meet some of the world’s greatest leaders and leadership gurus, from Sir Richard Branson, General Tommy Franks, and Captain Mike Abrashoff to Dr. Warren Bennis, Dr. Henry Mintzberg, and Tom Peters. And I get paid to do it! Through our work with Linkage Inc., we help support their broadcasts of these famous people by designing and developing participant and facilitator guides that many clients use to turn a 90-minute presentation into a true learning and growth opportunity.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Marshall Goldsmith, world authority in helping successful leaders get even better by achieving positive change in behavior: for themselves, their people, and their teams. His newest best-seller, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, has sold over a million copies in two months!

In his coaching, Goldsmith emphasizes the importance for successful leaders to first have a realistic view of their own successes before attempting change in themselves or in others. Goldsmith bluntly states, “One reason that it is hard for successful people to change is that successful people are (in a positive way) delusional.” Successful people, Goldsmith has found, often ascribe their success directly to themselves and their behaviors. Successful people, sometimes to their peril, believe:

1) I am successful.
2) I act a certain way.
3) Therefore, I am successful because I act a certain way.

In reality, asserts Goldsmith, successful people may have achieved success in spite of their behavior! And that behavior may be preventing them from moving ahead.

What are the most common sins, the most common leadership bad habits? Goldsmith identifies these 20:

1. Winning too much: The need to win at all costs and in all situations.
2. Adding too much value: The overwhelming desire to add our 2 cents to every discussion.
3. Passing judgment: The need to rate others and impose our standards on them.
4. Making destructive comments: The needless sarcasm and cutting remarks that we think make us witty.
5. Starting with NO, BUT, HOWEVER: The overuse of these negative qualifiers which secretly say to everyone that I’m right and you’re wrong.
6. Telling the world how smart we are: The need to show people we’re smarter than they think we are.
7. Speaking when angry: Using emotional volatility as a management tool.
8. Negativity, or “Let me explain why that won’t work”: The need to share our negative thoughts even when we weren’t asked.
9. Withholding information: The refusal to share information in order to maintain an advantage over others.
10. Failing to give proper recognition: The inability to give praise and reward.
11. Claiming credit that we don’t deserve: The most annoying way to overestimate our contribution to any success.
12. Making excuses: The need to reposition our annoying behavior as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.
13. Clinging to the past: The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past; a subset of blaming everyone else.
14. Playing favorites: Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly.
15. Refusing to express regret: The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit we’re wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others.
16. Not listening: The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.
17. Failing to express gratitude: The most basic form of bad manners.
18. Punishing the messenger: The misguided need to attack the innocent who are usually only trying to help us.
19. Passing the buck: The need to blame everyone but ourselves.
20. An excessive need to be “me”: Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they’re who we are.

Once leaders have a realistic perspective on their behavior - behaviors that account for their success and behaviors that are impeding the leader from “getting there” - these leaders are poised to help themselves and help others break through their performance ceilings.

In addition to helping the already successful leader achieve breakthrough performance personally, Marshall Goldsmith’s eight-step approach for behavioral coaching enhances the leader’s ability to coach and interact with their employees. His approach allows leaders to determine the desired behavior of someone in their position, to interact with their stakeholders to get opinions and feedback on their performance and expectations, and to repeat the process to achieve specific goals and for continual growth. In doing so, Goldsmith tackles the “delusion” and creates an environment safe for constructive criticism - Goldsmith calls it “feedforward” - and development.

Marshall’s approach - by his own admission - is neither earth-shattering or innovative. So why then do CEOs and other leaders retain Marshall for hundreds of thousands of dollars an engagement and why do over a million readers describe his latest book as “life-altering” and “a must-read”? It’s because Marshall Goldsmith practices what he preaches; he is the coach’s coach, the leader’s leader. He is forthright, up-front, and brutally honest.

And he’s quite successful. His success, Goldsmith explains, is due to the fact that he only selects clients who are willing to take a hard look at themselves and change. While many of us at the front-line and supervisory level don’t have the luxury of coaching only those who we know will change, we CAN focus our attention on those who are more willing instead of naturally focusing on those who are less willing.

Many of the principles in Marshall’s approach to coaching and change mirror those that form the foundation for Entelechy’s developmental coaching. Our model is used by managers and supervisors to develop the capabilities and confidence of their employees. Marshall’s approach helps people change themselves; Entelechy’s approach helps people develop others. Yet, both recognize that:

1) People may not have an accurate perception of their behavior and the impact of their behavior; another perspective is valuable.
2) People do not naturally seek and accept feedback. It’s against our nature to set ourselves up for criticism.
3) Even when they seek it, people often react defensively to feedback regardless of how “nicely” it was delivered or how “helpful” the deliverer’s intentions. People will naturally defend or explain why they did what they did.
4) Most people, given guidance and perspective, will know how to improve themselves and their performance.

Marshall’s approach to creating behavioral change in executives and other leaders is a journey in assessment, prioritization, action, and re-assessment. Leaders must seek feedback from others, identify and prioritize the changes needed, act on the most important change, and ask others if they’ve noticed the change.

If you want to improve your leadership capability, read Marshall Goldsmith’s book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. For less than $30, you can learn the same lessons for which CEOs gladly pay hundreds of thousands of dollars! Or, visit his website for free articles on coaching and leadership: http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com.

Terence R. Traut is the president of Entelechy, Inc., a company that helps organizations unlock the potential of their people through customized coaching training programs. Terence can be reached at 603-424-1237 or ttraut@unlockit.com.

Terence R. Traut is the president of Entelechy, Inc., a company that helps organizations unlock the potential of their people through customized training programs in the areas of sales, management, customer service, and training. Terence can be reached at 603-424-1237 or ttraut@unlockit.com.

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I was working out with my two cousins and one of them was barely getting back into the groove of working out for about two months or so. And this guy always wanted go heavy and do his one rep max for the bench press, and since he has spotters now, he can finally do it.

However, it seemed like this guy did not need that much of a warm up, which is not very wise because you can really mess up your joints and body if you lift heavy too often without warm up. In fact, with proper warm up, you should be able to lift more.

Before performing it, the warm-up for the one rep max is absolutely crucial. It is absolutely crucial for you to warm up your muscles and neuromuscular system before lifting that heavy load.

BUT DO NOT warm-up so much that your muscles are exhausted and you drop the huge load and crack your ribs! That will decrease your one rep max. For the average person, about 5-7 total warm-up sets are probably optimal and more than that may start to exhaust your muscles.

Now I know everyone is different, so here is how your warm-up typically looks like. The first set should feel very easy, about ten easy reps or so just to get your juices flowing.

After that, the next 2 through 3 sets should be about 5 reps, a little more resistance, but gradually increasing the weight. Again, you are different and so is everyone else so you will have to determine what is right for you.

And then gradually increase the weight for only one rep without overtiring your muscles for another 3 sets until you reach the maximal. Again, there is no set amount of weight you need to increase it by, you or an experienced coach should be the judge and have some strong spotters. Preferably one on each side if you lift REAL heavy!

According to the book Baechle TR, Earle RW. 2000. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning 2nd Ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics., here is a safe, proper, and rough generalization of determining your one rep max.

If you can lift a certain amount of weight, lets say 10 times maximum with good form. You multiply that weight by a factor of 1.33. So if you can lift 225 pounds ten times with good form, you multiply 225 pounds by 1.33 and voila! your max should be around 299.25 pounds.

8 times maximum, multiply your load by 1.25; 5 times maximum, multiply your load by 1.15; 3 times maximum, multiply your load by 1.08. Again, this is just a generalization. Ultimately it’s going to be you and your coach who will determine what you can and can’t lift.

Alan Quan is a fitness expert and coach who specializes in packing on muscle for men and transforming them from being average duds into sexy studs! Find out how he can help you create the body of your dreams. The kind of body you’ve always desired. Visit his blog at http://www.sexybodyfitness.com/blog and his website http://www.sexybodyfitness.com

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Though they may seem like all fun, toys are more than entertaining playthings that amuse our children. Toys are the tools our children use to learn new skills, as well as understand the world and events around them. Toys, especially quality, long lasting wooden toys, are essential to a child’s proper growth and development. An assortment of various wooden toys can help your child learn and develop skills in every area of development.

Fine and gross motor development are both vital areas of development for a healthy, happy future. Gross motor skills refer to the large muscles your child uses to walk, run, throw, and catch. Much of a child’s gross motor development takes place outside. Outdoor play sets and wooden toys, like ride-on toys, pedal cars, and even doll strollers, are some of the best toys to promote large muscle development.

Fine motor skills involve the small muscles in the fingers and wrists that allow us to write, cut with scissors, and manipulate small objects with our hands. Fine motor development correlates closely with the development of hand and eye coordination. Art toys and supplies, like crayons, paint brushes, and weaving looms, aid in both of these areas of development. There are quite a few wooden toys that enhance fine motor development available as well. Wooden puzzles are excellent toys for a broad range of skill levels. Wooden toys, like blocks and shape sorters, also promote fine motor development.

Cognitive development includes most of the skills we use to learn, to think, and to work creatively. Things like math skills, problem solving, and artistic talent are all parts of cognitive development. There are many, many toys that promote and enhance cognitive development in children. Natural toys, like sand and water activities, encourage children to explore, experiment, and investigate, all important parts of problem solving. Wooden toys like board games, blocks, and toys that support sorting and classification skills are also helpful in cognitive development.

Children develop language skills in almost everything they do. Books and reading aloud are the leading way to enhance language development in your child. Daily story times are a vital part of healthy growth and development throughout childhood. Aside from reading and books, children expand their language skills through pretend play and interactive play with others. Miniature appliances, doll accessories, and play sets are just a few wooden toys that encourage imaginative play and enhance language development.

Toys are also an essential part of a child’s healthy social development. Children can use their toys to act out situations that have frustrated them, allowing them to work through new emotions in a safe and healthy way. Puppet theaters are great wooden toys that allow young children to express their fears and work out their social problems. Social skills are also learned through cooperative play with others. Many of the wooden toys recommended to aid development in other areas of growth also provide a number of social benefits. Pretend play, board games, and outside play all offer plenty of opportunity for social development.

Gary Clay is an expert on
Wooden Toys and owner of stylish kids store MonkeyShine a retailer of Traditional Toys stockist in the UK

Birdwatching Binoculars

It doesn’t occur to a number of people that birdwatching binoculars should

be different from, say, hunting or astronomy binoculars. When you really

think about it the needs in terms of the optics are not at all the same.

Bird watching binoculars need to be lightweight, tough, rugged, and very

portable.

Binoculars for bird watching need to take into account the size, movement

and distance of the bird. For example, on birdwatching tours you might

want to magnify a bird who is sitting in a tree right by you. Then there

might be one which is flying in the sky a considerable distance away. Any

decent birdwatching guide should be able to advise you on what to look for

in birding binoculars, including magnification and field of view.

You might be wondering first of all, which are the best brands? Bushnell

binoculars are excellent, of course, and Leupold, Simmons, Pentax, Leica,

Tasko and Nikon are also respected names in the field of telescopes and

optical equipment. It is essential that the binoculars lens has the right

magnification for the subject: the level of zoom is vital, along with the

field of view.

You might think that your binoculars’ magnification should be absolutely the

maximum you can get: the problem with this is that the higher the

magnification, the harder they are to hold still and get a good view of the

bird. High magnification pairs tend to be more expensive, larger, and

heavier, and it is very important when birdwatching that you keep your pair

of binoculars compact. You’d better believe it, it doesn’t matter where

you’re wearing them. You might have them around your neck or in a fanny

pack or whatever. Heavy ones will really weigh you down after walking

around with them for over half an hour or so! And, even more importantly,

lets imagine you’ve spotted that fantastic Golden Eagle soaring over the

skies. How frustrating would it be if you couldn’t hold those birdwatching

binoculars steady enough to see the bird close-up anyway!

Therefore it is best that your birdwatching binoculars have a magnification

of about 8x maximum. If you need more than that then your wildlife

binoculars may be of little use. You are now entering the realm of

telescopes with tripods, which are okay if you are going to set yourself up

in a hide or a static place. They’re less fun if you want to move around a

lot.

Another factor is the weather. Birders tend to be out in all weather and

terrain, so waterproof binoculars are essential. Even if you leave base in

sunshine, the threat of rain can be ever-present at some times of year and

places. Even if the weather looks fine, you don’t want to be constantly

anxious about your birdwatching binoculars getting wet.

It’s always best to consult a specialist website or expert on the subject of

birdwatching binoculars before you commit yourself to buying anything.

They should be able to point you in the right direction and enable you to

understand the terminology.

For more about Birdwatching Binoculars have a look at http://binocularsforbirdwatching.org

Ray Davies is a writer who has a keen interest in health matters in addition to gardening, wildlife and other interests.

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and with it comes the need to buy gifts for the special women in your life. If they are candle lovers, why not consider a twist on the usual scented candle gift…A Scent Simmer Pot and Melts in a variety of fragrances is sure to be the perfect Mother’s Day Gift!

If you aren’t familiar with this form of “candle”, you may be wondering what it is and why you should consider this alternative. Let me explain.

Melts or tarts, as they are sometimes called, are small, wickless pieces of wax that you burn in a melter which is heated by either an unscented tea light or electricity. Melts are typically longer lasting than tea lights or votives and have a stronger scent. The advantage to using melts is that they are less expensive than votives, smell stronger, and you can change your scent as often as you like. When the fragrance is gone or you want a change of scent you just pop out the wax and start a new one. It can be an inexpensive way to try a large variety of scents or experiment with custom blending your own scents by melting more than one fragrance at a time. Think Hot Apple Pie a la mode (Hot Apple Pie and French Vanilla)!

A Scent Simmer Pot uses the heat of a light bulb to warm your melt or tart and release the fragrance. You may have heard them called “tart burners”, “melting pots”, “tart melters”, or “melt warmers”. There are two different kinds of melt warmers - electric and tea light. The tea light burners heat the melt using the flame of a tea light placed beneath it while electric melt warmers use electricity to heat a plate or a light bulb that then melts the tart.

I prefer the Scent Simmer Pot type of warmer that uses the heat of a light bulb to melt the tart for several reasons. First, there is no open flame to worry about so it’s a safer alternative to candles and offers a way to scent offices, stores, or dorm rooms where having an open flame is prohibited. Also, the design of most Scent Simmer Pots allows the soft light of the light bulb to peek through providing a replacement for the candle glow you lose by removing the flame. Most importantly, I have found that the fragrance released from the melts (particularly the natural soy/vegetable wax melts that are so popular) is better with the stronger heat of a light bulb.

Consider a unique way to give the gift of fragrance with a simmer pot and melts in a variety of fragrances or try a Melt of the Month Club so she continues to receive new scents each month of the year. She’ll have the Scent Simmer Pot forever and will think of you each time she uses it! Your mom, grandmother, aunt, friend, or mentor will love it!

Linda Miller is a WAHM of three and Independent Distributor and Team Leader for Scent-sations, Inc. She can be contacted at Linda@GetGoodScents.com or through her website at http://www.GetGoodScents.com where you can find a Melt of the Month Club, a Candle of the Month Club and other gourmet natural products for purchase or fundraising.