40 Beautiful Coffee Arts

Coffee or Latte art consists of the pouring of steamed milk into a shot of espresso generating a pattern or design on the surface.

Latte art is a hot topic and there are even several competitions around the world showcasing this unique form of art.

This article shows 40 beautiful – and certainly delicious – coffee designs that will make you drool…

15 Time Management Tips to Increase Productivity

A lot of folks in our society try to be hyper-productive.

You know — the people who scurry from task to task, always checking e-mail, organizing something, making a call, running an errand, etc...

The people who do this often subscribe to the idea that “staying busy” means you’re working hard and are going to be more successful.

While this belief may be true to an extent, it often leads to mindless “productivity” — a constant need to do something and a tendency to waste time on menial tasks.

Instead of behaving in this way, choose to do things differently.

"Working Smarter, Not Harder"

Instead of being robotic in how to approach tasks, try to be thoughtful and always ask yourself if something can be done more efficiently or eliminated altogether.

Managing time isn't about squeezing as many tasks into my day as possible. 

"It’s about simplifying how to work, doing things faster, and relieving stress.

It’s about clearing away space in life to make time for people, play, and rest."

There really are enough hours in a day for everything you’d like to do, but it may take a bit of rearranging and re-imagining to find them.

I compiled this list of 15 tips to hopefully nudge you in the right direction.

Remember: There are innumerable hacks and tricks to manage your time effectively. These are some tips that I find helpful, but everyone is different.

Let this list be a catalyst to get you thinking regularly about how to refine your own practices.

1. Complete most important tasks first.

This is the golden rule of time management. Each day, identify the two or three tasks that are the most crucial to complete, and do those first.

Once you’re done, the day has already been a success. You can move on to other things, or you can let them wait until tomorrow. You've finished the essential.

2. Learn to say “no”.

Making a lot of time commitments can teach us how to juggle various engagements and manage our time. This can be a great thing.

However, you can easily take it too far. At some point, you need to learn to decline opportunities. Your objective should be to take on only those commitments that you know you have time for and that you truly care about.

3. Sleep at least 7-8 hours.

Some people think sacrificing sleep is a good way to hack productivity and wring a couple extra hours out of the day. This is not the case.

Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep for their bodies and minds to function optimally. You know if you’re getting enough. Listen to your body, and don’t underestimate the value of sleep.

4. Devote your entire focus to the task at hand.

Close out all other browser windows. Put your phone away, out of sight and on silent. Find a quiet place to work, or listen to some music if that helps you (I enjoy listening to classical or ambient music while writing sometimes).

Concentrate on this one task. Nothing else should exist. Immerse yourself in it.

5. Be conscientious of amount of TV/Internet/gaming time.

Time spent browsing Twitter or gaming or watching TV and movies can be one of the biggest drains on productivity.

I suggest becoming more aware of how much time you spend on these activities. Simply by noticing how they’re sucking up your time you’ll begin to do them less.

6. Delineate a time limit in which to complete task.

Instead of just sitting down to work on a project and thinking, “I’m going to be here until this is done,” try thinking, “I’m going to work on this for three hours”.

The time constraint will push you to focus and be more efficient, even if you end up having to go back and add a bit more later.

7. Leave a buffer-time between tasks.

When we rush from task to task, it’s difficult to appreciate what we’re doing and to stay focused and motivated.

Allowing ourselves down-time between tasks can be a breath of fresh air for our brains. While taking a break, go for a short walk, meditate, or perform some other mind-clearing exercise.

8. Don’t think of the totality of your to-do list.

One of the fastest ways to overwhelm yourself is to think about your massive to-do list. Realize that no amount of thought will make it any shorter.

At this point in time, all you can do is focus on the one task before you. This one, single, solitary task. One step at a time. Breathe.

9. Exercise and eat healthily.

Numerous studies have linked a healthy lifestyle with work productivity. Similar to getting enough sleep, exercising and eating healthily boost energy levels, clear your mind, and allow you to focus more easily.

10. Utilize weekends, just a little bit.

One of my favorite memes depicts a gentleman casting his work aside, declaring, “It’s Friday! F#%$88u this shit.” The following image reads “Monday”, and the man is stooping to pick up the papers he’d tossed to the ground.

This is comical, but I’ve found that it’s amazing how doing just a little bit on weekends can really lessen the workload during the week. Aim for 2-4 hours per day. You’ll still leave yourself plenty of free time for activities.

11. Create organizing systems.

Being organized saves tons of time, and you don’t have to be the most ultra-organized person in the world either. Systems aren’t complicated to implement.

Create a filing system for documents. Make sure all items have a place to be stored in your dwelling. Unsubscribe from e-mail lists if you don’t want to receive their content. Streamline, streamline, streamline.

12. Do something during waiting time.

We tend to have a lot of down-time where we don’t try to do much. Waiting rooms, lines at the store, time on the subway, on the elliptical at the gym, etc.

Find things to do during this time. I tend to have a lot of reading for classes, so I bring some of it almost everywhere I go and read during waiting time.

13. Lock yourself in.

No distractions, no excuses. Sometimes, the only way I’m going to get something done is if I’m under lock and key, alone in a room. If you’re like me, realize it, and act accordingly.

14. Batch related tasks together.

Let’s say that over a given weekend you need to do two programming assignments, write three essays, and make two videos. Rather than approaching this work in whatever order you feel, group the like tasks and do them consecutively.

Different tasks demand different types of thinking, so it makes sense to allow your mind to continue to flow with its current zone rather than switching unnecessarily to something that’s going to require you to re-orient.

15. Find time for stillness.

In our go, go, go world, too many people don’t find time to just be still. Yet, it’s extraordinary what a stillness practice can do. Action and inaction should both play key roles in our lives.

Discovering time in your life for silence and non-motion reduces anxiety and shows you that there is no need to constantly rush. It also makes it easier to find your work pleasurable.

One Last Tip (The Best One)

There’s one final tip I want to mention. If you remember one thing from this post, remember this:

Enjoyment should always be the goal. Work can be play.

We get so caught up in busyness that we forget to enjoy what we’re doing. Even when we focus on working smarter, we’re still often too focused on getting things done.

This should never be the point. Always ask yourself: What can I do to spend more time enjoying what I'm doing?

The goal should be to arrange your commitments in a way that you’re happy living out the details of your daily life, even while you’re working.

This may sound like a pipe dream, but it’s more possible than ever in today’s world. Be curious. Be open to opportunity. Know yourself. Embrace your passions.

Wonderful things will happen. Best of luck.

Juice Benefits For Health And Weight Loss

Juicing has taken the health world by storm, and millions of people are now gulping down pounds of produce by the glassful. But does this thirst-quenching trend truly promote health or is it just hype? The fact is every fashionable beverages have their pros and cons.

Here's What You Should Know..

First, the benefits...

 Juicing is an easy way to shower your body with concentrated amounts of nutrient-packed vegetables and fruit (vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants). Plus, these drinks are automatically low in ingredients you want to avoid, like toxic fats, added sugars and salt. For this, they receive an A+.

Now, the downsides...

If you’re considering a juice fast to drop pounds fast, listen up. While strictly following a juicing program for more than a few days can promote a downward trend on the scale because you’re slashing your collective daily calories, you pay a price: Most plans leave gaping nutritional holes in your diet. The majority of the calories in these juice beverages come from carbs, including high amounts of natural sugar from fruits and some vegetables. That means almost all commercial juice plans are grossly inadequate in protein, a key nutrient that helps you feel full and energized while maintaining your lean muscle mass and boosting your metabolic burn. In fact, following a low-protein diet while simultaneously cutting calories causes you to lose a higher proportion of weight as muscle tissue (as opposed to fat), which puts the brakes on your metabolism and reduces strength. Plus, most of the fiber in fruits and vegetables is lost during juicing if the pulp is not added back to the drink… a common (and ironic) issue with commercial juice blends on the market. So you’re basically following a high-carb, low-protein and low-fiber diet, which can cause dramatic spikes in blood sugar, and lead to headaches, mood swings, dizziness, and fatigue. Another major drawback: liquid calories do not have the same fill power as whole, solid foods, which make it hard to stick with a juice-only plan for longer than a few days without feeling irritable and completely ravenous.

And about those health claims touted by commercial juice companies…many are just plain bogus. Juice cleanses are not needed to detox your system or remove toxins. Your body is fully equipped with everything it needs to do that on its own — if you nix the junk and focus on eating clean. Some companies also claim that juice cleanses help your body achieve a beneficial alkaline pH, but in reality, your body maintains a tightly regulated pH at all times, regardless of what you’re eating. There are no major human studies to substantiate the purported benefits of an alkaline diet.

And then there’s the cost. Commercial juice plans are prohibitively expensive for most people. Even juicing at home can put a strain on your wallet since there is a low yield of juice per pricey pound of produce.

The Verdict??

Bottom line: If you want to try juicing, skip the full-on liquid diet and instead enjoy a green juice (heavy on veggies and lighter on fruit to keep calories and sugar in check) with or in place of one of your meals. This way, you reap the potent produce benefits and continue to get your fill of health-promoting whole foods, including powerful proteins such as beans, lentils, tofu, seafood, nuts and lean meats.

And if you’re looking for a well-balanced drink that works as a meal replacement shake (or hearty snack), give my Greens-in-a-Glass a try! This light, refreshing smoothie packs in nearly 3 cups of produce — and there’s no pulp removed so you retain 100% of the nutrition and fiber. I add protein-heavy Greek yogurt to balance out the carb load, but you can substitute ½ cup silken tofu for the yogurt to make a vegan shake.

Top 10 Interview Questions And Answers

Here are the top 10 interview questions and answers that are asked by human resource and the hiring managers. Make sure you are ready to pass your job interview by reading these now!

1. What makes you think you are the best person for this job?

In this question the hiring manager is essentially asking “why should we hire you?”

There is no way of knowing what the other candidates are like, so you can’t compare yourself to them, and you shouldn't. Here’s what you need to do: Give several examples of your skills and achievements which are most relevant to the job you are interviewing for.

2. How would you describe yourself?

The way to answer this question is to consider the culture of the company and what type of person the job advert indicated they were looking for. You want to show that your personality is a match for the job.

So for example if you were applying to be an Events Manager you could say, “I am a real people person. I thoroughly enjoy meeting different people and getting to know them”.

If you were going to work as an IT Technician then you could say, “I like to be challenged so I’m the type of guy that enjoys solving puzzles and problems and coming up with solutions in a swift manner”.

3. What are your greatest weaknesses?

This is not the time for a confessional of all your failures in life!

The best way to answer this question is to turn a negative into a positive. Admit a minor weakness, and then tell the hiring manager how you effectively learnt to overcome this problem.

Here’s an example: “I have always been a much organized person, but sometimes I used to get a little carried away and spend a bit too much time on one task. However, with self-discipline and practice I have become much more efficient at managing my time and I really feel I am close to getting the perfect balance.”

4. How do you handle pressure?

This is another question where you want to turn the negative (the pressure) into a positive and show that you work well in stressful situations.

Example: “Some of my most creative work has been while I have been under immense amounts of pressure. While I feel I don’t need pressure, it does ensure my mind stays focused and I can thrive on it. Ultimately, I get the job done.”

5. What do you know about this company?

This is a stock question for most hiring managers. The hiring manager is looking to see that you have prepared for the job interview and are taking this role seriously. Before your interview you should have at least covered the following:

1. Visit the company website – especially read their “About” section and also any recent press releases.

2. Know who the CEO is and if possible your future head of department.

3. How many employees do they have?

4. How many offices/stores do they have?

5. What countries are they working in?

6. How and when was the company founded and by whom?

7. Do a search in Google News for recent events relating to the company.

8. Check their LinkedIn profile.

9. If you know the name of the hiring manager then see what you can find out about him or her through social networking.

6. What are your strengths?

This interview question is relatively easy to answer, but since it is so common, it is worth going over it.

What you need to do here is to give an answer that plays exactly to the position that you are interviewing for. How do you know exactly what they are looking for? It will have been written in the job advert/description.

For example, if you are applying for a sales job, then give an answer like this: “For the last two months I have exceeded my sales targets by at least 15% and subsequently I was awarded a bonus at the end of last month by my boss for my performance. I look forward to having the opportunity to bring the same success to your organization.”

7. Do you like to work alone or as part of a team?

This is a bit of a trick interview question because it implies you can only choose one answer or the other. What you need to do here is show that you are fine working in a team or on your own – you will need to be able to do both in any job.

Here’s how to answer this one: “I am equally comfortable working in a team environment or on my own depending on the situation. I look at the requirements of each task or project and then determine the most efficient course of action.”

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

What the hiring manager is looking for here is to see that you are committed to your employer, and have a plan. You want to sound ambitious, but not so much that you sound like you will get bored easily.

Example: “If I get offered this job then I will be looking forward to the new challenges that this role will offer me. I will be focused on the job at hand in the near future, but in the long term I hope to exceed the company’s expectations of me and am sure that this is a company where there will be opportunities to grow and for me to take on new responsibilities”.

9. Why do you want to leave your current job?

The most important thing to note here is that you must not criticize your current employer or boss. Even if your existing boss is a monster, don’t sit there ranting about them – it will make you look like a trouble-maker.

Say something objective that does not criticize your current employer. For example: “I have really enjoyed my time at my present employer, but I have been working there for 2 years now and I feel that I am no longer being challenged in my current role. The low staff turn over there means that there are no upcoming opportunities for promotion, so I am now enthusiastic about finding a new exciting and challenging role with a company such as yours.”

10. What are your salary expectations?

The advice here is to slightly side-step this question. The best thing to do would be to wait until you get offered the job, and then use that as the time to negotiate. Although salary is clearly very important to everybody, during the interview you want to play this down and show that your primary interest is finding the right job that will keep you challenged and that you will enjoy.

Answer this question along these lines: “I am currently earning $25,000 per year and it would be great if I could improve on that, however the most important thing for me is not the salary but the job satisfaction I will receive from working in your company and the long term potential I believe I would have here.”