How much to tip is one of those questions that is often asked…especially before heading out on vacation. I thought I’d do the research for you as you prepare for your summer vacation.

Travel Tipping

• Porter $1.00 per bag
• Valet $2.00-5.00 when car is returned
• Taxi 15-20% of the fare
• Shuttle $2.00 per person
• Bellhop $2.00 first bag $1.00 each additional bag
• Housekeeping $2.00 per day
• Tour guide $1.00-2.00

Cruise Tipping

Be aware of your cruise line’s tipping policy. Some lines charge your room card with the tips for cabin stewards and waiters automatically. Some cruise lines discourage tipping. Always feel free to add to your tips for exceptional service.

• Cabin steward $3.50-4.00 a day
• Waiter $3.50-$4.00 a day
• Assistant Waiter $1.50-2.00 a day
•  Maitre d’ $5.00-10.00 per cruise
• Bartenders and deck stewards 10-15% of the bill

General Tipping

• Salon/Spa 15-20% of the bill
• Restaurants 15% of the bill
• Animal Groomers 15-20% of the bill

I hope that helps you and gives you some ideas of how much money you will be spending on tips while you travel this summer.

Do you have any topics you’d like me to cover in my Tuesday Tips column? Leave me a comment below and let me know how I can help you!

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via photoxpress

Today’s tips on how to include fitness into your daily routine come from Wellspring Camps. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. Everyone benefits from exercise, regardless of age, sex or physical ability.

Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance which can also be achieved by using the best testosterone booster. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.

Try the following tips to stay in motion while at work and school. According to the experts, just walking and counting your steps can result in hundreds of calories burned.

• Record steps per day on a calendar posted at your desk
• Seek parking spots and further away from destinations
• Walk to lunch destinations whenever possible
• Make a game out of guessing the number of steps it takes to go from one place to another

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From Robin Miller’s Kitchen to Yours

Simple Time-Saving Tips for Fast, Easy and Delicious Home-Cooked Meals

Dinnertime can be quite a stressful time. With busy schedules, it can seem impossible to sit down with your loved ones at the kitchen table to enjoy a simple, satisfying meal. That’s why Robin Miller, chef, nutritionist and Food Network, is sharing her time-saving tips and strategies to help “spring ahead” in meal prep time and get a home-cooked, delicious dinner on the table super fast.

Five or Fewer

Always try making meals with five ingredients or less. Not only will this save time and simplify planning, but it will also save money. For example, take Tyson® BBQ Brisket with Mild Chili Sauce, cheddar cheese, green chilies, salsa and flour tortillas for delicious Brisket Quesadillas. With only five ingredients, you’ve made a perfect dinner!

Designate a Day

Meal planning should start long before stepping into the kitchen. Designate different days to help prepare for each weeknight meal. Make a weeknight evening or early Saturday morning supermarket shopping day, and make Sunday a prep day to pre-chop ingredients for meals during the week. Even with only 30 minutes per day, the payoff of prep time is worthwhile, especially during a super busy week.

“Spring Clean” Your Shelves:

Keeping shelves organized in the pantry and fridge is key to creating fast, home-cooked meals. Take any unwanted or expired items and replace them with ingredients that can be kept on hand for a long period of time. Store canned beans and veggies, a variety of nuts and boxed rice on pantry shelves. Stock fridge shelves with condiments and garnishes (olives, prepared horseradish, hot sauce, etc.), cheeses and recipe ready protein like Tyson Fully Cooked Heat ‘N Eat Dinner Meats. It will feel great to clean out your shelves, and keeping quick-fix items on hand will help to get meals on the table in no time.

Buy in Bulk:

Instead of purchasing just one of a given product at the grocery store, consider buying items in bulk next time you shop. You can store extra items in the pantry, fridge or freezer for a meal later in the week. Not only will this save money since buying in bulk often offers a better value, but you’ll save yourself an extra trip to the grocery store, which will definitely help cut down on dinner prep time.

Wash as You Work

Not only is it beneficial to plan ahead for meal preparation, but it’s equally helpful to start clean-up in advance! Ask your spouse to team up with you in the kitchen. While you cook, your teammate can clean the pots, pans and cooking utensils you’ve finished using. That way, the dishes will be at least halfway done by the time you sit down for dinner, helping to make clean-up a snap.

For more information on the new varieties of Tyson Fully Cooked Heat ‘N Eat Dinner Meats, or to learn more about Robin Miller’s tips for quick and easy meals, visit www.embracedinner.com

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This weeks numbers are from Samantha!

16th picture folder
28th picture

or

August 2008 {the host’s 16th picture folder}
28th picture

This picture is from Christmas 2008. It is of my son Aaron opening his new bowling shoes. Aaron had wanted his own bowling shoes for the past few years but his feet grew so fast we didn’t invest in them, until know. He was so excited.

Have fun with your pictures! Join in the Random Picture Challenge.

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TEACHING RESPONSIBILITY IN AN IRRESPONSIBLE MARKET
By Rick D. Niece, Ph.D., author of “The Side-Yard Superhero”

In a downward spiraling economy, people look for others to take the blame. Finger pointing solves little. Now,
more than ever, we need to take responsibility for our actions. We need to understand that our current actions
affect more than our present situation. Our actions today reflect as models for our children.
As president of the University of the Ozarks, I receive a variety of communications from students’ parents. I am
surprised when they seek out the president on behalf of their sons and daughters. I expect college students to
speak for themselves. I believe responsible children grow up to be responsible adults, and this world needs
responsible adults to lead, guide and influence us.
Teaching begins and ends with parents, so here are six positive recommendations to instill responsibility in
your children.

1. Build Work Ethic
When I was nine-years old, I took over a newspaper route, a route I kept until I entered college. I was
proud to be a miniature entrepreneur. My 72 customers waited anxiously for me to deliver their daily
newspaper. My customers depended upon me, and if I let them down, I let myself down. That
newspaper route helped me grow into being a responsible adult with a strong work ethic.
2. Assign Household Chores
Responsibility can begin at an early age. Assign children routine tasks to complete around the house.
The following chores involve nothing unreasonable or barbaric: make the bed; tidy the bedroom; carry
out the trash; empty the dishwasher; mow the yard; rake leaves; dust, sweep, and mop (not mope).
3. Encourage Saving Money
When children earn money, insist they save some of it. The savings can be for short-term purchases like
video games and clothing, or toward long-term goals like summer camp and college. When children
save their own money, it gives the purchase special meaning.
4. Adopt a Pet
When something depends upon us, we become responsible. Pets—from goldfish to golden retrievers,
turtles to gerbils— require regular and reliable maintenance. But lessons of responsibility are not
learned if Mom or Dad becomes the one who cares for a neglected pet.
5. Foster Reflective Thinking
The power of reflective thinking dates back to Socrates. The concept is a simple one: the more we think,
the better we learn. Children make good decisions and bad decisions. As adults, we can help them think
about why they did what they did, and how the consequences affect them and others.
6. Model Values
We are children’s role models. We are models of honesty and truthfulness, examples of ethical behavior
and integrity. We are the superheroes of ordinary life, and our heroics are as powerful and protective as
our fictional counterparts. We teach that dishonesty and deception have unpleasant consequences, that
unacceptable behavior is unacceptable. But we cannot be worthy examples if we do not model proper
values ourselves. Be diligent. Children are watching.
Rick D. Niece, Ph.D., author of The Side-Yard Superhero, currently serves as the president for the University of the Ozarks
in Clarksville, Ark. He, along with his wife Sherée, work to provide intellectual and cultural enrichment for the 675
students of the University, preparing them for graduate school and professional employment success as well as establishing
lifelong values. For more information, please visit www.RickNiece.com. The report is reprinted here with permission.

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