Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

What Magic Happens When A Business Marketing Plan Comes Together?

For most business owners the key to success lies in a solid marketing plan with strong marketing tactics.A marketing plan is a blueprint that outlines a company’ overall marketing efforts.There are a ton of plan templates readily available on the internet.Taking advantage of these plan templates and marketing calendars can help determine the success or failure of your business in 2015Now, what happens when a marketing plan comes together?1. You will discover who your best most important audience is and what your clients want from youHopefully you are creating and offering products and services with a specific target audience in mind.However, you may find that clients, customers and patients other than your targeted audience will also been able to benefit from what you have to offer.Understanding who your audience is a key component in marketing, sales and improving your services and/or products.2. Increases awareness of your companyMost people won’t pay any attention to your company, unless they need you. They only care about themselves, it human nature.A marketing plan enables you to formulate a way to help future clients see the benefits of using your product or service. When done right, this establishes your credibility in the marketplace and hopefully solidifies your business as a reliable source.3. You will be prepared. When you have a good marketing strategy you’ll be surprised at how fast your company will be able to respond to unexpected marketing and developments from your competition.A well-written plan that covers all bases will include a projection on possible threats and detailed ways you can respond or capitalize off them. 4. Obtaining FinanceCompanies, including small businesses often need to acquire extra financing.A well-thought out business plan along with detailed marketing is evidence of good planning which could be extremely helpful in obtaining loans.Without a solid business plan and marketing strategy, even the most profitable business would have a difficult time getting financing. Free sample marketing plans are readily available online, they can serve as good examples while saving you time creating your documents.5. Save MoneyOne of the biggest benefits of a marketing strategy that your business is more likely to save money.The average marketing plan includes a set budget that will be used in your marketing efforts for the year.Yes, by outline your marketing plans, and specifying how much money is going to be used to support various marketing efforts it helps your company save a lot of money on unplanned marketing campaigns.If you and your team hasn’t sat down to develop a marketing plan for the year, it’s time to do so now.Start off with a marketing template to help outline your company’s marketing strategies the expand from there.There are so many benefits from having a marketing plan that it would be insane to start 2015 without one.

Skin Care Shouldn’t Have To Be Difficult – Follow These Simple Tips

Do you have problems with taking care of your skin? Do you feel like you have tried everything possible? You are not the only one. Many people are in the same position. That is why the following article was written– to give people with skin care problems some valuable advice.When finishing up your skin care routine find the perfect toner for your skin. It will help tighten your skin and get rid of any dirt or makeup that you may have missed during washing. In place of the toner once a week you should try using a face mask which will deep clean your pores.If you’re still looking for the perfect toner, consider using tea tree oil in your skin care routine. A little tea tree oil mixed with water in a water mist bottle makes for a lovely toner. Like any skin care item, take care to keep it out of your eyes.If you need to use skin care products, use them on a consistent basis. Frequent use will give your favorite skin care products time to achieve the desired effect. If you need a reminder to perform your skin care regiment diligently, keep your products in plain sight. Keep these products near your nightstand for application before you go to bed.To keep skin from becoming dry in the fall and winter, moisturize every single day after your bath or shower. This is the best time to take care of this part of your daily skin care routine because it takes advantage of the moisture that has been absorbed by the skin during bathing.Don’t use germicidal soaps, extremely hot water, or intense scrubs to avoid dry leg skin. Soaps of a germicidal nature tend to remove an abundance of the natural oil found in skin. If you scrub your skin with hot water, the protective outer layout will become damaged. Use beauty soap with warm water and gentle rubbing to avoid dry skin on your legs.To keep your skin looking its best, reduce stress and anxiety as part of your skin care routine. Taking steps to reduce and control stress in your daily life can help your skin look alive instead of tired and grey. Uncontrolled stress short circuits your skin’s natural ability to repair daily damage and often interferes with your ability to get the sleep you need for fresh looking skin.Any skin care routine can be made more effective with the addition of adequate restful sleep every night. Your overall skin quality is adversely affected by the stress to your system caused by lack of sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is the one highly effective beauty treatment for your skin that is absolutely free.Make sure that your skin care routine involves the application of a foot lotion. Particularly in the winter months, your feet need a strong glycerine based lotion that will keep them from getting too dry. Also exfoliate every once in a while to take off your dead skin; that will help the foot lotion work a little better.To improve your skin care routine, give yourself a dry brush exfoliation with a natural bristle brush every morning or evening before you shower. This will get rid of dead skin cells and help your skin to detoxify, giving your skin a healthier, better appearance. It will also decrease puffiness, and increase blood circulation.As was mentioned in the beginning of this article, many people feel like they have tried everything they can to improve and take care of their skin. The purpose of the above article is to help people in this exact situation. Take this advice, and you will be on the road to perfect skin in no time.