Monday, June 30, 2008

Fun Facts About Bamboo

Bamboo is an extremely fast growing tropical grass with thick, hollow stems. Bamboo can grow as tall as 100 feet and as fast as over 30 inches per day.

Bamboo leaves are the preferred food of the giant panda. Pandas can consume up to 14 pounds of bamboo every single day!

The hollow-cored bamboo stems are commonly used for crafting furniture, flooring, paper fishing poles, and more.

There thousands of different types of bamboo found growing all around the world.

Bamboo is a common Chinese symbol which stands for grace, strength and longevity. Bamboo can also stand for fidelity and loyalty.

Bamboo is commonly used in the Asian practice of feng shui to help slow chi. When hung from overhead beams bamboo counteracts the unwanted energy of the overhead beams.

Bamboo shoots, when properly cooked, can be a tasty and nutritious way to give your cuisine international flair.

"Lucky Bamboo" is not really bamboo at all. A member of the family Dracaena, lucky bamboo is a plant (not a grass, like actual bamboo) that can grow in a simple preparation of water and pebbles.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Having a Feng Shui Bamboo plants can change your Life.

FengShui Bamboo grows easily and well in all parts of China and also in many other parts of the world. Hence, in Feng Shui, it symbolizes endurance, durability and longevity because it is always green and flourishes throughout the year.

Having a clump of bamboo on the left hand side of your home or office can signify the dragon which is highly auspicious however if it is planted at the back of the house FengShui bamboo signifies solid support and would be especially lucky for those involved in business. If bamboo planted near the front of the home, bamboo can attracts auspicious Chi flows. Grown everywhere else bamboo represents longevity and good health.

FengShui Bamboo is well represented and widely known in Chinese literature, art and poetry for many years. It is maybe the most popular subject in regards to Feng Shui. The Chinese Feng Shui believer claimed that by hanging it in office and home, they can cast off malign spirits as bamboo posses mysterious power. Bamboo can be used as a powerful Feng Shui antidote to bad "Chi" and can come in different form such as FengShui bamboo wind chimes, bamboo plant and bamboo flutes.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Lucky Days and Numerology; Am I feeling Lucky?

All of us have days when we feel lucky; when the world is on our side. Wouldn't it be nice to know ahead of time that today was your Lucky day?

Numerology predicts that two kinds of days will be especially lucky for you, those which match your Life Path number, and those which match your Birthday.

Your Life Path number is your primary number in Numerology; it has similar significance to your Sun sign in Astrology. You calculate your Life Path number by adding up all the digits of your date of birth, and then reducing the value to a single digit using fadic addition.

For example, actor Orlando Bloom was born on January 13th, 1977, so his Life Path number is (2).

01-13-1977 = (0 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 9 + 7 + 7) = (29) = (2 + 9) = (11) = (1 + 1) = 2

For days to match your Life Path number, the Universal Day number must be the same as your Life Path. Surprise; the Universal Day number is calculated in the same manner as your Life Path number. Just sum up all the digits in the date, and reduce them to a single digit with fadic addition.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Have You Been Lucky In Life?

Each moment in life, "lucky" or "unlucky", is to be savored, learned from, and appreciated. Easier said than done? Read this heartfelt story and see for yourself.

I met an exceptional American man in Athens in my younger years. He had a beautiful and gentle French girlfriend, and everyone was always complimenting him and telling him how "lucky" he was. His usual reply was something to the effect of "Lucky or unlucky is hard for me to say, as this is only one small moment in my whole life. But I will tell you this, at this moment, I am very definitely enjoying myself and feeling thankful."

Shortly after meeting him he was thrown in jail in Greece, which in those days was run by a brutal military dictator. All his friends sat around in Athens talking about how "unlucky" he was, since the police threw him in jail with no real evidence. When I visited him and told him his friends felt terrible about his bad luck he smiled warmly and said, "Lucky or unlucky is hard for me to say. But I am sure I will have a great story to tell some day! And for this I am thankful."

After several years in jail he was released, and he returned to the States. He was traveling along the coast roads of California, when he met a lovely woman in a roadside cafe, and began to flirt with her. Unbeknownst to my friend, the woman had a boyfriend who belonged to a gang, and the boyfriend soon appeared with his buddies and became furious. In order to "teach my friend a lesson" they proceeded to throw him off the side of the road, and down the rocky expanse leading to the ocean some one hundred feet below. They left him for dead.

Some hours later a rescue crew arrived and made their way down the cliff and they were amazed to find that my friend was still alive. As they slowly hoisted him back up to the roadside, numerous bystanders remarked at how amazingly lucky he was to not have been killed. If my friend had not been unconscious at that time it is likely that he would have said something to the effect of "Lucky or unlucky is hard for me to say, but I can tell you that I hurt like hell!"

In a few days time when he had regained consciousness he discovered that he was paralyzed from the waist down. I called him to see how he was doing. He said to me "What would you say Charlie? Lucky to be alive or unlucky to be paralyzed from the waist down." I had no ready answer.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Monday, June 23, 2008

Wedding Gifts Tips

Giving gifts is customary. Gifts given on any auspicious occasion provide an opportunity to display the emotions. A wedding is one such occasion when loved ones try to shower their blessings on the newly weds. Gifts make a touching impression on the host.

Bridal shower is a pre wedding ceremony which is a gesture of love and caring toward the bride. It is customary held before a few weeks from the wedding day. The friends and close relatives gift a number of things which include household utensils, decorators and the useful items.

Generally, wedding gifts can be purchased from any leading gift shop. Gift shops have unique range of household utensils. The unbreakable plastic products are very durable for the long run. Other type of famous gift items is glass ware or cook wares.

Choosing a gift depends upon the various things. The first thing is the closeness with the concerned person or intensity of relationship. Second thing is the purchasing power of a person. If you have limited budget, you can choose an item which is usually less priced.

Flowers are the ideal gift to exactly convey the feelings in a way to show your appreciation. You can send colorful roses or mixed flower bunches. You can surprise and delight your recipient by sending a stylish bouquet along with a vase.

Bamboo is considered lucky in the Asian part. It signifies the health, wealth and prosperity. Presenting the bamboo sticks to the newly couple sends a good omen.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Fun Shui and Money

Self Improvement,Motivation

Would you like an easier and more abundant flow of cash in your life? You’ve come to the right place. This article is about the Fun Shui of Money. The Fun Easy Flow of Money. “Shui” in Chinese means “water” or “flow. If you watch water in nature, you can feel the water having fun flowing around obstacles to get where it wants to go. Attracting an easy, extravagant flow of money into your life is a function of fun, fluidity, focus, flexibility and finesse. FUN Celebrate the truth that there is more than enough. Acknowledge and rejoice that there is more than enough food, money and love in the world to meet everyone’s needs. Experts agree that we currently have the resources on the planet to take good care of everyone. It’s only the attitude, intention and action that are missing. Start with you and let it spread! Celebrate today! Have a Prosperity Party and invite your friends.

See your riches. Visualizing the riches you desire in your life will accelerate the money into your world at lightning speed. See yourself already using the things you bought with your mountains of money. For even faster results, add satisfaction and gratitude at the same time you see your picture of wealth. Everyday do something rich. Each day do at least one activity that makes you feel rich. Have a massage, buy fresh flowers, go to a day spa, rent a Porsche, dine at a fine restaurant and don’t look at the prices, hire someone to clean your house, take your best friends out to lunch. Or do something that is free. Pick a bunch of flowers, take a picnic to the beach at sunset, hang out at a fancy resort, go for a drive in an expensive estate and imagine which house you now own. The more you practice feeling rich, the faster it becomes a part of you. Laugh. Like vibration seeds like vibration. A really good, deep laugh moves your energy into a place of attraction. Use this belly laugh to attract a belly-full of money. When you are playing with children, watching a funny movie, horsing around with your friends, chuckling at a joke, you’re funding your dreams. Feel what it would feel like to have more money than you could ever spend—and double over in joyful anticipation—or absurdity.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Secret To Lucky: Relax To Receive

Did you ever wonder if it is possible to improve your luck like your weight, grades in school, earnings potential, dance skills or batting average? Could certain little things we do or the way we do them increase our genius problem solving ability? Would you like to learn how to get the concepts in the movie "The Secret" to work flawlessly every time?

I sat in the rental office holding back a surge of tears. Eighteen hours before my plans were to move in with my fiancé. However after recognizing an irreconcilable difference between us, I was left without a place to live. I had only two weeks before my moving date. After that I would be homeless. The only apartment they had was on the second floor without a screened patio. My cats that were used to going outside would be imprisoned. I had looked at many rental communities. They all lacked what I needed.

I went home in a state of shock and despair. Earlier that day I sat down, did my meditation and commanded the universe to provide the perfect living arrangement for me. This perfect place would be on the first floor, have a screened in patio with a door on it for exit, highly private exposure and ridiculously reasonable rent.

With tears in my eyes I sat in the rental office signing their papers thinking, "My luck is rotten. This metaphysics stuff does not work!"

I went home in shock. My sister and her husband came over to help me pack, but all I could do was wander around aimlessly. The rest of the day passed thusly. I finally relinquished into an early stupor of sleep.

The next day, Saturday, I awoke relaxed. As I prepared breakfast I suddenly remembered an apartment complex I used to live near a few years earlier. I had this feeling, this intuition, that maybe they might have the right apartment. I got on the Internet to look for them.

There it was -- the complex I had remembered. When I called they miraculously had five to six first floor apartments vacant all with exit doors off screened in patios, and were providing two free months on an already very reasonable monthly rent! How could this be? All the other rental communities I had contacted had very few vacancies, none with screened in patios and very few on the first floor.

It was like "Brigadoon," the movie. Amidst the wasteland, this little apartment complex emerged as an anomaly. I thought there must be something wrong to have such a high vacancy rate and to provide two free months rent. However when I saw the model, it and the grounds were perfect.

I still did not know the exact apartment I would get, so when I went back on Monday to find this out, I was a bit nervous. It might look out on a parking lot, precluding the ability to allow my cats to wander outside every now and then.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Lucky foot? Unlucky rabbit!

Why do we consider a rabbit’s foot to be a lucky charm? A rabbit’s foot is considered lucky in many countries, but especially in America, where over 10 million rabbit’s feet are bought every year and are said to bring good luck to their owners & protect them against evil spirits.

A rabbit’s foot is considered lucky in many countries, but especially in America, where over 10 million rabbit’s feet are bought every year and are said to bring good luck to their owners & protect them against evil spirits. The rabbit’s foot is mostly worn on a neck-chain or put on a key chain and is even available, dyed in various colours.

Many actors are known to keep a rabbit’s foot in their make-up box and some even apply their make-up using the foot, while sportsmen are known to wear them on neck-chains. Rubbing the charm all over a newborn baby ensures that the child is always lucky. But one should be very careful to not lose the charm, as misfortune will then move in swifter than the running of a rabbit.

The superstition is thought to be of Afro-American origin and is said to be one of the oldest in the world, as old as around 600 BC. It is assumed that this is a carry-on of rituals or talismans of an African tribe and may also be connected to the legends of the Br'er Rabbit (representing the black slave who used his wits to overcome situations and extract revenge on the white slave-owners)

Since rabbits live underground, they were also linked to darkness, witches, and the devil, but were considered to have protective powers against these evil forces. Also earlier on, only the left hind foot of the rabbit was considered lucky and it had to be rubbed to bring on good luck. The hind leg was considered lucky because when rabbits run, their hind feet go ahead of their front, although it is not clear as to why only the left hind foot was taken.

The ironical part here according to some historians is that although rabbits are slaughtered, it is the hare that is supposed be have supernatural powers. The hare has historically been both feared and revered and were sacred to the ancient Celts, who associated them with the moon as did the Chinese, Mexicans, American Indians and Egyptians, The hare also stood for peace, prosperity and good luck amongst the Chinese but was considered as omen if sighted, while for the North American Indians, the hare was a symbol of their saviour as well as hero of the Dawn, father, guardian, creator, transformer and a trickster. Also the hare was considered a divinatory animal because they are born with their eyes open.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Monday, June 16, 2008

Feng Shui Lucky Bamboo

Lucky Bamboo is one of the most popular feng shui cures. However, it is one of the most neglected feng shui cures, too! I have seen countless of "feng shui lucky bamboos" that are struggling for life, have a poor neglected look and the only luck in them is the "lucky to be alive" factor.

Even though easy to care for and a very tolerant plant, feng shui bamboo still needs your love and attention, and it likes to look good, just like you do! Do not be afraid to touch it and take good care of it. Ultimately, bamboo is considered lucky because of its vitality, flexibility and strong growth.

So why is Lucky Bamboo considered lucky in feng shui? Bamboo in itself is an amazing plant with a very peaceful and wise energy. It teaches the ultimate wisdom: how to be flexible and hollow (open) on the inside, so that the spirit can freely flow and heal your Being.

If you are lucky enough to have bamboo growing in your garden, you know how soothing, almost transcendental the sound of it is. The same is true for bamboo windchimes, as well as the energy of bamboo floors.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Four Steps to Attracting More Good Luck

The Luck Factor rips apart the notion that luck is something that just happens. Dr. Wiseman reports on over three years of scientific inquiry into what is often considered the most unscientific topic of all. However, Dr. Wiseman suggests another reason for the lack of scientific research into luck:

"The situation is akin to the old story of the man who knows he dropped some treasure in one part of the street but searches in another part because the light is better there."

Dr. Wiseman's central thesis is that luck can be predicted and therefore controlled. He offers four "principles of luck", then explains how we can harness these principles to live luckier lives. The four principles are:

  1. Maximize your chance opportunities
  2. Listen to your lucky hunches
  3. Expect good fortune
  4. Turn bad luck into good
Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Reduce Marriage Problems: Go and Wake Up Your Luck

At one time or another, most of us have had daydreams about winning the lottery, achieving great fame, or having the perfect partner and living happily ever after. We usually visualize our imagined future good luck as something that will unexpectedly “come out of the blue” and surprise us.

In reality, most luck is the product of lots of hard work and creative initiative. If we just wait for good things to fall into our lap without any effort on our part, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. It’s up to us to do the groundwork that will open the door for opportunity to come into our life.

A Persian saying advises, “Go and wake up your luck.” To do this, we have to wake up and start taking action toward our goals. For as a Yiddish proverb admonishes, “If you want your dreams to come true, don’t oversleep.” It takes initiative, energy, and effort on our part to start the process of preparing the way for good things to happen.

According to Anthony Robbins, “It is in the moment of your decisions that your destiny is shaped.” This means that the unfolding of our destiny is not a passive process, but rather that each day we are actively influencing what happens in our life. The good news is that if we are dissatisfied with our life, we can always make new choices and create a life that more accurately reflects who we are now and who we want to become.

These same principles are true in every aspect of your life, including your marriage. The happy marriage doesn’t just happen. It requires consistent effort and initiative to solve marriage problems and reduce conflict.

If you want a marriage with quality emotional intimacy, then you have to take steps to deepen your feelings of connection with your spouse. At some point in the future, it may appear to family and friends that you have been very “lucky” to have such a loving marriage. But you’ll know the hard work behind the scenes that being “lucky” in marriage usually requires.

How to Be “Lucky” in Your Marriage

Here are seven tips to follow:

1. Instead of blaming your spouse and focusing on how he or she should change to be a better partner, concentrate on changing yourself to become the kind of ideal partner you’d love to have.

2. Make a point of always noticing your spouse’s good qualities and what you like and admire about him or her. Give your spouse lots of praise, and look for opportunities to give compliments in front of others.

3. Express your appreciation and love frequently—verbally, in writing (notes and cards), and with hugs and physical affection. Be sure that you don’t hold hands, hug, and kiss only when you have expectations of sex, or your partner eventually may start trying to avoid physical contact with you.

4. Record important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries in your daily planner at the first of each calendar year. Be sure to list the special occasions a couple of weeks ahead of time as well as on the specific days so that you’ll have time to buy a present or make dinner reservations. Be the spouse who never forgets a special occasion. You’ll gain many extra good will brownie points for this!

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

5 Guaranteed Ways to Attract More Lucky Breaks

If I could attract more luck My life wouldn't suck, If I had what it takes To attract more breaks

My problems wouldn't run amok.

Since the beginning of time man has searched for ways to attract more luck. Four-leaf clovers, lucky charms and of course a rabbits foot (although it wasn't lucky for the rabbit).

Yes, all these trinkets and more have tried the patience and sanity of people throughout history.

But despite the hit-and-miss results most continue to experience, the tried and true methods in this article stands the test of time. Why? Because it makes use of what you already have inside you. Your actions, attitude and desire. All of which you have total control.

Here's the 5 Guaranteed Ways To Attract More Lucky Breaks

1. Lucky Breaks Come From Asking For What You Want Many people who discover lucky breaks have formed the habit of simply asking for what they want. They keep the attitude of "all they can say is no!" They've learn to accept this fact. It's still surprising how many lucky breaks you'll discover by simply learning to ask politely and confidently. Try it! Go ahead, ask for a price cut, ask a probing question, ask for a date - ask! The more you ask the better results you'll see.

2. Lucky Breaks Come From Thinking On Paper Capture your ideas and thoughts on paper. Write down your goals, your wants and your ideas. Write down your problems, solutions and aims. Always carry a notepad and pen with you and write every idea, thought and plan that springs from your mind. You'll discover the more you do this the better your ideas will improve. Try it.

3. Lucky Breaks Come To Those Who Expect Luck Breaks This doesn't mean you should sit around waiting for lucky breaks to knock on your door. Lucky breaks come to those who prepare for them. So make sure you prepare yourself for your lucky break when it comes. Lucky breaks come and go quickly, most people miss them because they failed to prepare to recognize them when they came. Don't let this happen to you. Lucky breaks come quickest to the prepared.

Read Full News

Resources for

American Gift Club

Get Lucky in Your Business

In any business venture luck has some part to play. How do you make your business luckier?

Lucky people do not dwell on their past mistakes and instead focus on today and tomorrow. The past cannot be changed no matter how much you worry about it. The only thing you have control over is the present. So stop living in the past and make the most of today.

Lucky people rarely whinge, moan or complain about others. Rather they focus all their mental energy on making their little world more fun. They tend to enjoy running their business and find joy in little things. Anger, envy, jealousy and revenge are wasted emotions that will end up doing more harm than good.

You could try getting to know a lot of people in your industry. The more you socialise with other business leaders the luckier you will become. Instead of treating it as a chore make friends and mix with other intelligent people who can help in you in your goals.

Joining networking organisations and meeting new people will open up new opportunities. They can also be great fun if you approach them in the right manner. Go there to have fun and meet new people rather than just ramming your business down other people's throats.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Today Is Your Lucky Day

Today is your lucky day. At least it is if you pay attention. Paying attention, you see, is one of the important ways you create your own luck. You can see this principle in action in the following story.

Jack (not his real name) sat at the desk in front of mine at the real estate office where I briefly worked as an agent many years ago. He had been there six months and he hadn't sold a thing. One day another agent was sitting nearby, explaining to someone on the phone that he had to find someone to cover his "floor time." Jack heard him and just kept arranging his desk.

Floor time is time spent taking the incoming calls from people who want to buy a new home or other real estate. The caller are generally people who aren't working with an agent yet, so this is a good way to get new customers, make a sale and get a commission especially if you are new and have nothing more to do than straighten out your desk again.

Jack could have volunteered to take the floor time and possibly made a sale, but he was busy arranging his desk. I took the agent's floor time. Chuck quit the business a couple months later. I guess he just had no "luck" in real estate sales.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Getting Lucky - A Strategy

Getting lucky is more probable when you have a certain way of approaching situations. This particular frame of mind is the good-luck-generating attitude expressed in the following quote:

"If you view all the things that happen to you, both good and bad, as opportunities, then you operate out of a higher level of consciousness." - Les Brown

The Science Of Getting Lucky

Professor Richard Wiseman found, during his ten-year study of luck, that lucky people use many psychological strategies in order to turn bad luck into good luck. For example, they might automatically imagine how things could have been worse, so they could appreciate how things are now. This helps to eliminate any paralyzing sense of hopelessness in a bad situation, making the person more likely to act in a productive way.

These lucky individuals are also getting lucky because they concentrate on what can be done. This could certainly be more productive than the alternative of complaining about what can't be changed. How often have you seen someone getting lucky by focusing on the negative aspects of a situation?

You've probably heard the saying, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." It expresses the frame of mind of someone who probably has a lot of good luck. In these lucky minds, there are always motivating questions, like, "What can I do with the situation here? How could this be lucky for me? How can I make lemonade with these lemons?"

"The way we see the problem is the problem." - Stephen Covey

Getting Lucky By Seeing Problems As Opportunities

Richard Branson has a great story in his book, "Screw It, Let's Do It." It's about turning a problem into an opportunity. His wife and he were in the Virgin Islands, and their flight to Puerto Rico was canceled until the following day. There were many disappointed people, mostly sitting around not doing anything. But then, what could they do, other than wait for another flight to their destination?

Branson doesn't think this way. He located a plane, asked how much it would be to charter it one way to Puerto Rico, and was told it would be $2,000. He looked around at the people waiting and did some quick math on a scrap of paper. He found a small chalkboard and wrote on it, "Virgin Airways," and below that wrote "$39 for a one way flight to Puerto Rico."

Read Full News

Resources for

American Gift Club

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Types of Silk Trees

Silk trees are natural looking trees that are handmade using premium silk or polyester and natural looking wood trunks. The different types of silk trees include palms, bamboo, ficus, weeping willows, and tabletop silk trees. All these are available in a range of sizes, varying from small to giant.

Silk palm trees are exact replicas of palm trees, and can be easily maintained. Silk palm trees are mostly made with silk screened foliage. The trunks are made of steel, plastic, fiberglass, or natural wood. Among the most popular varieties of silk palm trees are areca palm, bamboo silk palm, Buddha palm, cycus palm, kentia palm, parlor silk palm, phoenix palm, and real wood date palm.

Silk bamboo trees are suitable to decorate places with limited space. Both indoor and outdoor silk bamboo trees are available. Their size generally varies from 4 ft to 8 ft or higher.

Wild bamboo, black bamboo, silk bamboo tree with natural touch green stem, and silk bamboo tree with natural touch purple stem are the different kinds of silk bamboo trees.

Silk ficus trees are an excellent alternative to live ficus trees. Silk ficus trees come in green, burgundy, and variegated types. Another excellent option to give extra charm to the home or commercial setting is weeping willow trees.

Read Full News

Resources for

American Gift Club

Monday, June 2, 2008

Bamboo Wedding Favors - The Good Luck Favor

Bamboo wedding favors are perfect for those looking for a really unique wedding gift to share with their guests. A symbolic gift that is said to bring good luck, bamboo wedding favors represent perfectly the good wishes and gratitude the happy couple want to share. For those seeking a stylish wedding reception gift embedded with mystical eastern symbolism, bamboo favors are the perfect choice.

Chinese spirituality is filled with meaning that is relevant even to those raised in the western world, and wedding favors with a bamboo theme are an ideal way to translate these meanings into our western traditions. Said to be filled with positive energy, or chi, bamboo wedding gifts will bring good luck to all your guests.

And available with a beautiful range of ceramic pots, bamboo favors will be sure to raise a multitude of smiles too! Whether you choose a single bamboo stick, or a small arrangement, they can be presented in a myriad of ways.

Choose colored stones that match your table settings, or sticks of contrasting heights and widths for a really dramatic look. There is a great range of styles, so whether you choose a uniform arrangement for all your guests, or prefer to mix and match, bamboo wedding favors offer a choice that will suit everyone's tastes.

Read Full Article

Resources for

American Gift Club