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WALKING FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Exercises are good for your workout program because they help tone flabby muscles while also burning calories.

But aerobic exercise is best to burn fat. A great way to get an aerobic workout is to walk.

Walking is the easiest and most effective exercise we can use in our workout routine. But you need to know more than one foot in front of the other to get the most from walking as aerobic exercise.

Because of how the body draws on fat stores versus other stored energy sources, the first thing you need to do is increase the time you spend walking. While we've said that 30 minutes of exercise is good for fat burning, when you walk, you really need to bump this up to at least 45 minutes, but ideally an hour.

Obviously, it might not be possible for you to fit an hour of walking into your busy schedule, but try walking every day allowing a few days for an hour and a few days at 30 minutes. Alternate them, however. If you walk an hour on Monday, walk half an hour on Tuesday, etc.

If you're only going to be walking for 30 minutes, increase your speed. A leisurely stroll isn't going to give you that aerobic workout that your body needs, so step it up a bit. But don't overdo it. If you can't talk and walk, you're over-exerting yourself and you should back off a bit.

You can also introduce some type of weight for you to carry when you walk. This could be something simple like a small weight, or you can go to the pantry and pull out a couple of cans of corn! Keep them in your hands as you walk and move your arms back and forth in your strides. Adding weight will also help tone your arms - an added perk!

If you're walking outdoors, perhaps in your neighborhood, take along a walk-man and play some upbeat music to keep you walking. Not only is it entertaining, it keeps you going as well!

And remember, that all walking counts - even if it's during a shopping trip to the mall!

OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE

There are all kinds of ways you can work exercise into your life. You can workout anywhere doing all sort of things.

Playing with children, for example is a great way to get some exercise. When you get down on the floor and play "horsey", you are giving yourself a heck of a workout - and it is fun for the kids!

Throw a ball around in the backyard and really get into it! Jump on a trampoline, or just play tag! Exercise like this not only give you the physical benefits, it can remind you of the joy of youth and put a real smile on your face!

At work, take the stairs instead of the elevator. When you park in a parking lot, park as far away from the door as possible so you have to walk further.

Use your imagination and you will find ways to exercise almost anywhere!

Many people love the idea of being in a gym surrounded by sweaty people who are lifting weights and using the stair-stepping machine. If this is what you like, by all means, get into the gym.

Weight training gives you the opportunity to sculpt your body by pushing your muscles toward working harder than they normally would.

We suggest that you get the advice of someone in the gym like the trainer or owner to give you some exercises to start out with. They will be the experts in the field for you and will know what works when you're just beginning a weight training program. They can also help guide you when it's time for you to "step up" your regimen.

Aerobics classes are another great way to get a terrific workout. You can find classes like these in many, many places, but mostly in gyms and workout studios. Keep in mind that there will be a fee to take these classes, but it might very well be worth it to have the camaraderie that comes with other people sweating along with you!

We highly recommend looking into taking water aerobics. Exercising in the water has so many benefits. You have less stress and strain on your joints, plus the natural resistance of the water will work your muscles more than if you were taking a class "on land".

Water aerobics can be done by just about anyone -young and old alike. It's a great alternative to strength training and you won't have the problem of excessive sweating that many of us just hate! You'll get an amazing workout and it'll be fun too!

Many people - the Hollywood elite included - are beginning to advocate Pilates as a very effective weight loss method. This exercise regimen was developed in the early 20th century, but has just now come to global popularity.

Pilates is more than exercise program, it is based on the principles of many different types of movements. It takes some of its movements from yoga, acrobats, stretching, and more. Plus, Pilates concentrates a lot on the mind as an exercise tool.

We can't tell you how to do Pilates because it's so involved. That would be a whole other book to write! But there are many helpful tools out there that can help you with a Pilates program if you think that the route you want to go. Look for online web sites, videos, and classes in your area. Once you learn the basic movements, you can then practice them on your own!

So now we know about exercising in order to lose weight, but let's get back to the most important hurdle in trying to lose weight - the food!

COUNTING CALORIES

Many people think that when they decide it's time to lose weight, they have to count every single calorie that touches their lips. This really isn't necessary. In fact, it could become quite tedious and cause you to give up.

So how do you know how many calories you've taken in during a 24 hour period? Estimate! Count portions instead of each individual calorie. This is where effective meal planning comes in!

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Bedwetting Advice that Has Worked for Other Parents

Those who know a lot about bedwetting options, remedies and treatments are often those parents who have struggled with the problem with their own children. There are many alternative or less-used bedwetting remedies used by parents to help treat the problem. Some are backed by research, others are used simply because they work for some parents. At the very least, these tips are worth considering when you are trying to cope with bedwetting at your home:

Tip #59: Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is an alternative treatment that uses hypnosis to treat bedwetting (Hypnotherapy is also used to treat a host of other ailments). The premise behind hypnotherapy is much the same as the idea behind behavior modification or visualization - the mind is used to control what the body does.

During hypnotherapy, a child will be hypnotized and then suggestions will be made (by the hypnotherapist’s voice) that the child is able to control their bladder at night and can wake up in time to go to the bathroom. Hypnotherapy is safe and is generally used for older children, although there are hypnotherapists who work with younger children, as well. Some results can be seen in a few weeks.

If you decide to use hypnotherapy as a route, you need to investigate practitioners carefully, as in most states alternative healers such as hypnotherapists are not required to be licensed or otherwise controlled.

Get recommendations for a good hypnotherapist who has had success treating other patients of Enuresis specifically. Most health insurance does not cover this form of treatment, so get the best hypnotherapist you can so that your money is well spent on an effective remedy.

Tip #60: Check Your Child’s school bathroom and school drinking habits

It sounds strange, but it’s true - your child’s habits at school may be contributing to problems at home. Some doctors have suggested that children do not drink very much during schooldays.

Partly, this is because children are given only short breaks and because beverages are not allowed in class. Children who do not drink enough in school may be dehydrated by the time they come home, meaning that they drink most of their daily fluids in the hours leading up to evening.

Plus, many children are shy about using bathrooms in public places, such as their school. This means that they may be waiting to drink and use the bathroom until they come home. This forces the body to take most of its water but also perform most of its voiding within a few hours, encouraging accidents in the night.

If your child has wet nights more often during the school week, school-related stress or poor drinking and bathroom habits may be the culprit. Ensuring that your child can drink and visit bathrooms regularly throughout the day can help ensure drier nights. Encourage your child to visit the bathroom at school and drink during school time. Discuss any concerns your child has about using the bathroom at school or drinking water at school. Try to remedy these problems.

Tip #61: Develop a bedtime routine.

Some parents have found that a steady bedtime routine helps some children relax and settle into sleep. A good night’s sleep can help with bedwetting since the child is not going to sleep so tired that they will not wake up (even when their bladder is full) or so keyed-up that an accident is more likely to happen.

Plus, some parents have found that a steady routine helps to quiet the child and have the child prepare for bed in a good frame of mind. Some parents believe that just as the routine is established for bedtime, so the child’s mind can accept a routine for getting up and going to the bathroom. At the very least, this method costs no money and is perfectly safe to use alone or with other remedies.

Tip #62: A teaspoon of honey

Some parents find that a teaspoon of honey taken orally morning and night helps prevent bedwetting. There is some controversy about this treatment, as some doctors insist that it does not work while some happy parents claim that it does. Research indicates that the substances in honey may help with water retention and help calm fears. More research needs to be done about these properties and their possible impact on bedwetting.

However, at the very least a teaspoon of honey at night and in the morning is not harmful in any way and can easily be used with other treatments.

Tip #63: Subliminal Suggestion

Ask your child if he or she dreams that she is urinating on the nights when he or she wets the bed. If your child does, have your child practice imagining waking up in the dream. Practice with your child, and have your child say “I have to wake up and go to the bathroom now” in the dream sequence. If your child can do this in their dream, they will wake up and have time to go to the bathroom. This is called “subliminal suggestion” and many parents find that this works like magic.

Tip #64: Homeopathy and natural remedies

If you can find a qualified homoeopath or alternative doctor in your area, he or she may be worth a try, especially if he or she has had success in treating bedwetting problems in the past. There are a number of natural medicines out there for treating bedwetting. You can easily and inexpensively buy them at the health food store.

However, a good natural healer or holistic practitioner can be a better choice as he or she will be qualified to tell which medications and natural treatments are effective. Many parents and their children have found success by pursuing this method.

If you decide to purchase herbal or homeopathic remedies of any kind, it is important that you read the ingredients very carefully to make sure that your child is not allergic to any of the substances. It is also a good idea to talk to your pharmacist to see whether any ingredients in the medication or treatment could interact with any substances your child is taking.

Remember: even remedies that are all-natural may contain ingredients that can be harmful or can cause allergic reactions in your child. Many parents have found help through natural or alternative tablets, pills, and other treatments, but you need to be cautious about what you give your child to ingest.

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How is Your Social Life?

“Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes ~

While we are on the subject of your personal life, let’s not forget your friends. Everyone has them and everyone needs them.

Friends are a necessary social extension and they provide an outlet, a group of like-minded people who share values, though perhaps not always every opinion. Time out with friends, whether they are old high school buddies or friends you’ve made at work, is important.

A movie, a cup of coffee, an occasional dinner, perhaps even sharing an activity you both like, such as bowling, golf, baseball, slot machines, a book club, or going to the movies, the theater or the ballet.

All of the techniques we discussed for your family life can also be applied to your friends.

Above all, keep in touch. Schedule events and get-togethers with a realistic eye to what you can achieve.

Many people work long hours, have demanding jobs and still manage to participate in monthly groups, or scheduled activities. And, this is a welcome relief from their grueling work schedule.

Put the appointments on your calendar just as you would any business meeting, and be dutiful about keeping the appointment even if it seems a guilty pleasure during that critical crunch season at work.

If you must cancel, communicate clearly with your friend(s) and let them know why you have to reschedule.

DO reschedule.

Don’t leave it to chance or you will never get together.

When you go out with friends, even if they are co-workers, use your newly learned skills in self-discipline to keep you out of the realm of work discussion. Don’t talk shop, or you will not get away from the stress you tried to leave behind at the office. It is a hard habit to break, and it may take some time and focus to learn the new habit.

You can make it fun by agreeing that the person who breaks the ‘don’t talk shop’ code first will have to buy a round of drinks or coffee, or has to pay for dinner.

You’d be amazed at how quickly your co-workers will learn the lesson!

If you have a friend, or a group of old college chums with whom you love to socialize, try to pick a monthly or weekly date – the second Tuesday of every month, for example – and get together then.

Everyone will look forward to these occasions and you won’t feel so deprived of social contact.

During times of high stress and long hours, take the time to go out for a walk or get a cup of coffee or have lunch with someone outside the office. Get away from the people you see in the halls every day and get a breath of fresh air.

You’ll feel much better.

Don’t give up the activities and friends you love. Exercise and socialization are key to balancing your life and even though you may feel they can be postponed until a time when your career is not on high speed, your health will benefit from the short breaks and scheduled visits you insist on taking.

We’ll talk more about stress and exercise later, and how these figure into life balance. Right now, let’s focus on your friends.

If your friends have fallen by the wayside with the advent of your most recent and most hectic job, you need to get some more friends fast.

Man does not live by work alone!

And though your family is very important to you, your friends serve a different purpose.

They are often more honest with you than your family can be and they will forgive and forget without the same intimate emotional attachment of a spouse, a mother or a brother.

You can count on them to make you laugh and to share your successes and failures. They are part of your psychological armor and a necessary part of your life’s balance.

If you need to reconnect with friendship, you can often find someone with whom you share common values at work, or in an industry association or club. Or you may find a friend that shares a passion for a sport or an activity while attending a sporting event or on line at the movie theater.

Seek out friends actively and don’t be afraid to invite your new friend for a drink or coffee. There is no harm done if the friendship does not blossom.

Friends make you more interesting and expand your horizons.

And, they keep you from becoming a boring, ‘all work and no play’ kind of person.

Again, you have to be disciplined, have a plan and pay attention, to take advantage of these opportunities.

“Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow” ~ Don Herold ~

Setting Expectations

Up until now, we have only touched on expectations, but they are perhaps the most important part of your balancing plan. Expectations come into play in several ways.

First, there are YOUR expectations.

What is it that you expect to get from a more balanced life? More free time? A closer relationship with your spouse? The time to pursue an advanced degree? Maybe, you want to learn to ride a horse? Any or all of these things are fine goals, but your expectation to achieve balance must take into consideration that some of these goals will take MORE time away from your family.

So, the first thing you have to do is to get it straight in your own mind. What is ‘balance’ for you?

Is it more time for yourself? More time for your family? Don’t make a promise to get more work/life balance and then squander that balance with poor planning.

What do you expect to achieve? How will this balance change your life?

Are you expectations realistic for the planned timeframe and actions you want to take or are you dreams too large?

Once you have your own expectations under control, you’ll need to look to your employer and your family and friends to be sure that you understand and can meet their expectations.

It is all well and good that you expect to regain some balance in your life but if your employer still thinks you should work eighty hours per week, you aren’t likely to get far.

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When it comes to pitching your ideas to investors, not going it alone and getting others to front the money to get your idea, patent to the market, there are many options available to you. More-so than having to start your own business and risk everything to get this million dollar idea off the ground.

There has been lots of developments, even online exchanges brought to life, niche funding specialists, venture capitol avenues and niche providers whose sole purpose and function is getting you the money you need to make the most of your million dollar idea.

Companies and investors are always on the hunt for ways to make more money. In the end business is about more than merely profits, most like the idea of competitive edge and innovation forming part of their business. Anything to get and keep them ahead is seen as a worthwhile investment.

Once you have figured out for yourself what you idea is, gone through the description, patent and/or other protective processes, have disclaimers and non-disclosures in place for all parties you are involved with and presenting for, it is time to package, ready and present your piece to others on order to get the backing you need, or licensing in place to get your million dollar idea in and on the market! The is a lot involved in preparing and presenting new product ideas to corporations for licensing.

New product concepts (read YOUR MILLION DOLLAR IDEA) from independent investors like yourself can have quite an impact on their profits as well. Negotiating licensing and royalties are probably best handled through legal representation. It does all however start with the genius of your own idea, patent or product. You can sit back and watch others enjoy and benefit from your idea, while the financial compensation and profits start rolling in. Manufacturing, marketing and distribution can all be handled or licensed out, without you necessarily taking an active role in it at all.

Securing a license agreement with businesses and corporations are a great way for you to make your idea into a money-making machine, without having to front the capitol necessary to get through these initial process.

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SECTION II: PACKAGE

Top 30 ways to package a profitable product

Remember, stop thinking of a “product”… think in terms of “content”. Think about the outline you built and the content you’ve collected. That content IS your product(s). The way you package and present it is just window dressing.

1. E-Books

Content converted to a PDF file. You’ll see a free way to convert content to a PDF later in this action guide.

2. Books

Content converted to a PDF file and then sent to a printer.

If you want to self-publish your book, you’ll see a great Print-On-Demand (POD) website later in this action guide. You can print just one book or 25,000. It’s a great way to get started with a physical book.

3. Newsletters

Content ‘sections’ (articles) that are either used in an offline newsletter or an online ezine. A book of content could give you enough content for a year’s worth of newsletters.

4. Blogs

Content ‘snippets’ used in an online blogging program. Snippets would be like taking the title and first paragraph or two from an article.

The debate is still out on this but there are some who say you should use the entire article of content for a blog and others who say you should just use a quick snippet of info to capture the reader’s attention.

5. Audio Books

Record yourself (or someone else) reading your book content. Yes, just read it and record it. Voila – you’ve got an audio book.

Later in this action guide I’ll show you how to do this with a free software product.

6. Podcast

Record yourself talking about your subject matter.

You can read part of your book. Like reading sections or chapters of the content.

You can just talk about it. You’ve done the research. You’re now an expert. Just talk about what you know.

You can use the free software product from #5 to record your podcast.

7. Audio Program

Multiple audio CDs in one program.

Whenever you gather content for an idea you’ll always have more content than you can fit into a book or e-book. A one CD ‘audio book’ could become an full blown ‘audio program’ by breaking it into separate CDs for each chapter and adding additional content.

8. Vlogcast

This is just like a blog or a podcast except it’s recording the content as a video instead of text or audio.

Although you will have to invest in a camera (either digital video camera or webcam) the software to edit and package the video is completely free – I’ll tell you about it later.

9. Video Program

Just like the Audio Program except the content is recorded as a video. For example, you could read the book into the camera or you could be recorded teaching the material to a group. Break the content up into sections and place each section on a separate DVD.

10. Workbooks

Examine your content and create a book or report specifically designed to ‘teach’ the material. Present the information in a summarized format and have questions for each book chapter/section.

11. Multi-Media Kits

Put your book, audio book and/or DVD or you reading your book together.

12. Coaching Program

Present your content via the phone or email depending on how you’ve structured your coaching program.

13. Teleseminars

Present your content via the telephone – normally in an interview type format. However, I have listened to a few teleseminars that was just the expert speaking the entire time.

14. Teleworkshops

Present your content via telephone in a “workbook” type scenario. Make it a smaller group with an interactive layout.

15. Home Study Course

Combine books, audio programs, video programs, workbooks, etc. into one product.

Anyone who can create enough content for an e-book has enough content to convert their content into a Home Study Course and have a high-end product to promote.

16. Membership Site

Include your text, audio and video content in a secure website where your clients pay you each month for access to the material.

The great opportunity here is it is residual income that continues each month.

17. Radio Show

With the power of the internet anyone can have their own radio show. You can record the content and have it played at various times or you can do a live show. Same content as a podcast.

18. TV Show

Internet TV (IPTV) is coming very quickly. Just like internet radio – within 1-2 years anyone can build their own TV show on the internet.

19. Syndicated Column

As an expert in your field, you may be asked to submit your articles to a newspaper. Or you can post your articles on your own website and others can syndicate the content via RSS feeds.

20. Articles

Crop your book content into smaller sections – and you’ve got a ton of articles you can use online or offline.

21. Mini Books or Reports

You guessed it… if you have a book with 5 chapters, you could make it into 5 “special reports”.

22. CD/DVD Training

Use your audio CDs and/or video DVDs to create a monthly training subscription service. Think like “Video Professor”. You’ve already got the content created – get clients to pay you monthly for it.

23. Magazine

A magazine is nothing but a large Newsletter. The great thing about a magazine… you can get advertisers to pay you money each month to be listed in your magazine.

24. Software

Convert your content into an executable file.

You don’t have to be a software developer. I used HTML and Flash to package text, audio and video into an EXE. Once an EXE I called it software and it could be promoted with a higher perceived value.

25. Keynote Speaking

Summarize your content into PowerPoint slides to speak from when asked to be an expert presenter.

26. Resell Rights

Provide others the ability to resell your product(s) and keep 100% of the profits.

Pro: Higher perceived value

Con: You lose control of your product

If you want income – this is a great way to do it. If you have a product you don’t want to lose control of – do not do this.

27. Private Label Rights

Provide others the ability to modify your content, brand it with their own name and resell it as their own.

Pro: Higher perceived value

Con: It will no longer be your product after it’s rebranded

28. Licensing

Make an arrangement with a company to purchase a large quantity of your product.

For example: A company may license your content for all their employees.

29. Foreign Rights

Convert your content into other languages.

30. Consulting

A culmination of all your research and content presented as required by the person and/or company that hires you.

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Even if you have brilliant ideas, they’re worthless unless you share them. So, being able to communicate effectively is as important as being able to come up with great ideas. However, not everyone is good at communication, and they need practice to be capable of it.

Suppose a situation arises when, due to external reasons, you need to immediately double your company’s output. But your managers are unable to get the work done by the employees, who are unwilling to go that extra mile for the company. This results in loss of both money and reputation for the company.

So, what’s the problem? It’s not that you’re not paying the employees, nor are they deprived of other benefits. So the real problem here is the lack of communication between employer and employee.

It is often forgotten that internal communication is an integral part of business communication strategy. The entire focus being on external communication, the firm and its managers busily paint rosy pictures for customers. This leads to a strong marketing side, certainly, but rather weakens operational strategy.

Another problem cause by miscommunication and/or lack of communication is the growth of the negative-grapevine. This unofficial channel of communication can lead to disaffection, causing profits to decrease.

To ensure growth, you need to have channels of both internal and external communication. The whole communication system should be of one piece and purpose. No loose talk can be permitted. Whatever is communicated, whether to the customers or the employees, must be carefully crafted in order to attain the goals that have been set.

If you focus on your target segment’s needs, you are likely to be able to set up an effective communication strategy. They care about your goals, but only o far as they benefit from it. So identify with their needs and communicate your goals in terms they empathize with.

If you welcome suggestions and encourage feedback, your employees get a chance to constructively put forward their suggestions, but this will also suppress the grapevine and allow them to feel involved.

When you receive the feedback or suggestions, react in a positive way. Assure your employees that their complaints are being noted and positive actions shall be taken. Make sure your message isn’t lost in a maze of jargon and can be understood by your target audience. To sum up, to achieve your goals, you must communicate your ideas clearly.

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Maintain a Positive Attitude During Hard Times

Often there are times when everything seems to go wrong despite one’s hardest efforts. During these times, a positive attitude will assist a person to regain his stamina and come out of the rough patch easily.

You should never blame yourself for things that naturally seem to go wrong in life. These incidents cannot be avoided. You should always remember that tomorrow brings the hope of a new day.

Most days turn out to be positive for people, but there will always be occasional pitfalls when nothing seems to go right. Just take the failed day in your stride and move on ahead with the assurance that a better day will soon come.

Always let go of the distress of today and keep faith in the anticipation that tomorrow brings. Most of the days in an individual’s life bring about positive results. If you can maintain a positive attitude regardless of what might happen, the bad days will be kept to a bare minimum.

Always remember that a positive attitude will help you recover quicker in times of distress. Some bad days will motivate you to have an even more positive attitude so that you can learn from the mistakes of today for a better tomorrow.

The situation may be extremely difficult. But a positive attitude will help you overcome irrespective of how bad the situation is and you will definitely regain your confidence and self respect.

Hard times will always appear in life. But they seem less hard when life is viewed optimistically.

No matter how a hard life may seem at some stage, a positive attitude will help you keep your head clear and allow you to think steadily so that you can find the right solution.

Even at work, a positive attitude will help you keep your calm and you will be able to do all the tasks that need to be done to improve the situation. You will be able to end your day on an optimistic note.

Even when you are sick or in despair, a positive attitude will help you recover quicker. The illness or the disappointment will pass sooner. You should not break down simply because you don’t feel fit and fine. Real strength and stamina come from learning to be optimistic and believing that time will soon change for the better.

No one is flawless. Making mistakes is a natural part of life. You have to learn from your wrongdoings and be prepared for the future. You should not always blame yourself and lose your composure when something goes wrong.

Make this a positive learning opportunity for the future. It is easy to maintain a positive attitude during smooth times. It is only when you can do the same during rougher times that you can achieve happiness and success much faster.

What You Need to Be on the Top

Have you noticed a certain kind of radiance and aura surrounding people who are successful and doing well in their lives?

Some people have one particular skill that they tap on for their success while some people have a whole range of plus points that work in their favor in their professional life and otherwise. Its important to identify things that you are good at and concentrate on them and to know how to work them in your favor.

Especially with regards to your professional life, it’s important that you should be doing something that you truly love. If you are not sure about what it is that you really want don’t be afraid to experiment. Look around. Spend time doing things that you haven’t done before. This will also enable you to discover your strengths, weaknesses and interests.

Before everything else, you need to identify what success means to you. Largely speaking there are two spheres in which people seek to be successful—personal (relating to friends and family) and professional (relating to your field of work). Some skills are however useful for both these spheres.

It’s important how you react to and act upon emotions. Its important to maintain your cool in all kinds of stress-ridden situations. People who maintain their calm are most likely to make logical decisions be in control.

Failures are a part of life. Learn to take them in your stride. It is ideal to learn from your mistakes. The key to success is that you should stop being afraid of failures. If you have a goal in your mind you have to persistent. Don’t give up.

You have to be innovative and think out of the box. When faced with a problem retain your cool and think of all possible ways to tackle it.

Don’t be afraid of fear. You might be afraid of doing new things and taking new challenges or of pushing yourself to new limits. This would also limit your success. Use your fear constructively. The curiosity might have killed the cat but it is good for you.

Ask questions, when you are not sure about what is happening. It’s important for you to get a clear picture of the happenings before you can even identify the problem and then eventually tackle it.

If you want to be successful, you need to inculcate level headedness patience. You need to be willing to learn from people around you and keep an open mind. Don’t be afraid to do new things and think beyond conventional framework.

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75. Crystal Lacquer

Crystal lacquer adds shine and protection to your photographs. This shine adds a soft elegance to any scrapbook page. However, crystal lacquer looks especially nice on more formal gift scrapbooks.

Basically paint your photograph with the crystal lacquer and let it dry. Be especially careful not to let the lacquer spill over the edge and ruin other parts of your scrapbook pages.

Crystal lacquer is available at most hardware and paint stores.

76. Drybrushing

Dry brushing is a technique used to highlight or shade objects or areas of a scrapbook page. Drybrushing gives the appearance of weathered wood. This can be used to increase focus to a certain photograph or to add a little energy to dull scrapbook pages. Drybrushing is a great technique for that old fashioned look.

To create this effect, dip a dry paint brush into acrylic paint. Next, wipe the brush back and forth on a paper towel. Then, lightly brush the item you want drybrushed. Set the item aside to dry.

77. Embossing

Embossing is basically painting using heat. Embossing adds color and metallic shine to items. Embossing can be used to add a metallic feel to a truck or train in a children's book or add a masculine touch to a graduation scrapbook.

To emboss an item, sprinkle the embossing powder over the surface you want embossed. Then, heat the powder until it melts. Aluminum foil placed over the object can be used to quicken the heating process. To reduce static cling and a mess afterwards, just place a dryer sheet on top of the item before you work. To clean up, simply brush away the remaining powder.

Embossing powder is available at most craft stores in a wide variety of colors and tints.

78. Scrap Metal

An interesting alternative to regular paper tags is using scrap metal. This adds a masculine touch that is great for those interested in cars, trains, airplanes, or metalworking.

Any bits of metal can be used. Using a metallic Rub on you can change or enhance the color of the metal to add a dramatic touch to your scrapbook page.

Simply, rub the product on the metal. Then cover the item in a clear embossing powder and heat. Optionally, you can stamp the item with black ink before you emboss for an even more dramatic result.

79. Beading

Beads can add color and design to a scrapbook. Beading can be as simple as gluing a few beads onto a scrapbook page or as complex as a sewn beaded design. Beads can be added abstractly to a children's scrapbook for a child-like look or carefully placed to make homey titles or artistic designs.

Beads, microbeads, and necklaces can be attached using twosided tape or Xyron adhesive.

Beads are available at your local craft store in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.

80. Quilling

Quilling can be as simple as gluing a few precut strips onto a scrapbook page or as complex as artful designs. The design you create depends only upon your creativity and talent. Quilling creates an exotic handicraft look to scrapbooks.

Quills are available in specialty craft stores.

81. Embroidery

If you enjoy sewing and embroidery, you can use these skills to create amazing embellishments. These designs create great focus pieces for elegant gift scrapbooks.

Patterns can be either sewn directly into the scrapbook page or onto a piece of fabric. This fabric can then either be used as a background or pasted on the page.

82. Painted Tissue Paper

Painted tissue paper can add a colorful flair to your children's artwork or scrapbook page.

To paint tissue paper, punch or tear bits of tissue paper into various shapes.

Next, using watercolor pencils and a wet paintbrush thoroughly coat the tissue paper.

Then, dip the painted tissue paper in a mixture of Scrappy Glue and water and place it on white cardstock. Let the pieces dry completely. Use the dry colored tissue paper as a background, a border, or as a fancy embellishment.

83. Faux Painting

Faux painting can be created primarily with various colored sheets of paper. This can be used to add color and a dramatic flare to a dull scrapbook page.

Creating this effect is easy. Basically, tear the edges of three papers (a dark, a light, and a medium shade of the same color). Your middle shade of paper will be the base for your design, while the darker shade will be used as the shadow. Lighter shades act as highlights.

84. Faux Chalk Designs

To give a chalked accent to your items without the mess of the chalk, print images directly onto vellum. Next, color the back of the vellum with a marker. When you cut the letters out and turn them over, the letters have a very pretty, muted, chalk-like appearance.

This appearance creates a softening effect to loud scrapbook pages or adds an air of freedom and peace to an outdoorsy themed scrapbook.

85. Faux Metal Designs

To give a metal look to your scrapbook page, print the items directly onto vellum. Color the back of the vellum with a soft color of ink. Emboss clear. Repeat this process until the vellum has a shiny look.

This appearance creates a hardening or masculine effect to scrapbook pages. It may also be used to highlight a mechanical or metal working theme.

86.Faux Metal Rusting

Get the rusted metal look without the rusted metal. Coat a red or burgundy colored cardstock with brown chalk. Next, add tan chalk for a powdery finish. Then, using a sponge-tip applicator, apply bronze or rusty color metallic rub on. Finally, add black and tan chalk on top of the rub on to shadow and highlight the item.

This appearance creates a hardening or masculine effect to scrapbook pages. It may also be used to highlight a mechanical or metal working theme.

87. Frosting Charms

Frosting adds a unique tough to all of your metal charms. This creates a softened look suitable for baby and grandparent scrapbooks.

To create this frosted charm look, sprinkle embossing powder and glitter on the metal charms and heat. Repeat this process again, before the item has a chance to cool. Attach the charms to your scrapbook once they cool completely.