at an organization where you can do relevant tasks. Identify organizations where you will be able to use skills you already have and develop new ones that will apply to the type of job you want. Approach finding volunteer work the same way you would look for an internship or a paid job. For example, if you want to work as a community manager, then volunteer at an organization that needs help managing their social media. This will open the pathway to a potential paid job within that organization, or at another organization doing the type of work you are interested in. Integrate with the organization to learn everything about it once you begin volunteering. Read up on the organization, listen to other staff members, and attend meetings to absorb all the information. Treat volunteering just as you would a paid job at any other company. You want to become an integral part of the organization in order to advance your career. Just because you are not getting paid doesn’t mean you can show up less often or work less. Commit to the job you are volunteering for, show up on time, and work hard to demonstrate your value to the organization.  Always let your supervisors know if you will not be able to come to work one day. Make sure you have a valid reason not to show up. Showing that you are dedicated to the volunteer work will demonstrate that you would make a reliable employee. Do your best to make a lasting impression on others at the organization. Look for ways you can help out that aren’t necessarily part of your regular duties, or ways to assist others at the organization and make their jobs easier.  For instance, if you are volunteering as a social media manager, offer to help out with other marketing duties such as blogging or public relations outreach. Even if you don’t turn your volunteer work into a job at that particular organization, going above and beyond what’s expected of you can earn you some valuable references for future job applications. Keep track of all the skills you learn and all of the successes you have during your time as a volunteer. These are facts that you will be able to include on your resume and when discussing job opportunities with the organization or other potential employers.  While you are volunteering, you can keep a document or spreadsheet to track all of your achievements. For example, if you are volunteering as a social media manager, note down how much you grew the company’s social media following during your time as a volunteer. Keep a list of any skills you learned, such as apps or platforms you used to manage social media. Treat networking while you are a volunteer as if it is part of your job description. People you build relationships with can be your advocates later on when you are trying to get a job.  Try to get to know as many people as you can at the organization, even if you don’t work with them. You never know what connections will come in handy down the road. Little things like remembering someone’s birthday or other personal details about them can help you create a deeper connection with people you work with. Add everyone you meet on professional networks such as LinkedIn or on other social media if you feel comfortable with it. Stay in touch with people you are closest to via email or other forms of communication, even after a volunteer position has ended. For example, you could email or otherwise share links to articles you know a particular person would be interested in. This will help people remember you and keep the connections going for when you want to land a job.

Summary: Volunteer Learn as much as you can while you are volunteering. Be committed and consistent with your volunteer work. Go above and beyond to exceed the expectations of your role. Track your achievements to show your success as a volunteer. Build as many relationships within the organization as you can. Stay in touch with people you meet and maintain the connections.


Although you know you will include your child's handprint, what will you create from the handprint?  Animals, people, transportation?  The possibilities are endless. Sketch out each letter and how you will create it with the child's handprint. Make a plan for how each tile will appear.  Use a pencil and sketch out each design and add your child's “handprint” by just sketching it at first so you can see how it will appear. You could do all white tiles with bright colored paint or you could use colored tiles, black tiles and reverse white or bright colored paint.  Consider how you plan to display the tiles when choosing your color scheme into consideration.  Take placement into consideration. If you are planning to display the tiles in a bathroom or main area of the home you will want to plan accordingly in order the match the overall tone of the room. Find the right suite of paints.  Select paint that is not only compatible on tile but matches the color of tile you selected and the room colors.

Summary: Plot what kind of alphabet will you create. Consider your color scheme.


Nowadays, premium sake is usually served chilled instead of warm. However, if you have a less expensive type or homemade sake, or simply want to draw out a different dimension of flavor, you can try heating it before serving it. This can be an especially good option for a cold winter day.  Heat causes the alcohol to vaporize. Aroma-producing ingredients with low boiling points also vaporize, making these flavors stand out more. This has very little effect on bitter acidic tastes, but sweet tastes get pronounced more effectively. As such, sake with a high level of acidity is often heated since the process can balance the acidic flavor with the sweet undertones more evenly.  Warm sake also tends to have a "dry" taste when compared to chilled sake. The effect of the alcohol is increased as the vapors begin coming off. There is a full range of temperatures you can heat sake to, from lukewarm to hot. The right temperature to use depends partially on personal preference, but there are a few standard approaches to take that you might want to consider.  The average temperature of kan sake, or "warm sake," is between 107.6 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit (42 and 45 degrees Celsius). The full range of possible warmth varies slightly beyond this, though, and each range of warmth has its own traditional term associated with it. At 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to hinata-kan, or "warmed in the sunshine." At 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as hitohada-kan, or "heated to body temperature." At 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as nuru-kan, or "heated to tepid temperature." At 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as jo-kan, or "heated fairly warm." At 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius), sake is referred to as atsu-kan, or "heated hot."   As a general rule, warm sake is ideal as an accompaniment for cold or plain dishes, like sushi, as well as dishes that have soy sauce in them. Hot sake, on the other hand, is ideal to serve alongside warmer dishes, like hot pot, or foods made with a large amount of oil or fat.  Two types of sake that are often heated include junmai and honjozo. Junmai sake is often served fairly warm to hot.Honjozo sake is typically served warm at room to body temperature.
Summary: Know when to heat sake. Determine the right temperature.