Ups and downs

My husband is an independent computer guru, handling both the software side of things (web design, logos, programming) and the hardware side of things (trouble shooting computer problems, setting up systems, server issues, etc). I help by handling some of the financial stuff, like keeping the books and paying the taxes. Business in the computer world is in a constant state of flux, where months are either really busy or really slow. We are currently in a state of "up" and it is hard to keep our schedules straight, while still finding time to spend with our kids.

This kind of schedule stress is still much easier to handle than the "big corporate world" kind. I am so fortunate to have my husband around most days and I wouldn't trade our current situation, even if it meant more money. Sure, he could do an online IT job search and find companies willing to pay top dollar for his knowledge. We have been there already and we prefer to be more in control of our work lives. Of course, corporate jobs are always part of "plan B" if business gets really slow for too long, but things have a way of working themselves out, and we haven't had to go down that road for almost three years so far.

Shameless plugs

Those in the know are aware that my husband is a web designer and has been plugging away in order to avoid a meaningless corporate slave job. So of course, when he launches new websites, I feel I must help promote in any small way I can. So if anyone wants to see some beautiful pictures of our lovely little town, please check out the new Eureka Springs Pictures site. Even if you live here and think you have seen everything, there are some interesting perspectives in the photos all taken by my husband who is an accomplished photographer as well.

The other new site is for local companies who want to promote their businesses in a new and exciting way. Eureka Bucks allows users to create their own coupons or weekly specials to share with customers. They create a log-in and can change or update their coupons whenever they want. Take control of your advertising and get exactly what you want! Potential customers can even request bargains on the unique Make a Deal page. It's like Priceline.com on a local level.

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.