BubbleLife Discussion for Highland Park & University Park

    We get many calls about tankless water heaters and have installed quite a few. Deciding to go tankless is more complicated than most people realize. Upgrades have to be done to the gas and water lines and the vent stack though the roof has to be changed. Tankless heaters flow less water than a conventional tank water heater. This flow reduction can be minimal to significant, depending on the heater. Also, the gas savings is very minimal. The cost of a conventional tank water heater runs between $950 and $1800, installed depending on the size and model. The advantage to a tankless has on a conventional heater, is the rate at which it can deliver hot water. In my professional opinion, the main reason you should decide to go tankless, is if sized properly, a tankless should give you an endless supply of hot water no matter how high the demand. We recommend Bradford White Tank water heaters and Noritz tankless water heaters. We give free estimates to anyone needing advice on which way to go. Just call us at Hooper Plumbing and Airconditioning at (214)363-2543.

Boy Scout Troop 518 was treated to a unique experience this past week: a meeting with Texas Governor Rick Perry during his final campaign swing through Dallas prior to his victory in the Republican primary.  The troop attended the March 1 meeting - the day before the primary elections - by special invitation from the Governor's office.  At the event, Governor Perry graciously signed a copy of "On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For", a book that he authored along with Ross Perot.  Governor Perry also autographed a Texas state flag for each boy. 

All attendees were humbled and honored to be received by such a prominent political figure, especially on this auspicious day.  They also realized it was a valuable opportunity to learn, first hand, about state and local government.   

Pictured:

Front Row L to R: Scouts Colby Boozer, Cole Devlin, Collins Meier

Back Row L to R: Asst. Scoutmaster Mason Hogan, Governor Rick Perry, Scout Will Hogan, Scoutmaster Mark Boozer, and Asst. Scoutmaster Steve Meier.

Troop 518, sponsored by Park Cities Baptist Church, consists of 16 boys from the Highland Park area, ranging in age from fifth to ninth grade. 

If you live in the Park Cities area and you are interested in joining Troop 518, please contact Mark Boozer at 214-763-4311.

Once upon a time we managed our lives and ran our businesses without email. 

In the 1960s and 1970s, email existed as a text-only messaging system for people connected to the same mainframe computer.  Today, nearly every teenager has an email address and it is now viewed as a ‘mission critical application’ in most businesses.  Now we’re struggling with email overload.  We’re receiving newsletters, defending ourselves from unsolicited commercial email (spam) and email viruses and sifting through work requests from clients in amongst jokes and recipes from friends. 

 This month we look at how to tame the constant flow of information and turn email into a productivity tool, not an overflowing bookshelf.  

What’s in your Inbox? – Your answer to this question should not be ‘everything’.  Your Inbox should be as empty as possible and should only contain current, short-term items to be actioned.  Emails usually fall into three categories:

                1) To be read (interesting but not urgent)

                2) To be actioned (things that I have to do)

                3) For my information (discussions between other people that I need to be aware of)  

Category 1  emails can be read now if you have time, or moved into a folder called To Be Read.  Go back to this folder to review any unread newsletters etc. over lunch or over a coffee.

Focus on maintaining category 2  emails in your Inbox and moving everything else.  Send any replies or action any items that can be handled quickly and immediately (e.g. requests for information that you can retrieve easily).  Avoid ‘email tennis’ by including options in your emails, for example instead of “when are you available to meet?” say “I’m available today at 2pm, tomorrow at 4pm or next Friday at 10am – which one would suit you the best?”. 

Category 3  emails can be read and deleted or filed into a folder if you really want to keep them for later reference. 

Folders – Folders can be used for retaining historical information, or for splitting up emails that still need addressing.  For example, create a folder called ‘To be posted’ for email enquiries that require something to be sent out in the post.  Then you can easily access all of these enquiries at one time to prepare the postal mail at the end of the day or end of the week, instead of searching for them throughout your inbox.  If you’re keeping an email ‘just in case you need it again’ it should be in a folder, not in your Inbox.  If you want to keep the latest jokes and recipes, place them in their own folder too or consider a separate email account for personal communications.

Protection – It’s essential to have a solution in place for handling viruses and malware that are sent via email.  You can also lose a good portion of your day just deleting spam emails, so consider a solution that will prevent most of those messages from hitting your Inbox in the first place.

Mobile access – Instead of being a constant interruption, receiving emails on your mobile phone can empower you to quickly reply, file or delete a message without being near a computer.  Now a few days out of the office won’t require an hour when you return to sort through a hundred missed messages.  If you want peace during a weekend or holiday, just turn the email connection off.

Give us a call,  if you’d like to know more about email protection, setting up folders or receiving emails on your mobile phone.

Fred Givhan, Owner
Computer Troubleshooters
6803 Hillcrest Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75205
214 363-6013
info@fixyourpc.net

Elizabeth Scrivner, with Scrivner Counseling is presenting a two part seminar on  SAFETY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN.  Mark Your Calendars. 

Click on the File below for Flyer with more detailed information from Scrivner Counseling.

"The goal of Safety Communication Sessions is to aide, to teach, and to engage in healthy communication about safety within families.  Due to the increase in criminal behavior, criminal interactions, and overall safety concerns, I would like to speak to parents the first session and then the second session invite our children ages K-6 to come and interact with each of you.  In the sessions you will learn emotional language, feelings, common concerns and key concepts to immediately begin teaching at home, acting out and challenging yourself to do daily.

This class is in addition to what you all know and have been told from the police.  This is coming from a counseling, emotionally healthy perspective on talking with your kids and responding to them and yourself.  This will be a mixed format of teaching, discussion and questions.  I hope that each person comes away stronger as a person, parent, and child.  By each of us being stronger, we are stronger as a community."

WHERE:                                  3813 MOCKINGBIRD LANE  - HOME OF VALERIE PHILLIPS

SESSION 1                             WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24   TIME:   5-6:30PM (PARENTS ONLY)

SESSION 2                             WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31   TIME:   5-6:30PM (PARENTS & CHILDREN K-6)

COST                                       $40.00 PER SESSION

RSVP:                                      elizabeth@scrivnercounseling.com

Hi! It’s Holly O’Brien of The College Concept.  If you have a student who will be applying to college this year or next, please join my BubbleLife Blog.  Be the first to know when I post tips, advice and summer camp information!

Parents and High School Students - many of you are as busy as little bees right now; preparing for spring break and the end of the school year, and lots of senior students are planning to buzz out of the comfy and familiar “hive” and into your new one in college! Congratulations to all the seniors I worked with this year who have already gotten their outstanding college acceptance news – you earned it!

My tip of the day for high school students and parents

Keep a comprehensive, purposeful, and up-to-date running list of activities, awards, interesting people met who may be relevant to the student’s career or college choice, and any remarkable efforts or events in the student’s life from freshman year forward.  Although it seems otherwise, when it is time to recall this information for college applications and essays it is very easy to forget all the details.

From this list, I advocate assembling a well thought-out student résumé at college application time, whether or not the colleges request one.  It is a proactive and concise format for the student to communicate his/her accomplishments at a glance, and provides a very impressive method for making that significant initial contact with admissions officers.  It is also a great way to provide counselors, teachers and others who may write a recommendation letter to have all the pertinent details on the student in hand. Get information about my 2-hour summer résumé sessions below.

College Spotlight

Emory University (www.emory.edu) – great location in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia

Strongest programs;

Business, psychology, natural sciences, political science

SAT range V 640-720, M 660-740

ACT range 29 – 33

Undergraduate enrollment; 5,630

42% acceptance rate

Holly O’Brien

holly@thecollegeconcept.com

www.thecollegeconcept.com

214.369.8055 

Get registered now for my first in a series of College Application ACTION! Camps

• The Résumé – get that “wow” factor that will set yours apart. AP classes, extracurriculars, standardized test scores – your résumé is your opportunity to shine.  Learn the best way to assemble a “short list” of your significant accomplishments that will get you noticed. 

Offered June 30^th & July 10; 3-5 PM           $135 per session

If you have a student who will be applying to college this year, it’s time to start working on your college application!  Summer is a great time to do this, and I have an intensive series of 2-3 hour camps that will give your student a head start and set him/her apart from the rest.  My other camp sessions include;

• The Essay – take it from ordinary to extraordinary

Offered July 20 & August 14, 3-6 PM   $185 per session

• The Common Application – how to present your accomplishments so that you are a “must have” applicant for colleges.  

Offered July 21 & August 7, 3-6 PM     $185 per session

• The Interview; what to expect, what to talk about. Participate in mock interviews and get tips you can use for any college interview from a former Harvard interviewer.

Date to be announced. One session only        $185

• The Highly Selective College Application; how to differentiate yourself.

Offered July 14 & August 12, 3 - 6 PM             $185 per session

 Class size is limited - register ASAP. Convenient Park Cities location.

(Parents; these classes are a great way to minimize stress by reducing the amount of parent/student interaction, often a difficult issue surrounding college application time when everyone is somewhat anxious.) Please see my website at www.thecollegeconcept.com for more information, and you can email me at holly@thecollegeconcept.com.

Holly O’Brien

holly@thecollegeconcept.com

www.thecollegeconcept.com

214.369.8055