A dentist visit can prevent small problems from becoming large problems. Image credit: Peter Skadberg, sxc.hu/profile/plex
This is a little embarrassing, but I used to think people only went for a dentist visit if they were experiencing tooth pain. I had no idea anyone ever went for a dentist visit just to have their teeth cleaned. I mean, what was all that brushing for then?
Why Schedule a Routine Dentist Visit?
Brushing and flossing are great, but for a deep clean you need a dentist visit. The dental hygienist will scrape off all the plaque and tartar that has built up on your teeth. No matter how good you brush and floss, you will have some build up that you can’t reach without dental tools.
According to the American Dental Association, your dentist will also check your mouth for signs of oral cancer, tooth decay, and gum disease. It’s better to prevent these serious complications than try to cure them.
Looking for an easy, filling meal you can make with the hamburger in your freezer? One super easy meal is chili. Chili is great because you can cook it for dinner and warm up the left-overs for lunch the next day. So, it’s not just an easy meal, it’s a money saver!
Here is an easy chili recipe that anyone can make.
Telephone etiquette isn't just for your grandparents' generation.
We all use the telephone. We use it for work and in our personal lives. Whether you are using a land line or cell phone, basic telephone etiquette should always be used. Proper telephone etiquette makes you and your employer sound professional.
Telephone Etiquette When Answering a Call
Personal Telephone:
“Hello.”
That’s all you need to say. Just “hello” and then wait for the caller to speak. It is no longer proper telephone etiquette to announce your name when someone calls your home telephone. Announcing your name can actually be dangerous. You should never volunteer information over the phone until you are certain of who the caller is.
Business Telephone: If you are the receptionist, you should say:
“Good morning/afternoon, XXX Company. How may I direct your call?”
Surprisingly, many people don’t know how to load a dishwasher. Oh, sure, they know to toss the dirty dishes in and turn it on. However, people are often surprised that dishes should be rinsed off before being loaded. Dishes should also be loaded a certain way so that everything comes out clean.
Watch the video below to see how I load a dishwasher.
Here’s a post on Start Cooking: How to Load a Dishwasher. Kathy really explains the details and has some great advice, so make sure you check it out. I really love that she agrees with me on loading forks and knives into a dishwasher pointy side down. I don’t think I could do a better job of writing a detailed guide about how to load a dishwasher.
The most important aspect of financial planning is learning how to budget.
This may sound complicated, but learning how to budget is actually simple. In fact, I’ve created a simple budget worksheet for you. All you have to do is fill in the blanks. Download the Monthly Budget Worksheet.
Watch the following video as it teaches you how to budget, using the free Monthly Budget Worksheet.
Email netiquette is important in both your professional and private life.
Email is a daily part of most people’s lives. Email netiquette can be different from everyday etiquette or even everyday writing.
These email netiquette rules will help you effectively communicate through email without causing offense.
Email Subject Line: Do not leave the email subject line blank. The subject line is very helpful if the email recipient has to dig through old emails to find something.
Chain Letters: Do not forward chain letters. If you think your friend would enjoy a joke, you can forward it, but do this sparingly.
Learn how to write a resume in order to improve your job hunting skills. Writing a resume is a bit of an art form. There are a few different formats you can use to write a resume and an endless list of items you could include.
When it comes to resume writing, go with substance over flash. While your resume should be easy on the eyes, its real purpose is to showcase your skills and work history.
Watch the video below for resume writing tips.
Highlights from the video, “Tips for Writing a Resume”
One of the most important things to learn about the internet is how to search efficiently. Google is the leading search engine in the United States. Learn how to search Google and you can find anything you could possibly want to read about or learn.
There are some tricks you can learn that will allow you to search Google much more efficiently. If you don’t know how to search Google efficiently, you could find yourself wasting time wallowing through tons of websites instead of reading the content you need.
Here are the highlights from the above video, “How to Search Google : Simple Tricks”.
Use quotation marks to tell Google you want to search for that exact phrase
Use the + sign to add another keyword and further refine your search
If you are unsure which keyword would be best, you can use OR to search Google for them all
Use the – sign to remove certain keywords or sites from the Google search results (example. -.org would remove all .org websites from your Google search results)
If you are the recipient of a service, you need to know how much to tip. Service providers often rely on tips, so make sure you give them their fair share.
I went straight to the Etiquette Experts at The Emily Post Institute to find out which common services deserve a tip and how much to tip for each:
Wait service (sit down style) – Emily says to Tip 15-20% of your pre-tax bill
Honestly, I would just take the total amount, including tax. It’s much easier to figure that way and it’s likely not much more. Personally, I usually over tip, especially if the server has been especially pleasant. It’s a hard job and they deserve the tips they get.
There are a few food items that all households should keep in the cabinets or fridge. These are the items that are commonly called for in recipes or items that are eaten frequently. Often, you will hear these foods referred to as “staples”. As long as you have these food items on hand, you will be able to cook almost any boxed meal out there.
Milk and Bread: Two Staples
Milk
Eggs
Bread
Oil
Butter or Margarine
Salt and Pepper
Sugar
In addition to these “staples”, I suggest every household also keeps the following foods in stock:
Frozen chicken – Baked chicken is insanely easy to make. As long as the chicken is dethawed the night before, you have a simple dinner.
Hamburger meat – I love my hamburger meat. Most of the meals I cook involve hamburger meat. It’s relatively inexpensive and extremely versatile.
Apples and Bananas – These serve as quick and healthy snacks. You can also create some easy (and not so healthy) deserts with these fruits.
Canned vegetables – Nuke these vegetables in the microwave for 1 minutes and you have a quick side dish to go along with your easy baked chicken.
Do you have any suggestions for this list? Leave a comment with your list of “must have food staples”.
