There will be a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Camp Spehar on May 20th, 2012 from 11am to 7pm.  If you’d like to attend, bring a side dish, and get ready to enjoy a great meal, because American Coachworks will be smoking 200lbs of meat. Bottled water and soft drinks will be provided by Coca Cola and Kentwood bottlers.

There will be a NSW Demonstration and static displays as well as distinguished local dignitaries and media. Apart from the dedication, they’ll be focusing on the good work being done by the Baton Rouge Division of the U.S. Navy Sea Cadets.

Camp Spehar is dedicated to the memory of Nicholas Spehar. Spehar was a member of Navy SEAL Team Six and was killed in Afghanistan.  With support from both the NRD (Naval Recruiting District NAS/JRB Belle Chasse) and the community of current and former Navy SEALs as well as the current UDT Foundation what started as a way to train Sea Cadets has now become a viable training option for ANY and ALL who express the desire to become PROFESSIONAL “operators.”

Camp Spehar will facilitate that by providing a Naval Special Warfare Training Center for working with the Sea Cadets, Civil Air Patrol, and Young Marines, continuing to work with the Department of Homeland Security and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.  Camp Spehar will also offer packages for Weekend Warrior Camp or Weekend Warrior Group Training for corporate leadership, team-building and training.

Back in February, Cdr. Norman Soren described his vision for Camp Spehar:

Now that his vision has come to fruition, join him at KJ Camp Singing Waters in Holden, which is the home of Camp Spehar, for the ribbon cutting – it will be a fun day for the whole family!

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Note: The poem on the image is ”Invictus” by William Ernest Henley

This Wise Bread article titled What Is Your Time Worth got us thinking about the only real currency everyone deals in – our time.

We spend time to get money and money to get time.  It can be a tough equation to work out. While most of us don’t want to invest the time needed to grow an extensive garden to feed our families, we’re happy to put in hours at work to earn money to buy groceries; in effect, we’re working to buy other people’s time.  Every transaction we conduct is a measure of someone’s time.  One of the most important variables when we’re making decisions about spending our time earning money versus spending our time doing a task is how much we enjoy the task.  For people who really enjoy gardening, the decision to invest in a garden and spend less at the grocery store is a no-brainer.  Consider which tasks are most unpleasant to you in light of Wise Bread’s breakdown of the value of your time:

One way to do this is to look at how much money you made in the last year. Then, consider any expenses you incurred because of your job, such as childcare, transportation, clothing, etc. Subtract these expenses from your earnings.

Now consider how many hours per day you spend to make this money. While you might only spend seven or eight hours per day at your post, you should also factor in commute time, business travel and dinners, and other time you have to spend because of your job. While you may not be paid during these hours, they aren’t your time to use as you please, so you have to count them.

Finally, take what you earned (minus expenses) and divide it by the number of hours you worked (plus additional time related to your job). This is how much your time is worth per hour, and chances are it’s a whole lot less than you thought you were making. That’s not a bad thing, but it does put the value of your time into perspective. After all, if you’re really only making $9 per hour, the value of doing more things for yourself rather than hiring others becomes more clear. This is especially true if you don’t have the kind of job where you could put in extra hours rather than mowing your lawn.

Would you trade a little extra time at work, or spending the time cooking at home rather than going to a restaurant once a month, in exchange for not having to clean your house?  While our paychecks can vary over the years, we all get the same 24 hours in a day, and it’s worthwhile to step back occasionally and consider if we’re spending that time in a way that makes us happy.  After all, money comes and goes, but we can never get back our time.

Photo credit: lusi

While Louisiana has gained a fantastic reputation as the film-making capital of the south, we’re increasingly garnering a reputation as a great spot for television filming as well. Thanks to some tax breaks put in place since 2002 and local businesses stepping up to develop the industry, we’re not just giving Hollywood a run for her money – we’re going after Los Angeles, too.

Some of the television shows filmed in Louisiana include:

• Axe Men
• Swamp People
• Cajun Shrimpers
• Ragin Cajun
• True Blood
• Bayou billionaires
• My Big Redneck Vacation
• Girls Guns and Gators
• Cajun Pawn Stars
• Billy the Exterminator

All that movie and television exposure is helping improve the tourism industry.

Butch Guchereau, owner of Cajun Country Swamp Tours in Breaux Bridge, said he has seen an increase in business since the tour opened about five years ago, and many visitors are from other states.

“A lot of people take a weekend trip from Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, Washington,” he said. “They’re scattered all over the U.S. About three-fourths of the people who do tours are from out of state or out of the country.”

The state Office of Tourism has even created a miniature swamp habitat in New York City this month to capitalize on the popularity of the TV shows set in Louisiana’s swamplands.

The reason for the recent boom in Louisiana-based reality TV is two-fold, said Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne. Not only do reality shows filmed in Louisiana take advantage of the state’s TV and film tax credit program, but Louisiana has a rich culture that makes for great entertainment, he said.

“There’s no question it’s a combination of the two,” said Dardenne, who sponsored the original 2002 bill granting tax credits for television and film production in Louisiana.

As the Louisiana film industry continues to grow, colleges are offering film and media arts courses, and the University of New Orleans offers a Graduate level Concentration in Film Production.  While the current crop of reality shows feature a less sophisticated side of Louisiana, our film industry is proving to be very savvy indeed.

Parties are great. Who doesn’t love a party? The host who is stressed and worried about throwing the party, that’s who.

The best parties seem to flow effortlessly.  What is often overlooked is the amount of effort that goes into one of those “effortlessly” flowing parties.  Whether you want to entertain colleagues and clients or have a truly memorable family gathering, this great checklist from Real Simple will help.

What will also help is outsourcing some of the routine, impersonal items on the list.  While most people like to be involved with the food selections and decorations that make each party personal and fun, more and more busy professionals are bringing in professional cleaning staff for parties.

There are several Real Simple scheduled cleaning recommendations in the checklist, including this for one week before the party:

Clean the house thoroughly. This way, you’ll need only a quick once-over before the party. (To maintain it for the rest of the week, try the 19-minute daily routine at www.realsimple.com/quickcleanup.)

We recommend that you also schedule a post-party cleanup crew.  The day after the party, a team of professional cleaners will arrive and get everything back to normal.  Imagine being able to focus on the fun details of party planning. Think of being able to relax and enjoy the party with your guests, instead of rushing to take care of last minute details.  Can you picture not having to clean up the next day?

The Guarantee Girls can help you enjoy throwing parties.  Call us to schedule an appointment today!

Photo credit: Life123