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Take it from da Vinci: Vacations improve your work Time to kick back, forget about the office, and get some R&R. But fewer and fewer Americans are doing that according to recent studies. Even though one in three Americans say they are chronically overworked, many employees aren't taking the paid vacations they have earned. A 2007 survey by the recruiting firm Hudson reported that 56 percent of employees do not use all of their vacation time. And of those who do take their vacations, many continue working while they're away.
But when you truly get away from work-by changing your environment and shutting down for extended periods-you return to work less overwhelmed and more energized to meet your responsibilities. In fact, in a study conducted on behalf of Air New Zealand, 82 percent of vacationers experienced a boost in their work performance after returning from a vacation.
Wise people have always known that putting some space-mentally, emotionally, and geographically-between you and your job is beneficial. Here are some thoughts on the subject from Leonardo da Vinci, one of the great creative geniuses of all time: "Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgment . . . Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."
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| Home of the month
"Garden of Eden"
This Garden of Eden home in Long Grove offers the sanctuary we all long for in our homes. With complete landscaping surrounding the entire residence, homeowner, Karen G. spends over 18 hours a week cultivating this botanical wonderland, Digital Home Technologies was hired to help expand and clean up an existing audio video system, to insure an ease of use, and a comfortable environment to help Karen relax after her long hectic working days. The end result "awesome and easily enjoyable. The new outdoor Rock Speakers are the best!".
Karen's biggest fear was the intimidation of her existing remote controls and being unable to use them. By creating an all-in-one remote, specifically designed for her to use anywhere in her home, Karen can now enjoy doing what she loves most, with superb background music, and no fear of control.
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Business of the month
Using a full time company like Digital Home Technologies can save you time and money on your next office or business project. Every builder, architect and business owner has enjoyed the smooth process we provide.
"Digital Home Technologies provided us with our conference room automation, a discrete closed circuit camera system with a remote monitoring and hard drive system that enables us to view our facility anywhere in the county. With the addition of new audio and video in our completely remodeled reception area, gives us the edge and look we needed to enhance our clients first impression and our image.
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Showroom
Visit our live interactive showroom located at 346 N. Northwest Highway in Palatine, Illinois. You'll learn about the convenience, comfort, quality and simplicity that you deserve in your home.
A simple tour of our digital residence will show you the flow of a living room system, an entertainment room, dining room, kitchen, and more to help in your decisions on your new or remodeling project.
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B&Z Electrical
B&Z Electrical Contractor's, Inc. is a full service electrical contractor. When you are looking for the absolute best in electrical services... look no further!
B&Z Electrical Contractors, Inc. has built a business on providing uncompromising quality and exceptional customer service at a competitive price. We are a full
service electrical contractor providing you with complete and concise proposals, along with unparalleled quality workmanship.
B&Z Electrical Contractors ________________________
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Now available at
Digital Home Technoilogies |
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Call or email us for information on some of the products available at Digital Home Technologies.
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| Greetings!
Welcome! Digital Home Technologies is pleased to bring you this exciting e-newsletter featuring a Business and Home of the month, introduction to one of our subcontractors and other helpful information. We value our relationship and trust you will find this e-news interesting. We welcome your feedback as well as additional information you would like to see and hear about in the future.
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On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.
Betsy Ross sewed it, but who designed the first U.S. flag? The answer, according to the experts at the Betsy Ross house, is that it was possibly designed by Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The stars on the flag were in a circle so that no one colony would be viewed above another. It is reported that George Washington said, "Let the 13 stars in a circle stand as a new constellation in the heavens."
Betsy Ross prayed in the pew next to George Washington and was a niece of George Ross, so it's not hard to believe that the members of the Flag Committee formed by the Continental Congress would call upon Betsy Ross to make the flag.
Did you know that the words "Under God" weren't added until 1954 to the Pledge of Allegiance?
One lucky Philadelphian purchased a $4.00 picture at a flea market. What they found behind the picture was an original 1776 printing of the Declaration of Independence. It was sold to TV producer Norman Lear for 8.1 million.
Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell is tapped - not actually rung.
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7 ways to organize e-mail clutter
Uncontrolled e-mail clutter can become a flood that sweeps you under and swamps your productivity. Here are tips that will help you rise above the electronic flow:
· Track critical action items as an e-mail "conversation" progresses, by changing the subject line to reflect priorities. For example, if a colleague e-mails you "Re: Annual Meeting," change the subject line in your reply to read "Call travel agent by Friday."
· Control your Outlook inbox with this tactic: Group messages by conversation topic. Under the View tab, choose Current View and then click By Conversation Topic. Outlook will group all messages with the same subject line, and you can easily delete all the threads, keeping perhaps only the latest message instead of having to wade through them all. You can quickly rearrange your inbox by clicking on the From, Subject or Received tab just above your messages-that's easy to do and easy to change.
· Make action items clear. If you want someone to do something after reading your message, don't hide that information. Put your request in bullet form at the beginning of the message. That way, even if readers only scan the full message, they can't miss the most important part.
· Crystallize your expectations for each e-mail recipient. Choose one of these phrases to add to the subject line: "Action requested," "Reply requested" or "FYI only."
· Sort messages by subject when you return from an extended period away from the office. Read the most current message in a common subject thread, and read it from the bottom. That way, you won't waste time commenting on an issue that has already been resolved.
· Set up a temporary inbox to handle an anticipated flood of messages. If you are advertising for an open position or offering a special promotion, you don't want to risk losing important messages amid the usual daily influx. You can set up a temporary inbox using your organization's s e r v e r or take advantage of free offers from services like Yahoo or Hotmail. Simply delete the inbox when you no longer need it.
· Put limits on the back-and-forth e-mailing that can rob you and your co-workers of time and productivity. Here's one guideline you should ask your team to adhere to: Whenever a message has ricocheted from one inbox to the next for more than two cycles, put down the mouse and pick up the phone or walk down the hall.
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About DIGITAL HOME TECHNOLOGIES
 
For years the potential of a technologically integrated home has been discussed on the pages of science magazines and next year's news. Finally, through innovative product development, standardization, and years of field testing, the world of infinite possibilities has been reduced to products that home owners really want at prices anyone can afford.
Digital Home has been a pioneer in the field of home electronics. Whether your goal is to add a home theater to your family room, or create distributed audio packages to sell as upgrades in a multi-unit development you are building, we've got a solution for you at Digital Home Technologies.
Digital Home is one of the largest installers in the Chicagoland area for one simple reason: we think hard about what the client wants and then exceed their expectations. We are creative problem solvers and have a terrific selection of products.
In business since 1990 we have a long list of developers and individuals for whom we have delivered convenience, entertainment, automation, and competitive solutions.
Please contact us at 847.776.5063
and visit us on-line at www.adigitalhome.com
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Ease of use and simplicity...
what else could you ask for?
Universal Remote Control is a world leader in the custom design, engineering, manufacturing and distribution of high-quality remote controls and home automation products. With more than 20 years of experience, Universal Remote Control produces a family of innovative IR/RF products to meet customer requirements around the world.
  
Call or email us for further information on how to Digital Home Technologies can help you. www.adigitalhome.com
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| Are these on your calender?
National Hot Dog Month. July 1-31. To celebrate one of America's all-time favorite foods. Visit www.hot-dog.org for information.
National Blueberries Month. July 1-31. July is the peak month for fresh blueberries. For more information, visit www.nabcblues.org.
National Child-Centered Divorce Month. July 1-31. A reminder for parents who are facing divorce or separation to put the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of their children first. This campaign aims to build awareness of how children are affected by divorce-and what can be done on their behalf. For more information, go to www.childcentereddivorce.com
Bioterrorism/Disaster Education and Awareness Month. July 1-31. To educate consumers, healthcare professionals, nonprofit organizations, and businesses about being prepared for natural disasters, emergency care, and bioterrorism. For more information, go to www.ppsinc.org/terror.htm.
Tour de France. July 5-27. Cycling's best athletes compete for more than 3,500 kilometers through 20 stages in France. For more information, go to www.letour.fr.
Everybody Deserves A Massage Week. July 20-26. Initiated by the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals to increase awareness of the benefits of massage therapy. For more information visit www.massagetherapy.com/media/happenings.php.
Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day. July 1. Experience an ice cream flavor you've never tried-perhaps Parmesan Cheese or Sweet Beet-or concoct one of your own. Start the day with some ice cream history at or recipes at whatscookingamerica.net or recipes at desertcandy.blogspot.com
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___________________________ Summer fun and savings!
 
How's less than $999.00 for an outdoor movie theater that takes less than 5 minutes to set up? Projector, portable inflatable screen, DVD player and speakers included!
Order yours today.
847.776.5063
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