Some tips to help you when buying mannequins for sale.

Having a mannequin in your clothing or garment shop has numerous benefits. Aside from providing a visual appeal to potential customers, it will help you showcase the merchandise that you are selling. Mannequins are also great tools for encouraging customers to buy other items that go or look well with a particular item that they are buying or have already bought.

If you have your own clothing shop, you might think about adding a mannequin to your garment racks, clothing displays, and other store fixtures that will help you make a better presentation of your merchandise. Below are some things you need to consider, as well as some tips to help you when you buy mannequins for sale.

• Type. The first thing you need to consider is the type of mannequin that you want. There are four basic types of mannequins and it is important to consider the nature of your store before choosing a specific type. Although it is completely acceptable to use more than one type, having just one type of mannequin around your store gives a more cohesive look. The four types are: realistic, which are characterized by clearly define facial features and wigs; abstract, which have heads, slightly defined facial features or no facial features at all; headless, which do not have heads; and bendable, which are actually wire frames stuffed with sponge filling and covered in canvas or jersey material.
• Size. Since you will be putting your merchandise on your mannequins, it is important to be specific about the size that you want. If your store offers children’s sizes clothing, make sure that you look for a few children sizes mannequins as well.
• Flexibility and ease of dressing. Once you have your mannequin, you may soon realize that dressing it is not as easy as it looks. This is why it is very important to consider how easy it is to dress a particular mannequin that you are planning to buy. Most mannequins have detachable body parts to make it easier to dress while others have flexible parts so that you can also put it in a variety of poses.
• Base. The common bases used for mannequins are metal, acrylic, and glass. Choose the material that is most appropriate for your business operations. If your priority is durability, you can choose between metal and acrylic. The only drawback with metal is that it is heavy and with acrylic is its tendency to scratch easily. Glass, on the other hand, is visually appealing but needs to be handled with extra care.
• Portability. If you like to rearrange your store fixtures every once in a while or if you often go to shows and bazaars, then portability is an important factor that you should consider too. Choose mannequins that are light and can be disassembled.

We don’t have Winter because we are in a tropical country but I’ve experienced cold weather during our stay in the US and in Hong Kong where I experienced 9 degrees and 10 degrees respectively and it is no joke. You can die if you don’t suit up the proper way to protect you from the weather. During December, a lot of the countries experience Winter and people in tropical countries like the Philippines don’t know how to prepare themselves for the cold weather so here are a few tips to follow if you are like my friends who will be staying in the US this Christmas for the first time:

• Layer with thin layers first like light fabric that will wick sweat away from your body. Avoid pure cotton, linen, or other similar materials, however, because these fabrics retain moisture and will chill you.
• Layer a sweater after the first layer, it can be knitted or a sweatshirt.
• Add a thick coat or a jacket after the two layers.
• Always wrap a scarf to protect your neck.
• Put your hat and/or ear muffs if it’s really freezing, especially if you are going outside for a long time.
• Keep your hands warm with gloves of mitten.
• Wear proper jeans or socks plus leg warmers if you should.
• Don’t forget those boots. I was looking at really nice leather Lucchese Boots and I think leather is one of the perfect boots to use and also those suede ones to warm your legs and feet very well.

If you have the proper attire for the cold season, you will definitely enjoy Winter even if it’s below zero outside. Good luck!

photo grabbed from Google

We are blessed to have a tropical country but we can never escape the rain. We have garment racks at home and every time it rains, we usually hang our clothes there to dry for days! I really love hanging clothes outdoors and it has benefits that we are not aware of.

• The main reason is that, linens, clothes and other wears smell very fresh.
• Clotheslines only need energy when they’re manufactured, even those trusty clothing hangers that I love to use. Dryers use energy every single time they’re used.
• It is a form of exercise. You may not know it but hanging clothes is a form of stretching and your arms might need one.
• Clothes hanging using a line and plastic or wooden hangers are kinder to clothes than dryers.
• This activity is not only something as a household chore but it will also give you a way to go out, smell fresh air and get some sunlight. The most perfect time to hang clothes is during the morning and by noon, you can get all your dry clothes already!
• You save up time in ironing and even save electricity because most clothes when hang dry don’t get too wrinkled.

The best advice is to hang clothes outside if you have get a perfect weather. Your body and your pocket will definitely benefit from it.

Dehydration is not a joke and just recently, I heard a news from a friend and realized how important it is to hydrate ourselves. Apparently, a young mother died because of dehydration and she left her 7 month old baby. Too sad to hear such stories and so I am here to share an article from WebMD on how to prevent dehydration.

1. Prompt home treatment for illnesses that cause diarrhea, vomiting, or fever will help prevent dehydration.

2. Drink plenty of water before, while, and after you are active. This is very important when it’s hot out and when you do intense exercise. You can drink water or rehydration drinks.
*Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.
*Take a container of water or sports drink with you when you exercise, and try to drink at least every 15 to 20 minutes.
*Use a sports drink if you will be exercising for longer than 1 hour.

3. Encourage your child to drink extra fluids or suck on Popsicles. Children between the ages of 4 and 10 should drink at least 6 to 10 glasses of liquids to replace lost fluids.

4. Do not drink coffee, colas, or other drinks that contain caffeine. They increase urine output and make you dehydrate faster.

5. Avoid high-protein diets. If you are on a high-protein diet, make sure that you drink at least 8 to 12 glasses of water each day.

6.Do not drink alcohol, including beer and wine. They increase dehydration and make it difficult to make good decisions.

7. Do not take salt tablets. Most people get plenty of salt in their diets. Use a sports drink if you are worried about replacing minerals lost through sweating.

8. Stop working outdoors or exercising if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or very tired.

9. Wear one layer of lightweight, light-colored clothing when you are working or exercising outdoors. Change into dry clothing as soon as you can if your clothes get soaked with sweat. Never exercise in a rubber suit.

We all know that it is a very competitive world when it comes to looking for jobs. My husband wants to widen his knowledge when it comes to Data Designing to be more able to the most in demand Database Designer Jobs in the field. My husband has plans to take up Masters and I am supporting him all the way, I just hope our financial challenges will be over soon so we can do brighter plans in the future. Anyway, about job hunting, some of our friends are job hunting these days, and so I feel very grateful that we have jobs and we are just planning to expand more, while the not so unfortunate ones had to look harder to even have a job. Anyway, here is a nice article about job hunting.

1. Make your Curriculum Vitae short concise and relevant. Don’t write too long resume.

2. Customize your resume to fit the job description.

3. Try to make your resume stand out when you are composing it, you should make sure your resume sticks out a little more among the rest.

4. Don’t forget to list down all your accomplishments and achievements. This is very important to let them know how much you are capable of.

Good luck!

I haven’t been successful in building our own home office, maybe if ever we have our own place my husband will be very willing to build a home office for me. I’ve been drooling to these home offices photos I saw over at Freshome.com and I’ve been dreaming like crazy lately. Look at these pretty posh spots in the home…

I particularly adore the second and third photos just because they have so much storage space which I really need because I want a place for plenty of important documents and albums instead of putting them inside our closets. Anyway, here are some notes to follow to achieve these looks…

• Determine what functions are necessities: When creating a home office in a closet, remember it will take a degree of pairing down from large amounts of storage, clutter and stuff! Since closet offices are generally small in nature, determine what elements of your home office are essential and which ones are for pure decoration and those that take up space. Stream line and organize files, and office equipment into storage containers, file cabinets and stylish desk and shelf organizers.
• Make your office inspiring: Just because you are converting an existing closet doesn’t mean it has to look like a closet. Before you build your work surface inside your closet, opt for painting the inside walls an inspiring color or plan to use colorful photos and personal touches to bring the walls alive. Many craft and office supply stores have coordinating desk accessories, bulletin and maker boards and wall organizers to bring a personal style to your closet home office. Consider using fabric or colorful window treatments as a way to close off your office closet, if you prefer instead of doors.
• Accentuate the positives: While it may seem you are compromising to have a closet office, think of all the positives you can accentuate in your office. A smaller space means less to organize, which in turn may help you keep your desk and work area cleaner. Easy accessibility to your closet home office may mean less time wasting time in a large unproductive room, and more time for you to get right into your tasks at hand. One of the biggest positives? You can still keep all of your other rooms in your house looking great, without having to takeover the kitchen table with all of your work related activities!
• Choose comfortable components: Since you are working in a smaller space, ensure that you are going to have a comfortable area to work in. Ensure desk height, chair, computer and electronic accessibility are comfortable and don’t require you to squeeze into a small space. Opt for adjustable seating, back pillows, and ergonomic office components to make your working environment pleasurable. Also put up inspiring pictures, and bring in plenty of natural and artificial lighting wherever possible. The more you are inspired to work, the more pleasurable your closet home office experience will be.

Tips from : http://freshome.com/

We have a small room and I always de-clutter to make more space because we are getting more stuff each day especially when we have our son who has so much toys plus books. Anyway, I found this article over at Freshome.com.

How to maximize space in a Small Apartment:

Make your space multifunctional: Whether you live in a one bedroom, studio, or if you just have a lot of roommates, your apartment should be able to utilize one space for several functions. Your dining room table could serve as an office for your laptop when not eating, dining table at meal time, and possibly a work surface when doing hobbies and crafts. Utilize kitchen bar area for sitting, entertaining, dining, and extra work surface space when cooking. In your living room, use futons, and sleeper sofa beds for a couch in the day, and a sleeping area at night.

Utilize vertical and hidden storage: In a small space vertical and hidden storage is your best friend. For storing collectibles, books, and displaying decor, utilize tall display storage, shelving over doorways, and open shelving throughout your apartment. Hidden storage under beds, hanging organization accessories on the back of doors, and installing vertical storage in cabinets, can drastically maximize your storage capacity. In clothing closets, hang shelving in double tiers, and at varying heights to get the most of your closet storage.

Use light and color to your advantage: To make your apartment look larger, let ample light into your home as much as possible. Also use light colors, neutrals, and muted tones to maximize visual space. When your home looks larger, you will feel better and more at home in your small space. Try to avoid compartmentalizing your rooms with color. Use a unifying color throughout your home, like a neutral and define spaces with accent walls or with varying hues of the same color. This will make your apartment visually read as one large space.

Bring in eye catching furnishings: Even though your space is small doesn’t mean you can’t maximize on style! The great thing about having a small apartment is you don’t need a lot of furniture. For the few pieces that you do have, make them special and eye catching. A beautiful headboard in your bedroom, or even an entertainment center that commands attention from all your guests, can make your apartment interiors fun and enjoyable to be in. Don’t forget your walls too. Artwork, murals, and wall decals can make your walls come alive with color and life without much work. The more visually appealing your decor and furnishings, the easier it will be to remember how larger your space actually is.

I hope these tips helped a lot with small houses or apartments.