Thanks to Dan Zarrella, social & viral marketing scientist, for a great article discussing the 10 top elements a blog needs to maximize its viral and social networking exposure.

Zarrella’s article is a must read.

I don’t often blog about celebrity divorce but after so much speculation I had to publish this one.  Earlier this summer, Madonna’s US publicist released a statement that said the singer and Ritchie have “no plans to divorce.” In the past few years those statements are celebrity speak actually confirming the refuted statement.

The Washington Post reports: “Citing unnamed sources, The Sun and Daily Mail said the couple hoped to have a divorce finalized by Christmas. The Sun said that Madonna, 50, had wanted to wait until her latest world tour wraps up in Brazil in December before announcing the split.”

Alrightly then… if you can relate to doing most of your college work the night before it was due or most of your studying happened after midnight the day of your mid-term you understand that 16 days is an eternity.  Or perhaps I should say was an eternity, with two daughters I am not as nimble as my grad and undergrad days. These days I have a few more responsibilities and it seems the potential for dropping the ball increases exponentially each time they get a year older.

So - 16 days until Halloween.  Please note, I actually posted about planning a Halloween party several days ago!  Yeah me. You’ll also note in that post I cop to being less than blessed in the creativity department so yes, - HORRORS - my family wears store bought costumes.

But hey, Halloween costumes have come a long way since the days of plastic “aprony like” costume bodies and plastic masks with the little elastic strap that always seemed to break around house number 4 or 5, or you wished it would because the moisture from your breath and forehead sweat was turning into little ice crystals.

We’ve each got our eye on a few options at Halloween Adventure.com.  I’m pushing for the good versus evil theme - because, of course, I get to be the good one.

Guess who’s pushing for the chamber maid?

What is it about that look?

“Chamber maid, cheerleader or school girl, men are so predictable,” wylisa said with a wink.

With tons of choices for kids, teens, adults and even your best friend be sure to them check out, you’ll be amazed by your options.

The publisher of Pumpkin Painting, Anyone Can Do It.  Really! left a great comment about doing crafts at a Halloween Party:

I think the best and sometimes trickiest way to arrange Halloween activities including Halloween crafts is to keep the activities and ideas short in terms of time to complete. Particularly at a party, no one wants to spend two hours trying to finish a complicated Halloween craft. The simpler, the better. The quicker, even better!

Are those not the cutest ever! I know - we of average or below average artistic ability have no hope of creating one ourselves! Wrong, check out what Ms. Pumpkin Painting’s book provides:

Over 18 Pumpkin Faces And Designs That Are Literally Paint-By-Number Simple And Each Can Be Completed In Just About An Hour

Create Hundreds Of Different Looks And Personalities By Mixing And Matching The Eyes, Noses And Mouths From The Various Designs

You’ll Learn The Very Basic Supplies You’ll Need To Get Started Quickly So You Don’t Spend Money On Unnecessary Tools.

Discover My Secret Weapon That Makes Your Painting Efforts Nearly Effortless.

You’ll See How Common Household Items Can Bring Your Pumpkins To Life.

Learn How To Create Successful Designs Of Your Own.

Best of all - everything is delivered over the internet, no waiting! Click Here to order Pumpkin Painting, Anyone Can Do It.  Really! And just think, NO PUMPKIN GUTS

People often tell me they are interested in owning their own business.  I’ve consulted with many would be small business owners who lack the skills, experience, confidence or a killer start up idea. Opening a franchise can be a great option, whether a first time business owner or a seasoned pro. Franchises already have established brand presence and a proven business model making the investment much more low risk then a completely new start-up.

You’d be amazed by the number of companies that offer franchising. The web provides a wealth of information to research franchise opportunities. The Red Hot Franchises directory is a great place to start. The site provides an up-to-date, searchable directory of many of the world’s top franchises. Listings are organized by industry and the site even provides information about which franchise opportunities are already approved for potential  business loans by the Small Business Association.  Mousing over a franchise brand provides a quick synopsis of the opportunity along with the average required liquid capital.

As with any investment, your franchise research should be thorough and should include multiple data points. Red Hot Franchises.com is a great launch pad, a reference that should bookmarked and consulted often. I recommend looking at the site even if you’re not thinking about a new business venture - you never know what you’ll find.