Marketing Your Band in 2011

As any musician knows every year, month, day, or even hour, there are always changes that occur in the music industry. Finding a way to properly get your band noticed is no exception. Marketing a band in today’s day and age is a little easier than for the bands of previous years. For one there is the option of online media to assist bands in getting the word out about their shows and projects.

There is not a band that is not using Myspace, Facebook, or even some of the other social media sites such as Music Gorilla. And the fact that viral is the way to go, especially if you are looking for a music deal, by getting out there and letting others know about you are bound to eventually get some executives attention.

However, there are some elements to marketing your band effectively, especially if you are going to use online media. For many they don’t consider themselves to be a company. However, that is just what you are a company that is engaged in the business of music. And the music business is one of the most if the most cut throat businesses out there. So you need to ensure that you have your stuff together.

To begin your online marketing strategies, you should research what other avenues there are to promote your band such as email blasts to a subscriber list. And as mentioned above Music Gorilla is one of the many avenues and there are many others that are frequent among music industry veterans.

In addition to online methods, there are several offline methods as well. You can use flyers, promotional cards, and passing out promotional cds and such. The opportunities are endless. The key to marketing effectively is to gain as much as a following as possible and meet people that are in the industry that have the connections to get you where you are trying to go.

So the bottom line is if you really want to succeed in the music business, you need to be out there and let people know you are and what you are all about. Using both online and offline methods, you can quickly become a name that people want to know more about.

Photo Puzzles – A New Way to Enjoy Puzzles

Looking for a fun and imaginable way to enjoy puzzles. Well photo puzzles may the answer. These are puzzles can be made from any type of picture. You can use family photos, those special drawings that your children have drawn, other any type of image that you would like to turn into a puzzle.

These exciting puzzles allow you to share photos in an unique and enjoyable way. Think of the pictures that you have in your family photo albums, wouldn't it be neat for family time you could gather around and put these family pieces together.

And if you are looking for an exciting gift what about putting together a collection of photos for a photo collage puzzle. You could get a puzzle filled with wonderful family memories, favorite vacations, birthdays and holidays all in one puzzle. How cool would that be!

A lot of puzzle companies are offering services of turning photos into photo puzzles. If you have your photos on a digital camera you can upload them once you have selected the format of the puzzle. Don't worry if you don't have photos laying around that are not in digital format. Some places you can copy your images on a CD – this is a good option if creating a collage. Or you can simply email them or mail them in to the company to create the puzzle for you.

Jigsaw puzzles can create a wide variety for fun for just about any enthusiast, from the sports fan to to a lover of music. And if you are an artist how about adding a little extra flare by selling your artwork as puzzles.

In conclusion turning your most cherished photos into puzzles that can create a lifetime of memories and even heirlooms, that can be passed down from generation to generation. There is no limit on having fun and creating these photo puzzles can only increase the time that the family has together.

How to Find Balance Between Life and Work

In today's society we are always on the go, especially us women and mothers. We are busy taking care of kids, significant others, elderly parents as well as our professional lives which can include education, business, and careers.

So how do we find a balance between our life and work? For one it is important to not over extend ourselves, by overextending we can cause our bodies to wear out and our mental and spiritual states can become drained leaving us feeling emotionally exhausted.

Some of the things that we can do in order to find a balance is to set priorities. This allows us to establish a sort of business plan for our lives by mapping out the aspects of our lives and establishing an order of importance. By doing this we are better equipped to choose and make decisions as to which projects to pursue, how to advance in our careers, and most importantly how to create and maintain family time.

Another thing that we can do is use the word "NO" more. You can't be everything to all people so there may come a time where you have to realize that it is not in your best interest to accept or say yes to everything that comes along.

Additionally, it is important to learn how to separate life from work. This can be achieved by setting guidelines for your business, creating your work or office space, making your family aware of your work and non work hours especially if you work from home or run a business at home, and not scheduling work or business functions around your family time.

And for us women, it is important to find the time to schedule our break time or "me time", where we can step away to relax, recharge, and rejuvenate, so that we can maintain our sanity as well as our mental and spiritual wellbeing.

So there are several ways in which we can find a balance between our life and work and by putting these practices to work we put ourselves in a better position to succeed as well as enhance our personal and professional lives.

Build Up Your Self Confidence by Using Simple Fashion & Beauty Tips

You are feeling good about yourself and you want to show the world that you have something to offer. You feel that way inside but you look says something totally different. How to get the outside to match how you feel on the inside? Well you have got to ‘Dress for Success’.

But how do you accomplish this? Number one you have got the dress the part and by dressing for the part I mean that you have got to dress for the job, career, or business that you want, not for the one that you currently have. Example if you wanted to be a successful Hair Stylish, you have got to look like you have your hair in order. Would want to go to a Hair Stylist whose hair was always a mess? I don’t think so. This analogy could be used in just about every profession.

Now this does not mean that you have got to go out and spend an exceptional amount of money to get a whole new look. This new look can be accomplished by adding a few pieces of accessories to your existing wardrobe.

Some of the simple tips that I find useful are:

1) Add a piece of jewelry to an outfit. It can be a nice bracelet, a simple necklace, a pair of earrings or even a nice watch. Don’t over do it with the jewelry. Just add something simple to your already existing outfit.

2) Dress up a pair of jeans. I know we dress up for work five days a week and we want a day where we can just tone things down and relax. Dressing up a pair of jeans can be as simple as changing from an old t-shirt to a nicer shirt or maybe a blouse. You can even add a simple jacket depending on the outing.

3) Update you current handbag. By adding a simple handbag you can create a totally different style in the way that an outfit looks and the way that you feel. Handbags are an accessory to any outfit and you should think of it as such.

4) Incorporate some simple beauty tips such as drinking plenty of water. Water promotes rejuvenation of the skin to gives the skin a natural healthy glow.

5) Take some time out for yourself. Every one needs time to unwind and relax. In a previous article that I wrote “Finding Time to Pamper Yourself,” I outlined some tips to follow to assist in taking and making the time for yourself.

Remember that the key to looking and feeling your best is to take care of yourself. If you incorporate some of these tips that I mentioned you can be on your way to build up your self confidence while creating or updating your style.

Finding Time to Pamper Yourself

As women we are always putting ourselves last. We cater to the needs of our ailing parents, our significant others, and our kids; but by the time we get around to ourselves it is either to late in the day or we are just to exhausted.

Well I am here to tell you that we can find time for ourselves, by including ourselves in our daily schedules we can begin to relieve the stress associated with the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Hear are just a few suggestions for Finding Time to Pamper Yourself:

1 - Create a spot in your house where you can have “ME” time. Once you have created you “ME” time spot. Set aside daily time to meditate, read a good book, watch your favorite show, or just have some quiet time, if even for a few precious minutes a day.

2 - Create a spa experience in you bat tub. Use your favorite bath tea or bath salt in you bath water, light some candles and listen to some soft soothing music such as Jazz.

3 - Treat yourself to a weekly spa treatment. Many of these you can do at home yourself such as facials, body polishes, manicures, and/or pedicures.

4 - Invite your girlfriends over for a spa party. There are many companies that are now bringing the spa experience into customer’s homes and offices. Do an internet search on spa parties and contact the ones that interest you.

5 - Light a lavender candle or spray a lavender scented mist in your “ME” area during your scheduled “ME” time. Lavender helps to create a calming and uplifting effect.

By following the above listed suggestions you will in no time begin to feel de-stressed and re-energized.