Time To Budget Blog

I am really proud of the way my new blog is turning out. I changed my old Budget Your Money blog to the new Time To Budget blog. I am using the domain TimeToBudget.com. I love modifying wordpress blogs. It's farily easy and a lot of fun. Check out my new bugdeting money blog.

Link Popularity

Over the last few days I have doing a search on today’s best techniques for building link popularity. I focused my search on reputable sites that offered free information. There are some definite do’s and don’ts when it comes to this subject. Since Google doesn’t publish their algo techniques some of the information available are just theories at this point.

It is important to know the definite do’s and don’t so that you don’t accidently fall prey to the “black hat SEO” techniques. Many uninformed people are falling for the link popularity techniques that are robbing their pocket books and possibly hurting their website by risking the possibility of beening banned by Google.

Since I did not become a SEO expert in a few days of research I am not going to try and explain all the good and bad linkbuilding techniques, but I will list a few that are most important.

The do’s:

1. Do find websites that are relevant to your site to link to you.

2. Good content is very important. You can get linked with out even trying.

3. Be sure to submit your site Google, MSN and Yahoo. These are the three main search engines and they won’t index you if you don’t submit your site.

The don’ts:

1. Don’t use “black hat” SEO techniques like blog spamming and forum spamming. Blog and forum spamming includes posting/commenting only for the purpose of adding your link.


2. Don’t waist your money on paid directories. There are many free directories available and remember your goal should be to get listed on directories that are relevant to your web site.

These are just a few of the important techniques, I encourage you to read 101 ways to Build Link Popularity in 2006, Link Popularity , and Link Building 101 to find more information and building link popularity. Don’t forget to check your link popularity with this free tool.

Payday Loans - Are they worth it?

I am not a believer in borrowing money at all. So in my opinion payday cash advance loans are a bad idea. We are being taught as a nation that it is ok to live beyond our means. We are being taught that we must have the biggest and the best and if we don't buy now it will be gone. The lastest deal/sale/coupon will expire and we will not be able to get it at that price ever again.
I bought into this way of thinking for most of my life. If fact it was only last year that I was convinced that the life of continous debt was never going to get us anywhere.
Borrowing money will never gain you fanincial freedom and that is what my family is trying to do. I still use sales/deals/coupons but now I use only money I have to buy the things I need.

Family Christian Stores

I like to shop at Family Christian Stores and I found some great coupons they are offering right now. Family Christian stores is were I buy gifts and Sunday school books. The store I shop at is about an hour from where I live so I think I might start shopping at the online store. They probably have more to offer anyway. Family Christian Stores coupons are good deals too. I love coupons.
I can't believe it's almost Christmas. I better get shopping.

Bloggers Block

I just posted this on the Blogitive Blog and thought it might be a good article for this blog as well.

Is it just me or do you ever get bloggers block (writers block)? One of the great things about paid blogging is that the offers/opps give you some great writing prompts. But what do we do about the posts in between? We all want to offer good content to our readers but this can be very difficult when our brains won't cooperate. And yes, I couldn't think of anything to write so I decided to write about it.

Here are some tips I have found to be helpful for bloggers block.

1. Search your favorites list. Visit sites you have long forgotten about and write about them.

2. You can blog hop and blog about what everyone is talking about. If you don't have a blog roll visit site's like Technorati, MyBlogLog and Digg.

3. Visit news sites and comment on what's happening in the world. You can also use the good old fashion newspaper or magazine.

4. When you are not going through bloggers block and have more ideas then you can write in one day, write it down and save it for later.

5. When all else fails find a Meme.

There are a few sites that offer some tips on creating blogging content. About.com offers "10 ways to Create Content on Your Weblog". Problogger offers some good tips on blog content, not for seeking content but how to write posts titles interests readers.

You also might want to try writing about bloggers block and do your own research. Not only did I write an interesting post (I hope), I also found a number of useful sites during my search.

Visit my Horse Blog

Molkky

Have you ever heard of Molkky? I had never heard of this game until today. I guess it's a little bit like bocce ball. It's sounds like it could be fun game. I am always interested in games that could be good for groups of people. I don't really love to play games but if they are really fun I will. If you interested in check out this game visit MolkkyUSA.com. This may be a good game to play for the holidays.

Coupons

Ebates is another great place to get coupon deals. I know I have talked about my coupon obession on this blog before. I have lost my obsession due to lack of time. I still use online coupons when I do online shopping. There are so many good companies that offer coupons. Since I know a little bit about affiliate marketing I know that most of these companies are using these coupon deals to get sales for there affiliates. It's a good idea really. Affiliate marketing can really make you a lot of money if you know how to do it right. I still have a lot to learn. For now I will be using companies like ebates to save money, until the day I don't have to worry so much about pinching every penny.

Christmas is almost here.

This Christmas is going to be a tough one again. Last Christmas we decided to not borrow any money for gifts and we are going to be doing the same this year. So I am left with having to buy few gifts at good prices. I like to find a bargin so it's not really a stretch for me to be thrifty.
There is this site called www.StealDeals.net that has a huge list of deals on the net. I love sites like this because I can just search for the best deal in one place. They have products with coupon codes and sales listed. It's very cool.
I am not sure what my budget is for this Christmas but I hope to be able to buy some good things for my family. I may have to start making some things as gifts too.

PayPerPost lets us reserve opps now.

I just found out that now PayPerPost will let you reserve an opp for 30 minutes. This makes me so happy because I was getting sick of loosing opps. This may not make any sense to those of you who are not payperpost bloggers but let me tell you it's a good thing. I kind of wish it could be for a little bit longer but I guess I can't be too greedy. Anyway, way to go PayPerPost!

High Performance Affiliate Marketing

I recently read this ebook called High Performance Affiliate Marketing by Jeremy Palmer and I have to say I am thrilled that I read it. If you are interested in affiliate marketing then you have to read it.
I have been attempting to generate income from affiliate marketing but now I realize all the things I was doing wrong. Over the last few months I have learned a lot about the do's an don't of affiliate marketing by trial and error. This book could have come in handy at the beginning of this venture.
I learned so much from this e-book. I did already know most of the information on affiliate marketing and how it works but what I didn't know was how to promote my site enough to generate a good income.
So now I have a better understand of how SEO works and what I should be doing. I am really excited.

Cars

Many of the cars we have own might been considered lemons. Unfortunately they are US made vehicles. I don't like to say it but I think US made cars are not made as well as foreign cars. We are not at the financial place to buy another vehicle but I really think our next purchase is going to be a Toyota, Honda or Nissan.
This Free Car Classifieds offers detail information on new and used cars. Information on the year and model of the car, like crash test results, estimate gas fuel economy and recall info.
As a consumer I really appreciate this information. If I where searching for a new car I would definitely be searching this site. You can check out this Civic for sale to see what I am talking about.
This site is also a great place to list a car for sale because it's free. You can upload as many as 10 pictures, write as long as a description as you like and it's 100% free. I love free stuff.

Thanksgiving

I had a great Thanksgiving dinner at my brothers house this year. My sister-in-laws family was there and it was really nice. I hope to be able to go to his house for Thanksgiving in a year or two. He won't be doing this at his house every year. We usually go to my husbands parents house for Thanksgiving. This year we actually got to do both families. We had an early Thanksgiving dinner with my in laws and then another one with my brother and his family.

diamonds

Just imagine you could buy any diamond ring you wanted. What would it look like? What shape of diamond would it be? There are so many choices. I decided to do a search on Abazias.com of one of the best diamonds available. Abazias Diamonds features over 80,000 loose diamonds and a wide selection of jewelry at wholesale prices.So why don't I just instead admire these beautiful loose diamonds I found the 3.0 carrot diamonds that were over 130,000 dollars. That is a lot of money so I am really just dreaming at this point. What does it hurt to dream, right? Anyway this diamond is a 3 carrot round cut and it just beautiful. But it's only the diamond. The ring isn't included in the hefty 130,000 price.
For all I know this cheap diamond at $130,000 and 3.0 carrots. It's is beautiful though. So just for fun let's say my rich husband... I have to use an imaginary rich husband because if my hard working broke husband bought a $130,000 diamond I would be furious. Anyway, let's say my rich husband decided to buy me this diamond, would I accept it. It would be hard accept a $130,000 diamond if I was broke like my real husband. I guess I would have go deep into my imagination and become rich myself. from a distance.

Can you raed tihs?

I found this in the drafts of my e-mail account. When I first read this I was amazed.

Is Your Brain Normal?

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was
rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch
at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a
wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in
the rghit pclae. The rset can be
a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is
bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as
a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Nintendo

Want to play free games online? My son would love this site. He loves to play video games and I think he would enjoy playing the old Nintendo games. I remember playing some of the old Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros. and Pac Man. Ok, I could go back even futher and I remember playing Atari games. Wait, am I showing my age?

So proud

My kids are doing great in school. My oldest daughter is in Highschool and she is getting good some really good grades. I have her in a charter school that is part homeschool and part traditional school. He goes to class ones a week and then I just make sure she does the work that the teachers assign. She has an A in english. I am really happy about this because she struggled with some things last year. I really love this school that we are apart of.

A great gift idea

Microscopes are one of the coolest things ever invented. My son just went on a field trip to UC Santa Barbara. His class was apart of the Nano Quest field trip they were offering to schools this year. It was great and I think he learn a lot of information. One thing he go to do was view and use an atomic force microscope. The actual microscope they used was actually in another state. They were controlling the microscope with a computer. I wish I could have been in the lab with him. It was an experience I hope he will remember forever. From what I remember an atomic force microscope doesn't use light like a regular microscope.
There are so many cool microscopes available. Look at these cool microscopes. They offer microscopes from every price range and capability. But you won't find an Atomic Force microscope because that would probably cost much more than you could afford :o).
Anyway, if you know a child that you think could interested in science you should check out these scopes. Microscopes.com offers great microscope gift packages. I think my son would love to have a microscope but I don't know if it will be as cool as the one he saw at UCSB.

My digital camera is broken :o(

I am so sad. My camera is not working. I use my camera for everything. Taking pictures of the kids, my horses, and for work. How I am going to function without a digital camera! I suppose I will live. My husband is going to try and get it to work. I hope he fixes it.

Another horse blog

I am starting think maybe this blogging thing is a sickness. I have been creating new blogs all over the place. I think blogging could be a good way for me to make money, even without paid blogging. I am now creating another horse blog. I am really proud of this one because I modified a free template and I think it looks good. It's not finished yet. I haven't posted any real content yet but I am starting the buzz. My hope is to try and make money off of Google, affiliate advertising and maybe some paid blogging that has to do with horses. I really want to try get this site high in the search engine rankings so I am planning doing some advertising.
The blog is what I call a website/blog. I set it up to look like a website but feel like a blog. It's called Horse Approved. Check out the site and find out if you are Horse Approved.

Don't be in the dark.

Don't be in the dark buy a streamlight flashlight :o). Actually, we really need a flashlight. All we have right now is a tiny little one that doesn't produce very much light.What we really need is one of those mega flashlights that lights up the whole neighborhood.
We don't have street lights where we live so sometime it can get really dark out here. Going to feed the horses in the dark is a bit of a task. I wish I could buy my husband a heavy duty Pelican flashlight. He would love it. I guess Christmas is almost here and it could be a good gift for him.
Getting someone a light is not a bad gift is it? There are the surefire flashlights, lanterns and gun mount flashlights . All of these could be very useful to people who need them. We could use a flashlight and maybe some lanterns but I don't think we have any use for a gun mount flashlight.
By the way, you can find some great flashlights at OpticsPlanet.net. They have a huge selection and now is the perfect time to buy one. At least it would be the perfect time for me since it's gets dark earlier now and we don't currently own a good one.

Walking

My husband and I have started an early morning walk routine. We just started this week so I don't know if you can call it a routine yet. We plan to take a walk around our neighborhood every morning if we can.
The reason why I all of a sudden felt the need to start exercising is because last week my daughter and I went on a 2 day field trip with her class. The field trip was to Yosemite so we did a little hiking and a lot of walking. Well, it turns out I am the one that was most out of shape. There were 3 other moms and my daughters teacher all keep up a fast passed walked.
The first day I could keep up fine but the second day I was sore and tired. Plus it was a hard hike. We had to climb these stairs that seemed to never end. Anyway, I was the straggler at the bottom of the hill while the other moms were already at the top. I made it up though, burning legs and all. Coming down the hill was almost just as hard because my legs couldn't stop shaking.
So I discovered how really out of shape I was. The worst part might be that my daughters teacher was in the lead of all of us and she is 57 years old. I couldn't even come close to keeping up with her.
I don't want to take my health and my ability to walk for granted any more. So I better get myself in shape and start acting like a 30 something women. I could be a 30 something women for at least 20 more years if I take care of my health.

Should I track my teenager?

My oldest child in not yet old enough to drive but it's only a few years away. I worry about her driving. Not because I think she is not responsible or trustworthy but because of the other drivers out there. There are so many careless drivers out there.
So when I say this web site Brickhouse Security started thinking about the benefits of tracking my teenage driver. They have GPS Tracking equipment that is kind of expensive but I could see how it could be useful to some people. If you had an unruly teenager or a employee that had a company vehicle this tool could be useful.
You can test this product on their website. You can actually track a vehicle and watch it move. You should check it out.
I have mixed feelings about tracking my teenager. It's almost like reading their diary. Not much privacy or trust. But I suppose if your teenager was already continuously violating your trust it would be different. As far as tracking employees, I feel that might be crossing the line as well. Unless you told your employee before you allow them to drive the car. That way at least the employee would know not to do anything questionable while driving the car.

I found money!

I lost $30 cash the a couple of weeks ago. It fell out of my lap when I got out of my car. I had actually lost $70 but found $40 of it the next day. Well, I had given up on the last $30 but the other day I sent my son out to clean up around our property and he found a $20 bill. I wasy so happy. Right now $20 is a lot for us to loose. I still don't know about the $10. It's probably long gone by now. But who knows it may show up too.

Gadgets

My brother is one of the "gadgets" people. If I had the money I would buy him some cool gadgets. He is more into stuff for computers and other electronic gadgets but I think he would also like those James Bond type gadgets as well.I think the Soda Can Safe would be a great gift for him. It's a clever idea. I think he would like it.
I also think he would like the peephole door camera. It looks like a regular peephole for your front door but it's really a camera. My brother is a little paranoid so about criminals so I think that he would like that. Brickhouse Security has a lot of really cool gadgets, James Bond style. You can check out the James Bond style gadgets to find that special gift for the James Bond geek, I mean guy in your life.
My husband was just telling me about another safe product that is available. It's a skid-mark underwear safe!!?? Isn't that a crazy idea. You put the money inside of dirty looking underwear and I guarantee no one will touch it. I don't think Brickhouse Security carries that one though.
Christmas is just around the corner and good gifts are hard to find. Getting my brother a cool gift is in not in the "budget" this year so he is going to have to settle for something a little cheaper.

My Horse Blog

I love horses. Did I tell you that already? I found this really neat blog today that I am going to have post about in my horse blog but I thought I would mention it here too. The blog is called I Gallop On - Horse + Women = Engery. I love it!
I really need to get out and ride my horse again. Boohoo :o(. I need to find some time or organize my time or something.
I am working on another blog, yes another blog. This one will be another horse blog but have news, products and other info. I hope to get it completed soon.

What is up with this?

I am not sure I understand what is going to happen PayPerPost. The stress of starting a new company may have pushed Ted over the edge. This video is a little disturbing. You may want to make sure there are no children in the room when you watch this. Be sure you are not wearing any 3D glasses while watching this video either. You may also want to have a cross and garlic handy.



Did the video frighten you or cause laughing convulsions? Now is the time to help PayPerPost out by becoming a PPP blogger or advertiser. You can clearly see this man needs help.

Weddings

If I could my wedding all over again I would marry the same man but have a different wedding ceremony. It wasn't like it was a bad wedding. But now that I am older and have been to more ceremonies I know what I want. I was real young when I got married and wasn't the type of girl that dreamed of my future husband or wedding. So when it came down to the planning I was clueless.
There are so many things I could have done different. I would have booked a real reception hall and not used my in laws garage. I would have had catering and not sandwiches. I would of had nice bridesmaid gifts, party gifts, a good DJ, and much more.
This goes to show you though, a good marriage doesn't come from a dream wedding. I love my husband and would marry him on a turkey farm if I had to.

Giving PayPerPost some love.

I have been blogging for PayPerPost for about 3 1/2 months now and still love it. This company has made it possible for me to make a much needed extra income. I am a stay at home, homeschooling mom of 3 kids and working outside the home was just not an option. Since I have been blogging with PPP I have been able make money that has been paying the bills and helping our family reach the goal of getting out of debt.
I love PayPerPost because they really try to make advertisers and bloggers happy. PayPerPost is also a really fun company to be apart of. All of the youtube videos, postie patrols and contest really gives a laid back atmosphere.
When people, including PPP bashers would realize that word of mouth marketing, done right, could really benefit everyone (advertiser, blogger and consumer) then this company will take off and others will follow. Other companies are already following so it seems this idea is already taking off. Thanks again PayPerPost.

I am talking about vacationing again?

Disneyland has been on my mind a lot lately. Our family used to have season passes and we would go almost every weekend. Now that my baby daughter is two I would like to be able to get the passes again. I don't think we will have to pay for her until she is 3 years old.
What I would really like to do is go to Disney World. I have heard that it is a blast. I am still hoping I will be able t save enough money to take the family to Disney World next summer.
Maybe I should open a saving account to save up for my Disney World Tickets. Our family could really use a vacation.

A cracked windshield.

Our windshield cracked out of nowhere the other day and has been slowly growing. We don't know what to do because we don't have the money to fix it. I suppose this is where a emergency fund would come in real handy. Unfortunately we tapped out our emergency fund and have not been able to build it up again. How long can you go around with a cracked windshield?
God always provides for our needs so I am trying to keep this in prayer. I know we will get out of this, we always do.

Maving Movies

One thing I really enjoy to do is to make films with my video camera and edit with Movie Maker. I have made a few family movies. I made one for my baby daughters 1st birthday, one for my son's baseball team, ore for my other daughters's 13th birthday, and one of our trip to Colorado a few years ago. The movies I make are more like slideshow with film set to music but I still like them.
I use them like photo albums. When we have friends and family over I show these somewhat entertain movies. I think they are really entertaining but I am not sure how others feel about them.
If I had more time I would like to make some videos for a website called Sermon Spice. Visitors to this website can download your video for a fee. I think I would end up getting around $5 a download. I would love to do this because I think I have some good ideas.
Now, where to find the time. Hmmmmm.

Travel

I sooo badly need a vacation. But vacations cost money and me no goe money :o(. Listen to me I sound pathetic. Anyway a couple of years ago my family did go on vacation. We drove to Pagosa Springs Colorado. It was a lot of fun. We also visited Durango Colorado.
I would love it if we could return to Durango and stay at the Fairfield Resorts. I don't remembering seeing it when we visited CO on our trip but I did get to see the vacation resort on FairfieldEscapes.com. Durango is beautiful and I would love to visit again.
I need to stop talking about vacations. It's making me really want a vacation :o(

What's a Maternity Card?

Have you ever heard of a Maternity Card? I hadn't heard of this until I visited this website, MaternityCard.com . A Marternity Card is a health savings plan. I suppose this could be very useful for pregnant women with no health insurance. All the medical expenses sure do add up when it involves pregnancy care and hospital delivery.
They offer savings of up to 60% on hosiptal, doctor and lab bills. This service sounds interesting and if you don't already have insurance I suggest you check into it more. After you baby is born they offer savings for you child for up to 2 years.

For a low monthly fee, MaternityCard™ will provide you with a comprehensive maternity service package. Our service includes EVERYTHING related to your maternity care. And remember, MaternityCard™ includes a Certificate of Guarantee that you will save at least the cost of your yearly membership or we will pay you the difference plus $200. If you are expecting a baby, this is an offer you can't afford to miss.

Once your baby is born, MaternityCard™ will automatically expand to include your newborn for their first two years to help with checkups, immunizations, and any other medical costs that may arise. At last, a comprehensive maternity benefits service just for you and your baby.

I have three kids and thankful I had insurance for all three. I did have to get assistance from my state but I know that is not always possible in some states or it could be that you make too much to qualify. I have been in both situations.

Taking lots of short break.

Working sucks sometimes. I have been working a lot lately and I getting tired. I feel bad for my baby daughter who comes and sits on my lap and pushes my face to look at hers. She just wants MaMa's attention. So I have to take a lot of short breaks. I wish they could be longer breaks but I overwhelmed with things that need to get done.
Oh, and the house is scary. I hope I don't have any unexpected visitors because I will be embarrassed. Actually I hope I don't have any expected visitors anytime soon because it's going to take me a week to clean this house.
Hopefully things will slow down. I don't want to live like this forever.
Highspeed Internet would help but unfortunetly we don't have the money for that this month. I thought I would but more expenses keep popping up.
This is not a pitty party, so I am going to be stop typing now :o).

Santa

When I was about 10 year old one of my friends told me that there was no such thing as Santa Claus. I was ok with this until I asked my Dad, sister and brother if this was true. They all giggled and said "Yes, there is a Santa". I said are you lying and they giggle and said "No, there really is a Santa". Well, I didn't believe them and for some reason scared for life at the blatant lying.
So now that I have kids I don't do the Santa thing partly because of my horrible experience and probably most importantly because I don't want to take away the true meaning of Christmas which is the birth of Jesus.
I don't get all weird around others that play the "Santa game" with their kids. I will play along and I tell my kids to play along too. I tell my kids it's a game parents play with their kids and we shouldn't ruin the fun.
So I know some of you reading will disagree with me and would love have "Santa" send your kids a letter. Don't think twice about teaching your kids that LYING is ok... No really I am joking. Storybookcast.com will send you a Letter From Santa. They have a large selection of letters and papers and a low price compared to some other companies.

Money, Money where for art thou Money?

I have been making a decent (at least in my book) income with blogging lately, so why is it that every time I make more money more stuff happens. I know why. It's because Murphy (law not Ted Murphy) is sleeping on our couch. Dave Ramsey said this would happen. I need to kick that Murphy out. What we really need is to build our emergency fund back up so that Murphy has no reason to stay. I am trying not to stress. I know God has it all under control but the human being I am keeps trying to take control.
If you think about it having control of everything would be a really stressful way to live. Sometime I think we have control when in reality we don't. We have only the control of our actions and beliefs and that is it.

Internet Phone

I have been hearing a lot about Internet Phone Service lately. I am really curious to find out whether this will be the way things are in a few years. I suppose when cell phones came out there was probably some doubt about the future use of cellular phone service. The first phones where huge and I don't think they work that great. I am not old enough to know :o).
There are more and more companies offering the VoIP service. I have heard that people where having trouble with Internet phones. The biggest complaints I have heard are dropped calls, and static. But like with most new services there are going to be glitches that need to be improved upon. There must be people finding this service useful because these types companies seem to be booming. It may be that people are will to put up with some of the problems for $16.00 unlimited local and long distance. That is pretty cheap. I like cheap. But I also need good phone service.
I am personally going to wait and see. I don't have broadband internet so this service wouldn't work here. Who knows what will happen in a few months/years. I do enjoy trying new things so we will see.

I Lost $30 --- :o(

I am so upset and feel really dumb. The other day I was driving home from church and I told my husband to give me the cash he had gotten from the bank. He handed me the $70 cash in a wade. The intelligent person I am thought this money will be safe in my lap. So I put the money in my lap and when I got home I dropped the money and didn't realize it until the next afternoon.
Thankfully I found $40 of it but the rest is no where to be found. I live in a very windy area so it is possible it blew away to the next county. Loosing $30 was really not what I needed right now. I am so sad :o(.

Health

If you are like me and would love to find a good source of health information I suggest you visit the OrganizedWisdom.com. This is a unique website because you can share you knowledge as well as read what others shared. There are also proffessionals that have submitted information as well. I personally love this idea and will probably be sharing my experience with endometriosis. I think many doctors out there are giving the wrong advice or none at all. My doctor looked at me like I was crazy when I described my pain. I almost thought maybe I was wrong to think I should be going to the doctor after I had that visit with her. Each month I would double over with pain. I wasn't making it up. So I went to this site and typed in endometriosis. I found a few articles submitted that where stories similar to my own. I honestly think many doctors really don't know how to treat endo. I am not saying I have the answer but I know what worked for me and it doesn't include drugs. The site says to help others by sharing 1 piece of health wisdom at OrganizedWisdom.com. So I guess I will have to go and share my story.

Christmas Gifts

Christmas is just around the corner. Are you ready? I am not. It seems every year the stores start carrying Christmas stuff earlier and earlier. Is it just me or is it true. Anyway, I am trying to decide what to get some of my family. Mainly my grandma and my husbands parents. It can be hard to choose Christmas gifts for people in their 80's. Yes, my husband's parents are in their 80's. My husband was a "oop's we are having another baby?" Because of their age I think over the years they have receive one of everything you can give someone.
Food is always a good thing. Everybody like food. I personally would love to have one of these cheesecakes from GourmetGifBaskets.com.


So if you are looking to buy me something for Christmas, this cheesecake will be perfect. Really though, I think my husbands parents would love this but I am not sure about my grandmother. This site has many gift baskets as well. I think my grandma would like a gift basket.

I think I am going to go eat something. That picture of the cheesecake is making me hungry.

Borrowing/lending Money

If you have read any of my posts on my Budget Your Money blog you know I our family no longer borrow money from anyone, anywhere or anything. But I know I can't convince the world that borrowing money is not best in a few blog posts. So instead I will introduce you to a website that I was introduced to called Zopa. Zopa stands for Zone of Possible Agreement. This means it's a peer to peer investment/loan system so people are borrowing or leading to other people.
Since I don't borrow money I would be more interested to find out if this is a good online investment. I will have to ask Dave Ramsey ;o).
I am not really familiar with whether this is a better way to borrow or invest but I thought I be worth checking into. This company is currently operational in the UK but will be launching the US.

RockStartup

I am not sure what going on over there at PPP but I think they maybe going crazy :o). Just kidding. Like I have said before I think this PPP bunch is a fun group and it seems they are coming up with some wild and crazy ideas. They will soon be launching a RockStartup site that has something to do with live TV.

Gadgets

It may come to you as a surprise that I am a gadget person. If I had the money I would have a number of gadgets. I love computer gadgets, camera gadgets and phone gadgets. I don't have a lot of gadgets because they cost money. I don't have money so I don't buy gadgets. But if I could I would buy new gadgets like the iMage Webcam. This is a cool gadget. It is the first Plug & Go webcam and it requires no software device driver to be installed prior to use. It is also supported by Mac OS X and Windows operating systems. I have never owned a webcam before so I don't really know much about them but I do like the idea of not having to install software. I image could take it with me to other computers if I wanted to. ZTMax also has another product that it just being release called The Multifunctional Digital Mini Speaker. It's another cool gadget.

Get Free Stuff

I know I have mentioned before that I live free stuff . I am one of those people that searches for free stuff. Whether it's free stuff for babies, free coupons, free food I will find it. This site offers some free stuff. They have a ton of articles on free stuff. You can also sign up to get some free stuff. You have to enter you email address and then submit your shipping info. There are 3 "easy' steps for this site but I don't really think they are as easy as they say. In case you are willing to go through the 3 easy steps I decided to post the requirements. Let me know if you get anything for free. I don't think I want to go through the trouble but I still love getting free stuff so who knows I might try it.

Here are the Program Requirements:

3 Easy Steps to Get Your Gift

To receive the Gift associated with the applicable Program, you must complete the following steps:

1. Register for your Membership with us by providing accurate, valid and complete contact information (you must provide your full legal name, postal address, land line or mobile telephone number and valid e-mail address) as requested so that we know where to ship your Gift, and other commercial communications as set forth in the Privacy Policy. You will not receive your Gift if you provide false, invalid or incomplete information during the registration process or thereafter.

2. For this promotion, Clinique or Estee Lauder Makeup Kit, you must complete a total of 6 offers as follows: Page 1 - complete any 2 offers; Page 2 - complete any 2 offers; Page 3 - complete any 2 offers to get your gift. You must complete the Program exactly as indicated on each applicable page of the Site and in the applicable Program Requirements in order to complete the Program currently featured on the Site (the “Incentive Gift”). If you do not correctly, and fully, complete the number of Offers required on each page, you will not be entitled to a Gift. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Examples of Offers required by the Program Requirements of our Third Party Partners include, but are not limited to, trial offers, credit cards, free quote requests, product offers, service offers and other low-cost or commercial Offers. Typically, there are a variety of Offers presented for your selection on the applicable pages of the Site - some Offers require a purchase to be made, while others are free trials that convert to paying obligations if not canceled or free applications that do not require an initial purchase (and can be cancelled without obligation if you do not want to consent to the purchase after the free period ends).

To 'complete' an Offer, you must sign up for the applicable Offer, get approval for your application from the applicable Third Party Partner, (where applicable) get activated by the applicable Third Party Partner for such Third Party Partner’s Offer and meet any and all other conditions and steps required by such Third Party Partner for that Offer. For some credit card Offers, the card must be activated by making a purchase, balance transfer or cash advance in order for the Offer to be considered 'completed'.

When our Third Party Partners report to us that you have completed the requisite number of Offers associated with the Program, to their full and complete satisfaction, which they may withhold for any reason in their sole discretion, your account (“Member Account”) will be updated accordingly and you will receive a Gift redemption voucher (“Gift Redemption Voucher”) from us. It will typically take between four (4) to six (6) weeks before we get confirmation of your completion of the requisite Offers associated with the subject Program from the applicable Third Party Partners. The Gift Status section of your Member Account shall indicate the results of this process, so please be patient and be sure to check the Gift Status section of your Member Account regularly. Be sure to print out and keep the pages showing that you have signed up for each Offer as you complete same.

3. Check the Gift Status section of your Member Account at least weekly. Print out and mail your Gift Redemption Voucher when you receive same in your Member Account. Be sure to check the Gift Status section of your Member Account regularly so that you know when your Gift Redemption Voucher is available for you to print out, complete and mail in for your Gift. You must send in your Gift Redemption Voucher within ninety (90) days after your Gift Redemption Voucher is made available to you in the Gift Status section of your Member Account or your Gift Redemption Voucher will expire and you will not be entitled to receive your Gift. Once you have sent in your Gift Redemption Voucher, the Gift Status section of your Member Account will be updated. Be sure to keep a copy of your Gift Redemption Voucher. Upon our receipt of your properly completed Gift Redemption Voucher, it will take six (6) to eight (8) weeks to ship you your Gift. Please be patient.

This is really cute

I found this video on another website and thought it was hilarious. I think I am going to have to include more YouTube videos on my blog there are some really funny ones out there. I am not really into making my own videos but I like to watch others. I love Pandas they are so cute!

Going to School

I have often run the idea in my head of going back to school. At this point in time it would probably not be feasable but maybe in a year or two. Having three children and going to school sounds like a huge task but I know other moms do it.
The only way I would be able to do this is if it where an online school. I don't have the time to be driving an hour (at least) to college.
These days you can go to school just about anything sitting at your computer. I know of a few universities online. I suppose the most important school to find is an accredited one. I was visiting an online university and found out that it's easy that you may think to get a degree. I don't mean that the work is easier, I just mean you going to school is easier than it's been in the past. You can even get a bachelor degree online.
I hope that my life will slow down some (laugh) and I will be able to further my education.

Vimo's giving away free songs

Vimo wants you to rate your physicial and they will give you 5 free songs at emusic.com. For every doctor you review Vimo will send you a code for 5 free song downloads. You don't have to enter any credit card info or automatic billing, just free songs. The songs are also Mp3's. I am going to check and see if I can find my doctor to review. My kids would love the free songs.
Right now free stuff sounds really good to me. Maybe that is because we are broke.

Working on websites

I have been working on building the website for my daughters dance studio. They are allowing me to trade one class for building the website. It's going ok. I have been really busy with other things and trying to work on it has been a challenge. I like how it's turning out. I hope the owner of the dance studio likes it. If she doesn't I don't know what to do. Anyway, I have given myself November 15 as my deadline. I hope I can meet that deadline.

Internet TV

I don't know if I am just lame or what but I have never heard of internet TV before. I was introduced to a website that will soon be launching the tVadio TV Channels. I checked out the site and they don't have much available as of yet but it sound exciting. I don't have cable TV where I live by choice. I have always wanted to choose the shows I can watch. I only want a few stations. Maybe this tVadio could be the answer. I will have to do a search to find out more about Internet TV since I have never heard of it. I am interested to see if this will be the answer to my cable dilemma. We will see :o)

Updated my Budget Your Money Blog

I just updated my Budget Your Money blog. I have added some info on budgeting and getting out of debt. I hope this blog can help someone else. I have made a lot of mistakes over the years that could have been prevented. My first advice is STOP BORROWING MONEY! Read my blog and find out why I say this.

Flower Meanings

I love flowers. I would love to be one of those Martha Stuart (without the jail time) types that had fresh flowers cut every morning for my dinning room table. The smell of most flowers just puts me into a good mood. I am kind of funny though. Maybe not your typical women. I don't ever allow my husband to buy flowers for me. I don't like to spend money on flowers. Is that silly? So I have to grow a flower garden so my husband will be able to "bring me" some flowers from time to time.
Many flowers have some interesting meaning and history behind them. There is actaully a website that gives you the flower meanings and history of the most popular flowers. I really like what they had to say about one of my favorite flowers the Sunflower.

Sunflowers originated in the Americas in 1000B.C., where for centuries they were cultivated as a valuable food source. The use of sunflower images as religious symbols has also been documented in some native societies. With the European exploration of the New World, the sunflower was brought to new areas, and the flower's popularity eventually spread as the rest of the world began to appreciate its beauty and sustenance. Artists throughout history have appreciated the sunflower’s unique splendor, and those of the Impressionist era were especially fixated on the flower. Today, sunflowers continue to provide a resource for commonly used seeds and oil, but they have also become recognized as a floral symbol of great significance.

Much of the meaning of sunflowers stems from its namesake, the sun itself. Wild sunflowers are often photographed with their tall stalks and bright petals stretched towards the sun. This unique behavior, known as phototropism, is a motif that has appeared in many ancient myths and is viewed as a symbol of loyalty and constancy. Their physical resemblance to the sun has also influenced their meanings. The sunflower’s petals have been likened to bright yellow rays of sunshine, which evoke feelings of warmth and happiness. In addition, the sunflower is often associated with adoration and longevity.

For a flower which reflects so many of the sun's positive characteristics, it is little surprise that people enjoy basking in the sunflower’s warming glow. With the sense of brightness and warmth that sunflowers naturally impart, they have become an ideal choice for sending sentiments of cheerfulness and sunny thoughts.

Blogitive

Blogitive is a company that has been around for 18 months and may have been the leaders in the paid blogging opportunities. They have recently made some changes that are very exciting. As a blogitive blogger you can earn $5 for reviewing an advertisers press release. You are not required to post positively for any of the offers. Becoming a Blogitive blogger is very easy. Here are some rules for writing posts:

Rules for Writing Posts Regarding Blogitive Offers
- The Blog post written needs to be at least 100 words - Please write at least two posts between any post you write for us, they should at least be 50 words in length and written about any topic you want
- The post should only be written about the topic of the web release and contain no other topic
- You can only write about one offer in each Blog post
- There should only be one hyperlink to the client’s website in your post
- The hyperlink should contain the word or phrase assigned in the exact manner that it is written in the offer
- The URL in the hyperlink of the word or phrase assigned should be the exact URL assigned in the offer with no additions or subtractions to the URL
- If you have more than one Blog and you receive the same offer for each Blog, the posts should be written with some difference and not be a replica of each other
- The post written should be in your own words about the web release and not a copy and paste of the web release
- You can copy exact phrases or sentences from the web release as long as their is custom content written within the post around the topic of the web release as well
- If information is mentioned about the client in the web release you must mention that in some manner in the post.

I have been a Blogitive blogger for around 4 months and I am very thankful I found it because it has provided an much needed income. If you want to make money blogger and love to blog visit Blogitive.com.

PayPerPost Postie Patrol #2

The second PayPerPost Postie Patrol video is now available for viewing. This time they stayed in their own state of Florida. Guy was the latest victim. Well, I am sure if you can call him a victim because he earned himself $400 by eating an entire large pizza. It was a contest between him and Ted to see who could eat a large pizza the fastest. Guy won and Ted threw up. Not a pretty picture. Congrats Guy!
I am hoping they don't plan on coming back the California anytime soon. I would like to earn "easy" money but I really don't care to be on video. I have to say that the PayPerPost gang are a crazy bunch. I guess that's they entertain me so much.

We got TPed Halloween Night

I forgot to mention the other day that one Halloween night we got TPed. There were vote signs staked all over our front yard, toilet paper everwhere and peanut butter on the door. When I first drove up to my house I was a little scared. I thought the signs might be some kind of hate messages. I don't have any enemies, I don't know why I thought this. Anyway, come to find out it was the youth from the youth group my husband teaches at our church. This is the second time we have been TPed. It would probably be more if we didn't live an hour away from our church. I think they think they are funny. Secretly it was kind of funny. Don't tell them :o)

What is your opinion on Proactiv?

I have a relative that has used this acne product before and felt that it was really good but a bit costly. I am not in need of it but I have a friend that has a teenage daughter with really bad acne. Have you ever used this Proactiv? How do you feel about it and is it worth the money? From what I have seen of the commericals the product sound real good but sometime commericals can make things look better than they are. Anyone got any opinions?

I going bloggy

I have been thinking about blogs, blogging and bloggers a lot of the time lately. I want to be able to make a good income like you hear some are doing. I read a bloggers post the other day where he claimed to make $13000 a month on a good month and $7000 on a bad month. I wasnt' completely clear if he was making that all on the blog I was reading. I know there are people out there making some good money off of adsense. I wish I knew how to do it. There are so many ebooks out there claim to give you the secret but I won't spend my money on them. I don't want to waist my money on information I already know or lies. I am sure there are some good ebooks but I don't know which one so I just opt to not buy any. I have some ideas about what to do next. I am still learning. Each week I seem to learn something new about blogging and the net in general. I need to find my niche. I want to create a blog that would be easy for me to post on but that could create an income. I did start the Budget Your Money blog. I have to keep working on that one but I think it could create some interest.
I can now see why people like blogging. It's easy to create a blog, it archives your posts and people like to read them because they are active. Anyway, we will see.

Ink coupons

I have been buying ink from 123inkjets.com for a few years now. I love it because it's super cheap compared to the manufatures ink and in it usually lasts just as long. Last time I bought ink from them I only paid $25 for 4 cartridges. Actually it was a little less than $25. I think that is a pretty good deal. I also had a 123inkjets coupon code that I got from Coupon Chief. I can't remember the exact discount from the coupon code I used. I think it was 15% or 20%. Anyway, I paid less than $25 so it was a good deal. I love coupons! Especially ones I don't have to clip.

Flylady baby step one

I finally went to the Flylady site and started to go through the baby steps. My first day is to make my kitchen sink shine. I haven't done that yet but I am really close. I did get dressed to my feet yesterday. I am having a hard to pulling myself away from this computer. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. Here are the steps to shine your sink from the Flylady website.

Shiny Sink 101
Many members have asked "How do I clean my sink until it shines?". So, just for you, we have posted FlyLady's "Shiny Sink 101" essay. Here's to a great shine!

Note: Follow this procedure the first time you shine your sink. You do NOT need to follow this method everyday. Just keep up the shine with a little window cleaner.

Dear Friends,

I want you to smile from ear to ear when you gaze upon your shiny sink.

I have heard every excuse in the world. Even old sinks can look new again with a little elbow grease.

Here is how you do it:

BE SURE AND RINSE WELL BETWEEN EACH STEP OF THE WAY!

Take all the dishes out of the sink.


Run some very hot water into the sink. Fill to the rim. Only do one side at a time. Then, pour a cup of household bleach into the hot water. Let it sit for 1 hour. Now, pull the plug with a pair of tongs. If you don't have tongs, then scoop some of the water out of the sink into the other sink and use your hand to pull the plug (wear gloves and don't get the bleach-water on your clothes).


Rinse your sink well.


Use some cleanser (Comet, Ajax, or Baking Soda) and scrub your sink. Ensure you rinse ALL of the cleanser from the sink.


Take a sharp edge and clean around the rim of the sink, just like you would clean dirt out from under your fingernails.


Clean around the faucets too. You may need an old toothbrush or dental floss.


Now, get out your window cleaner, I use Windex, and give it a good shine.


If you still don't like the way it looks, then you could try some car wax. Just know in your heart that you have cleaned it very well now and it doesn't have to be perfect. Our perfectionism is what got us in this situation in the first place.


Every time you run water in your sink, take your clean dishtowel and dry it out (I lay out a clean one, every night with my before bedtime routine). Before you know it, you will be doing this everytime you leave your kitchen. The rest of the family will too. No more water spots. You will have a clean and shiny sink.


Don't have a fit if someone doesn't take as much pride in your sink as you do. It is very easy to fix. You have already done the hard part. You will never have to go through this process again. Daily maintenance will keep it looking this way all the time. Nasty hurtful word are not as easy to repair. Just be sure and tell your family what you are trying to do. They will think you have gone crazy.


If you don't have a dishwasher, don't worry. A dishwasher is just a dirty dish disposal. Clean out a place under your sink and put a dishpan in there. Teach your family, that instead of putting their dirty dishes and glasses in the sink, place them into the dish pan. Get into the habit of putting your dishes away as soon as they have been washed and are dry. No more leaving the dish drying rack on the counter or in the sink. Put it away under the sink when you have finished. If your old one is nasty, you may want to soak it in the sink full of bleach water at the same time you soak the sink or go buy a new set.


To insure that your family remembers this, put a note in the sink. It will get their attention and remind them where to put the dishes. Be patient! They have never been taught either. It is going to take some practice.


Now if you have a stainless steel sink, I recommend all of the above directions with one extra instruction added: after you soak your sink, rinse well, and use SOS pads to scrub it. This will buff the finish. It will look like new.

If you still can't get it to shine after the Windex, put a light coat of lemon oil or olive oil on it. I mean just a tiny bit on a cloth and rub it. This will make you smile. Some people have had very good results from Bar Keepers Friend.

Go Shine Your Sink!
FlyLady

PayPerPost Wedding

Ok, the finalists have been chosen for the PayPerPost Wedding contest. The finalists are Jamey & Lauren, Michael & Julie and Mike & Corrin. I voted for Julie because I have gotten to know her a little on the forum. I also like her hat. I am not sure why, I just think it's cool.
One thing I have to say to all the finalists is: What ever happened to getting married BEFORE you get married? Maybe I am just old fashioned or maybe I am just right :o). Anyway, I wish all 3 finalists a long and happy marriage.

Halloween

My kids had fun on Halloween. We drove to a more active neighborhood to go trick or treating. My baby daughter thought it was the best thing in the world. She didn't know what to do at first and started to go inside one of the houses. She really had fun. We only stayed out with her for a little while. It was cold. My other kids trick or treated for another hour or so after I went back to my friends place that was close by. So here the pic of my little munchins.

PayPerPost Forums

If you haven't already checked out PayPerPost forums you should stop by. This is the place to find out what posties are really like. You can even chat with the founder of PPP himself. Just so you know I was forum member number 25. So I have been there for a while. Well, it's only been active for a month or so but I was there in the beginning. I guess that really doesn't mean anything since I it's just a number and I it's not like I am the most popular gal in the forums. Not that I really want to be. I do have a life you know, outside of PPP :o). So check out the PPP gang. They are a fun group to talk to.

Should we move to Georgia?

I was just doing a review on my Reviews blog about homes in Georgia and realize there are some really nice homes for very low prices. I love the green land. I live in the high desert so I don't see green year round. We could sell our home and buy a home out right in Canton. I don't think it's likely we will do it but it is tempting sometimes. California is just so expesive.

Art

My daughter is taking an art class for the first time. She never felt she was very good at art but is doing quite well. I wouldn't say she is an art genius but she is doing a good job. In a few weeks we will be going to Yosemite with her art class. I guess they will be using the trees for inspiration. I would love it if I could buy her a nice art easle for this trip. Or at least a nice table that she can draw on.
I would love to be able to buy her one of the models I saw on the SuppliesNet site. The have a model called the SuppliesNet Berkley Combo that would be real nice.
My father was an arcitect and he had a table somewhat similar to this one. I suppost it had to be bigger that this one.
Anyway, since I don't think my daughter really wants to become an artist I probably don't need to buy her a table set. But my son loves to draw and I think a career in art may be where he is headed.

Multiple Blogs

Now that I have 5 blogs I am responsible for it's getting kind of difficult to keep up. I haven't posted on my Horse Blog in a while but that is because I haven't had time to do anything with my horse. I have been meaning to add more info on my Budget Your Money blog but haven't do so. So I am here on this blog and Mona's Reviews most of the time because they are the ones that pay me money. I am also trying to get my new blog, Mona's Many Hats going. I don't know I think I may be in over my head. I know of many people that just have one blog. Why do I think I need more? I don't know maybe I am crazy.

Outdoor Garden Sink

I need to add this outdoor garden sink my list of "want ones". I think this is so cool. I think my husband would appreciate having one of these too. I first need a garden though. I hope within the next few years we will be able to build a nice garden in our back yard. I would like to have a vegatable and flower garden. I know that having a garden is a lot of work so I may have to wait until my life is less busy. When will that be? I don't know.
So this As Seen on TV Amazing Garden Sink could be very useful one of these days.

Financial Stress

There are so many expenses this month. I am getting a little stressed. I hate feeling this way. I guess I need to just relax. I watched Parenthood (with Steve Martin) last night and actually learned something. It's nothing I didn't really know already but I guess I forget. They were talking about the roller coaster ride of parenting. The mom liked the roller coaster and the dad (Steve martin) hated it. I think I am some where in between. This roller coaster can be a symbol of our whole lives. I know if I trust in God (the movie didn't mention God) that all will be fine but sometimes I forget or refuse to let Him take control. God knows ever high and low part of the roller coaster ride. If I take that to heart I can enjoy life even when sometimes it seems scary.
By the way, in real life I hate roller coasters. The make my stomach feel icky.

Lost Keys

I am one of those people that looses my keys just about everyday. I usally put them somewhere that is not the best place and then when I go to find them I can't. I have also locked my keys in my car a number of times. Thank God for AAA. They have had to let me into my car a number of times over the years. I just heard about a fingerprint door lock. I think this could be very useful for someone like me. I wouldn't have to worry about my house keys anymore. It also automatically locks so you don't even have to worry about locking the doors. And you don't have to worry about locking your keys in your house because you fingers are you keys. Cool huh? Now if they could only start making this standard issue in our cars.

Ok, I did it.

I have been working on another Mona's blog to replace this one. I wanted to have my own. Nothing against blogger but it's very limiting and it's just not personal. I decided to call it Mona's Many Hats. This has to do with the many hats I wear as a busy person. I am still working on it and don't want to post the link until I am happy with it. I know it's silly but it's just the way that I am. You are welcome to check out my Budget Your Money blog.

Another sad story

Yet another entertaining PayPerPost confessional. Ted announced in his PPP confessional that he was having trouble with loosing weight. According to his video he has had trouble with his weight since he was a child. I can just see poor Teddy standing their with his only his jockstrap on in front off all those other kids.
If you want to know what I am talking about you will have to watch the video yourself.

Hopefully Ted didn't get teased for his weight. I just hated the kids that would tease other kids because of their weight when I was in school. I was one of those kids that would defend the unpopular kids. So Ted I might not have liked seeing you in a jockstrap but I wouldn't have laughed at you. For very long anyway :o)

Flylady!!!!!

I went on the flylady site today. I haven't done anything yet but I think I am going to print out all the beginning flylady papers and put them in a notebook again. My life is caios right now. I am getting the knot in my stomach. I usally get that when I am feeling very overwhelmed. I don't know what to do or where to start and even the thought of trying to get organized is making me feel sick. OHHHH! What to do. I have to many things on my plate. I need to start a blog called Mona's Many Hats, or Too Many Hats or something related to hats. I have too many at the moment. Anyway, I think I need a nap to clear my head. No time for nap, I gotta go put the bus driver hat on and take my son to his guitar class.