Oprah's Favorite Things Hits Big This Holiday Season

Author : Shelly Lowery

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most popular talk show hosts in American television history.  As her show enters its 21rst season, she has millions of viewers who tune in each day.  One of her most popular segments is her "Favorite Things" holiday show.  During this show, Oprah shares with the studio and television audience some of her favorite things including jewelry, gadgets and vacation getaways.People love this show because on the "Favorite Things" episode, audience members get the extravagant gifts that Oprah displays.  Around 300 audience members are showered with gifts each holiday episode.  The amount varies, but Oprah audience members can each expect to receive between $4,000 and $15,000 worth of gifts.  But, Oprah is a big winner as well.  The 2004 episode of  "Oprah?s Favorite Things" had the highest ratings ever for a "Favorite Things" episode and was the second highest rated episode for the season.Oprah has been doing her "Favorite Things" episode since 1999.  Guests received a set of Illumination Ritual Candles, each one to inspire different feelings like love, peace and passion and each candle contained a tiny gemstone inside.  The 12-candle set was valued at $169.95.  Dog owners were no doubt thrilled with the Fifi and Romeo Pet Clothing ($150 and up) - one of Oprah?s favorite things of 1999.  One of the most extravagant gifts that year was a Susan Abbott Personalized Painting, ranging from $5,000 and up. Oprah loved the Susan Abbott painting given to her by author Sarah Ban Breathnach.In 2000, Oprah added many hi-tech gadgets like the Motorola Talkabout pager (priced at $179), so audience members could receive email while on the go.  Another favorite thing from 2000 was the book equivalent of the iPod, the Gemstar REB1100 eBook from RCA ($299).  The Gemstar let users download up to 8,000 book pages, so they never had to carry around a book again.The BlissLabs Glamour Gloves ($44) and Gel ($22) was one of Oprah?s favorite things in 2002.  The Panasonic 4-in-1 Digital Camera from Frontgate ($449) was also a big hit that year.  The camera, the size of a credit card, takes pictures and video, but can also be used as a MP3 player and audio recorder.In 2003, Oprah decided to do two episodes of her favorite things segment - one in the Spring and one in the Fall.  Spring audience members got an Apple iPod ($399), Silhouette Minimal X Sunglasses ($175-$250), and a Hewlett Packard Digital Camera, Printer and Dock (total value $730) among other items.  Fall audience members racked up with UGG Classic Short Boots ($110), a Philip Stein Teslar Watch ($595), and a Sony DCR-DVD200 Handycam ($1000).2004 was a very special Favorite Things segment for Oprah.  She convinced 300 teachers to attend her show, under the premise of talking about education and a teacher?s daily routine.  Instead, she surprised them with the Favorite Things episode.  The teachers received gifts such as a Sony VAIO S260 notebook computer, a Dell 30" wide-screen LCD television, a Maytag Neptune Top-Load Washer and Drying Center, and a trip for two to the exclusive Miraval Resort and Spa.  Total gift amount for each teacher was about $15,000 - much more than the previous year total of $4,800.  Oprah, a supporter of education and teachers, knew the teachers were worth every penny.In 2005, Oprah decided to make her favorite things audience up of Katrina relief workers.  Among the gifts were Sony VAIO? FJ Notebook, Kashw?re? Shawl Collar Robe, BlackBerry 7105T from T-Mobile, and a couple of Oprah?s favorites from 2004, UGG Australia's Uptown Boot and an Apple iPod.  While considerably less than the year before, the 2005 recipients still received over $7,000 worth of items.Probably due in part to Oprah?s television audience as well as her personal appeal, each year the manufacturer?s of the items found on Oprah?s favorite things donate all the gifts.  But they reap great benefits from doing so.  They get television exposure and an immediate increase in sales after each episode.  Companies like Sephora and Macy?s have both publically stated that as soon as Oprah mentions one of their products, people are coming in the stores in droves to get it.So in the end, it is a win-win situation.  The manufacturers see increased sales, the audience gets great gifts, and Oprah just keeps on getting more and more popular with her viewing audience. Shelley Lowery is a successful writer with an interest in celebrities like Oprah Winfrey. She demonstrates the power of Oprah's Favorite Things list each year on the holiday shopping season. See her report on what products made the list on Oprah's Favorite Things for 2005, 2004, 2003, and 2002.

Category : General Art & Entertainment: Television

The Norelco T7500 - The Best Trimmer on the Market Today!

Author : adam

In this article i wanted to share with you the amazing Norelco T7500 trimmer i have recently discovered making my life a pleasure when it comes to the daily trimming and shaving all us men have to go through on a daily basis.The Norelco T7500In my experience the Norelco T7500 is one of the very best trimmers on the market today, what makes the Norelco T7500 so special? I will give you here now my experience of this great trimmer for you, and let you make up your own mind.Firstly the Norelco T7500 is made by the leading brand name in shavers and trimmers- Philips. The Norelco range from Philips is world class and is backed by a full, two year manufacturers warranty which is very handy when it comes to shavers / trimmers as these have a tendency to develop faults after many months.This modern trimmer has a great design function installed which feactures a dial allowing distance on the guard of the cutter to be altered manually allowing you to get a perfect trim to your personal requirements preventing mistakes which can be very embarrasing.The Norelco T7500 also feactures a setting function on the cutter blades which can handle the reoccuring six o'clock shadow most men develop at the end of the day to even finer adjustment settings which can handle almost any length of stubble / beard growth.Precise cutting has become childs play since i discovered the Norelco T7500 and never again a chore. This is down to the fact that this trimmer has individual settings ranging from 1.5mm to an amazing 18mm beard and hair length which can handle alomost anything you through at it.The Norelco T7500 also has a nifty LED window display on the body which displays the hair length its cutting at the time and also has a built in memory system which remembers the length of stubble / beard length last cut.This trimmers also comes with additional fucntions such as a manually operated trimmer device designed for those awkward places such as edge trimming. This function i have found enables accuracy when used on moustaches, goatee beards and side burns.The cutting blades on the Noreclo T7500 are made from high strength steel in the form of Chromium and has incorporated within cutting teeth which are rounded, i have found this cuts my hairs more efficiently especially around the contours of my face. This enables me to get a great close shave everytime and i would strongly recommend this to anyone.The Norelco T7500 also comes mains operated or battery charged and from what i have found the charge lasts a very long time which always comes in handy. In my opinion the Norelco T7500 is a robust, sturdy electric trimmer with a modern sleek cutting edge design which would make a perfect gift for anyone.For more information on the Noreclo range, visit our new website listed below or in the resource box connected with this articlbust, sturdy electric trimmer with a modern sleek cutting edge design which would make a perfect gift for anyone.For more information oe! Noreclo T7500Find out how you can get rid of up to 30% of your outstanding debt in just Ten Minutes!30% debt reduction Loan ConsolidationFind all the information you will ever need about your health here!Find Online Health Articles Here

Category : General Advice

Decisions, Decisions

Author : Marilyn Lustgarten
Chances are good that right now there is an opportunity to improve a situation in your organization that requires your decision. Perhaps it is a weighty one, with the potential for business consequences that you'd rather not deal with...so you aren't. You justify the delay with the claim that you need more time, more alternatives to consider, more money or resources before you can take action. The fact is, indecision is a decision…not to act. A wise man once said "If you are already in a hole, it's no use to continue digging." The situation that requires a solution will only get worse and your lack of decisiveness will become your legacy.FAILURE TO ACT CAN RESULT IN THE INCALCULABLE COST OF OPPORTUNITY LOST.Consider Barnes & Noble, who as the world's biggest bookseller, failed to act on the opportunity to tap the marketing potential of the Internet, until they became an "also ran" reacting to the overnight success of industry upstart Amazon.com. Or, put yourself in the picture of watching your most talented contributor hand you his resignation out of frustration to take a job with your fiercest competitor because you put off deciding to fund his idea or implement the solution to your organization's biggest problem.In his book The Paradox of Choice, Swarthmore psychologist Barry Schwartz talks about two general types of decision makers: "satisficers" - those that can determine how much information is enough in order to make the best choice possible and move on; and, "maximizers" - those that must examine every possibility and thoroughly analyze each one before deciding, and then worry about and second guess the decision once it's made." It seems reasonable to imagine that if some choice is good, then more choice is better, but psychologically, that's not true" says Schwartz, "Analysis paralysis sets in. There's a kind of regret when you make a choice." Decision makers that are "maximizers" can worry about the state of things, recognize that something needs to change, and yet avoid making it happen because they don't feel "certain" about their course of action. It makes sense, then, to have "analyzers", as well as "good enough" types in organizations to ensure a balanced approach to decision making.WAITING UNTIL THINGS ARE PERFECT CAN MEAN FAILING TO TAKE THE RISK THAT COULD LEAD TO A POSITIVE OUTCOME OR LEARNING EXPERIENCE.General George Patton once said "A good solution applied with vigor now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later." Take the decision by 3M to go ahead with marketing the "failed to stay stuck" glue that has resulted in today's ubiquitous, and indispensable post-it note! Or, consider organizations that encourage and reward employee risk taking as a strategy for growth. One client of mine, for example, consistently uses mistakes to foster a learning environment and has a habit of saying to a manager who makes a bad call, "What did you learn from that experience and how can we apply it to decisions going forward?"The best decision makers are proactive rather than reactive, and those most adept at decision making use different techniques depending on the circumstances.HERE ARE A FEW TIPS:Don't sweat the small stuff: Make on the spot decisions for non-crucial things like what to have for lunch or what time to hold a meeting.Think on your feet: In a true crisis, stay calm, do a fast triage, use your instincts and go with what you've got.Narrow your choices: Quickly whittle the list of possibilities down to 2-3 reasonable options so you can take the time necessary to explore the realistic pros and cons before deciding on more weightier matters like implementing a new organization structure or selecting your successor.Face your fears: Write down the action or decision that is keeping you up at night. By identifying the toughest fears and asking, "What's the worst that can happen?" you should be able to clear the obstacles and see a straight path to the best decision.Ask for help: If you are overanalyzing, get an outsider to help you put things into perspective. If you tend to shoot from the hip, quickly initiate a brief survey or bring the team together to request their honest feedback."Your life changes the moment you make a new, congruent and committed decision." --Anthony RobbinsNow, back to the elephant in the room...what are you going to do right now about that situation waiting on your decision?Marilyn Lustgarten, president of The Star Makers Group, is an organizational strategist, coach and advisor to leaders in organizations experiencing the challenges of getting to the next level. Marilyn speaks professionally and is the author of numerous published articles on achieving stellar performance results through effective leadership, innovation and a winning culture. She also publishes For Your Inspiration, an electronic newsletter and resource for business leaders. For more information or to contact her visit http://www.starmakersgroup.com
Category : Self-Improvement:Leadership

Feathered Wreaths and Christmas Trees Ensure a More Natural Look

Author : Nancy Fitzgerald
Feathered Christmas trees are natural looking. Their branches aren't exactly the same. There is instead a natural variation in branch size. Feathered Christmas trees, whether artificial or real, look more natural than those not feathered. Trees aren't the only xmas decoration that could use some feathered effects either. You can choose online from a number of feathered Christmas wreaths, for natural looks and beautiful ornamentation of your home or door.We found some stunning feathered Christmas wreaths and trees made of pine. The wreaths were wired and beribboned. The designer started with a faux pine wreath with a realistic feathered look that was approximately 18 inches in diameter. Its frame, double wires, was 14 inches wide. This wreath was made with feathered pine that looked airy and light. Its needles gave it the feathered affectation that was also designed into the Christmas trees. The wreaths looked amazingly realistic, with pinecones and twigs placed through out the wreath.This vendor offered a variety of 18 inch feathered Christmas wreaths, the perfect doorway complement to your Christmas trees.The first displayed beautiful Christmas ribbon with caricatures of Ol' Saint Nick running through it. The second, as lovely as the first, sported a red ribbon with festive candy cane motif. Another of these feathered Christmas wreaths was decorated with a sheer ribbon of pale blue with beautiful snowflakes running through it.If you want to choose a larger wreath to accompany your feathered Christmas tree there are a number that are 22 inches in diameter, some with realistic looking snow hanging onto their limbs and gorgeous holiday bows.Nancy Fitzgerald makes it quick and easy to find the best Christmas trees. Read expert information here.
Category : Home-and-Family:Holidays