May 9, 2008 - 8:24 am - Posted by Sherri R
One of the great modern conveniences today is the microwave oven. It seems that they have been around forever and advancement in technology have been slow there are some cool features on the newest ones on the market. We use ours for a lot of different meals to help speed up the process since we have three kids in sports and cannot not wait 30-40 minutes to cook a meal. I saw the ad for a microwave that will now be able to connect to the internet and download various meal plans and cooking times so that you never have to guess on how long to defrost your pork chops or cook your favorite vegetable. And since microwaves seem to be so reliable you hardly need to find locate GE Microwave parts in the event of malfunction. But if you do and we have had to find a replacement light bulb for underneath the microwave then you may want to check out partselect.com where they carry a large selection of parts for microwaves,stoves, and refrigerators.
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May 7, 2008 - 6:38 pm - Posted by Sherri R
This year we will be planning and holding our 20 year class reunion. Some of the activities that we have planned is a golf tournament, family gathering and the finale will be a dinner held Saturday night. For that we are planning several games and slideshows along with music from the 80’s to dance along too. Thanks in part to the digital age we will now be able to send everyone a digital memory book with video, pictures, and information from our class reunion. This will also be made available to all those who could not attend the reunion events. We found a company online called Buskerdoo.com that sells CD-Sleeves, labels, and inserts that will allow us to customize the CD’s and DVD’s that we sent as memory books. You can also find a great selection of DVD racks, mailers, and software to help with any audio project whether it be for your reunion, school project, or just trying to preserve those memories.
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May 7, 2008 - 3:49 pm - Posted by Sherri R
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May 6, 2008 - 10:26 pm - Posted by Sherri R
Mothers Day is this Sunday, May 11 so if you have not gotten her a gift then here is a great gift idea. This year we got my Mom a digital photo frame which she absolutely loves. We went to a digital camera a few years ago which was a great investment except for those parents who still love to sort through pictures of the family and kids and are not that technically inclined. My Mother was always asking for updated photos of the kids so that could show them off in he frames at home and on her desk at school. We got in the habit of downloading the pics to a site online and the having the accessible to family and friends to view or print. It is a great convenience but for the grandparents it presented a challenge.
The digital photo frame helped to solve this problem since we could upload about 400 pictures via a memory card and then set up the slide show to slowly change the photos over a set period of time. Now the all new Aluratek 11″ Hi-Res Digital Photo Frame w/ 1GB Memory has raised the bar by offering a unit that will not only show your digital photos but offers the ability to show HD videos and play your favorite MP3’s. They are calling it a Digital Lifestyle Device (DLD) which is a great concept to bring many of the technology gadgets that many of us take for granted into one friendly unit. You can find this great gift at buy.com for $50 off the regular retail price and free shipping for a limited time.You can find this and other great ideas at buy.com where they have a great selection of gift ideas for Mom.
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May 6, 2008 - 9:59 pm - Posted by Sherri R
Todays dining tables are now used in a more informal fashion to host family get togethers, breakfast time, and just hanging around with the family. With the contemporary look that has become more popular the dining table has become a more functional piece in the home and not reserved for the formal dining events. We use ours for everyday meals and the occasional homework station to help our kids get their school work done. We have found this to be a better solution than allowing everyone to sit around the TV and eat and have tried to make more family time during the evening when everyone gets home.
Pictured above is a contemporary dining table from Alfa that presents a truly unique and sophisticated approach to todays dining rooms. Shipped in from Italy and available at spacify.com you can find your dream table. They offer a wide selection in dining tables, home furnishings with a simple and sophisticated.
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May 6, 2008 - 9:55 pm - Posted by Sherri R
Spring has finally arrived in the Northwest and it is time to planting those flowers and bushes. We recently moved into a new home and the landscape in the flower beds was gong to be this years project, so did some research on the types of plants and bushes that would thrive in our area. My wife and I have no idea on what plants to add so we relied on a friend to help with the planning and design stage. One thing that we did agree upon was having a small garden in the back where we could grow some of our own fruits and vegetables. We are going to let our kids pick out their favorite vegetable and let them own a piece of the garden so that they can have some responsibility in what we grow. I remember having a small garden that I helped to plant and grow and can remember the thrill of picking my first watermelon and then serving it to the family. So we prepared the soil and got the seeds and the plant stakes to help start the process and then will hope for the best.
We were introduced to metalgardenmarkers.com where they have a great selection of metal garden marker that you can customize with the plants names or other messages of your choice. They really look to add a unique flair to your garden or planting area and are much better than those ugly wooden stakes. So whether your are looking for a plant label, or way to organize and label your flowers then you are sure to find what you are looking for. The site makes it easy to order and there are no special gadgets that you need to worry about. You will find the metal stakes in various sizes and shapes to help you create the custom look that will make your garden look like a professional did it. One of the best features is that these garden markers are made right here in the USA from materials purchased from US suppliers.
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May 5, 2008 - 9:19 pm - Posted by Sherri R
The Dining Room set is to have well fit and architecturally elegant Dining Table preferably an eleptical or octagonal shape equipped with 4to 6 chairs.It may be of a Rosewood Or a well polished teak furniture.The contemporary dining chairs should be designed to provide comfort as wells as a royal look with suitable curvy hands, legs and with a cushion over a firm base of a teak plank or ply.The Table top is preferred to have a 5 to 6 mm thick ground glass shelf with a nice Design work.
The dining room is where you will socialize and entertain your guests and having a functional setting that allows for conversation is key to a great dinner party. The dining room set can match other furnishings within the home, but having a set that that is slightly different will establish a unique place to dine with family and friends.
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May 1, 2008 - 7:59 pm - Posted by Sherri R
I am not sure the amount of money that I spend every week at the local espresso stand, but they sure know me by name. I have looked into various espresso machines to see if this was something that I could do at home. But there is something about having different flavors and styles of coffee to choose from that presents a nice balance. Although, having our own espresso machine home would be nice for those Saturday morning breakfasts. Who knows Fathers day is just a month away and maybe I will be pleasantly surprised by my kids. Besides this way they can help make my coffee in the morning which they would love to do. Could you also get me the coconut flavoring I like also!
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May 1, 2008 - 7:54 pm - Posted by Sherri R
Traveling in the Northwest is such an experience since you have all different types of terrain from mountains to dessert, to rolling hills and everything in between. We have been planning our family vacation around some of the scenic areas that are within driving distance like Yellow Stone National Park, Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountains. While the destinations themselves will be fascinating the journey to get there will be just as rewarding. One of our neighbors has a class A motorhome which for our purposes would be awesome the only problem is that this one of the largest motorhomes that they make. It is like the tour buses that you see bands and celebrities use. While I wish I could use this luxurious vehicle I would not feel comfortable taking this traveling home through unknown areas. So we may just stick to the mini-van and enjoy the close family quarters as we make our way across the Great Northwest.
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April 28, 2008 - 3:17 pm - Posted by Sherri R
My son has gotten it in his head that we are going to be getting a horse or a sheep. This all came about after we went to the rodeo a few months ago and he was allowed to ride one of the ponies. He also was able to do what is called “Mutton Busting” which is where kids seven and younger are placed on the backs of sheep and then they are timed to see how long they can stay on. The sheep are released out of a shoot like a bull and take off running towards the other end of the arena. It is quite funny to watch as some kids will fall off right out of the gate while others are able to hang on for the full 8 seconds. My son thinks that if we get a horse or sheep that it would be no problem having them in our backyard. I try to explain that there is a lot to owning a horse or any livestock. First you need lots of land, horse supplies, and time every day to take care of the horse. This is not like their goldfish where if they forget to feed them for a day it is ok. I finally told that once he gets old enough to have a job and buy his own place he could get all the horses and sheep that he wanted. So far this has kept him quiet for the time being.
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April 28, 2008 - 3:02 pm - Posted by Sherri R
The old saying is true in that if you hang onto something long enough it comes back into style. I was looking on spacify.com for modern contemporary furniture and within their selection they offered some European furniture that offered that retro look. I guess to me it was more retro since there was a use of chrome in the body of the dining table and chairs. We have been so used to seeing the oak and maple tables and chairs that the chrome look reminded me of my parents home with that diner feel. The chairs that my parent had were the candy apple red with white stripes and the table had a vinyl green top with chrome trim. What a great classic look. Now a days those table are selling for thousands as people are looking to recreate a time that was simple and less complicated. Spacify.com is retro furniture store online that offers a variety of modern and contemporary looks. So if you looking to make a change in your kitchen then look them and see what they have to offer.
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April 28, 2008 - 1:51 pm - Posted by Sherri R
There are more people that are working from home these days and this has presented a great opportunity for both the employee and the company. For the employee this helps to reduce travel back and forth to the office which can lead to more productive time and better quality of life. If you are able to be closer to home and spend more time with your family it is bound to increase your level of job satisfaction. For the company it helps to retain top talent by instilling in them a sense of ownership that company is willing to invest in their employees and trust them to not come into the office. This has lead to more modular office furniture that allows you to setup your home office without taking over an entire room. Having your office setup in a way that will allow you to stay focused and productive is one key to being able to successfully work from home. The spacify.com office furniture store section gives you some great selections for setting up your home office and they offer contemporary and modern office furniture that can turn a simple space into a productive work environment.
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April 28, 2008 - 1:34 pm - Posted by Sherri R
Cost per action (CPA) seems to be getting more play in the online advertising world. Here is how this would work from a publishers standpoint. (By the way a publisher is someone who runs the text ads you see that have content relative to their site. Just like the Ads you see along with this blog) As a Publisher running PPC ads or other forms of contextual ads on your site, you make a certain dollar amount on each click through on the ad, regardless if the person buys or completes any form. In the new model, you be be compensated if the click actually resulted in a purchase, or other action determined by the advertiser. So as you can see, you could get 1000 clicks a day on your ads running on your site, but unless there is an actual purchase, that would be $0 in your pocket. Interesting!! But the result in Cost per Action or CPA as it is called pay much higher than PPC ads
As an advertiser, if you elect to choose this model, it could be very cost effective as you would only be paying for actual sales, or leads. So for example you run a site that sells Domain names and hosting accounts. If someone see your ad on another site, clicks on it, but never purchases anything, you would not be charged anything. Unlike today, if you have purchased $1000 in clicks, they could all be used up without one sale. Plus for advertisers you greatly reduce PPC fraud as their are specific sales actions that have to take place.
This form of advertising has grown substantially since we first started partnering with companies that specialize in CPA. There are companies like http://www.clickbooth.com that specialize in this form of online marketing and have teamed up with some very large companies to bring bloggers and website owners a new form of revenue to their offerings.
From a publishers standpoint the Clickbooth Publisher Network offers a host of reports so that you can monitor which offers are performing best on your blogs or websites. They offer a great variety of ad types so that you will be sure to find one that will fit into your site. You can choose from banner ads, text links, and email templates that can be used across various marketing platforms. The more variety that you are given the more creative you can get and actually test different mediums to understand which types get better click through and better revenue. The process is easy to setup and free to join and qualify.
For advertisers you have various reports to help you understand how your ads are being viewed, which format is gaining more customers, and on the day and time of the actual clicks are happening.
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April 26, 2008 - 12:39 pm - Posted by Sherri R
There are more home theaters today than ever before thanks in part to the availability of HDTV and the superior video capabilities that rival the movie theaters. You can now purchase a 60 inch HDTV with surround sound and create a movie like experience for your family and friends. We have installed a new TV in our basement and with a Blu-Ray DVD player the video is amazing and is so much better than our old DVD and 32 inch TV that we were accustomed too. We have friends that will come over to watch new releases and this has turned into a release party as movies become available in the new format. The other great thing is creating that whole theater experience from the sound quality to the seating. I can say that our modern leather sofa is much more comfortable than the seats in the movies. Plus our floors are not sticky.
The sofas that are now available offer a great variety to create the theater like seating that will your viewing experience so much better. So if you are looking to upgrade your TV make sure that you shop around for the best deals because there are differences in the LCD and plasma sets. Plus make sure that you look at the most current sofas to compliment your viewing experience.
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April 25, 2008 - 11:44 pm - Posted by Sherri R
Your personal investment strategy will also be affected by the way you feel about risk. In the investment world there is a direct correlation between expected returns and risk - your risk will increase with the higher the rate of return. Before you can decide on a personal investment strategy, consider how much money you can loose, and then base your risk level on this assumption. This also depends on if you are looking into stock options trading yourself or having a professional assist you. Your risk tolerance can be affected by: the time of the investment of time you have to meet your financial goals and to make up for any losses you might experience. People with longer times to recoup their investment may be more willing to endure periodic fluctuations in the value of their investments.
When investing online you need to make sure that you diversify your portfolio. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket and consider interest rates, commodity prices, consumer confidence, management decisions or a host of other factors. For most investors, what is important is the risk profile of their overall investment portfolio. The more long term and lower yielding investments like bonds and municipal funds the less willing you are to risk your money. Which is a good strategy if you are closer to retirement and cannot take a chance with your retirement income. Unlike someone who is younger can those risks by investing in options, global markets, and high yield stocks because if there is market correction they have time to make up the lost funds. By combining several different investments like stock option trading in your portfolio, you can spread your level of risk for a given level of expected return.
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April 25, 2008 - 6:25 pm - Posted by Sherri R
One of the best investments that we made for our new home was getting a steam cleaner. Even in a new home we shampooed and steamed the carpets and the amount of dirt that came up was really quite shocking. Even now after we vacuum we can steam clean the carpets and still get a lot of dirt up. It just made me think about what we rolled around on when I was kid and all we had were the very basic vacuums. So if you have kids running in and out of your home you may want to think about investing in a steam cleaner and just watch how clean you can get your carpets and other household items.
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April 25, 2008 - 3:19 pm - Posted by Sherri R
Everyday there are thousands of new blogs being created for various reasons. Some people create a blog to express their opinions about politics, religion, music, or their personal life. I have seen more mom focused blogs start up in the past year and this shows where this industry is headed. Many blog to try and earn a few bucks off their website either through affiliate marketing, or paid to click ads. We actually stumbled on blogging by accident and was not our original goal when we first started trying to find ways to make money online. It was not meant to be a way to retire, but to add some fun money into our account for vacations and those impulse buys.
Our original blog was started out as quick and easy way to stay in touch with our members from our two traffic exchanges. Since email was becoming more difficult the blog helped us to stay in close contact with our members and provide more frequent updates. What we discovered that as we added content our search engine ranking and page rank went up rather quickly. And right about this time the blogging world was being looked at as a new way to advertise and help to generate buzz about companies products and services. So the timing was great and we joined up with a few companies and the response and success has been incredible. Today we have over 10 blogs that we maintain for various subjects and the money that we do collect is enough to help out on vacations, ski trips, and just fun stuff for the kids.
Probably the one thing about blogging that has made me the happiest is the friends and associates that I have had the chance to meet online and actually help get started in blogging. One was my sister in law who I gave her one of our blogs and she has done a great job with blogging weekly and makes a nice little income. Far better than what she was doing which was selling items through eBay which was a time consuming chore. The other great success is a friend for whom I have only met through email and the occasional phone call. Chris P is about 20 something and we had a chance email and I asked if he was interested in taking control of one of my blogs. He did and has amazing success with not only the dollars, but the amount of people that comment on his blog and he has come a long way in his internet knowledge. He writes all the time with new ideas on how to improve the blogging’s rank and even has aspirations to start his own blogging advertising company which I am sure he will do.
In the end if I can help change a few lives and make them just a little better then I will continue to blog. There is no greater joy than helping others succeed and opening worlds that they never knew existed. It is easy through blogging because all you need is a keyboard and enthusiasm about what you post about. I hope to one meet some of my new friends that I have met through blogging and we can all tell our stories on why blogging makes us happy.
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April 23, 2008 - 11:37 pm - Posted by Sherri R
There are many ideas out there as to what constitutes modern furniture. Some will say that it consists of the latest modular concepts, the latest designers, or the latest colors. You can have your entertainment center in a big oak corner piece and to you that may be as modern as yo get. To others the entertainment as seen above is seen as non-obtrusive and actually blends into the room instead of taking over the look. What ever your thoughts about modern or contemporary furniture we would recommend a look that is functional.
By this we mean have the furniture and fixtures so that it flows and does not create a barrier to your interaction in the room. Too many times you walk into a room these days and you are greeted by a mammoth big screen TV with a larger leather couch. This look has become more popular and yet it closes off half the room and limits your ability to engage everyone in the room. The only thing that you can do it that room now is to stare at the large TV screen. Shouldn’t it be time to have a room that is meant for conversation and gathering rather than just entertaining? w
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April 22, 2008 - 10:25 pm - Posted by Sherri R
At Spacify.com they offer a larger selection of bedroom suites that provide a great and modern look. This Italian made Tai leather bedroom suite is one such piece that can provide a unique look to your bedroom. This set can accommodate both king and queen mattresses and comes with the two night stands with an option to purchase a 7 drawer dresser. You have the option of either teak or wenge (pictured) to help give you the look that you want. This set gives you sense of royalty while keeping a non-assuming presence in your bedroom. This bedroom furniture set offers great style and appeal for any home style. You can help create a zen like atmosphere with this new wall bedroom set that is sure to help create a tranquil setting for your and your spouse. So if you are looking for a way to spend your tax relief payment, why not reward yourself with a modern and tranquil bedroom. At Spacify.com they offer a price match guarantee and free shipping within the US.
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April 21, 2008 - 10:23 pm - Posted by Sherri R
Any parent with kids can attest to the fact that their kids rooms are a tough place to keep clean. You will find numerous surprises under the bed and in the closet. We once came across a month old peanut butter and jelly sandwich in our sons room. When asked he swore that it was not him and that one his friends had brought it up to his room and left it there. Since we have kids coming in and out of the house we just had to take his word for it and set some ground rules about friends and food in the room. Our daughters are a different story because we recently purchased new kids furniture based the fact that they keep their rooms clean. This was a great motivator and now they clean their rooms daily even when they have their friends over.
Today their are so many options for kids bedrooms which is much better than what we had to choose from when I was a kid. The contemporary kids furniture selections are functional and can be used as the kids grow older. Plus the newer furniture give you more storage options to help store those toys and help to keep their room clean.
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If you are looking for a great addition to any breakfast nook or kitchen counter area then you might consider a modern style bar stool which will offer additional seating and great function to your eating area. There are various types one of which is Swivel barstools which allows for a higher view with free movement when eating, drinking, or socializing and can add to the atmostphere, given the right bar stool. These type of stools are best when used at a kitchen nook for the kids since they allow them the freedom to turn and face each other. They are great for entertaining since they can be placed anywhere in the home for additional seating and do not tear up your hardwoods or carpet since the feet are not dragging across the floor.
There are many types of barstools which are often made of wood or metal. There are bar stools with and without armrests, back, and padding on the seat surface. The materials used in the contemporary styles have that retro look that has a unique yet simple style. We recently purchased one of the Pub style table for our family eating area and the high back barstools that came with the set are nice but do have their limitations in that when you want to turn the chair to talk to someone in the room you need to hop off and then reposition the chair. So when looking to add additional flair to eating your area do your homework and visit sites like spacify.com to find some great new looks.