In Need Of Car Insurance
In the past I've mentioned how right now I only have insurance on my motorcycle. I dropped the car insurance after all of our cars decided to fall apart in the same month, and since the weather has been so nice, we haven't worried about it. Now that I'm looking at getting another car, I need to look into getting Car Insurance again. I have thought about taking advantage of online car insurance quotes to find what I need. I like the idea of comparing one company to another, but I still like to hear what others have to say about their insurance companies. I know I'm going to have to break down and get insurance no matter what. I won't be able to drive my new car until I do, but I don't want to go with one of those "state minimum" programs. I've heard you might save money on the policy, but if something happens they don't like to pay out. So, what are your thoughts on your insurance company? I would love to hear who you recommend.
Fresh Look Friday
Do you ever wonder whatever happened to things we used to hear about in the past? This week's Fresh Look Friday Blog does! Whatever Happened To... is a great blog that I love to visit all the time. I find myself reading about things I had long forgotten. Not only can you find out what happened to people,places, and things from the past, but you can read the story behind why and when they were invented. I had to read all about Mikey! We loved watching him eat anything! We were all told he died from eating pop rocks and drinking coke, so I had to read up on that, too! You never know what you're going to learn, so head on over to Whatever Happened To and say hello!
Paid To Blog: Adsense Vs. Paid Posts
There is a lot of buzz these days around the web about getting Paid To Blog. The feelings among readers and bloggers alike are mixed, and I can see why. There are 2 types of programs out there.
There are programs like Blogfeast, Blogcharm, and Roobeo that pay you to blog by splitting google adsense profits. In my opinion, these types of programs don't work. I don't really know that many people who have had any luck with adsense ads alone, much less having to split them with the site that hosts their blog. These types of blogging sites remind me a lot of the way "paid to surf" programs normally worked back in the day when they were hot. You did a lot of work, but you really didn't make anything from it.
The second type of paid blogging is the type that pays you a certain amount for each blog post you write advertising their product, service, website, or whatever. I believe these are the types of paid blogging than can really add up to making a little cash. With these types, you can also choose if you would like to write the post or you can reject it because it's not something that fits into your blog and your lifestyles. If you read my blog, then you already know I use this type of paid blogging to make a little extra cash. You also know that every paid post I write has to somehow relate to my life, and it is clearly marked as a paid post. I won't compromise myself, my blog, or my readers by writing about something I can't relate to in some way. Besides, most of the time, when I'm given the opportunity to write about something, it's something I would definitely check out and most likely write about anyway. You cannot create a blog simply to write paid posts. You must post your own content, and most of these programs require more "real" posts than "paid" posts to qualify. So what are some of the paid to post sites out there, and are they good? I've decided to make a list of the ones I use, how they work, and if I like them or not.
There are programs like Blogfeast, Blogcharm, and Roobeo that pay you to blog by splitting google adsense profits. In my opinion, these types of programs don't work. I don't really know that many people who have had any luck with adsense ads alone, much less having to split them with the site that hosts their blog. These types of blogging sites remind me a lot of the way "paid to surf" programs normally worked back in the day when they were hot. You did a lot of work, but you really didn't make anything from it.
The second type of paid blogging is the type that pays you a certain amount for each blog post you write advertising their product, service, website, or whatever. I believe these are the types of paid blogging than can really add up to making a little cash. With these types, you can also choose if you would like to write the post or you can reject it because it's not something that fits into your blog and your lifestyles. If you read my blog, then you already know I use this type of paid blogging to make a little extra cash. You also know that every paid post I write has to somehow relate to my life, and it is clearly marked as a paid post. I won't compromise myself, my blog, or my readers by writing about something I can't relate to in some way. Besides, most of the time, when I'm given the opportunity to write about something, it's something I would definitely check out and most likely write about anyway. You cannot create a blog simply to write paid posts. You must post your own content, and most of these programs require more "real" posts than "paid" posts to qualify. So what are some of the paid to post sites out there, and are they good? I've decided to make a list of the ones I use, how they work, and if I like them or not.
- PayPerPost- They were the first paid blogging site I signed up with, and I have made a bit of cash from them. The way it works is you see a list of ops, you choose the ones you want to do, you get paid the amount stated. It has always been a pleasure writing for them, and there are enough ops to pick what you want. I don't have to write about something I don't like if I choose not to do so. However, over the past few months, with the integration of PR ratings, Alexa scores, and now Technorati rankings, it is becoming harder for smaller blogs like mine to make good money from posting. There are still offers, but it's nothing like it was in the beginning. I do still recommend PayPerPost, but I don't think it's great for a beginner blogger. You need to make sure you have a decent PR and Alexa Rating before starting to post for them, and your blog must be live for 90 days. I do like the fact that PayPerPost now offers "Review My Post", a referral program that allows new users to sign up through you, receive an op to review your blog, and both you and the new user gets paid for it!
- Blogsvertise- Although recently launched, I am really beginning to like this system. The posts may not pay as much as a lot of the other paid to blog sites, but I think a lot of the ops are easier to take. Also, there is a "grab bag" feature where you can choose to take ops other bloggers have turned down. I'm making a good bit of cash with Blogsvertise at the moment.
- SponsoredReviews- I am new to this system, and I have only completed one op for them so far, but I do like the setup. Instead of waiting for advertisers to send ops approved for your blog already set at a certain price, you view the list of advertisers and choose what you would like to blog about, and how much you want to charge. From there the advertiser will either agree to it, deny it, or negotiate your price.
The programs I DON'T recommend:
- Blogitive- I'm really beginning to hate this program. In the beginning it was great. Now that the site has started to slow down, it looks like it's dieing. There are hardly any ops coming through, and I really don't recommend it to anyone at this point. I've also notice issues with my account, such as my blog name keeps getting reset to Jennifer's Blog instead of Informal Critique.
- LoudLaunch- I signed up for an account with them over 4 months ago, and to this date I still don't have 1 single blog approved with them. Others have been approved within hours, but I have heard many people complaining of the same problems I'm having. Plus, I have been told they also take a large cut of the profit, so you aren't likely to make as much. If I do ever get a blog approved through them, I might change my thoughts.
- ReviewMe- Unless you have a very large blog with tons of traffic, and great stats, you aren't very likely to get a blog approved for ReviewMe.
There are a few other programs that I will add to this list once I get a chance to check them out. I have signed up for a few others recently, but I am still waiting for approval, so I don't want to try to give details until I can fully explain them.
My Central Air...Ceiling Fans
In my search for Ceiling fans this morning, I think I have found the perfect addition to our house! As much as I would like to have the same fans in every room, I do think it would end up being a bit too much, so I have decided to keep the ones in the dining room and living room the same. I think I'm going to go with the Horizon Brushed Nickel over at Oceanfan.com. Check out that price! I looked at a very similar fan at Home Depot a few days ago for over double the price! I also like the Plaza Ceiling Fan in Brushed Steel. It would look great in our bedroom. Actually it would look great in the master bedroom, too, and that price is very reasonable.
After looking around on OceanFan.com for a little while, I really wish we did own this house. My hubby and I agreed a couple years ago that when we do eventually build our own house, we will be installing solar panels on our roof. Just out of curiosity I took a few minutes to look at the solar energy systems, and I was blown away by some of the prices...in a good way that is. I've done a little research into solar energy, and my hubby installs solar panels on a lot of the houses he builds, so we know about how much it's going to take on our future home, and the prices on Oceanfan are way cheaper than any of the other places I have looked before. I will definitely be turning to them for my solar energy system when the new house is built. I am a big fan of using solar energy to power your house. If you would like to know how much it would cost you to install solar energy, there's a very handy solar estimator that will tell you just what you need and how much it will cost.
After looking around on OceanFan.com for a little while, I really wish we did own this house. My hubby and I agreed a couple years ago that when we do eventually build our own house, we will be installing solar panels on our roof. Just out of curiosity I took a few minutes to look at the solar energy systems, and I was blown away by some of the prices...in a good way that is. I've done a little research into solar energy, and my hubby installs solar panels on a lot of the houses he builds, so we know about how much it's going to take on our future home, and the prices on Oceanfan are way cheaper than any of the other places I have looked before. I will definitely be turning to them for my solar energy system when the new house is built. I am a big fan of using solar energy to power your house. If you would like to know how much it would cost you to install solar energy, there's a very handy solar estimator that will tell you just what you need and how much it will cost.
Home Renovations = My Spring Fever
Like I stated in my post last night, I'm ready to remodel my house and move out of the "whatever, it's free" decoration style. My kitchen is nicely decorated, mostly because my grandma decorated it for me before we moved into the house. We rent from them, so she took it upon herself to put grapes in my kitchen. I'm not too fond of grapes, but it works. The rest of the house is a mixture of free furniture and seventies decor. My grandparents lived in this house during my childhood, so when they decided to rent to us, my grandma took it upon herself to try to restore everything to the way it looked when they lived here. Of course, because we rent, we can't go changing things drastically, but because we rent from family, I can change small things after getting approval. Until I'm ready to sit down with my grandmother to explain to her why change is good, pink in the dining room is driving me nuts, and the wallpaper in the bathroom is peeling, I'm going to change the things that I can do without her approval. I have made a list of the things I'm going to change first.
- Window Coverings- I want new blinds, preferably wooden or cloth shades, plus it's time for new curtain in a few rooms. Most of my curtains work nicely, and my grandmother made most of them, but a sea foam green valance on the french doors does NOT work.
- Ceiling Fans/Lighting- Almost every room in our house has a ceiling fan. NONE of them match. Half of them don't work properly. The one in the dining room has a light that works if you jiggle the cord a certain way, but the fan died 2 years ago. The one in my office is so old it has 1 speed, and pulling the cord again just makes it rotate the other direction. Almost all of them are showing bare bulbs because the light covers have randomly broken or vanished over the years.
- Rugs- We have linoleum through the entire house. Thankfully before we moved in my grandparents were nice enough to remove what carpet was left. I didn't want allergen filled shag carpet from 30 years ago. They put a nice fake hardwood linoleum in my office that actually looks nice, but the rest of the house is varying colors and textures of linoleum from the 80s. I can't change the floors but I can find area rugs big enough to cover almost the entire room.
- Chair/Couch Covers- Even though most of our furniture is free, it's still nice. A lot of it still looks practically brand new and was well taken care of before we received it. The only problem is all the colors don't exactly match. Our couches are a cream color with hints of red and blue thrown in, but our recliners are all different colors. We have 1 red, 1 blue, and 2 dark brown leather ones. I'm on the hunt for couch and chair covers that I can use to balance colors without eating up my budget or having to buy new furniture.
Starting With The Windows
It's late, and I can't sleep, so what do I do? I do my usual late night window shopping online, then I share what has caught my eye with you guys! As of late I've been on this kick to spice up my house. Right now it's just me, hubby, the bulldog, and the cat, and our house looks like a bachelor pad. Our decor is whatever's free. Really, I do mean that. We have 3 couches, 4 recliners, 2 beds, a futon, and various pieces of furniture, and the only thing we ever paid for was my desk! I'm 25 yrs old *shudders*, I've been married for 3 1/2 years, and I'm ready to make my house look like an actual home.
As for the inside, I'm starting with the blinds. I hate those old vinyl and aluminum blinds. I have a cat that likes to look out the window. This means almost all my plastic blinds have at least one slat that is broken in half....if I'm lucky. Most of them are broken completely off at whatever level he can reach. My blinds are ghetto blinds, so I'm setting aside some cash to get something nice for the windows. I want either Roman Shades or Pleated Wood Blinds. I haven't really made up my mind yet, but want something that looks nice with wood panel walls. I know, I know, nothing looks nice with panel walls, but that's what I'm stuck with, so I'm working around it. I think some nice fabric sliding panels would look great on the french doors. I would like to still be able to let light in while still semi-blocking the view for nosey neighbors.
So tell me what you think? I've already started my little "saving for shades" envelope, and I'm going to go hide it from hubby now! If you have any color suggestions that you think would look great with wood paneling and mostly neutral colored furniture, I'd love to hear them!
As for the inside, I'm starting with the blinds. I hate those old vinyl and aluminum blinds. I have a cat that likes to look out the window. This means almost all my plastic blinds have at least one slat that is broken in half....if I'm lucky. Most of them are broken completely off at whatever level he can reach. My blinds are ghetto blinds, so I'm setting aside some cash to get something nice for the windows. I want either Roman Shades or Pleated Wood Blinds. I haven't really made up my mind yet, but want something that looks nice with wood panel walls. I know, I know, nothing looks nice with panel walls, but that's what I'm stuck with, so I'm working around it. I think some nice fabric sliding panels would look great on the french doors. I would like to still be able to let light in while still semi-blocking the view for nosey neighbors.
So tell me what you think? I've already started my little "saving for shades" envelope, and I'm going to go hide it from hubby now! If you have any color suggestions that you think would look great with wood paneling and mostly neutral colored furniture, I'd love to hear them!
Student Loans Eat You Alive
I love when my sponsored posts really connect to something I've been dealing with. I have dealt with student loan debt for the past 6 years now. Even though I had a ton of scholarships, I still ended up with just a much debt because I went to a private college. After a couple years of watching the debt pile up, I decided I just couldn't afford to keep going to school then. Six years later, I still haven't returned to school because I'm still paying off my debts. At this point, I only have a few hundred left to pay on each loan, but years ago I would have loved it if I could have found a student loan consolidation program to consolidate my loans into one payment. I would have saved money in the long run and payed my debts off quicker.
If you have student loans, I urge you to consider Secure Loan Consolidation as a starting point to getting your loans paid. Not only can they consolidate for you, but they offer many helpful articles about student loans. You can also search for loan info according to state and city. For example, check out the Florida Student Loan Consolidation Program. You can also find info on the FAFSA as well as loan calculators. Go ahead and give the site a read. If you have student loans, or will be considering one in the future, it's really worth it.
If you have student loans, I urge you to consider Secure Loan Consolidation as a starting point to getting your loans paid. Not only can they consolidate for you, but they offer many helpful articles about student loans. You can also search for loan info according to state and city. For example, check out the Florida Student Loan Consolidation Program. You can also find info on the FAFSA as well as loan calculators. Go ahead and give the site a read. If you have student loans, or will be considering one in the future, it's really worth it.
Where Were You When I Needed You?
Last month my not so computer literate hubby hit the delete key, sending almost all of his mp3s to the recycling bin. Then somehow, he had managed to empty the bin instead of clicking restore files. *Sigh* He did what he does best, yelled for me to fix it before he threw the computer out the window. Seeing how I networked our comps together awhile back, all the music on his would be the stuff that I don't listen to. Awhile back I backed up all his cd's on his computer because he's horrible at scratching them, and I didn't want to go buy new copies every time he messed them up, so I would just burn him a copy. I even made a backup burned copy that I stuck in a cd case I thought he didn't know about just for times like these, but to my dismay, he had already found my backups and scratched them up as well, so my last resort was to try to recover his files.
I spent all day searching for a recovery program that would work, but I couldn't find a single shareware or freeware one that did the job right. Recovering mp3s is tough. I got the same results every time...a bunch of half chopped up files that weren't playable, so I finally gave up. A couple weeks later a friend told me about a program she used all the time called Multistage Recovery. She said it recovered mp3 files perfectly without screwing them up as well as almost any other file type, but I was too cheap at the time to drop $50 on something to do the job.
Then today, I was stumbling through my daily visited bookmarks, and guess what! Giveawayoftheday.com is giving away Multistage Recovery for free as their software giveaway today! I'm definitely grabbing it! Even if I don't recover my hubby's music, it would still be nice to use on an old hard drive I have from years ago. There's no telling what I could recover from my teeny bopper years!
I spent all day searching for a recovery program that would work, but I couldn't find a single shareware or freeware one that did the job right. Recovering mp3s is tough. I got the same results every time...a bunch of half chopped up files that weren't playable, so I finally gave up. A couple weeks later a friend told me about a program she used all the time called Multistage Recovery. She said it recovered mp3 files perfectly without screwing them up as well as almost any other file type, but I was too cheap at the time to drop $50 on something to do the job.
Then today, I was stumbling through my daily visited bookmarks, and guess what! Giveawayoftheday.com is giving away Multistage Recovery for free as their software giveaway today! I'm definitely grabbing it! Even if I don't recover my hubby's music, it would still be nice to use on an old hard drive I have from years ago. There's no telling what I could recover from my teeny bopper years!
Time For Gardening
I was just ordering some seeds to get my small backyard garden going this year, and I found something I just HAVE to have! Check out these no-crank hose reels! These are powered by water, and roll up by themselves without any extra energy from me! I already have one of the old school ones with a hand crank, but it drives me nuts. The hose pipe (can't ya tell I'm a southern gal lol) always gets tangled as I'm winding it up, and I have to take it all off and do it again. Hubby mounted it on a post that's at least a foot above my head, too, so I have to strain my arms just to reel it in. I finally gave up, and now I just leave my hoses laying on the patio until he comes home and can roll them up for me, but with a no-crank hose reel I could clean my mess up as soon as I'm done.
I really like the Outdoor Sink Station. It would really come in handy when I'm potting, or when I'm trying to give the bulldog a bath. Bath times have been moved outside after he shook once and flooded my bathroom last time we tried it indoors, so having the sink outside and a built in shelf to store all of his shampoos would be great! I think I'm dragging hubby to Home Depot when he gets home!
Video Conferencing Thoughts
Once a month my old college roommates and I get together for a "catch-up" meeting. We lived in a campus apartment that housed 8, so there are a lot of us to keep up with. We have always tried to put together lunch meetings, but recently that has become a hard thing to do with 3 of them moving away from the area. We all have families and busy lives now, so it's getting harder to get together on a regular basis. We knew we were going to either have to find another way to get together, or stop meeting once a month all together. We decided last month to try video conference meetings. Most of us have personal webcams, and one of the girls works in an industry that requires video conferencing, so it fits into all of our lifestyles without having to try to plan a trip back home.
Our first video conference went pretty well, but we had issues with the free video host we tried to use. After the meeting was over, I promised to try to find a better service to use. We of course all thought about using Teamspeak. My hubby and I both use it for gaming, but that would require for everyone to download software, then one of us would have to host the client (probably me) on their computer. None of us have the bandwidth to support that right now, and there is no video.
After doing some research, I think I have decided to try MegaMeeting. First of all there is no software to install. Everything is web-base. The personal package would be great for us. The package would cost us $49 a month to host up to 10 people, and since we only need 8, that's perfect! We all agreed $6 a month to get together is much better than the gas spent on driving somewhere to meet up, the cost of lunch, and the cost of flying in for some of the other girls. Using MegaMeeting also solves another problem we have. One of the girls using a Mac, but most of us have a PC. Most of the other Video Conferencing things we've tried don't support to the use of a Mac, but MegaMeeting supports, PC, Mac, and Linux. After participating in the live demo, I think I'm sold. My hubby is also thinking about switching from Teamspeak to MegaMeeting for meeting with his Battlefield 2 clan. The costs of a professional conferencing package for 25 people at $225 a month is 50% cheaper than what they're paying now to host Teamspeak for 15-20 people without the video capabilities.
I would love to hear from others who use web conferencing software, and can give me some pros and cons of MegaMeeting if you have dealt with them. To me it looks like a great service that I will be very happy using!
Our first video conference went pretty well, but we had issues with the free video host we tried to use. After the meeting was over, I promised to try to find a better service to use. We of course all thought about using Teamspeak. My hubby and I both use it for gaming, but that would require for everyone to download software, then one of us would have to host the client (probably me) on their computer. None of us have the bandwidth to support that right now, and there is no video.
After doing some research, I think I have decided to try MegaMeeting. First of all there is no software to install. Everything is web-base. The personal package would be great for us. The package would cost us $49 a month to host up to 10 people, and since we only need 8, that's perfect! We all agreed $6 a month to get together is much better than the gas spent on driving somewhere to meet up, the cost of lunch, and the cost of flying in for some of the other girls. Using MegaMeeting also solves another problem we have. One of the girls using a Mac, but most of us have a PC. Most of the other Video Conferencing things we've tried don't support to the use of a Mac, but MegaMeeting supports, PC, Mac, and Linux. After participating in the live demo, I think I'm sold. My hubby is also thinking about switching from Teamspeak to MegaMeeting for meeting with his Battlefield 2 clan. The costs of a professional conferencing package for 25 people at $225 a month is 50% cheaper than what they're paying now to host Teamspeak for 15-20 people without the video capabilities.
I would love to hear from others who use web conferencing software, and can give me some pros and cons of MegaMeeting if you have dealt with them. To me it looks like a great service that I will be very happy using!
Book Review: The Capo's Mistress
I love a good mystery book, especially one with a lot of spice. Let me present to you The Capo's Mistress by Richard Harris, an intriguing mystery combined with steamy romance that will keep you on your toes. The setting is Las Vegas. Mary Carter is a showgirl mixed up in some bad stuff. She finds herself running from both the law and the mob, so she makes the decision to escape to Virginia City. No one will look for a showgirl in the middle of a small town right? Mary escapes with her life, but leaves behind a valuable bag she dumped in the Treasure Island Hotel's lagoon. Mary knows she must return to Vegas to recover the bag or find someone who can do it for her. Mike Driscoll, a recovering alcoholic and ex cop, meets Mary when his car breaks down in Virginia City. He's a sucker for a beautiful woman, and in no time Mary has him in bed and doing her dirty work. Mike heads back to Las Vegas to recover the bag for Mary, but he draws the attention of The Capo, leading him and his thug men right back to Virginia City and Mary. The plot thickens as Mike and Mary face the mob and Mary deceitful past.Richard Harris is a graduate of both Stanford University and Standford Law School. He spent many years as a lawyer and is a 17 year veteran of the Los Angeles Superior Court. His first novel is filled with information gained from his personal experiences with the law.
I recommend this book to everyone who loves a good mystery. You may pre-order The Capo’s Mistress at Amazon, but if you like audio books, you can download The Capo's Mistress for free until April 27. You can also read excerpts of the book on the site if you're not much for audio format.
Monday Madness
If you want to join in the fun, head over to Monday Madness to grab your questions.
1. What kind of automobile do you drive?
Currently just the bike, so a 2006 Yamaha YZF 600R
2. What kind of automobile do you WISH you drove?
That's easy. I want a Saturn Sky and a Suzuki GSXR 750.
3. When is the last time you bought a vehicle (new or used)?
Near the end of November/beginning of December. Somewhere in there.
4. What is your color of choice as far as vehicles go?
Black or Silver
5. Do you regularly have your oil changed?
My hubby does it in the cars, and the bikes goes in for a service every 6000 miles, which is often since we ride A LOT.
6. How long do you generally keep a vehicle before thinking about buying a new one?
We run them in the ground. lol We'll drive it until we can't drive it anymore before buying a new one except in the case of bikes. The bike stays until we're ready to upgrade to something bigger.
7. What kind of automobile will you buy next?
Whatever hubby finds for a decent price in good condition. We're in need of another car.
1. What kind of automobile do you drive?
Currently just the bike, so a 2006 Yamaha YZF 600R
2. What kind of automobile do you WISH you drove?
That's easy. I want a Saturn Sky and a Suzuki GSXR 750.
3. When is the last time you bought a vehicle (new or used)?
Near the end of November/beginning of December. Somewhere in there.
4. What is your color of choice as far as vehicles go?
Black or Silver
5. Do you regularly have your oil changed?
My hubby does it in the cars, and the bikes goes in for a service every 6000 miles, which is often since we ride A LOT.
6. How long do you generally keep a vehicle before thinking about buying a new one?
We run them in the ground. lol We'll drive it until we can't drive it anymore before buying a new one except in the case of bikes. The bike stays until we're ready to upgrade to something bigger.
7. What kind of automobile will you buy next?
Whatever hubby finds for a decent price in good condition. We're in need of another car.
SupahStar Saturday
So I'm a little behind on SupahStar Saturday this week, but at least I'm getting it up for you guys! I totally missed out last week and just didn't have time to work in the post. Anyways, this week's SupahStar is Cecile over at Work At Home Musings. Cecile is a fellow postie over at PayPerPost who works from home while raising her family. She's got her hands full!Cecile writes about all sorts of topics including family life, working at home, household tips, time management, and tons of other stuff! There's even a blog forum for you to participate, so head on over, say hello to Cecile and congratulate her on being this week's SupahStar!
If you want to join in SupahStar Saturdays, head on over to GeekySpeaky for more info on this meme!
Fresh Look Friday
If you would like to participate in Fresh Look Friday, the rules are simple. You can view them here.This week's Fresh Look Friday goes to OurBlogReview. This is a great site to read reviews about other blogs. I love the rating system these guys are using, and they will let you know exactly what is good and/or bad about each blog they review. If you're looking for a few new blogs to add to your daily reads, but you don't know where to start, OurBlogReview will give you a great place to discover new blogs. You can search through different blog categories to find reviews on blogs that suit you, or just read them all to see what you may find. If you read my review of Turn One Pound Into A Million, the author, Rachel, is one of the reviewers over at OurBlogReview. She does a great job, and I will definitely be returning to visit her and her co-writers! Go ahead and take a few minutes out of your day to drop by and show the OurBlogReview staff a little traffic love!
If you would like your blog to be considered for a Fresh Look Friday post, feel free to leave a comment on this post!
A Topic Close To My Heart: Getting Away From Drug Abuse
When I saw that I had a sponsored post opportunity dealing with Drug Rehabilitation, I jumped at the offer. This is a topic that has had an effect on myself, my family, and my friends in a very big way, so I would be willing to do this post for free just to get the word out.
Both my best friend and my husband have dealt with drug problems. Thankfully when I met my husband, he welcomed my attempts to move him away from his druggy crowd and was able to get away from meth in 2 months time. My best friend wasn't so lucky. He has continuously worked his way in and out of detox programs, moving from house to house with friends and family to try to get himself away from the temptation, but nothing has worked for him. He has had a very strong ongoing addiction for almost 5 years now. So, like I said, drug rehab is a subject I am closely connected to.
Stone Hawk, located in Michigan, offers a great drug rehabilitation program. I have no problem discussing a program that isn't in my area because I believe in many cases, the farther you travel for help, the better the outcome. You won't be connected with any of those people who helped you feed the problem in the first place. Stone Hawk offers many programs including detox, rehabilitation, and life skills courses. If you know someone who needs help, you can download a free information packet for more information. Be sure to check out the many articles on different drugs and treatments.
Both my best friend and my husband have dealt with drug problems. Thankfully when I met my husband, he welcomed my attempts to move him away from his druggy crowd and was able to get away from meth in 2 months time. My best friend wasn't so lucky. He has continuously worked his way in and out of detox programs, moving from house to house with friends and family to try to get himself away from the temptation, but nothing has worked for him. He has had a very strong ongoing addiction for almost 5 years now. So, like I said, drug rehab is a subject I am closely connected to.
Stone Hawk, located in Michigan, offers a great drug rehabilitation program. I have no problem discussing a program that isn't in my area because I believe in many cases, the farther you travel for help, the better the outcome. You won't be connected with any of those people who helped you feed the problem in the first place. Stone Hawk offers many programs including detox, rehabilitation, and life skills courses. If you know someone who needs help, you can download a free information packet for more information. Be sure to check out the many articles on different drugs and treatments.
Vegan Eatings
If you're into health food, Michelle over at Recipes for Vegans can help you out with some great recipes. Although I am not vegan, I do respect the values of those who are, and I do love a healthy, meat free meal from time to time. After all, I'm sitting here eating the meat free fried rice I made last night. I even left out the eggs. Michelle's blog is interesting to me. Not only does she provide useful links to vegan recipes that I definitely want to try, but she also discusses a lot of the reasons she chooses to be vegan along with some of her concerns. She will give you insight into what happens in slaughter houses, and will discuss concerns in animal welfare. Overall I do believe this is a great blog that is not only gives you insight into the life of a vegan, but it's also aesthetically pleasing to the eye. There aren't a ton of ads crowding up the posts, and the layout is clean. I will definitely be returning to this blog in the near future.
Creating Videos From Photos
If you love photos and music as much as I do, you should definitely check out fliptrack. This is a great tool for creating slideshows, scrapbooks, greeting cards, and whatever else your mind can fathom. Best of all it's free!
How do you do all this? All you do is download (spyware & adware free) the fliptrack software and start creating. Add your photos, add the music you want to feature, and you're done. If you want to be creative you can even match up certain photos with certain parts of each song! You can browse other members creations to grab some ideas, or just to see what others have to offer. You can also view of demo of how things work before you download the software.
This is a super easy free program you can use to share photos with friends & family, showcase photos on your website, or just add something to fliptrack's site to share. I just created a short little sample video to show you guys what this thing can do! Enjoy!
How do you do all this? All you do is download (spyware & adware free) the fliptrack software and start creating. Add your photos, add the music you want to feature, and you're done. If you want to be creative you can even match up certain photos with certain parts of each song! You can browse other members creations to grab some ideas, or just to see what others have to offer. You can also view of demo of how things work before you download the software.
This is a super easy free program you can use to share photos with friends & family, showcase photos on your website, or just add something to fliptrack's site to share. I just created a short little sample video to show you guys what this thing can do! Enjoy!
I'm On A Window Shopping Kick
So, I'm doing a lot of window shopping today. I guess it's because I don't have all the cash to buy what I want right now, but I'm saving, and I'm ready to get some new stuff for my house. I want to fix up my back patio before the summer. I've planned to plant a few more flowers, and I've restored a few pieces of old patio furniture. The furniture looks brand new now! All it took was a little sanding and a couple coats of paint. Now I'm ready to get some new outdoor lighting. Right now all I have is a motion sensor security light. I'm looking for something with the look of the Maxim Lighting Post Mount.
After looking around, I'm interested in some Wall Sconces, but I'll have that post for another day. Man I love window shopping online!
After looking around, I'm interested in some Wall Sconces, but I'll have that post for another day. Man I love window shopping online!
How Cool Are These?
Check out these Portable Hard Drives. Not only are they a decent price, but look how small they are! The new Store-It Portable USB Hard Drive from Pexagon Tech is a great solution when you need to transport or store large files that won't fit on a flash drive. The hard drive is only 2.5", and check out those colors! I really want one in Titanium. You can also personalize your own logo for it! I will definitely be ordering one of these for myself in the near future.
The 160 GB is about $170 so now I know what I can do with all the money I've earned from sponsored posts like these! 160 GB is a breakthrough in portable drives I won't break my budget using these as gifts this Christmas either! It will be nice giving personalized gifts 40GB hard drives for $60. This will be a great option for my Newspaper Editor Mother In Law who is always complaining that her flash drive isn't big enough, so she has to carry multiple ones in her pocket, or for my sister so she doesn't have to lug a computer back and forth to school to do her homework that she's already saved on her desktop at college. She can stick her hard drive in her pocket and bring it home for the weekend!
The 160 GB is about $170 so now I know what I can do with all the money I've earned from sponsored posts like these! 160 GB is a breakthrough in portable drives I won't break my budget using these as gifts this Christmas either! It will be nice giving personalized gifts 40GB hard drives for $60. This will be a great option for my Newspaper Editor Mother In Law who is always complaining that her flash drive isn't big enough, so she has to carry multiple ones in her pocket, or for my sister so she doesn't have to lug a computer back and forth to school to do her homework that she's already saved on her desktop at college. She can stick her hard drive in her pocket and bring it home for the weekend!
Mp3 Players
I have been searching for an MP3 player for awhile for my hubby. I have one built into my cell phone, so as long as I have my miniSD with me, I can use it whenever I want, but my hubby's phone doesn't have an MP3 player, and he keeps begging for one. He would like to listen to music while he's riding the bike. I guess he can't stand it when I'm riding with him, bopping my head around behind him to a tune that he can't hear!
He has wanted a Sandisk MP3 player because he's heard great reviews of them. Basically he heard they're great without paying for the name like with the Ipod. I had the opportunity to write a sponsored post today, and I was searching CouponChief.com today and saw they have a great discount coupon for Best Buy. I can get him a 2Gb Sandisk mp3 player with free shipping! I love it when my sponsored posts lead me to something I actually need/want! They have a lot of other great coupons for Best Buy as well as many other stores, so you might want to check them out before shopping!
He has wanted a Sandisk MP3 player because he's heard great reviews of them. Basically he heard they're great without paying for the name like with the Ipod. I had the opportunity to write a sponsored post today, and I was searching CouponChief.com today and saw they have a great discount coupon for Best Buy. I can get him a 2Gb Sandisk mp3 player with free shipping! I love it when my sponsored posts lead me to something I actually need/want! They have a lot of other great coupons for Best Buy as well as many other stores, so you might want to check them out before shopping!
Monday Madness
If you want to participate, head on over to Monday Madness and grab your questions! Monday Madness is a simple little meme that will hopefully give you a little information about me each week.
1. How many times do you wake up during the night?
I really don't know. I know I do wake up during the night, but mostly it's just for a few seconds when I feel my hubby rolling over or something. I always go right back to sleep.
2. On an average, how many hours of sleep do you try to get?
This also depends on the day, but considering I'm working at home for myself now, I almost always get at least 8 hours if not more. I sleep until my body tells me it's time to wake up and get to work.
3. What day of the week do you do your "major" housecleaning?
I think I do most of my housework on Thursdays. Towards the end of the week I get bored and start cleaning. Maybe it's more like I put it off all week, and then I know friends will most likely come over Friday, so I have no choice but to clean Thursday!
4. How often do you move your furniture to clean behind it?
Ha ha. My furniture doesn't move until I'm ready to change the layout of the room. I'm not putting extra effort into moving everything if I don't have to!
5. Do you do your dishes by hand or do you own a dishwasher?
I have a dishwasher, but there are some things that I have to do by hand. I also have a bad habit of realizing what I need is in the dishwasher that is running, so I'll hand wash something else real quick to use instead.
1. How many times do you wake up during the night?
I really don't know. I know I do wake up during the night, but mostly it's just for a few seconds when I feel my hubby rolling over or something. I always go right back to sleep.
2. On an average, how many hours of sleep do you try to get?
This also depends on the day, but considering I'm working at home for myself now, I almost always get at least 8 hours if not more. I sleep until my body tells me it's time to wake up and get to work.
3. What day of the week do you do your "major" housecleaning?
I think I do most of my housework on Thursdays. Towards the end of the week I get bored and start cleaning. Maybe it's more like I put it off all week, and then I know friends will most likely come over Friday, so I have no choice but to clean Thursday!
4. How often do you move your furniture to clean behind it?
Ha ha. My furniture doesn't move until I'm ready to change the layout of the room. I'm not putting extra effort into moving everything if I don't have to!
5. Do you do your dishes by hand or do you own a dishwasher?
I have a dishwasher, but there are some things that I have to do by hand. I also have a bad habit of realizing what I need is in the dishwasher that is running, so I'll hand wash something else real quick to use instead.
Blog Review: Turn One Pound Into One Million
Rachel is hard at work learning how to Turn One Pound Into One Million. For 2 months now, she has been providing tips to on how to earn money from many different internet ventures. She has some nice posts on advertising, earning money through affiliates, myLot.com, and many other programs. She participates in paid to read programs, and she also explains how many advertising and traffic generator sites work for her. The blog layout is very clean, and the ads aren't overwhelming, so they won't interfere with your reading. Just like everyone else, she might make the occasional typo, but overall the blog is definitely well written with lots of useful information. Rachel may be earning pounds, but her tips will help you earn money in your own currency in no time! This is definitely a blog worth checking out.If you would like to see your blog reviews on Informal Critique, go check out the very simple rules.
Fresh Look Friday: Bio Girl
Today's Fresh Look Friday spotlight goes to Sarah over at Bio Girl. She's a 20 something newlywed biologist who writes about her daily life with a funny twist. This really is a fun blog to read! I happened upon her blog through BlogExplosion, and she instantly became one of my blogmarks. After looking through some of her old posts, I can't wait for her next update. This girl reminds me so much of myself! I really love that she just donated her hair to Locks of Love. Not only is she smart, but she cares! Head on over to Bio Girl and show Sarah some love!If you want to participate in Fresh Look Friday, you can read the rules in my first Fresh Look Friday post. It's a great way to gain a little extra blog traffic while promoting a fellow blogger!
Do You Have To Pay For A Good Review?
There are many bloggers today who pay to receive a blog review. I have mixed feelings about this strategy. If you have to pay, typically at least $50, to get have your blogged reviewed, are you really getting your money's worth? Are you getting a real review that reflects the review writer's true feelings about your blog, or are you getting a review they threw together in a few minutes just to grab your hard earned cash? It may just be my personal opinion on the matter, but I truly believe the best reviews are free. When there is no money involved, there isn't that opportunity to cloud your thoughts with the image of dollar signs while writing. I would much rather receive one honest review from someone who really says what they feel rather than 10 paid reviews from bloggers who throw something together, say it's a nice blog, and submit it just for the cash.
This brings me to my next project. I would like to review blogs for free for any of my fellow bloggers who will give me the chance. All I ask for in exchange is a small review about my blog from you.
The rules are simple:
This brings me to my next project. I would like to review blogs for free for any of my fellow bloggers who will give me the chance. All I ask for in exchange is a small review about my blog from you.
The rules are simple:
- Write a review about my blog.
- Link to my blog with the anchor text "free blog promotion"
- Return to this blog and leave a comment including the link to the review you wrote about me.
- I will contact you with the link when my review about you is complete.
The rules really can't get any simpler than that, and we can both gain a little traffic at the same time! Of course, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at anytime.
Blog Contests For Marketing
I recently read two blog articles that made me think about marketing strategies and the things some people will do to push more traffic into their blogs. Blog contests are happening more often to help boost traffic, and the prizes are getting bigger and bigger. With some contests, the only prize is the traffic you receive. Everyday there are small contests between bloggers involving small prizes. For example, I see contests all the time for Blog Explosion. Bloggers will ask fellow bloggers to blog about a specific link, and in return one blogger will receive a large number of credits to their Blog Explosion account. Contests like this are small, and no money is involved, but bloggers are starting to give away large prizes as well.
For instance, John Chow has devised his Evil Blog Contest. His evil plan gives one lucky blogger a brand new Nintendo Wii for free while bringing outrageous amounts of traffic to his own blog. It truly is a great evil plan in a marketing sense, but is it great for bloggers? Traffic may soar for a short time, but how many of those visitors will return again in the future when there isn't a large prize up for grabs? Even if he doesn't receive return visitors to his blog after his traffic boost, John will still have met his goal to market his friend's website that sells promotional pens at the same time. Holding the contest will get both links into the blogosphere at record speed. Does this really make John Chow the root of all evil in the blog world or is it just another plan to make money online?
What do you think about these contests? I for one say there's nothing wrong with a good contest. I will be participating in John's contest without looking back. If I could afford to purchase prizes, I would definitely be willing to hold a contest in my blog. After all, there will always be that one lucky winner who definitely thinks the contest was worth it.
What do you think about these contests? I for one say there's nothing wrong with a good contest. I will be participating in John's contest without looking back. If I could afford to purchase prizes, I would definitely be willing to hold a contest in my blog. After all, there will always be that one lucky winner who definitely thinks the contest was worth it.
Blogger Power
I posted on Blogger Power earlier in one of my other blogs, but I thought it was important to get the word out here, too. I believe all bloggers and webmasters should be willing to participate in the Blogger Power: Safeguard the Web for Children Project.
What is it? This project is a campaign to request that all webmasters of pornography related sites remove free clips, free pictures, free tours and such without requesting a login. Keep this material out of the hands of our children!
How can I participate? All you have to do is pass along the request to webmasters by posting a common-sense letter in your blog or on your own website. For more information, head over to Blogger Power to learn everything you need to know.
To Webmasters of Pornographic Material:
Please require a password-protected login before allowing even free access to explicit adult content. We understand that selling porn is your business and we respect your right to make a legal living. But understand our legitimate concerns and work with us. You already have the “warning adult content” on your websites. Yet kids, who are not legal customers of your product, ignore the warning. So to prevent them from having direct access to explicit images, texts and sounds, the simplest way is to have a password-protected login. No more “free tours” before a visitor supplies basic information.
Window Shopping Online
It's warm outside yet again, and you know that means its time to get back outside. I can't even call it warm today. It's going to be 81 degrees! The bike is in the shop, so what do I do? Window shop! Warm weather makes me want to spend money, and I'm on the lookout for a new pair of sunglasses that I can wear everyday, but I need a pair that will fit in my helmet, too. My hubby is also in need of new sunglasses, but his have to be prescription. He had a great pair that disappeared, so I've been looking everywhere today for good prices on prescription sunglasses. My window shopping today gave me a great opportunity for a sponsored post and some shopping at the same time!
I like what OpticsPlanet.com has to offer. They have great prices on both regular Sunglasses and prescription Sunglasses, too. Oh, and they offer free UPS on all orders over $29.95. I think my hubby would look great in the Bolle True Rx Fusion J-Walker Sunglasses and they're a good $100 cheaper than I can get them from the Optometrist. I'm thinking about getting the Ms. Lily Sunglasses. The frames would go great with my motorcycle helmet, plus I just love cool colors like that.
I like what OpticsPlanet.com has to offer. They have great prices on both regular Sunglasses and prescription Sunglasses, too. Oh, and they offer free UPS on all orders over $29.95. I think my hubby would look great in the Bolle True Rx Fusion J-Walker Sunglasses and they're a good $100 cheaper than I can get them from the Optometrist. I'm thinking about getting the Ms. Lily Sunglasses. The frames would go great with my motorcycle helmet, plus I just love cool colors like that.
Running a little behind
I'm running a little behind on posting this week. We've had some family issues, a bike breakdown, and another bout of whatever nasty virus has been going around here lately, so my posting has been postponed. I promise to get a delayed version of First Look Friday out to you guys tomorrow!
SupahStar Saturday
Colleen over at GeekySpeaky did such an awesome job this week of writing up today's Supahstar! I'm going to try to give you as much info as I can, but Colleen pretty much covered everything.This week's Supahstar is Lisa, author of Hippie Spelunker. She's a mom of 3 who owns her own business which she runs from home. Not only does she get to be at home with her kids, but she has the time to do one of the things she loves the most, writing. Lisa writes about everything from family to pets to life in general. I enjoyed a lot of the posts on animals and animal rescue. She's addicted to spelunking even though she's too claustrophobic for caves! Go on over and visit her, spend a little time reading, and I'm sure you will enjoy her blog, too!
Aylee's Bits of Who I Am
I read a blog tonight that I just love! Aylee over at gnyc.net has a blog that I can really relate to. Not only is she into crafts like I am, but she's awesome at ranting and raving about products she likes or dislikes. I absolutely love her layout! I do a little graphic design, but I just don't have the time or energy to sit down and create a layout right now, so I admire everyone else's from afar. Aylee is also a fellow Postie, so be sure to stop by and show her some love!
I'm So Addicted
I am so addicted to Master Of Defense, a game I downloaded a few days ago from Game Giveaway Of The Day. If you haven't heard about Game Giveaway of The Day, it's a wonderful site that offers one free fully licensed game each day for download. I wonder over there everyday just to see what's up for grabs. Sometimes I don't like the offer and pass on by, but other days I'll see something that catches my eye for some reason. Master Of Defense was one of those eye catching games. It looked like something my husband might like to play, so I downloaded it.
Now when you download the free game, the catch is you have to install it before the 24 hour giveaway period ends in order to get your free license. So, I always go ahead and install the game as soon as I get it, then I grab my license code, save it in a folder with the install, archive the folder, and uninstall the game. Most of the time I'll take a few minutes before installation to check the game out, and then I'll decide to re-install it later when I have time to play it, or I'll put it into my folder of things others might want to play.
I installed Master of Defense, grabbed my code, waited for the game to load, and decided since I had a few extra minutes I would go ahead and play around to see what it was about. I'm not much into shooting, fighting, killing zombies and monsters and all that, but I tried it out anyway. Boy was that the wrong thing to do! I spent 2 hours playing before I even realized how much time had passed! You can't grab the full game for free anymore, but you can download a trial version if you want to check it out!
I installed Master of Defense, grabbed my code, waited for the game to load, and decided since I had a few extra minutes I would go ahead and play around to see what it was about. I'm not much into shooting, fighting, killing zombies and monsters and all that, but I tried it out anyway. Boy was that the wrong thing to do! I spent 2 hours playing before I even realized how much time had passed! You can't grab the full game for free anymore, but you can download a trial version if you want to check it out!
3 Great Sites
I just stumbled upon an interesting site with a concept that is very interesting to me, and I thought it would be great to share with you guys. The creators of Best25Blogs have launched a new site, Pay Me To Blog About You. The concept is simple. You decide what you want to get paid for placing content such as links and posts in your blogs. Advertisers list requests, you browse them, choose the ones you want, and decide how much you want to get paid for it.
If you haven't heard of Best25Blogs, it is a a daily listing of the top blogs articles around. The articles are submitted by people just like you and me, and then voted on by the crowd. Whenever you see a Best25Blogs badge on a blog, all you have to do is fill out the box if you want to submit one of the articles! If the article you submitted wins for the day, you win a Free Gift Card! Best25Blogs is Sponsored By Special Offers Bulletin Board.
Special Offers Bulletin Board is a free listing of special offers and discounts from local businesses and vendors. There are listings in just about every major city and every state. To get these listings, all you have to do is sign up for the free monthly newsletter. You will receive all the listings in your area once a month by email, and if you know about an offer in your area, you can submit it to share with others!
If you haven't heard of Best25Blogs, it is a a daily listing of the top blogs articles around. The articles are submitted by people just like you and me, and then voted on by the crowd. Whenever you see a Best25Blogs badge on a blog, all you have to do is fill out the box if you want to submit one of the articles! If the article you submitted wins for the day, you win a Free Gift Card! Best25Blogs is Sponsored By Special Offers Bulletin Board.
Special Offers Bulletin Board is a free listing of special offers and discounts from local businesses and vendors. There are listings in just about every major city and every state. To get these listings, all you have to do is sign up for the free monthly newsletter. You will receive all the listings in your area once a month by email, and if you know about an offer in your area, you can submit it to share with others!
Good Insurance?
My hubby and I have been looking for a place to find good insurance, but we need to find the cheapest possible. He works in construction, and is considered self-employed and contracted, so he doesn't have any insurance options. I am recently unemployed, so that leaves us own our own to search for good but cheap insurance. We're in the market for health insurance, life insurance, and we need a new policy for our car. I haven't found the health insurance we're looking for yet, but I did do some research on the car insurance and life insurance.
I'm very interested in InsurancePortalOnline.com. I like the fact that I can compare quotes from different companies for free without having to give out my email address or home phone number. That's one reason why I hate shopping for insurance. Most places make you give out at least an email, and then you're flooded with spam or phone calls from a bunch of agencies you don't care to talk to.
If you're looking for life insurance, the quote form is short and simple. If you're looking for car insurance, you can choose to omit your current company from the results, so you don't have to see the numbers you already know about. I'm not interested in home owners insurance, but if you they have a quotes section for that, too. I really like this site and I'll definitely be using them a lot more often to compare insurance policies.
I'm very interested in InsurancePortalOnline.com. I like the fact that I can compare quotes from different companies for free without having to give out my email address or home phone number. That's one reason why I hate shopping for insurance. Most places make you give out at least an email, and then you're flooded with spam or phone calls from a bunch of agencies you don't care to talk to.
If you're looking for life insurance, the quote form is short and simple. If you're looking for car insurance, you can choose to omit your current company from the results, so you don't have to see the numbers you already know about. I'm not interested in home owners insurance, but if you they have a quotes section for that, too. I really like this site and I'll definitely be using them a lot more often to compare insurance policies.
Monday Madness
Just head on over to Monday Madness if you would like to play. This week's questions are from other Monday Madness players!
1. From beth:
What's the most unusual hobby you have? How did you get started with it?
I collect plastic bottle caps. I didn't really start it myself. My cat will only play with plastic bottle caps, so we started saving them from all our drink bottles. Before we knew it, we had a huge basket of them collected, so now if you have an empty drink bottle, your cap automatically goes in the basket.
2. From briar:
How many different kinds of music do you listen to? Name a few favorites, if you please.
I listen to so many different kinds of music. I loooove EDM (Techno, Trance, Breakz, DnB), but I listen to a lot of rap, hip hop, country, alternative rock, classic rock, pop, classical....well basically you name it, I listen to it. My favorite artists include Iio, Paul Van Dyk, Eric Berretta, Delerium, Angel City, Aphrodite, Baby Anne, okay I'm stopping there because I could go on all day! I love too many to pick just a handful.
3. From iris:
Do you take advantage of the outdoor areas where you live? What's your favorite thing to do outside? What's your favorite local bird?
I live in a great place for outdoor activities. I'm right at the base of the mountains, so if we're not riding the mountains on our motorcycle, we're camping, hiking, or fishing. Did I mention that I'm also surrounded by lakes? My blogging time is limited in the summer because I'm outside so much. We go to the lake every chance we get in the summer. I practically live outside.
My favorite local bird? We also have so many birds around that it's hard to pick just one. I have tons of bird houses all around my house, so they're everywhere, but I would probably have to pick our woodpecker as my favorite. He has been with us from the day we moved in, and moves back and forth between the same 3 trees. He loves to sit in the one right outside our bedroom window reaaaallly early in the morning.
4. From kristy:
Children: Do you have any?
Not yet. We're working on it, so hopefully by this time next year I'll be a mommy...of the people kind that is lol. Right now I'm only a mommy to Bubba the 5 month old bulldog puppy and Alley the cat.
5. From amy:
What is your favorite part of spring?
I love almost everything about spring, but I guess my favorite part would be all the smells from the flowers blooming. We have flowers everywhere, so I open my windows, hang my clothes out on the line, and take in all the wonderful aromas.
1. From beth:
What's the most unusual hobby you have? How did you get started with it?
I collect plastic bottle caps. I didn't really start it myself. My cat will only play with plastic bottle caps, so we started saving them from all our drink bottles. Before we knew it, we had a huge basket of them collected, so now if you have an empty drink bottle, your cap automatically goes in the basket.
2. From briar:
How many different kinds of music do you listen to? Name a few favorites, if you please.
I listen to so many different kinds of music. I loooove EDM (Techno, Trance, Breakz, DnB), but I listen to a lot of rap, hip hop, country, alternative rock, classic rock, pop, classical....well basically you name it, I listen to it. My favorite artists include Iio, Paul Van Dyk, Eric Berretta, Delerium, Angel City, Aphrodite, Baby Anne, okay I'm stopping there because I could go on all day! I love too many to pick just a handful.
3. From iris:
Do you take advantage of the outdoor areas where you live? What's your favorite thing to do outside? What's your favorite local bird?
I live in a great place for outdoor activities. I'm right at the base of the mountains, so if we're not riding the mountains on our motorcycle, we're camping, hiking, or fishing. Did I mention that I'm also surrounded by lakes? My blogging time is limited in the summer because I'm outside so much. We go to the lake every chance we get in the summer. I practically live outside.
My favorite local bird? We also have so many birds around that it's hard to pick just one. I have tons of bird houses all around my house, so they're everywhere, but I would probably have to pick our woodpecker as my favorite. He has been with us from the day we moved in, and moves back and forth between the same 3 trees. He loves to sit in the one right outside our bedroom window reaaaallly early in the morning.
4. From kristy:
Children: Do you have any?
Not yet. We're working on it, so hopefully by this time next year I'll be a mommy...of the people kind that is lol. Right now I'm only a mommy to Bubba the 5 month old bulldog puppy and Alley the cat.
5. From amy:
What is your favorite part of spring?
I love almost everything about spring, but I guess my favorite part would be all the smells from the flowers blooming. We have flowers everywhere, so I open my windows, hang my clothes out on the line, and take in all the wonderful aromas.
Blogvertise
I recently signed up for an account on Blogvertise, and I'm waiting to see exactly how that goes. Has anyone else had any dealings with them? I would love to hear from others who have joined. The concept is simple. Advertisers contact you with offers, and you can choose which ones you want to write about.
I like the idea a lot. Not only can I earn a little cash, but it gives me an opportunity to review products and services from companies I might not already know about. The rules and guidelines are pretty simple for bloggers, so if you're interested in the program, go ahead and check it out.
I'm also interested in the advertising aspect. Want other bloggers to write about your blog? Check out the advertising option!
I like the idea a lot. Not only can I earn a little cash, but it gives me an opportunity to review products and services from companies I might not already know about. The rules and guidelines are pretty simple for bloggers, so if you're interested in the program, go ahead and check it out.
I'm also interested in the advertising aspect. Want other bloggers to write about your blog? Check out the advertising option!
Charter Communications Sucks
I was going to write a review on my cable provider, Charter Communications, about how horrible their customer service, tech support, and general connection issues are, but before I had a chance to write a review here, I started ranting about them on my personal blog, Everyday Randomness. The post started as a rant, but considering if I wrote everything in one post, it would turn into a book about all the problems I've had, I decided to make it a series. If you're a Charter customer, or you're interested in my general dealings with them for maybe future reference, feel free to head over to Everyday Randomness to read the series. I promise by the end of the first post you will already be disgusted with the service!
SupahStar Saturday
I'm a little behind on starting my first Supahstar Saturday this week, but here we go.The featured blogger this week is Bucket O' Bulletz, owned my Suni. She's a Jersey gal, just raising her family, getting through life, and posting about it! I especially loved the pic she took with her son. She's looking happy, and loving her new camera, so I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more pic posts out of her! I might not be a mom yet, but I can identify with a lot of her posts on family and life in general. This girl will get you laughing! Head on over there and check her out! I know I'll definitely be returning to read more!
Fresh Look Friday
Welcome to the first addition of Fresh Look Friday! If you would like to participate, all you have to do is write a blog entry about my blog pick for this week, then come back here and leave a comment on this blog with a link to your blog!
This week I'd like to give everyone a Fresh Look at Mommy The Maid. After spending a few minutes reading this blog, I was already hooked! Mommy The Maid is written by a young stay at home mom, who will keep you laughing all the way to the last post! Whether she's writing about her daughters, hubby, or daily life, she throws a fun twist into everything! I will definitely be adding this blog to my daily reads!
This week I'd like to give everyone a Fresh Look at Mommy The Maid. After spending a few minutes reading this blog, I was already hooked! Mommy The Maid is written by a young stay at home mom, who will keep you laughing all the way to the last post! Whether she's writing about her daughters, hubby, or daily life, she throws a fun twist into everything! I will definitely be adding this blog to my daily reads!
Fresh Look Friday
Since this blog is dedicated mostly to reviewing things, I've decided to start writing about a different blog every Friday. I'm soft of creating my own Friday Meme, so if you would like to join in, feel free to! Here's the way it's going to play out.
First, I'll pick a random blog. I'll do this one of two ways. To start with I'll pick a random blog from one of the blogging communities I use, such as mybloglog, spicypage, blogger, payperpost, etc. Once I get a few Fresh Look Friday's under my belt, anyone that participates with me will automatically be put on my list for a future Fresh Look Friday review after you have participated 3 times.
How can you participate? All you have to do is visit my blog on Friday, see who I've picked for Fresh Look Friday, then write your own post about them and their blog. Then come back to my post and leave a comment letting me know you participated. If you want to be considered for a future Fresh Look Friday Review, make sure you leave a link to your own blog in the comment!
What's the point in all this? Well if you want to promote your blog, this is a great way to get your link out there to others while giving a little promotion to someone else! Remember, the most of us participating, the greater increase in traffic for all of us!
What's the point in all this? Well if you want to promote your blog, this is a great way to get your link out there to others while giving a little promotion to someone else! Remember, the most of us participating, the greater increase in traffic for all of us!
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