Be Considerate, Wear A Face Mask

Here is an infographic from the University of Nebraska Medical Center showing health risks of wearing/not wearing face masks during a pandemic.  Below is a video by a health professional (a medical doctor, not a politician or scientist like Bill Nye) stating why you need to wear a mask during a pandemic or health crisis.  It explains the difference in use of a re-usable/washable fabric mask and a disposable mask.  Mainly the purpose is to be considerate of others by not risking the  spread of a disease you may not know you have.  Contrary to what you may have seen or read, the mask does NOT to prevent airflow, as that would result in suffocation.  Instead, the face mask prevents moisture from leaving your mouth and getting into the air others may breath. Properly wearing a face mask may not be convenient, but it is selflessly considerate of others.  If most people had done this early in the pandemic, it might be over by now or less of an issue, instead of numbers are continuing to rise.

There may be a FEW people who can not wear a mask because of some existing health condition.  If this is the actual case, their doctor can provide them a note saying so.  Not a fake facemask exemption card, which is a money scam to take advantage of people who wish to not look weak/ill or just do not want to wear a mask.  No mask when not staying home or riding in your own car indicates being inconsiderate towards others' health.

Also, masks are mandatory in most business in order for them to stay open.  Being argumentative or violent is actually another way of showing how selfish and arrogant you are, plus it could result in your getting arrested.  A business is private property, which means they have the right to refuse you service and you have the right to go somewhere else.  In some areas, it a business  lets people in without a mask or social distancing, they could loset heir license to operate wither temporarily or permanently.  which means you lose them as a choice of business you can go to.  Think about all that before you react.

Warning Package Thief!

I'm a #TexasGirl, so I wrote this poem as a holiday warning to package thieves (aka #ChristmasGrinch or #PackageThief or #PorchPirates).  This is just meant to be funny - I am not advocating gun violence.  I'm also a little bit of a #Techno Geek, so I had to create a 2nd amendment rights meme to go along with the poem.

Package Thief Warning
by Shirley Fine Lee (copyright 12/06.2019, all rights reserved)

Dear package thief,

This is Texas and
That is my property!
Don't you know?
Our governor upped the ante,
You can go to jail
As your theft penalty.
Don't you never mind though,
It is still law here that
I can protect my property.

Don't you never mind...
I need no technology
Because my hunting dog
Will know you're near my property.
He jumps, barks, and howls
His bite is worse than the growl.
He is better than an alarm.
No, you never mind that!
Yes, he could do you harm.
But don't you worry none
I'll not let him loose
To tear you limb from limb
Starting with your caboose.

Don't you know,
My hound's simple warning
Starts me on a run?
Giving me enough time
To get my trusty gun,
Make sure it's loaded,
Aim it towards the floor,
And meet you at the door.

There I'll say with force,
"Friend, this is my property,
This is my porch,
That there is my package.
If you keep standing here,
Holding it like your baggage,
I'll shoot you in your foot.
Or you can set it down,
And turn around.
Then run away from here,
While hoping I'm so kind
Not to unload shots
Into your behind!"

Glamming Up Your Office or Workspace - 5 DIY Ways Infographic

Does your work area seem a little dull?  Want to add some feminine touches to make your office, desk, or workspace more you?  Check out the do-it-yourself infographic from Quill for 5 clever ideas to glam ordinary office supplies and spruce up work areas at home, work, or school.

If you are not crafty, instead of embellishing clips, you may want to just buy some cool clip colors or consider getting color-packs of staplers, tape dispenser assortment, and/or clip boards to share with others at the office or in the family.  You can buy desk-top mesh or solid organizers and trays in multiple colors as well.  Each person with a different color prevents office confusion or family arguments over who an office supply item belongs to.  You can also split up packs of  bulletin board push pins and whiteboard magnets by color per person.  If you still want feminine touches other than pink, consider already bejeweled magnets and possibly save more money than it takes to DIY.

If you order supplies for a business office, you might also want to check out infographic at Buying Office Supplies in Bulk: Which Items are Yes or No?

Pearl sizes and necklace strand lengths

Do you get confused when you hear a millimeter size for pearls?  If you wonder what they mean, you can think 10mm is about 1/2 inch diameter.  For a more accurate size check, find common pearl sizes in millimeter (MM) infographic shared thanks to The Pearl Source. They offer a downloadable/printable PDF that provides a way to actually measure your pearl diameter and they also have an interactive page showing standard pearl strand lengths so you can pick the look you want.  If you have ever heard anyone talk about pearl strands, you might want to know the name commonly used for the different lengths.  Pearl Paradise provides an explanation of how pearl bracelet and necklace strands are measured.

Once you choose a length in inches, the interactive guide will tell you if it is called: Choker 14-16" which actually sits just about where most t-shirt/dress collars do, Princess 17-19", Matinee 20-24", Opera 26-35", or Rope 36" or longer.  The chart does not include Collar 12-14"which is smaller than a choker but sits higher/tighter on the neck and Lariat which is either a long rope tied in knot or a long unconnected stand that is worn like a scarf. Child size strands range from collar to  choker length and use smaller pearls than an adult strand.  If you buy a necklace for a child, they can wear it later in life as a collar or choker, depending on length. If you are looking for a strand to pass down, look for the Standard adult length of 18" containing around 6MM pearls. 12-14". Torsade is not a length, rather it is a style of wearing multiple pearl stands twisted together to form a chunkier and shorter look. On torsades, pearls might be mixed with other gems for a up-to-date fashionable look.

For a text guide to wearing the best lengths for your size, visit Fine Pearl Jewelry Necklace Length Guide.  For a suggestion of pearl diameter by age, visit American Pearl Right Size.

Cleaning Hacks and Infographics

It is time for Spring Cleaning!  My mother was the queen of clean, even from a wheelchair in her eighties! Her baby sister is also the princess of stain-removal!   Me?  My family is shocked by my cleaning almost everything with baking soda!  Below is an infographic to help you 

Cut Your Cleaning Time In Half, click the link at bottom of infographic to see larger size or download a copy.  For more great infographics to get you started, check for more at 10 Infographics That Will Make You a Pro at Cleaning Anything and another  "poster style" version at the bottom of the detailed text post for 11 Hacks for a Tidy and Clean Home.

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Put On the Full Armor of God

In the Bible Study Have You Got MUSTARD, it is more than just building individual faith or small study group faith.  Those are the main points of the teaching, but I noted something else after seeing the meaning of the acronym.  There was also another message within it:  God is building an army of earthly soldiers to fight spiritual warfare along with his angels - so greater faith is necessary.   In recent months, I have also seen presentations where the Armor of God was shown using current soldier accouterments or police officers in riot gear.   With these things and the recent church shooting in mind, I found the below infographic showing the Roman soldier wearing the full Armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18.

If you desire a poster, pamphlet, or PowerPoint based on the original armor theme in below Armor of God infographic, Amazon has many options including stickers and the laminated wall chart from the publisher of below infographic.  For a great interpretation of the Armor of God scriptures, check out this video.

In the past, I posted a link to a list of spiritual warfare songs for Christian soldiers. The song
“I Am A Soldier” (available on Amazon) was not included in that list, so I offer it for listening via Tribute on YouTube. 

POST SHORT URL =  https://tinyurl.com/48zy9d7r

Free e-Reader Apps for Computer, Phone, or Tablet

I sometimes give away my digital books (i.e. e-books or electronic books) to celebrate a milestone, or a new book release, or just because I suddenly feel like it.  When I announce a giveaway or the sale of a new e-book, someone always says “I would love to have your book, but I don’t have an e-reader.”  Below solves that problem for future readers.  To buy my books or check to see if there are currently any freebies, go to author page for Shirley Fine Lee on Amazon.

You do not have to have a Nook or a Kindle to read e-books.  Amazon offers free downloadable applications (apps) to let you read e-books on your computer, phone, or tablet.  Amazon offers three different ways to get the apps. 

1. The easiest way is if you are already on a book page, just scroll down below the image of the book cover to see and click on the option “Read on any device.”   Click on infographic in bottom of this post to enlarge it and read how to use that option.
2. The option above eventually takes you to Amazon’s Read Everywhere with the Kindle App, which you can go to directly from this post or via Amazon help.   
3.  The third way is to find out what optional devices Amazon offers apps for on their page Free Kindle Reading Apps.  You can click on the links below each device to begin the process of downloading.

Color of the Year in Rose Pink and Serenity Blue Gemstones

The Pantonecolor of the year for 2016 is two different colors for the first time ever.  Both are pastel versions of blue and pink.  The pink is named after the gemstone Rose Quartz.  This is not the first time that the color was a jewel-tone.  The blue color is called Serenity, which is a sky blue although some are calling it aqua or ocean blue.  In the Panton link above, they suggest other fashion colors you may want to mix or blend with the colors of the year.  Whether you choose to wear the pastels colors in clothing or mix it into your jewelry, below are some ideas for gemstones to look for that will go with light to bright to dark versions of these colors.  The table has the gemstones listed from what is typically least expensive to those that are more expensive.  However Rose Quartz may become more expensive since it is being pushed for the year.  Blue Topaz can vary in price range as the darker colors require more time to create.  But topaz will be the most easily found gemstone in the transparent blues.

Pink Gemstones

Transparent to Translucent Gems	Semi-translucent to Opaque Stones
Rose Quartz (rarer than cloudy version) Rose de France Amethyst Strawberry Quartz Pink Topaz Pink Sapphire (fancy color) Pink Tourmaline  Morganite Pink Diamond Kunzite	Rose Quartz (most sought after version) Pink Chalcedony Rhodonite Rhodochrosite Pink Mother of Pearl Peruvian Pnk Opal Milky Morganite Pink Pearl Pink Coral

Blue Gemstones

Transparent to Translucent Gems	Semi-translucent to Opaque Stones
Blue Topaz (in more shades than image suggests) Apatite (comes in green or blue shades) Iolite Sapphire (clear bright versions rare or lab-created) Kyanite Tanzanite (comes in purple or blue shades) Aquamarine Blue Diamond Blue Zircon	Blue Agate Blue Chalcedony Sodalite Lapis Luzuli Peruvian Blue Opal Sapphire (standard darker colors) Turquoise Larimar Milky Aquamarine

For more on the Pantone colors over the years, check out their infographic  50 Years inColor or their text page 40Years of Color anniversary page.  

Which Knife Do You Use to Cut That? Dice, Chop, Slice Infographic

Have you ever asked “Which knife should I use for this?” Have you exclaimed your spouse “Don’t use that knife to cut that!”  If you have, you will appreciate the following Kitchen Knife Guide infographic.  It has almost every knife in my kitchen listed, except my favorite Ginsu.  Now we and/or you can refer to the chart before starting an argument over ruining a good knife by using it for the wrong purpose can occur!  The infographic also includes knife maintenance tips at the bottom. To see a larger image, go to the source site link found below the infographic.

Dice, Chop, Slice A Guide to Knives on Fix.com

Holiday Hazards, Fashion, Organizing, and More Infographics

Earlier this month I shared some household tip infographics that I thought were really great.  Since then, others have shared more blog posts with me that contain interesting or informative graphics on various topics.  I decided to start a list of some of the best ones here. If you can not read the infographic, be sure to click on it as most will enlarge.

• The Hazards of Holidays from Masters in Healthcare
• 100 Years of Women’s Fashion from Primetime Wholesale Clothing
• Tweeting RA!RA! Meetings from To Be Productive
• Be the World’s Most Organized Person on The Momiverse
• Diamonds: 10 Most Expensive Pieces of Jewelry in the World from My Jewelry
• The Perfect Suit for the Modern Man by JakeGcreate
• 8 Infographics to Understand Social Media Etiquette from Internet Marketing Ninjas
• The Evolution of Time Management Tools (scroll to end) on FreeOnLineMag

If you have something you think I should add to the list before the New Year begins, please send me a link to check out! If I love it, I’ll add it to the list.

Helpful Household Tips via Infographics

Recently someone sent me a link to several interesting infographics (you know those mini-posters that tell a story with the picture and a caption) containing multiple household tips.  It got me to thinking there were some good concepts mixed along with those extremely wild ideas.  With that in mind, I collected a few links to blogs with those types of tips.  Then I looked for either articles or videos that better reflected the information in a few of the good tips that I could not find a well-thought out infographic for on-line.  Below are my suggestions for you to review based on where your interests may lie:

• Use a clean dustpan to fill a container that does not fit in the sink plus 13 more tips.
• Use multiple ways to clean different types of car headlights
• Use a glasses case to store your computer and phone cables when traveling
• Use 2-holed soda tabs to create double hangers for sets in the closet, or check out this creative video on how to reuse soda tabs or these artsy ideas for recycling cans
• Use a hanging shoe rack to store cleaning supplies and more easy storage ideas, plus some clever cooking tips.
• Use a magnet to find nails and studs in your wall – also save your fingers by using a clothespin to hold the nail while hammering or check out more uses for clothespins