Our family had wanted a Keurig coffee maker for a long time. We had visited a friend who has one and we loved the taste of the coffee and the ease of use.
There were a couple of major concerns. First, we love coffee and drink it often. That being so, the Kcups seem to be at least 50 cents per cup of coffee! Needless to say, we each drink multiple cups of coffee per day. This would quickly get too expensive for us to use. Secondly, we were concerned that making coffee one cup at a time would get really old. This could create frustration and a desire to go back to a regular coffee pot. Again, if we spend money on the Keurig, it would be a terrible waste of money to buy it then go back to a regular coffee maker.
During this past summer we came across a little extra cash, enough for a Keurig. We decided to make the jump. This is something that we've thought about for a couple years and we just decided what the heck. We ended up going with a cheaper model, the Keurig B60. We also picked up a Solofill K3 Chrome refillable Kcup. The thought was that a refillable cup might save some costs.
So what did we think....?
We've been using the set up for the last 4 or 5 months and we are very happy that we made the leap!
Initially we had a few free Kcups that came with our machine and the coffee was fantastic. We did buy one extra set of cups that were on sale. Truth be told, if we had to buy new Kcups all the time and couldn't use the refillable cup, we wouldn't be nearly as happy.
The Solofill refillable cup has made this a great experience. The first cup of coffee I made with it was terrible. It takes a little trial and error to find the sweet spot. Initially I didn't put enough coffee in and it was very watered down. On the second try I did too much and it was too intense. Eventually, I found the right mix. Then we bought a different coffee to use and I had to start the trial and error over again. The thing is, each type of coffee is different based on the strength of the coffee and how the beans are ground. But the main point is the same, you can make an awesome cup of coffee with this refillable filter.
We never tried the Keruig refillable filter. The main reason was that it was a 3 piece model. You had the filter, the case, and the lid. It just seemed like a lot of hassle. The Solofill is a 1 piece model that works great.
The machine itself works great. There is a built in filter that keeps the water tasting great and keeps the coffee consistent. It's pretty much a plug and go process. Not much to mess with and not much to adjust. The only potential downside to the Keurig B60 is that the fill sizing is 6, 8, and 10oz. Some of the more expensive machines have bigger sizes, but again we were wanting to keep the machine cost down. All in all this one downside has not impacted our enjoyment at all!
One of the things we didn't count on was using the Keurig for tea and hot chocolate! Now, I personally wouldn't buy Kcups for tea, I just use the Keurig to heat up the water and use a regular tea bag. Same thing for the hot chocolate, I just use the Keurig for the water. I haven't had a chance to try using it for the ramen noodle soups yet, but I plan on trying that too!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
How To Stop Dog Aggression.
If you want to understand how to stop dog aggression let me start by asking you two rhetorical questions!
Firstly, do YOU start the aggression and then your dog simply joins in?
Secondly, if you try to show your dog a new way to behave, does it listen to you just before it misbehaves?
The answer will of course be the following:
At the point your dog starts to become aggressive he is taking no notice at all of you.
He is making his own decisions and will not listen to you if you try to show him a different way to behave. What he is doing is simply too important to him and is the right thing to do. Dog aggression is nearly always done in order to protect their pack and their own lives.
There is of course a whole range of different types of aggression from dominant to fearful and everything in between. There is aggression that occurs all the time and other erratic aggression that is random depending on a number of differing factors. You can also look at what your dog is aggressive towards; it could be people, animals, other dogs or objects.
The way to stop dog aggression has very much the same source as the above cause of the problem. Your dog thinks that it is the pack leader. He becomes fearful and attacks to protect, you and himself. Dominant dogs will be more proactive, often they are attacking when they still have the option of running away where fearful dogs will only attack if they have no place to run. All the other factors relating to why aggression occurs pale into insignificance compared to this main source.
The most important concept to grasp if you want to understand how to stop dog aggression is that your dog must first look to you as the pack leader in the home. (This is the easiest place to convince him you are the decision maker.) Only then can you convince him that you are the pack leader on a walk. There are some fantastic video sites now that show you exactly how to become the pack leader.
Once you have convinced your dog that you are the pack leader outside, he will then actually start to take notice of how you are behaving when he reaches the point where he would usually become aggressive!
Just remember, dogs are pack animals and they follow the pack leader.
One of the best examples of a professional dog trainer putting this all into practice is The Online Dog Trainer. The site has live videos of this method being demonstrated and explains exactly how to stop dog aggression by simply convincing your dog that you are the pack leader. CLICK HERE
Sunday, October 27, 2013
iPhone 4S Lifeproof case
Back in August my wife and I decided to make the switch to the iPhone. For years we've had Google based phones and this time we just got tired of having everyone we know be on an iPhone, so we thought, what the hell! We ended up getting the iPhone 4S models as they were on sale.
The downside to an iPhone for us is that we have a tendency to break our phones within the two year contract. We've been told that the iPhones are particularly easy to break if you drop them, so we began looking around for cases. I don't like to spend money if it's not really worth it. In looking at the different things we wanted out of a case we settled on three things. First, they have to protect against dropping. Second, we needed something that can get dirty and be able to be cleaned. Lastly, we need to make sure that if it's jumps out of our hands and into the toilet or shower, that the water not kill it.
Conveniently, these were the points that the LifeProof case spoke about. The problem was the price. It's pretty expensive and I didn't really want to pay that kind of money, but I figured if it protected the phone for the contract period, it would be worth it.
I was about to check out and just get the phones, when the sales rep did a really interesting thing. He took his phone (in the LifeProof case) and literally threw it across the room. Now, after we picked it up I went through it and everything was still working seamlessly. Not that I would throw MY phone across the room, case or not, it was a good enough point that I did buy the case.
So far I have dropped my phone, splashed water on it (no submersions yet!), had it fall off tables onto hard flooring and the phone has always remained protected. It works great with no scratches or dings or cracked screens!
With everything that we put our phones through, including letting our children play games on them, this case is worth it's price!
Order a case today!
The downside to an iPhone for us is that we have a tendency to break our phones within the two year contract. We've been told that the iPhones are particularly easy to break if you drop them, so we began looking around for cases. I don't like to spend money if it's not really worth it. In looking at the different things we wanted out of a case we settled on three things. First, they have to protect against dropping. Second, we needed something that can get dirty and be able to be cleaned. Lastly, we need to make sure that if it's jumps out of our hands and into the toilet or shower, that the water not kill it.
Conveniently, these were the points that the LifeProof case spoke about. The problem was the price. It's pretty expensive and I didn't really want to pay that kind of money, but I figured if it protected the phone for the contract period, it would be worth it.
I was about to check out and just get the phones, when the sales rep did a really interesting thing. He took his phone (in the LifeProof case) and literally threw it across the room. Now, after we picked it up I went through it and everything was still working seamlessly. Not that I would throw MY phone across the room, case or not, it was a good enough point that I did buy the case.
So far I have dropped my phone, splashed water on it (no submersions yet!), had it fall off tables onto hard flooring and the phone has always remained protected. It works great with no scratches or dings or cracked screens!
With everything that we put our phones through, including letting our children play games on them, this case is worth it's price!
Order a case today!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Doggy Dan's Online Dog Training
Doggy Dan's Online Dog Training Program--get it here!
I rate this a 4 star product.
This is an interesting concept. Having had dogs my whole life I've seen a lot of different training programs and most have been unsuccessful. I have done the training at the local pet store. Hired a trainer. Watched TV trainer programs to try and gleam free wisdom from their lessons. All of this was to no avail.
The problem was in training myself. The process of training a dog is really a process of self education and training. Most of the local training programs had great positive reinforcement tools and tactics that were great for getting short term results. Once we got home, we would fall back into the old routine. Whether it was the surroundings, or that "life" got in the way of maintaining the training, it just fell apart.
Doggy Dan's video's correct all the problems I was having before. The online video's are great and walk you step by step through everything you need to know to have a happy pet and family. The only downside is he has an accent, so if you have difficulty understand accents then it could be a little difficult. However, his accent is very mild and I found it to be easily understood.
IF YOU HAVE A PUPPY! There is a great section where Dan walks you through step by step with his new little puppy. You're with him from the day he gets picked up and you get to see things as they happen. This is a great section.
Dan uses the general technique of training you to understand how your dog thinks. He shows you how to develop the roll of pack leader and naturally take control. No yelling, poking, or prodding. It's really a great system and he even shows how to train so that your children are involved and in the appropriate roll within the pack!
If you've wanted to have a dog that's completely trained to listen to you and be a great part of your family, then this is a great way to do it. Dan offers 72 hour access for only 1 dollar so you can check everything out to see that it's everything he says it is and everything that I've described to you!
Even if your dog is somewhat trained, do yourself and your family a favor and check out Doggy Dan's program!
The Million Dollar Financial Services Practice
Today I want to go into The Million Dollar Financial Services Practice.
So, you are a new financial advisor, or an existing one that’s trying to get off a plateau. What do you do?
Well the first thing you should do is buy The Million Dollar Financial Services Practice
As for our ongoing star ratings I’m going to give this a 4 star rating.
For the good: This book tackles everything you’ll need to know about what you should focus on to get to your goals. It’s broken up into sections so that even a senior rep that wants to explode their business will know where to begin. This book is phenomenal in that it breaks down all the steps and numbers you will need to his and by when to get to your goal. It doesn’t paint an easy picture, but if you are in the financial biz you already know that it’s one of the hardest businesses to get going!
FOR SENIOR REPS: Take a look at this book. If you have an established practice and are stuck in the 400k-600k production range, this book will give you exact steps to boost your business and take it over the one million mark!! You have the foundation laid, this book will show you exactly what you are missing and why you haven’t got over that point.
For the Bad: The only downside that I can give this book is on the scripts. It has some scripts that they say work and have used in the past. In this biz, the past is dead. No call lists and easy access to financial transactions via the internet have made some of these obsolete. You will need to adjust the scripts to make them work. For the record, the scripts aren’t terrible, they just don’t produce interest the way I would hope for. If you use them, plan on fighting discouragement.
All in all, a great book on building your financial services business.
How To Master The Art Of Selling Financial Services
I give this book 2 stars.
I have to say, I believe in Tom Hopkins methods and training for sales. Except for this book. In reality, his early book, How To Master The Art Of Selling, is really all you need. Also, If you have previously read any of Tom Hopkins’ sales books you have already read this information.
This book is a good effort to help apply the techniques from HTMTAOS to the financial services industry. The problem is that it falls way short. If you are in the financial services business, look into his early book and get that instead. Then take what you need from there and apply it, you’ll learn much more and be much better off for it.
If you don’t have time to do some trial and error testing with his earlier book, then I recommend Million Dollar Financial Services Practice Kindle Version Link This book is very good as a one stop shop for building your financial business, I will review that one next!
Again, I do recommend you still find a copy of HTMTAOS especially if you are new to sales in general.
Millionaire Fastlane
The book I want to look at today is Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco.
My rating: 5
Wow, is all I can say. On the upside this book is packed with the real “inside” information that will tell you the full true story of being an entrepreneur. You get details, and actionable steps that will direct you toward your building your own business. PLEASE UNDERSTAND this is not about owning your own job, or franchise. Although those can bring income and satsifaction. That is not what this is about.
This book is about being a true business owner and having a business that brings you income, WITHOUT having to micromanage each day. Now, what I really like about this book is he does say that you will have to work your ass off. Plain and simple there is no way around that. If you think you can get rich quick, you are wrong. It just takes a lot of work. But, by using the information in this book, MJ shows you how to get to where you want to be as soon as possible and get your income on autopilot as fast as possible.
So, what kind of income do you want? The best thing is that this author, while denouncing get rich quick attitudes, still wants you to reach for the stars! If you want to make $1,000,000 per year that’s fantastic, but why not $1,000,000 per month. It seems impossible, but remember we are looking for life changing money that comes in without having to work 90 hour weeks for the rest of our lives.
All in all this is one of the best books on being an entrepreneur I’ve ever read. I highly recommend you pick this up if you want the real story on how to build your business.
Is there a downside to this book? In short not really, the beginning of the book reads very fast, but is does slow down a bit in the last half. However, the information is so damn good, I can’t count anything off because it’s just that good!
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