I recently purchased an iPhone in an attemp to become more productive and hopefully cut back on operating expenses.

Right off the bat there are some things I really like about the iPhone:
- App from Ringcentral allows me to make calls from our toll free number on my cell.
- Skype provides an app which allows me to make phone calls over a wi-fi network. I pay only $2 each month for unlimited calls to anywhere in Canada and the United States.

There are all kinds of apps that help me be productive. In fact I’m using an app on my iPhone right now to write this post.

Here are my two main dislikes with it:
- No LED message indicator.
- No centralized inbox where I can view all my different message types in one spot.

I must admit, overall I’m pretty impressed. I think it’s worth the investment and will be a lasting addition to my collection.

Although Blackberry was designed for business, it certainly has some stiff competition.

Thanks for reading and happy holidays.

I would like to wish our clients, tenants and associates a happy Christmas, Hanukkah and the very best this holiday season. This time of year is one with hustle and bustle and we’ve certainly been busy. It’s also a good time to reflect on the year past and plan for the future. Here s a video that will help you with your goal setting.

Similiar to our orange staple free stapler

Here at Harrity Real Estate Services Inc we are often taking steps to reduce our impact on our environment.

In this industry, we are notorious for wasting paper. With email, online billing, and a good solid web based property management software we’ve done well to reduce our paper usage.

Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to go paper free, contracts still need to be signed on hard paper (although digital signatures are out there, most everyday business and individual clients don’t have one).

Since we’ve cut back our paper all we can, we’ve decided to cut back on the staples we use to hold our paper together.

During a recent business trip to Halifax I found myself in a store that sells

Staple Free Example

environmentally friendly produces (mostly recycled or reused goods). There is really a lot of neat stuff. I bought a notebook, the cover is made from and old book cover and the paper inside is recycled. On my way out I looked at my receipt to find that it was stapled…but no staple….amazing!

So I went back and asked the cashier how she did it. She pulled her trusty little stapler and showed me how it worked.

Naturally I bought one, and use it several times a day. The stapler can staple about 4 pages of paper, anything over that we use a paper clip.

How does it work?

The device punches a small hole (threes sided) in the paper, along with a small slit behind the hole. Then it takes the paper from the hole and slides it up through the slit in the paper. This all happens in one quick motion.

Since coming back to Saint John, I’ve seen them sold at Indigo and I would imagine they have them at Staples Business Depot.

Using a fire extinguisher seems like a pretty simple task right? Wrong, unless you’ve been trained to properly use one, you may not how to effectively use it or even when to use it.

My good friend Heath Thompson, a Volunteer FireFighter has developed a training course for individuals and employers to help ensure their employees know what to do in the event of a fire. For more information or to sign up for the next course, visit Heath’s website at www.extinguishit101.com.

Lily Lake Pavilion (7 Sept 2009)

Rockwood Park is located in the heart of Saint John, New Brunswick. I remember reading somewhere that Rockwood Park is one of Canada’s largest urban parks. I don’t remember where but I found the same information on Wikipedia. The park on Saint John’s North End takes up about 800 hectares and is covered with trails, mixed forrest, lakes and caves. Every summer the park comes alive with people walking, and ongoing summer activities. Through the winter you can find people braving the snow and cold to feed the ducks, take a hike, or do some cross country skiing.

The park includes two beaches, easy to to walk trails, and several on site facilities. Facilities include a campgroung (both tenting and trailer hookups), Barn, Interpretation Center and Lily Lake Pavilion. The Lily Lake Pavilion features the Lily’s Cafe, Day Tripping (they rent Kayaks, Canoes, Paddle Boats, Bikes, Skis, Snow Shoes & More), locker rooms, and features a large room that hosts conferences and weddings almost daily.

Recently there has been several renovations to the park entrance and trail system along one side of Lily Lake. These improvements have been a great addition to the park and we look forward to more and more people coming out to enjoy nature in the city.

Saint John Community Garden

If you’re visiting be sure to stop by Rockwood Park to explore all it has to offer! If you like golf, check out what the Rockwood Park Golf Course has to offer.

Across the street from the main entrance to the park is the community garden. Please excuse the quality of the pictures as I took them with my trusty Blackberry.

I took both of these pictures today during my morning walk around Lily Lake.