Happy With My New PR
My Google Page Rank just updated, and I'm happy to say this blog is now as PR3! I'm so happy! I've been waiting awhile for this one to update, and jumping from a PR0 to a PR3 in one update makes me all giggly...or maybe it was the allergy meds I just loaded up on. Either way, I'm extremely happy now! Thanks to everyone who has stopped by, linked to me, and helped make it happen!
A World Where Infidelity Is Okay?
I'm don't agree with Infidelity, but there are a lot of couples out there who have no problem with it, and there are those couples who actually think it livens up the relationship to be unfaithful. Personally if I ever caught my hubby cheating on me there would be hell to pay. I saw this website today that really makes me wonder what goes on online these days. Okay, so I already knew it goes on, but I just didn't think too much about it before. What intriques me is the fact that there are tons of women out there searching for men to give them a break from their normal everyday relationships. Just because I don't agree with it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. No longer can we say we live in a world where it's men doing all the cheating. Women are just as much to blame, and there are websites out there specifically designed to help it happen.
PR Update!
The Google PR update is in full effect! I don't know if I'm going to be get an update this time or not, but I sure hope so. I would love to see this blog get at least a PR2 since I have better Alexa and Technorati scores here than on my PR2 blog. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Some bloggers are already rejoicing over their updates while others are still sitting back, waiting patiently for any changes. I'm just happy it's finally happening!
Ready For Some Madness?
It's time for Monday Madness once again! This week is all about favorites! If you want to participate, head on over to the Monday Madness Blog!1. Currently, what television commercial is your least favorite?
All of them? Who likes commercials, well, except for Super Bowl ones, and even those sucked this year.
2. And which commercial is your most favorite?
I don't have one. I don't mind the Geico commercials, but I don't have a favorite.
3. Of the sitcoms that are on during "prime time" how many do you watch on a regular basis? Please share.
I don't really watch any sitcoms on a regular basis. Then again, I hardly ever watch TV on a regular basis. I watch a few shows here and there when I find time to sit down. I try to catch Ugly Betty and Notes From The Underbelly when I have a chance.
4. Is there a television series that you enjoy watching that is ending this season?
I used to watch ER, but I just haven't been able to get into it the past few seasons.
5. Is there any type of program you'd like to see more of on television?
I'd like to see more spy-type shows. Most of the ones I used to watch ended.
6. Is there any type of program you'd like to see less of on television?
REALITY TV. There are a couple of shows that I find interesting, but most of them are just stupid. I especially can't stand those wife swap shows.
7. Is there a series that is no longer aired that you wish would come back?
Alias and Tru Calling. I couldn't believe they bumped Tru Calling. I liked that show! And as for Alias, I guess it had a good run, but I wanted more!
8. Do you watch re-runs of anything on television?
Alias, Miami Ink (*drools over Ami James), and a few other shows here and there.
No More Gambling Online
I learned something very interesting today! Recently the US Government passed legislation that prohibits online gambling from those of us in the US. I personally think this is stupid. We can go to a casino and gamble all we want, but we can't participate in online gambling? This really throws me for a loop since I like to play poker online, and I was seriously thinking about getting into a few cash games, but now I can't. What I think is awesome is that the law did not cover online betting for horse races. It looks like horse racing will be the new online gambling of the future. When racing season begins, there are so many races that there are so many opportunities to win a little cash. I guess the government has decided to ban online gambling because they think it's getting too addictive? The way I see it, if you're going to gamble, you're going to gamble. If they ban poker sites and online casinos, that just means more people will turn to horse race bets.
If we really want to get into how I feel about it, it seems to me like the games average joes like myself want to play are the ones getting banned, but the ones that the "higher class" people participate in are the ones that get to stay. After all, how many politicians and businessman own race horses? Isn't it just a tad bit suspicious?
If we really want to get into how I feel about it, it seems to me like the games average joes like myself want to play are the ones getting banned, but the ones that the "higher class" people participate in are the ones that get to stay. After all, how many politicians and businessman own race horses? Isn't it just a tad bit suspicious?
SupahStar Saturday
I forgot to check in on SupahStar Saturday yesterday, but it looks like Colleen was a little late getting it up, too, so I didn't get their too late! Who's the Supahstar this week? It's Doris over at Life...Passion...Travel & More! She's a stay at home mom in Singapore who loves traveling even more than she loves blogging! She's also an accomplished business owner who works from home. She writes all about her son, and this week she's been on a cosmetics kick, but you'll definitely find something interesting to read each week. Go on over, say hi, and show her some love!
A Quick Update
I feel like I haven't really been posting anything the past few days, and I'm sorry guys! We've had a lot of stuff going on this week family wise...3 birthdays in one week complete with parties to attend for starters, and now my allergies have kicked in full force. I'm trying to stay on top of everything, but I feel so sick I just want to sleep, so if you don't see many posts for the next few days, please understand I'm not feeling well. I'll give an update as soon as I'm feeling better! For now, why don't you head over to my other blog to check out our pictures from our Deal's Gap ride last weekend! It was so much fun, and hopefully I'll be better within a few days because we're doing it all over again next weekend!
E Learning
This blog post is based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.
I previously mentioned that I was interested in returning to school to finish my degree. It seems like everywhere I look after mentioning that, I see information about online schools. I definitely want to try to get into an online program, but I don't even want to consider it unless I know it's an accredited program. I've seen too many people I have worked with in the past who have taken an online course, received a certification or degree, and been turned down by employers who frown on online schools because of all the scams out there.
When reading about e learning, I discovered Capella University. When reading about the programs offered, I liked what I saw. When I read that one of the faculty members,
Sara Orem, just co-authored a book about change through positive coaching titled ‘Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change’, I thought she sounds like a professor who actually cares in helping her students achieve their goals.
Of course, I still have a lot of decisions to make involving which online school I choose, but I will definitely add Capella to my list of schools to research further.
I previously mentioned that I was interested in returning to school to finish my degree. It seems like everywhere I look after mentioning that, I see information about online schools. I definitely want to try to get into an online program, but I don't even want to consider it unless I know it's an accredited program. I've seen too many people I have worked with in the past who have taken an online course, received a certification or degree, and been turned down by employers who frown on online schools because of all the scams out there.
When reading about e learning, I discovered Capella University. When reading about the programs offered, I liked what I saw. When I read that one of the faculty members,
Sara Orem, just co-authored a book about change through positive coaching titled ‘Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change’, I thought she sounds like a professor who actually cares in helping her students achieve their goals.
Of course, I still have a lot of decisions to make involving which online school I choose, but I will definitely add Capella to my list of schools to research further.
Still Wootin'
This definitely isn't one of the best Woot-off's I've seen, but it's still going on if you missed it yesterday. I picked up a Logitech WebCam for $15 last night, and I'm sitting here waiting for more good stuff to roll through! Stop by Woot if you're bored. You never know what you're going to find! Make sure you use a Woot Tracker so you don't bog down the servers by refreshing. If the system goes down, there's no Wootin' for any of us!
Woot-off Is On!
Get on over to the Woot-off before everything's gone! If you don't know what the Woot-off is, it's the marathon sale Woot.com runs a few times a year. Normally Woot offers 1 item for sale per day, and once it's sold out you have to wait for the next day to roll around, but during the Woot-off, as soon as I thing sales out, the next pops up, and you can't beat the prices! During the last Woot-off I picked up a 256mb MP3 player for $9.99!
Oh yeah, and don't bog down the Woot services by refreshing! Go to the Woot Tracker to see when things sell out!
Oh yeah, and don't bog down the Woot services by refreshing! Go to the Woot Tracker to see when things sell out!
Setting up The New Blog
My Everyday Randomness blog now has a new home! I will be moving this blog over there eventually, too, but for now, stop by and check it out! Please ignore the crappy layout. I promise to change it soon! I just thought my content would be my first priority. I've got most of my posts moved over, and I promise lots of new content soon!
Vacations.net Review
I'm always looking for new resources for my vacation info. I haven't used many online bookings sites because most of the time I don't like the packages they offer or what I have to go through to book. Right now I'm checking into Vacations.net, and I think I may actually use this site in the future. The first thing that caught my eye is the ability to see visual tours of the resorts I'm interested in. I like the options to choose vacation resorts according to style, such as adults only, family, or couples only. I also like the all inclusive packages they offer such as the All Inclusive Resort In The Caribbean. Some packages are up to 50% off normal package rates. There are also special offers based on booking dates. I like the fact that you can view how others rate hotels and locations, as well as read their reviews. The information found on the site is detailed, and the pictures are not only gorgeous but very helpful. I'm definitely adding this site to my list of resources as I plan a get away for hubby and I this summer.Very Cool Hats
Check out some of these cool Women's Hats over at Head Games. We already know women love shoes and purses, but hats seem to get left out of the equation a lot of the time. Why not grab a hat to go with your favorite pair of shoes? While you're there, check out the handbags, too. I already see a ton of stuff I'd love to have if I weren't so broke all the time lol. Being that I'm a southern girl, I love my cowboy hats, and there are tons of awesome ones here I'd love to have. I like the idea of cowboy hats with a girlie touch such as the Casual Cowboy hat with shells! Don't forget to check out the hair accessories, too! There are some very unique clips that look awesome, although I'm not sure exactly what I would wear them with. I'm sure I'd find something!
DVD Rentals Made Easy
Are you tired of running to the video store to get a movie, watching it once or twice, then having to run back to the store to return it before it's due? Our closest Blockbuster is 20 minutes away, so we hardly rent dvds anymore because of the hassle and the gas it takes to run back and forth. That's exactly why I'm interested in Blockbuster Online Movies delivered straight to your door. If I can save myself a trip to the store and still watch the movies I want, I'm all for it, especially since I dropped my cable tv down to the basic package and don't get movies anymore.
It's just $9.99 for your first month, and $17.99 each month afterwards. You might be saying that's almost $20 a month, but wait. Thank about all the gas you spend driving to the store to pick out the movie, then driving back home, then driving back to the store to return the movie! That's more than $20 a month for me right there before I add in the actual rental costs!
What I really like about this program is that I can rent up to 3 movies at a time or all the movies I want during the month for the same price! When I'm done with them, I've got the choice of sticking them in the mailbox, or returning them to my nearest store if I'm in a hurry to rent another! I really like the concept of this program, and it's definitely proving that almost everything can be done online these days.
Blockbuster - Get DVDs delivered to your doorstep. Start a FREE trial now!
It's just $9.99 for your first month, and $17.99 each month afterwards. You might be saying that's almost $20 a month, but wait. Thank about all the gas you spend driving to the store to pick out the movie, then driving back home, then driving back to the store to return the movie! That's more than $20 a month for me right there before I add in the actual rental costs!
What I really like about this program is that I can rent up to 3 movies at a time or all the movies I want during the month for the same price! When I'm done with them, I've got the choice of sticking them in the mailbox, or returning them to my nearest store if I'm in a hurry to rent another! I really like the concept of this program, and it's definitely proving that almost everything can be done online these days.
Blockbuster - Get DVDs delivered to your doorstep. Start a FREE trial now!
Back To School With Collins College
I've been considering returning to college to finish my degree for sometime now, but I haven't found a college I think suits me yet. I want a smaller college setting at a technology oriented school, or a good online program. Collins College offers what I want in a class that suits me, but it's too far away in AZ. After spending a few minutes looking around the site, I realized the offer online classes, and now I'm considering that option. Although I'm not adding saying this is my final decision, I'm definitely adding them to my list of potentials to finish my Network Technology Degree. They offer many Bachelor's and Associate's degree programs in the technology related field, as well as other fields. If you're thinking about going back to school, contact Collins College and request some information.
Leisuretime Holidays
My friends in Europe may be interested in checking out this vacation site, leisuretime holidays, for the next holiday you plan. I was looking at the site this morning, and I like what I see. As a VIP member, not only can you travel to many destinations all over the world, but through the points system, you can earn points towards other trips. I immediately thought of many of my friends in the UK who travel often but complain about how expensive it is to plan these trips. With the points system you could earn discounts on future vacations, which is always a plus!
Monday Madness!
This week's Monday Madness has pretty random questions, but I think they're all pretty good.
1. Name a song you know most (or all) of the words to.
I know all the words to tons of songs, but most recently I've been listening to the vocal trance version of Paul Simon's 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover.
2. Name a movie that you have watched more than once and would watch again.
Boondock Saints. You can never go wrong with that movie!
3. Have you ever read a book more than once? Please share.
I've read just about every single one of Janet Evanovich's books at least twice. I'm a big fan of the Plum Series.
4. Share an inspirational quote with us.
My favorite quote might not be inspirational to most, but it is to those of us who travel on two wheels.
"Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul."
5. What day of the week does (or did) your birthday fall on this year?
Nov 10 falls on a Saturday this year.
6. Have you ever bought a book or cd or movie more than once because you forgot you bought it already?
I've never bought a copy because I forgot I bought it, but I have bought another copy because the other book was falling apart, cd was skipping badly, stuff like that. I just bought 2 copies of Battlefield 2 because hubby scratched his up too bad to use it, then was too impatient to wait for Amazon to ship his 2nd copy, so he ran to walmart and bought a 3rd copy. At least he has a backup copy when he kills the next one.
1. Name a song you know most (or all) of the words to.
I know all the words to tons of songs, but most recently I've been listening to the vocal trance version of Paul Simon's 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover.
2. Name a movie that you have watched more than once and would watch again.
Boondock Saints. You can never go wrong with that movie!
3. Have you ever read a book more than once? Please share.
I've read just about every single one of Janet Evanovich's books at least twice. I'm a big fan of the Plum Series.
4. Share an inspirational quote with us.
My favorite quote might not be inspirational to most, but it is to those of us who travel on two wheels.
"Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul."
5. What day of the week does (or did) your birthday fall on this year?
Nov 10 falls on a Saturday this year.
6. Have you ever bought a book or cd or movie more than once because you forgot you bought it already?
I've never bought a copy because I forgot I bought it, but I have bought another copy because the other book was falling apart, cd was skipping badly, stuff like that. I just bought 2 copies of Battlefield 2 because hubby scratched his up too bad to use it, then was too impatient to wait for Amazon to ship his 2nd copy, so he ran to walmart and bought a 3rd copy. At least he has a backup copy when he kills the next one.
Smorty
There's a new kid in town in the paid to blog world. His name is Smorty, and he's here to help you make a little extra cash. If you have already started using paid to blog companies to bring in a little extra income from your blog, you will be glad to know there's a new choice out there. If you're new to the whole scene, Smorty is a great place to start if you want to get paid for blogging in this blog oriented 2.0 world. I've decided I totally like Smorty for a few reasons. First of all, you can accept more than one task at a time. You are also given a longer period of time to finish those tasks. Most paid to blog sites only allow you so many hours, sometimes up to 48 hours, but Smorty gives you quite a few days to complete. The payouts vary, but so far most of them are pretty good. They also tell you in your "pending tasks" section exactly when your posts are due down to the exact second of the day. This really helps bloggers who have a lot of their plates. We can make sure we get our tasks in before the deadline. You can also see how many slots are left for each opportunity. I love that feature because most other services don't offer it, and you might miss out on something you would really love to write about. If you're interested in receiving a little revenue from your blog, I suggest you check it out.
Boring Day Carnival: My Boring Life
Colleen over at Simple Kind Of Life invited everyone to join the Boring Day Carnival. I decided at the last minute that I wanted to participate, so I tried my best to capture some of my boring day yesterday. I definitely didn't get as many pics as I think I should have, but my digi is broken so I was stuck using my cell phone cam. Nonetheless, I did the best I could! I promise the next time I participate, I'll go all out! So, enjoy my boring day!
Since I was up until 5am the night before, and didn't crawl out of bed until 1 pm, my pictures aren't all that great. lol But, nonetheless, I'm sharing them, and I even made a nice little slide show for you guys!
Since I was up until 5am the night before, and didn't crawl out of bed until 1 pm, my pictures aren't all that great. lol But, nonetheless, I'm sharing them, and I even made a nice little slide show for you guys!
Phone Spam
We all deal with spam in our inbox everyday, but it disgusts me how far some companies will go nowadays. About a year ago, a company from Canada started calling my cell phone trying to give me information on health insurance. They were quite rude with me when I kindly stated that I never requested information from them, and even if I had, I wouldn't have used my cell phone number as the contact. Their calls persisted for a few days, until I finally got ugly, exchanged a few words with the supervisor, and threatened to file a police report for harassing me.
Aside from the constant calls from Dell when I'm ONE DAY late on my payment, I haven't had to deal with any more spam calls...until...
This morning I had my second run in with a company calling my cell phone trying to sell something to me. After a late night last night, I slept through the entire morning, and all of the calls, but that didn't stop this company. I have one of those free incoming call phonelines through aim that I use as my temporary business line right now. I love it because when I'm away from the computer, or I don't want to deal with business stuff, I just shut off aim, and the calls are directly sent to my free voicemail. As soon as I sat down to get some work done today, I opened my aim dashboard and saw 3 calls from the same number that constantly called my cell phone. I went straight to google, and my first search result confirmed my fears, another spam company! The first result I hit is a webhosting forum where tons of others are experiencing calls from the same company. Aplus.net is the harassing company, and it seems they like to randomly call people who have just registered for a domain name trying to sell them hosting. I find this quite funny because I have NOT registered for a domain name. I have inquired about purchasing one, but no where have I included any of my personal info. So, if you register a domain, watch out for 877-577-0877. They are only out to try to harass you into buying their webhosting services.
Aside from the constant calls from Dell when I'm ONE DAY late on my payment, I haven't had to deal with any more spam calls...until...
This morning I had my second run in with a company calling my cell phone trying to sell something to me. After a late night last night, I slept through the entire morning, and all of the calls, but that didn't stop this company. I have one of those free incoming call phonelines through aim that I use as my temporary business line right now. I love it because when I'm away from the computer, or I don't want to deal with business stuff, I just shut off aim, and the calls are directly sent to my free voicemail. As soon as I sat down to get some work done today, I opened my aim dashboard and saw 3 calls from the same number that constantly called my cell phone. I went straight to google, and my first search result confirmed my fears, another spam company! The first result I hit is a webhosting forum where tons of others are experiencing calls from the same company. Aplus.net is the harassing company, and it seems they like to randomly call people who have just registered for a domain name trying to sell them hosting. I find this quite funny because I have NOT registered for a domain name. I have inquired about purchasing one, but no where have I included any of my personal info. So, if you register a domain, watch out for 877-577-0877. They are only out to try to harass you into buying their webhosting services.
Picture Frames of Today
I'm looking into getting a digital picture frame. I like the idea of being able to store my digital photos on a memory card to view anytime I want from a digital frame. I also like how with digital frames, you don't have to look at the same photo all the time, you don't have to print a picture just to display it, and you don't have to go through the hassle of taking the frame apart just to change the photo. I hate to say it, but I get tired of looking at the same pictures all the time, so I really don't have that many frames up displaying my memories. I'm almost too lazy to change them out all the time, and if I framed every photo I love to look at, I wouldn't have room for all the frames! Most of the time my pictures display on my personalized screensaver, but if I want to share them with others I either have to wait until the screensaver loads on idle, or I have to search through my photos on my computer and open them one at a time to share. With a digital picture frame, I can load the pictures I want to see on the memory card, share them with friends and family and set them to change so I don't have to see the same one all the time. It saves space, saves frames, and best of all, changing what photos I want to view is just a memory card away! Most digital frames these days can also display your personal home videos, play music, and more, so that's definitely a plus. Imagine setting up your own slideshow of pictures with music in the background in a frame that can sit on your desk at work, or your coffee table at home.
Get Your Votes In!
If you haven't voted for your favorite blogs yet, don't forget to get your entries in. I was just over that the Blogger's Choice Awards, and I've realized how many great blogs are being nominated that I've never heard of before. I haven't submitted my votes yet, but I'm definitely making a list of who I want to vote for. I've learned Blogger's Choice can be a valuable resource, too. Look at how many new blogs you can discover while comparing all the blogs you want to vote for! I didn't submit any of my blogs for nomination because I don't think they deserve to be nominated. We all know my blogs are small and I want to see the awards going to bloggers who really deserve them. Now, head on over there, look through the categories (some I find quite funny), and show bloggers how much you appreciate the hard work they're doing by voting for them!
Traffic Counters Vs Spyware
Wow, I'm up early today, so I will probably be gracing you with many wonderful posts throughout the day. I wanted to touch on a subject I received an e-mail about yesterday. A subscriber of mine wanted a little information on traffic and web trackers for their new blog. We all know there are many trackers out there to help you keep track of your stats, but a lot of them these days also include some sort of spyware or tracking cookie. Personally I want to know that my readers aren't downloading anything intrusive onto their systems when viewing my blog.
When I first began blogging a few years ago, I used SiteMeter as my traffic counter of choice. I never had a problem with the service, but I won't even justify them with a linkback these days due to the fact they have indeed included a form of spyware with their service. Many other bloggers are now switching to another service thanks to the sell out. If you do use SiteMeter, I suggest you check out Eric Odom's posts about the service. These days all of my blogs currently run on StatCounter. I began tracking my stats with them months ago, and now they are the only service I ever use. I am highly pleased with the service, and I switched 2 of my blogs over from Google Analytics. I am still okay with the Google Analytics service, but I don't recommend it for small time bloggers. I have had to help many friends understand the layout of the service. I think it is a bit much, and most of us don't need half of what the service has to offer. If you're not dealing with pay per click or adsense, there is just to much to have to sort through.
So, all in all, I am suggesting StatCounter as one of the best traffic statistics services out there. The platform is simple, easy to read, and even a very beginner blogger with little to no experience can figure it out. Stats are straight forward, and there are a lot of extra features to help track various things on our sites without the intrusion of spyware.
When I first began blogging a few years ago, I used SiteMeter as my traffic counter of choice. I never had a problem with the service, but I won't even justify them with a linkback these days due to the fact they have indeed included a form of spyware with their service. Many other bloggers are now switching to another service thanks to the sell out. If you do use SiteMeter, I suggest you check out Eric Odom's posts about the service. These days all of my blogs currently run on StatCounter. I began tracking my stats with them months ago, and now they are the only service I ever use. I am highly pleased with the service, and I switched 2 of my blogs over from Google Analytics. I am still okay with the Google Analytics service, but I don't recommend it for small time bloggers. I have had to help many friends understand the layout of the service. I think it is a bit much, and most of us don't need half of what the service has to offer. If you're not dealing with pay per click or adsense, there is just to much to have to sort through.
So, all in all, I am suggesting StatCounter as one of the best traffic statistics services out there. The platform is simple, easy to read, and even a very beginner blogger with little to no experience can figure it out. Stats are straight forward, and there are a lot of extra features to help track various things on our sites without the intrusion of spyware.
Need A Personal Assistant?
Wow, where was this site when I was in college? I would have totally used it! I'm talking about DoMyStuff.com, the website where you can get other people to do stuff for you. This is a great idea, I just don't know how well it will take. Basically you can find someone to do something for you if you don't have the time to do it, or you can even grab some personal assistants to cut down on the amount of stuff you have to do everyday! This is also a great place to make a little extra cash if you need to. You can bid to do various tasks that you know you can complete without having to take ones that you know you can't get done. Click here to visit DoMyStuff.com!
Apologies: Surf Junky Scam
Previously I posted about paid to surf programs, and how much of them aren't legitimate. We are all hoping AGLOCO will turn out to be different, but only time will tell considering they haven't even released the surf bar yet. I read an interesting post over at Dosh Dosh concerning AGLOCO and paid to surf programs.
After reading the article, I started researching SurfJunky, a program a close friend had recommended. I won't mention any names considering this friend is a fellow blogger with a pretty well know blog, but she emailed me one day asking me why I wasn't using SurfJunky yet. I told her how I was skeptical of paid to surf programs, and she went on and on about how great it was, how it wasn't like the other programs, and it actually paid her. Like I said, she is a good friend of mine, so I trusted her. Normally I would research something from one end to the other before joining, but when a friend like this one tells me about something, I tend to sign up without checking into it. Now, I haven't heard her say one bad thing about the program yet. She not only claimed to be receiving payouts, but she showed me proof of her payouts. After reading the Dosh Dosh article, I began to do some research though. Apparently SurfJunky is another one of the scams that I was sucked into because I let my judgement fall for a minute because of the trust of a friendship. I quickly googled SurfJunky and received thousands of scam hits. I felt like slapping myself for not doing the simple google check before.
Here's what I have decided to do. Since the scam alerts all point out that Surfjunky bans its members right before or at payout, I have decided to continue to let the program surf. I may be making them a little cash, but it s worth it for this experiment. I have recruited a few friends who have also agreed to sign up for accounts. We are going to surf until they ban us, then I will post the info about the bans, how much we had in our accounts, and what the ban messages stated. I want to get more proof out there that SurfJunky is a complete scam. So, currently I have $15.04 in my account. Payout is $25, so I don't think it will take long to get my ban.
After reading the article, I started researching SurfJunky, a program a close friend had recommended. I won't mention any names considering this friend is a fellow blogger with a pretty well know blog, but she emailed me one day asking me why I wasn't using SurfJunky yet. I told her how I was skeptical of paid to surf programs, and she went on and on about how great it was, how it wasn't like the other programs, and it actually paid her. Like I said, she is a good friend of mine, so I trusted her. Normally I would research something from one end to the other before joining, but when a friend like this one tells me about something, I tend to sign up without checking into it. Now, I haven't heard her say one bad thing about the program yet. She not only claimed to be receiving payouts, but she showed me proof of her payouts. After reading the Dosh Dosh article, I began to do some research though. Apparently SurfJunky is another one of the scams that I was sucked into because I let my judgement fall for a minute because of the trust of a friendship. I quickly googled SurfJunky and received thousands of scam hits. I felt like slapping myself for not doing the simple google check before.
Here's what I have decided to do. Since the scam alerts all point out that Surfjunky bans its members right before or at payout, I have decided to continue to let the program surf. I may be making them a little cash, but it s worth it for this experiment. I have recruited a few friends who have also agreed to sign up for accounts. We are going to surf until they ban us, then I will post the info about the bans, how much we had in our accounts, and what the ban messages stated. I want to get more proof out there that SurfJunky is a complete scam. So, currently I have $15.04 in my account. Payout is $25, so I don't think it will take long to get my ban.
Supahstar Saturday
You may have noticed I didn't participate in Supahstar Saturday last week. That's because there wasn't one due to it being Easter weekend and all, so here we are with a fresh new Supahstar this week! This week's Supahstar is Rox over at Dragons and Dreams. As soon as I visited her site, I was already struck by the beautiful airbrush work. Colleen pretty much summed up this week's Supahstar, but I will try to give you a little more info about her and her blog. Rox's blog is more of a personal diary for herself. She keeps track of things happening in her daily life with her family while showing off the artwork created by one of her family members and her beautiful flowers. Rox is a North Carolina girl, so I can consider her a neighboring blogger! Stop by and say hi to her when you get a chance, and don't forget to congratulate her on being this week's Supahstar!Fresh Look Friday: Pet Information
No matter what kind of pet you own, how many pets you have owned, or how long you have been a pet owner, there is always something new to learn. I found a great blog with tons of pet information tonight while searching for tips on housebreaking my extremely stubborn bulldog puppy, and I thought this was a great site that deserved the Fresh Look Friday spot. Pet Information offers tons of useful tips for all types of pets, not just cats and dogs. I wish I had found the article about finding a rental property as a pet owner a few years ago when I was having a problem doing just that. All in all I think this is a good site that can be a very valuable asset to pet owners.
If you would like to participate in Fresh Look Friday or you would like your blog considered for the Fresh Look Friday spotlight, please read the rules here.
If you would like to participate in Fresh Look Friday or you would like your blog considered for the Fresh Look Friday spotlight, please read the rules here.
Setting Up Your Site Properly
If you run a website, forum, or blog, you know there are always things to be done to maintain your site. How do you keep track of what has already been done and what still needs to be done? What if you don't know exactly what you need to do? There is a new site out there called Website To Dos that will walk you through a step by step process of everything that needs to be done. Start at the very beginning learning how to decide on a topic, set goals, and determine what audience you want to appeal to. Then continue on through some of the harder issues dealing with websites today. You won't be as frustrated following along with this helpful site as you would trying to do it all on your own.
Denim Helmets? WTF?
If you happen to follow my other blog, Everyday Randomness, then you probably already know I ride motorcycles. What you don't know is I spent close to $600 for a top of the line Shoei helmet. The way I see it, if I wreck, I want the best brain bucket I can get! This afternoon I was reading some posts on a few motorcycle blogs I frequent. When I got to Helmet Hair, I saw something I decided I just had to review. Now, keep in mind I buy all my gear for safety, not looks, and if you are more concerned with the fashion trend of your gear, then I don't think you really need to be riding a bike. That reminds me of all the 16 year old teenagers we have around here who run out and buy a bike, and then ride around with nothing but t-shirt with some motorcycle slogan and shorts. They care more about how they look than how safe they ride, and normally they are the first ones to crash.Now, what I saw this morning on Helmet Hair made me laugh. It seems that Nexx Helmets has created a denim motorcycle helmet. WTF? Here's why I hate this product so much.
Safety- There virtually is no safety factor when your helmet is made of demin. Why do you think smart riders ditch the denim pants in exchange for leathers? Until we can actually see the product in person, how do we know what's under there? Is there a hard shell as thick as normal helmets? Or is it a thin layer for shape with your padding on the inside? Also, this is an open-faced helmet. You will never see me wearing any open-faced helmet because they just aren't that safe. A close family member of mine wrecked last summer. He wasn't going very fast, about 30mph and he was on a little 250cc bike. It was a hit and run accident, and since he was wearing the open-faced helmet, when he hit the ground, everything was protected except his face. He ended up with massive facial damage and is still recovering almost a year later.
Dry Factor- So you're riding home from work on a bright sunny day, and you aren't expecting any bad weather, but the next thing you know, you find yourself in the middle of a small popup shower. Okay, a little rain, no big deal right? You'll just keep riding home. But wait a minute. Your helmet is made of denim? Your head is getting soaked? The helmet is soaking up all the rain and starting to feel really heavy on your head? Here's a tip. Don't buy a denim helmet you jack*ss! Don't forget that handy little pocket for your wallet or cell phone. It might seem super cool right now, but as soon as your goods get wet, don't come crying to me!
I really do agree with Helmet Hair when I say I think this was a total publicity stunt, but since the helmet is actually for sale, and there is at least one stupid rider out there who will buy it just to look cool, then will probably end up cracking his head open because he doesn't have the protection he needs, I would have to say this is a publicity stunt gone totally bad.
Paid To Read & Paid To Surf Programs
In my previous post I mentioned the "paid to surf" craze that happened a few years ago. We all know most of those programs flopped back then, but are there any programs of a similar type still around? The answer is yes, and I have indeed checked out a few of them, but most of them aren't worth the time and effort. Most of them require you to pay for an account just to participate, and you're lucky if you make your cash back. Since I'm always looking for extra ways to make a little extra cash online, I do have a tendency to try out new "paid to" programs. I wanted to list a few of these programs that I have actually found work for me.
Always remember how these programs work, and before you sign up for one, make sure someone know you has already been paid by the company. Also make sure you do a little research on the company. You don't want to start doing business with them only to find out you won't get paid. A lot of the "paid to" programs have a tendency to pop up over night and disappear the next day. Also remember PTR and PTS programs are not a get rich quick opportunity. You make very little for what you do. This is normally just a way to add a little change in your pocket. I have only found one "paid to surf" program that works for me, but I do use a few "paid to read" programs you might be interested in.
Surf Junky:
This is the only "paid to surf" program that I use these days. I HAVE NOT received a payment from them yet because I have been using them for a short time. Today I have earned $4.76 so far from 10.58 hours of surfing. I've just let the program run in another window.
Pros:
I have been using Hits4Pay for 2 years now, and I love them! I have gotten paid many times already. Deals-N-Cash is a new program I have been using for a few months. The program is also created by the same people who run Hits4Pay, and I am currently loving it. I have made quite a bit in the past couple months, and I should have my first payment coming up soon. Both programs are great because you have an internal inbox with each account. You will receive a notification email letting you know you have mail in your inbox to read without spamming your normal email account. Just login and read!
I also use InboxDollars and FullyPlugged, although I'm not as impressed with them as much as I am with Hits4Pay and Deals-N-Cash. If you sign up for FullyPlugged, I recommend sticking to just the Paid To Read portion. I haven't had any luck with the paid offers section.
I would however recommend all 4 programs to anyone who would like to use "Paid To Read" programs. I won't go into a lot of details over the programs right now, or this would be a huge post, but I recommend trying them for yourself. These programs don't flood your inbox with massive emails, but at the same time you can still make a good bit from each one. If anyone would like to ask me about my experiences with them, I will be glad to answer any email questions.
Always remember how these programs work, and before you sign up for one, make sure someone know you has already been paid by the company. Also make sure you do a little research on the company. You don't want to start doing business with them only to find out you won't get paid. A lot of the "paid to" programs have a tendency to pop up over night and disappear the next day. Also remember PTR and PTS programs are not a get rich quick opportunity. You make very little for what you do. This is normally just a way to add a little change in your pocket. I have only found one "paid to surf" program that works for me, but I do use a few "paid to read" programs you might be interested in.
Surf Junky:
This is the only "paid to surf" program that I use these days. I HAVE NOT received a payment from them yet because I have been using them for a short time. Today I have earned $4.76 so far from 10.58 hours of surfing. I've just let the program run in another window.
Pros:
- The program is easy to use. Just click the start surfing link and a new window will load in the background. The window will auto surf while you do other things. There is nothing to install, so there's nothing invasive being added to your computer.
- I also like the pay system. You start out making .45 per every hour of surfing. As you surf, you also earn points. You can then use these points to upgrade your pay to the next level up to .75/hour. You can also earn extra money through the referral system.
- There are many payment options. If you don't have a paypal account, you can also choose to receive a payment by Stormpay, e-Gold, or a check mailed to you. Payments are on the 15th of every month.
- So far I only see 1 con. That's the fact that you have to use Internet Explorer. The program doesn't support any other browser right now. I use Firefox for almost everything, so I'm glad I still have Internet Explorer installed just for things like this.
I have been using Hits4Pay for 2 years now, and I love them! I have gotten paid many times already. Deals-N-Cash is a new program I have been using for a few months. The program is also created by the same people who run Hits4Pay, and I am currently loving it. I have made quite a bit in the past couple months, and I should have my first payment coming up soon. Both programs are great because you have an internal inbox with each account. You will receive a notification email letting you know you have mail in your inbox to read without spamming your normal email account. Just login and read!
I also use InboxDollars and FullyPlugged, although I'm not as impressed with them as much as I am with Hits4Pay and Deals-N-Cash. If you sign up for FullyPlugged, I recommend sticking to just the Paid To Read portion. I haven't had any luck with the paid offers section.
I would however recommend all 4 programs to anyone who would like to use "Paid To Read" programs. I won't go into a lot of details over the programs right now, or this would be a huge post, but I recommend trying them for yourself. These programs don't flood your inbox with massive emails, but at the same time you can still make a good bit from each one. If anyone would like to ask me about my experiences with them, I will be glad to answer any email questions.
Getting On The AGLOCO™ Bandwagon
Okay, I finally did it. I finally decided to head over to AGLOCO™ to sign up. I've heard a lot of good things, and a lot of bad things about it, but I figured the best way to truly see what's going on would be to check it out for myself. So I headed over there, started to fill out the signup form, and guess what? I apparently signed up awhile back and must have totally forgot. This probably means I signed up when AGLOCO™ just began to surface. At least that was one step I got to skip.
What's next? Since the viewbar hasn't been released yet (it should be out between now and April 16th) it's time to start working on my referrals. So, if you would like to try AGLOCO™, please consider signing up under my referral link.
Now, you might be asking yourself, what is AGLOCO™? Did I just sign up for something that's going to suck the life from my computer? Simply AGLOCO™ is the healthy alternative to spyware. What? Did you just say spyware? Yes, but didn't you see that I also said the healthy alternative? Okay, so basically you will download the viewbar and use it while surfing. I could try to explain it all, but it would probably make this post extremely long, and you probably wouldn't understand a word of it, so let me refer you to the AGLOCO™ FAQ.
This is going to be a learning experience for me. In some ways it reminds me of the "Paid To Surf" phase a few years back. Of course I was sucked into that phase, but I didn't earn enough to even transfer it out of my account, so I can't wait to see how similar this is. Hopefully we'll all end up making a little extra money.
What's next? Since the viewbar hasn't been released yet (it should be out between now and April 16th) it's time to start working on my referrals. So, if you would like to try AGLOCO™, please consider signing up under my referral link.
Now, you might be asking yourself, what is AGLOCO™? Did I just sign up for something that's going to suck the life from my computer? Simply AGLOCO™ is the healthy alternative to spyware. What? Did you just say spyware? Yes, but didn't you see that I also said the healthy alternative? Okay, so basically you will download the viewbar and use it while surfing. I could try to explain it all, but it would probably make this post extremely long, and you probably wouldn't understand a word of it, so let me refer you to the AGLOCO™ FAQ.
This is going to be a learning experience for me. In some ways it reminds me of the "Paid To Surf" phase a few years back. Of course I was sucked into that phase, but I didn't earn enough to even transfer it out of my account, so I can't wait to see how similar this is. Hopefully we'll all end up making a little extra money.
April Google PR Update
Okay Google, where's our update? I know it's coming up soon, but I'm about to pull my hair out over here waiting for it. I'm seriously hoping my 2 unranked blogs will at least receive a google page rank PR1 ranking this time. I'm just one of those really impatient people who is getting really tired of waiting for it. Oh well, we know it's coming soon, so I guess I will just continue to bite my nails to the quick and pull my hair out a little at a time until it gets here. For now I'll continue to check my predicted PR with Future PageRank. I don't get my hopes up though because I know right now we have to use these predictors more for fun than anything. I can't wait until someone finally cracks Google's code!
Bloggerwave & Paid Blogging Critics
The next generation of paid blogging seems to come in the form of the recently launched Bloggerwave. Just like most of the other paid to post companies out there like PayPerPost and Blogitive, Bloggerwave is an automated system designed to unite bloggers and advertisers in one world. Advertisers will pay bloggers to write about products and services while Bloggerwave serves as the middleman, taking a small cut of the pay.
Blogherald.com has recently followed many of the Paid To Blog programs out there, and as with all the others, they are particularly interested in one thing with Bloggerwave, honesty from bloggers.
clipped from www.blogherald.comIntegrity and honesty are the key words that Bloggerwave seemingly want to emphasise
 |  |
Great Job Supporters!
When I began my campaign to convince others to support Locks of Love, I didn't expect an immediate response. A lot of people are always iffy about supporting charities, even well known ones, but I'm surprised at the support I'm already receiving on this! Good work guys! We already have 3 signatures on the pledge, and hopefully the list will continue to build. We only need 7 more participants before the gift certificates go up for grabs! I want to remind everyone that Locks of Love is a very easy charity to support. There are so many ways to contribute to the cause, and most of them don't require any money on your part! Don't forget to check my sidebar offer for a list of participants. Give them a little link love for doing their part!
If you are already a Locks of Love supporter I would love to hear from you! Send me a quick email about how you support the cause and I will include your story in one of my next posts! A few of our Pledge signers have already contributed their stories! Kayce will have donated at least 10" of hair 5 times this year with her next haircut! Leigh's daughter has donated her hair!
If you are already a Locks of Love supporter I would love to hear from you! Send me a quick email about how you support the cause and I will include your story in one of my next posts! A few of our Pledge signers have already contributed their stories! Kayce will have donated at least 10" of hair 5 times this year with her next haircut! Leigh's daughter has donated her hair!
Ultimate Paintball
Just seeing a paintball gun reminds me of presents for my younger cousin. Being the only boy in the family, I've always had a hard time shopping for him, but I was relieved when he became a teenager and became interested in paintball. Every year he knows that his birthday and Christmas presents will be consist of paintball gear. I normally buy him a big jug of paintballs, and sometimes I find something else that I know he can use. I found an interesting site that is going to come in handy for me since his birthday is coming up in a couple months. He already has top of the line paintball guns, but Ultimate Paintball has a ton of other stuff I can buy for him at great prices.
I normally spend $50 each Christmas on a 1000 count box of paintballs at the local paintball store, but this year I can order double that amount from Ultimate Paintball for at or below $50. I'm thinking about getting him some Paintball Grenades for his upcoming birthday. I think they look like a lot of fun. I'm thinking about getting some for myself. I could really surprise my hubby with those!
I normally spend $50 each Christmas on a 1000 count box of paintballs at the local paintball store, but this year I can order double that amount from Ultimate Paintball for at or below $50. I'm thinking about getting him some Paintball Grenades for his upcoming birthday. I think they look like a lot of fun. I'm thinking about getting some for myself. I could really surprise my hubby with those!
Four Things
Four things
I was tagged by the Four Things meme in an email, so I'm continuing it in the blog world.
- Four jobs I’ve had
- Waitress
- Customer Service Rep
- ESD Specialist
- Certified Solder Specialist
- Four movies I can watch over and over
- Four places I’ve lived
-
- Anderson, SC
- Walhalla, SC
- Easley, SC
- West Union, SC
- Anderson, SC
- Four TV shows I love
- Four places I’ve vacationed
-
- Hunting Island, SC
- Orlando, Florida
- Gatlinburg, TN
- Washington, DC
- Hunting Island, SC
- Four of my favorite dishes
-
- Cheesecake....anytime, any day, any meal!
- Shrimp & Snow Peas with Lobster Sauce
- Rice Pudding
- Turkey and my grandma's dressing
- Cheesecake....anytime, any day, any meal!
- Four sites I visit daily
- Four places I would rather be right now
-
- The beach
- Ibiza, Spain
- Miami
- Ireland
- The beach
- Four people I am tagging
Bunny Love
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday. Hubby and I decided to do something a little different this year. Since we don't have any kids yet, and all the kids in our immediate families think they're too old for Easter Egg hunts, we decided to stay home instead of eating Easter lunch with one of our families. We spent the time making our own meal together, and it turned out great. We made honey sesame chicken and vegetable fried rice. I enjoyed having the time to spend together. Normally we spend every holiday running back and forth between his parents and my grandparents houses, and it can be a bit frustrating. This way we got to enjoy the time we spent together and the holiday. We ended up going to my grandma's for Easter leftovers for supper, so I still got to eat her famous holiday banana pudding! All in all I think it was a great day. I hope your families had a great holiday, too.
Locks Of Love Contest
I am a big supporter of Locks of Love, and I really want to try to get other people to participate this year, so I'm going to run a blog contest with a twist. Unfortunately this contest will be a little biased towards women unless you are a man with long hair, or you have children, but I really feel compelled to do this.What is Locks of Love?
Almost everyone these days has heard of Locks of Love, but not everyone knows what it is. Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that makes hair pieces for kids under the age of 18 who have long term hair loss due to a medical problem. Most of the children who are helped have Alopecia, a condition that causes permanent hair loss. There's no treatment or cure for the disease.
Who can help?
Anyone with hair long enough to cut 10" from can help. They need hair from men, women, & children in all ages, races, and colors.
How do I donate?
The donation process is simple. Basically you just get your hair cut, then mail it in. For more information, read the donation page on the Locks of Love website. If you can't donate your hair the next time you go for a cut, you can also give a monetary donation or purchase something through ShopForGiving. You can also become a volunteer. For more information, see the Locks of Love "Other Ways To Help" page. If you decide to donate your hair, be sure to tell your hair stylist that you are donating your hair to Locks of Love. A lot of stylists will do the cut for free. I know Great Clips does, and I use them every time I donate my hair.
The Contest:
I would like you to write a small entry in your blog about Locks of Love, what they do, and how you can participate. Include a link back to this post in your post. Then return here and leave a comment on this post to be entered into the contest.
As an added bonus, I am setting up a Locks of Love Petition. The petition will basically be a pledge form saying that you promise to do something for locks of love this year, whether it be donating your hair, volunteering, giving a monetary donation, or just pledging to tell others about the program. Anyone who signs the petition will receive 1 contest entry. This means if you write a blog post and sign the petition, you will receive 2 entries.
Everyone who write a blog entry will also receive a link back in my special "Locks of Love Contest" link section that I will add to my sidebar.
The Prize:
The prize will increase with the number of participants. No prize will be given unless I receive at least 10 participants.
Up to 25 participants- $10 Amazon gift certificate
26-50 participants- $20 Amazon gift certificate
Over 50 participants- $30 Amazon gift certificate
*I will give the winner the option of choosing a gift certificate from another online store if they would like that instead, but the amounts will stay the same.
**Locks of Love is not sponsoring this blog, nor is anyone paying me to give away the gift certificates. I am choosing to use my own hard earned cash for the prizes, so I hope that is an incentive to convince people to donate at least the time to write a post about the charity.
My Best Friend
Julie over at Julie's Journal has asked us to write about our best friends. She wrote a great post, and asked us "Who's Your Best Friend?" You can stop by her blog to read her post and participate, too! Now, let me tell you a little bit about my best friend.My best friend is my wonderful husband, Ben. April 1st marked 5 years for us. September 20th will be our 4th wedding anniversary. We met through a mutual friend one night, started dating, and haven't been apart since. I honestly can't tell you what I would do without him. The past 5 years have been the best years of my life, and I wouldn't change them for the world.
Here's the more detailed version of how we met:
I had just broke up with my boyfriend who was very mentally abusive a couple days before and decided I needed a night out, so I called my friend Amanda. We decided to watch a movie at her house, but she realized she had lent the movie she wanted me to watch to a girl she worked with, so I rode with her to get it. While we were at this other girl's house, Amanda's friends showed up. One of them was Ben. Something about him caught
my eye, but I have always been shy, so I didn't say more than a hey and bye to him. After we left Amanda said something about how hot the other guy was, and I said I really didn't think so. I thought Ben was the hotter one. Amanda took it upon herself to give Ben my number, and he called me about a week later. We instantly connected and ended up spending the entire night on the phone. We talked 13 hours straight, and he went to work the next day without any sleep. A few days later Ben met Amanda and I at Huddle House after she got off work, and that was the beginning of it all. We went out a couple times in the next week, and although I kept telling him I wasn't ready to date anyone else yet, I felt myself being drawn to him more and more. Within a month and a half we were not only dating, but we had moved in together. A year and a half later we were married. 
We haven't spent one day apart since we "officially" started dating. I have a picture a friend took of us on our first date. It's my favorite picture, and I cherish it even more than our wedding pictures.Fresh Look Friday
Wow, I'm glad I just ate my lunch! If hubby hadn't just delivered teriyaki shrimp and scallops as a surprise I would be running to the kitchen to bake some peanut butter cookies. I found a great recipe for them on Feeding Time at the Zoo, and that constitutes a great reason to give Feeding Time At The Zoo the Fresh Look Friday spotlight! There are many more great recipes that will have your mouth watering. Don't forget to read all the blog reviews, too! You never know what you might find! I'm definitely going to follow her tips for cooking rice properly. Unless it's instant, I just can't seem to cook it right. Anywho, stop by and show some love to this great blog!
Yard Sales 101
Kim over at Stitch-n-stuff has decided to have a yard sale, so this has given me an idea to share my secrets to having a good sale. We try to have at least one yard sale a month during the warm months. Down here this means we can normally start with a sale sometime in March and do one a month through October or November, weather permitting. If you like to yard sale, these tips should come in handy for you, so bare with me. This could be a long post, but these are my tried and true methods to making at least $100 a sale off my junk!
The big key to being successful is to price things right. If you overprice, your stuff won't sell, but if you under price, you won't make anything. Remember most of this stuff is junk to you now, or you wouldn't be getting rid of it. The night before the sale, make a list of the larger items you have for sale. If you have furniture, try using "make an offer" signs instead of setting a price. If you have a ton of clothes, try offering a "fill a bag for $5" option instead of pricing things individually. This especially works for children's clothes and for books, as well.
Handmade Items:
Always remember the time and effort you put into creating things to sell. Handmade items do really well at yard sales if done correctly. Never let a customer tell you that because you're selling something at a yard sale, it has to be a cutthroat price. Make sure your handmade items are on a separate table away from the rest of the yard sale goods. Let customers know they are handmade by you, brand new, and priced according to the materials used to create them.
The day before your sale, make sure you have everything you will need. Make sure you have change. Lots of $1 bills and quarters will come in handy. Grocery bags are also a must have. If you don't have any, stop by the local grocery store ahead of time as ask for some free ones. You can also get free boxes from stores for larger items.
The day of the sale. Make sure you're willing to start bright and early. My most successful sales run from about 8-12. Give yourself at least an hour to get yourself in order and everything set up before customers begin to arrive. There's nothing worse than losing a sale because the item someone might want is still in a box somewhere. Set up your items according to your categories. Don't forget to hang nice clothes somewhere. I have a close line, but if you don't, try stringing a rope across your porch or between 2 trees. People are more likely to buy clothes that are hanging instead of sorting through piles.
Congratulations on a successful yard sale. At the end of the day, you should be sitting there with a little extra cash and a lot less clutter. Consider donating the items that didn't sell to charity. There are a lot of families out there who could use the stuff more than you, and the tax write off (if you choose to take it) out ways storing the stuff until you're ready for your next sale.
- Always plan ahead. I have tried to throw a yard sale together in a day or two, and not only is it a big hassle, but you really don't make much. Planning is key. Try to give yourself at least a week to get everything in order.
- Sort your items into categories. My categories normally consist of housewares, furniture, men's stuff, women's stuff, children's stuff, and miscellaneous. Once everything is sorted pricing is not only easier, but you already have a foundation for setting everything outside in a nice orderly fashion. Remember things need to look appealing in order to convince people driving by to stop and take a look! Think about using cheap plastic tablecloths to place items on outside.
- Find a location. It's always free to host your sale in your own yard, but if you don't have a lot of space, or you live in an area without a lot of traffic, consider finding a business who will let you use a portion of their parking lot on a Saturday morning. Also look for local flea markets. Most flea markets charge $5-10 for a table.
- Advertise in advance. A week before my yard sale, I always print out some fliers to hang up at local stores, gas stations, parks, etc. Contact local newspapers to see what day they print. Many of them list yard sales in the classified section for free. I also use local message boards to list my yard sales online. If you have a local radio station, call and ask about classifieds. Normally radio stations list classified on their website for free. Smaller stations sometimes will advertise your yard sale on the air for free. Don't forget to make a few signs to put in your yard, on roads nearby, etc.
- Contact family members and friends. See if anyone would like to haul some of their junk over to sell with you. Multi-family yard sales bring in extra customers because there is more to offer.
The big key to being successful is to price things right. If you overprice, your stuff won't sell, but if you under price, you won't make anything. Remember most of this stuff is junk to you now, or you wouldn't be getting rid of it. The night before the sale, make a list of the larger items you have for sale. If you have furniture, try using "make an offer" signs instead of setting a price. If you have a ton of clothes, try offering a "fill a bag for $5" option instead of pricing things individually. This especially works for children's clothes and for books, as well.
Handmade Items:
Always remember the time and effort you put into creating things to sell. Handmade items do really well at yard sales if done correctly. Never let a customer tell you that because you're selling something at a yard sale, it has to be a cutthroat price. Make sure your handmade items are on a separate table away from the rest of the yard sale goods. Let customers know they are handmade by you, brand new, and priced according to the materials used to create them.
The day before your sale, make sure you have everything you will need. Make sure you have change. Lots of $1 bills and quarters will come in handy. Grocery bags are also a must have. If you don't have any, stop by the local grocery store ahead of time as ask for some free ones. You can also get free boxes from stores for larger items.
The day of the sale. Make sure you're willing to start bright and early. My most successful sales run from about 8-12. Give yourself at least an hour to get yourself in order and everything set up before customers begin to arrive. There's nothing worse than losing a sale because the item someone might want is still in a box somewhere. Set up your items according to your categories. Don't forget to hang nice clothes somewhere. I have a close line, but if you don't, try stringing a rope across your porch or between 2 trees. People are more likely to buy clothes that are hanging instead of sorting through piles.
Congratulations on a successful yard sale. At the end of the day, you should be sitting there with a little extra cash and a lot less clutter. Consider donating the items that didn't sell to charity. There are a lot of families out there who could use the stuff more than you, and the tax write off (if you choose to take it) out ways storing the stuff until you're ready for your next sale.
Blingo'ing Away
Check out Blingo if you haven't already. I'm dieing to win some prizes, and the more people in my group, the better chance I have of winning something! Oh, did I mention that we can both win the same thing? Yep, that's right. Blingo is a search engine, powered by Google that gives away prizes randomly throughout the day to people searching for stuff. Google search results + prizes? What have you got to lose!
With my shameless Blingo plug over, man am I tired. I had planned on writing some spectacular posts in my blogs today, but it just isn't going to happen. I spent all day working on the monster computer I've been building for a friend, and after coming close to pulling every last strand of hair from my head, I got everything working correctly. I think I need a shot of tequila, a good book, and my bed! Stay tuned for some awesome stuff tomorrow. After all, Fresh Look Friday is only a few hours away!
With my shameless Blingo plug over, man am I tired. I had planned on writing some spectacular posts in my blogs today, but it just isn't going to happen. I spent all day working on the monster computer I've been building for a friend, and after coming close to pulling every last strand of hair from my head, I got everything working correctly. I think I need a shot of tequila, a good book, and my bed! Stay tuned for some awesome stuff tomorrow. After all, Fresh Look Friday is only a few hours away!
I Want This Shirt
After spending the past 2 weeks dealing with lots of problems with the monster computer I'm building for a friend, I've become extremely frustrated with computers. On top of that, this week both my dad and my mother in law have had computers go on the fritz, and guess who gets to be the one to fix them? In honor of this, I'm buying myself a shirt from ThinkGeek! I think it's very fitting right now. Of course, I was going to get the Women's babydoll version, but since the regular old t-shirt is on sale for $9.99, I'm ordering it for now. With all the t-shirt websites out there today, I still think ThinkGeek has some of the best tech related ones. I'm giving ThinkGeek a plug because I love the stuff they have. I don't participate in their affiliate program because I do think affiliate programs are mostly a hassle, but I will recommend ThinkGeek to anyone anyday!
Ms. Scorpio
Because I'm a Scorpio, and I'm bored, I thought this quiz would be fun!
Guess I'm not as much like my sign as I thought I was!
Guess I'm not as much like my sign as I thought I was!
| You are 53% Scorpio |
 |
Credit Card Debt Consolidation
If you have Credit card debt, you know how much of a problem it can be if you let it get away from you. The problems start for most of us around college age. One day you might be charging something for $15 or $20 on your one little card because you don't have the cash for that new cd. You tell yourself you'll pay it off by the end of the month so you won't have to worry about charges. You're an adult now and you can handle it. The next thing you know you have 4 cards, all maxed out. That's basically what happened to me. In college I handled my one card with no problem. It only had $200 limit, so I couldn't really go crazy with it. I decided I wanted to try to use credit cards to build my credit, so I signed up for another one with a larger limit. I was late on a couple payments and decided to get yet another card and transfer the charges from one card to another to avoid such a high interest rate. The next thing I knew I lost my job and was living off 4 credit cards. I found my way out with credit card debt consolidation, and I really must say it was a life saver for me. One of my credit card payments was over $250 a month alone. When I consolidated, all 4 of my credit cards combined into one monthly payment of $283. Take it from someone who has used the service, debt consolidation really can help you out with your credit card debt.
Me
I decided to try the Imagini VisualDNA widget because it looks like fun, and I'm a little bored. You don't get to choose your own pictures. You pick from the ones already there, so I did run into a few issues where none of the photos seemed to fit me, but I chose to the best of my ability, and here we have me...
Life Insurance Quotes
I have done a lot of posts lately about insurance, but considering I am currently looking for health, car, and life insurance, when sponsored posts come my way about insurance, I'm glad to do them! As for Life Insurance, my hubby and I have both been thinking about getting some. We are avid motorcycle riders, sharing one bike now and getting another one this summer, so we're both know we participate in something fairly dangerous that could result in a seriously injuring or God forbid, fatal crash. Quite a few bikers we know have went down this year, and that scares me because of the fact it's so early in the season. I know we ride year round, and we ride safely, but there's always a chance for something to happen, and it true that the drivers around a good riders are more dangerous than the rider and the motorcycle working together, so we have to be prepared for anything. Neither of us wants to put the other in a situation of not being able to afford things if something happens to the other.
Lately I tend to turn to online sources when looking for Life Insurance Quotes because I have more options to choose from. Price is a definite factor as well as the coverage. Hubby recently received a job offer that would allow him to choose from a number of different states to take a position in, so if we decide to move, I need to know we can find something that will work for us with the cost of living in that state. For instance, I want to be able to search quotes in states like New Jersey. I know we will do a lot of research before we find anything we settle on purchasing, but it's always good to know there are many options out there at the click of my mouse.
Lately I tend to turn to online sources when looking for Life Insurance Quotes because I have more options to choose from. Price is a definite factor as well as the coverage. Hubby recently received a job offer that would allow him to choose from a number of different states to take a position in, so if we decide to move, I need to know we can find something that will work for us with the cost of living in that state. For instance, I want to be able to search quotes in states like New Jersey. I know we will do a lot of research before we find anything we settle on purchasing, but it's always good to know there are many options out there at the click of my mouse.
Monday Madness
It's Monday, so it's time for a little madness again. If you want to participate in this meme, pick up your questions over at the Monday Madness meme blog.
1. Where did you go on your last vacation?
I'm trying to remember exactly when our last vacation was! We take trips all the time, but most of them are business related. I think our last vacation was to Hunting Island, South Carolina. It's a quiet state park on a small island downstate.
2. Would you go there again? Why or why not?
Definitely. I love going to Hunting Island. We try to go once every year, but it doesn't always happen. I love camping on the beach, and it's such a nice quiet place. Even at 4th of July when the park is totally packed out, you can still find plenty of private spots to settle down on the beach for the day, and it's just so peaceful. Oh, and the lighthouse is absolutely beautiful.
3. How many vacations do you take in one year?
It all depends on money and how often hubby can get off work. We take a lot of mini weekend trips to Charleston or to the mountains, but I don't consider those vacations. They're just mini weekend getaways that happen once every couple months. It's easy to do when Cherokee, NC is an hour and 1/2 away. Gatlinburg, TN is right at 3 hrs away so we go there a lot.
4. Where would you REALLY like to go on your next vacation, if money was no issue, and how long would you stay?
I want to go to Europe. I would definitely take a month to visit everywhere I want to go, but I would definitely take the time to visit Amsterdam, Italy, and Ibiza Spain.
5. Do you put a little money aside each week (or month) to save up for your vacation?
I try to, but it doesn't always happen that way. Normally the cash I put aside is intended for vacations or enjoyment, but we normally have to dip into it for a car breakdown or something else unexpected.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)