Encyclocentral

There was a time when I thought that I was too old to learn, I had kids so I could not go back to school. Well that has all changed. I found I feel much better when I have learned something new or read an interesting article. I love reading informative articles and I love doing a search and just reading what comes up. I find it a great way to learn new things and it usually gives me something to talk about. So you can guess why this next site appealed to me.

Encyclocentral provides over 9000 original, informative and authoritative articles all written by experts in their various fields. You can search for almost anything. Take Family for example and see what you come up with. There are at least 90 stories, just pertaining to that.

Try a search on humor and the first thing it brings up is a story about the life of David Letterman. Of course it brings up 67 other stories as well! Another one of my favorites is Kids and Teens, there are tons of great ideas for helping your child learn all sorts of neat things.

There are just so many, I won't keep going on and on, but if you have a few minutes it is definitely worth a look and I can almost promise you, you will find something worth talking about.

Get Up, Get Out, Get Moving

As the weather warms up around us and more and more neighborhood and ward picnic's start springing up and baseball practices in full swing we find ourselves on the go more and more. That poor car of ours is getting a lot of wear and tear and the gas prices are going through the roof.

Now is a great time to get that bicycle out of the garage, dust it off, pump up the tires and take it for a test drive. There really is no reason to load everyone up in the car just so you can drive five minutes to school or a meeting at the church or a neighborhood BBQ. Jump on those bikes and get up, get out and get moving!

Here are some great reasons to get on your Bicycle:

• Riding a bicycle at a leisurely pace of 10 to 12 mph, a 155-pound person can burn 423 calories in just 60 minutes, or about 7 calories per minute. Now up that to 14-15.9 mph, and you’ll be burning about 700 calories per hour.
• It builds muscle, particularly in your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves.
• You can control the level of your workout by riding slow or fast on city streets, roads or scenic trails.
• It’s a convenient, inexpensive way to get around town. Parking is always simple, and you can get some exercise while you’re running errands.
• It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors and do some sightseeing.
• It helps the environment.

There are not many "more enjoyable" ways to get in shape and stay healthy and there are many, many gorgeous biking trails throughout the state.


Bicycleutah.com has some great information on Utah Bicycling Trails.

Northern Utah Trails,
Eastern Utah Trails,
Central Utah Trails,
Southeast Utah Trails,
Southwest Utah Trails,

This post has information taken from sources such as Bicycle Utah and NV Daily.

Bid 4 Prizes

I love sweepstakes and contests! I seldom win but it is always fun to try. I have been playing on this great site called Bid 4 Prizes. The point is to place the lowest unique bid.

They have some completely awesome prizes. I tried and tried for the Sony LCD Monitor they had but with no luck! Now they have a Nintendo Wii! And a Playstation 3! How cool are those? My favorite is the $500 Tiffany Gift Card, that's the one I am currently hoping to win!

Like I said the point is to have the lowest bid that is a unique bid. You don't actually have to pay what you bid, which would not be bad considering you are bidding in cents. But then to top it off you get a token for the arcade each and every time you place a bid. Your tokens can be used in the arcade for other great prizes or points to use in their rewards store.

I have had a blast on this site!

Appreciative Coaching (New Book)

I was just reading a press release about a new book that was just co-authored by Sara Orem, PhD, an adjunct faculty member at Capella University which is a fully accredited online university. They offer online learning for graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, and psychology, as well as bachelor’s degree programs in business and information technology. They offer 82 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate programs and have tons of students in all 50 states and in 56 countries.

The book co-authored by Ms. Orem is called Appreciative Coaching and it focuses on, or is written for individual individual coaches of managers, executives, and “those who do one-on-one work with people who can influence and create change in their organizations.” It focuses on four major stages; Discovery, Dream, Design and Destiny to inspire and project the reader and the readers charges to an appreciative and empowering view of themselves and their future.

I am really interested in getting this book for myself. It sounds like, not only will it help me be a better leader in my business environment, It sounds like it could help me out at a mother and a friend.

This blog post is based on information provided by Blogitive

Great Site For Mature Women

Every woman gets there eventually and there seems to be a near "taboo" with reaching the stage in your life when things start to change drastically. "The Change" as it is sometimes referred to is seldom something women go shouting about and often times they can feel very alone, afraid to talk to anyone about it.

Well luckily enough, some women, having been through the same things, decided to break the "taboo" and start talking. Start talking about the fear, the stress, the depression the emotional and physical effects of Menopause. They had been there and they decided that they wanted to make it easier on all women who are going through the same thing.

Then one lady in particular wrote a book and then started a website all about menopause and it's many faceted symptoms and treatments, so to speak.

A great article I found on her website talks all about the different types of nutritional supplements that can be utilized in combating the negative symptoms of menopause and the proper way to use them.

There is just a wealth of information on how to get through Menopause and keep your sanity about you. This is a hard time in any woman's life and she should not have to go through it alone or without the best weapon of all, knowledge.

Childrens Birthday Parties

I am in the midst of two of my five children's birthday's. I have one in mid May and one the first of June. Being so close together, it is always a struggle to try and balance them. The hardest part is planning the birthday parties.

Fortunately for me there are tons of sites on the Internet that can help even the busiest Mom plan a party to remember.

Amazing Moms has some great ideas with free party guides, party tips and "everything you need to host a fun children's birthday party at home, without the anxiety."

Kids Party Fun is a great place to get some awesome party supplies and fun ideas.

Kids Domain offers fun party games for you to try.

There are tons of great site, way to many to list them all but the ones listed above are some of my favorites.

28 Days to a Life Free From Addiction

The first step to recovery from an addiction is recognizing and admitting you have one. The next step needs to be finding and getting help. Stop your addiction by finding a good drug rehab center. One that is caring and has a good success history, like the First Step 28-day drug rehab program where you can get off to a great start. It is an alternative to 12-step programs and offers detoxification and social education to combat drug addiction. They have a proven success history. Remember, the first step is to recognize, the next is to take action.

Looking For a New Computer

I have started looking into getting a new computer. Not that the one I have is in any way incapable or old, I just would like to have a newer, nicer one. Not to mention a laptop. I have been looking at Dell, as they are one of the leading manufactures of PC's and Laptops and Dell Memory is some of the top in the industry. But I have also been looking at HP and some of the great new products they are coming out with.

Considering I work from home, on my computer, I need a good reliable computer to do the job, at a reasonable price. Price wise, I have seen the HP is offering a lot of incentives right now so they may end up being my first choice.

New Furniture vs. Used

It is hard as parents to weigh the benefits of having new home furniture and a nice clean house with having a home your children can feel comfortable in. I have walked into home where I felt like if my kids moved they were going to break or wrinkle something. I remember thinking, this is no place to raise a child. On the other hand, I have been in homes where the home is dirty, the furniture is dirty and I think the same thing.

Raising children is a fine balance. The conclusion I have come to is this. My children are welcome in any room in my home. If I have a precious keepsake or breakable decoration, those are best kept up high or in a cabinet. As for my furniture, I will keep with the hand-me-down, used furniture. If the children happen to miss the paper while drawing me a picture, I am not out $3000 for the couch. When my children are older, I can have new furniture and decorate my home with little trinkets, but for now, this is my children's home. I will keep it clean and healthy but not overly stiff and hopefully before too long, I will have to put all my precious keepsakes back away because my children want to bring their children back to their home.

Chuck E. Cheese

Last night I took my children to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate the birthday's of the two oldest. This has become a tradition of ours. The kids get lots and lots of tokens and we combine all the tickets to let the birthday kids get a big prize. Everyone gets something, the un-birthday kids get enough points to get two small prizes and the birthday kids get to split the rest.

This was a lot of fun, but I am starting to realize that this is a very expensive outing. Overall, it cost us just over $90 for 3 hours of food and fun. Now some things to factor in are, we usually go with coupons from the Sunday paper that save us nearly $20 and also, we got so many tokens that the kids could not use them all. However, I am thinking that for the next set of birthdays, we will see if we can find something else. The Classic Fun Center may be a good option.

The New Price of Shopper Loyalty

Synovate, a leader in market research, due to their curiosity and interest in finding out what drives the markets we live in has just released a new post about The New Price of Shopper Loyalty.

It starts out by saying, "American shoppers require that products be on sale in the grocery aisle – not only when they're trying a new brand, but even when buying those brands they already strongly prefer" The point being that shopper's are looking for deals and special saving to bring them into a store.

This along with other information is as important to the welfare and growth of the store as the products they sell. Companies need to be aware of the trends that are currently driving their industries and flex to those trends. One of the best ways to accomplish those tasks is by utilizing a good market research firm.

Quote of the Week

"Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps."
– David Lloyd George

A Little Boost

As Mom's we all know how worn down we can get, especially with all the responsibilities we have riding on us. We all have our little vices, our own little tricks that help keep us going throughout the day. I remember growing up my Mother always had her Diet Coke, my Grandmother, her coffee and now that I am older I have water.

Everyone is very different, which is why there are so many different options for different people. Such as energy drinks, my husband loves them! And now there are energy pills, tablets to be exact. A little, yet effective tablet, designed to give you that little extra Energy Boost when you need it. They will give you an immediate energy boost while kick starting your metabolism, in creasing your concentration and keeps you from feeling tired. All that in one little tablet.

PPP Launches The New PPP Direct

Pay Per Post has just launched phase one of "Birdo", a new system designed to help bloggers blog better and earn more money. Phase one has included some really great features for blog marketing such as the Bans and Benches and Pay Per Post or PPP Direct.

The Bans and Benches allows advertisers the ability to Ban certain bloggers from taking their opportunities or to Bench them for a certain period of time or for a certain opportunity. It also allows us, as bloggers to see why we were Banned or Benched. That is a huge advancement in my mind. If I am being banned it is not going to do me any good not to know why!

As for the PPP Direct, it allows bloggers to paste a code into their blog that allows advertisers to click on that link and create an opportunity just for that particular blog. So if a potential advertiser is surfing the web and comes across your blog, happens to like it and decides that they would like to advertise on your blog, all they have to do is click the link and they will be directed to create an opportunity just for you. This will be a great way to get new advertisers, bloggers have the ability to set their own price and they have an escrow-type middleman to assure they get paid.

On the issue of money, this is a sensitive issue. Now a lot of other Pay to Blog company's keep up to 50% of the revenue for the posts you write. That's great considering the work they do to find the advertisers and escrow the cash flow. However, Pay Per Post has even made that better in that they keep only 10% of the revenue. 5% of which goes to Paypal for transaction fees. Not bad at all.

Later on, I am assuming in the second phase of the "Birdo" release, they will be releasing a list of "Super Bloggers". The bloggers that really do a good job and take the time to write great posts. The advertisers will be able to look through that list and pick the blogger they would like to have working for them. I really think that PPP Direct is going to be a huge success. I can't wait to see how far this goes!

Yummy Dad's Day Gifts

Here is another great idea for Father's Day! Totally yummy treats from Delightfuldeliveries.com. They have some amazingly yummy looking baskets that any father would love. They have a Fillet Mignon Feast for two that looks amazing or you can Make a Big Hit with their Father's Day Mr. Fix it Tool Bag. The Sounder Sausage and Cheese Mix would be just perfect for any Gametime fan.

They have so many great options forFather's Day Gifts that you really can't go wrong. There are just too many products to choose from. There is even a cigar of the month basket for that Cigar Connoisseur in your life.

Get Up, Get Out, Get Moving

The statistics on overweight and obese kids in America is staggering, but whats worse is that most parents don't know how to combat it. Most parents think that turning off the T.V. or Game Cube will solve the problem, when in fact the problem is us! That's right, us, as in parents. We have a do as I say, not as I do attitude towards our children's health.

When was the last time you took your children's on a family hike? Played football in your yard? Went on a bike ride? We all want our kids to be healthy but we don't have, or can't find the time to do it ourselves. Our children learn by example.

Be a good example to them. Even skinny kids need plenty of exercise and fresh air to help their brain and body develop. Get your family out of the house, turn off the T.V., get them moving. You'll be doing something great for them and good for yourself as well.

Stay tuned for some great ideas and ways to keep your family active.

Seduce a Celeb

Ladies, this is just for they guys. Tell all your guy friends and help them make a creative video, they need all the help we can give them, and get them to submit it to Gofish.com for a chance to win a date with the gorgeous Actress, Mirelly Taylor, from movies like Kiss Me Again and Serving Sara and television shows including “Las Vegas” (one of my favorites!), “Punk’d” (another totally great show!), and “Numb3rs”. Check out this video to get more information!



Now that you know more of the details, grab your single guy friends and help them out! Then go check out all the Free videos at GoFish.com, and before you know it, it will be our turn to try for a chance to seduce a celebrity! Maybe we can get a crack at that gorgeous producer of theirs, that Andrew Firestone! Wow is he a hottie!

Just remember that just any old video is not going to win the votes. You need to be creative, adventurous, intriguing! You are going to have to help your guy friends stand out in the crowd, and by the looks it, just the sheer number of videos, there is going to be quite the crowd! Take some time to look over the videos and get an idea of what everyone else is doing and do something different, something better! And of course, you can't over loon the fact that you will have a great time watching all those great clips! Some are funny, some are really bad and some are just plain wrong! They are all good for a great laugh!

Dole $2500 Shopping Card Sweepstakes

Dole is giving away a $2500 Shopping Card. There is no purchase necessary but you need to get your entry in by the 31st of May, 2007 to be eligible.

Go to Dole.com to register today. There are two ways to register. All the details are on their site, but you will be automatically entered by signing up for their Dole Nutrition News, or if you don;t want to sign up or are already signed up you can enter by sending your name and e-mail address to dolenutrition@rescocompany.com. But make sure you visit their site for all the official rules and details!

Kick Start Your Business

Every business needs a kick start, weather you are starting from scratch or picking up a franchise opportunity. You will need a way to track your customer base and that is difficult to add on top of everything else you need to be doing to get your business going.

Fortunately, there is a cost effective and easy to use and implement system that will allow you to to implement lead management software. AIMPromote has developed a wonderful crm software that is easy to learn and can allow you to focus on whats important in your business, making the sales.

"AIMpromote has a significantly lower cost of implementation and total cost of ownership than our competitors for several reasons. There are no setup fees, and we even integrate your system with your website free of charge. Also, the ease of use and fast learning curve of our lead management system will keep your sales representatives working efficiently."

Just look at the enterprise-level features available in the AIMpromote lead management system and you will know why they are the fastest growing lead management and website analytics software provider on the market. They simple offer a more cost-effective, flexible solution for crm software for your business.

Bowl Free All Summer

I have found a great opportunity to keep my kids active and moving this summer. Sparetime Fun Center in Roy, Utah offers a summer bowling league for kids of all ages. It's $39 and covers shoe rentals and their three games of bowling on their league day as well as three free practice games every day.


My three oldest children bowled this league last year and will be bowling again this year with their younger brother. I find this to be a bargain to give my children something to keep them occupied one day a week. It also turned into a fun family activity and my oldest son even joined a winter league, he enjoyed it so much.

Check out the details on the Summer Fun League. And then get your kids signed up today, before all the spots are filled.

Drug Rehab

A Drug Addiction is never a pretty thing and dealing with one is never, ever easy. The choices that have to be made can be as difficult and as devastating as the effects of the addictions themselves. Finding a program for yourself or a loved one can be a long and difficult process.


Fortunately there are many good caring resources out there that can help you or your loved one overcome these addictions with a great deal of success. One of those programs is Stone Hawk drug rehab located in beautiful Battle Creek Michigan with water frontage on St. Mary's Lake, for a peaceful retreat from the stresses that usually cause the need for the addiction.

Their success rate is higher than most because of their level of dedication and experience.

Here is a snippet from their home page...

At Stone Hawk we definitely know all about addiction, because we were once addicted.

At Stone Hawk we deeply care about addicts, because someone made the effort to care about us.

Stone Hawk stands by the Narconon® program, because the Narconon program worked for us when other programs failed.

Drug addiction is a problem that we take very seriously. Start a new life at Narconon Stone Hawk and let the healing begin. Learn how to save a life, and your family.

You can contact them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no excuse to live with the addiction another day. Call them now.

It's a Big, Big World

With so many shows on television like the Simpson's, Family Guy, Heroes and Lost. I was starting to wonder what was going to become of good, wholesome children's programming. My kids don't watch much television so I am pretty new to this wonderful Program called It's a Big, Big world, but I was so impressed with it. It is reminiscent of the wonderful show, Zoobomafoo.

The "host" of the show per say is a sloth called Snook. He is surrounded by a forest full of funny friends, a frog named Wartz and a pair of monkeys, Smooch and Winslow to name a few. They dance and sing and learn wholesome life values.

It's just another great show, brought about by PBS. Thank-you PBS for keeping Television something that I can feel comfortable allowing my children to watch.

Father's Day Savings

Father's Day is just around the corner and with little less than a month to go June 17th will be come and gone before you know it! Do you know what you're getting the man in your life?

It is hard enough shopping for men so make it a little easier on yourself and save some money in the process by checking out coupon site where you can find tons of great savings at over 1000 retailers.

I know lots of Dad's would love a new tool or toy from the Home Depot and you can get great Home Depot Deals at Coupon Chief. If Dad is into electronics they have you covered there too! There are over 1000 retailers to choose from ranging from Home Depot to Best Buy and The Gap!

My honey really wants a new Makita Power Saw and a DeWalt Power Drill, both of which I can save plenty of money on at Home Depot, thanks to Coupon Chief.

Radar Detector For Father's Day

Here is another great gift for Dad! All you ladies know how much Dad loves the electronic toys, well here a great gift idea for almost any Dad. I do not know a single man alive that would not love a radar detector for Father's Day. Or any day for that matter!

I know my husband would love one and my Dad would just have a blast with it! And as far as the rumor about them being illegal there are actually only two states, Virginia and Washington DC, that have passed laws making them illegal.

So there you have another idea for a great Father's Day gift. Happy Hunting!

Beautiful Silver Jewlery

Who wouldn't want to receive a beautiful silver pendant, or a set of silver gemstone earrings? Personally I have used this amazing site many, many times both for myself personally as well as for unique gifts.

Here is how it works. $5.99 pays for the shipping and handling and that's it. No hidden fees, no extra charges. You get a unique, solid silver piece of jewelry for free. It costs you only shipping and handling.

They usually feature 4 unique pieces at a time, each with different amounts of time left so at any given time one will go and another will be available. I have been extremely happy with the quality of the jewelry as well as the customer service. They ship very quickly.

Try it out and see for yourself.

I Love PayPerPost

It is a hard job to stay home and raise kids especially at the expense of your family's budget. However, I love working with PayPerPost and making money blogging with blog advertising! Not only do I make really good money doing it they have some really amazing give away promotions! Last month I was able to snag a $100 opp and a $500 opp on a great promotion they were running. Now this moth I am ready again. This month it is HDTV Tuesdays! They have given away Apple TV's and last week, it was a PS3!!! How cool is that!

I can't wait for tomorrow! They have a brand new Slingbox, a Nintendo Wii, a Yamaha Surround Sound System and Logitech universal remote up for grabs tomorrow! You can bet I will be right here trying to grab one! I don't want to miss it!

We are so lucky to have the opportunity to blog with PayPerPost and for the wonderful advertisers they have. The promotion this week is sponsored for all us Posties by Bid4Prizes.com, which is one of my favorite sites to play around at. Even my hubby likes to play there. And one of these days we are going to snag us one of those great prizes too! Maybe the BMW!!!

Fun Family Getaway

Having kids makes vacation planning very difficult. Having children of different ages, makes it even harder. I am always on the lookout for new family friendly destinations. Here is a great one I found.

Branson Missouri, The Live Music Capitol of the World, also has some great attractions and site for the little ones. The World's Largest Antique Toy Museum and Ripley's Believe it or Not are two sure fire favorites. For the tiny ones, not so interested in seeing the sites so much as experiencing them you can try the Branson Scenic Railroad or the Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. Then chill out on some of Branson's Water Rides, like the Spirit of America or Branson's American Star.

After all the fun and excitement, Branson has some of the most luxurious accommodations around and can meet any need. If you are planning a family vacation in the near future, then take the time to check out Branson Missouri and all it has to offer.

Business Forcasting Software

Starting a business is hard. Keeping it running all year is even harder. But it doesn't have to be. Forecasting Software can make it easy by making year-round planning or rolling forecasts easy and on hand for assessment and analysis and by allowing for analysis at a local level, so that operational managers (not just the head office executives) can get involved in the forecasting process.

"Forecasting involves much more than mathematical formulas and equations; it is a constant process of gathering and assessing information. That information becomes the basis for making educated decisions within your organization."

Forecasting can keep you connected with your data, rather than it just being number on a sheet of paper and forecasting can help those numbers work for you!

Quote of the Week

Today's quote of the week has helped me remember what is important and has kept my priorities straight more than once. I am a woman of power but I too have my limits. I have days when I need to be carried.
We can't do it on our own. We are not expected to do it on our own. We should not try to do it on our own!

-When you can not Stand it any more, Kneel

Market Research

Curiosity? It's the driving force behind all of the worlds greatest inventions. What if? How? and Why? Are some of the most powerful questions in the world. They can help to create a product that can bring the world to it's knees or lift it to greater and greater heights! It can also be the driving force behind powering that product and marketing it to greater accomplishments. Market Research can be a driving force behind any company and/or product. Find out where and when the demand for your product is the strongest. Find out who you should market it to. You might be surprised! Find out if the world is ready for your product, or just your little corner of it. Market Research is a very valuable tool for any industry and should be used in any up and coming business venture.

Be Prepared!

Be Prepared! It's not just for the Boy Scouts anymore! We are constantly being reminded of how unstable our lives are. Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean and the Earthquake in .... We are being told to be ready to evacuate our families at a moments notice.

Well? Are you prepared? If your not, you need to be! Get yourself and your family in a position that if a natural disaster, or any disaster for that matter, were to show up at your doorstep you could survive! Prepare yourselves to survive without the comforts of home. A Stove, a fridge, a pantry full of food! It's not just enough anymore to have enough food for your family tonight. You need to have, at the very least a 72 hour kit. Take the time, get yourself an emergency pack. Make sure you have the Emergency Supplies that you need to keep yourself and your family alive!

It's never to late to start, until after the fact. So start now. Make a list and check of one thing a week, or one a month. Until you are prepared to sustain your family in a crisis.

Get Office Supplies

How's this for simple? Business Supply offers office supplies online with free shipping on orders over $50! They offer a fully interactive website with shopping cart, checkout and Live Chat. You'll have the ability to track current orders and Check your order history at anytime. It is an easy to use and secure website with easy to follow tabs and a search to help you find what you need, quick and easy. Who needs an "Easy Button" when you have this? They have everything you could ever need.

Finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur

Finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards have been announced as of Tuesday. 24 young, up and coming Entrepreneurs were selected from 49 nominations. The Award recipients will be announced at a June 30 banquet at the Salt Palace Grand Ballroom. The award recipients will prosper learning new techniques and old tips from some of Utah's best business men and women. Utah winners will be eligible for the national Entrepreneur of the Year program.

If you are thinking about starting a business, keep an eye out for the next time this award comes up. It is a great way to jump start your business.

Take a Cruise!

I have always wanted to go on a cruise but the thought of SO many people on such a large boat always concerned me a little. I have always preferred the calm quiet and a few good friends, so this really appealed to me. Crewed Yacht Charters offer the style of cruising with all the extra comforts. Just you and a few close friends, great food and beautiful ocean views. All that for about the same price as a cruise. They match you with a yacht that meets your requirements and a crew with similar interests. You can sail where you want and when you want and not have to worry about being left at port! Imagine the luxury of having your own chartered Yacht and Crew to travel the ocean blue!

Free Kids Classes at The Home Depot

The days are getting warmer and the kids are wanting to move around and be more active. With that comes alot of great creativity! Put that creativity to work and get them involved making things!

Home Depot offers free kids classes on Saturdays for Children ages 5 to 12 and their accompanying parent or adult to learn about tool safety while building fun and educational projects from pre-fab kits. Each child also receives a kid-sized Home Depot orange apron and project pin. Sign up in advance at the store - space is limited. Visit their website to find a location near you.

It really just doesn't get any better than this. Free classes for the kids, free project, even a free apron. What a great way to keep the kids busy on the weekend.

Father's Day Gifts

Okay Ladies! Father's day is just around the corner so I will be posting gift ideas as I come across them. And husbands baby is his truck so here is a great place to get some totally awesome truck accessories like roof racks, cargo nets, a fuel transfer tank, air horns, Tonneau covers, you name it! Just about anything the Dad on your list could want! They have the guaranteed lowest price and offer free shipping over $100! They have some great deals so check them out soon!

Network Cables

At some point in time nearly everyone needs network cables for something. Almost every one uses a computer and at least one peripheral. So if you are going to use it any way, you might as well get it inexpensive and easy. You can get the network cables you could ever need at the Cable Mega Store. They are convenient, easy to navigate and they offer same day shipping. So when it comes time, and you need network cables, now you know where to look!

My Shopping Addiction Update

I have 5 days left to go in this month's budget. Unfortunately I have spent all the money in my budget and I have no more left to spend. However, the good news is that I have not gone over budget at all. I have stayed true to myself and made the commitment I made work.

Some of the stumbling blocks I ran into were:

• I ran out of money and was unable to go out to eat with my husband, like I had planned. We intended to go to Black Angus for dinner on Friday night but I had only enough money in my budget for one more tank of gas and that had to last me another two weeks! So no dinner.
  
• Second challenge was Cheap Date Night, offered by the city. It was only $2 each and we could have had our own night out for $4. However, I needed every penny for that tank of gas. Again, I had to pass. About this time I was starting to regret some of my earlier purchases and wondering if I could return them.
  
• The next challenge was Lunch and Bowl on Friday afternoons. I again didn't have the money for that. So, no bowling for 2 whole weeks!
• Then there came the Bowling banquet. It was at the Golden Corral. We had to go and I could not afford to buy us a meal. Fortunately my husband decided that we needed to eat and he paid for our dinners. Now I am really regretting those purchases of things I really didn't need. I hate to rely on someone else for things like this.
  
• I did however, spend some time wondering what I could return, or from whom I could borrow some money (just $4 dollars would get us to the cheap date night) or wondering if Lee could pay for it.
  

It has been tricky getting through this week, but knowing again how much money I have available to spend and keeping really close track of it seems to be helping. Acknowledging the problem has helped as well. The kids work really hard to keep me in control and Lee is starting to get harder on me, realizing that all this time he though he was being kind but in fact it was harming me and making my addiction worse. It is still very, very hard for me to walk away from a good or great deal, the physical pain is still very real. I have learned not to look for the sales anymore, not to go down the clearance isles and to stay clear of the discount and bargain stores like Tuesday Morning and Big Lots.

Make your Money Work For You!

Having your money work for you is such an important asset. You work hard for you money, don't just let it sit around wasting time. Put it to good use, put it to work! Find the institutions with the highest payout interest rates and the lowest loan rates! Use those to keep your money safe and helping you out. just think! There are High yield savings accounts that can earn you up to 6% right now! Most, even myself, are earning 1% to 2% only! Go to your bank or credit union and find out what your savings rate is currently. Then find the best you can get! Online banking interest rate comparisons at SavingsAccounts.com will help you find the best high yield online savings account or checking account. They can help you compare online banking and find the bank offering the highest interest rates with the specific account features that best suit your individual needs. There really is no reason not to do the research and make the necessary changes to keep you financially sound and stress free!

Banks VS. Credit Unions

I am first going to tell you that growing up, my Mother and Father always told me this but I just never really listened. Well, I did, but when my husbands job told us we had to join a certain bank to get direct deposit or they would have to mail his check, taking it longer to get to us, we were living paycheck to paycheck and needed each and everyone as quickly as we could get them. So we followed, like little sheep, and got ourselves an account at Wells Fargo. At the time, I had a personal account at America First Credit Union and my Husband had an account at Weber Credit Union. But, because the majority of our money was going into Wells Fargo, we used Wells Fargo. And we used them a lot! All our bills, our play money everything came out of our Wells Fargo Checking account.

At one time I decided to start looking into Savings Rates and noticed that both the Credit Unions had better rates than Wells Fargo. Then it happened. I made a mistake and I bounced a check. Then because of that check another bounced and another and another until it sky rocketed out of control! Before I knew it I had non-sufficient fund charges to the tune of more than $500! Well, I got that taken care of but living paycheck to paycheck is hard and in time it happened again to the tune of another $500 and then again! That's more than $1500 in fees! Why? Because they charged me $33 each time a charge hit and then, if the store put it through again.... another $33 charge.

Now don't get me wrong, Weber Credit Union charged us anytime we had non-sufficient funds but they would call us to let us know there was a problem on the first instance so we could get it cleared up before any more hit. And second, they only charged $15 per charge, less than half of Wells Fargo!

So, to combat the problem, I got myself an overdraft account at Wells Fargo. I needed a co-signer to do it but my Dad kindly stepped in and, voila! I had an overdraft protection account to protect me from outrageous fees. Then I also had my father on board to help me stay in line! Well after the first instance of using my overdraft, I realized this was not much better. They were hitting me for $12.50 plus interest, every time I dipped into my overdraft! So I needed a new plan of action. I checked into an overdraft at Weber Credit Union and found out I could qualify on my own. I got us an overdraft at Weber Credit Union and just to try it out, I dipped into it to the tune of $144.

Now, in perspective, I dipped into my overdraft at Wells Fargo for $46, pay it the same day and get charged $12.50. I dipped into my overdraft at Weber Credit Union for $144, pay it the same day and get charged a whopping $0.06!!! Six Cents!!! That's all! That day, I went over to Wells Fargo, closed all mine and my children's accounts and moved them over to Weber Credit Union.

It amazes me to think that I spent that much time at a Bank with such low interest rates and high fees when I could have been saving myself a lot of money, more than $1500, and a lot of stress by just putting my money in a credit union!

Let's Do It Ladies!

I Love Contests! I love to try and win things, I may not be very good at it, but I love to try. When I found this site, I just knew I had to share! It's called bid4prizes.com and the point is to make a fake bid and the lowest, unique bid wins! It really is that simple! And then, to make it even easier, they e-mail you every time you bid to let you know how you are doing! Yep, that right, you bid eight cents and they are going to e-mail you and let you know if you are unique or how many other people have made that bid. Then If you are unique, they will tell you if you are the lowest and how many lower unique bids there are. Then you have to try and bump the lower bids out!

I have really had so much fun with this. I am bidding on an Alienware Area51 m5550 Notebook right now. It has 3 hours to go, but I am having a ball! They have a Sony Vaio up for grabs and an Apple iPhone as well! There are some great prizes. Check it out and start having fun!

Step-Family Class "Smart Steps"

There is a great class opportunity for Step Families called "Smart Steps". It is offered through a grant from the U of U to help to educate Step Families in their new role as a combined family. This is a great opportunity because there are no other classes or seminars that I know of like this. Nothing I have seen works directly with the dynamics of Step-Families, which can be very complicated and stressful. This was a very informative class even for myself but is a MUST for any new Step Families.

The next class will be held in the fall, most likely Early October. Because of the way this class works, it fills up VERY quickly.

To get on the waiting list you will need to contact:
MaryEllen Lykins
melykins@owcap.org.

Please include the Couples Names, the Children's Names and Ages and your Address and Contact Phone Numbers.

MaryEllen will get you put on the waiting list for the class that will start in the Fall and will contact you prior to the start of registration for the class.

Addiction Treatment Referral Service

I have just finished up a segment on Shopping Addiction and how it can destroy relationships and lives. While there is no specific treatment for Shopping Addiction there is help. But there are many other types of very harmful addictions that can be just as dangerous if not more so, to yourself and the ones you love. Substance abuse is sweeping the world as the largest addiction problem in the United States and Abroad!

So what do you do if someone you love is suffering from a substance addiction? What if you yourself, find yourself facing an addiction of your own? Where do you turn? Where do you start? These are all questions that scary, overwhelming and all very valid! I can tell you however, the best place to start is anywhere. Just start, that's what counts. Call someone, anyone! A trusted friend, a counselor or a drug rehab service. There are plenty of options, you just need to take action! There are free addiction treatment referral services offered from non-profit agencies who's only purpose is to make sure you or your loved one get the help they need.

If you or your loved one is suffering from any kids of addiction, Shopping, Drug, Alcohol or any other, please, don't waste anymore time worrying about the how's or whys. Take action to get the necessary help now!