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Lord Henley to visit unique new nature site on former industrial land

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Unique Christmas Gifts: How to Choose an Unusual Christmas Gift For Someone

If you’re struggling to find a unique Christmas gift to give to someone – join the crowd. A lot of people end up strolling down the aisle of some store looking at every little thing that is cute, funny or strangely different. There’s certainly no shortage around the holiday time of things that go whirr, buzz or that giggles. But, just because it does something a bit unusual, does that mean you should give it to Uncle Joe?

Maybe, and maybe not.

Yeah, sure, Uncle Joe is tired of getting a box of socks from you every year, so you’re determined to find something that will literally “knock his socks off” as a gift. It’s great that you want to do something different, but now you’re stuck trying to figure out exactly what different kind of thing to get him. If you’re just randomly looking at anything and everything, then it’s not gonna be easy.

I mean Chia planters are popular during the holidays, and they’re unique and unusual, but who actually wants one?

Before we go gift shopping for Uncle Joe, let’s take into account his personality, work environment and leisure activities. Joe is in his 60s and works as a manager in a manufacturing plant. He’s had the same job for forty years. In his leisure time he likes to work with his hands and has various projects around the house. He’s definitely a “do it yourself” type of guy. He’s a down to earth person who is warm and quick to smile. He has lots of friends and enjoys watching football.

Here’s some ideas for unique gifts that Uncle Joe might like:

Personalized NFL Jersey – give Joe an official NFL jersey of his favorite team. Personalize it with his last name and favorite numbers.

Home Beer Making Kit – he loves drinking beer, so give him his own beer making kit where he can experiment with different recipes and make his own brew to drink during football games.

DIY Home Improvement DVD – he loves fixing up the home himself, so give him a DVD on fixing up something specific in the home (basic wiring), or one that has a bunch of tips for all around the house. This is something he can watch over and over again.

Let’s find another example.

Your cousin Monica is in her 20s and works as a receptionist for a small company. She’s a homebody who has a pet dog she likes to spoil. She doesn’t have any hobbies, but enjoys throwing dinner parties for her small circle of friends. She’s not much of a fashion hound, but loves surrounding herself with beautiful and interesting things.

Here’s some unique gift ideas for Monica:

Quesadilla Maker – she can make all kinds of homemade Mexican style quesadillas in a jiffy with this electric kitchen gadget.

Natural Crystal Salt Lamp – this is a lamp that’s made out of a hunk of real salt crystal from the Himalayan mountains. It produces ions that actually cleanses the air. It also makes a great conversation piece.

DVD for Dogs – her pooch tends to get a little upset when she leaves to run errands, so give her a DVD that’s designed to relax her dog when she’s gone. It features nature sounds and lovely music.

The key to finding an unusual gift for someone is to first think about what type of person they are and what they like to do. This makes choosing a unique gift that they’ll actually appreciate a lot easier.

Tags: Choose, Christmas, Gift, Gifts, Someone, Unique, Unusual

An Accredited Online Degree Provides Students A Unique Opportunity

An accredited online degree provides students a unique opportunity to study a course of their choice through distance learning. An accredited online degree is certified and hence provides students the educational recognition they strive to achieve. Whether it is a high school education, an online bachelor degree or a master degree online that a student wishes to pursue it is possible to attain the same through online education.

What is an Accredited Online Degree?

Accredited online degree programs are validated by accrediting agencies on the basis of various factors such as the institute that offers it, its aims and objectives, quality of education, faculty, resources available and student support. Usually such agencies are non-governmental, but are selected by a criteria set by the government. Accreditation allows one to judge the quality of online education provided by an online college or online university by comparing it with established standards. There are national as well as regional accrediting agencies.

Online Accredited Degree Programs

From a basic high school education to higher education programs such as business administration online accredited degrees, nursing degree online, accounting accredited degree online and accredited degree online psychology can be done from an online college or an online university. In fact it is also possible to complete doctorate accredited online courses. So whatever level of education you seek, a variety of subjects are offered by accredited degree programs online. A professional accredited online degree can be pursued at the student’s own time and pace and ensures that the student’s efforts and success are recognized.

Advantages of an Accredited Online Degree Program

An accredited degree online program is recommended over a course that is not recognized or validated as it provides the student’s knowledge recognition and certification. In today’s world having practical knowledge and experience is not enough, in order to succeed in one’s professional life it is crucial to have a recognized degree to one’s credit. An accredited online degree provides proof of the fact that the student has completed the online education and has been assessed with standardized procedures.

Online education provides those students who don’t have the time, money or the inclination to do on-campus college accredited degrees, a chance to study the same, but with flexibility in terms of time and effort. It is an ideal option for those who wish to study while working or doing a training program or you may even wish to earn your accredited online degree along with an on campus one. The versatility and flexibility offered by accredited degrees online cannot be underestimated as students can do them and utilize them as per their situation. We can assist you with finding the right college courses online or a master degree online which will help you start a new career or improve your standing in your current position.
You can earn an online bachelor degree, an associate degree on line, a college degree on line and even do a doctorate degree on line. Irrespective of the level of education you seek or the program that holds your interest, you will find many an online university that offers accredited degree programs.

Whether it is business administration accredited online courses, criminal justice accredited online courses, a degree online nursing, career course in education or degree online masters, college accredited degrees assure students of the quality of education, resources and support that they shall receive whilst earning an accredited online degree.

In the pursuit of higher education with an online college or online university, it is essential that students opt for an accredited online degrees program that assures them of superior quality of education and recognition of their efforts.

Mike O’Brien offers advice and information about an accredited online degree This is a quality web site that has a wide selection of online degree and accredited online degree information at your fingertips!

Tags: Accredited, Degree, Online, Opportunity, Provides, Students, Unique

An Accredited Online Degree Provides Students A Unique Opportunity

An accredited online degree provides students a unique opportunity to study a course of their choice through distance learning. An accredited online degree is certified and hence provides students the educational recognition they strive to achieve. Whether it is a high school education, an online bachelor degree or a master degree online that a student wishes to pursue it is possible to attain the same through online education.

What is an Accredited Online Degree?

Accredited online degree programs are validated by accrediting agencies on the basis of various factors such as the institute that offers it, its aims and objectives, quality of education, faculty, resources available and student support. Usually such agencies are non-governmental, but are selected by a criteria set by the government. Accreditation allows one to judge the quality of online education provided by an online college or online university by comparing it with established standards. There are national as well as regional accrediting agencies.

Online Accredited Degree Programs

From a basic high school education to higher education programs such as business administration online accredited degrees, nursing degree online, accounting accredited degree online and accredited degree online psychology can be done from an online college or an online university. In fact it is also possible to complete doctorate accredited online courses. So whatever level of education you seek, a variety of subjects are offered by accredited degree programs online. A professional accredited online degree can be pursued at the student’s own time and pace and ensures that the student’s efforts and success are recognized.

Advantages of an Accredited Online Degree Program

An accredited degree online program is recommended over a course that is not recognized or validated as it provides the student’s knowledge recognition and certification. In today’s world having practical knowledge and experience is not enough, in order to succeed in one’s professional life it is crucial to have a recognized degree to one’s credit. An accredited online degree provides proof of the fact that the student has completed the online education and has been assessed with standardized procedures.

Online education provides those students who don’t have the time, money or the inclination to do on-campus college accredited degrees, a chance to study the same, but with flexibility in terms of time and effort. It is an ideal option for those who wish to study while working or doing a training program or you may even wish to earn your accredited online degree along with an on campus one. The versatility and flexibility offered by accredited degrees online cannot be underestimated as students can do them and utilize them as per their situation. We can assist you with finding the right college courses online or a master degree online which will help you start a new career or improve your standing in your current position.
You can earn an online bachelor degree, an associate degree on line, a college degree on line and even do a doctorate degree on line. Irrespective of the level of education you seek or the program that holds your interest, you will find many an online university that offers accredited degree programs.

Whether it is business administration accredited online courses, criminal justice accredited online courses, a degree online nursing, career course in education or degree online masters, college accredited degrees assure students of the quality of education, resources and support that they shall receive whilst earning an accredited online degree.

In the pursuit of higher education with an online college or online university, it is essential that students opt for an accredited online degrees program that assures them of superior quality of education and recognition of their efforts.

Mike O’Brien offers advice and information about an accredited online degree This is a quality web site that has a wide selection of online degree and accredited online degree information at your fingertips!

Tags: Accredited, Degree, Online, Opportunity, Provides, Students, Unique

Unique Character And Comfort At The Ripe Tomato, Malta, Ny

When asked how he came to own the restaurant, Joe Gleason simply says, “I was driving by one day… and it was for sale.” The owner of The Ripe Tomato in Malta, NY paints an interesting story of how he launched the quaint upstate New York restaurant after noticing a “For Sale” sign one day while passing through the town. He also reminisces on his almost 55 years in the food industry having started as a mere dishwasher in Manhattan and purchasing his first of 14 restaurants after only a few short years in the food service industry and with no experience in the “front-of-the-house”.

“I started as a dishwasher and hadn’t even so much as bartended prior to the opening night of my own first restaurant, “TJW Gleason’s” in Manhattan,” says Gleason. “I recall that Gin & Tonics were only 75 cents back then and a Whiskey Sour was 85 cents. After a week of trying to keep up with all the varying drink prices, I just decided to make everything $1.00.” Gleason opened that first restaurant & tavern in 1960 and it quickly became the jewel of its Manhattan neighborhood, its popularity proven by its mention in a June 6, 1977 supplement of New York Magazine called ”Columbus Avenue, Rebirth of a Vibrant Street” which included a write-up of TJWs. Gleason’s other successful restaurants over the span of his career have resided in NYC, New Jersey, Florida, St. Croix and right here in beautiful upstate, NY where his remaining restaurant resides: The Ripe Tomato in Malta, NY.

The Ripe Tomato in Malta, now in its 15th year of service was once called the “Elm Tree Tavern” but after experiencing a difficult start, Mr. Gleason was ready to put the restaurant back on the market after only two years of business until his wife, Lynn suggested that they first try to rename the establishment and roll-it out with a new theme, tomatoes! A grand reopening was planned to resurrect the struggling restaurant and on its opening day, the Ripe Tomato stopped traffic on busy Route 9 in Malta when an elephant named “Beulah” graced the parking lot to encourage visitors into its doors. Yes, the couple had cleverly rented a mammoth pachyderm to market the business and had adorned her with a saddle covered in tomatoes. Beulah was a big success and brought not only passing visitors but also a slew of media attention to the newly named restaurant. “Business tripled after that and it’s been a successful business for us ever since” says Gleason.

Today, the Ripe Tomato stands proudly on a strip of Route 9 conveniently located about half way between Saratoga Springs and Clifton Park, NY. Its inviting red glow and big country farmhouse feel continues to beckon visitors inside (even without Beulah pacing the parking lot).

Inside, checkered tablecloths continue the country-feel and smells from the kitchen coupled with unique wall art that incorporates big bright tomatoes into famous works of art (such as the Mona Lisa and American Gothic by Grant Wood), all designed by Lynn; complete the comfortable, warm atmosphere.

Although Gleason’s early restaurants served a limited menu of burgers and pub fare, the Ripe Tomato boasts an extensive menu that is a mixture of American country fare and Italian classics. House Specials on the menu include a Cedar Salmon dish served over a cedar plank for unique flavoring and a Shrimp and Scallop Bisque touted as having been voted the “Best Soup in Saratoga”. The restaurant also offers an extensive wine list and any patron should be sure to leave enough room for one of their incredible homemade desserts. Homemade pumpkin pie was the temptation on the day that this writer visited the establishment.

Gleason and the restaurant’s managing partner, Mr. Milan Vesic welcome patrons to come in for any occasion from a weekday family dinner to a romantic dinner for two or for any special occasion. They say that their ultimate goal is to leave every customer feeling, “full and happy” and my visit did just that!

Tags: Character, Comfort, Malta, Ripe, Tomato, Unique

Nursing Leadership Challenges are Unique

If you think you have a leadership challenge…

Most of us know at least one nurse with today’s ever-expanding demand for qualified healthcare professionals. What most of us do not know are the unusual leadership demands that nurses face that are unique in our modern business world. We have developed common leadership practices among nurses that simply don’t and probably cannot exist in most occupational fields.

The ideal or most recommended span of control (ratio of supervisor to subordinate) is one (1) to fifteen (15). Many nurses, upon promotion and introduction to the world of supervision, are often presented with inordinate spans of control that can range from sixty (60) on low end to over one hundred (100) on the high end. Additionally, most nurses are never given formal leadership training prior to assignment to the first leadership role as a charge nurse, supervisor or director of nurses. Think of the challenge and demand placed on a supervisor with eighty (80) or more direct reports.

At GCI, we have worked with hospitals around the country and the same challenge faces nurses everywhere. To be moderately successful in the face of such leadership dilution is truly amazing. Consider the demands of supervising so many with so little time per person. If a supervising nurse spends only 30 minutes a week communicating (expectations, work instructions, performance feedback, etc.) with each of his/her eighty direct reports, the result is 40 hours per week. That’s right, no time remains for any other activity such as meetings, reports, staffing, census analysis, purchasing, etc.

The truth is that most nursing supervisors simply DO NOT get to supervise (in the traditional context) subordinates at all. It is truly amazing that so many good nurses become good leaders without a model of leadership to follow.

There are solutions to help mitigate the daily challenges nurses face as they transition from subordinate to supervisor. Proper training provides nurses with tools they can apply immediately upon completion. Targeted training also helps veteran nurses improve their leadership productivity.

Solutions to nursing leadership challenges include eight (8) basic learning objectives:

1) Learn to differentiate communication from effective communication
2) Deal properly with problem patients and families without losing control
3) Define true accountability for subordinates rather than blame
4) Utilize 5-Step process for delivering performance feedback
5) Apply techniques to reduce passive-aggressive subordinates
6) Build trust with your co-workers through activities that create relationship “Equity”
7) Be assertive with physicians and patients without being obnoxious
8) Understand what motivates Generation Y (Why) employees age 28 and under

We have found that strength in these areas help nurses become better leaders in a unique and demanding world. To learn more about GCI call (903) 806-5588. Please take our Poll and share your thoughts!

Tags: Challenges, Leadership, Nursing, Unique