The Delwood Neighborhood in Austin, Texas

The Delwood neighborhood in Austin, Texas, was built in the 10 years following World War II and offers a quaint, residential feel. It's one of the older neighborhoods in East Austin, and is made up of three distinct neighborhoods: Delwood I, II, and III. The Wilshire Wood neighborhood is often grouped with them as well. The subdivision is north of Cherrywood near the Mueller Airport. A stroll through the neighborhood will reveal many tall trees and bungalow-style homes, many of which were built in the 1950s and 60s.

It's typical to find smaller homes with two to three bedrooms that range from 1,000 to 1,800 square feet; however, there are larger homes as well. Most boast a large lot and are set back from the street to offer residents a sense of safety and a peaceful atmosphere. Several of the Delwood neighborhood's homes have been renovated or upgraded in the last years. Prices range from $150,000 to more than $350,000 for some of the renovated homes. The affordable housing paired with its proximity to downtown Austin - just 4 miles - makes it ideal for a variety of residents, from young professionals to those who have lived in the city for years.

The Delwood neighborhood is known for its sense of community. Residents will enjoy several activities and events hosted throughout the year, including things like picnics and barbeques. And, the neighborhood hosts the city's oldest Fourth of July parade and celebration.

For recreation, there are plenty of opportunities nearby. Patterson Park is a popular spot for families, as it's home to barbeque pits and picnic shelters, a playground, swimming pool, tennis court, volleyball court, and more. Mueller Lake Park is also in Delwood and offers an open-air amphitheater and stage, an interactive playscape, picnic area, and a trail that's great for walkers and joggers.

The area is also home to the impressive Pharr Tennis Center, which has eight lighted hard tennis courts, a concrete practice board, and a covered sitting area for spectators. For golfers, the 18-hole Morris Williams Golf Course is just two miles away. It was designed by Leon Howard in 1964 and features more than 6,000 yards of playing area.

The Hancock Plaza Shopping Center is just to the west of I-35 and features several retail locations for residents to enjoy. It has an H.E.B. grocery store, fitness center, coffeehouse, and several fast food dining options. The Highland Mall is just over two miles away and is an ideal spot for shopping. It's anchored by Macy's and Dillard's, and also features several smaller retail locations.

Children in the neighborhood will attend schools in the Austin Independent School District, which includes Maplewood & Blanton Elementary, Kealing & Pearce Middle School, McCallum & Reagan High School. Younger children can attend one of many nearby pre-schools such as the Stepping Stone School, Open Door Preschool East, and The Montessori Center.

How to Handle Mobile Phones During Presentations

For anyone who has run a meeting or given a presentation to a group, the sound of a mobile phone going off is one of those annoying but common interruptions. What can business presenters do to minimize these distractions?

Ground Rules

Although you may never completely stop the use of mobile phones in larger meetings, you can let the audience know what the meeting's expectations are. This can be done by the host or MC of the meeting, written on a flipchart or computer slide. A simple ground rule can reduce the number of distractions.

At the beginning of the presentation, take out your mobile phone, show it to the audience and ask them to switch it to vibrate or silent mode. Explain that when an important call is received, they should step outside the room to take the call.

Good presenters also take this opportunity to explain that the purpose of this ground rule is not to stop the audience conducting their important business but to show respect and politeness for the other audience members. This not only reduces resistance to your ground rule but also elevates the audience to a higher place where they show respect and courtesy for other participants.

Explain to the audience that there will be a ten minute break every hour, and so they can take calls and call back then. This will also reduce the need for immediate calls.

"Incentives" to stop mobile phones ringing

A ground rule is only as good as the audience's willingness to follow it. Mobile phones are such a personal device that many people will not cooperate or simply will forget to switch it to silent. What can a business presenter do when a mobile phone goes off in a meeting - and still keep rapport with the audience?

In some Western cultures, presenters have tried this incentive:

"Anyone whose phone rings during a meeting buys a round of beers that night for everyone in the meeting".

In a meeting with many participants that is large motivator. The only opt out clause is if the person takes a call to close a big deal, in which case they would be expected to to celebrate the deal.

In certain cultures, the disapproval of the presenter or trainer can be a motivator. The caveat here is that you have to know the line that you can't cross with your audience. If you insult them or look down on them or become a dictator then you're going to find it difficult to get things done with them.

One method is to stop speaking when the phone rings. This signals to the participants that you have been interrupted and can't continue until the distraction is eliminated. Don't call out the person's name or even look in their direction. Keep calm and smile. When the phone is switched off, simply say "Thank you" and move on.

Extreme Examples to Stop Mobile Phone use

While these suggestions will help most business settings, sometimes a presenter will adopt an extreme position to make their point. These high risk approaches can really make an impact but when done well add to the overall impact of your presentation.

For example, one presenter started a presentation by pulling out a mobile phone, placed the phone into a padded envelope, dropped the envelope to the floor, stomped on it repeatedly, picked the envelope back up, and then threw it to the back of the hall. He smiled politely and asked if anyone in the room had another device he could practice on. If so, all they had to do was let it make any noise during his presentation.

The outcome was that with over 200 people in the room for a two-hour presentation, there was not a single instance of a phone ringing, beeping, or even buzzing. The key to these extreme approaches is a certain sense of humour so choose them with care.

Remember as a presenter you need to keep the audience on your side, so while mobile phones ringing in meetings are an irritation, they are a fact of life. Set ground rules, keep a sense of humour and don't react to a phone ringing in an angry way.

Wine Baskets - A Perfect Gift For A Wedding

It is your friend wedding and you want to give him the best and exclusive gift. You must be thinking of the couple and the occasion and could not probably decide what to buy that will be equally exciting for both of them. It is a difficult task and you need to pay attention to many aspects. What about wine gift basket? Have you thought of that? Just imagine, it is an occasion that has to be enjoyed and celebrated with all vigor and enthusiasm and a wine gift basket will just enhance everything.

Wine baskets do not just comprise of wine bottles they can be accompanied with other accessories and supporting gift items also. Wine is considered spiritual also and you can help your friend enjoy the occasion to its fullest. Wine is very popular and there are plenty of shops that would help you get a good quality wine or you can choose one of the wine baskets from any renowned online gift basket shop. Remember, everyone has his or her own taste and this has to be considered while purchasing wine for that person. If you are not very sure about this, you can ask someone who is near to the recipient.

Wine baskets are, in fact, one of the gifts that are accepted with open arms and bring an expression of joy and satisfaction on the recipient face as well. If you want to put some personal reflection in the gift, you can decorate and put together a wine gift basket on your own. This will certainly make your friend overwhelmed because anybody would feel special if you take the time and effort to decorate the gift with your own imagination and hands.

Buy a good and stylish gift basket and a good quality wine first. You will have to put some crumpled tissue paper or cellophane in the bottom so that it provides cushioning to the wine bottle. Now put your chosen wine bottle along with chocolates or other treats that compliment with wine as a gift. You can add or hide a message in such a way that it excites your fiends and makes him feel extremely special in your life.

How to Become a Brilliant Waiter or Waitress

Firstly you must arrive early and give yourself enough time to be ready to face customers. They will not be impressed if you turn up tot heir table stressed and rushed. Customers go to restaurants to relax and enjoy themselves and they will get irritated if they are kept waiting.

It is vital to make a good first impression, convey your personality and come across as and friendly and charming. You can achieve this by looking smart and professional and greeting customers with a smile. Make sure all tables are cleaned properly, are presentable and visually pleasing. Customer satisfaction is top priority for restaurants and first impressions directly contribute to a customers overall experience.

Try to interact with customers on a personal level and engage in polite conversation where appropriate. If there is a family then interact with the children and try to put a smile on their face. Parents will love you for it and will be glad to see their children enjoying themselves. Try to establish whether your clients are celebrating a special occasion so that you can enhance their experience and make it feel unique.

However, it is also important not to be too invasive and to give customers their privacy. Be efficient and stick to the structure that you are given for food delivery to prevent any mistakes or late meals.

Don't fuss too much when taking orders, but provide all the required information. It can be very useful to memorise the menu so that you can provide the best service to customers and get their orders right every time. You must aim to deliver food on time and all together. When you have done this make sure that after the customer has had time to try their meal, then ask them if everything is OK and deal with any requests graciously. Sometimes customers can become irritated or upset and it is important that you can cope under pressure. Stay calm and under control when customers get angry and rude and try to resolve the situation as soon as possible.

Experienced and intelligent waiters will be aware of potential opportunities to up sell. For example suggesting different food options, making customers aware of special offers and tempting them into ordering a pudding are good ways of attempting to increase revenue.

All About Turkey Farming and History

Turkey occupies an important position next to chicken, duck. Guinea fowl and quail in contributing the most evolving sector, which is playing a significant role in augmenting the economic and nutritional status of varied population. They form almost two percent of the total poultry population. They are reared for meat only and its meat is the leanest among other domestic avian species.

Turkey farming is very popular in western countries and the major turkey producing countries are United States of America, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The Annual per capita consumption of turkey meat in the above said countries ranges from 4-8 kg per year. Turkey population touched 259 millions in 1992. The estimated world turkey meat production in 2004 is 4.94 million tones.

Turkey is a large gallinaceous bird of the family Meleagridae that is native of North America, domesticated in Europe and are now important source of food in many parts of the world. Columbus took specimens to Spain in 1948. Reports on turkey were there in Germany in 1530 and in England by 1541.

The first president of the United States of America, George Washington, issued a general proclamation in1789 to celebrate "thanksgiving" on November 26. In 1893 President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November a national thanksgiving holiday. Later it was changed to the fourth Thursday of November. However, turkey is synonymous with Christmas.

Turkeys are not classified into breeds, however seven standard varieties are available, Bronze, White Holland, Bourbon red, Narragansett, Black, Slate, Beltsville small white.

Baking Cake in the Oven

Everyone loves cake and it's one of those foods that manage to lighten up a person's mood. Cakes are normally present during occasions to mark celebrations and to offer people the various tastes in which cakes come. Many would love to know how to bake a cake and the excellent news is that it is very easy. Once the components are prepared, the straightforward procedures can assist people obtain wonderful results that can surprise them. There are all types of cake and how they are mixed may differ. The method of baking many cakes is the same though. With this in mind, people can discover their abilities and get to it.

There may be plenty of info on how to bake a cake everywhere on the internet. Studying the ingredients is crucial step. Eggs, water, cake mix, oil, baking pan, bowl for mixing, cake toppings, mixing spoons and cups are the necessary requirements. In fact, there are many other things that may be used regarding equipment but these are the fundamentals into achieving a simple cake particularly for people who are simply learning. The first thing is to put the cake mix into a mixing bowl and get ready to start preparing the mixture.

The other factor provided next by procedures to bake a cake is adding eggs. The quantity will rely on the dimensions of cake that's being baked. Crack the desired number of eggs into the blending bowl where the cake mix is. Then, adding water into the blending bowl is the next thing. Again, the quantity can be determined by the dimensions of the cake you want to make. Three eggs for an average cake and 4 glasses of water to the blending bowl will do the trick. It is now time to add oil into the bowl after which mix some more. Some individuals will use a mixer while others will do it by hand. No matter what is employed, ensure to make the mixture as fine as can be.

Grease a pan then pour the mixture into it. This must be done with an appropriate pan that can fit the mixture properly. Again, the dimensions of cake desired will dictate this. For 25 to 30 minutes, leave the pan with the mixture in the oven that's heated to 350 degrees. This temperature will work properly for an average cake. Therefore, getting the recipe with the precise guideline to bake a cake is important. It will ensure that you already know precisely how the measurements ought to be like for a given number of people. When this is executed, be sure to time the baking to get the right result. Many are tempted to keep opening the oven door to examine and this is discouraged, as heat is lost in the process.

This is detrimental while learning the art of baking a cake. After the time has elapsed, take away the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for some time. 10 minutes will likely be enough for a cake to cool accordingly. After cooling, decorations can come in. This can be performed bearing in mind the occasion for the cake. If there is no occasion, decorate it anyway so as to add the colour and buzz to the cake.

A Treat to Your Hair - Ceramic Ionic Flat Iron

Ceramic ionic flat iron was able to gain recognition by various hairstyling experts especially those who are known to cater service to celebrities. These are lightweight hair tools, cost effective and excellent in performance. It works in all hair types, another reason why it has been renowned not only in the whole country, but in neighboring countries as well. This device aims to produce a superior condition on your crowning glory and the hairstyles to be done is limitless.

The wide variety of this hair product makes it work for everyone who wants to achieve their desired hairstyle. Most of these products come in high quality and advanced technology. This tool as the first ever hairstyling tool used by many professional hair stylists and was able to give impressive performance and results as they are used. There are some of these device which protects the condition and the color of the hair through its ceramic coated paddles.

Ceramic ionic flat iron comes in different sizes such as mini flat to regular and then large ones. The curling irons also vary in size and the innovation of Ultralight Dryer. They are designed to be slim, and having ergonomic design which makes it the lightest and the most quiet hair styling tool found in the market. This technology uses negative ion that is why it can add shine and moisture in your hair to make it look lively and bouncing. Using this hairstyling tool will save you time and money without the amazing effect compromised.

If you want your hair to look and feel healthy, then let Ceramic ionic flat iron to do the job. While you are sitting in the folding rocking chair, you can feel the smoothness in your hair. Make yourself stunning and stand out of the crowd by using this latest and most effective innovation in hairstyling. It really feels like you went to the salon and get your hair styled by experts. There is no need to regularly go to salon and get the hairstyles you desire. You can do the styling all by yourself while you are at home. Get yourself ready into number of styles you can do to your hair.