The sales assistant explained that it wouldn’t be possible as after that they would need to think what to do with the belt that my friend left behind. Instead the clerk offered to bring the same size coat from the storehouse and see if its belt is any better. After 30 minutes the girl came back only to say that the jacket they have on display is the only item with the size we need so there is nothing else she could do. Probably because I was too annoyed about the waiting, unexpectedly for myself, I said that this is a one of the worst customer service experiences I’ve had. I told that I am surprised that she let us wait for half an hour and now is ready to lose the sale rather than simply replace the belt.

The sales assistant then answered that she should probably speak with her manager to check if there is anything else to be done. I said it was a wonderful idea that should have popped in her head a little earlier. The girl came back in a minute saying that we are welcome to take any belt we want.

I was very proud of myself that day. Since I never ask for a discount (don’t know how to) and rarely demand a better deal, this little negotiation was a big personal win.

Professor Gavin Kennedy in his Everything is Negotiable book says there are 4 styles of negotiating behaviours: Donkeys, Sheep, Foxes and Owls.

Each animal represents the set of characteristics of the choices we make when negotiate.

We usually behave like a Donkey when we don’t know what can we possibly gain negotiating. The Donkey behaviour is often found in someone who has a predictable capacity for stubborn defiance. When what she gets (usually not a lot) is not good enough to consider the negotiation a success and when all decisions the person makes are based on her deep, often irrational “principles”.

“Where ignorance predominates, ‘stupid’ negotiation choices assert themselves.”

You are behaving like a Sheep when you think that whatever you get is acceptable (c’est la vie!) and when you easily welcome the other people choices. There is some pragmatic flexibility in you, but too often you are influenced by others and don’t know how to fight for your own interests. You prefer to agree rather than annoy or disappoint the person you speak with.

“Like the proverbial goose, a ‘boo’ sends you scampering for cover.”

Foxes truly know what is going on and deeply believe they deserve what they demand. Some Foxes only succeed because of their sharpness and even ruthless cruelty. On top of that, Foxes love to look smart and sometimes misread the game because they are too arrogant and excited about the process. There are few limits to Fox’s pragmatism and she is amazing at using soft spots of Sheep. People who make Donkey decisions are of course no problem to Foxes as well.

“Devious is as devious does.”

Owls are those who are wise enough to spot the long-term benefits of developing genuine relationships that will later on get them the results they truly deserve. As an Owl you are always aware and prepared for the opportunities and the threats from the choices you must make when negotiating. You earn respect for what you do and how you do it (you certainly don’t exploit Sheep, Donkeys and Foxes).

“All negotiators should beware: many owls are closet Foxes!”

As much as I’d like to think of myself as a natural Owl negotiator, I should confess I’m a classic Sheep sometimes.

Who are you when you are sitting at the negotiating table?

Yours truly,

Alona

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For those of you, who have already found that special someone, I have a question: what gifts you usually buy, if you buy any at all? Girls, what do you get to your husbands or boyfriends? How do you surprise your Mr. Right on Valentines Day? I personally always find it difficult to find a perfect and suitable gift for a guy, that’s why I have decided to collect some ideas on the internet. Please let me know what do you think?

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas For Men

1 – Great bottles of wine and golf balls

Well, maybe this gift idea is not very original, but it sure is practical. I think that every guy will be able to appreciate good wine and if he plays golf, then you should know better that there is never too much of golf balls.

Par Excellent Wines

2 – Cufflinks

Cufflinks is also a great present for guys, who wear suites to work or need to attend formal events on a regular basis. If you are not sure that your boyfriend even has a shirt with cufflinks, you can buy him a shirt as well. It is time you introduce him to classic attire.

Donald Trump Gold-Plated Rhodium Cufflinks

3 – Valentine Bamboo

I don’t think that guys like to receive flowers on Valentines Day, but this bamboo is different. I can see this bamboo to be delivered to your boyfriends office by a courier. He will be pleasantly surprised and I think it will look nicely in his office. Bamboo symbolizes good luck and success and brings good fortune and prosperity to the house or office. It is also said that bamboo is luckiest when you receive it as a gift. So, isn’t it a great gift idea? You will help your boyfriend attract luck as well as it will always remind him about your love towards him.

Valentine’s Day – Be Still My Heart Valentine Bamboo – Best

4 – Cheesecake Heart

Who said that cakes are only for girls? Guys love sweet things and desserts as much as we do. Also, by giving him cake in a shape of heart you shoot two birds with one stone: you will have a romantic dessert to share between you and you have a present. Genius!

Eli’s Heart-Shaped Cheesecake

5 – Dom Perignon Champagne and Godiva Truffles

This present is of course unisex, but if you don’t have better idea, then this will be also perfect. Again, you can share it afterwards and toast your engagement, in case he will choose to propose on Valentines Day. You never know, need to be always ready and with great manicure!

Dom Perignon & Godiva Truffles

6 – Chocolate Bouquet

This is also a great gift idea for a guy, but it is better be delivered to his office, because if you gonna have it at home, I bet you are not be strong enough to hold on to your resolutions to limit sugar intake.

Valentine’s Day – Sweets In Bloom Chocolate Enchantment Valentine’s Day Flower Bouquet – Best

6 – Ultimate Valentine’s Day Gift Just For Him

This gift covers everything Valentines Day stands for: flowers, candies or sweets and a gift. Well, I am still not sure about the flowers for a guy, but all together it looks quite fancy. What do you think?

Valentine’s Day – Just For Him Ultimate Valentine’s Day Gift – Vase Included

7 – Personalized M&M’s

I love this personalized m&m’s idea! It is also fun to order, you can choose different colors, you can add your own text or choose from the selection that they already have and finally you can choose the package – a box, bottle, vase or dispenser. I think that personalized m&m’s in a dispenser is a super cool and fun gift idea for Valentines Day!

Personalized M&M’s in a Romance Gift Box

So, these were the best gift ideas for men on Valentines Day I could find and think of. If you have any other cool ideas, please share it with us! Let’s make our guys happy this Valentines Day!

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas For Girls

And while I am still on the subject of Valentines Day and perfect gifts, why not to share some of the ideas with our guys, in case they are reading this post. Let’s help them a little as well

Well, guys, the below listed gift ideas are split up into categories and you should choose one item from each category to make sure that your girl has an amazing Valentines Day! And, don’t forget that this goes as an addition to the romantic getaway or dinner, but you already knew that, right?

1 – Strawberries with Chocolate Sauce

This can go as a starter, which you both can enjoy.

Valentine’s Day – Strawberry Decadence Gourmet Gift

2 – Cute Teddy Bear

This is just cute little something.

Valentine’s Day – Godiva Valentino Bear

3 – Flowers

Flowers are a must! I prefer roses, but you should choose according to your girlfriends taste.

The Ultimate Rose Flower Bouquet – 12 Stems, 5 Foot Roses – Vase Included

Valentine’s Day – Sunshine Romance Valentine Rose Flower Bouquet – 24 Stems Of 16-Inch Roses – Vase Included

The Ultimate Rose Flower Bouquet – 12 Stems, 3 Foot Roses – Vase Included

Two Dozen Classic Red Roses

4 – Chocolate

Heart shape chocolate is also a must! Yes, maybe it is cliche, but don’t you dare to forget about chocolate! Trust me, you don’t want to risk on Valentines Day.

Valentine’s Day – Sweets In Bloom Chocolate Romance Valentine’s Day Flower Bouquet

Brown Mahogany Chocolate Box Carved With A Golden Heart (27 pieces)

Brown Mahogany Chocolate Box Carved With A Golden Heart (12 pieces)

Light Brown Chocolate Box With I Love You Engraved In French (12 pieces)

5 – Lingerie

Well, you don’t need me to explain why it could be a great present. Well, if you both are of appropriate age, of course.

Myla London Veronica Peek A Boo Bra

Myla London Rosetta Mini Bikini Briefs

Myla London Nicole Basque Corset

Kiki De Montparnasse Ingenue Bow Thong

6 – Other Heart-Shaped Bits and Pieces

Marc by Marc Jacobs Wild Hearts iPhone 4 Case

WGACA Vintage Vintage Chanel ’95 Big Open Heart Necklace

LARGE EAST/WEST LEATHER BAG

JOSS STUDDED HEART LEATHER WALLET

ROSE SCARF

7 – Diamonds

Well, there is no surprise that “diamonds are the girls best friends” and then I saw this heart-shaped loose diamond, I fell in love. You can literally give your beloved one the heart in a box! And she can then decide what to do with it, either make a ring with it or wear it as a pendant. This amazing, luxurious and perfect gift for your rich girl. She will be able to appreciate it.

Loose Diamond Heart Certified

So, here are my two lists with Valentine’s Day present ideas for girls and guys. What do you think? Is there anything that you like? Maybe you have some other cool gift ideas, rich girls and boys? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Yours,

Rich Girl

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Georgina Hope Rinehart, the richest woman in Australia

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/

Several magazines have reported Rinehart’s success stating that Georgina Hope Rinehart or Gina Rinehart, the richest person in Australia will soon become the richest person (woman) on Earth in just a few years from now. It is said that she will surpass both Carlos Slim and Bill Gates (currently the richest persons in the world) to become the richest person in the world. In a man-dominated world like ours, one would definitely be keen to know how this lone lady was able to achieve this unbelievable status at such an early age. To know more, let us briefly explore about her story and her success routes.

Early Life

Georgina Hope Rinehart was born on 9th of February 1954 at Perth in Australia to the late mining magnate Lang Hancock and late Hope Margaret Nicholas. She studied at St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls in Perth and later studied economics at The University of Sydney. Then she worked for her father as his Personal Assistant and gained extensive knowledge about iron-ore industry. Gina married twice, first to an Englishman Greg Milton whom she divorced later and then to Frank Rinehart who died in the year 1990.

Her Growth

Langley Hancock, Gina Rinehart’s father discovered the world’s largest iron ore deposits when she was just 38 years old. Then she inherited a debt-ridden iron ore company, ‘Hancock Prospecting’ from her father. After that, Gina Rinehart showed steady progress and started earning profit year after year through iron ore projects running in Western Australia and also through royalty payments received from mining companies with whom her father had negotiated. She also has few coal projects in Galilee Basin.

This 57 year old (as of 2011) woman has been amassing wealth for decades and has been subsequently appearing in almost all business magazines which mentioned her as one of the richest persons in Australia. Citigroup estimates that she would become the richest person in a few years from now as she is the sole owner of the huge property and does not have any share holders to pay for.

Into Business

After the death of her father Lang Hancock in 1992, she became the Executive Chairman of HPPL and the HPPL Group of companies. In due course, she started off with legal fight with her step mother over her father’s death and also over Hancock’s assets which took 14 long years to complete. Later, she gradually developed those Hancock’s undeveloped iron ore deposits into operable mines which in turn earned her huge profits. As on 2010, Gina Rinehart’s daughter, Bianca Rinehart was the Director of most of the Hancock companies and also the member of the executive management team.

Georgina Hope Rinehart and Lang Hancock, her father

Source: www.brisbanetimes.com.au

Wealth Status

After the death of Rinehart’s father in 1992, her name appeared for the first time in the Business Review Weekly (BRW) in the Rich 200 list in the year 1992. And year after year, her name has been appearing in several magazines. In the year 2006, her name appeared in the billionaires list. Ultimately in the year 2010, news flashed in magazines declaring Gina as the richest woman in Australia and in the year 2011 she was declared as the richest person in Australia.

Her name first appeared among Australia’s 40 richest persons in Forbes magazine when her wealth estimate touched the mark of US$1 billion. Thereafter it doubled to US$2.4 billion in the following year and more than trebled to US$9 billion in the year 2011. Her growth did not stop here. Both Forbes and BRW declared her as the richest woman in the year 2011.

As per Citigroup’s prediction, Rinehart will soon overtake Carlos Slim whose wealth estimate is US$74 billion and also Bill Gates whose estimated wealth is US$56 billion. Reports say that owing to an increase in iron and ore production, Rinehart’s wealth is expected to touch a dazing US$100 billion.

Georgina Hope Rinehart and Ginia Rinehart, her daughter

Source: www.brisbanetimes.com.au

Successor of the Dynasty

Recent reports reveal that Rinehart’s youngest daughter Ginia Rinehart has been appointed as the director of Hancock Prospecting. Now, it is the world’s richest and wealthiest dynasty that has mining projects spread over Queensland, Western Australia and also stake investments made in Fairfax Media and Ten Network Holdings. Of her four children, three of them except Ginia Rinehart have filed case against her in the NSW Supreme Court to remove her as the head of the family trust that took control of nearly 25 percent of the family’s wealth. Reports also say that Ginia Rinehart was appointed as the director of Hope Downs Marketing Company that has a tie up with another giant mining company, Rio Tinto.

Rinehart’s Fortune

As already mentioned Gina Rinehart will achieve the title of ‘World’s richest person’ in few years from now, beating the current richest persons. This is due to the fact that she does not have any shareholders and that she holds all rights of the company.

Amazing but Real

Although this woman has achieved this status during a short period of time, it is shocking to read about three of her four children having filed a case against her asking for her removal as the trustee of the multi billion company. In fact, this company was set up by Rinehart’s father Mr Hancock announcing his four grand children as its beneficiaries before he died.

Although several factors lie behind the success of a man, one of the common factors that we see in SUCCESSFUL persons is their DEVOTED HARD WORK. Hence, let us reshape our minds in order to apply this concept to fulfil our dreams. Good Luck, Rich Girls!

Author Bio: Writer Bini pens on latest market trends, electronics, technology, shopping, free samples, offers, politics, health services, health benefits, public sector services, public sector benefits and more.

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So, yes I have made a list of, to my mind, perfect red carpet choices and was curious to see if any celebrity would actually wear something from my list. It was more like a bet for me, not that I was actually believing that one of the actresses (or their stylists) would pick the same dresses. I also didn’t expect that celebrity girls would have the same taste in designer evening dresses as me. I did it just for fun.

Now imagine my surprise, shock and excitement when I was browsing through pictures from the SAG Awards Red Carpet 2012 and saw Jane Krakowski!! Jane Krakowski, the star of the “30Rock” tv-series, was wearing the dress I’ve picked! How cool and unbelievable is that?! Jane was wearing the black dress with the breathtaking beaded top by Antonio Berardi. The dress, which was my top 3 pick, after the gorgeous red dress by Zac Posen.

Here are the pictures of the Antonio Berardi dress:

Antonio Berardi

Antonio Berardi

And here is Jane Krakowski on the SAG Awards 2012 red carpet:

So, rich girls, what do you think? Was this dress a great choice for Jane Krakowski? I think it was definitely an amazing dress and she looked gorgeous in it. I am also happy to know that me and Jane (or her stylist) have the same taste in evening dresses. This inspires me to do more lists like this in the future!

Well, let’s wait and see if someone would actually wear the red dress by Zac Posen. I will be beyond myself with excitement! Which celebrity girl would look the best in this dress?

Zac Posen

Yours,

Rich Girl

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Until recently my good friends knew me as an exemplary heavy smoker. My solid relationships with cigarettes continued for 15 years; for the last 8 years I smoked one pack a day on average. I’ve quit about half a year ago.

Since then I never slipped, despite the parties and get-togethers with my smoking friends. Not even when visiting my hometown earlier this month, where you can still smoke in some restaurants and nightclubs. When I say I don’t smoke anymore the first question they often ask is how did I do it. I usually say that you have to want to quit badly and you must start seeing yourself as a non-smoker. They nod and say I’m lucky to have such strong willpower.

That’s where I feel puzzled. I can’t quite comprehend how do I have strong self-discipline skills if I can’t make myself go to gym for a second week in a row? Where does my willpower hide when I’m in a desperate need of losing couple of kilos?

Well, Rich Girls, I’m happy to report that most of my willpower related questions were answered by Roy F. Baumeister – a professor of psychology who presented his new book here in London the other day*. I thought you might want to get familiar with some of his findings.

If you’d like to improve your self-control abilities and be able to achieve much more, consider the following:

Willpower is a limited resource and we use the same self-control mechanism for different activities.

Let’s say you’ve spent this afternoon visiting your favorite boutiques and trying on various gorgeous sets you would like to have in your wardrobe. It wasn’t easy, but you successfully resisted temptation to spend your rent money on a Marc Jacobs’ resort 2012 sundress. You were also heroic enough to ignore new Louboutin collection and you stepped away firmly from a magnificent shoulder bag by Alexander Wang.

Guess what will happen in a coffee shop you are about to enter? When choosing little something to accompany your latte, you will most likely take the best looking and the biggest piece of chocolate brownie they have.

That scenario is common because our willpowers deplete through the day. The self-discipline is like a muscle that gets tired when you use it too much. Good news is, just like a muscle the willpower can be trained. The more you exercise your self-control skills the better you get.

5 stunning ways to improve willpower:

1.   Pick Your Fights Wisely

When you are ready to create a new habit or willing to aim for big win, commit to your choice and put everything else aside. Decide what is one, the most important thing you want to change right now and devote all self-control you have to this precise goal. Your willpower needs as much fuel as possible to take you to the finish line, so don’t waste it on something that is not so critical.

Because the willpower is limited resource, you must begin big-league projects only when you feel you can handle them. If there are too many affairs that stress you out, it is better to postpone The New Life mission and approach it when you don’t have too many things on your plate.

Most importantly, set your goals as specific as you can possibly imagine. You have to define what it is you want to achieve very clearly.

Let’s say you would like to be slimmer than you currently are. Ask yourself, what is your dream weight, put the number on a paper.

Next, list all the reasons why the magic number will make your life better. When describing the reasons you have to be as sincere as possible. Those must be the ideas you truly believe in. Don’t borrow explanations your besty used when she spoke about her perfect weight.

Finally, describe all the actions you have to take to get closer to your goal. Again, be very concrete and specific. Write down small, easy to take daily steps that will bring you closer to tackling the weight loss issue.

2. Block the Exits

Let’s stick to the losing weight example for a bit. When you go for groceries avoid candy & sweets section. Don’t buy any desserts if you know you won’t be able to resist them while watching new episode of Gossip Girl.

Instead, come up with a substitute. Decide what will you do next time you crave for a cheesecake. Say to yourself, when I feel like eating something sweet, I take a yogurt with berries or a fruit.

If you plan to go jogging tomorrow morning, put your sportswear set on a chair next to your bed so it would be the first thing you see when you wake up. Don’t give yourself any chances to reconsider.

3. Mind Your Sugar Level

Here is why dieting is so difficult. Your willpower depends on the amount of sugar in your blood stream. Apparently, self-control and decision making ‘uses’ big amounts of glucose. And when you don’t have enough glucose in your blood your willpower goes down.

That’s why you shouldn’t go to an important interview or business meeting on an empty stomach. If you feel hungry, your decisions most likely will be poor and unreasonable.

In urgent cases when you need a rapid sugar hit, eat a chocolate bar, something that will deliver a lot of glucose into your blood right away.

As for dieting, Roy F. Baumeister recommends try losing weight by making very small changes to your diet and focus on increasing daily sport activities instead.

4. Make Progress Reports

To achieve your goal you must know what exactly you do and how you spend your time every day. Normally we are able to name the websites we visited yesterday and remember what movies we watched, but we have a very vague idea about how much time we spent on those things. The problem is that if you don’t know what are you doing precisely, you won’t know what it is you need to change to get to your aim faster.

Come up with ways to examine and measure your life. Update your food diary daily, install software that will give you online usage report, track your finances with mobile apps and so on.**

Additionally you could ask your friend to check on you weekly. You can even make a bet with someone to keep yourself accountable. Posting progress updates on your blog or Facebook profile might also be a good idea.

5. Embrace To-Do Lists

Lots of studies say that unfinished tasks annoy and distract us big time. Brain hates half-baked projects and it will keep on trying to remind you about them.

Because the tasks are in your head all the time, they suck up your self-control abilities bits by bits. The more uncompleted things you’ve got on your mind, the less willpower you have to confront them.

Take the jobs half-done out of your head and put them on paper. Classic to-do lists do wonders. Only remember to make the list very specific. Clearly define the next action you must take. Instead of writing “Prepare for a home party” say “Make a guest list”, “Buy 100 Party Balloons” etc.

The best way to handle your to-dos is by working on the most demanding item first thing in the morning, while your willpower is strong and eager to act. Brian Tracy, a well-known motivational speaker, has a great “Eat That Frog” book*** that explains the toughest-thing-first method in details. I promise to tell you more about his technique next time.

That’s it for today Rich Girls! I wish you the very best luck with developing your willpower. Remember, self-disciplined people are like this only because of the way they approach their day-to-day lives. It’s not the superpowers.  It’s all about creating and maintaining positive habits. The more lasting habits you have the less willpower you use to make right decisions.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you. Come brag about the tasks you tackled and share your tricks that help you to improve your self-control skills!

Yours truly,

Alona

*Must Read Book by Roy F. Baumeister: Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength

**Apps and Websites that help to measure and examine your day-to-day life:

• A web tool that allows you to easily understand and optimize how you spend your time and attention: RescueTime
• Google Chrome Extension that helps you stay focused on work by restricting the amount of time you can spend browsing time-wasting websites: StayFocusd
• Online Food Diary: MyFitnessPall
• Finance Tracking Iphone App: iXpenseIt

***Must Read Book by Brian Tracy: Eat That Frog

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Valentine’s Day is all about chocolate, red roses, champagne and love. Love between two people, what can be more beautiful and magical? There is no surprise that a lot of people choose Valentine’s Day for marriage or proposal, because everything around screams of love and unity. Together forever! This is the day when you want to believe in eternal love and true soul mates, the day you want to do something special and celebrate in style and luxury.

That is why I selected 7 most exciting and romantic ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in The Ritz-Carlton hotels around the world.

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas – Champagne Sunset Sail

I think that sunset is the most romantic part of the day. What do you think? How would you like to enjoy a beautiful & romantic sunset in the Caribbean waters with a live guitarist on-board?! Well, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas is offering a special Champagne Sunset Sail this Valentine’s Day aboard Lady Lynsey, the resort’s luxury 53-foot catamaran which will pick guests up right from the resort beach.

Toast your romance with a selection of Champagne, savor specialty hors d’oeuvres and enjoy the soothing sounds of a live guitarist on-board as you sail through the serene Caribbean waters and watch one of St. Thomas’s legendary sunsets.

The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island – Fire by The Dunes

How about personal fire in the dunes, where a crackling fire, comfy blankets and the sound of soothing waves draw you closer?! If you and your partner love the beach, then the Fire by The Dunes experience at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island would be perfect choice for you this Valentine’s Day. The beach and fire by the dunes also includes s’mores, a thermos of hot chocolate, thermo cups and high-powered celestial binoculars for star gazing. A personal attendant is nearby to cater to your needs.

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong – Take Your Breath Away

The world’s highest bar Ozone is offering a bespoke “Take Your Breath Away Dining Experience” which includes an exclusive use of the private dining room located at 490 metres above sea level, featuring captivating vistas of the city and Victoria Harbour; a 10-course menu, a bottle of Louis Roederer, Cristal 2004, a bouquet of 99 roses and a box of 99 pieces of chocolates. This exclusive package is available only on February 14 for one couple at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong.

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong – Sensational Spa-cial

Spa pampering is the ultimate Valentine’s Day indulgence for couples that is why The Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA this Valentine’s Day will be offering a 90-minute bespoke treatment in the Couple’s Suite, followed by a 60-minute relaxation time when guests can enjoy the Jacuzzi overlooking the Victoria Harbour in the secluded haven of the suite.

A bottle of champagne with chocolate-coated strawberries and red roses, an ESPA gift and an afternoon tea for two at Café 103 are with the Spa’s compliment to complete the sweetest experience ever.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain – Romance Menu And Chocolate Decadence Buffet

This option will be perfect for people, who love chocolate, which is almost everyone of us. The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain restaurant’s à la carte romance menu on Valentine’s Day will include a Chocolate Decadence buffet created by Executive Chef David Serus. Valentine’s Dinner at CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar will feature such main course selections as Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Green Asparagus and Dungeness Crab Béarnaise, Goat Cheese Soufflé Colorado Lamb with Truffle Gnocchi, and Pan-Seared John Dory with Crushed Fingerling Potatoes.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain – Splash Dining

A spectacular outdoor dining experience, Splash Dining, will be offered the evening of February 14th, 2012. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, Splash Dining will include a dinner in a romantic private setting under the stars, as you dine on a specially-prepared menu served in the heated Turquesa Pool, with your legs partially immersed in the stunning shallow-depth Turquesa waters. The Valentine’s Splash Dining experience includes a four-course menu and champagne toast.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain – Just for Us (couple’s experience)

Complementing the resort’s Valentine’s dining experiences, The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Dove Mountain has introduced also an exclusive new couple’s experience, Just for Us, which is available throughout the month of February. Just for Us features a rose petal bath, a 50-minute Ritz-Carlton Together Message, and champagne and strawberries for both guests.

I hope that reading through these magnificent options for Valentine’s Day inspired you to find creative and romantic ways how to celebrate this day of love to remember!

Girls, what would be your perfect Valentine’s Day? Please share your ideas in the comments below.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yours,

Rich Girl

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How Does the Game go Again?

For the people who are unsure what bingo is, then, seriously where have you been? No, we are only messing. Bingo is a number game that is based mainly on chance. It began in Italy in the 1500s and gradually spread around Europe. The main idea of the bingo game is that every person in the game has tickets with random numbers on them, a person then uses a bingo machines to pick random numbers which they then call out, you then mark the numbers if you have them and the first person to successfully cover their card with the called numbers yells “BINGO” and he/she wins. You can play this game at home with your friends and family, you can go to a special hall or establishment that runs games of bingo or you can play it online. In any case it is a fun and exciting gambling game.

It is not stereotypical to say that the vast population of bingo players are women, because it is a fact. Men love to play poker, women love to play bingo. Simple as that! With the game of bingo being based mostly on socializing rather than the actually game it can be understood that a regular bingo night at home can go on quite some time, way longer than it would take if no talking was allowed. Sharing a few laughs and some drinks is part of the fun when hosting a game of bingo at home.

Celebrities are just the same as some regular Joes at heart, so why would they wouldn’t do “regular things” just like ourselves? Bingo being one of them. You may be surprised to see your favorite female actresses and celebrity judges enjoying a game of bingo, below are a few guilty celebrities who dabble in the game. I wonder how much their initial ticket prices are when hosting a bingo night?

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones hosts regular bingo parties at her home. Catherine’s father won £100,000 at bingo when she was just in her early teens; it looks like the excitement of the game passed from father to daughter. It is said that Catherine loves to host a bingo party at Christmas for her close friends and family. I wonder who she invites? She has also appeared as a guest bingo caller at charity bingo to raise money.

Paris Hilton

It is not just Catherine Zeta-Jones who has appeared at charity bingo events, but also Courtney Cox, Daryl Hannah and Paris Hilton.

Denise Van Outen

Denise Van Outen is so into bingo that she once tried to get a few of her radio co-stars to go to her local bingo club to have a few games with her. Imagine if you saw her at your local bingo club, I bet you would be so star struck that you would miss the called numbers. The famous television presenter has been spotted on a few occasions at her local Essex Bingo club.

Gary Barlow

The X Factor Judge, Gary Barlow and his wife, Dawn decided to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary at London’s Mandarin Oriental hotel with a bingo night back in January 2010. Some females who made the bingo bash were: Kimberley Walsh, Cheryl Cole, Fearne Cotton, Denise Van Outon, Alesha Dixon and Lulu.

Katie Price

As you will beware, there are literally 100s of online bingo sites on the web and it is extremely hard to choose one, if you gonna decide to play this game online. Here is a fun fact not many people know: Katie Price used to be the celebrity face of the online bingo site, called Foxy Bingo. Katie once said that she loves to play online bingo.

So who knows, maybe next time when you will be playing bingo game online, there will be some kind of celebrity playing in the same bingo room as yourself. “Katie Price has just won £25.50” may one day pop-up on your screen, but we highly doubt that Katie’s bingo alias is her real name. Maybe Jordon224, perhaps?

Author’s Bio: The following article was a guest post by Craig Crossland who is the owner of the Love to Play Bingo, a bingo comparison site that does not just compare bingo sites but is the informational portal for confused bingo players.

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Hello Dear Rich Girls! I just realized it is almost the end of January 2012. Have you noticed, that smart researchers from all over the world started to warn us that we enter the critical timeline when most people will forget dieting and workouts, resume smoking, give up on reading at least 30 minutes a day and neglect ‘Goals to achieve’ notebook completely. Where do you stand on your New Year Resolutions?

I intend to persevere this time, no matter how tempting it might seem to pull back. Following through on the resolutions is actually part of my Great 2012 To-Do Plan.

In order to cut off escape routes I’ve decided to find out why do we dodge the resolutions so surprisingly easy. And is there a way not to fall into the ‘Maybe Next Year’ philosophy.

I’ve started by reading Peter Bregman’s blog at Harvard Business Review. He wrote loads of articles on motivation and productivity and constantly shares practical techniques we can use to accomplish more.

Here is what Peter says about keeping your resolutions alive and kicking.

First, let’s determine why do we often fail miserably at fulfilling the dreams and aims.

Bregman noticed, that people only like to put the very big things in their resolution list. We usually say something like:

These are all grandiose intentions. And they all are extremely challenging. Such goals made it to our list because we believe these are the things that will change the quality of life dramatically.

What we don’t always realize is that ambitious desires require big advanced planning and it will be a long journey to the moment when the dreams come true.

Don’t worry though, the super achievers don’t lie when tell you something inspiring.

3 Big Obstacles On the Way to Your Goal

1. Some goals are too huge and general to comprehend. If your wish to become a millionaire by the end of this year, you have to outline the very specific and concrete sub goals first.

To get going smoothly, you should admit that it won’t be simple and pleasant all the way through, but every little step you make counts.

Describe in details all small actions you have to take in order to achieve your big goal and follow the instructions strictly.

2. This might seem strange, but we abandon bunch of goals only because we are very scared. We often are worried that whatever it is we’d like to do won’t work out the way we imagine.

If you suspect that the fear of failure is something that stops you, try to imagine the worst-case scenario. Peter Bregman offers to ‘relive’ the possible failure entirely and move on. Now you can focus on figuring out what it is you must do to come closer to your goal. And remember that in case you fail, there will be countless other opportunities.

3. The last trap to avoid is having a goal list with too many items on it. There simply can’t be too many things in your agenda. Our resources (time and energy) are limited. We must leave enough time to rest and recharge. If you are seriously interested in reaching your goals, Peter Bregman advises to have up to 5 of them per year.

Limit yourself. Think hard what it is you want the most. And stick to those 5 goals you want to accomplish.

Here is a simple and efficient system from Peter that will help you organize time and move towards your goals fast.

Daily 6-Box To-Do List

5 goals to reach this year are established. What’s next?

1. Each morning make a worksheet with 6 to-do boxes and put your 5 goals of the year in five of the boxes; leave the 6th box empty for now.

Put specific things to be done in every box. The 5 annual goals that you set are your main reference points.

Let’s say one of your goals is promotion at work. Think about all the activities, which can be done today, and which will lead you closer to getting the higher position. It might be writing a sales proposal, or presenting new marketing campaign, doing extra research on competitors, etc.

Approach other four boxes the same way. The most important thing is to remember, that these are five areas where you should spend 95% of your working time.

Everything that doesn’t get you closer to one of these aims must be taken off your daily to-do list.

What about the sixth box? You probably noticed, that the 6th area on the image below is labeled ‘The Other 5%’. This box can contain some critical activities that must be done, although they won’t help you to reach your goals. You should never spend more than 5% of your time on them.

Download Original Daily To Do List at PeterBregman.com

2. Look at your six-box to-do list and move the most important items for the day into your calendar. It’s very important to decide when and where you will execute these sub-goals. Whenever you set a specific deadline for your to-do items, the chances of getting them done grow tremendously.

Some activities, like answering on emails or making phone calls must be done every day. Dedicate a specific time of the day for such to-do things and stick to it. Set a concrete hour for checking your email box and do it only at that time.

3. Make a firm agreement with someone about how you will spend your working time. Talk with your boss or partner about your six-box to-do list and about your daily calendar. Explain them what you plan to achieve today and how it fits in with your general yearly plan. This way you create deeper level of commitment and accountability.

That’s it for today, Rich Girls! Stay strong and dedicated and come share your tips and tricks to conquer the list of New Years resolutions!

Yours truly,

Alona

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This is the only downcast part for me of living in Spain, all the movies in theaters are dubbed in Spanish and there is hardly one movie in English (original version) per week. When I lived in Latvia I used to go to the movies almost every week, sometimes we even went to see a few movies on the same day. I love going to cinema, instead of watching movies at home, because it is a great fun. Dressing up, watching the trailers, watching people, buying popcorn, hating someone in the audience for being a jerk, this is all part of the experience. Of course people are different and only today I was reading one blog, where a girl was stating the exact opposite things. She said that she actually hates to go to the cinema and prefers to watch everything at home, without annoying people, who chew their popcorn way too loud.

Anyway, so as I haven’t seen the majority of the movies, I can’t judge if the nominations are fair or not. For example, I don’t think that “Moneyball” was some kind of special movie to be even considered for nomination, but it is only me. I loved “The Descendants” a lot, mostly because of the Clooney and I was reading the glorious reviews about “The Artist”, so I probably should watch this movie somehow before the Oscars night. And I also want to watch “Hugo”, as this Martin Scorsese’s movie earned 11 nominations. Oh, and “The Help” of course.

There is no possible way that I will be able to see all the movies, so girls, please help me out here. What are your most favorite movies from the list of Oscar Nominations for 2012? Is there a movie you strongly recommend to see? What are your predictions/hopes for the Oscars night? Who is your favorite actress, that deserves the Oscar this year? I would love to hear your opinion in the comments below.

Well, I don’t know who is going to win the Oscar in 2012, but one thing I know for sure, that on the 26th of February our favorite celebrity girls will be rocking their amazing dresses on the red carpet. And this is what I am really dying to see.

Yours,

Rich Girl

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It was nice to get inside the Vera Wang boutique, since I haven’t been there yet. Also I was surprised to see that the designer is a such tiny lady. They say that TV adds like 10 pounds to your appearance, well I just imagine how Vera Wang looks in real life.

Other than Vera Wang’s appearance, the latest Gossip Girl episode was a little bit sad to watch. I can’t stand how the writers are torturing pure Chuck and Blair, sometimes even without a common sense. One more thing that I noticed is that the parties on Gossip Girl are not too exciting anymore, like they used to be in the beginning when the show just started. In this episode they are celebrating New Year at Nate’s office, how lame is that?

Anyway, I am really waiting for the Wedding episode, which will also be the 100th episode of Gossip Girl, to be something special and spectacular, although I still want Chuck and Blair be together. Let’s wait and see.

Girls, what do you think about Gossip Girl? Are you watching it?

Yours,

Rich Girl

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