Archive for May, 2011

Raisin Bran Coupons

May 31st, 2011 |

Print Off Discounts on Cereal

Raisin Bran coupons can be found online, if you search long enough through the online coupons sites that offer promo codes and free printable coupons.

Most of the time, you’ll probably want to search through grocery coupon pages and supermarket retail chain websites.

Raisin Bran Discounts at Retail-Me-Not

Retail Me Not actually has a small coupons page specifically for Raisin Bran cereal items, which I actually didn’t expect to find. As you’ll read in greater detail about below, Raisin Bran is a generic food item these days, so you’ll find the product sold by many different company. This page gives you 5 specific Raisin Bran coupon codes that can be printed off, including a print-friendly $28 off Raisin Bran shopping saver.

Check back regularly at this General Mills Coupons page and this Kellogg’s Coupons page for deals on Raisin Bran. Neither has savings on Raisin Bran at the moment, but both are likely to offer discounts in the future.

Raisin Bran Coupons at Retail Me Not

If that’s not enough for you, below is a list of the major supermarket chains that offer coupons on RetailMeNot. While you might not always find specific Raisin Bran discounts and sales items, you might find coupons for cereal, for Kellog’s or General Mills, or generic coupons for any groceries. Don’t overlook the savings you’ll get directly from the grocery store in your town or neighborhood.

Raisin Bran Background

Raisin Bran was first marketed by the U.S. Mills company in 1926. U.S. Mills was founded in 1908, and was most famous back in the day for selling Uncle Sam Cereal. When Erewhon Natural Food Market purchased U.S. Mills in 1986, that company changed its name to U.S. Mills.

Meanwhile, Raisin Bran had evolved in other directions. While the name had been trademarked, Raisin Bran had been marketed by so many different cereal companies that the trademark lost its power and “Raisin Bran” became a generic name. Companies like Kelloggs and General Mills had their own brand of Raisen Bran, though the latter of those two companies called their product General Mills Total Raisin Bran, because it was part of its “Total” line of wheat bran cereals.

So when you’re searching for Raisin Bran coupons in 2011, there are actually several types of bran cereals with raisins (sugared or not, but probably so) whose coupons you might be searching for: maybe U.S. Mills Raisin Bran, but probably General Mills Total Raisin Bran or Kellogg’s Raisin Bran.

Lucky Charms Coupons

May 30th, 2011 |

Magically Delicious Discounts

Lucky Charms coupons are no longer just available off the back of cereal boxes or inserts to the Sunday newspaper. You can download and print cereal coupons off the Internet these days. Just log onto one of a number of online coupon websites, find a coupon code or free printable coupon, and use your printer to produce a ready-made coupon for use in stores.

If you do your shopping online, you don’t even have to do that. All you have to do is copy down the coupon code and get your discount when you check out at the online retail vendor. While online cereal purchases aren’t as common as, say, buying items like perfume, cologne, books, CDs, DVDs, blu-ray discs, or even clothes online, the more efficient state of online delivery in the last few years and the growth of grocery shopping services is making this more common all the time.

Finding Lucky Charms Coupons – Retail Me Not

Shoppers searching for Lucky Charms coupons may not have a lot of luck, if they’re searching specifically for 2011 coupon codes for that brand name. Remember to type in “General Mills coupons” if you’re having trouble finding the Lucky Charms. Another option is to get open-ended coupons from any of the larger supermarket chains that are likely to carry Lucky Charms products.

Here’s a list of some of the larger grocery chains you’ll find at one of the big electronic coupon exchanges like “Retail Me Not”. Each of these links takes you to the Retail Me Not site page for each retailer.

While you won’t find Lucky Charms coupons on each page, you’ll find coupons ranging from $2-off purchases to “free shopping for a year” contests, so you can get discounts on your cereal purchases a number of different ways.

Lucky Charms Cereal

Lucky Charms were first marketed by General Mills in the early 1960s, when the company had a contest based around designing a new and novel cereal using the industrial assets General Mills’ already used to make Cheerios and Wheaties. John Holahan decides to combine Cheerios with the marshmallows in Circus Peanuts and won the contest. A marketing executive convinced the company to market the product with an idea popular in 1962–charm bracelets–and Lucky Charms came together.

Over the years, there have been changes. The original cereal was not sugar-coated, but sales weren’t where General Mills hoped they would be, so sugar was added. Also, the sales people figured out that sales were better when the marshmallow lineup was changed periodically, so there have been many changes to the marshmallows over the years: including hearts, moons, stars, clovers, diamonds, horseshoes, balloons, rainbows, pots of gold, hats, and hourglasses.

For kids of my generation, it’s the Lucky Charms advertisements which stick with me. What kid who grew up in the Seventies or Eighties (and probably Sixties) doesn’t remember Arthur Anderson, who voiced the leprechaun for 30 years, crying out, “They stole me lucky charms!” Ah, the good ole days.

What Should I Put on My Business Card?

May 14th, 2011 |

Even if you’re just starting out in business, you’ve probably seen and handled hundreds of different business cards in your life. Some business cards are great, some are downright awful. But simple exposure to business cards is not usually enough to educate a person about what kind of information should go on a business card. How do you know if you have everything you need on the front and back of your business card?

Until you’ve been in business for a few years and gone through a couple of redesigns on your business card, don’t leave it up to your own ideas of what a business card should look like. Leaving a crucial piece of information off your business card is akin to taking money out of your own pocket. You never know when a simple mistake or slip of the memory will hurt your business prospects.

What Information to Include on Your Business CardsHere’s a quick and easy guide to what sort of information you should put on your business card.

Your Name

It seems like a no-brainer to put your name on your business card, but in reality, deciding whether or not your Christian name should be displayed on your card is a bit tricky. Not every business warrants the use of your actual name on your business card.

People who don’t outright own a business should think twice before slapping their name on their card. If you are part of a team of employees working for a business, you may not want to put your name on your card. Having said that, some businesses would prefer their team members put their names on their business card. Leaving your name off your card could look lazy, or even discourage a new customer from contacting your business if the card looks too impersonal.

The Name of Your Business

The logo of your business and the design of the business card are important, but don’t get so hung up on the business card logo that you forget to put your company’s name on your card. The name of your business or the business you work for should be the focal point of the card. A good card balances the textual name of your business with the logo of the company itself, making sure that one element doesn’t overpower the next.

A Short Description of Your Business

The whole idea behind a business card is to specify your exact role in the company. If you’re the owner, make it clear. If you’re a customer service rep, make that clear. Business card design is hardly rocket science—a card tells your customer, friend, or relative exactly when they would want to contact you or your business for services.

You can take this too far, printing out a detailed list of your business services. The ideal “description of your business” here is more like a tagline or a single sentence. The best cards say something like: “Call [your name] whenever you need _____.” Be clever here, but not too clever.

Your Place of Business

Even if your business is based online, you should have a physical address attached to it so that your business card appears more official. We’re not quite at the point where online-exclusive businesses are as trustworthy as land-based businesses, so if you must, use your home address on the business card.

Putting your complete physical address is a polite nod to customers who may have concerns about the legitimacy of an online business. Of course, if your business isn’t based online, putting your physical address is a must, but a feature that some people (believe it or not) accidentally leave off their cards.

Your Contact Information

Detailed contact information can be a struggle in terms of creating a business card. With limited space and without drawing attention away from the other features of the card, put enough contact information so that your potential customers can reach you in as many was as possible.

You may have a pager, a cell phone number, and hopefully two or more landline or other cell phone numbers where you or someone at your company can be reached.

Having said that, most people prefer to put just one really solid contact phone number instead of junking up the card with all sorts of random phone number contacts. Select the phone number where you can be reached most often, a “preferred” contact number. This is a number where you or your company can be reached during normal business hours. This is a great tactic, because it clears up space on your business card while still allowing your customers access to you and your services.

Your Online Contact Info

Your business most likely has some sort of online contact information, even if most of your contacts and transactions happen “offline.” Your business card should contain some sort of online contact info as well as more traditional contacts. This can be as simple as your business’ website URL and your personal or business email address.

The main reason why people would avoid putting their email (personal or otherwise) is if they’d rather customers educate themselves about the business by visiting the website first. In that case, leave off your email info but make sure and make your business URL a highlight of the card. And by all means, make sure you get the URL exactly right. A misprint in a website address can really sap the usefulness of a business website and can frustrate potential customers.

Putting together a good business card is as much about trial and error as it is about a pretty design. Go through several versions of your business card, taking care to double check all the contact info, business details, phone numbers, and other pieces of information you stick on the card. Remember that a good business card can be your ticket to future business success or a calling card that lets your customers know that you don’t run a tight ship.

Here’s a great article about how to use a business card in the business world more effectively.

Where Can I Play Free Card Games Online?

May 13th, 2011 |

Free card games online are easy to find. But depending on what kind of card game you want to play, some choices are better than others. I love to play card games, and I have ever since I was a kid. My mom taught us to play all kinds of games, including card games like solitaire, spades, and blackjack. I prefer to play with other people over drinks so that we can socialize face-to-face while we play. But I enjoy playing some card games on the Internet too. Here are some of my favorite places at which to play, organized by the type of card game.

Where to Play Dominion Online

Right now, my personal favorite card game to play is Dominion. It’s a deck-building game, like Magic the Gathering, only it’s not a collectible card game. It’s fun to play in person, but you can play Dominion online at BrettSpielWelt, which is a German boardgame site.  They offer several other card games AND board games too, like Carcassone, Puerto Rico, and Pandemic.

Where to Play Magic the Gathering Online

Free Online Card GamesI played literally dozens of games of Magic the Gathering online before I got frustrated and gave up. I lost EVERY game I played. My win percentage at Dominion is close to 40%, which means that I’m not a complete dolt, but for some reason, I just don’t “get” Magic the Gathering. But anyway, it’s available to play online here: Magic Online.

Where to Play Poker Online

Until a few weeks ago, there were a lot of places where you could play poker online for real money–sites like PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker. But they got in trouble for accepting real money players from the United States, and now, USA based players can’t play there. (Actually, I think they can still play there. They just can’t play in the real money games there.

My suggestion for free poker games online is a new site, Zodiac Holdem. You don’t have to download any software in order to play there, and the games are straightforward limit holdem games. It’s a multiplayer poker site, too, so you ARE playing poker with other people. You’re just not playing for real money.

Where to Play Spades Online

Spades is probably my favorite card game. I used to play two player Spades with my mom for countless hours when I was growing up. And when I went to college, we played Spades constantly in the lobbies of the dorms. (In fact, I even met one of my best-looking girlfriends playing Spades with her in the lobby of one particular dorm. It didn’t last long, but I hope she still thinks of me occasionally when the topic of card games comes up.)

My favorite place to play Spades online is at Pogo. World Winner offers a Spades variation too, but it doesn’t play like a regular game of Spades at all. It’s still plenty of fun though. I haven’t played there in a long time, but if you do like playing games with a cash element, World Winner’s Spades game is worth trying.

Where to Play Blackjack Online

Blackjack has the same problem that poker has–the legality of playing it for real money on the Internet is questionable. That being said, no one has ever been convicted (or even prosecuted) for playing blackjack on the Internet. We don’t recommend real money gambling sites on AskDeb, but if you just want to play for fun, there are plenty of play money blackjack options online.

Catch 21 from World Winner isn’t exactly a blackjack game, but you are trying to catch cards and wind up with a total of 21. It’s more of a solitaire type game than anything else. But it’s loads of fun.

Hit or Stand is probably the most famous free blackjack site on the Internet. Their game isn’t just a game to play though; it’s also a basic strategy trainer. In blackjack, if you play with the correct strategy, the house edge is much lower than if you just play by the seat of your pants. The house edge at blackjack is only about 0.5% if you’re using perfect basic strategy when you play, compared to a house edge of 2% to 4% if you have no clue about correct strategy.

Where to Play Solitaire Online

I played a LOT of solitaire as a kid, but I don’t know how to play most of the more popular online solitaire games that are now available. The solitaire game I grew up playing was Klondike, and before the Internet, I didn’t even know that there WERE other kinds of solitaire games to play. Most computers come with a basic solitaire game available, so you don’t even need the Internet to play solitaire. But if you DO want to try some of the online versions of solitaire available, then the best solitaire site on the Internet is World of Solitaire. The site offers over 50 different varieties of solitaire to choose from, all of which load fast and look great. I don’t know why you’d ever need another solitaire site.

Where to Play Rummy Online

I played a little rummy growing up, but I never really got into the whole “online rummy” thing. For a while, webmasters and affiliates were hoping that rummy would be the next poker, but I don’t think it’s ever going to catch on in the same way that poker has. Rummy’s just not as much fun, and the money’s not there. Rummy Royal is my pick for the best online version of rummy available.

Other Games You Can Play Online

I’m also a big fan of playing boardgames online when I can. My favorite is Scrabble at Facebook. Pogo offers a variety of boardgames you can play on the Internet. Traditional board games like chess, checkers, backgammon, and go are available at all kinds of sites. Since there’s no trademark claim on those older traditional boardgames, any developer can create his own version of a game like that and put it on the Internet for people to play.

Playing games online is fun, even if you’re an old guy like me who likes playing traditional board games and card games. (The younger generation seems to like all of these MMORPGs and video games.) So have fun and play what you want.

What Is Vitamin K?

May 9th, 2011 |

What Is Vitamin K?

Vitamin K  is a type of vitamin found most often in green leaves which helps human blood in the clotting process. There are three vitamins in the Vitamin K family: phylloquinon, menaquinone, and menadione. These three vitamins’ names usually are shorted to Vitamins K1, K2, and K3.

Taking Vitamin K helps those who have trouble with blood clotting. It modifies certain proteins which aid in coagulation, which helps in the synthesis of a blood clotting enzyme prothrombin, which is found in the liver. If you are taking blood thinners, you should consult a doctor before taking Vitamin K.

What Foods Contain Vitamin K?

Vitamin K is found in foods ranging from green leafy vegetables and green beans to dairy products and eggs. A variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, and cereals also contain vitamin K.

The main fruits and vegetables which contain vitamin K are spinach, cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, parsley, kale, cauliflower, Swiss chard, avocado, and kiwis.

Here are the three versions you’ll find in drug stores. I’ll discuss each of these vitamins, so you’ll know what each can do for you and your general health.

  • Vitamin K1 – Phylloquinone
  • Vitamin K2 – Menaquinone
  • Vitamin K3 – Menadione

Phylloquinone – Vitamin K1

Phylloquinone is the vitamin you’re most likely to be equated with vitamin K. Phylloquinone is produced in the human intestine. If you drink cultured milk products like yogurt, this increasing the function of the intestines in producing phylloquinone. Phylloquinone is found in green plants, while the next vitamin k is created by bacteria.

Menaquinone – Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is synthesized by bacteria. This vitamin comes in many subtypes, usually menaquinone-4 (MK4) or menaquinone-7 (MK7). MK4 is created by the human body by conversion of vitamin K1, which is converted in the pancreas, arterial walls, and testes. MK7 is converted from phylloquinone in human intestines by gut bacteria.

MK4 helps prevent bone loss or bone fractures in patients who have suffered cirrhosis of the liver, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson diesease, anorexia nervosa, and the use of corticosteroids. MK7 has shown no such abilities in clinical trials.

Menadione – Vitamin K3

Menadione is a synthetic version of vitamin K. While natural vitamin K is fat soluble, menadione is water soluble, so taking this version of vitamin k bypasses the usual utilization process of the body.

Menadione is sometimes added to dogfood, instead of vitamin K1. There is some controversy about whether menadione is safe for this purpose, as there has been evidence that this version of vitamin k might build up, weakening the immune system and causing skin irritation and mucus membrane irritation, and sometime allergic reactions and eczcema. Instead of menadione, some dog foods contain natural green plant supplements like alfalfa, kelp, nettle leaf, spirulina, or blue-green algae.

For those who want to avoid pet foods with synthetic vitamin K, vitamin K-3, or menadione, here are various names synonymous with menadione on dog food package ingredients lists.

  • Menadione sodium bisulfate
  • Menadione sodium bisulfite
  • Vitamin K supplement
  • Dimethylprimidinol sulfate
  • Dimethylprimidinol sulfite
  • Dimethylprimidinol bisulfate
  • Menadione dimethylprimidinol sulfate
  • Menadione dimethylprimidinol sulfite
  • Menadione dimethylprimidinol bisulfite

As you can see, there are specific significant differences between the three broad vitamin k types, especially the synthetic vitamin K-3. I wanted to include this selection for dog lovers who want to care for their pets. Now that the controversial section of our discussion is out of the way, let’s talk about the known benefits of natural vitamin-k.

More Health Benefits of Vitamin K

Plastic surgeons and other doctors sometimes use vitamin k to stop blood hemorrhages and excessive bleeding. The vitamin also helps soothe sensitive, damage skin. Vitamin K is sometimes used to calm down outbreaks of couperose, better known these days as rosacea.

Vitamin K may have benefits for the very old and the very young. It is thought to maintain strong bones in aged people. Also, babies usually have low levels of vitamin K. In either case, talk to your doctor before administering vitamin K.

Using Vitamin K

Phyllaquinone is an important suppliment if you have trouble with thin blood or you’re aging and want help keeping your bones strong. When taking new substances into your body, read as much about it to learn the benefits and side effects. Even beneficent vitamins can produce effects in your body, so read as much as possible and consult a doctor when taking vitamin-k if you have had a history of blood clotting. If you’re having problems with your blood coagulation, then taking vitamin K might help increase the length and quality of your life.

What Are Fat Replacement Products?

May 1st, 2011 |

What Are Fat Replacement Products?

You’re probably more familiar with fat replacement products than you think. Any time you drink low-fat milk (1%, 2%, etc.) you are consuming a fat replacement product of some kind. In low-fat milk, fat replacement products are inserted to take the place of the fat that is removed. Without something to replace the fat that is taken out, the milk would have a strange consistency, mouth-feel, and taste.

Fat replacement products, also known as fat replacers, can take the place of carbohydrates, proteins, or fat based, not just fat. The only requirement is that they provide fewer than 9 calories per gram–the amount of calories that dietary fat provides.

Fat replacement products work by replacing some or all of the functions of fat in a food product without providing the same “energy” that fat would provide. Remember that a calorie is a measure of a food’s energy potential. The idea behind using a fat replacement product is to allow a food to taste, look, smell, and feel the same as it would without the highly caloric fat. What Are Fat Replacement Products?

Fat Replacement Product Regulations

For something to be legally declared a “fat replacer,” it has to fulfill a few requirements.

1. Fat replacers should contribute little or no caloric energy to the food product it is added to.

2. Fat replacers must be non-toxic, easily digestible, and able to be excreted by the human body.

3. Fat replacers  must not rob the body of precious fat soluble vitamins, as some fat replacement products tend to do.

Fat Replacement Product Dangers

The body needs to absorb vitamins, and many vitamins are fat-soluble. Basically, this means that they require fat to be absorbed by the human body. If you are using lots of fat replacement products, your body may not be able to absorb as many vitamins. People who eat lots of food products that contain high levels of fat replacement products tend to be vitamin-deficient. That’s why it is not a good idea to eat a large number of foods that are 0% fat. Consider drinking whole milk one or two days a week instead of skim milk seven days a week, for instance.

Fat Replacement Flavor

All fat replacers should contribute some from of flavor or taste to a food product. This isn’t a legal requirement, but one imposed by food producers. Think about it this way–you could add styrofoam to a food and take away much of its fat content, but the food wouldn’t taste very good. Fat replacement products should still be palatable.

Fat Replacement Stability

When food producers use the word “stable,” they are referring an ingredient’s ability to maintain a constant temperature and moisture level. Many failed fat replacement products didn’t work because they weren’t stable and could impact the appearance, texture, or taste of a food after even a brief period of storage. The word “stable” when used to describe fat replacement products also refers to their ability to withstand high or low temperatures for foods that are meant to be baked, microwaved, frozen, or refrigerated.