ou’ve likely been bombarded with Black Friday deals, savings, discounts, BOGO’s, freebies, and more this past month. And chances are, your audience has too. It can be hard to resist the deep discounts, especially for those trying to stock up for gift-giving in December.
With deal campers, big-money spenders, holiday grinches, and battle royales taking place for the last Hatchimal or Nintendo Switch on the shelf Reviews.org wanted to know how far people are willing to go to get a good deal on Black Friday.
https://www.reviews.org/smart-home/black-friday-deals/#survey
Reviews.org has released data for how committed Americans are to getting a good deal on Black Friday and here are a few highlights:
Members of the ADDitude community need your help! Leave comments in the Forums offering your solutions & support:
ADULTS WITH ADHD
"I Feel Like I'm Just Faking Being an Adult"
"I hear all the other moms talking about meal prep, scheduling all their kids' events, etc. I listen and nod — but my house is a mess and I couldn't imagine planning an entire week's meals. I feel very alone and embarrassed that I lack these skills." OVERWHELMED
Struggling with a Slower-Paced Job
"I went from working in a fast-paced kitchen to an admin desk job, and I'm just not on my A game. I'm not sure where to begin, I forget things, I screw up small tasks... and the work keeps piling up." HELP!
Unfinished Hobbies
"I was recently diagnosed and medication is helping at work and in my home life. However (and I know this may sound trivial), I still can’t seem to concentrate enough to finish any of my hobby projects." I WANT TO FINISH!
PARENTING CHILDREN WITH ADHD
My Child Defaults to Screen Time
"My 13-year-old will happily bike or cook with me, but won't do activities by himself — and any time he is home and unengaged, he goes straight to a screen. I'm a single mom, so I can't always interact with him." WHAT TO DO?
Does He Really Have to Fail to Get an IEP?
"My son's IEP only covers social issues because he wasn't 'failing' at his last evaluation — but I see him having trouble with the work in class. How can I get the school to take these concerns seriously and re-evaluate him?" AT A LOSS
Encouraging Steps to Independence
"My young-adult grandson has ADHD and extreme anxiety. He's been working with therapists as he tries to get a job, and I've tried to coach him to write notes for the interview, like a movie script, but he can't seem to do it." SUGGESTIONS?
More Forums
The ADDitude forums are full of provocative, illuminating conversations. Browse and offer advice — or ask your own question. Join more discussions
+ Register Now for Upcoming ADDitude Webinars
Nov. 21: The Flip Side of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria: How to Tap Into ADHD Energy
Dec. 4: Get the School Year Back on Track
Dec. 10: How to Dial Down ADHD-Anxiety with Mindfulness
=========================
Qustodio YouTube Monitoring Feature
Hi Dawn,
With Black Friday sales starting earlier and many retailers offering even deeper price cuts this year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2019’s Best Stores for Black Friday as well as accompanying videos.
WalletHub surveyed nearly 8,000 deals from 29 of the biggest U.S. retailers’ 2019 Black Friday ad scans to identify the stores offering the biggest discounts in various product categories such as “Appliances,” “Jewelry” and “Toys.”
The following are some highlights from the report:
Best Black Friday Retailers (Avg. % Discount)
1. Stage (69.83%)
2. Belk (66.92%)
3. Bealls Florida (62.56%)
4. JCPenney (60.97%)
5. Kohl's (57.10%)
6. New York & Company (56.27%)
7. Dick's Sporting Goods (52.27%)
8. Kmart (51.84%)
9. Sears (49.25%)
10. Fred Meyer (47.14%)
Key Stats
To view the full report and each retailer’s rank in all product categories, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-retailers-for-black-friday/8385/
Now Available to Parents Worldwide
New feature gives parents a more comprehensive look at what their children are doing on the most popular video platform to help keep them safe online
Barcelona, Spain (November 20, 2019)–Qustodio, a global leader in digital safety and wellbeing for families, today announces the availability of YouTube Monitoring, a new feature delivering a dramatic increase in parents’ control over YouTube, the most popular entertainment app among Qustodio users.
Qustodio users worldwide will now be able to see their children’s YouTube searches and watched videos, all from one place. Premium users will also be able to block access to the YouTube app and set time limits.
“Helping parents have a better understanding of what their children are watching online is a natural extension of the Qustodio digital safety and wellbeing offering,” said Qustodio CEO, Eduardo Cruz. “With this new feature, we’re excited to help the millions of parents who want more than what YouTube’s own restricted mode can offer by giving them the ability to see searches made and videos watched on YouTube.”
The launch of the new YouTube Monitoring feature comes at a pivotal moment when more focus than ever is being put on parents to keep their children safe online. The feature does this by helping parents:
“Qustodio is by far the best app on the market right now for getting all the functionality parents need to protect their kids against unwanted content on YouTube, in one place,” said Manuel Bruscas, Qustodio Head of Product. “With YouTube Monitoring, we give parents a granular understanding of what’s going on inside YouTube so they can better understand what their kids are watching on the video platform and take quick action, from knowing specifically which videos to have a conversation about to blocking the YouTube app.”
Qustodio has revolutionized the parental control space with the most complete parental control functionality. And now, YouTube Monitoring takes it to the next level with a bird’s eye view of children’s YouTube activity. The new feature gives parents more autonomy over what their children do on the popular video app, giving them peace of mind that their children are safe online.
Clickable view of videos watched
The YouTube Monitoring feature delivers parents a clickable report of the videos their child has watched. A thumbnail of the video opens up to a web browser with the video or a YouTube page with the search results based on the title and channel.
=======================
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact:
Marketing Services
Tel: 888-795-4274
Fax: 812-355-4079
Email: MarketingServices@xlibris.com
(When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)
‘A Dreamer’s Wish’ is set to be in bookstores and online
EL CAJON, Calif. – Barbara Magargal announces the release of her new children’s book “A Dreamer's Wish” (published by Xlibris). The book is about a boy named Cody who wanted to be somewhere else after an argument with his parents. One wish went wrong, which made him ask others for help at mercy.
The book shows the importance of family to a child as problems arise at home. It also shares how every action can lead to consequences. Magargal aims to help children understand that life can be filled with dreams and wishes, but they do not always turn out to be that way especially. This is evident she watched her grandchildren at home.
“I watch my grandchildren struggle with responsibilities in their home. They sometimes wished they could be somewhere else and be doing something else, but they don't understand that everything, every place, every thought has consequences,” she narrates.
Magargal also wants to impart that parents have a role in making their child feel loved and problems can be resolved with understanding. “A Dreamer's Wish” portrays how wishes are important, but it is also important for parents to help their child through their struggles.
“A Dreamer's Wish”
By Barbara Magargal
Hardcover | 8.5x8.5 in | 24 pages | ISBN 9781796057652
Softcover | 8.5x8.5 in | 24 pages | ISBN 9781796057645
E-Book | 24 pages | ISBN 9781796057638
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Barbara Magargal is a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She has been gifted with a great imagination and talent. She loves to craft and paint. Her favorite thing to paint is flowers. She has painted portraits of all her family and now they have something to hold onto when she is gone. She has dabbled in poetry for several years and has put together a small poetry book that she would like to publish someday.
Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 1-888-795-4274 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisPub on Twitter for the latest news.
========================
Local high school students are offered a unique opportunity to spend an academic year, a semester or the summer holiday in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Australia or South Africa, as part of the ASSE International Student Exchange Program.
Exchange students live with a caring host family while attending high school and learning about the language and people of their chosen host country. Students, 15 to 18 ½ years of age, qualify on the basis of academic performance, character references and a genuine desire to experience life abroad with a volunteer host family. Prior knowledge of the host country’s language is not a requirement. Scholarships are available and are based on academic performance, leadership skills, and financial need.
ASSE also encourages local families to host an international student from one of over 60 countries worldwide here in the United States. To learn more about these outstanding young students, families are invited to contact us or visit our hosting website at www.assehosts.com.
Students interested in becoming an exchange student abroad should call 1-800-733-2773 or visit ASSE’s website at www.asse.com, or email asseusawest@asse.com.
Founded by the Swedish National Department of Education, ASSE International (formerly American Scandinavian Student Exchange) is a non-profit, tax-exempt, public benefit organization. ASSE is officially designated as an exchange visitor program by the United States Department of State and cooperates with the Canadian Provincial Ministries of Education.
Make Small Business Saturday More Than a One-Time Event
Supporting small businesses is more than a purchase, says Quint Studer.
It's an investment in your community—and it's one all citizens can make every day.
Pensacola, FL (November 2019)—November 30, 2019, is Small Business Saturday®. Starting in 2010, American Express designated this day—the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year—to encourage people to "Shop Small." The financial services company reports that since the commemoration began, "Consumers have reported spending an estimated $103 billion across all Small Business Saturdays combined."
Community revitalization expert Quint Studer welcomes every chance to shine a spotlight on the small businesses and local entrepreneurs who make up the economic engine of most small and mid-size towns and cities.
"Days like Small Business Saturday can help business owners get face time with customers who might not normally shop there," says Studer, author of the new Wall Street Journal bestseller The Busy Leader's Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive (Wiley, October 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-57664-8, $28.00) and Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America (Be the Bulb Publishing, 2018, ISBN: 978-0-998-13111-5, $24.95). "And consumers get to see what they might be missing—the personal connections and experiences they may not always get from online or big box retailers.
"Still, shopping small and local can and should be more than a symbolic one-day-a-year event," he adds. "Anyone who wants a stronger, more vibrant community needs to support their small businesses every day. They are the key to economic revitalization. They play a vital role in creating the 'sense of place' that gives a community its competitive advantage."
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses create two out of every three net new jobs in the private sector. What's more, over half of all Americans own or work for a small business.
Studer says there's a symbiotic relationship between residents and small business owners. They really need each other. Small businesses provide jobs and keep the dollars circulating locally. Their owners have an active and personal interest in the well-being of the community. They live there. Their kids go to school there. They care about what happens.
"When wealth is created, business owners are more likely to turn around and reinvest in the community," he adds.
In fact, small businesses have a far more important role in their communities than ever before. The old "pillars"—big institutions like banks, hospitals, media outlets, and other businesses—are no longer locally owned. The executives who work for them play a critical short-term role in the community, but often they're not there for the long haul. It's no longer a given that they'll retire there. So small business leaders must step in to fill this leadership void.
"A few decades ago, the owners of these 'pillar' businesses were committed to keeping their communities vibrant," he explains. "They knew their economic health depended on it. But now that the owners of these former 'pillars' live elsewhere, they just don't have the same intimate connection to the community."
It makes sense for small businesses to take the lead in pulling communities out of the economic slump many have been in for years. When communities are vibrant, there are more high-paying jobs, and people can afford to shop. Quality of life improves. There's more money for schools and programs that lift people out of poverty. Everyone wins.
That's what happened in Pensacola, which in recent years has seen a surge in new businesses and explosive growth in property values. Small businesses have galvanized into a solid group, and they take an active role in the leadership of the community.
The city's business leaders mentor new entrepreneurs. They've put systems in place to ensure that all small business owners are well trained in the leadership skills they need to thrive long-term. And successful small businesses give back. Studer hopes other communities will use Pensacola's journey as a blueprint.
Many small businesses have made their commitment to their local community part of their brand, says Studer. This is what customers want. The more chaotic and uncertain the world becomes, the more people crave a safe and stable home base. This is a huge trend, and it's taking place all over America.
"This is how you, the small business owner, can compete with the mega-retailers," he advises. "Create an experience for your community. Citizens will know they're being looked after, and they will want to do business locally. This can become your competitive advantage. Take care of the community, and it will take care of you."
The bottom line? Don't shop locally only on Small Business Saturday. Do it every chance you get, all year long.
"A purchase from a small business owner is an investment in your community," says Studer. "Who better to support than those who are working so hard to create a better future for everyone?"
# # #
About the Author:
Quint Studer is author of Wall Street Journal bestseller The Busy Leader's Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive and Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America. He is founder of Pensacola's Studer Community Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the community's quality of life and moving Escambia and Santa Rosa counties forward, and Vibrant Community Partners, which coaches communities in building out a blueprint for achieving growth and excellence. He is a businessman, a visionary, an entrepreneur, and a mentor to many. He currently serves as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of West Florida. For more information, please visit www.thebusyleadershandbook.com, www.vibrantcommunityblueprint.com, and www.studeri.org.
About the Books:
Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America (Be the Bulb Publishing, 2018, ISBN: 978-0-998-13111-5, $24.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and from major online booksellers.
The Busy Leader's Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive (Wiley, October 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-57664-8, $28.00) is available at bookstores nationwide, from major online booksellers, and direct from the publisher by calling 800-225-5945. In Canada, call 800-567-4797. For more information, please visit the book's page at www.wiley.com.
====================
State of Utah Updates Bear River Development Feasibility Study
SALT LAKE CITY – The latest study regarding the Bear River Development (BRD) project has been released by the Utah Division of Water Resources and includes 13 potential reservoir combinations and pipeline alignments, as well as updated costs. At full development, the project will deliver 220,000 acre-feet of water per year to Utahns in Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Salt Lake and Weber counties. Four water districts will purchase and deliver the water as allowed by the Bear River Development Act, which was passed by the Utah Legislature in 1991.
“These latest scenarios build on previous studies and update hydrology, data and population projections,” said Eric Millis, director of the Division of Water Resources. “When the legislation passed almost 30 years ago, the projected need for this water was in 2015. Thanks primarily to conservation efforts, new technology and some smaller water development projects, current projections indicate the need for this project has been pushed out between 2045 to 2050.”
Thirteen different conceptual design scenarios have also been evaluated to determine the most effective and least costly potential reservoir combinations. Cost estimates for the different scenarios range from $1.5 to $2.8 billion. The Act indicates that the state will fund the planning, studies, design, construction and environmental mitigation costs of the BRD system. The four water districts that will purchase and deliver the water will repay the state.
“As development has increased, particularly in Weber and Box Elder counties, we recognized the need to acquire land and rights-of-way [as authorized in the Act] to reduce future impacts to surrounding communities and also save costs,” said Marisa Egbert, planning manager for the project. “We are currently working with willing sellers and UTA to acquire properties for corridor preservation.”
The BRD system is expected to deliver 220,000 acre-feet annually. However, not all the water is expected to be depleted from the watershed. Much is expected to return to the watershed in the form of “return flows.” At full development, an estimated 85,600 acre-feet would be depleted from the watershed. Current modeling indicates this amount of depletion from the Great Salt Lake watershed would reduce the lake level by an average of about 8.5 inches and as much as 14 inches according to a White Paper published in 2016 by Utah State University, Water Resources, Salt Lake Community College and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The project is currently in the planning phase and will eventually undergo an environmental process through the National Environmental Policy Act prior to final design and construction. The next steps in the planning phase include additional studies concerning climate variability and Great Salt Lake modeling, studying additional pipeline corridor options and corridor preservation.
To review the feasibility study, please visit Water.Utah.Gov/Bear-River. For more information, contact Kim Wells, public information officer, at 801-803-0336 or kimwells@utah.gov.
About the Bear River Development
In 1991, the Utah Legislature passed the Bear River Development Act, [Utah Code 73-26], which authorizes and directs the Division of Water Resources to “ ... develop the surface waters of the Bear River and its tributaries through the planning and construction of reservoirs and associated facilities ...”
As outlined in the Bear River Development Act, the system would deliver 220,000 acre-feet at full development. The following districts will deliver the water:
• Bear River Water Conservancy District – 60,000 acre-feet
• Cache Water District – 60,000 acre-feet
• Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District 50,000 acre-feet
• Weber Basin Water Conservancy District – 50,000 acre-feet
The Division of Water Resources has released a 2019 feasibility study, which includes refined conceptual level planning for a BRD system that would include reservoirs, pipelines, pump stations and other facilities. Multiple options of reservoirs and pipeline corridors have been studied and cost estimates have been updated. The 2019 study builds on the 2014 Pipeline Concept Report.
Visit Water.Utah.Gov/Bear-River for more information and to view the studies. View the release online.
