OK I admit it. I've been one of those people who met someone online, and I have to admit it turned out pretty well...for awhile. Now, mind you this was many many years ago. I was still in high school in fact. My friends and I thought it would all be funny to put up our dating profiles on yahoo. I wasn't expecting much out of it. I was the typical teenager dating boys from home, but I did get something out of it. I did end up meeting a guy online. He was a marine stationed in Japan, and he was always online during my late night schedule, so we chatted just about every night. It never crossed my mind that I would actually end up dating him. We were online friends in my opinion.
Almost a year later, when he came back to his base in South Carolina, we talked about meeting up. My friends and I were going to plan a trip to the beach, but it never worked out, so he talked a buddy into driving up to the mountains with him. Even back then I was careful about talking to people online then meeting them in person. I wasn't one of those teen girls who was just going to run off with any random guy I met online. We met in a very public place, and we both brought along friends.
We went hiking the next day, and by the end of the weekend we were both glad we had finally met up, and we decided we would have to get together more often. In fact, he decided to come up to see me one weekend every month. It didn't take but a couple months before we realized there was more than a friendship between us, and the relationship that developed lasted for almost 2 years.
If I could go back and do it all over again, I would still have met him online, and I would still have dated him. I wouldn't change it because it was a big learning experience for me. I have a very good friend of mine who met a guy online last year, and she just became engaged to him a few weeks ago. Online dating can work as long as you keep in mind that not all relationships work no matter how you meet the person.
If you're interested in meeting people online, there's a good site you should check out called FriendFinder. I like how clean the site looks. The layout isn't hard on your eyes. I also like how you can see who's online now, so you can chat instantly with someone that catches your eye. If you're interested, go ahead and check it out.
Tired Of Maury
Does anyone else remember the days when the Maury show was actually good? I remember when I was younger, I would watch the show sometimes in the summer when I was out of school. There wouldn't be much on tv, Maury wasn't that bad to watch. Now it's like it's become another Jerry Springer. Everyday after my one soap of choice, General Hospital, goes off, I here the screams of teenage girls who need a good bitch slapping or young mama's needing a paternity test who they can found out who their baby's daddy is. I swear the show has turned into a joke. I expected so much more from Maury.
Walking Away From The Drugs
As most of my older readers know, I spend some time discussing drug addictions and addiction treatment when I get the chance. I have many friends and family members who are addicts or who have overcome their addictions.
I have a reader who is dealing with an addiction of her own. We email each other on a regular basis, and I try to supply her with that listening ear she needs. She asked me for a list of helpful tips to help her move away from her addictions. I told her I would like to write this as a post incase others might find it helpful, too, and she agreed to let me mention her.
#1 Discuss Your Addiction
It doesn't matter if you confide in a family member, friend, counselor, or find an online addiction forum to help you, find someone to talk to about your problem. Just getting eerything out in the open helps.
#2 Talk To Your Doctor
I highly recommend drug treatment centers, but if you don't want to go that route, at least visit your doctor. Most doctors will help you devise a plan to beat your addiction. Depending on what you are addicted to, your doctor may also be able to perscribe a medication to help you.
#3 Stay Clear Of Other Addicts
Unless you are attending a meeting or addiction treatment center with other addicts, stay away from them! Other addicts can influence you to continue your drug use!
#4 Find a Hobby
It might sound a little silly, but I've seen it work. Search for a new hobby. If you thought about taking pottery classes at some point in your life, sign up. If you like to read, add a few new books to your collection, and keep one with you at all times. Hubby carried around a cheap .99 pocket football game. When a craving would hit him, he would take a few minutes to play the game and get his mind on something else. Another friend of ours decided to carve on a piece of wood when the cravings hit. He has now discovered a talent for woodcarving he never knew he had. He has turned that hobby into a job that he really enjoys. Now instead of drugs he chooses to make hand carved walking canes.
I have a reader who is dealing with an addiction of her own. We email each other on a regular basis, and I try to supply her with that listening ear she needs. She asked me for a list of helpful tips to help her move away from her addictions. I told her I would like to write this as a post incase others might find it helpful, too, and she agreed to let me mention her.
#1 Discuss Your Addiction
It doesn't matter if you confide in a family member, friend, counselor, or find an online addiction forum to help you, find someone to talk to about your problem. Just getting eerything out in the open helps.
#2 Talk To Your Doctor
I highly recommend drug treatment centers, but if you don't want to go that route, at least visit your doctor. Most doctors will help you devise a plan to beat your addiction. Depending on what you are addicted to, your doctor may also be able to perscribe a medication to help you.
#3 Stay Clear Of Other Addicts
Unless you are attending a meeting or addiction treatment center with other addicts, stay away from them! Other addicts can influence you to continue your drug use!
#4 Find a Hobby
It might sound a little silly, but I've seen it work. Search for a new hobby. If you thought about taking pottery classes at some point in your life, sign up. If you like to read, add a few new books to your collection, and keep one with you at all times. Hubby carried around a cheap .99 pocket football game. When a craving would hit him, he would take a few minutes to play the game and get his mind on something else. Another friend of ours decided to carve on a piece of wood when the cravings hit. He has now discovered a talent for woodcarving he never knew he had. He has turned that hobby into a job that he really enjoys. Now instead of drugs he chooses to make hand carved walking canes.
Changing Things Up...Maybe
I'm debating on revamping my categories for this blog. Originally I just wanted to review different products, then I started to include websites and blogs in the mix. I eventually moved on to personal posts because I didn't like the idea of posting them on my myspace blog that I never use. Now that I have my more general blog on my own domain, I'm thinking of going back to mainly reviews on this one.
While I was looking at some payroll software today, I decided that I might start doing some type of software buzz posts each week. We'll see how that goes. I'm not exactly sure if I want to commit to a weekly post or not.
One thing I will be keeping on this blog is my discussions of drug addictions. You can expect to see more of that in the near future due to the fact that I spend a great deal of time dealing with drug addicts and helping them get clean.
I guess I'm just looking for a little change in content, but I haven't decided which way I want to move with it. Only time will tell what I really decide to do.
While I was looking at some payroll software today, I decided that I might start doing some type of software buzz posts each week. We'll see how that goes. I'm not exactly sure if I want to commit to a weekly post or not.
One thing I will be keeping on this blog is my discussions of drug addictions. You can expect to see more of that in the near future due to the fact that I spend a great deal of time dealing with drug addicts and helping them get clean.
I guess I'm just looking for a little change in content, but I haven't decided which way I want to move with it. Only time will tell what I really decide to do.
Family Connections
I've really got to help my grandma set up a blog. She's been asking me about it for awhile, but not until recently has she seriously wanted to do it. Right now we receive at least 3-4 emails a week from her. She sends them to everyone in the family with news on what's going on at home, her new medical issues, and the latest family gossip. I only live about 10 minutes away, so I normally hear the typical gossip before her emails arrive, but it's a way for her to communicate with the rest of the family who that live farther away.
I thought about giving her a web cam since I have two now, but it doesn't help to set her up with video conferencing unless everyone else has a web cam, too. I guess it's time to break down and set her up with a blog on a free account. She won't need more than that, and it won't take but a few minutes to create, but omg it's going to be horrible showing her how to use it. I'll have to explain everything 10 times before she'll let me leave, then I can almost bet I'll receive a phone call before I even make it home telling me she forgot how to sign in or something. I love the woman, but this is going to be a task.
I thought about giving her a web cam since I have two now, but it doesn't help to set her up with video conferencing unless everyone else has a web cam, too. I guess it's time to break down and set her up with a blog on a free account. She won't need more than that, and it won't take but a few minutes to create, but omg it's going to be horrible showing her how to use it. I'll have to explain everything 10 times before she'll let me leave, then I can almost bet I'll receive a phone call before I even make it home telling me she forgot how to sign in or something. I love the woman, but this is going to be a task.
Julie's Journal
If it isn't enough to deal with hot Las Vegas temps and a house full of kids, throw in wildfires with thick smoke, a cat in heat, and random people crashing cars then running from the cops. Add that all up and what have you got? Julie's Journal is the only answer I can think of! Julie is a great person I met on one of the forums I frequent, and she's been a big help to me over there, answering many of the questions that had me stumped. She's also a camping nut just like me, and now I can see exactly why she wants to get away from it all for a trip to the great outdoors so often! I don't blame her! If you're looking for a blog that's not only cool to look at, but a great read, stop by Julie's Journal.
Win With Your Photos
My love of pictures might actually help me earn something. I’m no professional photographer, but I’m definitely going to enter one of my photos into this photography contest I just heard about from Picture.com. Over $100,000 in cash prizes are going to be given away to some very lucky winners just for submitting one of their photos. There are tons of different categories you can submit your photos to. I think one of the most popular will be the baby photo contest. We all know we love cute babies. There’s also going to be a pets category where I will definitely submit the puppy’s photos. I'm thinking about submitting this one after I clean it up a bit.
- Animals/Pets
- People
- Travel
- Children
- Sports
- Nature
- Action
- Humor
- Portrait
- Other
If you want to join me by entering this contest, click on the banners in this post and submit your info. Whether you decide to enter or not, if you like photography and post your photos on a website or blog, I would love to have a link so I can check out your photos. Feel free to leave links to your photo blogs or websites in my comments. I will definitely take a look at each and every site!
All For The Dogs
I've got a blog friend I want to introduce to you. Her name is Cynthia and she's got some really cool blogs. As you know I'm a big time animal lover. I just don't know what I would do without my pets. Part of my love for animals probably came from growing up on a farm with tons of chickens, cows, horses, ducks, and most of all my beloved border collies Lady & Bear. See there's room in my heart for more than bulldogs!
That's why I can relate so well to Cynthia. She runs a non-profit Collie Rescue in Utah, and believe me if I lived anywhere near there, I would probably be there almost everyday volunteering and trying to sneak rescues in the house before hubby could object! If you've got a heart at all, stop by and consider donating a little something or purchasing one of the Rescue's Ebay items. It takes a lot more than people realize to run such an organization.
Cynthia also has a few others blogs that I keep in my feed reader. There's Luna Tail, her personal blog where she'll tell you all about her favorite blogs, love for Harry Potter, and knitting! Then she's got a new dream diary called Pixie Tail. The name enough made me want to check it out. I love anything related to fairies and pixies. Cynthia will be keeping a diary of her dreams, and I think if I have the time, she might motivate me to do the same.
Last but certainly not least, there's Tip Tail, a blog dedicated to 3 wonderful collies. You can learn about collies in general, clicker training (which is also my method of choice), and you can even check out a Collie webcam! Stop by, view the cam, and read all about the champion collies! Chase is my favorite, but I must admit I'm just partial to the border collies!
That's why I can relate so well to Cynthia. She runs a non-profit Collie Rescue in Utah, and believe me if I lived anywhere near there, I would probably be there almost everyday volunteering and trying to sneak rescues in the house before hubby could object! If you've got a heart at all, stop by and consider donating a little something or purchasing one of the Rescue's Ebay items. It takes a lot more than people realize to run such an organization.
Cynthia also has a few others blogs that I keep in my feed reader. There's Luna Tail, her personal blog where she'll tell you all about her favorite blogs, love for Harry Potter, and knitting! Then she's got a new dream diary called Pixie Tail. The name enough made me want to check it out. I love anything related to fairies and pixies. Cynthia will be keeping a diary of her dreams, and I think if I have the time, she might motivate me to do the same.
Last but certainly not least, there's Tip Tail, a blog dedicated to 3 wonderful collies. You can learn about collies in general, clicker training (which is also my method of choice), and you can even check out a Collie webcam! Stop by, view the cam, and read all about the champion collies! Chase is my favorite, but I must admit I'm just partial to the border collies!
Maui
I've got this list of different places around the world that hubby and I want to visit. It's quite a long list, but we seem to add to it more and more every year. We never went on a honeymoon, so I guess this list is like our dream vacation list, and we have agreed we plan to visit each and every place on the list before we die. Thankfully we're young enough that we hopefully have plenty of time to do that.
One of my top picks on the list is Maui. I've always wanted to go there just because I think it is such a beautiful place. Hubby's aunt and uncle go to Maui at least once a year, and I love to look at the pictures they bring back. They always stay in a resort, but there are so many tourists taking Maui Vacations that now they are considering purchasing their own vacation home just so they don't have to book a hotel in advance and deal with other tourists. I really hope they do because then we might actually be able to take our Maui trip much sooner than we thought!
One of my top picks on the list is Maui. I've always wanted to go there just because I think it is such a beautiful place. Hubby's aunt and uncle go to Maui at least once a year, and I love to look at the pictures they bring back. They always stay in a resort, but there are so many tourists taking Maui Vacations that now they are considering purchasing their own vacation home just so they don't have to book a hotel in advance and deal with other tourists. I really hope they do because then we might actually be able to take our Maui trip much sooner than we thought!
Shopping Carts
I have a few friends who have turned to making money on their websites and blogs by selling their own handmade products. A few of them are listing items with a price, then giving contact info if you're interested in buying. I'm not knocking my friends and their selling practices, but I have suggested to a couple of them that I think they would do a lot better if they had some type of shopping cart software.
Giving your buyers a shopping cart not only makes things smoother, but it just looks better, too, especially in a world where e-commerce is a big thing these days. I also think shopping cart software might just help convince the buyer to pick up more than one item while they're hanging around. I know if I'm looking at stuff I have to purchase individually, I'm more likely to either not purchase anything or only purchase one item just to save myself the hassle.
I'm going to point my friends in the direction of Ashop Commerce. I've never used the service, but they offer a 10 day free trial for their shopping cart software. That's a good reason to give them a try right there. They also offer live sales & support, so if you've got a problem, there's always someone ready to help you fix it. I'm going to give the demo a try, and maybe I can convince a couple of my friends to do the same. The features offered with the software are enough to make any site look like a professional seller.
Giving your buyers a shopping cart not only makes things smoother, but it just looks better, too, especially in a world where e-commerce is a big thing these days. I also think shopping cart software might just help convince the buyer to pick up more than one item while they're hanging around. I know if I'm looking at stuff I have to purchase individually, I'm more likely to either not purchase anything or only purchase one item just to save myself the hassle.
I'm going to point my friends in the direction of Ashop Commerce. I've never used the service, but they offer a 10 day free trial for their shopping cart software. That's a good reason to give them a try right there. They also offer live sales & support, so if you've got a problem, there's always someone ready to help you fix it. I'm going to give the demo a try, and maybe I can convince a couple of my friends to do the same. The features offered with the software are enough to make any site look like a professional seller.
Thinking OutLoud...The Blog
Kim has a cute little blog I wanted to share with you guys. As soon as I saw it I thought, that is just the cutest layout! I'm not much for pink stuff, but I like that pink. It just works so well with the gray she chose. The blog isn't set to just one topic, and I like that. Basically Kim's just Thinking Outloud, like her blog's name says! There are posts about her family and friends. She also talks about why she loves blogging so much and how she earns money from her blogs. I especially love her crafts posts. I have to say I'm a sucker for anything I can make with my own two hands!
Gardening 101
I love flowers and gardens, but I have to admit if it wasn't for my grandmother and my dad, I wouldn't have a single flower in my yard or fresh veggies in my fridge. My dad may be a farmer, but I definitely didn't inherit his green thumb. I've tried many times to grow things on my own, but to no avail they always die. This year I'm thinking about signing up for the Home Depot Gardening Club. I found out about it through the Home Depot Gardening Club article Lisa wrote over at The Den of Iniquity.
The Home Depot Gardening Club is a free program that enables you to receive discounts on gardening products. Through the Home Depot Gardening Club you also receive newsletters with tips and tricks for great lawn and garden care as well as tutorials to help even people like me without a bit of green thumb in them. In the Home Depot Gardening Club newsletters you will also find national news related to growing as well as special offers and coupons only available to club members.
Joining is quick in easy. You only need a name and email address to sign up! If you're interested in signing up now, go ahead and click on the banner above to join! For more information check out the other Home Depot Gardening Club article I found over at Feeding Time At The Zoo.
The Home Depot Gardening Club is a free program that enables you to receive discounts on gardening products. Through the Home Depot Gardening Club you also receive newsletters with tips and tricks for great lawn and garden care as well as tutorials to help even people like me without a bit of green thumb in them. In the Home Depot Gardening Club newsletters you will also find national news related to growing as well as special offers and coupons only available to club members.
Shipping Woes
I sell on Ebay from time to time, and I've always used UPS, especially when sending large packages. I never had any problems with them until recently. It started when hubby ordered a set of tires from a shop in California. We paid for 2-3 day delivery because we really needed the tires that weekend. They left the shop on time, but we didn't receive them until almost 2 weeks later. UPS kept rescheduling the package. I'm used to having a packaged rescheduled, but it's ridiculous when the package is rescheduled every day for 2 weeks due to train delay. Are you telling me every train in the entire country that carries UPS was late those weeks?
A couple weeks later I ordered a motherboard. The board arrived here on time, but was dead, so I had to return it. I paid almost $50 to return the board 2nd day Air (not counting the $9 cost just for a shipping box because they wouldn't accept my plain brown box) so it would be guaranteed, but it didn't show up on time. Yet again the tracking site told me it was rescheduled due to "train delays". Explain to me how I'm receiving train delays on an air mailed package? UPS refunded half the shipping cost, but I still had to pay a $30 charge to the company I ordered the motherboard from for not returning it on time, so I still ended up losing money.
Since then I have switched to USPS. Their prices are better, I love the priority mail packages that ship for a flat rate, and even though their tracking is slow, packages normally arrive with 2-3 days at most. I can also leave the packages on my porch for my mail lady to pick up as long as I leave a note in the mailbox telling her to grab them. I don't have to worry about remembering to pre-schedule a pickup, and I don't have to pay extra for it like I did with UPS.
The UPS store had a hissy fit when I wanted to use my own packaging, and basically refused to ship my package until I purchased a UPS box to put it in. USPS gives me free priority mail flat rate boxes and envelopes if I choose to go that route, or I can use any of my own packaging as long as it fits mailing standards. I think I will be using USPS from now on.
A couple weeks later I ordered a motherboard. The board arrived here on time, but was dead, so I had to return it. I paid almost $50 to return the board 2nd day Air (not counting the $9 cost just for a shipping box because they wouldn't accept my plain brown box) so it would be guaranteed, but it didn't show up on time. Yet again the tracking site told me it was rescheduled due to "train delays". Explain to me how I'm receiving train delays on an air mailed package? UPS refunded half the shipping cost, but I still had to pay a $30 charge to the company I ordered the motherboard from for not returning it on time, so I still ended up losing money.
Since then I have switched to USPS. Their prices are better, I love the priority mail packages that ship for a flat rate, and even though their tracking is slow, packages normally arrive with 2-3 days at most. I can also leave the packages on my porch for my mail lady to pick up as long as I leave a note in the mailbox telling her to grab them. I don't have to worry about remembering to pre-schedule a pickup, and I don't have to pay extra for it like I did with UPS.
The UPS store had a hissy fit when I wanted to use my own packaging, and basically refused to ship my package until I purchased a UPS box to put it in. USPS gives me free priority mail flat rate boxes and envelopes if I choose to go that route, or I can use any of my own packaging as long as it fits mailing standards. I think I will be using USPS from now on.
Sheba's Secrets Milk Bath Teas
I decided to try the Dreamsicle Milk Bath Tea I received from Sheba's Secrets in my Little Black Box. The description from Sheba's Secrets says,
I sat in the tub for about 5 minutes before I just couldn't take it anymore. The mixture looked and felt smooth in the bag, but in the tub it was very gritty and greasy. I drained the tub, and I had to take 2 showers before I felt like I had all the grit and oil off my skin. I spent even more time cleaning my tub so it wouldn't be slippery. I loved the smell, but this is one product I don't think I will waste my $4.99 on anytime soon.
Creamy Dreamy Orange Vanilla Popsicle! Remember how you used to wait impatiently for the Ice Cream Man to roll down the street so you can run out for your favorite treat? Sink into a creamy Orange and Vanilla blend of your frozen childhood treat. Softens your skin while soothing your senses.The description alone made me want to really try this. I love anything orange! The directions say to run a tub of hot water, throw in the tea, and let it sit for 10-20 minutes before removing the bag. I ran my bath water, placed the tea bag in the water, and immediately had a problem. Instead of the mixture inside the bag seeping out, the bag burst. It doesn't do much good to let the bag sit for 10-20 minutes if it's going to burst as soon as it goes in. I pulled out the empty bag and noticed the entire side of it had came open. I don't think that was supposed to happen. I went ahead and let the bath water sit for a few more minutes, then I stirred it up and decided to jump in.
I sat in the tub for about 5 minutes before I just couldn't take it anymore. The mixture looked and felt smooth in the bag, but in the tub it was very gritty and greasy. I drained the tub, and I had to take 2 showers before I felt like I had all the grit and oil off my skin. I spent even more time cleaning my tub so it wouldn't be slippery. I loved the smell, but this is one product I don't think I will waste my $4.99 on anytime soon.
Free Music
If there's one thing I love, it's music. There's a new music website, tourdates.co.uk that's just launched a nice chart for unsigned bands. Before you shake your head, there are tons and tons of unsigned bands out there with great music, but the problem is they don't get heard because of the fact that they're unsigned. I really like the fact that this site is offering the unsigned chart with free music downloads. There's nothing better than free music!
Friendly Quick Links
Lisa's busy paying off her credit cards, but at least she's one step closer to getting out of her apartment! She'll keep it up if she stops buying all this awesome smelling stuff! She's got me so addicted!
Lori's showing off a new layout, and I must admit it looks pretty friggin' sweet! I think her new layout might motivate me to work on my own again. I've been so lazy with my blog layouts! I start making one, then I get distracted and never finish, so you keep getting to gaze at the same old free layouts over and over.
Trish is helping someone else lose weight with the Ipod Shuffle she just gave away. She even left it loaded with tons of music!
Suni's little boy apparently has way too much energy!
It looks like Aylee has been changing up her blog a little bit to make it a little more reader friendly.
Everyone should congratulate Connie! She just won the first drawing in my free hosting package giveaway! I see a new blog in her future! She's also been named the Volunteer of the Month by the Disabled Online Users Association! This girl's been busy!
Lori's showing off a new layout, and I must admit it looks pretty friggin' sweet! I think her new layout might motivate me to work on my own again. I've been so lazy with my blog layouts! I start making one, then I get distracted and never finish, so you keep getting to gaze at the same old free layouts over and over.
Trish is helping someone else lose weight with the Ipod Shuffle she just gave away. She even left it loaded with tons of music!
Suni's little boy apparently has way too much energy!
It looks like Aylee has been changing up her blog a little bit to make it a little more reader friendly.
Everyone should congratulate Connie! She just won the first drawing in my free hosting package giveaway! I see a new blog in her future! She's also been named the Volunteer of the Month by the Disabled Online Users Association! This girl's been busy!
Celebrity Dirt
As much as I hate what a lot of the celebrities do, I still like to hear a little bit of celebrity gossip from time to time, especially when it's bad. Whether you like to keep up with the stars on a daily basis, or you just like to grab a little juicy tidbit worth poking fun at, there's a hot new celebrity gossip site out there that can provide exactly what you're looking for.
CelebrityGossip.com can provide you with all the celebrity dirt your little eyes can read, but wait, there's more! You can also vote on your favorite celebrity news and leave comments sharing what you think! Go ahead and check out the latest drug gossip on Lindsey Lohan or find out more about Paris and her jailbird days!
CelebrityGossip.com can provide you with all the celebrity dirt your little eyes can read, but wait, there's more! You can also vote on your favorite celebrity news and leave comments sharing what you think! Go ahead and check out the latest drug gossip on Lindsey Lohan or find out more about Paris and her jailbird days!
Lavender Moon Aromatics
I decided to take the time out to test a couple more products in the Little Black Box. This time I decided to check out the samples from Lavender Moon Aromatics. I received a sample of Body Wash in Piece of Cake scent and Silken Body Oil Spray in Precious Amber. I wanted to take photos, but as usual they came out way too dark to use, so I'm borrowing photos from the site.
Here's the description of each from the Lavender Moon Aromatics Site.
Silken Body Oil Spray-
Forget those silicone based "dry oil sprays" and try our Silken Body Oil Spray instead. Created with a blend of super light coconut oil for it's non-greasy yet moisturizing properties. We then added liquid shea oil for it's incredible properties and rounded out the blend with soy protein and vitamin E.
This super concentrated spray will moisturize your skin without leaving an oily feeling behind. Perfect to refresh your skin during the summer and keep your skin from drying out in the winter. For those with coarse, dry hair try lightly misting your hands and then running it through your hair to tame all those dry flyaways!
Use our Silken Body Oil Spray as it is or customize it further by adding oils or even pure silk proteins for super soft skin!
Body Wash-
In the past we use to make cold process soap bars. Unfortuntely a lack of storage space to cure all those bars lead us to begin making our own natural body wash using our previous bar soap recipe.
Formulated with no sodium lauryl sulfates or sodium laureth sulfates, our body wash gently but thoroughly cleanses your body. Made with coconut, castor and olive oils plus extra vegetable glycerin. We've also include vitamin E as well as soy and silk proteins. Soy proteins help to replenish the lipid barrier which allows skin to hold in it's natural moisture while softening dry, chaffed and damaged skin. Silk proteins not only give the lather a silky feel but it also provides a protective barrier for the skin. Our body wash creates a dense lather that not only cleans well but it also leaves your skin feeling great!
I started by taking a shower with the body wash. It smelled so good I wanted to eat it! It really does smell like a piece of cake! The body wash was okay, but it didn't totally leave my skin super soft or anything. It worked just like my normal body wash, so it was good but not super awesome. When I got out of the shower I decided to use the body oil spray. Normally I have to lightly spray body oil so I don't wreak of the smell, and it will still leave my skin slimy. This stuff worked great! I sprayed a little on my arms and legs, rubbed it in, and I have no slimy mess. I didn't think I would like the smell. In the bottle it has a slightly musky old lady smell, but once I applied it, the smell is wonderful, and a very light scent, so it's not over powering. My skin feels smooth but not greasy and smells good, too!
The Silken Body Oil Spray is $4.95 for 2oz or $8.50 for 4oz. You can pick up the Body Wash for $7.50, but there are also sample sizes available so you can test out a few scents before committing to a full size bottle of either.
Here's the description of each from the Lavender Moon Aromatics Site.
Silken Body Oil Spray-Forget those silicone based "dry oil sprays" and try our Silken Body Oil Spray instead. Created with a blend of super light coconut oil for it's non-greasy yet moisturizing properties. We then added liquid shea oil for it's incredible properties and rounded out the blend with soy protein and vitamin E.
This super concentrated spray will moisturize your skin without leaving an oily feeling behind. Perfect to refresh your skin during the summer and keep your skin from drying out in the winter. For those with coarse, dry hair try lightly misting your hands and then running it through your hair to tame all those dry flyaways!
Use our Silken Body Oil Spray as it is or customize it further by adding oils or even pure silk proteins for super soft skin!
Body Wash-In the past we use to make cold process soap bars. Unfortuntely a lack of storage space to cure all those bars lead us to begin making our own natural body wash using our previous bar soap recipe.
Formulated with no sodium lauryl sulfates or sodium laureth sulfates, our body wash gently but thoroughly cleanses your body. Made with coconut, castor and olive oils plus extra vegetable glycerin. We've also include vitamin E as well as soy and silk proteins. Soy proteins help to replenish the lipid barrier which allows skin to hold in it's natural moisture while softening dry, chaffed and damaged skin. Silk proteins not only give the lather a silky feel but it also provides a protective barrier for the skin. Our body wash creates a dense lather that not only cleans well but it also leaves your skin feeling great!
I started by taking a shower with the body wash. It smelled so good I wanted to eat it! It really does smell like a piece of cake! The body wash was okay, but it didn't totally leave my skin super soft or anything. It worked just like my normal body wash, so it was good but not super awesome. When I got out of the shower I decided to use the body oil spray. Normally I have to lightly spray body oil so I don't wreak of the smell, and it will still leave my skin slimy. This stuff worked great! I sprayed a little on my arms and legs, rubbed it in, and I have no slimy mess. I didn't think I would like the smell. In the bottle it has a slightly musky old lady smell, but once I applied it, the smell is wonderful, and a very light scent, so it's not over powering. My skin feels smooth but not greasy and smells good, too!
The Silken Body Oil Spray is $4.95 for 2oz or $8.50 for 4oz. You can pick up the Body Wash for $7.50, but there are also sample sizes available so you can test out a few scents before committing to a full size bottle of either.
Back To School
Going back to school is something a lot of us would like to do, but not all of us have the time to continue our education at a campus or with the schedule provided by most colleges. For quite some time I've thought about taking online courses. There are many different ways to complete college online. You can choose to take a full semester of coursework through a local college or tech school, or you can choose to take one or two classes at a time. I'm personally considering taking a couple classes at a time. I have to get myself enrolled in at least one class for the fall semester or I will lose all of my previous credits. It doesn't feel like I've been out of college for 5 years, but I have. I really don't want to have to start all over again, and keeping the 17 credits I already have is vital to completing my degree in a decent time frame. I think I will definitely be enrolling in at least one online course. I just have to decide if I want to use a school that is based completely online, or if I want to take an online course through the tech school located here.
Charssi Spoon Fudge
I had planned to take a picture of the Charssi spoon fudge before eating it, but of course that didn't happen. Now all that's left is an empty container that I really didn't think you'd be interested in seeing. When I first opened the spoon fudge, I figured I was going to like it. I received the basic chocolate flavor, and it looked really creamy. I opened it for a quick bite while I was rummaging through my box of new goodies, and the first bite was awful! I gave hubby a bite and we agreed it had absorbed some of the flavors from the rest of the goodies in the box. I decided to separate the chocolate from the box for a full day before I tried it again. Late last night I decided to dive into the chocolate again. I had to at least taste it again to see if our theory was correct, and low and behold, I opened my mouth to that heavenly mouse-like wonder. It was delicious...so delicious that I ate the whole sample before I thought to offer hubby another bite!
A jar of this wonderful fudge will run you about $10.25 before shipping, but you can't purchase it during the summer months. You can check out the Spoon Fudge Blog for more information on when ordering will pick up again, as well as more information on the various flavors!
A jar of this wonderful fudge will run you about $10.25 before shipping, but you can't purchase it during the summer months. You can check out the Spoon Fudge Blog for more information on when ordering will pick up again, as well as more information on the various flavors!
Relaxation Works Lip Balm
I finally broke out the Relaxation Works Skin & Spa Co.™ lip balm from my Little Black Box. This stuff is awesome! It's made mostly of cocoa butter and beeswax, so I figured it would be really smooth. I was right. This stuff made my lips feel so good. The flavor is Dulce De Leche, a chocolate and coffee combo. I love the flavor, and unlike a lot of lip balms, it's not an overpowering scent or taste. With most lip balms and the southern summer heat, I have to reapply every little bit, but this stuff lasted for a good couple of hours outdoors this morning. My lips feel smooth, and I wasn't searching for my lip balm in my pocket over and over.
If I Could Be A Spy
When I was a kid I used to want to be a spy. I pretended I was one, and I would sneak around my house trying to catch people doing things they shouldn't. I would sneak into my sister's room while she was asleep to try to "recover" the lost teddy bear she slept with. When I got older I grew out of the spying on people stage, but secret agents and spies still intrigue me. I watched every episode of Alias religiously, and I was extremely upset when the show finally ended.
I've thought about what it would be like to be a spy. I think being a girl would actually help me to be a better spy, because we all know women are better at manipulating the truth to make it work for us. Assuming that, we're also better at sneaking around, and we know how to flirt to get what we want. I know I would need some other gadgets to help me though. I would make my own little essential kit that I could take everywhere. My kit would definitely include a couple of wigs to hide my true identity, a locking picking tool small enough to conceal, a telephone voice changer, a tap detector so I could make sure no one was listening to my phone conversations, and a pair of spy glasses so I could see what's going on behind me without having to turn around. I would also need a weapon, so I think I could get one of those stun guns concealed in an ink pen. It's the perfect size, and no one would suspect it!
Why am I rambling on and on about my dreams of being a spy? There's a new show coming out about a spy who has been blacklisted from the system. USA Network's Burn Notice starts June 28th, and I think it's going to be a show I would like to see. CIA Operative Michael Weston is going to have a ton of dangerous missions to complete to discover why he's been blacklisted by the government. If you want to know how he's going to do it, you can find out more at the USA Network's website.
I've thought about what it would be like to be a spy. I think being a girl would actually help me to be a better spy, because we all know women are better at manipulating the truth to make it work for us. Assuming that, we're also better at sneaking around, and we know how to flirt to get what we want. I know I would need some other gadgets to help me though. I would make my own little essential kit that I could take everywhere. My kit would definitely include a couple of wigs to hide my true identity, a locking picking tool small enough to conceal, a telephone voice changer, a tap detector so I could make sure no one was listening to my phone conversations, and a pair of spy glasses so I could see what's going on behind me without having to turn around. I would also need a weapon, so I think I could get one of those stun guns concealed in an ink pen. It's the perfect size, and no one would suspect it!
Why am I rambling on and on about my dreams of being a spy? There's a new show coming out about a spy who has been blacklisted from the system. USA Network's Burn Notice starts June 28th, and I think it's going to be a show I would like to see. CIA Operative Michael Weston is going to have a ton of dangerous missions to complete to discover why he's been blacklisted by the government. If you want to know how he's going to do it, you can find out more at the USA Network's website.
Got My Little Black Box
I got my Little Black Box yesterday, and it's awesome! I'm so glad I was able to get one this month. $23 is definitely worth it for this box, and that includes shipping. Sorry the photo is so horrible. I'm still working with my cell phone cam while I'm saving up for my new digi. As you can see in the picture, my box was so full that everything wouldn't actually fit in the little black box! There were extras thrown in the shipping box.I ordered my box on Friday, I received my shipping information Saturday, and my box was delivered yesterday. I couldn't ask for much faster than that! When my mail lady dropped off the box, she said it smelled so good she was tempted to open it herself, and I have to agree with her. I could smell the box before I even picked it up. When I got inside, I sat it on the bed to open it, and I couldn't keep the puppy away. He wanted to sniff and lick all over the box. It was so cute, but I must admit he's got good taste!
I will be reviewing each product inside the box, and including pictures, but for now, here's a list of everything that was included.
- Vampyrz.com- 1 Vampire Drawer Sachet Scented Dracula's Bite & 1 Vampire Bath Bomb Scented She Wolf, coupon also included
- Spell-casters.com- 10 pack of Sweet Enchantments Hand Dipped Incense Scented Beltane
- Relaxation Works Skin & Spa Co- 1 Lip Balm in Dulce De Leche
- The Ivy Keep- Honeysuckle Wax Melt
- Coming Home Candles- Campfire & Marshmallow Wax Melt
- Honey Bear Soap Co- Full Size Creamy Shea Butter Soap Scented Cucumber Melon
- Charssi- Spoon Fudge
- Lavender Moon Aromatics- Silken Body Oil Spray Scented Precious Amber & Shower Gel Scented Piece of Cake, 15% off coupon also included
- Whiff and Sniff Candles- 2 Wick-less Candle Samples 1 She's my Cherry Pie, 1Misty Melons, 15% off coupon included
- Barcelona Bath & Body- Vanilla Lavender Guest Soap, 20% off coupon
- Sheba's Secrets- I received a Pamper Yourself Spa Sampler. Included in the sampler were Dreamsicle Milk Bath, Kiwi Mango Soap, Pedicure Soak with Shea Butter Scented Amazing Grace, Soy Tart Melt Scented Look Alive, and Zodiac Sachet Scented Virgo, also included coupon for 15% off next order
Monday Madness
It's time for a little Monday Madness again. Oh how I hate Mondays!
1. In your opinion, what is the perfect summer daytime temperature?
I think the perfect summer temperature is 80, although we don't see it. It's supposed to hit 94 today, and that's not counting all the muggy nasty humidity.
2. What is the perfect nighttime temperature?
I like it to be around 65 at night. It's great when I can turn off the a/c and open the windows.
3. Do you plant many flowers around your yard?
There are tons of flowers everywhere in our yard, but I didn't plant a single one of them. We can thank my grandma for our scenery.
4. How much lawn do you have to mow? Do you enjoy mowing lawn?
We have tons of lawn to mow. Our house sits in the middle of 4 acres of yard, then there's pasture and woods all around us that make up another 200 acres. Hubby loves to cut the grass but he never gets to do it. My grandpa uses it as an excuse to get out of the house, so he's normally already got it done by the time I even wake up in the morning. I don't think we've touched our mower in 3 years.
5. Of the summer months, which is your favorite?
That's hard to say. I would probably pick September because it's still summer but started to cool down.
6. Do you take a long vacation each summer?
It depends on money and our schedules. We don't really take a long vacation. We normally take a few small ones.
7. Is summer your favorite season? If so, why? If not, why not?
No, fall is my favorite season. I love the fall air, the temperatures, the changing colors of the leaves, and best of all, my birthday!
1. In your opinion, what is the perfect summer daytime temperature?
I think the perfect summer temperature is 80, although we don't see it. It's supposed to hit 94 today, and that's not counting all the muggy nasty humidity.
2. What is the perfect nighttime temperature?
I like it to be around 65 at night. It's great when I can turn off the a/c and open the windows.
3. Do you plant many flowers around your yard?
There are tons of flowers everywhere in our yard, but I didn't plant a single one of them. We can thank my grandma for our scenery.
4. How much lawn do you have to mow? Do you enjoy mowing lawn?
We have tons of lawn to mow. Our house sits in the middle of 4 acres of yard, then there's pasture and woods all around us that make up another 200 acres. Hubby loves to cut the grass but he never gets to do it. My grandpa uses it as an excuse to get out of the house, so he's normally already got it done by the time I even wake up in the morning. I don't think we've touched our mower in 3 years.
5. Of the summer months, which is your favorite?
That's hard to say. I would probably pick September because it's still summer but started to cool down.
6. Do you take a long vacation each summer?
It depends on money and our schedules. We don't really take a long vacation. We normally take a few small ones.
7. Is summer your favorite season? If so, why? If not, why not?
No, fall is my favorite season. I love the fall air, the temperatures, the changing colors of the leaves, and best of all, my birthday!
Weight Loss
When it comes to weight loss today, I think there are so many different plans and products to choose from that everything can get a little confusing. We all have to deal with recalls due to stuff like Ephedra, then we have to research stuff like herbal supplements and Tenuate. I'm so glad that I'm comfortable enough with myself not to have to think about weight loss, but it's something my sister is dealing with. She's always been stick thin, but she recently gained her "womanly figure". She's by no means fat, but when the stress of an upcoming wedding, she's going crazy over gaining the typical 15 lbs often referred to as the "freshman 15". I feel her though. I remember how rough I felt when I gained 20 lbs right before my wedding. She's been considering weight loss pills to help her get back in shape for the big day, but due to the fact that she's got a thyroid problem, I think it will be hard to find one she can actually take.
A Mermaid's Stone
I might not wear it much, but I do love jewelry. Most of it sits in my jewelry box, never to be taken out and worn, but I do admire it. I also love buying jewelry as gifts for others, especially when it's something unique. I think Aquamarine jewelry is really beautiful, and Mysolitaire.com carries quite a few selections. It's said that Aquamarine is the treasure of mermaids, so maybe that's why it is so beautiful.
I definitely see a few of Aquamarine Rings I would like to add to my jewelry collection. They would be beautiful to wear on special occasions. My friend is trying to convince me to finally get my ears pierced, and some of those Aquamarine Earrings really are beautiful. I think my mom would love some of the Aquamarine Pendants. She's not much for jewelry either, but she loves wearing pendants. The collection is absolutely beautiful, so if you love gorgeous jewelry, take a look. You might see something you like.
I definitely see a few of Aquamarine Rings I would like to add to my jewelry collection. They would be beautiful to wear on special occasions. My friend is trying to convince me to finally get my ears pierced, and some of those Aquamarine Earrings really are beautiful. I think my mom would love some of the Aquamarine Pendants. She's not much for jewelry either, but she loves wearing pendants. The collection is absolutely beautiful, so if you love gorgeous jewelry, take a look. You might see something you like.
I'd Buy That!: Week 1
Some things are just too cool to go out of style. I love retro furniture, and if that's what I'm looking for, Vintageswank.com is the place to find it. They've got everything from clothing, lighting, and furniture to miscellaneous junk that someone's going to love!If you're a fan of Retro gear, check out a few of these other great sites!
I'd Buy That" is a weekly publication containing items and/or e-commerce stores I think are worth checking out. Some of these things go on my wish list, while other things just seem super cool to me. Non of these products are listed due to paid endorsements. If I think it's cool, I'm sharing it!
Executive Search Firm Blog
If you are seeking a job, there may be a blog out there that can help you. A.E. Feldman Blog is an Executive Search Firm Blog that showcases jobs in certain fields such as Auditing, Finance & Accounting, Financial Engineering, and Legal fields. The blog is ran by the Executive Job Search company, A. E. Feldman. The company specializes in placing people with jobs in Fortune 500 companies as well as many other top companies. A. E. Feldman is a woman owned company that has operated since 1967, and are experts in the fields mentioned above. If you're looking for a good resource for job hunting, consider checking out the Executive Search Firm Blog for job seeking advice, breaking job related news, and tips on how to land the perfect job.
Agloco™ Issues
I've had the Agloco™ Toolbar installed for a little over a week now. I had originally planned to review the service after a week's use, but honestly I haven't been able to use it that much. I'm wondering if anyone else is having any of the same problems I'm experiencing, or if something is just going wrong with my computer.
First of all, the major problem is that 9 out of 10 times if I try to load the Agloco toolbar, I receive an error message saying my Agloco toolbar has expired and will shut down. This leads to my second problem. When I try to access the Agloco website, I get the "Problem Loading Page" connection timed out error. For a service that has boasted so much, it doesn't sit well with me if their homepage never works.
I will definitely provide a full review of the service if I can ever use it, but as of right now, I'm not very happy with the Agloco Toolbar. There was a lot of hype about something I don't see working very well.
First of all, the major problem is that 9 out of 10 times if I try to load the Agloco toolbar, I receive an error message saying my Agloco toolbar has expired and will shut down. This leads to my second problem. When I try to access the Agloco website, I get the "Problem Loading Page" connection timed out error. For a service that has boasted so much, it doesn't sit well with me if their homepage never works.
I will definitely provide a full review of the service if I can ever use it, but as of right now, I'm not very happy with the Agloco Toolbar. There was a lot of hype about something I don't see working very well.
Monday Madness A Little Late
Are you ready to hear all about my vehicles? Considering the transmission in my car went out a few months ago, and we've been too lazy to fix it, you get to hear all about our bike!
1. Do you listen to the radio, or a CD, when you're driving in your car/truck/SUV?Now that the bike is our main transportation, I keep my MP3 player with me at all times.
2. Do you have one of those GPS systems in your vehicle?
Nope, I've got a tank bag with a map pocket. That's all we need.
3. About how many miles do you put on your vehicle in a month?
Now that we're using the bike mostly, we've put 21,000 miles on it in a year, so about 1700 a month. That's definitely a lot for a motorcycle. Most people don't put 1000 on one a year.
4. Do you have your oil changed regularly?
The dealership changes it in the bike every 6000 miles. We'd do it at home, but we've got free services for another 2 years.
5. Do you take your vehicle to a car wash or do you wash it at home?
At home only. I detail the bike every week.
6. How often do you have the inside of your vehicle cleaned? Do you do it yourself or do you pay someone to do it?
Well considering the bike has no inside, never!
7. What is the color of your vehicle?
Black
If you want to participate in this meme, check out the Monday Madness blog. Remember, it doesn't have to be Monday for you to participate. The questions for the week are released on Mondays, but you've got all week to answer them!
Replacement Watchbands
Have you ever bought a watch that was really pretty, but the band wasn't exactly great? I've got 2 watches in my jewelry box right now that are just like that. One I purchased because it had a very beautiful silver celestial pattern on the watch face, but I've never worn it because the band is a cheap black fake leather band that is very less than appealing. The watch would be absolutely beautiful with the right band. One option is to replace the band with one I really like.
Watchband.biz offers beautiful high end luxury Watch Bands, and I've seen quite a few that would match perfectly. Unfortunately, most of these bands are extremely out of my price range, but like I said, they are high end luxury bands. If I had the money to spend, or if I actually wore a lot of jewelry, I might consider adding one of these bands to my watch collection. I just don't wear a lot of jewelry, and I definitely don't spend a lot of money on the jewelry I do wear. Watchband.biz also offers watch parts such as spring bars, buckles, and batteries as well as various tools for some pretty decent prices. If you have an expensive watch that is broken, consider how much you might save by repairing it instead of purchasing a new one.
This post is sponsored by Watchband.biz.
Watchband.biz offers beautiful high end luxury Watch Bands, and I've seen quite a few that would match perfectly. Unfortunately, most of these bands are extremely out of my price range, but like I said, they are high end luxury bands. If I had the money to spend, or if I actually wore a lot of jewelry, I might consider adding one of these bands to my watch collection. I just don't wear a lot of jewelry, and I definitely don't spend a lot of money on the jewelry I do wear. Watchband.biz also offers watch parts such as spring bars, buckles, and batteries as well as various tools for some pretty decent prices. If you have an expensive watch that is broken, consider how much you might save by repairing it instead of purchasing a new one.
This post is sponsored by Watchband.biz.
Forbes.com & payperpost - bloggers beware?
I just dugg an article Colleen posted on Simple Kind of Life. Seriously, it shows how ignorant some reporters can be, even those who work for Forbes.
read more | digg story
An article in Forbes magazine sparks some controversy, One top blogger speaks out to correct the serious un-truths in the article.
read more | digg story
Epicurious Soaps Continued
I just got out of the shower, and I absolutely have no choice but to rave over how awesome the soaps I got from Epicurious are! I had no intentions of using the soaps until I finished up with what I already have in the shower, but my nose got the better of me smelling that orange blossom on the counter across the room. I jumped back out of the shower just to grab one of the soap samples, and boy am I glad I did.
As soon as I started to later up I realized how awesome this shea butter soap is. It lathered up nice and creamy, and my skin was soaking it up. I realized I was out of shaving cream, and I normally won't use bar soap to shave, but this stuff is so creamy that I gave it a try anyway. With my sensitive skin, shaving with bar soap normally means I'll have tons of razor burn, but I had no problems at all shaving with this stuff. I have no razor burn and miraculously I didn't cut myself once...which is a problem I've always had around my ankles when shaving in a hurry. I absolutely love this soap! The orange blossom smell was so wonderful! I felt like I was taking an aromatherapy bath. I stayed in the shower until I ran out of hot water rewashing places just to use it.
Normally when I get out of the shower I have to use a ton of lotion because my skin is really dry. I didn't want to lose the orange blossom smell, so I grabbed some unscented lotion and hardly had to use any of it. Instead of my skin soaking up tons of lotion, I had to wipe some lotion off! I absolutely love the Epicurious soap, and there will definitely be more orders from me in the future!
As soon as I started to later up I realized how awesome this shea butter soap is. It lathered up nice and creamy, and my skin was soaking it up. I realized I was out of shaving cream, and I normally won't use bar soap to shave, but this stuff is so creamy that I gave it a try anyway. With my sensitive skin, shaving with bar soap normally means I'll have tons of razor burn, but I had no problems at all shaving with this stuff. I have no razor burn and miraculously I didn't cut myself once...which is a problem I've always had around my ankles when shaving in a hurry. I absolutely love this soap! The orange blossom smell was so wonderful! I felt like I was taking an aromatherapy bath. I stayed in the shower until I ran out of hot water rewashing places just to use it.
Normally when I get out of the shower I have to use a ton of lotion because my skin is really dry. I didn't want to lose the orange blossom smell, so I grabbed some unscented lotion and hardly had to use any of it. Instead of my skin soaking up tons of lotion, I had to wipe some lotion off! I absolutely love the Epicurious soap, and there will definitely be more orders from me in the future!
CSV Files
Have you ever heard of Comma Separated Values? If you download bank statements, paypal statements, or anything similar you should know exactly what they are, but if you don't I'll explain. CSV files are a way to download your statements so that many different programs can use them instead of downloading something that can only be used in Microsoft Money or Quicken. When you download a csv file , you're essentially downloading a table of information, but each column is separated by a comma. Many programs can read these files, but if you try to read it in notepad, it might look a little confusing.
The solution to this is to use a CSV Reader. This can come in handy, especially if you do paid blogging. I download my monthly statements from Paypal every month, but Quicken and Microsoft Money are a little hard to understand for those of us who hardly use them, so I download the CSV file. When I open it with a CSV reader, it converts to a grid table full of everything I need to know. It's easy to read, loads much quicker than trying to use one of the money management programs, and is very easy to use! When I print my records, I get a nice spreadsheet that I have no problem deciphering without all the hassles of money management software.
This post is courtesy of csvreader.com.
The solution to this is to use a CSV Reader. This can come in handy, especially if you do paid blogging. I download my monthly statements from Paypal every month, but Quicken and Microsoft Money are a little hard to understand for those of us who hardly use them, so I download the CSV file. When I open it with a CSV reader, it converts to a grid table full of everything I need to know. It's easy to read, loads much quicker than trying to use one of the money management programs, and is very easy to use! When I print my records, I get a nice spreadsheet that I have no problem deciphering without all the hassles of money management software.
This post is courtesy of csvreader.com.
Etsy Product Reviews
I've been trying to get this post up for awhile, but every time I begin to write it I get distracted! I'm finally going to get it up! On May 30th I ordered a few samples from Etsy.com. Lisa over at RPSoapworks introduced me to Etsy, and I absolutely love it. All items over there are handmade by wonderful people!
My First Orders:
The fudge from The Country Baker arrived last Tuesday and included 1 sample of each flavor, Rocky Road, Irish Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Banana Coconut Fudge. I meant to take pictures of the fudge before we dove into it, but I didn't have the chance. Hubby popped open the Rocky Road, shared one bite with me, and finished it before I had a chance to snap any photos. It was absolutely wonderful! We finished off the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough fudge shortly after. I still have some Irish Cream and Banana Coconut Fudge left only because I switched them to a different container and hid them behind a lot of my health food so hubby couldn't eat it!
I also received my order from Tracy's Candle Creations on the same day. The soaps smell so wonderful! Included in the pack were samples of glycerin soap in Pink Grapefruit, Fresh Brewed Coffee, Sweet Pea, and Lavender. Hubby likes the Lavender, and he's added it to his side o
f the sink. My favorite is the Fresh Brewed Coffee. I ended up in the kitchen, and the Sweet Pea landed in the shower. Tracy also threw in one of her wax melts in Baby Powder scent for free as well as a couple business cards! It ended up in my wax diffuser before the end of the evening and smelled so wonderful! I will definitely be adding a few of those to my next order. The photo is missing the Fresh Brewed Coffee sample. I had already snatched it out to use before I thought to take pictures!
My order from Epicurious arrived yesterday. It was a little late, but I had a nice note explaining that she thought it had already shipped, but realized she didn't have a shipping receipt for the order, so she sent it out ASAP. I was very pleased, and I didn't have any problems with waiting 2 weeks for the order. I had ordered 2 1oz shea butter soap samples. What arrived was much
more than I expected. There were three samples of each soap I had chosen, Orange Blossom and White Linen. She also included a wonderful FULL SIZE bar of Moonlight Path Shea Butter Soap. All of the scents are absolutely wonderful, but the orange blossom smells so good I want to eat it! I placed the Orange Blossom in the kitchen still in the bag, and it's working as a nice potpourri. I opened the white linen bag and placed it on my desk. I normally use my wax diffuser in my office during the day, but the soap smells so good it has taken over! I received all of this for .75 including shipping! It's all so wonderful I headed back over to the Epicurious shop today to purchase a few other things, and right now there's a sale going on for 20-30% off. She's clearing out old stock and introducing a new line, so you should definitely head over there before June 20th to order something!
My First Orders:
- 1 lb Fudge Sampler from The Country Baker (photo borrowed from store)
- 1 Sample Soap Pack from Tracy's Candle Creation
- 1 Sample Soap Pack from Epicurious
The fudge from The Country Baker arrived last Tuesday and included 1 sample of each flavor, Rocky Road, Irish Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Banana Coconut Fudge. I meant to take pictures of the fudge before we dove into it, but I didn't have the chance. Hubby popped open the Rocky Road, shared one bite with me, and finished it before I had a chance to snap any photos. It was absolutely wonderful! We finished off the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough fudge shortly after. I still have some Irish Cream and Banana Coconut Fudge left only because I switched them to a different container and hid them behind a lot of my health food so hubby couldn't eat it!
I also received my order from Tracy's Candle Creations on the same day. The soaps smell so wonderful! Included in the pack were samples of glycerin soap in Pink Grapefruit, Fresh Brewed Coffee, Sweet Pea, and Lavender. Hubby likes the Lavender, and he's added it to his side o
f the sink. My favorite is the Fresh Brewed Coffee. I ended up in the kitchen, and the Sweet Pea landed in the shower. Tracy also threw in one of her wax melts in Baby Powder scent for free as well as a couple business cards! It ended up in my wax diffuser before the end of the evening and smelled so wonderful! I will definitely be adding a few of those to my next order. The photo is missing the Fresh Brewed Coffee sample. I had already snatched it out to use before I thought to take pictures!My order from Epicurious arrived yesterday. It was a little late, but I had a nice note explaining that she thought it had already shipped, but realized she didn't have a shipping receipt for the order, so she sent it out ASAP. I was very pleased, and I didn't have any problems with waiting 2 weeks for the order. I had ordered 2 1oz shea butter soap samples. What arrived was much
more than I expected. There were three samples of each soap I had chosen, Orange Blossom and White Linen. She also included a wonderful FULL SIZE bar of Moonlight Path Shea Butter Soap. All of the scents are absolutely wonderful, but the orange blossom smells so good I want to eat it! I placed the Orange Blossom in the kitchen still in the bag, and it's working as a nice potpourri. I opened the white linen bag and placed it on my desk. I normally use my wax diffuser in my office during the day, but the soap smells so good it has taken over! I received all of this for .75 including shipping! It's all so wonderful I headed back over to the Epicurious shop today to purchase a few other things, and right now there's a sale going on for 20-30% off. She's clearing out old stock and introducing a new line, so you should definitely head over there before June 20th to order something!Music For Your SIte
What's more awesome than listening to music? How about getting to add photos to your music playlist! MyPlaylist gives you the opportunity to create a musical slideshow to share with others on your blog, website, or social networking profile. Not only can you view pictures of your favorite artists while listening to their songs, but you can share it with others. Even better, you aren't stuck with just the artist's photos. If you have other pictures you want to share, you can do that, too. Choose your own playlist and photos or check out the free music and photos from the myplaylist website. Check out the one I've included below.
Pimping Out Donations Via Paid Posts
I normally don't write bad posts about other bloggers. I might critique their site, but I normally don't mention names when I'm not too happy about something that's happening. Unfortunately I felt like ranting about one specific A-list blogger today. It's not the blogger himself who I'm upset with. It's the practices he uses when it comes to ReviewMe. John Chow is getting paid huge bucks by advertisers who want him specifically to review their site. In fact he makes half of each $400 review, but yet I see a nice little Paypal donate link at the bottom of his latest ReviewMe post. The Paypal donate occurs at the bottom of each post on his blog, but is it fair to the advertiser to also include it on paid posts?
I personally believe if the advertiser is paying me to write a post, I shouldn't be pimping out my donate button on that post. Then again, John Chow is an A-list blogger who can get away with just about anything he wants when it comes to his blog. What do you think? Is it okay to include a button on a post disclosed as paid asking people to donate to you to support your efforts blogging? Is it greedy or do you think it's acceptable?
I personally believe if the advertiser is paying me to write a post, I shouldn't be pimping out my donate button on that post. Then again, John Chow is an A-list blogger who can get away with just about anything he wants when it comes to his blog. What do you think? Is it okay to include a button on a post disclosed as paid asking people to donate to you to support your efforts blogging? Is it greedy or do you think it's acceptable?
Organizing With Extra Storage
I've been looking for some new products to help me keep things organized around the house. I can't help it. We're just overflowing with clutter. People like to give us stuff even when I say I just don't have room for anything else. Hubby brings out tons of useless stuff from work like a truckload of blue slate flooring. These were all half tiles and broken tiles that couldn't be used in the multi million dollar house he was building. Hubby knows I want a mosaic tile floor particularly out of blue slate around our wood stove, so he thought I could use them. The idea is wonderful, but until we own this house, we aren't allowed to change anything, and multiple stacks of blue slate just takes up more room. (Again why I hope we can actually buy it!)
It took me a few months, but I finally convinced hubby to get rid of the flooring. I found a guy who could actually use it, and he traded hubby a huge toolbox thingy. The thing is about 6 ft tall and holds all his tools, so I solved two problems in one. I got rid of the tile that was just stacked up in my utility room, and I gained storage for hubby's tools that were just thrown everywhere inside and out. I've been begging him to buy some storage for them for months as well.
Now that I've gotten that taken care of, I've decided to treat myself to something for some storage. I'm going to start in one room, and I'll buy a few small things to help each week until that room is finished. Then I'll move onto the next room that needs organizing. I think it's a decent plan, don't you? I think I'm going to start in the bathroom. Yeah, it's the smallest room in the house, and it will be the easiest to work with, but we've got to start somewhere! I've already added extra shelving to the closest, so now I have more room to store linens. Before we had 1 shelf, 1 small hanging rack, and a ton of extra space below the shelf that couldn't be used.
Now I've got all the bed linens stored on one shelf, the towels on another, and I think I'm going to buy some organizers for the top shelf so I can store bedding there also. I've debated on adding a few cute baskets, but I've also thought about Space Bags. I could definitely stack quite few Space Bags in that space, but my only concern is moisture. The closet sits next to the bath tub, and I'm not sure if moisture will effect them. I know Space Bags are supposed to protect against mildew, but has anyone tried them? I'm kind of skeptical on purchasing them, but I would really like to be able to store all of my nice thick winter blankets and quilts in that closet. Only problem is most of my quilts are family heirlooms hand made by my ancestors, so I can't take the chance on ruining them.
It took me a few months, but I finally convinced hubby to get rid of the flooring. I found a guy who could actually use it, and he traded hubby a huge toolbox thingy. The thing is about 6 ft tall and holds all his tools, so I solved two problems in one. I got rid of the tile that was just stacked up in my utility room, and I gained storage for hubby's tools that were just thrown everywhere inside and out. I've been begging him to buy some storage for them for months as well.
Now that I've gotten that taken care of, I've decided to treat myself to something for some storage. I'm going to start in one room, and I'll buy a few small things to help each week until that room is finished. Then I'll move onto the next room that needs organizing. I think it's a decent plan, don't you? I think I'm going to start in the bathroom. Yeah, it's the smallest room in the house, and it will be the easiest to work with, but we've got to start somewhere! I've already added extra shelving to the closest, so now I have more room to store linens. Before we had 1 shelf, 1 small hanging rack, and a ton of extra space below the shelf that couldn't be used.
Now I've got all the bed linens stored on one shelf, the towels on another, and I think I'm going to buy some organizers for the top shelf so I can store bedding there also. I've debated on adding a few cute baskets, but I've also thought about Space Bags. I could definitely stack quite few Space Bags in that space, but my only concern is moisture. The closet sits next to the bath tub, and I'm not sure if moisture will effect them. I know Space Bags are supposed to protect against mildew, but has anyone tried them? I'm kind of skeptical on purchasing them, but I would really like to be able to store all of my nice thick winter blankets and quilts in that closet. Only problem is most of my quilts are family heirlooms hand made by my ancestors, so I can't take the chance on ruining them.
Maybe Buying Our House
Hubby and I have lived in a house my grandparents own for almost 4 years now. My grandparents bought this house back in the 50s and raised their family here. I grew up 5 minutes away sneaking off everyday just to stay in this house. As a kid I always said when I grew up I would live in this house, and well that came true. My grandparents moved out of this house when they built their dream house. It sits about 300 feet beside us, but having a field between us gives us our own privacy. Hubby and I have tried to convince them many times to sell us the house. We know they want to keep it in the family, and what better way than to sell it to their granddaughter? They aren't charging us rent, so I feel as if we're taking advantage of us in a way. If they would sell it to us, at least we would feel like we were giving back to them in some way, whether they need the money or not.
We had another discussion with them about the house this weekend. Actually, we had the discussion with my grandpa. He told me he's trying to convince my grandma to sell us the house. He knows we already take good care of it, and we would definitely keep everything in order if it were ours. This house needs a lot of work. The wiring is outdated. It's so bad that I'm changing at least 1 light bulb a week. They blow just about every time you turn the light on. There's also problems with the foundation settling over the last 60 years, so there are gaps under some of the walls. Hubby is an awesome carpenter who can fix all of the problems this house has, but my grandma just doesn't want to give us the permission to do it. If we owned it, we could take care of everything.
Now that my grandpa is trying to work with us, I'm wondering if we need to consider a Realtor to help us with the purchase if they do decide to sell. I know it's family, but I also know there are a lot of hidden costs these days. The laws have changed here, and you can no longer give a house to a family member in this state without having to pay taxes on it. I want to make sure there's nothing that can come back and bite us.
We had another discussion with them about the house this weekend. Actually, we had the discussion with my grandpa. He told me he's trying to convince my grandma to sell us the house. He knows we already take good care of it, and we would definitely keep everything in order if it were ours. This house needs a lot of work. The wiring is outdated. It's so bad that I'm changing at least 1 light bulb a week. They blow just about every time you turn the light on. There's also problems with the foundation settling over the last 60 years, so there are gaps under some of the walls. Hubby is an awesome carpenter who can fix all of the problems this house has, but my grandma just doesn't want to give us the permission to do it. If we owned it, we could take care of everything.
Now that my grandpa is trying to work with us, I'm wondering if we need to consider a Realtor to help us with the purchase if they do decide to sell. I know it's family, but I also know there are a lot of hidden costs these days. The laws have changed here, and you can no longer give a house to a family member in this state without having to pay taxes on it. I want to make sure there's nothing that can come back and bite us.
Review Your Favorite Businesses
Promoting your online business can turn into a fiasco if you don't know the right places to list it. Merchant Circle provides business owners with a place to promote their businesses for free whiele personalizing their profile with blogs, photos, newsletters, coupons, videos, and customer ratings. Merchant Circle provides the necessary tools to become more visible in search engines as well as making it easier to advertise in Google and Yahoo. You can also track what's being said about your business by customers.
As a consumer, Merchant Circle is also a great free resource for you. Locate businesses in your area, read reviews on businesses you're interested in trying, and share you thoughts about
Your Favorite Business. I was surprised to find my three favorite hangouts listed, especially since I live in a small town. My favorite business in my neck of the woods would have to be The Tiki Hut. In the summer my friends and I tend to spend every Friday night on the outdoor deck that makes up the Tiki Hut's bar and grill.
I have such fond memories of that place. My most memorable experience there would have to be on a cold night in November. The cold showed up a little early for our area, so we didn't expect it to be as bad as it was. My best friend and I ended up sitting on the Tiki Hut deck wrapped in blankets, sitting under outdoor deck heaters just to listen to our favorite band play one last show before the Tiki Hut closed for the winter. It got so cold that most everyone else left before the band really got started, so we had our own private show. We were frozen to the bone, but we got to hang out with the band, they bought us tons of drinks, and we enjoyed every minute of it. It's not very often we get to do something like that.
When the Tiki Hut closes for the winter season, we alternate between our next two favorite hangouts, Myrtle Beach Bar and Grill, and Tiger Town Tavern. I wasn't shocked to see Tiger Town listed considering it's a hugely popular bar in a college town, but Myrtle Beach is one of those little unknown hole in the wall places that's just so great. Now I'm so happy to see that other people can find out about it and enjoy it all the same. I'm definitely going to write review for each of my favorite 3 hangouts for Merchant Circle just so I can hopefully give someone else the chance to enjoy these great little places.
This post has been provided thanks to Merchant Circle.
As a consumer, Merchant Circle is also a great free resource for you. Locate businesses in your area, read reviews on businesses you're interested in trying, and share you thoughts about
Your Favorite Business. I was surprised to find my three favorite hangouts listed, especially since I live in a small town. My favorite business in my neck of the woods would have to be The Tiki Hut. In the summer my friends and I tend to spend every Friday night on the outdoor deck that makes up the Tiki Hut's bar and grill.
I have such fond memories of that place. My most memorable experience there would have to be on a cold night in November. The cold showed up a little early for our area, so we didn't expect it to be as bad as it was. My best friend and I ended up sitting on the Tiki Hut deck wrapped in blankets, sitting under outdoor deck heaters just to listen to our favorite band play one last show before the Tiki Hut closed for the winter. It got so cold that most everyone else left before the band really got started, so we had our own private show. We were frozen to the bone, but we got to hang out with the band, they bought us tons of drinks, and we enjoyed every minute of it. It's not very often we get to do something like that.
When the Tiki Hut closes for the winter season, we alternate between our next two favorite hangouts, Myrtle Beach Bar and Grill, and Tiger Town Tavern. I wasn't shocked to see Tiger Town listed considering it's a hugely popular bar in a college town, but Myrtle Beach is one of those little unknown hole in the wall places that's just so great. Now I'm so happy to see that other people can find out about it and enjoy it all the same. I'm definitely going to write review for each of my favorite 3 hangouts for Merchant Circle just so I can hopefully give someone else the chance to enjoy these great little places.
This post has been provided thanks to Merchant Circle.
Fresh Look Friday: Forum Finder Blog
All bloggers wonder about traffic exchanges from time to time. Are they worth the effort we put forth to develop these relationships with other bloggers? What about the exchanges such as MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog? Are they helping us or hurting us? You can find out tons of useful information about traffic exchanges as well as reviews and information on search engines at Forum Finder Blog. It doesn't stop there. You can also hear about paid to blog programs from someone else who uses them.
Make A BarterBee Trade
If you haven't heard about BarterBee.com - The Free Way to Get Movies, Music, and Games, this site is definitely worth checking out. The concept is unique, but I like the idea. You trade movies, music and games with other members through a points system. There is nothing to buy, and the system is safer than sending money through auctions.
Basically it works like this. Sign up for an account to receive 5 free points towards your first CD, DVD, or game. Browse for what you want, pay with points, and wait for your new item to arrive in the mail. There's no bidding or haggling, and shipping is free with insurance included. All items are sent in a special mailing envelope designed to protect merchandise.
If you're interested in selling your items, that's easy to do, too! Just give BarterBee the title or UPC code, and they'll create the listing for you complete with description and photos. You get to decide how many points you want for the item. When someone purchases it, stick it in a BarterBeee shipping mailer and send it off. You do have to pay shipping, but it's only around $1 for each envelope, and insurance is included. Now you can use those points you just earned to purchase other CDs, DVDs, or games.
See how the system works? It's basically a simple trade made safely through a system. You don't have to trade specifically with one member, so you aren't stuck with an item you don't want.
If you're not interested in selling items, but you want to buy, there are plenty of ways to get more points. You can earn points by referring friends. After their first purchase, you get points for another free CD, DVD, or game. You also earn more free points each time you buy 5 items in a calendar month. The easiest way to get points is to buy them. Each point is equal to $1, and $1 a point isn't too bad when you can get top quality CDs, DVDs, and games for 5 points or less!
I really like the new widget BarterBee just released. If you have a blog, website, or profile on a social network, now you can share your listings with your site visitors and friends. I think this site is a great idea for those who are interested in trading specifically for similar items, especially when it comes to video games. We have stacks of video games sitting around that hubby has gotten tired of, so I'm definitely going to give BarterBee a try.
This post is sponsored by BarterBee.
Basically it works like this. Sign up for an account to receive 5 free points towards your first CD, DVD, or game. Browse for what you want, pay with points, and wait for your new item to arrive in the mail. There's no bidding or haggling, and shipping is free with insurance included. All items are sent in a special mailing envelope designed to protect merchandise.
If you're interested in selling your items, that's easy to do, too! Just give BarterBee the title or UPC code, and they'll create the listing for you complete with description and photos. You get to decide how many points you want for the item. When someone purchases it, stick it in a BarterBeee shipping mailer and send it off. You do have to pay shipping, but it's only around $1 for each envelope, and insurance is included. Now you can use those points you just earned to purchase other CDs, DVDs, or games.
See how the system works? It's basically a simple trade made safely through a system. You don't have to trade specifically with one member, so you aren't stuck with an item you don't want.
If you're not interested in selling items, but you want to buy, there are plenty of ways to get more points. You can earn points by referring friends. After their first purchase, you get points for another free CD, DVD, or game. You also earn more free points each time you buy 5 items in a calendar month. The easiest way to get points is to buy them. Each point is equal to $1, and $1 a point isn't too bad when you can get top quality CDs, DVDs, and games for 5 points or less!
I really like the new widget BarterBee just released. If you have a blog, website, or profile on a social network, now you can share your listings with your site visitors and friends. I think this site is a great idea for those who are interested in trading specifically for similar items, especially when it comes to video games. We have stacks of video games sitting around that hubby has gotten tired of, so I'm definitely going to give BarterBee a try.
This post is sponsored by BarterBee.
Anybody Got The Time?
Hubby really needs a new watch. He's got a very nice one, but the second hand fell off and somehow he cracked the glass as well. I tried to get it repaired awhile back, but it's going to cost just as much to fix it as it would to buy a new one. I think he would like some of the Swiss Army Watches. I don't really care which watch he likes, but at least if he has a new one he'll have no more excuses for his habit of being late. He normally says, "I didn't know what time it was!"
Clean It Up
I build custom computers and do computer repair from my home. That's the job I've chosen to do because I absolutely love it. I get to work my own schedule, and there's always someone who needs something fixed. My latest project was the monster $6000 computer I custom built for hubby's boss, but most of the time my jobs involve a simple Spyware cleanup. I've had many customer's drop off their PC's claiming that nothing works or everything is super slow. I'll do a quick cleanup and have them running in an hour. It isn't always that simple though.
A few week's ago my sister brought her computer over for me to fix. She said she couldn't even turn it on because as soon as it started to load windows, the whole system would have a fatal error and crash. Now, I know my sister isn't very computer savvy, and I know she has a tendency to run her computer without any type of spyware protection or antivirus. I install all the needed programs, but she has a habit of removing them to clear up space for games. This is my same sister who got mad at me the first time I cleaned her computer. I told her I removed all the spyware and she said "No! My computer can't run without spyware. That's what makes it work! You suck at fixing computers!"
Oh how I laugh at that! Anyway, her computer was so messed up this last time that it took me 2 days to fix it. I couldn't even get into safe mode so I had to slave her hard drive to one of my computers, then I had to manually start the cleanup process. After I finally got it to a state where I could run a few spyware programs in safe mode, I was shocked that it wasn't finding anything. I had already proven there was no problem with her hardware by setting her up with one of my hard drives. I ran a number of programs before Spy Sweeper finally picked up some really nasty stuff.
Today I use Spy Sweeper on a daily basis. It's one of the best programs I've found for removing spyware. Of course, spyware program is going to pick up every problem 100% of the time, but overall, I've had more luck using Spy Sweeper than with many of the other programs out there on the market.
A few week's ago my sister brought her computer over for me to fix. She said she couldn't even turn it on because as soon as it started to load windows, the whole system would have a fatal error and crash. Now, I know my sister isn't very computer savvy, and I know she has a tendency to run her computer without any type of spyware protection or antivirus. I install all the needed programs, but she has a habit of removing them to clear up space for games. This is my same sister who got mad at me the first time I cleaned her computer. I told her I removed all the spyware and she said "No! My computer can't run without spyware. That's what makes it work! You suck at fixing computers!"
Oh how I laugh at that! Anyway, her computer was so messed up this last time that it took me 2 days to fix it. I couldn't even get into safe mode so I had to slave her hard drive to one of my computers, then I had to manually start the cleanup process. After I finally got it to a state where I could run a few spyware programs in safe mode, I was shocked that it wasn't finding anything. I had already proven there was no problem with her hardware by setting her up with one of my hard drives. I ran a number of programs before Spy Sweeper finally picked up some really nasty stuff.
Today I use Spy Sweeper on a daily basis. It's one of the best programs I've found for removing spyware. Of course, spyware program is going to pick up every problem 100% of the time, but overall, I've had more luck using Spy Sweeper than with many of the other programs out there on the market.
Agloco Toolbar
I just got my Agloco Toolbar today. I received the email sometime during the night, so I installed it first thing this morning. So far I haven't seen any advertisements yet, just the 'Ads to appear here shortly, Click for Viewbar FAQ" notice, but overall I like the toolbar. It's not obtrusive in anyway. I was afraid that it might slow down my computer a little, but so far that hasn't happened. There's different color schemes to choose from, and you can choose whether you would like to dock it at the top or bottom of your screen. I also like that there's a search box for Google, Windows Live, Yahoo, Ebay, Amazon, Dictionary, Wikipedia, and Rediff. I can't wait to see how things go with making money off of this, and I'll keep you informed. I'd also like to hear from anyone who has already been using the toolbar to see how things are going.
Pain Killer Addictions
I talk about drug rehab centers all the time, as well as the drug problems my husbands and friends faced, but I've never discussed pain killers. Maybe that's because most of my friends that have had or still have addictions are all addicted to hard drugs. There are many people out there who are addicted to pain killers, too, and mainly because they are a lot easier to get. Sure, I've sat around hanging out with my friends before and had someone say, "Dude, can you get me a loratab? I'll pay $20." I've even had friends try to buy my prescription muscle relaxers before, but I never really thought about the fact that they might be addicted to pain killers just as badly as the harder drugs they were on. There are even people out there who are addicted to over the counter pain killers, and some of them might not even realize it. That's why I'm glad there are treatment centers out there like Sunset Malibu who treat Pain Killer Addiction as well as the harder drug and alcohol addictions people can face. Sunset Malibu it a private treatment center located in Malibu, California, that can help people face their problems in a quiet environment where they are more likely to succeed.
Paid Blogging Series: PayU2Blog
If you have't heard of PayU2Blog, you're really missing out if you like to blog for cash. This company is so great, I wish I had started working with them a lot sooner! They aren't like all the rest of the paid to blog services out there. PayU2Blog sends you assignments weekly. Sometimes you receive a set amount each week, other times you might receive extra assignments after you finish your initial set, but you get paid $5 for each complete assignment, and payments are made on time every time. You're paid every 2 weeks, so it's just like getting a paycheck on a set day. Payments are made through Paypal.There aren't a lot of requirements to join, but your blog has to be indexed by Google just as with all the other paid to blog programs. Other than that blogs are manually approved on a case by case basis. If it looks like your blog will draw traffic for the advertisers, you will more than likely be approved. Wordpress.com blogs aren't accepted, and I'm not sure if there are any others that won't be taken, but I know for a fact that blogger and personal domains are okay.
When it comes to writing the posts, each post must be at least 60 words, but your posts can be back to back, and there is no requirement for non-paid posts before or after each post. Each post only needs to contain 1 link, and no disclosure is required. Unlike most of the other paid blogging companies, they don't specify how you have to write the post. It doesn't have to be a review, buzz, or blatant advertising. You choose how to work it in to your blog as long as it isn't a negative post. You can find out a little more about the PayU2Blog program via their FAQ.
Oh, and another great thing about the company is all the contests! Currently they are giving away $100 to one blogger every Friday through December! There's also another big contest in the works that will be announced soon, but it's easy to get in on the current one. Any member who puts a PayU2Blog banner on their blog is eligible to win! Winners are announced via a YouTube video in the PayU2Blog blog, so stop by and check it out!
Out of all the paid blogging companies I work with, PayU2Blog is my #1 choice. I'll definitely blog for them until there is no opportunity to do so. I love the money I make with them, and I'll continue to recommend PayU2Blog to anyone who wants to jump on the paid blogging bandwagon!
Supernatural Happenings
Do you believe in the supernatural? I sure do. I've experienced things that could only be described as supernatural. I live in one of the top 10 most haunted counties in South Carolina, and I've been in a haunted house when I visited Alabama with my husband. He told me his aunt and uncle's farm that sits on top of an old indian burial ground is haunted, but I didn't want to believe him. On the 4 hour drive there he told me about strange things happening behind the house where the above ground pool used to sit. Apparently more than once someone swimming in the pool almost drowned and said they felt like something pulled them under and just held them down. He also told me about how when his mom was 8 months pregnant, she was walking down the stairs inside the house and something shoved her. His sister experienced the same feeling. He told me more than once he had seen an old man walking through the house on nights he slept over at their house.
I didn't fully believe him until the second night we stayed there. That evening I decided to take a shower before we went out for dinner, and when I came back down the stairs, something shoved me. I had no control over myself as I tumbled down the old wooden stairs. I ended up twisting my ankle really bad, and I couldn't walk the rest of the week.
I've always been fascinated by supernatural stuff like that, and although it scares me to death, I'm glad I got to experience it. That's probably one of the reasons I'm into books that deal with supernatural stuff like a lot of the Stephen King stuff. I can't wait to see the 1408 Movie starring John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson. If you haven't heard about the movie yet, it's about a horror novelist who doesn't believe in things he can't see with his own two eyes. He writes a string of bestsellers that take place in famous haunted houses and graveyards all over the world, but he has no belief in the real supernatural and afterlife, but that all changes when he checks into room 1408 at the Dolphin Motel for his "10 Nights In Haunted Hotel Rooms" book. If you're into supernatural stuff, I think 1408 Movie is going to be a really good movie. For a preview, check out the trailer below.
I didn't fully believe him until the second night we stayed there. That evening I decided to take a shower before we went out for dinner, and when I came back down the stairs, something shoved me. I had no control over myself as I tumbled down the old wooden stairs. I ended up twisting my ankle really bad, and I couldn't walk the rest of the week.
I've always been fascinated by supernatural stuff like that, and although it scares me to death, I'm glad I got to experience it. That's probably one of the reasons I'm into books that deal with supernatural stuff like a lot of the Stephen King stuff. I can't wait to see the 1408 Movie starring John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson. If you haven't heard about the movie yet, it's about a horror novelist who doesn't believe in things he can't see with his own two eyes. He writes a string of bestsellers that take place in famous haunted houses and graveyards all over the world, but he has no belief in the real supernatural and afterlife, but that all changes when he checks into room 1408 at the Dolphin Motel for his "10 Nights In Haunted Hotel Rooms" book. If you're into supernatural stuff, I think 1408 Movie is going to be a really good movie. For a preview, check out the trailer below.
Free Pro Hosting Package
Have you heard about the contest I'm running on Everyday Randomness? If you haven't, you really should go check it out. My wonderful web host, 2CheapBlogs, has decided to give away a free hosting and domain package for a year to two lucky bloggers! The packages are a $45 value, and this is your chance to move away from free hosting without having to pay a penny! Entering is super easy. All you have to do is write a short blog post and/or digg the contest post! The first drawing will be held June 17th, and the second drawing will be on July 1st. If you get your entry in by June 16th you're eligible for both drawings, so that's 2 chances to win!
Laptop Rentals
Have you ever needed a laptop for business on a short term basis, but you didn't want to go out and spend hundreds or even thousands on a laptop that you wouldn't use for long? What if you own a company and need to send your employees on a business trip where a laptop is required, or you need to train a group of people who all need access to computers during training? It could get quite expensive to supply computers to everyone if you have to purchase them. Now you can save money with a rental instead of having to purchase one! No matter why you may need laptop rentals, Innovative Rental has one for you. They rent laptops on a short term basis for cooperate events, business training, tradeshows, or whatever your business may need. Innovative Rental also specializes in Tablet PC rentals and MacBook Pro rentals, so your business will never be without.
Google's Take On Duplicate & Paid Content
I was skimming through my Sage feeds, and a story on WebProNews caught my eye. WebProNews interviewed Matt Cutts from Google asking him about a few things about duplicate content and paid links. If you are concerned about either, I suggest you check it out.
News Stories Through Videos
In the world of blogging, it's important to stay on top of news stories, whether your blog is a certain niche or general. Every good blogger knows a great blog is developed around good content, and breaking news stories are some of the best content.
Videos are another thing that draw a good crowd of visitors to a blog. I use videos from time to time in some of my blog posts, and I have personally watched my stats rise for those posts. Combining news stories with videos can be a great attention getter.
Let me introduce you to The News Room, a great site to not only find great news videos to embed in your blog in any category you can imagine, but also a new place to find a revenue stream for your blog! While sharing news releases on your site, you can also make money via advertising through CPM. Most videos pay $1 to $4 for every 1000 clicks. That might seem like a lot, but just check out the number of views on a lot of sites like YouTube and Google Video. You will be shocked at the number of views some videos receive!
On top of earning cash, you can also earn prizes through The News Room including electronics, vacations, and even cars! The videos are all free to use and super easy to embed, so if you're looking for a new way to draw some cash from your blog, or looking for a new way to share news, check out The News Room!
Videos are another thing that draw a good crowd of visitors to a blog. I use videos from time to time in some of my blog posts, and I have personally watched my stats rise for those posts. Combining news stories with videos can be a great attention getter.
Let me introduce you to The News Room, a great site to not only find great news videos to embed in your blog in any category you can imagine, but also a new place to find a revenue stream for your blog! While sharing news releases on your site, you can also make money via advertising through CPM. Most videos pay $1 to $4 for every 1000 clicks. That might seem like a lot, but just check out the number of views on a lot of sites like YouTube and Google Video. You will be shocked at the number of views some videos receive!
On top of earning cash, you can also earn prizes through The News Room including electronics, vacations, and even cars! The videos are all free to use and super easy to embed, so if you're looking for a new way to draw some cash from your blog, or looking for a new way to share news, check out The News Room!
Geeky Speaky Giveaways
Have you heard what's going on over at Geeky Speaky? Colleen's giving away some new awesome prizes each month! For the month of June she's giving away a 1GB USB Flash Drive and as a booby prize, the Futurama DVD. I really need a new flash drive.
Currently I've only got my little 512mb mini SD card that I use with my cell phone. This means anytime I need to transfer something to hubby's pc or to one of my customer's pc's, I have to remove all my MP3s, videos, and pictures off my card before I can use it to transfer. Than I have to load what I need onto the card, transfer it to the other computer, delete everything from the card, reformat it so my phone will read it, and add all my MP3s, videos, and pictures back to the card so I'll have them on my phone. Did I mention that everytime I remove the card from my phone, I have to turn my phone off, remove the battery for 5 minutes, and completely reset my phone?
Yeah, my life would definitely be a lot easier if I had another Flash Drive. It costs too much to use CDs for the transfers, and floppies just take way too long! I had a Flash Drive that made transfering drivers, etc to customer's computers much easier, but unfortunately hubby broke it. How can you break a flash drive? It's easy when you drop it out of your pocket and run over it with the motorcycle!
If you want the Flash Drive just as badly as I do, stop by Geeky Speaky for the contest rules. If you're interested in non-tech related prizes, check out Simple Kind of Life!
Currently I've only got my little 512mb mini SD card that I use with my cell phone. This means anytime I need to transfer something to hubby's pc or to one of my customer's pc's, I have to remove all my MP3s, videos, and pictures off my card before I can use it to transfer. Than I have to load what I need onto the card, transfer it to the other computer, delete everything from the card, reformat it so my phone will read it, and add all my MP3s, videos, and pictures back to the card so I'll have them on my phone. Did I mention that everytime I remove the card from my phone, I have to turn my phone off, remove the battery for 5 minutes, and completely reset my phone?
Yeah, my life would definitely be a lot easier if I had another Flash Drive. It costs too much to use CDs for the transfers, and floppies just take way too long! I had a Flash Drive that made transfering drivers, etc to customer's computers much easier, but unfortunately hubby broke it. How can you break a flash drive? It's easy when you drop it out of your pocket and run over it with the motorcycle!
If you want the Flash Drive just as badly as I do, stop by Geeky Speaky for the contest rules. If you're interested in non-tech related prizes, check out Simple Kind of Life!
Trade Show Displays
If you participate in trade shows, swap meets, craft shows, or any other event that requires you to showcase your product, check out these trade show displays. When I sold Avon, I used to have a similar setup, but I had hubby help me create my own, and it ended up being rather expensive. We connected two sheets of plywood, then I had posters made to cover it as my backdrop. I was able to show eye catching versions of my products, and it really drew in customers.
Party Madness
1. When is the last time you planned for a party/social gathering at your house?
I think the last time was on New Year's Eve, but now that summer's here, we'll be having a few get togethers.
2. What type of event was it?
New Year's Eve Party
3. Do you enjoy hosting parties at your house, or do you find the preparation stressful?
I enjoy it because we don't host parties that take a lot. Give us some booze, a blender, some music, and we're good!
4. Do you tend to have a lot more food than needed for these events, or are you pretty good about estimating how much to serve?
We've got a bring your own snacks policy! Haha, no I do supply some food, but most of the time our parties are a collaboration. I supply the house, while the friends supply the alcohol and food.
5. Some people have gatherings at their homes on a regular basis because it forces them to really CLEAN. How do you feel about this?
It definitely forces me to clean. I HATE cleaning, and I'm really bad about putting it off, but when I have a party I'm going to speed clean for days...yes I said days. I speed clean, hubby makes a mess, the cycle continues. Sometimes I even put it off to the day of the party, but in the end it all gets done. Did I mention my house is usually cleaner after speed cleaning than it is during normal cleaning?
The Little Things
Hubby and I have finally set out to fix up the house. I looked at roman shades this weekend, and we talked about what color we want to paint the dining room, but we haven't decided on it yet. We're also debating on whether we're going to re-wallpaper the bathroom or paint it. The wallpaper is so old that it's peeling in one of the corners. I'd love to rip all the paper down and paint it, but we know for a fact that the entire room isn't drywall behind the paper. When my grandpa re-ran the lines for the sink, he took out about a 2 foot section of drywall in the corner next to the sink and replaced it with plywood. That means if we decide to paint the walls, hubby will have to drywall that corner. We always have the option to put up more paper and paint over that, but what's the use?
I decided the sink in the bathroom is fine, but we're going to have to get a new sink for the kitchen. The bottom of it is rusting. I also want to check out bathroom faucets. The one we've got just isn't pretty. The kitchen faucet was replaced last year, so I can save some cash on that, but I'm definitely replacing the cabinet hardware. I'm just so happy I'm finally getting hubby to agree to do this stuff. We can't completely remodel the house because we don't own it, but the little things are going to make it so much better.
I decided the sink in the bathroom is fine, but we're going to have to get a new sink for the kitchen. The bottom of it is rusting. I also want to check out bathroom faucets. The one we've got just isn't pretty. The kitchen faucet was replaced last year, so I can save some cash on that, but I'm definitely replacing the cabinet hardware. I'm just so happy I'm finally getting hubby to agree to do this stuff. We can't completely remodel the house because we don't own it, but the little things are going to make it so much better.
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