Author: Marco H.

Staying Fit at the Office during the Holiday Season

With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, finding time to squeeze in exercise to stay fit may seem like a monumental task.  Who has the time with all there is to do?!  What if I told you that you can find that extra time to exercise during the holiday season during your work day? It may sound crazy, but with some creativity and a few simple changes to your everyday routine, staying fit at the office during the holiday season is possible.

One easy way to stay fit at the office during the holiday season is to get more steps during the work day. That could mean that you start parking further away from your building to make the walk farther; if it is cold outside, then just walk faster or even jog! Either way, you are doing something good for your health.  Another way to add more steps is to take the stairs instead of the elevator. You can also walk over to a colleague’s desk instead of emailing or calling them. These all seem like small things, but every little bit helps!

You can also suggest that your weekly standing meetings actually become “standing” meetings by having attendees stand or walk around the room for the duration of the meeting. Another strategy for getting more steps in during the day is to take a walk during your lunch break. You can even multi-task by also getting some holiday errands done during your walks; maybe you can walk to the post office to mail your holiday cards, or walk to a nearby shopping area to pick up some gifts!

Besides getting more steps in a day, squeezing in some toning exercises is another example of ways to stay fit at the office during the holiday season.  You can do isometric exercises right at your desk without anyone knowing! Here’s a few to try:

-Lift your legs straight out off the ground under your desk and cross at the ankles, push your bottom leg up against your top leg. This tones your hamstrings and quadriceps.

-Place palms flat up under your desk and push. This tones your biceps and triceps.

If you have your own office, you can get very ambitious and lift dumbbells or use exercise bands during teleconferences, or complete a strength training routine during lunch.  There are also now many websites that offer free streaming workouts; workouts range from under 10 minutes to an hour, so you are sure to find something to meet your need and can stream using your smartphone.

If you follow these tips for staying fit at the office during the holiday season, you are sure to enter the New Year being “ho-ho-healthy”!

Peace on Earth Cards Are Truly In the Spirit of the Holiday Season

World peace is a goal that the human race has strived towards for centuries. There are many wars brewing in the world today, causing turmoil in beautiful areas of our unique and fragile planet.  From decades long ago up until present day, countless human beings have marched the streets in the hope of achieving a goal such as world peace.  We have certainly moved closer to this goal over the last several decades.

The International Day of Peace is celebrated annually and was established in 1982 on the day of September 21st.  Starting last year in 2013, this day has become dedicated to peace education in schools across the world.  There is also the World Peace Council which was founded in 1950. They advocate universal disarmament, sovereignty, independence and peaceful co-existence, as well as campaigns against imperialism, weapons of mass destruction, and all forms of discrimination. They are also known for awarding the popular “International Peace Prize”.

Peace on Earth cards may not be as common as other cards that say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”. However, Peace on Earth cards can mean something much more around the holidays.  “Peace on Earth” is a friendly and positive message that is universal and can relate to all religions around the world.

Peace on Earth designs are universal and can certainly be part of greeting cards with a religious theme or message as well. Scriptures for many religions include passages about Peace on Earth, so now you can represent this positive message with a card of your own without offending anybody.  The holiday season is supposed to be filled with positivity, generosity, happiness, peace, and kindness.  So, why not get started by sending your loved one a Peace on Earth card?

Why You Should Send Get Well Cards

When we are feeling sick, it always helps to know that somebody cares.  We can feel helpless, weak, or even powerless. Sending a Get Well card can show friends, family, clients, or co-workers that you care and you wish them well for their recovery.  I remember when my father was ill in the hospital after a stroke.  It saddened him that there weren’t many people were reaching out.  He received a Get Well card from a co-worker and it lifted his spirits immediately. It really meant a lot to him when certain people reached out.  I noticed on days where he had visits or received cards, he would be more willing to do rehabilitation and work towards recovery.

What many people fail to realize is that our mental state can drastically affect our recovery from a physical illness.  When our state of mind is calm, stable, and healthy then that can certainly reflect on our bodies.  When we get congratulated at work for a job well done, it is great recognition that makes us want to work even harder.  When a person receives a Get Well card, it makes them strive to get better and work towards their recovery in a positive way.  A good portion of folks recovering from an illness are most likely feeling sad, down, or a little depressed.  A Get Well card will surely brighten their day!

The next time a loved one is feeling ill, get them a card and wish them well.  You have no idea the positivity and strength you could be giving that person during their struggle.  Giving a friend, family member, or co-worker a Get Well card lets them know that you are with them every step of the way on their journey to recovery!

Why You Should Send Congratulations Cards

When someone in our lives achieves a goal or accomplishes something great, it is a nice gesture to congratulate them and wish them well.  The person will remember your gesture in the future and may even congratulate you with a card of their own!  A card that says “Congratulations” is perfect for countless occasions.   These may include the birth of a child, a graduation, securing a new job, or another similar accomplishment in someone’s life.

There is not a better feeling than someone who gives you a “Job Well Done” or “Congratulations” after you have worked so hard towards a goal.  That type of recognition can make us strive for more success and to achieve even bigger goals in our lives.  This is especially true when we know that our loved ones and friends are behind us supporting our dreams every step of the way.  This can also be true in the workplace.  A “Congratulations” can go a long way when recognizing an employee’s accomplishments.

You will always remember the people who send you a card on a special occasion.  This shows that they care, they are proud of you, and they are happy for you.  So the next time someone in your life deserves recognition, you’ll be happy to have these cards on hand!

How to Choose Birthday Cards for Business

Like most entrepreneurs, I didn’t have money for anything extra when I started out. It was all I could do to pay bills, make payroll, keep my building lit and powered and so on. When the little league came around I had to cry poor when asked to sponsor a team, even though my own kids played. I’d stay late sometimes to clean the office, and my wife worked on the books part time for free. No WB Mason for me, I had to look for deals and do my own purchasing, even for office coffee!

106709

There was a lot to learn, but some things you shouldn’t even have to think about. The way you treat your employees says a lot about you, and no matter what business you’re in, I believe it has everything to do with your ultimate success or failure. Little things matter. Like remembering birthdays and giving out birthday cards. Even when your company gets bigger, as mine has, it doesn’t have to be a chore. I use internet sites like the Gallery Collection. There’s an endless variety and they always look great. I’ve given Birthday Cards from day 1 and it never ceases to amaze me how much the workers appreciate it. And the free coffee, that always goes over big! I do it because I care about them, but I’m convinced it results in better productivity too.

Now that we’re over the hump and I can do more, I still remember how important the little things are.

Business Birthday Cards for your Boss

Everybody wants to be noticed by their boss, whether they admit it or not. And I’ve seen and tried a lot of variations on this theme. One of my ideas was to buy a box of business Birthday Cards from an online site and give them out to my boss and the other managers over my head. It seems to be going pretty well, I think, they all seem to like it. Though I haven’t seen anything tangible yet in the way of a raise or promotion. I’ll need another box pretty soon.

The Birthday Bunch Greeting Card - Design H6FAE
The Birthday Bunch Greeting Card – Design H6FAE

 

Yes I get the odd comment about being a suck up (and worse) but let’s face it, they’re mostly just feeling stupid they didn’t think of it! At least it’s an honest, right out there attempt at attention grabbing. Unlike some people, who think dishonesty is the way to go. So many people think you get ahead by pulling other coworkers back, trying to make yourself look good by making others look bad. I wish we’d all get what we deserve and sometimes we do. But then there’s the Teflon people, nothing ever sticks to them. I sometimes think they’re the ones getting ahead. Too bad for me, I just can’t stoop that low. Or maybe good for me? Not sure…

Business Birthday Cards – A Tradition Worth Keeping

Recently I heard a coworker trying to make the point to our boss that giving out business birthday cards was a tradition worth keeping. The boss was lamenting the fact that there would be no raises for a 2nd straight year for most of us and that only some upper management would probably be getting bonuses, (I thought she was joking, but…). She even wondered about the cards we get for birthdays, Christmas, Anniversaries and everything in between.

Design G1VAY - Cupcake Treat Birthday Card
Design G1VAY – Cupcake Treat Birthday Card

 

Of all the things to pick out to complain about my friend starts on about the card thing, about what a morale boost it is, about how fun it is to get that card in the mail. Always the dope I found out why when I complained about the no raises part. The boss thought it was sweet to lobby for the card tradition, while I got the stink eye for my input. I quickly reversed course and said how much I liked getting cards too. You gotta play the game.

I have to admit though that for a business to hand out cards does make difference. Unless you’re very cynical, you have to say that it’s at least a sign of goodwill. A lot of employers don’t bother to make the effort at any kind of appreciation.

I told my friend later that I get it, but I sure would like to talk about that raise too. He said we all might get more than business birthday cards if I worked harder. Very funny.