Bridal Shower Party Games - Celebrating The Upcoming Big Day

If your big day is coming up, having a bridal shower is great way to celebrate with all the important women in your life. As everyone knows, however, bridal shower party games are the way to turn a special occasion into a fantastic party.
Here are a couple of games to get you started:

"The Necklace Game" Bridal Shower Game

This is one of the many bridal shower party games that can help break the ice between guests that don't know each other.Prior to the party, either prepare (out of candy, pasta or popcorn) or buy enough novelty necklaces for each guest. Present each guest with their necklace upon arrival. For the duration of the party, guests must never refer to you or your fiancé by your first names, only as "the bride" or "the groom". If a guest hears another refer to you by your first names, they must remove the necklace of that person and wear it themselves. The person wearing the most necklaces at the end of the party is the winner of this bridal shower party game.

"Never Ever" Bridal Shower Party Game

When it comes to bridal shower party games, this is one that can really create a few laughs. Guests must start the game with a full glass of whatever they're drinking, and sit with their chairs in a circle. The first person starts out by making a true statement about something they've never done, for example "I've never ever joined the mile high club"; the raunchier or more outrageous the statements, the better. Anyone who HAS done that must take a small sip of their drink. This continues around the circle, with the first person to empty their glass being the winner of this often-raunchy bridal shower party game.

Birthday Gift Ideas for the 60 Year Old

The gifts presented on the 60th birthday should be the symbols of love, respect, and appreciation. Gifts presented on the 60th birthday should be reminders of the golden days of youth, and should be able to convey that he or she is still loved, and respected.

Following are a few birthday gift ideas for the sixty year olds:

o You can gift a "1947 gift box", which contains things that mark their year of birth. For instance, you can stuff this box with 1940's music CDs, 1947 Coins, stamps, a 30-minute DVD of 1947, etc.

o You can also gift a work of framed art Stamp '1947 ', which is a unique collection of original stamps released in 1947.

o You can personalize birthday gifts. You can use a poem that reminds him or her of any recent activities and successes.

or alternative gifts such as watches, shirts, flowers, golf club membership, health club membership, vacation packages, books, music CDs and DVDsfavorite movies can also be gifted.

o Photo Albums

This is a very versatile birthday gift for a 60 year old. The photo album can either be empty or you can paste some rare photographs in it.

o 60th Coffee Mug

These coffee mugs can be used as show pieces. They come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. They have cool liners like "I'm 60, feel like 18, etc.", written on them.

o Photo Frame

Glass or wooden photo frames in any shape, color, and size can be selected as a birthday gift on the 60th birthday.

Alternatively, you can arrange for a surprise birthday party for him or her on the 60th birthday.

Quiz Night Novelty Games

There are some simple and fun games that you can add to your quiz or trivia night that are sure to bring a smile to everyone's face.

Sure it's fun answering questions about history, sports and music but by the forth or fifth round people will appreciate something different.

A great novelty game to play is the treasure hunt. The treasure hunt involves you awarding prizes to the first team that can make it to the scoring table with a collection of special items. For example you might announce that there will be ten bonus points offered to the first team to make it to the scoring table with three business cards, a safety pin, a red pen and a bandage.

This is a great novelty question for two reasons. Firstly is involves the teams communicating. Immediately everyone starts to look around their team and talking. "I have a pen and a business card, does anyone have a bandage on them?" Secondly the question means people get to leave their seat and run to the scoring table. Even the observers who remain seated vicariously enjoy seeing some physical activity.

Another fun novelty game you play is called the sit down stand up game. Have everyone in the room stand up. Then ask them a question with a yes or no answer. Did Roger Federer win this years US Open tennis? for example. Tell the audience that if they think the answer is yes they should put their hands on their head. If they think the answer is no they should put their hands on their waist.

Wait 5 seconds until everyone has picked an answer and then announce that the people who got it incorrect should sit down.Repeat the process with another question only allowing those standing to participate. Continue until you have whittled the audience down to a single person left standing. This person is the winner and their team receives bonus points.

Once again this game is a lot of fun because it gets people temporarily out of their seats and doing something physical.

A very simple but fun game you an incorporate in your quiz or trivia night is called the magic seat. Before the quiz has begun, in fact before the participants have arrived, stick a piece of paper containing the word winner to the under side of three chairs in the room.

Halfway through your quiz you can ask everyone to get up and check under their chair for the special magic paper. The lucky people sitting on a magic chair will all earn their teams an extra five points.

Obviously this game is simply luck based, but people do enjoy it.

You should definitely think about adding some novelty games to your trivia or quiz night. They can make all the difference.

Using Maps As Board Game Surfaces

There are generally two different types of board games. Some of them work in an abstract concept, where you are competing against friends to earn the most points in terms of trivia, drawing, or other types of skill. These are games which take place in your living room and pit you against your friends in a competition of skill and daring. Other board games don't work quite in this way. They take place within the confines of a very specific world and your object is to maneuver yourself throughout the confines of that world to win. For example, traditional Monopoly takes place within Atlantic City, Clue takes place within Mr. Boddy's mansion, and Candy Land happens in the fictional world of Candy Land. With these games, you must adhere to the rules of this world in order to win the game.

Some games have a different design of the board, however, allowing for a more expansive type of game play. These boards often make use of a map of the area that the game is set on. You end up playing the game on the map, which serves as the board, much like a military strategist would do in a war room. Indeed, this is exactly how the game plays out with a board game such as Risk, in whichever form it might take.

Traditional Risk takes a map of the world as it currently stands, redefines certain areas on the different continents into new "territories" and the game proceeds over the this new map. Players will lay claim to certain territories and will proceed, over the course of the game, to battle each other for control of these territories. The game wins when one player has control of all the territories of the world. This map serves well for traditional Risk, although there are many different alternate version of this game which still use a map, albeit fictionalized or imagined.

Risk 2210 AD re-imagines Earth in the future and the design of the board is based on what the surface of the globe might look like in the future. A special edition of Lord of the Rings risk takes the board and redesigns it as a map of Middle Earth with different regions turned into territories, while Star Wars risk makes the board into a map of the traditional Star Wars Universe and instead of battling over territories, you now battle over the different star systems.

Another game, which makes use of a map of the world is the classic board game Diplomacy. This board is a map of Europe exactly as it stood in the middle 1960s. Players will each take control of one of the countries that comprise Europe and will proceed to make alliances and deals with each other, each working toward filling the winning conditions of the game. The first country to do so will be declared as the winner of the game. This board is unique because it is a true representation of life and doesn't look to distort anything as it actually stands. It is just another great example of how a little creative thinking can make for a great board game.

Gwyddbwyll and Tallfwrdd, Ancient Welsh Board Games

Long before chess came to Europe from India, the British Celts were playing board games where the object was to capture a central 'king' piece. Two variants of this game existed, Gwyddbwyll and Tallfwrdd.

Gwyddbwyll, literally meaning 'wooden wisdom' (and thus it is related to the Irish game Fidchell) and is known predominantly from mythological sources. Indeed, the game features in three of the Welsh epics known as the Mabinogion: The Dream of Magnus Maximus, Peredur son of Efrawg and the Dream of Rhonabwy.

In terms of popular belief gwyddbwyll is played on a 7x7 board and this ties-in with the Ballinderry Game Board found in 1932 during the excavation of a "crannog", or lake dwelling at Ballinderry, West Meath, Ireland. It seems that the game was played with a king and four princes (or defenders) against eight opponents (or raiders).

The king is placed in the centre of the board, flanked by four princes. The aim of the game being to move the king to the safety of one of the corner squares. Eight attackers are evenly spaced along the edges of the board. The king wins by moving from the central space to one of the corners of the board and only the king is allowed to enter the central space at any time. The king loses if the attackers surround him or if all the princes are lost. Capture of the princes or attackers is accomplished by blocking the opponent's piece between two of your own. However a piece can move in between two opposing pieces without being captured. Each piece can only move one orthogonal space at a time (ie only forwards or backwards). If not occupied by the king the centre square counts as an additional 'man' ie any piece (except the king) sandwiched between it and another piece is captured. The king can also be captured at the edge of the board by only three opposing pieces. Which means that if the attackers are down to only two men the king's side has won by default.

In contrast, Tallfwrdd (literally peg-board [though the name can also be derived from tafl 'to throw', referring to the die with which the board is played]) is known from historical sources. It is described in the Cyfrraith Hywel Dda (The Laws of Hywel Dda) which specifies the value of a towlbwrdd which shall be provided to various members of a king's court (and which they may neither sell nor give away) as well as the value of the king's towlbwrdd; the latter "is worth six score pence, and that is shared thus: sixty pence for the white forces, and ... thirty pence for the king, and ... three pence and three farthings for every man". Which would seem to imply that the game was played with a king and eight 'princes' or 'defenders' against sixteen 'attackers'.

More detail is given in the 1587 manuscript of Robert ap Ifan in Elizabethan Wales, which supplies us with a sketch of a 'towlbwrdd' board as an 11x11 square. and a description of the setup and play which is, unfortunately, inconsistent with the previous information in that it places a king and twelve men against twenty-four men (though at least it is consistent in balancing the king against half of the opposing men.) The setup calls for the king to be placed in the center of the board with his own men in the squares nearest to him and the opposing men in the middle of each side, an ambiguous description at best.

This current interpretation an 11x11 board with a central king surrounded by twelve princes or defenders. Each side of the board starts with six blue attackers, giving 24 in total. The central square is important as it can only be occupied by the king, though other pieces can cross it, as long as it's unoccupied. Play proceeds by alternate turns and though the extant documentation does not describe who is to move first it would seem natural that the attacker would do this (after all the king is defending against an attack). The king also has an inherent advantage in the game and giving the attacker the first move goes some way towards reducing this.

All pieces move orthogonally (ie forwards or backwards like the rook in chess). They can move any number of squares but cannot jump over another piece and the square moved into must also be vacant.

Any man (other than the king) can be captured by being sandwiched between two opponents (ie when two of the opponent's men occupy adjacent squares in a straight line with it). Some variants of the game allow pieces to move into squares between opposing men without being captured, but others do not allow this. It is also unclear whether the king can participate in captures; though the game is more even if this form of capture is disallowed. Also, as no other piece apart from the king can occupy the central square it may be possible to use this as an additional man and pieces can be captured by being sandwiched against it.

The king's side wins if the king reaches any edge and the king also wins by default if the attackers are down to three or fewer men. The attackers can only win by capturing the king; surrounding him on all four sides by their men. However, a variant based on gwyddbwyll would allow the attackers to win if all the princes (king's defenders) have been eliminated from the board.

There should be enough information here for you to re-create the games, but if you need more information and pictures use the links below:

The Slot Game is Constantly Being Improved

What first comes to mind when you hear the term slot game? For most it brings images of flashing lights and bells ringing in a Las Vegas or Atlantic City casino. In the beginning, slot machines were made from heavy cast iron, which made them difficult to haul around and install.

By 1907, Charles Fey partnered with Mills Novelty Company and produced a line of new slot machines, including the Liberty Bell, which is known as the granddaddy of all slots. This paved the way for high-tech, sophisticated machines, into which millions of people plunk millions of coins.

Not too long after, several improvements were made to the machines, including lighter materials that made them much easier to transport. Some of the other improvements were replacing the heavy iron with a wood cabinet making the process of transporting and delivering the slot machine game much easier still. Around the same time, some of the casino slot games started being redone with mini themes, such as patriotic, wildlife, etc.

Many of the changes that the slot machines went through, including the vibrant colors and themes were good, but the younger players were looking for something more challenging and skill based. So, for a short period of time the slot game waned in popularity, then the generational changes that seemed to boost the slots back into popularity occurred shortly after the depression. Some of the changes included video poker and video slot machines seen in the gambling hubs like Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

In 1964, the first electromechanical slot machine was introduced, replacing the internal springs and levers with electrical components, which led to the more exciting flashing lights and noises. Since then, continued improvements have been made to the casino slot machine.

With the advent of internet casino websites, the online slot machines have become wildly popular. The slots offered something that no table game could offer, which was the possibility of winning a hundred times your investment.

Some people who have never been able to go to a traditional casino to see and hear the excitement are pleased to learn that the casino software providers are constantly improving upon the slot game. There have already been some variations of the online game but there are still changes in the works, such as replacing the term slot machine with Video Gaming Device or Electronic Gaming Device, and also includes developing a joystick that can be used to help out the realism online. The casinos also think the coin less slot is great idea, since they would need less people on their payroll.

Free Billiards Game - How To Play Online Pool Without Spending A Dime

If you want tips on finding a good free billiards game, you've certainly come to the right place. Very simply, free online pool is rapidly growing in popularity, because you can enjoy the awesome sport of billiards without even having to get out of your easy chair. Just get your favorite drink, and have a nice relaxing evening playing these online pool games. This can be a great way to unwind after either a long day of work or school, and rejuvenate favor the next day.

Today, there are literally thousands of website that offer a free billiards game to play online, and finding them is not hard. The problem is finding the best one. Very simply, not all billiards games are equal.

Some of them offer great graphics, and can really help you improve your playing ability; others have very shoddy graphics, and probably are not worth your time. The best way to find the top ones is to read reviews on the different websites and find out which ones are the most popular, and start with those.

If a lot of people are playing at a certain site, you can bet it contains some pretty good graphics. However, even if a billiards game is free to play, keep in mind that you can certainly still lose money on it. Very simply, many billiards games today offer you the opportunity to play for money, and the website gets a certain percentage of the total pot. Obviously, therefore, they will encourage you to play for as much as possible.

In fact, many website will actually give incentives to play for money, by offering you rewards cards and gift certificates that you can use to buy their merchandise. Be very careful before you start playing for money, however. Remember, as with gambling, online pool can become very addictive; if you aren't careful, you can really lose a handful.

Since there are so many people who like to play free online pool, you can very easily find yourself playing against others who are much better than you, and it certainly is very easy to lose money. Then, once you've lost money on the first or second game, the temptation is to try and get it back, thus putting you at risk for losing more money.

The bottom line, if you are deadest on playing for money, always have a maximum lose amount that you are willing to put up with; as soon as you cross that amount, force yourself to stop playing to cut your losses. Hopefully this information will help you to find the best free billiards game to play via the net, and most importantly, to avoid losing a substantial amount of money in the process.

Show Your Love With Novelty Fridge Magnets

In the recent past fridge magnets have become a popular consumer item in the market. Very rarely will you have an item such as this in your shopping list, but they have turned out to be very popular gift idea - especially the Novelty Fridge Magnets.

There are great selections in the market today. Ranging from cartoon characters, fruits, vegetables, different types of food, some in hilarious designs and some others with humorous sayings and so on. The list is endless. Both retail and online shopping for these magnets is very interesting. Today the trend is with online marketing which is done in the comfort of your home or any similar location. Retail shopping is equally interesting if you are looking for some outdoor activity. However, the choice is far wider on the Internet and even more advantageous when your goods are delivered at your door-step.

Here are some very interesting Novelty Fridge Magnets that are found at online stores:

1) Plush and Stuffed Toy Magnet: There are 6 magnets in the pack, dressed in T-shirts. They are made of plush velbao for the body and stuffed with polyester fiber for the head. This is ideal as a promotional item.

2) Dragon fly, Lady Bird, Bee and Butterfly Magnet: They are a "green" product and handmade with combined natural materials including a clay body, wire legs, paper muscle, PVC wings and hand painted. They look very real with flexible legs. Perfect as a gift.

3) Magnetic Lizard with wire legs: They are also a "green" product made with the similar materials. Even though they would not look pleasant on a fridge, it is a novel idea.

4) Peppa Pig Magnets: Featuring Peppa, George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. They are great fridge magnets that sick onto any metallic surface.

5) Animal House Gecko Novelty Fridge Magnet: Available in 3 different colours - green, pink and yellow. Made of soft flexible silicone with 4 strong magnets - 1 for each foot. The tail bends to create a hook. A touch of personality of refrigerator display.

6) DC Comics Magnet Set: Available with 5 in a set. Featuring the super heroes. It will be a popular item as a gift for children.

7) Chocolate Chip Cookie Novelty Fridge Magnets: Looks very real and gives a "delicious and crunchy" look. Made of vibrant colours covered with a scratch-proof material. It has a powerful magnet backing.

8) Love Monkey Magnet: This is novel and unique as it can be personalized. It can carry a name of a special person instead of the word "Monkey". Personalizing can be done online.

9) Cartoon Monkey Round Personalized Magnet: A colourful item which can be personalized also. Available in a range of colours.

10) Funny Tulip Gardening Cartoon Novelty Fridge Magnet: It has a humorous saying and is perfect as a gift item. This too has a powerful magnet backing.

These are just a few ideas of the wide range available at online stores. Most of these novelty fridge magnets can be personalized and some also have the facility of selecting a colour of your choice. This is advantageous when you plan to give it as a gift to a loved one.

Top 20 ideas of fundraiser for the Booster Club and School

I'm often asked for ideas to raise funds for booster clubs, sports clubs, schools and sports teams. Of course, the answer for every team, but one of the most important factors is that, whatever the nature of the item you choose to sell the mind, it's fun for the recipient and should be useful for them (at least as useful for the period of time determined). I have compiled a list of 20 ideas for fundraising cheap for your team or school booster clubs, have high profit margins to raise fundsfor your club or team. These terms are the spirit of fun, inexpensive and generate school spirit. Note that, from a business to sponsor the Spirit of words, they pay for it, and the club can sell 100% of profit. This is the key to successful fundraising.

1. Pom Poms - This can add your school or team name can be printed and to be well below $ 1.00 per share. Custom imprinted pompons are crowd favorites and look great in the stands. The fans feel more at ease Cheer for their team if they have any kind of mind element, such as pompoms. Pompon have for years and will for years as a ghost terms.

2. Mini Basketball - Obviously this ideal work for the basketball teams. You can choose to receive the vinyl mini-basketball or dancing all the way up to the quality of the tournament. The vinyl mini-basketball are about the size of a grapefruit and costs about $ 1.40 or less, depending on quantity, but rather intended as> What's new toy. If you think your fan base is now in full-size basketball, basketballs, you can individually with your choice of color panels and basket-colored logos that are printed on the balls.

3. Mini-volleyball Volleyball teams can choose vinyl or mini-volleyball tournament quality balls Volley balls. It 'important to know your audience and get an idea of how much money they are willing to spend. There is always take the opportunity to pre-orders for more ticketsTerms such as volleyball tournament quality.

4. Mini Footballs - Promotional mini soccer balls are usually thrown cheerleaders at football matches by. This mini-balls for the collection of funds for earlier versions in two ways: a) You can sponsor a business idea and have put their name on the logo on one side of the ball and your school and team name on the side opposite of balloons. With this option, the company actually makes the balloons and the cheerleaderthrow the balls in the games. The team helps to generate revenue and team spirit of the crowd and support the company's advertising-sponsored cheap. B) makes it easy to print your school and team on the soccer balls and sell them on the fans booster club. Typically, the sponsoring company is much easier and less trouble-free. For a typical football game, you want to throw up at least 100 balls for Mini and moreas playoff and championship games to help big games, the crowd goes.

5. Mini-footballs This mini-soccer balls may be sold as novelty items for the home crowd. The vinyl mini footballs are less profitable than the sale of quality balls for the tournament. With full-size soccer balls, you can print on each plate for a truly dramatic effect. Taken to avoid pre-orders, stuck with a lot of footballs.

6. Thunder Sticks - Neutralthunder sticks ever get tired (or sometimes Bams thunderstix BAM). These thunder-sticks can be customized with a large advertising space. They are easy to sell for $ 3 - $ 4 per pair, and it is possible for about $ 1.40 or less to get a pair. You can click on the two sides of the thunder-sticks print, you can pay a business sponsor for the thunder sticks and selling them to do to get 100% profit. Thunder sticks have become a standard in any active stage. This stage wearing hornsStage, life and helps to promote the players.

7. Discount Card - Discount cards are credit card sized plastic card that offers discounts from various restaurants and retailers. The buyer can pay in order / her money after using the discount card only twice. The discount cards are typically printed with about 15 companies on the one hand and the school name and team on the opposite side. Some schools choose to allow discounts on both sides of the map in print moreBusiness Sponsor. You can download each holding a small fee of $ 50 - $ 100 to advertise their offer. Then they sell tickets for € 10 each and make a huge profit. These discount cards are easy to sell, sell well, if you get some great deals from local businesses. The hardest part is your food 10-15 companies for advertising. This is not difficult, however, because they know that most companies offer discounts for the economy brings.

8. Stadium seat cushion - Seat StadiumPillows are another item of great fundraising and traditional sports such as football stadium and basketball. Sponsors to offset the cost of the ad on the back cushion stadium cushion. The club can then sell the pillow for $ 5 - $ 10 make 100% profit and generate thousands of dollars in a single game cushion in the stadium. You can sell up to 20 ads on each side. Imagine the amount of money to earn your booster club with the combination of the canSponsorship money plus the money raised from the sale of stadium cushions harvest!

9. Hand Fans - Hand Fans in the shape of an ideal sport for the games of the South during the beginning of football season. Choose from football and football helmet shaped by hand. These fans can be printed with the team schedule, and also help to sponsor a business to offset the cost. to hold any type of mind element to the fans, how can hand-fans, thus contributing to cheer more convenient, moreand stronger.

10. Magnet Magnetic all fans to have a game plan and a program on an even better because they do not lose. Most people put a magnet on the refrigerator, and think how often the average person goes to the refrigerator. Now fans will be a magnet schedule, and profit margins are simply 400% -500%. This will help to participate in the games because your fans know, is always time to play.

11. Auto Magnets - Car magnetsTheir mascots and team names will help to promote team spirit within your community. These are very popular with the fans because they can be easily removed and cause no damage to their cars. Not only do you get the money magnet sell this car, but think about how many people see your name and the mascot of the team on a daily basis. The more people you see car magnet, the more you cultivate the support of the community.

12. Megaphone - Megaphone Cheerleaders have used for years and that the mini plastic megaphones areideal for use by fans cheer for their team. Custom megaphones are a great way to loud your fans.

13. noodles Spirit - the Spirit noodles are made of foam and great cheer, wave at all times. These are a good option if the noise makers are not allowed in your stadium. They are available in varios shapes and sizes to customize your team or school.

14. Foam Fingers - foam foam fingers and hands in many varieties and forms. There are legs foam, foam claws,Foam mascot, and many different forms, the hand of foam are great for rooting for your team. These are ideal for stadiums, not in those noisy.

15. Sport Horns - horns are solely responsible for the sports that are really loud noise, but are in a small package. This stadium horns to pack a minimum of effort to blow up the house and a rock and a strong affirmation for the team.

16. Spirit Towels - towels Spirit to show team spirit classic stage elements. Do you have a large footprintArea and are much to cheer about in the well.

17. Sports Bottles - Individual sports bottles are great concepts, a concession stand with drinks to fill. The custom printed sports bottles give fans a souvenir to take home after buying a drink. This is to drink fans buy a game because they get an item they think is useful. Many stalls have a souvenir cup extra charge. If you do not use sports bottles, stadium cups into consideration.Stadium cups are cheap and use a good option to serve drinks at the stadium.

18. blankets Stadium - During the cold games, the ceiling fans need to remember that stage very elements frequently. You will be surprised how many fans to buy a deck of the stadium, they will forget to bring your own blanket. Stadium blankets have the ability to generate huge profits for sale.

19. Yard signs - do not mind the elements of the games to support your team out. L 'personalized yard signs can be sold to fans to proudly display in their garden. These excess profits may be for sale, and are an easy way for large amounts of money in a small amount of time to generate.

20. Hand clapper - hand clapper is one of those elements, the spirit will never be old. Do not use a lot of noise and fun, when rooting for your team.

What kind of spirit items you use, make sure they are allowed in your stadium. Most importantly, make sure you have to doGhost words for the fans. Spirit points are the easiest way to generate team spirit because the fans feel more at ease when it comes to using a voice of rejoicing spirit. An important rule to remember is that you do not want to charge your mind concepts. It is necessary to determine the area you live in a reasonable price that does not think the fans is to hold dear. School Spirit items are easy to sell, thus generating a lot of money for your club or school boosterThe organization is very simple.

Flex Mind Game Mattel Consumer Review

The recent Flex Mind Game Mattel has captured the imagination of young and old, mind-blowing skills to be fascinated with her! It 'amazing that most of the buyers actually buy the game Mind Flex in action after the visit or use. For those of you who think if they throw on to spend the money and buy a Flex mind, we take a closer look to see if it really lives up to the publicity and at the end of the day, if youwould be better to buy another toy or game.

Costs

Mattel game was launched Mind The Flex, an initial selling price of about $ 80, that game is a fair bit of money for what is effectively a toy. The good news is that the price has already dropped from the top right now, and although most department stores are even starting price of about $ 75, the smart shopper pick cheaperDeal.

Innovation

Probably the most convincing reason to buy Mattel Mind Game Flex is its unique and innovative clean technology. You can not just buy a toy or a similar game at the moment. Does it work? Yes

I think it's safe to say that this is the first toys are many future generations of similar nature are Mattel and inspire each other toy manufacturer, but the mind is certainly the first Flex. Hey, who knows, maybe a pristine examplevalue of money over time, all of them, as the game began.

The innovation behind the game means that if you play really down, is so different an experience that makes a refreshing change indeed. Unlike the standard, where most games are more or less a remake of an existing game, toy or concept and we know next to play like before you even start.

Innovation is certainly a glance from friends, familyand loops. People just can not see and it's very surreal charm to a group of mature adults with their mouths open looking at a small foam ball bounces up and down to view. No wonder that most people do buy this game Mattel Mind the Flex, with first hand exposure.

Design and quality

The Flex family is in a way that really does not echo its entertainment value designed to advance technologically. L 'Console is sleek and futuristic, and comes with a great sound and lighting.

The headset can be better in terms of comfort and looks, and I'm sure will be something that will be improved versions of the game later, but now the headset is really good for its purpose and does the job without problems.

The smaller parts are included seem to have received a little criticism 'about it complicated and some negative. However, the workdoes not break and the game is such that makes them ideal for the function and purpose. The four balls that are included are made of foam and you should be careful not to roll the balls out of the box.

Fun Factor

Adults are required to control the mind needs a little 'time to dominate completely and I am proud to pass through each of the 5 species of pre-game. The news seems to vanish after a while,' if youthe game on your own. The adults mostly prefer the Mind Flex with a group of friends or family, where the fun is playing along.

Children seem to spend much time trying to focus and relaxation techniques for reaching the maximum speed of time to complete the course. For those with problems of children, concentration or attention, this should be considered as a great help.

Conclusion

So it's worth buying? If the priceThe point is not a problem, and the situations you are looking for the latest tech toys, games and lots of fun in the teenage group, or increase the concentration, the Flex Mind Game Mattel great game to buy.

First, know Koozies - An Ideal Novelty Celebration

In the world of drinks one of the most essential goods includes significant Koozies. Some may not realize what it is, if at first, and may wonder what it is. Hugg a beer or a jacket - Well, you might be familiar with a different title. Sounds familiar? A koozie, a coat of beer, along with a Hugg 1 and also the exact same.

So essentially what you see in the vicinity of cold or hot drinks to its temperature are obtained at the head for a long time, which areKoozies called. These issues are usually produced by foam or similar material and, like the bottle or cup-shaped organ that is easily wrapped around him, the abolition of internal heat or cold to extend the period of time until the temperature increase or decrease.

If your family has a member who loves the TV drinking beer, even though his favorite game, then you probably have at least a koozie in the home. If you do not have and would likejust one, you may recall from your department stores, shops, news, and the like. If you want to stay at home most of the time, you can at online stores to buy. E 'mainly found almost everywhere. Some printing companies also give away their incentives with their company colors, logo and slogan.

Now, companies usually have Koozies individually and is distributed as incentives. But I'm not the only ones who do. A measure kooziecan also be a party or wedding favor. Instead of printing your company name and logo, you can have printed your name, date of the event, and some graphic designs on the koozie and voila! Already have your party gifts.

You can also choose the color that fits your subject. Whether you are sipping a can of lemonade, iced tea, or perhaps a bottle of beer are all in need of 1-factor - a koozie. Then take one and keep your drink hot or coldmore.

Dressing up your bathroom with new shower curtains Easy

Why settle for just a bathroom, if you have a personality and shows that it is creativity. Novelty shower curtains in fun, unique and attractive styles and designs that fit any modern bathroom decor You can be sure that the bathroom remodeling ideas today and work with new curtains.

If you have children, you can mount a style and design, their ages and their personalities are. Young girls will probably goto the beach, flowers, or problems of flip-flop, while the boys are rather large motorcycle or print psychedelic surf

Jaws Horror Movie Bad Joke Gag novelty shower curtain New from Kikkerland:

This retro-inspired version of the humorous movie "Jaws." It is PVC-free, 100 percent EVA and has been specially treated with anti-mildew agents. The curtain measures 71 inches wide and 71 inches long.

Singin 'in the rain shower curtain by Kikkerland:

If you are aSucker for classic old movies, then you should download this article. The design is inspired by the movie musical "Singin 'in the Rain." Sing or dance in the bathtub, while in the spa. This tent is PVC-free, 100 percent EVA and measurements made 72 cm wide and 72 inches long.

20,000 miles Science Fiction Nemo Shower Curtain NU:

If you are a fan of classic science fiction film, this curtain will be enough to make it a substitute for your charity barn accommodation. The design isBased on the novel, titled "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." This tent is so cool from 100 percent EVA, PVC-free produce. Measuring 180 centimeters by 180 centimeters.

Periodic Table Shower Curtain in Gift Box - EVA vinyl art simple memory chip

This elegant period facade system allows you to learn and learn again to metallic elements, atomic weight, and many other information about chemistry, and a relaxing shower. This environmentally friendly product is a fun and easy toUseful education. It 'been shown to improve hand several times shine. It measures 71 inches by 71 inches.

California Island Map shower curtain from:

This vinyl curtain is attractive and interesting with the map of the state of California. This vinyl 100 per cent shall be provided with a reinforced metal tip. It measures 72 inches by 72 inches.

The shower curtain from Kimlor Woods

This single panel curtain is made of cotton 55 per cent and 45 per centPolyester. Exit with vinyl liner and cap. These curtains gingham pattern is easy to keep clean. All you need is to machine wash in cold water and mild detergent, then wipe dry. Installing this requires curtain rod and hooks. Measuring 72 cm in height and 72 cm wide.

If you want more choices novelty shower curtain, in many styles and designs available from online retailers like Amazon.

Christmas games and Odd Traditions

Christmas traditions make the holidays special. We all have certain rituals or traditions is celebrated every year in the season. Have you ever wondered how these customs have their origins? Some traditions are good, some are celebrated all known by few, but all are a wonderful way to get the meaning of Christmas with the love we share. learn to be learn more about how some traditions of origin.

Advent Calendar

Counting the days until Christmas with an adventCalendar is a tourist activity in the 19 Century German families started. The days were, on a chalk line on the floor or hang a different picture every day counted. This has led to home-made advent calendar with little doors every day revealing a picture of Christmas or lines have been opened.

Animal Crackers and Christmas?

The National Biscuit Company introduced "Barnum's Animal Crackers," as a promotion season in 1902. The boxes bear string wasDesigned to hang on the Christmas tree at a time when candy and decorations for the tree were typical features.

Bells

The bells of Christmas are inseparable. A simple silhouette of the bell is a meaning of Christmas. Bell became part of Christian worship around the year 400, and their sound summon the faithful to worship their first ring was at Christmas. This was the term "ring-in" Christmas. In England Christmas is in force since December 21 of the branch. In Scandinavia, bellsRing at the end of the session and the start of the festive season to announce. In some stories, St. Nick with a hand-bell on his visits. The employer contribution in Italy, Befana, rings a bell, as the fireplace and in Hungary, the bells are rung to announce that the angel of the children were given gifts. Many songs use the bells as a metaphor for joy and hope, as in "Silver Bells," "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and "Jingle Bells."

Boxing Day

In Great Britain andmany countries of the Commonwealth, December 26, a public holiday known as Boxing Day. Since the Middle Ages it was the custom of the Christmas season for UK employees advice from people with whom the employer has to advertise the business. These suggestions were collected in boxes of clay that, when the day is named.

Candy Canes

The red and white striped bar known as the candy cane has its origin around 1670. The candy was invented as a means of resolvingThe children at Christmas time, the director of a choir of Cologne cathedral. The candies were made in the form of a shepherd hook. The shape of the hook was soon to hang on the tree, as was the custom of decorating the tree with candy.

Christmas

Songs were the songs that celebrates the birth of events started. The "word Carol said to dance are derived from a Greek word for circle. Over the years, both religious organizations and involvedforbidden to sing Christmas songs, depending on the religious teachings of the day. During the 17th century carols were sung by carolers of control "to beg in the Christmas period. After 1878, renewed the Church of England is the use of Christmas songs, which led to his popularity. The 20th century saw a continued interest in Christmas carols and a number of new religious and secular Christmas songs were written and became a favorite local festival.

Childremas

28. December is the time the feast of the Holy Innocents, recalling the killing of male babies in Bethlehem by King Herod. In many countries the day was a bad omen for a day. In England, no activity was conducted on that day. In Ireland, a new company was to start that day. Many sailors would not have been Dec. 28 sailing. The Aran Islands, no one was to be buried on that day. In Cornwall the day cleaning the death of one of your relatives would bring.

Christmas Crackers

A Christmas> New England from the people. The Christmas cracker is a small cardboard tube covered in decorative film. When pulled apart, the tube is a small explosive sound and the interior of toys and humorous with those reported. E 'was invented by a pastry chef in London who wanted a new season of Christmas, which would sell for. Originally with cakes later was filled with phrases funny or romantic and cheap prices from toys to expensive jewelry. It 's timea popular part of Christmas celebrations in homes around the world.

Department Store Santa

The first department store for a visit to Santa feature was JW Parkinson store in Philadelphia in 1841. Surprisingly, no other stores of this event until 1890, when a firm in Boston is copied repeatedly. It was not long lines of children in stores across America has created to sit on Santa's lap and tell him their Christmas wish list. The store was Santaimmortalized in such films as Miracle on 34th Street and the Christmas story.

Eggnog

This drink is named after an ancient tourist word for beer, "nog". It is drunk by the French lait de poule, eggs, milk and spices copied. American flavored with rum and nutmeg.

Elves

small creatures that are associated with Christmas as Santa Claus helpers at the North Pole. They were not always so friendly. They originated in ScandinaviaElves, which could be useful if corrupt, but if malicious insults, especially at Christmas. In Denmark, in his usual leave a bowl of milk for them. Elves begin with a more positive personality-driven 19th Century Christmas, take a drive to make Christmas more child-centered.

Adrenaline, Gaming & Call of Duty 4 - Modern Warfare 2

The synopsis of purchase Modern Warfare 2, the game is the action hero, action-packed feeling that the player experiences hiding from the realism, tactics, and all are part of the mission in this game. This game is the perfect choice for the people, enjoy the challenges of military strategy game in which the wealth that can be exposed. The exciting action-packed adrenaline rush of this innovative game is what players more excited and ready to The challenges of a new threat.

The three main ways, the game in single-mode Epic, Special co-op and multiplayer options Ops include all the frantic action as a player between the two plots intertwine and stick to pull this game until the end.

The online game Modern Warfare is multiplied by more in depth strategies and adjustment of benefits and rewards that motivate the players to achieve their goals. Playing this> Game on Xbox 360 puts you completely in the mode of action, action and strategies of the game and did not stop until you reach the highest level and at the end to eat the game.

It 'easy and secure way to buy this modern, innovative way warfare2 Internet, as this is faster and safer than an exciting game home delivery. The online game of Modern Warfare 2 is the same even if you offer many of the locationsSites, but with different missions and individual bonuses and weapons, fully immerse the player in the game's storyline.

The excitement and interest of all players make it the best-selling game of all time. Modern Warfare 2 on November 10 and ended more revenue in one day than any blockbuster.

The second map pack for Call of Duty 2 was launched on June 3 by ActivisionInfinity Ward for the Xbox 360 is the map pack contains five cards innovative revival.

Addictive game gives you the flexibility to locate, connect with your friends in your destinations and are by far the most fun filled action packed moments of your life. This game is filled with new ways to unravel, new missions and storylines engaging.

Can we really say that Modern Warfare 2, has managed to bring novelty and variety toGaming World and ends in satisfying the thirst of the players who want to explore new horizons.

Do Toilet Novelty Items Adorn Your Bathroom? Study Finds a Common Link to Bad Potty Training

Bathroom humor is a very popular concept of many colleges and single male bathrooms. Males seem to gravitate to this genre as a way to poke fun at one of the most important daily rituals that each and every person must go through. Toilet novelty items such as toilet tattoos, toilet paper with $100.00 bills or barbed wire imprinted on them are commonplace amongst the frat houses and bachelor pads across the country.

So what is it that draws an individual to adorn their bathroom with toilet brushes with the heads of past presidents or leopard skin padded toilet seats? Studies have found that this type of individual has deep seated issues stemming from negative experiences with potty training when younger. Yes, it has been proven that individual males who had difficult times graduating from the diaper to the potty, are more 87.2% more likely to use bathroom humor as a way to compensate for their failures in early childhood.

If we dissect the type of personality even further, we find that not only do they adorn their bathrooms with pictures of toilet seat clocks and light switch covers, they do so with pride. Their idea of normalcy in adding these types of bathroom decorations seem to promote a level of humor as a way to help the guest relax while they do their business.

In conclusion, if you know such a person that decorates their bathroom with toilet novelty items such as the ones mentioned above, you now know why they do so and can be more knowledgeable about their affliction.

High School Graduation Party Planning Made Easy

It's never too soon to begin making arrangements for the graduate's most memorable day. Below are listed a few ideas to get the party off to a good start.

Distribute novelty 2006 sunglasses for everyone to wear, with a decorative crown for the special graduate.

Invitations

Produce hand made invitations utilising graduation themes; books, diplomas, pens, gowns and mortarboards. The invitations can be rolled up in diploma style and tied with a ribbon.

Party Activities and Games

Beware of overdoing the activity planning as groups of young people love to gather together and simply chat. Here are a few non intrusive activities which aren't too regimented but keep the conversation alive.

* Ask guests to bring a plain white T-shirt for everyone to sign as a keepsake.

* Produce a 'time capsule' box to place some item relevant to their time at school containing memorabilia, personal items, 'in' jokes and notes. This can be opened years later for fond reminiscing.

*Collect photographs of the special graduate from crib to graduation day and assemble them on a large poster with funny captions for everyone to see.

* Throw water balloons.

* Knock down a Pinata

* Guess the teacher - stick a teacher's name on the back of every guest.The guest has to guess which teacher they are from clues acted out by the fellow guests.

*Improvise 'Pin the tail on the Donkey' to become 'Pin the Tail on the Teacher'. Attach a teacher's picture to a wall and then the "tail" can be any item of choice - mad hair, glasses, accessories, etc.

Eating and Drinking

Fork and finger food work well, as talking and socializing will be paramount. Miniature sombreros and nachos with a salsa should be on every table with nothing too difficult to carry and eat.

The ambience is all important and should be relaxed with conversation flowing and memories being made. Happy graduation

Novelty Number Plates - Display

Collectors and others who purchase novelty number plates usually have some kind of system for display. However, when one does not usually collect and receives a novelty license plate as a gift, look for advice on how and where to display them. Most novelty license plates have four elongated holes in them for attaching them to almost any surface with either screws or bolts.

Some public bars and restaurants have made interesting displays of novelty license plates, especially as a feature wall behind the bar. It seems that owners of some of these establishments do not entirely trust their clientele. In the US, novelty license plates are often displayed in a license plate frame, and attached with bullet head bolts, whereas in Australia, they are usually attached to a surface without any frame. The frames used most commonly in the US are silver, black or gold, but there may also be other colors.

In private homes there seems to be many different ways used - no way is really better than any other, as they usually suit the owner. The novelty license plates can be framed in either a standard frame or in some cases people use either clear or tinted number plate protectors to display the plates, particularly when they are mounted in places other then indoors. Some people simple hang the plates from a series of hooks on a veranda, and they blow about in the breeze. Other license plate displays indoors have a narrow shelf and the plates simply sit on them - they are not actually fastened.

It is becoming more common that people purchase "Design Your Own License Plates" with their own design and use them as signs. Some ideas that have been used include "PUMPROOM", "TOILET", "MUMS ROOM", "POOLROOM", "OUTHOUSE", or any wording that makes sense. These are usually screwed onto the door or onto the space above the door. The wording is only limited by the imagination and copyright laws.

Some have glued the plates to flat surfaces using products like "Liquid Nails" and other similar products, but it will be difficult to remove the novelty license plate without damage should that need to occur later.

Acquiring a novelty license plate is relatively easy and so is the displaying - it is not rocket science, generally bolt with a frame, or screw into a flat solid surface where it can be admired.

Good lighting is recommended in the place where the display is located.

Novelty number plates are made from steel and the paintwork is usually designed to survive outdoors for at least five years - so give them a go anywhere!

Beating Distraction - Five Ways to Make Your Computer Disappear

Do you remember when owning a computer was a novelty? Few of your neighbors had one, and they were very expensive. Being a computer owner was like being a member of an elite club. Nothing lent an air of up-to-date sophistication like computer ownership. Those were heady days, with more time spent on configuration and learning DOS commands than actually using the computer in a productive way.

That excitement was good. Most of us learned how to do things, not because we needed to, but simply because we could, because it was there. You could be a User, or better yet, you could be a Power User! The major difference between the two is that while the Power User knew everything about how to run a program, the User actually ran it.

At some point, the novelty needs to wear off enough that you can actually sit at your computer, and work, without being distracted by all the "things it can do". I am convinced that the most productive computer users are the ones who need to be shown how to do things-they learn what they need to know, and then get to work! These users get a lot done, but they really need us Power Users to get them through rough spots. As a Power User, I see myself as having a critical role in my place of employment. Often my biggest contributions are made by helping others do a better job by teaching them shortcuts, or showing them a better way. Sometimes I seem to waste time because I cannot run a program without finding out all that it can do. What I've learned is that it is only a waste of time if I keep my learning to myself-as I share with other workers I am actually doing my job!

What about when you really have to get something done? Here are five ways to make your computer "disappear":

Manage your workspace Rearrange your office or your desk so that the computer screen is not the main focal point. All too often we arrange things so that working on the computer is the default position. If you have enough room, keep the main part of your desk clear, even if it means moving your monitor out of the way when you don't need to look at it.
Work with an uncluttered screen Whether you use Windows, OSX, or Linux, there is a lot of eye-candy on today's desktops. Turn off the widgets and the special effects. Set your background to a simple colour rather than an inspiring photo or fancy graphic. It is also a good idea to remove as many shortcuts from your desktop as possible, especially shortcuts for games or social-networking sites. Clean up and minimize program menus and toolbars. The "ribbon" menu in Microsoft Word 2007 is really cool, but it also screams "look at me! see what I can do! Click me!" If you are not working on formatting, hide the ribbon and just write!
Focus on content instead of presentation With all the power of productivity software, there is always the temptation to format "on the fly." Sometimes it is best to choose a simple font, like Courier, tell yourself that you will make it look pretty after the writing is done, and focus only on the real task, which is to deal with the content.
Try using paper and pencil Computers make it too easy to fix mistakes, so when we write we are constantly editing and proofreading at the same time. Working with pencil and paper is helpful because editing is more difficult. The end result is that the flow of ideas often suffers from fewer interruptions when writing by hand.
Get excited about your work If you are like me, the sheer joy of working with computer technology may never completely wear off. Frankly, I would not want it to! However, if I am faced with the choice between playing with the computer (which I love to do) or doing some work that I really do not enjoy, the playing will win out every time. Look for reasons to get more into your content work and you will discover that the distracting power of your computer will no longer rule you.

Boys and Their Toys

The way around these problems are to find things which can enhance the activities which they already like to take part in, so if they like to watch television with a cold beer, why not get them a frosty mug which will keep their beer cold and undiluted? Alternatively, novelty mugs always go down a storm so choose from groovy dad, Mr. grumpy or a mug which will stir his tea, coffee or hot chocolate automatically, at the touch of a button. If you can't tear him away from the television to go and have some fun then take the fun to him with an electronic Sudoku game, an old school Rubik's cube or even a belly button brush and if he spends more time in the bathroom than he does in front of the television, there are some great novelty rubber ducks, games to play while you're on the toilet and celebrity bubble bath to make him feel extra special.

Boys love their toys and men are no different, buying them something silly that takes them back to their childhood is a sure fire way to make the man in your life feel like he's still young, hence the birth of the executive toy market. Just because the man you're buying for has a smart office job, doesn't mean you have to buy him something boring like a tie, there are thousands of options available that won't shatter that professional image but will keep him entertained at work. From a rubber band shooter to a desk top juke box and you can even keep that beer belly at bay with an exercise kit to use at his desk.

If the man in your life is the outdoors type, it's almost guaranteed that going to the park reminds him of being a kid again and tending to a barbeque makes him feel like a 'real man' and there are plenty of gadgets for men and boys toys that will keep them happy for hours, in either situation. From remote controlled cars, aeroplanes and helicopters to a barbeque sword, novelty apron or inflatable and portable beer cooler, look out for something he'll love.

With so much choice around for boys toys, there's really no excuse to be stuck for what to get him and don't forget that the latest gadgets for men always go down a storm when the lads get together.

Zelda Twilight Princess

Zelda Twilight Princess is the latest game in the Legend of Zelda series by Nintendo, and was released on the Wii and the Gamecube in late 2007. For those that have never Zelda Twilight Princess or indeed any Zelda game, the series was originally a 2D action-adventure game where you play a young boy named Link who must go on an epic quest to save the Princess Zelda and vanquish Ganon. When The Ocarina of Time game was released on the N64, the series adopted a 3D approach and the series was revolutionised. The Twilight Princess plays off of this approach perfectly, and it is the best looking Zelda game to date. It's realistic graphics and gritty content make it the first Zleda game ever to receive a 'T' rating, as it's a move away from the cartoon world of previous games.

One of the new additions to The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess is the ability to transform into a wolf and enter the Dark World, which truly adds a new dimension to the game.

One of the main criticisms of the Wii version of Zelda Twilight Princess is with the controls - holding a Wiimote upright for long periods of time is tiring on your arm, and can become annoying. That's part of the reason why many people actually rate the Gamecube version of the game more highly than the Wii version. While it is fun at first to use the Wiimote as a sword, and to hack and slash your way past enemies, the novelty quickly wears off and you're left wishing you could just relax with a regular controller. That being said, using the controller to aim and fire arrows is an absolute joy and something I'll never get tired of. The rumble in the controller makes the feeling of using a bow and arrow quite realistic, as you're given a sharp jolt after firing to represent the recoil.

Wii Game Rental

Renting games online makes a compelling argument these days. Renting Wii games in particular seems like the smart thing to do. Wii games appeal to the family gaming crowd, which means that at least half the participants are children. Kids will love a new toy / game / movie to death during the initial novelty phase. I know mine would watch Shrek ten times a day when it first came out if I let them. So, why spend $60 on the latest game for your Wii, when half the players will be bored with it after a few days.

This is where Wii game rentals come in. Renting games online is an idea whose time has come. It's convenient, cheaper, and doesn't clutter your house with boxes of old games waiting to be sold on eBay. There are a number of other good reasons to rent games online. Home delivery, large selection, and less expensive are a few that come to mind.

Here's another. Very few computer games these days offer what is known as replay ability. Meaning, that once you played a game from beginning to end, there's not much point in ever playing it again. We rent movies all the time for this very reason. Many do apply this very thinking to video games. If you happen to come across a game that is worth keeping and playing over and over, then go ahead and buy it. Most online rental companies allow you to just buy a game you have rented out, and often at a price $10-$20 lower than the retail stores.

If your unsure about signing up, take a test drive, with a free trial. Pretty much all companies offer it. It let's you see the whole process first hand, at no cost. Then you can decide for yourself.

Train Horn for Truck to impress

If you make an impression when playing the horn, then add a truck train horn for your truck or car. There are many new horns on the market, some of which song to play single notes or full choir. But if you try to attract attention or if you want to know the people around you, then addition of a train horn on the truck of your car is the way to do it.

There are a lot of people with a large truck, some with dual rear wheels. Youtakes up little space on the road, making a great impression. want to go forward with the size of trucks, most people with a great sound great on the big truck, it makes a great way to add multiple horns. One of the all time favorite is a train horns for trucks, blow you as you move down the street or are simply being known.

Even some of the new, smaller vehicle to get a high gas mileage and are environmentally friendly to the environment of adding differentTypes of horns on their vehicles. It 's really a good idea if you drive around for a very small car, with all the large vehicles sharing the highway will be added for a big sound out loud, your presence. You would not want to bring one of the larger trucks to run, so that a horn that sounds like a train would be a good way to attract attention and stop people from running have been exhausted.

Motion would be another vehicle, the benefit would bea great sound. A train horns for trucks on a motorcycle drew attention and people around you aware of your presence. If someone pulls in front of you, while the bike is all you need to do, you horn blast and think that they would shoot in front of a train.

Whatever your vehicle size may be a horn that sounds like a train coming is a good way to be safe even in the streets. When people hear thatunmistakable sound of a train horns for trucks, they know they are aware of and approach with caution. So go ahead and add a new sound now like a train horn for your car.

Starbucks Franchises and Other Coffee Franchise Opportunities

Starbucks: in only thirty-eight years, this name has become almost synonymous with coffee. With over 15,000 stores and 172,000 employees bringing in over $9 billion around the world each year, it doesn't take a business analyst to figure out why.

Started in Seattle, WA, at the world-famous Pike Place Market, the operation started with nothing more than a storefront, some coffee beans, and a commitment to a few simple business practices: treating guests as people, treating employees as people, treating bean farmers as people, and serving a darn good cup of coffee. That was 1971, and in 2009, not a whole lot has changed. Obviously size has changed, and because of their profound growth, the company has seen some times of lapse from their original mission, but many of these seasonal trends pass with time. For the most part, they are still faithful to the people they employ, the people they buy from, and the people they serve. There is little doubt as to why they remain the industry leader.

Despite their efforts to hold true to serving their customers well, however, the people Starbucks serve do not always return the favor. In fact, from personal experience, I would venture to say that many a once faithful Starbucks customer has turned away from the corporation since they have become the far dominant force in the coffee industry, a status that we Americans like to call being "the man." Particularly since the company offers no franchising, everything about each independent location is anything but independent. Not only is Starbucks that market giant that the rebellious American spirit loves to hate, but they've automated and regulated everything about their coffee-making that once was such an art. Though it makes business far more convenient for both the company and the average guest, coffee connoisseurs are not amused.

But what in cappuccino's name does any of that mean to an aspiring franchiser? There is no Starbucks franchising, so you can't snatch a piece of their gigantic pie, but working in the shadow of a giant means that the crumbs that fall off that pie and into your hands are equally mammoth. What Starbucks loses, the smaller coffee franchise gains. With coffee-lovers and brand-name-hating freedom-fighters turning against the powerful, yet artless coffee establishment, the market is ripe for creative, alternative coffee shops to step in and meet the addiction, I mean, need.

With that said, there are a host of coffee and espresso franchises already making it in the market that you can get in on. Some are essentially like everybody else: a good business, but nothing out of the ordinary. Others, however, have earned the right to pick up Starbucks' losses by their ingenious designs, menus, and business models.

High Point Coffee is one such franchise. What sets this company apart is their dedication to individuality. Connecting franchisees to all kinds of third-party resources, this franchisor hands off everything necessary to start and sustain a great business opportunity without requiring the use of their name, which is perfect for the customer who despises "the man."

Quickly expanding across the US, Sertinos Cafe seems at first to be an ordinary coffee shop like any other. But upon closer inspection, you find it has something that everyone else, including Starbucks, wishes they had: ambiance. Just one look inside a Sertinos Cafe location makes you want to set up shop in one of their massive, cushy chairs and stay for hours, like it was your own living room.

Thanks to Starbucks, everyone has become accustomed to African and South American coffees, but isn't coffee made anywhere else in the world? In fact it is, and Maui Wowi Mawaiian Coffees & Smoothies proves it with coffee straight from the fiftieth state of the union. And if that's not original enough for you, a smoothie with your coffee has to be. Either way you go, novelty is the name of the game with this one. And if novelty is the game you like to play when you start a new café franchise, no one comes close to the gleeful oddity that is Muddy Paw Wash & Coffee Bar. If you're thinking that that sounds like a dog wash, you're right. I guarantee that there is no other franchise you could own that combines dog-washing and coffee-drinking, so this is the option for anyone who likes coffee, dogs, and doing things a little differently.

There are really a host of franchise opportunities in the coffee business. They may never compete with Starbucks, but they never really intended to. Their intent is to be profitable for franchisee and franchisor, get new people into business for themselves, and serve the people who are tired of the same old Starbucks experience. If you are interested in all that, then a coffee franchise may be perfect for you.

5 Great Christmas Suggestions For Video Game Presents

One of the hottest items this year for kids will be video games. With new more interactive consoles and a more computer literate generation of children the video game genre has expanded beyond just older boy to include both boys and girls of all ages. Video game companies have done this by providing games to appeal to different people's interests. As you look for games for your younger children here are some tips to help you choose for your younger kids as well.

An important thing to consider is the rating for the game. Just like how you make sure that you monitor what your children watch on TV or at the Movie theater, you need to look for games that are age appropriate and not to extreme or violent. A great system to look to that has games like this is the Nintendo Wii. It has a lot of child friendly games such as Wii Sports or the iconic Mario brothers games that are fun, challenging, and not too violent or have graphic images. The other systems such as PS3 and XBOX 360 have some good offering as well. Just make sure to research what age appropriate games they offer.

Another big video game favorite are handhelds. These are games that can be played on portable systems. The technology on handheld video games have advanced to the point of them becoming smaller versions of full consoles. If your child already has a PSP or Gameboy DS a good idea is to pay attention to new game releases or ask what games their friends are playing. This will be a great indicator of what your kids want.

Another thing to be aware of is the wide range of games available for both boys and girls. For boys there are the traditional fighting and adventure games. However a growing genre of girls video games have started to emerge. They are based of popular toy franchise such as Barbie and popular girls TV shows such as Hannah Montana and Sunny with a Chance. So if you are looking for something that will be popular with the girls in your family then this is definitely the way to go.

Then there are group games. These are party games that can be played by more than one person. These are great for families looking for games that everyone can play together. There are a lot of games that fit this bill such as Dance Dance Revolution and Rock Band. These are games where people match dance steps, or notes in competition or as group. Multiplayer games also fall under this category. Try to look for fun age appropriate games such as racing that all your children can play together.

On top of this if your kids are still young enough to believe in Santa there are extra thing you can do with presents to make things more special. One is stocking stuffers. For the gamers in your family you can make memory cards and other console accessories as great stocking stuffers. Another thing is to include a letter from Santa. This is for your kids who wrote a letter with their present request. There are actually some good online store that can deliver the letter for you. All you have to do is create the letter online and order it.

Some Ideas For Teaching Autistic Children

Teaching children is a difficult enough endeavor on its own. Throw in an autistic child with learning disabilities, and the task can seem overwhelming. However, the task is not impossible. By following some simple guidelines, you may be able to see a marked improvement. Whether you're a parent home schooling your child or a teacher with an autistic student in your class, these tips should prove helpful.

The first thing you may want to keep in mind is that autistic children are generally very dependent upon routine. Rather than fighting this, it is a good idea to incorporate it into the learning process. In a classroom setting, routine is already well established, but it can be more difficult in a home setting. The key, though, is to stick to a schedule, and to not deviate based on convenience or other factors whenever possible.

It can also be beneficial for an autistic child to learn in an environment that is as simple and uncomplicated as possible. Autistic children are easily over-stimulated, too many decorations or visual aides can serve to be a major distraction from the lesson being taught. An area free from distractions, loud noises and bright lights is what you should be aiming for.

Another interesting idea is to incorporate multiple methods of delivery into your teaching lessons. While many children respond differently to different mediums, this difference is much more distinctive in autistic children. They may respond best to visual images, so incorporating simple illustrations or symbols that represent learning concepts can be a valuable teaching tactic. Experiment to find the method of delivery that is easiest for them to learn from.

Offering an autistic child a choice is another great way to get them involved in the learning process. Rather than presenting a child with an answer and asking him or her to figure out if it is correct or incorrect, present a series of options and let the child choose the option that seems best to him or her. This is a great way to create an interactive teaching environment, and to stimulate thought and cognitive response from a child. It is also a good way for them to feel more in control, lessening the chance of a frustration outburst or negative associations with a particular lesson or idea.

A key point to remember is autistic children are extremely resistant to changes in their environment. Because of this, you should meet their expectations whenever you can. Introduce new ideas gradually. Introduce new learning methods when the child is having a good day or is in a positive mood. Adhere to routine as much as possible, as this is what your child expects and desires, and what will facilitate the most effective learning environment.

It's true that teaching an autistic child can be difficult. But it is not impossible. It takes a little hard work, a little patience, and significant understanding of the needs of the child and the teaching methods and strategies that will be most beneficial to them. If you follow these simple guidelines, you'll have a great start on teaching autistic children effectively.

5 Proven Techniques To Quickly Earn World Of Warcraft Gold

There are many guides on how to quickly earn World of Warcraft gold. But if you know your game, you'd immediately see that most of them are crap. Imagine, a good number of them promise to make you a millionaire - at least in the world of Azeroth - but once you start reading what they have to offer, you'd just encounter things that you've already known since you were killing thunder lizards in the Barrens.

And you start to wonder...

Is there, really, a fast but legal way to earn World of Warcraft gold?

The answer is a resounding yes!

You've seen World of Warcraft players who can afford epics at level 35. You've seen World of Warcraft players who can buy a mount as soon as they reach 40. You've seen World of Warcraft players who can level up their professions to 300 even before they reach 37. And you've seen World of Warcraft players who can afford to respect daily, yes, DAILY, as in every single day the Lord has made!

The truth is, there are many, many ways by which the game can be exploited. Some of these strategies are things that those Blizzard folks overlooked. Are they illegal? Are they "black hat?" Most definitely not! It's not our fault that the programmers have yet to fix them, right?

So allow me to share with you a secret.

Actually, allow me to share with you five secrets... five proven tactics that will help you earn a lot of World of Warcraft gold even before you reach level 10!

Ready?

1. You start as a penniless level 1. Go grind, while leveling up at the same time. Avoid spending on anything but the necessary training. Your immediate goal is to earn 50 silvers. Once you have 50 silvers, go to Ironforge and look for Outfitter Eric. Just ask any of the guards where the tailor is, and Outfitter Eric should be in the said vicinity. You will buy the pattern for Tuxedo Jacket. Tuxedo Jackets are popular novelty items in the game, and every tailor would want to learn how to make one. The problem is, not every tailor knows where to buy the pattern. Most of them think that it's a rare drop. But not you! Buy the pattern for 50s, then sell it for 2 to 3g! That's an immediate 400% to 600% profit! Rinse and repeat!

2. Using the method above, you can proceed with the other patterns of the Tuxedo set, all of which can purchase from Outfitter Eric. The pattern for Tuxedo Pants can be sold for 2 to 3g. The pattern for Tuxedo Short is a little cheaper, but will still yield quite a profit per sale!

3. Once you have amassed around 20g, it's time to play the market. Download a mod entitled Auctioneer. There's one at warcraftwarzone.com. With this mod, you can survey the auction house. You can see the average selling price for items, and more importantly, you can pinpoint which item is being sold at lower the average selling price. Auctioneer is the secret of gold farmers and rich WoW players. Buy low and sell high. It's fun, it's easy, and it's 100% profitable! You need initial capital of course, but by following the previous 2 steps, you'd be good to go.

4. Train to be an enchanter. Download the Enchantrix add on from warcraftwarzone.com. Now use auctioneer to survey the AH for green items being sold at low, low prices. Then use Enchantrix to see what these items will disenchant to. Compare. Are the disenchanted materials worth more than the cost for the items? Often, the difference is worth its weight in gold, literally speaking!

5. The humanoids you will battle from level 1 to 15 will drop Linen Cloth. Linen Cloth may seem like a common item, but it's not. You can sell a stack of 20 for as much as 50s, depending on your server's economy. Why so high? It's because higher leveled World of Warcraft players need Linen Cloth for rep points, and they're too lazy to grind for the same. Also, other low level players need Linen Cloth as well: tailors for bolts of cloth and others for bandages. So collect as much Linen Cloth as you can. Grind for them if you must. Then sell for a lot of profit. You can easily get 5 to 7 stacks of Linen Cloth within an hour.

These are just a few of the tricks for fast World of Warcraft gold. They're meant for low level characters at that. There are hundreds of other techniques to earn tons and tons of World of Warcraft gold.

Games - Murder Mystery Games

You're gathered in a room with about a dozen or so people. Your host enters, welcomes you and tells you that by the end of this evening, one of you will be guilty of a murder. Welcome to the world of the murder mystery game. If you've never had the pleasure of participating in one of these things then you really don't know what you're missing. Hosting murder mysteries has been a big thing all over the world for over 30 years now. Hopefully, after reading this, you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect should you ever get invited to one.

Ah, yes. The invitation. That's where murder mystery games start, with the invite. Normally you'll received a very fancy looking envelope in the mail. When you open it, you'll read something like, "You are cordially invited to attend a murder mystery at.. ." and then you'll be given the address, date and time and the name of the person hosting it. Normally about a dozen or so invitations will go out, depending on how elaborate the mystery is. Sometimes these will be hosted at somebody's home but many times they are hosted at hotels or even on boats. Yes, a lot of work goes into these games.

But where exactly do the games come from? Well, many of them are actually pre packaged and bought from novelty game stores. These games are usually very expensive, though cheaper ones can be found. But you do get what you pay for. The more expensive games are very elaborate and very entertaining. However, some people, if they are really creative, will actually create a murder mystery themselves. This is where the fun really comes in because if you've played enough of these games, eventually you'll be invited to one that you've already done and will know the outcome in advance. With a homemade game, it truly does become a mystery.

The games are actually very simple. When you arrive, you're given a character to play. Sometimes your character is actually specified in the invitation. You're not expected to know any dialogue. The only thing you need to do is observe. There will be people at the party who are actually hired actors. These actors will play out the parts of those who will be giving you clues throughout the evening as to who the murderer is, once the actual murder is committed. This could be right away or not for several hours. The length of these games is not predetermined as the object is for one of the "real" guests to figure out who the "murderer" is among the "hired" guests. This is where you better put your Sherlock Holmes cap on and do some serious thinking. Some of these games can be quite difficult.

While not as popular as they were when they first came out about 30 or so years ago, murder mystery nights are still around. You can usually find one advertised in your local paper. Most of them today are held in hotels or boats. Not as many "regular" people put these on as in the early days as the thrill has died down a bit. But if you look hard enough, you can still get into the action. It will definitely be a night you won't soon forget.

1988 Jamaican Bobsled Team - The Indomitable Olympian Spirit

The first Bobsleigh team from Jamaica created history when they appeared at the Winter Olympics games. This was in the 1988 Olympics which were held in Calgary, Canada. The Jamaicans shocked the world and most persons were fascinated with the novelty of the team participating, many persons laughed.

But after their first crack at the Olympic glory they warmed and captured the hearts of persons worldwide. It was even celebrated as Walt Disney did a movie called "Cool Runnings" which further add to the teams rise to fame.

The Jamaicans appearance at the games started when two Americans started with this idea to form a bobsled team. They figured that this sport had a fast start and since Jamaica produces a lot of talented sprinters it could be a success.

The sprinters were not keen on this idea and could not be convinced to try this sport that required them to add their speed to ice. These optimistic gentlemen did not give up the idea and they approached the Jamaica Defense Force with the hope of recruiting some volunteers.

This was where they had more success and was able to form a four man team. The first team members for the Jamaica bobsled were Devon Harris, Dudley Stokes, Michael White and Samuel Clayton. The selection took place in 1987 and they started the initial training on the island.

You could see these strong young men practicing at the military base on flat concrete and using make shift sleds; this was a far stretch from the ice. But they pushed on and through hard training, poor equipment and struggles they made it to the Olympics. The brother of Dudley Stokes was added to the team later on, his name was Chris Stokes.

The 1988 Winter Olympics was a test of their determination as they were injuries, crashes and technical difficulties. But they headed to the next Olympics in 1992 a more improved, confident and focused team and was placed fourteenth. This shocked the world as they had beaten some of the top teams such as Russian, United States, Italy and France.

They did not stop here and with a two man team some years later they placed tenth and beat the national champions from Sweden in the process. From all of this they went on to other Olympics and started to bring home medals, the Jamaican bobsled team is now a mainstay at the Olympics.

The team has continued over the years with different members but with the same spirit. They have entered in many events and have continued to do well and inspire persons all over the world.

The team now includes persons such as Winston Watt, Mark Hill, Garnet Jones, Lascelles Brown, Clive McDonald and Stewart Maxwell. There is even a women team with Winsome Cole, Porscha Morgan, Dukelyn Barrett and Taniesha Lclean.

The Jamaicans who first formed this bobsled team has managed to inspire and create new interest in the sport on the island. One could not blame the skeptics because when you really think about, what a tropical island is doing with a bobsled team competing on ice. But they did and have chanted new course and encourages persons strive for excellence.

Novelty Sunglasses - Beyond People's Imagination

Sunglasses are mainly used as decorating articles in summer, though some of them are also used for vision correction. Therefore, sun wear are more widely used as accessories other than glasses- wearers tend to match them with other decorating accessories, like necklace, outfit, shoes and so on. However, sunglasses in ordinary designs can not really satisfy those wearers who always posses curiosity to fashion and sunglasses. And sunglasses in novel designs are urgently needed for them. Consequently, the emergence of novelty sunglasses has really satisfied them. Moreover, there is a trend that sunglasses in novelty are loved by more and more stylish and trendy people.

Novelty sun shades are usually manufactured in designs that are out of people's imagination. Ordinary sunglasses are relatively limited to some models- the frames and the lenses are usually in certain shapes or designs, like rectangle, oval, round, square, or heart. Or the colors are symmetrically tinted on each side of frames and lenses. However, novel sun wear can be designed like anything that people can or can not imagine. For example, the lens shape can be like hands, like mask, like guitar, like $, like fruit, and so on. The colors can be tinted on any parts of the sun wear- no principles are followed. In other words, novel sun shades are made in much more natural and untraditional designs and styles- this may better explain what novelty is.

Novel sunglasses can be used on different occasions. Now that novelty sun wear are mainly used as accessories, they are doubtless the best options for people who often participate in some special parities, like wedding parties, costume party, etc. in such situations, wearers will always become the focus of the public. These sun wear with novelty can also be used while people walking or idling in the crowd- this can really highlight wearers' personal tastes and make them unique to look at.

These sunglass wears can also be used when people stay alone- wearers can enjoy some sort of tranquility and enjoy what they love most with these sun glasses. In other occasions when people playing games, novel sun shades are also ideal options- they will not only make wearers cool and personalized to look at, but also offer great vision protection.

Of course, novel sun glasses are now can be afforded by almost all trendy people, no matter how much they earn. Especially, they are sold at wholesale price by many online vendors. To be simple, they can be purchased with little money. In a word, novelty sunglasses are some of the best alternatives for all trendy people who want to be unique. Want a pair? Just take action.

Golf Balls Provide a Multitude of Choices

Golf Balls were once wooden, and the game of golf was a short range game played on links. The development of 'featheries', a 17th century ball of goose feathers stuffed in a leather pouch allowed for our modern concept of the 'long-game' to develop - featheries flew further when struck.  In the mid eighteen hundreds the guttie ball replaced the featherie. Made from the rubber like sap of the Sapodilla tree, a guttie not only flew farther, but its flight was truer. The guttie balls also had small surface imperfections that improved the aerodynamics and led to our modern dimpled balls.

Golf ball technology continues to evolve and today's golfers have a multitude of choice. Any type of ball for any level of golfer. Regulation balls for approved play, short flight practice balls, whiffle balls, novelty balls and RFID Transponder balls which are useful on a driving range transmitting data including the distance and accuracy of your target shooting. You can also get used and recycled balls which have been graded for quality.. And for the golfer that enjoys a bit of tom-foolery, you can find exploding balls, trick balls and novelty golf balls as well.

Choosing the right golf balls is part science and part personal preference. Golf balls today fall into two basic categories - balls for amateur or recreational players (those with low swing speed) and balls for the physically strong player (with a higher swing speed). It is important to choose the right ball for your playing ability because the level of compression, the firmness of the core and the number of layers in the ball will all effect spin rates and distance. Have your swing tested for speed at your local driving range, then armed with this information you can choose the proper ball type and style for your golf game. Color can be a factor in your choice - will you choose traditional white, or a high visibility color ball?

Golf balls are the smallest pieces of your equipment, next to the tee, but there is no single choice you can make that will have more impact on your game.  Using the right ball will mean truer flight, better targeting, and greater distance for your game.