Another tragedy involving a car crash

One of the ladies who works at my pharmacy here in Eureka Springs died last Monday while driving down one of the roads downtown. Marilyn Smith was coming down Hillside Drive and failed to turn onto Main Street, so her car crashed into a stone retaining wall in the parking lot for the ES&NA Railroad.

A medical examiner will determine if something happened to her in the car before the crash. I am about to go pick up a prescription, and I'm sure the mood will be somber there as opposed to their usual upbeat employees. Very sad indeed.

Get your blog posts voted on

If you have trouble making your way through the monstrous beast that is the "blogosphere", you can use the genius organization of a site like HighFivez.com and view a sampling of the most popular blog posts for the day, week, or month. You can store your favorite blogs in a central location to read them all at once, or view based on categories and tags.

When reading through the blogs, you can either give them a "High Five" if you like the post, or a "Pound" if you don't. All the votes are based on viewer opinions, not technological robots looking at statistics. It is refreshing to see some human element in the area of page ranking for a change. Google's page rank system is based on how old the blog is and how many relevant incoming links your blog has.

You can submit your own blog for review, or you can submit a post or blog that you like and want to share with others. The site is new, so there are not a whole lot of members signed up yet, but since they are advertising through PayPerPost bloggers, I'm sure their popularity will increase by leaps and bounds very quickly.

Trying out a new schedule

Instead of fighting with my son in the morning when he wants to wake up at 6:00am and I just want to sleep some more, I have decided to work with his schedule. I am now going to bed by 9:30 each night so I can get up at 6:00 and not walk around like a zombie in a bad mood.

Although it means less time with my husband in the evenings, I know he will grow out of it eventually (my son, not hubby - haha) and we will have our evenings back. In fact, once he starts full day preschool, my husband and I will have the whole day to ourselves too, if he is still self-employed (keeping my fingers crossed!).

The UK has it going on

There is a great classified website that lists free ads for the United Kingdom. It is sort of a "Craig's List" for that area, only the site has much more images and color, which I think makes it easier for people to navigate around the site.

There are listings for items for sale like furniture, clothes, pets, automobiles, and more, but there are also job listings, real estate listings, and local service listings on the site as well. This site is a one-stop site to find anything you need - you can even post a "wanted" ad if you don't see what you are looking for. Placing an ad is free, so what have you got to lose?

Strange experience at the parent / teacher conference

This afternoon I had a conference with my daughter's kindergarten teacher and it started off pretty well. She is very bright and I know she does well in school. So it surprised me when the teacher asked me if we have any problems with her at home and I said that sometimes she won't follow instructions until we tell her two or three times. The teacher says she has the same problem and wants us to make a "Behavior Modification" chart for her. The chart will have two things we want her to work on at home, and the teacher will add one thing to work on at school, and we will give her stickers on the chart if she follows the guidelines set forth on the chart.

Considering there are only two months left in school, and my daughter is one of the best students in the class, I think her teacher went a little overboard. My hubby thinks it is totally ridiculous and that we shouldn't do it at all. But the teacher got so excited by the idea and was really into it, so what am I supposed to say?

So now I have a dilemma caused by what should have been an easy conference for a girl who has a great report card. Now she's asking me if all the kids in her class will have the new chart or if it's just her. I don't want her to feel singled out, but in reality, that is what is happening.

Ebony dating community

Here I am again to introduce a new dating site for Black Singles, the premier ebony dating community. The newest profiles are right on the front page, so you can look often and stay updated on new black singles in your area. Membership to the site is free and there are many features including a forum, sending messages, sending flirts, and posting pictures.

They do have non-black members who are interested in a black mate, so if that sounds good to you, go ahead and join for free to search through thousands of members and see what's out there.

Why is it your favorite color?

suggested by Egyptian Home

"What is your favorite color, and why do you think it is your favorite?"

My favorite color at the moment is red. I like to wear red because it is bold and lifts my mood, especially in the winter. Red reminds me of fall because it is the color of the most beautiful leaves. I like wearing red lipstick and nail polish because my husband finds it sexy.

Being an artist, I have never had just one favorite color. My color tastes change often and it depends on what the "color" is for. Will I be wearing it? Will I be painting it on my living room wall? Which brings me to my favorite decorating color, which is a medium darkness bluish, greenish gray (kind of hard to describe).

Customer Magnetism

There has been a lot of buzz lately on the internet about search engine optimization. Everyone wants their website listed first when people search on Google, Yahoo, and MSN. The competition is fierce, and many companies promise to get you to the top spot. The company I am reviewing is called Customer Magnetism. First of all, I love their name. It is very catchy and easy to remember - that's important in a cutthroat market. They specialize in organic optimization, which is important since studies show that only 30% of users will click on a sponsored search link. They work very hard to get high quality links from relevant websites, directories, and blogs in order to improve your search engine rankings.

Customer Magnetism is interested in your business for the long term. Once your initial term is over and your rankings are improved, they offer renewal plans at a fraction of the price to keep you as a customer and continue to monitor your page rankings. Even if you get to the top rankings, you must work to maintain those positions or another site may slide into the top spot. The search engines are always changing, so you can't slack off and expect to keep top rankings. It's much easier to have a professional SEO marketing firm doing this maintenance for you, so you can have time to run your business and not worry about page rankings all the time.

Ways to improve business customer relations

One way to improve customer relationship management is for businesses to track leads, campaigns, and revenue dollars. No business wants to leave any of their customers hanging, because chances are there will be another company right there to snatch them up. The professional world is very competitive and downright brutal at times, so you must take care of your customers with the utmost priority.

Adding AIMpromote to your existing business is more cost effective than competing products that offer the same type of service. Upon further investigation, however, you will note that the AIMpromote solution has far more features than the other two leading lead management systems. They even feature web integration and marketing, reporting, sales force and marketing automation, user management and authentication, and full support when you sign up for their product. The best part is, you can try the full version for 14 days at no cost whatsoever.

I figured out why I love Spring and Fall so much

The colors!!! Summer is just all different shades of green, and winter is all brown and gray. Spring and fall have every color you could imagine and changes happen everyday! This is our first time experiencing Eureka Springs in the spring and let me tell you, I am impressed. Just walking around my neighborhood, I see trees with blooms that are yellow, purple, pink, red, orange, and white. New growth is happening everywhere. It is quite a feast for the senses - the sights and smells are heavenly.

Exploring the job market

I think it's great when there are job searches geared for a specific area that people can use. I recently looked at a website where users can search for Jobs In California. The site is very simple, and I like that you can search by job category, or by city, and they have the newest job postings listed right on the main page.

One problem I have with the site, however, is I believe they should have spent more time editing the text. Within the main introductory paragraph I counted three grammatical errors. People visiting the site will be searching for future employment and expect a professional looking page. Some work could be done to further this website in that area.

The "techno" generation

While technology sometimes gets a bad rap for all the health problems it causes for kids: bad eyesight, laziness, lack of sunshine, attention span disorders, etc. I believe there are good things for the kids of today as well. For example, my daughter loves watching the "special features" on DVDs. She enjoys learning how movies are made and especially how they do the make up on characters in movies like "The Grinch" and "Planet of the Apes". Also, if the movie is a little scary, we can show the kids that it is just a mask or animatronics. I would've loved that as a kid, since I got scared of movies lots of times.

The other side of the coin is this - do they lose the magic of the movies? If they know that everything is made up, can they truly enjoy the film? I believe my children still enjoy the movies very much, and we only watch the special features after viewing the film in its entirety.

How about a friendly game of Backgammon?

Backgammon has gained popularity lately in the online game market. The most famous backgammon page on the net, Backgammon Masters, has given birth to a new marketing idea to promote their site. Their new mascot is Jean-Claude, the suave, smooth talking French animated tiger. Jean-Claude is the #1 Player at Backgammon Masters. He was created to teach people more about the game and its rules. He also shows us that backgammon is for everyone from all walks of life. His videos can be viewed through YouTube in a five part animation series. Read their news release for more information on this fun, innovative approach to teaching people about the game of backgammon:

http://www.BackgammonMasters.com is using a ground-breaking and original approach to promote and establish their skill game software in the online game market. Introducing the #1 Player at BackgammonMasters, Jean-Claude the animated tiger. BackgammonMasters creates a new dimension in online backgammon branding in their 5 part interactive animation series titled 'Life According to Jean-Claude'. Jean Claude - Backgammon Masters Animated Tiger Movie BackgammonMasters brought this character to life in a well-designed and cleverly scripted effort to illustrate to a wide audience the appeal of backgammon as a skill game truly loved and played by all people, from all walks of life from around the world. Jean Claude is BackgammonMasters' pioneering mascot who is setting a new standard in online game entertainment. Viewers win prizes for trivia questions after viewing, and are offered rewards for suggestion any script ideas used. Clips can be easily forwarded to friends who will create the viral marketing buzz that only a character like Jean-Claude is capable of generating. "BackgammonMasters creates a new dimension in online backgammon branding in their 5 part interactive animation series titled 'Life According to Jean-Claude'." In the series we are exposed to a hilarious explanation and comparison by Jean-Claude of how to succeed at everything from playing backgammon to chopping onions, to fulfilling ones dreams and make important life choices. In the opening clip we, find Jean-Claude, a tiger, humoristic, mafia type, dressed in 70's clothes (bell-bottoms and cream-colored shoes, a button-up shirt with a dice print and a large dollar sign chain around his neck) sitting in his trailer in the used junk car lot he manages. No, he doesn't feel pathetic or sad amidst the junk, on the contrary. He is full of street smarts obtained during his many years in the University of Life. BackgammonMasters has maintained a high profile in the news lately not only because of Jean-Claude, they also recently launched a 3-in-1 game lobby offering games such as Backgammon, Poker and Perudo (Liar's Dice), all in one download. To get a sneak peak at the animations go to: http://www.backgammonmasters.com/jc.html To download the BackgammonMasters 3-in-1 free software go to: www.backgammonmasters.com Report by Gammonish.com - online backgammon resource for news and information. To learn more about the backgammon game and online backgammon rules visit http://www.gammonish.com.

Attraction review: Pivot Rock and the Natural Bridge

Here I am again to tell you about another "free for locals" attraction here in Eureka Springs. Pivot Rock and the Natural Bridge are the oldest tourist attractions in the entire state of Arkansas. They are natural rock formations that you hike along a beautiful trail through the woods to get to. We just went on the short trail since we had our 86 year old grandmother with us, but there is a longer trail we will definitely check out soon.

Now that all the trees are blossoming, there is so much color in the woods! We have to get out as much as possible now, before we are invaded with bugs and it is too humid to be outside for long periods of time. We worked on the yard and planted some flowers last weekend. There is still plenty of work to do, especially since we have who knows how many years worth of leaves piled up. Our previous next-door neighbors used to blow their leaves onto our yard (nice, huh?), so we have about a foot and a half of leaves on that side.

Color your website with information

What makes a big impact for you on a website? For me, it has to be bold, interesting images and icons. The icons must be simple enough to get their purpose across, while still being unique enough to be interesting. People follow image icons on websites better than just text. It is easier on the eyes to look at websites with images to break up the text. Even strictly informational websites can benefit from some small icons to help direct their web audience.

The solution for finding great icons for your website is Vista Icons. There are pre-designed icons in a wide variety of topics including hotel, travel, telecom, entertainment, medical, real estate, retail, banking, education, food, objects, and products. There are just over 1,000 very high quality XP icons on the site overall. The artwork is brilliant and bold, and their prices are affordable compared to other sites. They promise a 24 hour response to any questions you have if you contact them on their support form.

If you still can't find just the perfect icon for your website from the pre-made choices, you can have Iconplant custom design one for you. There are free downloads available also to check out before you buy.

Attraction review: Onyx Cave

Last week we discovered yet another "free for locals" attraction here in Eureka Springs: Onyx Cave. We enjoyed it very much. It is the perfect length for kids, since it takes 30 to 45 minutes to explore the whole cave. The kids were amazed and had a great time. Also, the path through the cave is fenced on both sides, paved and easy to walk on - so you're not worried about your toddler slipping over the edge. My husbands parents and grandmother (86 yrs old) were with us and had no trouble getting around down there.

It is a self-guided tour and they give each person a pair of headphones before entering the cave. There are 8 check-points with a button to push, a voice comes on the headphones explaining all the natural wonders of the cave, and lights come on to spotlight the area they are talking about. It was very educational and a great family outing. I highly recommend it for all ages!

Why pay for online dating?

You shouldn't have to pay for a good online dating service, especially when there are some great free ones around now. "Just Say Hi" is 100% free with no credit card ever required and no tricks or gimmicks. They offer all the same great features as paid dating sites and there are plenty of members to "say hi" to.

I'm lucky enough to have found my sweetie back in college, but from what I've heard from single friends and relatives, the dating scene is rough enough. You shouldn't have to spend money to find a mate. Save that money to spend on your future together!

Decisions and their impact

suggested by Bandpox

"Describe a recent decision that made a huge impact on your life, and consider what life would be like if you had done things a little differently."

Well, a recent decision that made a huge impact on my life was picking up everything and moving across the country from Colorado to Arkansas. Here, we can be self employed and hopefully make enough money to live by our own creative devices like painting, web design, photography, etc. We may have to pick up odd jobs here and there to fill in the gaps, but I can't see us ever relying on "corporate America" jobs for sustenance.

If we had remained in Colorado, we would have payed way too much for a house and either my husband would be stuck in his life-draining corporate job and we would be struggling to live on one income, or we would both have to work and then pay big bucks for daycare for our two children. I definitely think we made the right decision for our family.

ps. If you find yourself with "blog block" and can't think of anything to write, check out Mindbump.com for inspiration like I did.

Many great music bands go unnoticed

That is, until now. There are websites devoted to promoting unsigned bands which I think is great, since my husband has an unsigned music project himself. A lot of bands don't even want to be signed to a record label because of the corruption and lack of support for the bands. Bands want to promote themselves and make it on their own accord. One such site promotes bands in all genres, including (but not limited to) Hard Rock Artists, Industrial, Alternative, Electronica, Dance, Experimental, and so on.

The bands decide what they want to include on the website and they write their own content. They can put music clips, free downloads, photos, and their email and website information so you can contact them or purchase their music the way it should be - directly from the artist with proceeds going directly to them.

Back to school on Monday

Boy, Spring Break really flew by this year. I guess it's probably because we had relatives visiting the whole week and now we have to get caught up on laundry and housework this weekend. I wish we could spend the day outside because it is absolutely gorgeous, and has been for the whole week. Next week we will get some rain, but it will still be warm.

I'm not looking forward to the bugs, which I know will be around shortly, but we are certainly enjoying the weather for now! I wish it could always be just like this... 70 degrees, a slight breeze, and no bugs. To get that, you have to pay loads of money to live in California and deal with polluted air and lots of traffic. The other option is to get a summer home and a winter home and travel with the seasons like the birds do. Oh well, we're enjoying Eureka and all her seasonal "quirks" and plan to stay.

Pingo!

Living far away from friends and relatives makes you think twice about your long distance calling plan. We are lucky enough to have an unlimited long distance calling plan for our home phone, but even that may be more expensive than a really good calling card - I have more research to do.

One thing I do know is if you need international phone calling cards, Pingo is the place to go. I can get a great Canada calling card rates to contact my relatives who live there. Most countries are only 2 cents a minute and all you need to sign up is your computer! They offer $5 worth of free calls just for signing up, and you get $5 of free calls for every friend you refer to Pingo as well. Click the picture below to get started saving money on international calls:

Jobs are popping up all over town!

Now that winter is over and all the businesses in Eureka are up and running for tourist season, there are lots of interesting jobs listed in the Classifieds. Our dilemma is that while we are trying to get our own internet businesses making enough money to support us, there are jobs in town that may be fun and not really feel like "work" that we may enjoy also.

Once we get all the websites up and running, they won't require much maintenance and we will have some free time, but right now, we are still working quite a bit to get all the sites set up. And once my son is in pre-school, I will have lots of time on my hands to sell my paintings, or pick up a part-time job, or whatever. But that's not until August of 2008, so until then, we have to make it on whatever savings we have left and the money we make on the internet.

Everything is locked up tight

With the increasing security concerns in today's business world, companies must be locked up tight even within their own operating systems. There are many areas where sensitive information can leak out and unfortunately, there are employees that can't be trusted. Sometimes there is a "fox in the henhouse" who is a threat to the security of the company and their systems.

Fortunately, there is a great Identity Management System that can ensure the total security of a company's operating systems. The managers can control individual employees' access levels which protects against insider threats, improves operational efficiencies, and reduces system administration time and costs.

Symark offers a free thirty day evaluation of any of their security programs so companies can "try before they buy" and be assured the system will work for them.

A secret to managing your business remotely

I have noticed that there are many people who own businesses here in Eureka Springs but do not live nearby. In fact, some live in different states and run their businesses remotely with good restaurant and retail store managers.

One tool that would help these business owners immensely is a Real Estate Management Software. Siterra software is the only fully integrated online solution to help businesses plan, build, manage, and grow remote sites, assets, and leases. Sounds like a useful tool that would benefit many different types of businesses. It would also make tax time easier because you would have better records of all your real estate in one place.

Restaurant review: Myrtie Mae's

We ate lunch at Myrtie Mae's today and I just wanted to say that their lunch buffet is truly a great deal. They have it every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday and the cost is only $6.95 per person, $3.50 for kids. We're talking a full soup and salad bar complete with muffins, fruit, and a variety of pasta salads. Plus a full buffet which includes catfish, fried chicken, roast beef, fried okra, chicken fried steak, and meatloaf. Everything tasted wonderful and I honestly can't complain about anything. I highly recommend Myrtie Mae's lunch buffet!

Need technology fast?

Back when my husband and I were still in college, he was thinking of becoming a web designer, but wasn't sure if he would like designing for other people. He wanted to try it before committing to anything to see if he liked it. He was lucky to find an intern job where he got a computer loaned to us for the duration of his internship. This way, we didn't have to pay for a computer or any of the programs.

Now you can go to a place like Anaheim computer rentals if you need a computer but aren't quite ready to buy one yet. This is also a great option for college students who need laptops for school as they have those available for rent as well. Businesses can rent projectors for trade shows, conventions, or meetings, and there are even printers and other office equipment for rent. They offer a wide variety of name brand equipment including both Mac and PC interfaces.

Overflowing with fun free entertainment

I have posted before about all the benefits we get for being residents of Eureka Springs, and this week, we found two more! We are having relatives visit and of course, they want to check out all the fun things to do around here. We haven't even seen all of it yet and we've lived here nine months already. So yesterday we went to Pivot Rock and the Natural Bridge, which are the oldest tourist attractions in the state of Arkansas. We were delighted to find out that locals get in free. It was beautiful up there and we will definitely go back to do some more hiking.

Today, we went to Onyx Cave and again found out that locals get in free! So now we can go there anytime we want too. In April when the trains start running again, we will definitely take advantage of the free ride for locals on a day excursion. And there is still Turpentine Creek Wildcat Refuge and Blue Spring that are both totally free for locals as well. Gosh darnit, I love Eureka Springs!!!

What's your religion?

If this is a pick-up line you commonly use (or hear), please read on.

You probably remember me blogging recently about how the online dating sites have become very segmented. I have reviewed sites called "Date a Millionaire", "Latino Friends", and "Jewish Dating". The latest dating site to hit the scene is for Christian Singles, which is geared to a specific group, but is still pretty general.

The site is laid out well and easy to navigate, but I found it interesting that the featured profile is "rebelgirl", who's picture shows her drinking what appears to be a huge beer mug at a bar. Maybe the message she wants to portray is "Although I am a Christian, I can still have fun!" If so, she is doing a great job. It looks like there are lots of members from all walks of life just looking for that special someone who shares their Christian beliefs and this is a good place to find that person.

Something I've noticed about time...

It only flies when you don't want it to. When you are having a crummy day and you just want the day to be over, it drags on for what seems like forever. Or if you have something fun planned for later in the evening, it feels like an eternity getting through the morning and afternoon that day.

You're fired!!

Are you a fan of Donald Trump and the "Apprentice"? Even if you aren't, I'm sure you would like to know how you can become more successful and smarter in business. Now you can register for the Trump University Speaker Series. It is a tele-seminar which is limited to 200 callers, so you must act quickly to learn the tools of the trade directly from Trumps' own Apprentices!

All the amenities of a big town

It's nice that even though Eureka Springs is a small town of only about 2,300 residents, we still have all the amenities and attractions of a bigger town. We have more restaurants and hotels than any small town I have ever seen, which is due to the high volume of tourism we experience. I'm not a big shopper, but I do enjoy window shopping and walking downtown and there are enough shops here to satisfy even the seasoned shoppers.

We have a wildcat reserve in town that works as a zoo since there are also monkeys, bears, and birds along with the tigers, lions, panthers, and leopards. We have a museum, a train depot for day or dinner rides, caves to explore, an awesome city park with camping and hiking trails. We have a dance studio in town called "Evolve" where people of all ages can learn traditional ballet, jazz, or creative movement. They have an after school program downtown at the "Main Stage" where children can learn break dancing, freestyle, hip-hop, and more. Overall, whatever you are into, you can probably find it here.

Invest in metal

Historically, when the stock market goes down the value of precious metals like gold, silver and platinum goes up. So wouldn't it make sense to diversify your investments between the stock market and metals? If you are ready to find out more about purchasing gold as an investment, Monex is America's best dealer. They have been in the business for over 30 years and can help you every step of the way. Their website is very straightforward without a bunch of complicated investment terms. They have knowledgeable Account Representatives who can answer your questions and help you make a purchase. Purchases can be delivered directly to the buyer, or can be safely stored at an independent bank or depository.

The value of metals has continually increased and they are thought to be a very good investment and a great way to maintain one's wealth and purchasing power. Contact Monex if you are ready to invest in precious metals.

Some things must be said...

We've all been in a situation where we had to sit near someone with really bad breath or body odor, either at work or at school. Don't you wish you could've told them without the person knowing it was you? There is a service now available where you can send an Anonymous Email to the person to clue them in on their embarrassing problems.

There are many other more serious situations where an anonymous email would be appropriate. Let's say a guy in high school just heard his friends talking about bullying another boy at school and he wanted to turn them in anonymously so his friends wouldn't think he was a rat. Or a girl's friend confides in her that she has been very depressed lately and is considering suicide. She alerts the school counselor via an anonymous email so her friend can get help before she hurts herself, and the two girls can remain friends.

Puppy recovery

Our puppy was spayed last Thursday and she is recovering nicely. For the first couple of days she was very sluggish and when she was out of her crate, she just hid under the couch. So we left her in the crate to rest most of the time. Of course, our kids want to play with her like normal, so it has been tough (but necessary) to curb that. Today she was just as active as before the surgery, so I assume she is feeling pretty much recovered. We still have to go back to the vet next Monday to have the stitches removed. Our vet uses a very thin-gauge stainless steel wire for stitching because it pokes the dog's tongue when they try to lick it and it prevents them from over-licking and pulling the stitches out.

Are your eyes sufficiently protected?

Now that warm weather is officially here, we are spending a lot of time outdoors. It is time to make sure we are prepared with sunblock and a good pair of sunglasses for every member of the family. Many people don't realize how harmful the sun can be for your eyes. Since the local stores' selection of sunglasses is somewhat slim, I shop online where you can get great deals on brand name prescription Sunglasses, Eyeglasses, Ski goggles, Swim goggles, Motorcycle goggles, and much more. Even if you don't require prescription lenses, you can still pick up a great pair of stylish sunglasses or sport goggles.

They offer free UPS shipping on all orders above $29.95 and have knowledgeable customer service representatives ready to answer any questions or to help you place your order. You can feel confident placing your order on their secure website, which is a member of the Better Business Bureau Online Reliability Program.

Where has my baby gone?

My little girl is six today and I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. When I am stressing out about my toddler's attitude lately, I just remember how my daughter used to be just as bad at that age and how great she is now. She is the sweetest, most thoughtful, appreciative little girl I know (of course, I am slightly biased). So we are looking forward to the attitude change in our son, but at the same time I don't want to rush him out of babyhood because we're probably not having any more babies and they grow up fast enough on their own!

"Paradise is just a click away"

This is the slogan for Vacations.net and it sounds very appealing to me! Whether you are looking for an All Inclusive Resort In The Caribbean, Mexico, or the Dominican Republic, their all new website should be your first stop. There are striking images of all the different hotels and resorts to choose from, along with detailed information on customs, culture, history and activities in the areas you are interested in. The website is well organized for easy navigation, which is very important when you are planning a vacation.

The site has all the information you would ever need on every hotel, including photos, maps, features, room rates, and more. There are even traveler ratings so you can see how others felt about their stay. The best part is you can save up to 50% if you book your vacation through their website because they list all the latest all-inclusive deals and vacation packages.

Now I really can't catch up

The US Congress decided to extend Daylight Savings Time by one full month this year, so the time changed yesterday (three weeks early) and will change in the fall one week later than usual. Apparently it will save energy and some believe there will be fewer crime incidents and car accidents, since it will be still be light later in the day. Personally, I feel this is too early to change the time. I walk my daughter to the bus stop at 7:00 in the morning and now it is still very dark then. She had trouble getting ready for school today because it was so dark.

This isn't the first time Daylight Savings Time has been extended. In 1974 and 1975, the time was extended to address the energy crisis spurred by an oil embargo. Upon evaluation of the 1970s extension, it has been found that changing the time earlier in the spring might result in electricity savings of 1 percent in March and April, equivalent to roughly a hundred thousand barrels of oil daily over the two months.

Since the US population has increased since the 70s, I would be curious how much energy could be saved by making this change permanent. If it makes a big impact, I would be willing to live with a permanent change, although it will take some adjustment.

Two pinched fingers and a bumped head

Overall, my daughter's party was a success. We all had a good time and only a few kids got hurt. Two of them got their fingers pinched in a closet door when they were hiding from another child. One got pushed into a door and bumped his head. Out of the 19 kids we invited, only 6 came. So along with their parents, it was the perfect amount of guests and worked out nicely.

They all participated well in the games, except two of the boys wouldn't play "Pin the Horn on the Unicorn" because it was too girly. Since the weather was warm, we ate the cupcakes on the back deck (no mess, no fuss). I made cupcakes in ice cream cones, which were a big hit. I love making those because there are no plates or utensils needed and no trash at all since they eat the cone too. They are very environmentally friendly as well as kid friendly. All you do is pour the cake mix into ice cream cones instead of cupcake papers and bake the same way as usual. Voila!

Travel the World

One of my long-term goals is travel. Big time travel. We're talking travel around the world. I've always been curious about different cultures and countries. From the people to the history, to the architecture, all of it interests me. One of my tropical destinations would definitely be the Virgin Islands. The white beaches and blue water remind me of some beautiful areas in Mexico. But the advantage of visiting either the US or British Virgin Islands is that they speak English. So you won't have the language barrier that you would have at many other tropical hot spots.

In the Virgin Islands, people spend most of their time either on the beach or on a boat in the ocean. One option to try is st thomas sailing. Scubadu is a luxury catamaran, offering day trips and dinner cruises which depart from several different areas in the Virgin Islands. The reasonable rates include a licensed captain, a chef and first mate, gourmet food, open bar, snorkel gear, kayak, swim mats, towels and fresh water showers.

One of my very favorite sounds

This week, I started hearing the glorious "cooing" of Mourning Doves. This sound always relaxes me and sends my mind to a "happy place". It reminds me of lazy summer days swinging in the hammock in our backyard as a child. I have a book on wild birds that tells you which plants to choose for your yard to attract certain types of birds. I had done some research on Mourning Doves to make sure we could attract them to our yard, but apparently they are already here and I am so glad!

The name of the game is "Power Struggle"

Such is life with a 2-year old. My son has been really pushing the limits of my patience lately. I mean, I can understand all the whining and bad moods when they are sick. But come on!! We went to the doctor two days ago for the pink eye, and it has already cleared up. He is still sleeping terribly and throwing a huge fit at nap time and bedtime. This could be the result of our removal of his pacifier a week ago, but he hasn't said anything about that, he just cries about all kinds of other stuff.

He has a real problem with indecision. It goes something like this: I ask if he wants something, he says "yes", so I give it to him, then he says "I all done", so I take it away, then he says "no, I want it." We go on and on like this at every mealtime. So at dinner tonight, we just ignored him and ate our dinner. Lo and behold, when we were almost all done, he decides to go ahead and eat his food without saying a word. So my analysis is that he is becoming more independent and wants to make decisions for himself. If you ask him, then it was your decision, so he has to say "no". I tell you, it's very complicated to reason with a toddler. I sure hope he grows out of this stage soon.

More than a vacation

We have several relatives and friends who have moved to different areas in Florida and they all love it. We have been to Orlando a few times, but have stayed in Disney World for the most part. One option for regular visitors to the area is to purchase a vacation home there. You will gain equity and can get a management company to rent it out when you aren't occupying it. You could make it even more affordable by getting other family members or friends to chip in and run it like a time share.

If you need a good Orlando Real Estate Agent, why not pick a company that works exclusively with buyers? That's the only way to ensure your agent is working solely with your best interests in mind. Since buyer's agents work only with buyers, you don't have to worry about them always being busy on the weekends running open houses for sellers.

In addition to home searches, the website also includes lots of information about the Orlando area such as demographics and schools. These are all things to consider if you are moving to a new city as your primary residence or just for a vacation home part of the year.

Crescent Condo Compromise

The owners of the Crescent Hotel are still moving forward with plans for condo/hotel units in Glenwood Park. The council maintains that the project must be resubmitted for approval. The owners have offered several compromises to the city, making the project less of an environmental impact.

They will move the condos higher up the hill and closer to the Crescent Hotel, which would eliminate most of the proposed new roads and less trees would have to be removed. They have eliminated one building altogether, and have agreed to less retaining walls and no blasting. There are several other changes to the plan also. Two articles covering the proposal can be read at The Times Echo and The Lovely County Citizen.

Hoppin and bloggin

After several weeks of Blogitive being dead in the water with no available opportunities, they announced upgrades and lots of new opportunities on the way. Well, they were right! Their site is back up and running, with loads of new opps. As evident with the sheer number of posts I have been making in the last few days, I am trying to get back up to speed and catch up on the last few slow weeks with Blogitive and PayPerPost. I'm just a WAHM (work-at-home-mom) trying to stay afloat! It's hard to think of myself as a blog writer, but aside from being a wife and mother, that is my job right now.

Technical Connection

If you are like most families, you have many different technical apparatus in your home that require a multitude of different connectors, adapters, and power cables. Some devices actually perform better with a higher quality adapter. Take this USB Adapter, for example. It is called the "12 in 1 Camera Kit" because it has many different connectors that you can use rather than having 6 different cables bundled up on your desk.



TCA Inc. also accommodates computer data labs with their changing needs. They offer custom lengths as well as thick gauge wire for higher amp and volt ratings. This made-to-order service is rare in the industry and can end up saving your company money since you are not ordering more cable than you need.

Help - Pink eyes!!

As if the ear infections weren't bad enough, now my son has a horrible case of conjunctivitis (aka Pink Eye). He keeps rubbing his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt and as a result they are all puffy and sore. To make matters even worse, he won't let us clean them at all, so they are all full of crusties. So gross. Poor little guy.

We've been trying to put antibiotic eye drops in, but he throws a huge fit and shakes his head so we can't get them in. We managed a couple of times today, so that's good. He is just so miserable and it looks really bad. My daughter had it last week, but only for three days since we were able to use the drops on her. We'll just have to force the eye drops with him, I guess. My neighbor suggested laying warm teabags over his closed eyes. She says that's the only thing that works for her. I tried this morning, but he refused that also. I even tried making it into a "Pirate Eye Patch" game, but he didn't fall for it...

Research and Rate, then date

Ladies, forget dating sites! The website with information you can really use is WomanSavers.com-World's Largest Database Rating Men. Women are encouraged to post about abusive or cheating men and rate them on the database. So if you meet someone and want to do a little background investigation, check out this site to see if he is on there. You could save a lot of wasted time and heartbreak if you found out ahead of time that the guy is a jerk.

In addition to the database, there are other resources to help women such as free medical advice, free women's abuse advice from psychotherapists, an abused women's message board, games, ecards, and cartoons. There are also weekly articles on topics such as avoiding abusive relationships and how to spot a cheating man. Overall, this site has something for women in all stages and paths of life.

Wedding season

Shopping for wedding gifts is fairly easy. The new couple will probably need lots of stuff and will more than likely be registered at a national store so you can shop online painlessly and have the item shipped directly to them. The area that is more difficult for the bride and groom is finding good gifts for your bridesmaids and groomsmen. Now there is a site that has personalized wedding party gifts, plus cheap wedding favors for wedding guests. Personalization with their name or initials on the gift is cherished by your attendants, and it will ensure that they will always remember your special day. Personalization is free on many of the gifts, and only $5-$7 on the other items.

On top of their already low prices on unique gifts and favors, they also have regular weekly specials to get an even greater discount on your order. This site would be great for wedding planners to be aware of, as they could recommend it to their clients. There are many options for wedding favors that are personalized with the date and the happy couple's names.

Reserve groceries

In Mary Hunt's book "Live Your Life for Half the Price", she says there are two types of grocery shopping: needs and reserves. Either people shop for only what they need at the time and buy just enough food to last until the next shopping trip, or they study grocery store circulars and stock up their reserves on items as they come on sale. She is a big promoter of the "reserves" method and says you can end up saving lots of money if you shop this way. The hard part is switching from "needs" shopping to "reserves" shopping. She estimates it will take about 3 months to build up your reserves enough to be able to essentially "shop" from your own pantry when you prepare meals.

With the help of a free site like Coupon Mom, you can look up major grocery store chains to see what is coming up on sale that week. Then you can look up which manufacturer coupons will appear in the Sunday paper, then match the two up for the lowest rock-bottom prices on grocery items. Those are the ones to stock up on. If you can find a store that will double coupons, you will save even more and sometimes even get an item for free!

I am willing to give this a try since I am still having trouble cutting the grocery bill to where I want it to be. The problem is, there are no major grocery store chains near us and I don't like driving to Berryville just to shop at Wal-Mart. But we do have two big local grocery stores that compete weekly for business, so between those two, I should be able to get good deals if I only buy what's on sale and stock up on those items.

VistaPrint review

My husband got his business cards printed through VistaPrint. You can get free business cards there, buy you have to pay shipping and choose from their pre-designed templates. Also, the free ones say "VistaPrint.com" on the back of every business card. Instead, he got a good deal on premium glossy cards that he designed himself. Including shipping, we paid $25 for 500 glossy cards. We compared different online printers and this was the best deal.

It seems like they always have deals going on, so you can get a good deal even on premium printing. The cards were created quickly and mailed to us within one week. We were very satisfied with the finished product and overall I would recommend VistaPrint for your individual or business printing needs.

Freelance marketplace

My husband has been handing out business cards locally and posting them on bulletin boards at the library and grocery store, in the hopes of picking up some Web Design work here in town. There are also online freelance marketplaces that connect service providers with customers. Customers post projects and their budget, then service providers bid on the projects.

Elance has been around for ten years, so they are well known among freelancers. Case in point: there are 76,895 service providers in all categories. This is quite daunting for someone looking for work, but you have to consider that many of these provider's profiles could be out-of-date or no longer active. If you check the site often and make bids for many projects, you will probably get a decent amount of freelance work. This site is not just for web designers, there are projects listed for a wide range of professionals including programmers, designers, writers and business consultants. Project tasks may include business plan writing, legal representation, cold calling, data entry, designing logos, brochures, and corporate identity packages.

Whatever your forte, chances are you can find a project listed at Elance to bid on and make some money.

A formula for happiness

We are plugging away with our affiliate marketing sites and they are becoming more profitable by the month. We received our second commission check and were very pleased. We are still living on savings a bit, but not completely - so we are headed in the right direction!

The other side of the coin is that we are trying as hard as we can to live on less each month. I cover this in detail on my other blog at Blogletting.com. We've been out of debt for about 5 years, but some of our monthly expenses (like the grocery bill) can still be lowered. I am currently reading "Living your Life for Half the Price" by Mary Hunt for inspiration. I read her older book "Debt-Proof Living" a few years ago and it changed my life.

It is a slow process and we just have to be patient. The internet "formula" depends so much on popularity and word-of-mouth, it just takes time before a site can be very profitable. But we are on our way and we are happy.

Open for business

Our fair town is buzzing with activity this week. Most of the businesses that closed for the winter opened back up this week for the season, and the trolleys are running everyday again on their full routes. The weather is warm and their are people outside all around town. I wish the weather was like this all the time, not too cold, but not warm enough for the bugs yet. The amount of tourists is perfect right now too, just enough to keep businesses open, but not so crowded you want to stay away from downtown. I think we will love Eureka in the Spring.

WAHM on a roll

In our endless pursuit of avoiding corporate jobs and making money on the internet at home, we recently came across a site that could help make sense of all the information out there. There are so many work at home resources on the internet today, it is difficult to weed out the scams and get-rich-quick schemes. They are pretty easy to spot, but you still run into them often.

One immediate tip-off is to charge you money to view their lists of online jobs. This work at home site is free to join and all of their services are free. From what I can see, they make their money from advertisements on their page, so they are not depending on members to pay fees. Another great feature of the site is their online forums. What better way to find out about the legitimacy of an online job than to find someone who is already doing it and is willing to answer your questions honestly?

Scream Break

I just read on the local events calendar that Raycliff Manor "Castle Fear" run by Eureka Screams, will be opening their doors for the two spring break weekends (Mar 16-17 and Mar 23-24). This haunted house attraction is usually only open about a month before Halloween, so I think it's great if they can attract a crowd during spring break. The cost is $13 per person, which you can buy online at Eureka Screams.

We've never seen it yet ourselves, because knowing my luck I'd probably end up in their "Tinkle Tally". Yes, you guessed it - they actually keep track on their website when someone wets their pants at the attraction. Based on the results, I think I may be too chicken to ever set foot in Raycliff Manor!

Victorian Classic

This weekend is the 25th annual Victorian Classic race. Friday evening from 4-6pm at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks is the Pre-registration, packet pick up, and wine and cheese social. On Saturday, the 2 mile and 10K runs start at 9:00am at the Best Western Inn, and the 2 mile walk starts at 9:05am. This is a Rotary Club project to benefit ECHO, a free health clinic in Eureka Springs.

Make it personal

My sister-in-law is about to have her first baby in April, so my husband and I will be an aunt and uncle for the first time! They are having a little girl and are registered for gifts at Babies R Us. There are plenty of gifts to choose from in the registry, but we wanted to get them something more personal and special. I found an online store where you can buy baby gifts with over 200 you can personalize for free.

The site is very well organized and easy to navigate. If you aren't real keen on ordering online, you can also phone in your order toll free. In addition to baby items, they carry toddler, sibling, and mother's gifts as well. There are also shower planning invitations, gift sets, favors, and games. Shop at Baby Nest for really cute gifts that are more than useful, they are a beautiful keepsake to cherish forever.

Paci-free-er!

Upon reading that my close friend's 16 month old son has recently given up his pacifier without much of a fuss, I was inspired to try removing my son's pacifier as well. I thought it would be really tough for him because he always needs his pacifier and his teddy bear to fall asleep (or so I thought). So we didn't give it to him for his nap on Saturday and he cried for about twenty minutes, then fell asleep. I was shocked. I figured it was a fluke and he would be up crying all night for sure. Again at bedtime, he cried for longer, but eventually fell asleep without the pacifier. Of course, he still has Teddy. But now that the pacifier is gone, he doesn't seem as attached to the Teddy as he was before. The rest of the weekend went about the same - some crying, but no lost sleep.

I know it's only been a couple of pacifier-free days, but I already notice a difference in the quality and quantity of his speech. He is asking for what he wants more, rather than just whining about it. I'm thankful for this little push in the right direction. It reminds me how we can get stuck in our daily routine and sometimes are afraid to disrupt the flow, but kids are more adaptable than we give them credit for!

Spring for cleaning?

Spring is most definitely here. We are looking forward to weather in the upper 60s all week. I feel like being outside all day, but I also feel like cleaning. Why is that? I never understood the concept of "Spring Cleaning", but it's true that you really feel like cleaning when the weather starts to warm up. Wouldn't it make more sense to clean during the winter when you are stuck in the house anyway? Why do we feel like cleaning when we should be outside working in the yard? It's just one of those weird phenomenons that we will never understand and just have to force ourselves to do the major cleaning in our houses when it is cold outside and we can't go anywhere.

Unlikely coupons

I'm always amazed with the coupon deals I find at Coupon Chief. For example, have you always wanted to join Weight Watchers, but the cost was too much? Well not anymore! Now you can get coupons for Weight Watchers at Coupon Chief. You get over 25% off with a three month plan. But hurry, this deal ends on March 31st. Now is the time to shed that extra winter weight with summer right around the corner!

For the guy in your life, how about coupons for JC Whitney auto parts? You can get 10% off when you spend over $100. Whatever you are shopping for, if you shop online, make Coupon Chief your first stop for great deals.

Buzzards

A few residents of Eureka Springs have a flock of buzzards roosting in their neighborhood, so the city council came up with a rather controversial solution. They decided to shoot sonic cannons to scare the buzzards away. Well, the first time the cannons were used, the buzzards just moved to a different neighborhood. Some other birds got scared away too, along with other small animals. Now, they are talking about sounding the cannons again, even though it didn't work the first time. What??

What do they think will happen this time? What will probably happen is the buzzards won't be scared at all and will just stay put, while all the other birds leave so all we have around here is buzzards. Won't that be nice? Not!!