Trying again

Okay now that I'm more settled in my new home, I am going to try writing this on a more regular basis. It's hard to stay motivated... It's funny -motivation is my specialty but I cannot seem to motivate myself on a daily basis. Perhaps, I should skip the motivational slogans

and try something more realistic, something that will keep me grounded when I am demotivated!

If nothing else, I cannot feel any worse when I face challenges.

It's been a while...

Well it's been almost 2 months since my last post. Must be a blogging record or something? The truth is - I'm in need of some feedback to know if this blog should keep going or not...To my fellow readers, I ask you to let me know via comments:

1) Should I keep this blog going?

2) If so, what would you like me to find?

Thanks for your help!

Is that candy really worth it??

Before stocking up on candy this Halloween, you should know that chocolate-maker Mars Inc.—creator of M&M's, Snickers, and other candies—continues to fund deadly animal tests despite the fact that the tests are not required by law and more reliable human studies could be used instead. For more info and to take action, check out Peta's website.

Learn to dance

If you've always wanted to learn some new dance moves but didn't feel comfortable stepping into a studio, you now can with the easy click of your mouse and this incredible site. You will amaze your friends when you groove to irish, salsa, hip hop, and more!

Msn radio is the best!

Since I now have my own office, I need some music to keep me company during the quiet work day. How I love thee --msnradio. Not only is it free but it allows me to create my own stations based on my favorite artists. So I can listen to a collection of songs all day long similar in style to joss stone, bon jovi, or john mayer. This is too good to be true!

Moving and moving with pets

Well now that I am in a new city with a new job, it's harder to maintain this blog. The next month/so might be hectic because of a trip to Hawaii and an official move from Chicago but I'll do my best to post every week/so. If the offer still stands, I might take my online guru of a friend's offer to act as a guest blogger.

Since I'm totally obsessed with moving, I cannot help but offer more tips on moving. If you're moving with your pets, you might want to invest in a soft sherpa carrier. They are even airline approved if you want to take your pet in the sky! To save money, you might want to buy the bag at a pet shop rather than online at the sherpa website.

Measure just how much I hog the bed!

I admit that I am the one in the family that hogs the bed. My husband is constantly complaining that he's pushed over the edge of the bed every night. Every night, I start out sleeping on my side & somehow I end up on his pillow by morning. I just want to show him I love him! Right....
Hopefully, he doesn't see these cool bedsheets that are printed with a ruler. If he does, I'm in trouble!

Moving scams

How do you choose a reliable mover? It's tough trusting a stranger with your personal property! My co-worker who is also moving in a couple of weeks directed me to this fabulous website that not only tells you how to choose a mover but also gives you a list of companies to avoid. If you're so inclined, you can even chat with other movers on the site's message board. Happy moving!

If you're relocating or just want to check out a city

As everyone knows, I am moving in a couple of weeks. To learn more about my new city, I checked out city data forum. If you're moving or just want to learn about what other people are saying about your city, I highly recommend this site! It's very addictive!!

Sell your car easily?

I have to sell my car but I know nothing about how to sell a car. I did look up the value of the car and was surprised by what it said. My husband thinks I'll be lucky to get $1000 for my 1999 Toyota. He's probably right! I've thought about placing an ad in the paper, selling it on e-bay, or craigslist. Then I discovered carmax. They appraise your car & then cut you a check. You can even purchase a new or used car with them or keep the money. It sounds so easy! I am sure I could spend hrs talking to people about the best possible way to get rid of my car but I don't have the time or energy for that.

Do you really know your neighbors?

Sometimes you just need to find out more information about your neighbors. You might be able to witness their eccentricies from your window spot. Maybe you even enjoy watching them dance in their bathrobe! Well now you can find out EVEN more information about your neighbors. If nothing else, you'll get a good laugh from seeing the grammar mistakes!

Zicam to the rescue

I hate getting sick in the summertime! At least in the winter, everyone else is sick and you are already miserable because of the cold weather. Although I have an annoying cold today, I made sure to swab with Zicam! I swear by this awesome product --it really does shorten the duration of your cold!

For stainless steel and more!

For a while now, my husband has become increasingly frustrated that I keep scorching our stainless steel cookware. He realizes it's not purposeful but would like something better than the everday sponge he uses to clean the dishes. These little scrubbers are magic! Not only do they clean stainless steel, they also get rid of impossible stains on the oven burners! For only 53 cents, how can you not purchase one?

Opting out

After being burglarized, my husband and I are taking extra steps to protect ourselves. One thing we immediately did was to opt out of prescreened credit card offers. You can either register online or call the toll free number to remove yourself from the list for 5 years. I am looking forward to the day when we don't receive any credit credit offers in the mail!

Toys made in the USA

With all of the toy recalls lately, I am more and more motivated to buy toys made in the USA. I am sure my nephew when he's 3 years old would love this toy helicopter! If not, maybe I could give it to my husband?

Mega deals on mega bus

For those of you who enjoy a long bus ride, mega bus is the way to travel. You can travel REALLY cheaply to a bunch of cities. For example, if I were traveling from Chicago to Minneapolis in a couple of weeks, I would just pay $50 round trip. Not a bad deal!

Foods that help you relax & sleep

Lately, I haven't been sleeping well. I imagine it's because I have a lot on my mind and it's been really hot in our apartment. I have tried drinking warm milk before bedtime but that doesn't seem to work for me. I also avoid most forms of caffeine, except the occasional chai or chocolate.
To combat this problem, I've been reading about foods that help you relax and fall asleep. I am not sure of the scientific legitimacy of these claims but if you like these foods & need to relax, you might as well try them. Next time I'm trying to fall asleep or feeling the need to relax, I'll have to munch on some celery!

If you like to eat

Check out this site to chat about food, watch videos about food, read stories about food, and find new recipes. If you're getting bored with your summer cooking, check out this article.

Free 411??

Paying for directory assistance is the pits, especially when you could have that information for free in your local yellow pages. Thanks to Free411, now you don't have to pay for any phone number you need. There are no gimmicks! You might have to listen to some advertisers throughout your call but isn't it worth it??

Get your oats on!

We all know that oats provide great health benefits! Some of you might not know that oats are great for your skin too. My face has been screaming for a nice facial. I have plenty of honey and oats in my cupboard--I might just have to try this spa index honey oatmeal facial. Sounds yummy!

Eat more garlic

Aside from warding off vampires, garlic is every cook’s staple. You can press it, chop it, mash it, and more! Garlic is also good for you and may be instrumental in preventing various cancers. Some people even believe that garlic acts as a natural mosquito repellant, treats cold and flu symptoms, and manages high cholesterol. Don’t forget your daily dose of garlic today!

The Power of Baking Soda

There are so many great uses for baking soda! Aside from baking, you can use it to whiten your teeth, clean fruits and vegetables, and even repel rain from your windshield. In fact, there are at least 48 different uses for baking soda.

The power of household products and foods

For the next week/so or until I run out of ideas and motivation, I'm going to focus on the multiple ways you can use everyday products such as baking soda, garlic, oatmeal. I read a book this weekend, which inspired me to look up more information about how you could use foods and products for multiple purposes.

Bye Bye Goo

Get rid of sticky residue forever!
Get rid of gum on your shoe!

To get rid of sticky messes and more, try goo gone. You will be amazed by how effective this product is!

Buy stuff from artists on etsy!

Last week, my friend told me that I had to include etsy on my blog. I couldn't agree more! This crafty site allows you to buy great handmade stuff, including this fun bag!

Keeping all those take out menus organized

Like I've said before, it's difficult to stay organized. Although I try, I am always struggling to remain organized. Like most people, I have a million take out menus thrown together in a folder. After seeing these cute take out menu boxes at a store, I had to find them online. I have never seen anything like this before. I must have one!

More about on line photo editing

Check out this interesting article about online photo editing. The author mentions a bunch of online sites including Snapfish, Shutterfly, PixVillage. Personally, I like snipshot to edit photos and kodakgallery to share & purchase photos. Here's some more info about snipshot from the article:

This website allows you to upload images from your computer and edit them. Or you can enter the Web address of any photo stored online and get a copy with which to work. Snipshot uses nondestructive editing - the original image that is taken from your computer or the Web remains untouched. The site also keeps a copy of the uploaded image for 24 hours before discarding it.

Snipshot --love the name and the site!

This is a great site for editing pictures. It's so much easier to use than Adobe. Plus with a name like snipshot, how could you go wrong??

Choosing skin care and beauty products

With so many beauty products on the market, I am sometimes lost in a sea of choices! As a researcher, I appreciate research that helps people make decisions. One strategy for finding beauty products is to ask my friends with flawless skin about their products. Not very scientific but thankfully it led me to Paula’s Choice. In addition to research-based reviews of products, you can also purchase great products for yourself. Trust me, the sunscreen is the best I’ve ever tried! The packaging is pretty basic so it keeps costs fairly reasonable. For a comparison site and more tips, check out this site as well.

Check the latest financial rates

With online banking, it’s very easy to check my bank statements on a regular basis. When my husband and I opened our accounts, we chose our bank because of the high interest rates (i.e., around 4 or 5%). Since that time, the interest rates have fallen to less than 1% on checking and less than 3% on savings! Thankfully, bankrate can help me find a new bank, hopefully with better interest rates. This helpful site also provides financial information about auto loans, mortgage rates, credit cards, and more. With all this money I’m going to save and earn, now I can no longer feel guilty about after work shopping trips!

Bloglines vs. Google Reader

After seeing my posting about blog lines, my friend informed me that she liked google reader more. Now I am curious --which site do you use to organize your blogs? Are there other helpful sites that you use to keep track of web info?

A week of shopping!

Thanks to these great tips, I can plan my shopping and entertainment schedule to match the best daily deals available:

Monday: Buy new car

Tuesday: Go out to dinner

Wednesday: Go to the movies and buy airline tickets

Thursday: Buy gas for car, clothing, and books

Friday: Day of shopping rest

Saturday: Buy necessities at department stores (aka more clothes!)

Sunday: Buy groceries (which I typically do) and book hotel rooms

Keeping all those blogs organized

I hate feeling disorganized. Maybe it’s the Virgo in me or maybe it’s because my family is extremely disorganized. Unfortunately, since my husband and I are hoping to buy a house soon, some of my stuff remains packed away so I never feel things are quite in order. That’s pretty bad for a Virgo! Thankfully I figured out a way to organize my Internet life with blog lines. This great site keeps my favorite blogs organized on one site. I can also add as many blogs as I want. They will even recommend blogs for me based on my subscriptions! Thank you to blog lines for helping me fulfill my organizational needs!

Of the month clubs

Nowadays you can order anything you want for "of the month club." Beer, bread, wine, jewelry, tea and coffee, cheese, books --you name it. The options typically range 3 months to a year. Check out the gadget of the month club for new fun kitchen gadgets! These are great gift ideas for people who love surprises (aka ME!) but also to treat yourself. My coworker thought it would be fun to order a pie of the month for her friend. She mistakenly sent the pies to her address so now she's stuck with fresh baked pies every month. Hmm...I bet there's an ice cream of the month club!

I scream for Ice Cream

I love ice cream! You cannot beat Ritter’s frozen custard. There’s nothing like a cool vanilla custard with warm hot fudge in a waffle bowl. Ever since moving from Indiana, I long for my Ritter’s! I guess I could recreate the experience by making vanilla custard and hot fudge in a store bought waffle bowl. Maybe I should just try something new like this layered ice cream cake I saw in my mother in law’s magazine. Pure bliss!

Epazote what??

Last night, my sister and I took a Mexican cooking class. We made some wonderful corn guacamole, an interesting poblano, spinach, and black bean lasagna with goat cheese, a flavorful chicken pilbil, and a decadent chocolate mousse. The most interesting thing I learned in the class was that people often use the herb, epazote, in recipes with black beans to ward off the evil effects aka gas. Perhaps, I'm the only one who didn't know this but it's helpful nonetheless!

Cherry Pitting

I am back from the Traverse Cherry Festival with a LOT of cherries! I could eat cherries morning, day, and night. In fact, that’s what I’ve been doing for the past couple of days. Unfortunately cherries don’t stay fresh for very long and after you freeze them, they don’t taste quite the same. If you are in need of cherry pie or cherry cobbler, don’t forget to purchase a cherry pitter. Unfortunately my fingers are still stained from all of the cherries I pitted this weekend!

Traverse City Cherry Festival

Summer festivals are the best! This weekend, my husband and I are traveling to the Traverse City Cherry Festival. This festival is located in beautiful Traverse City, MI, a great lakeside community with wineries, beaches, quaint shops. There's nothing like driving to Traverse City and seeing all of the beautiful cherry trees in July. The festival is a perfect time to sample everything and anything cherry!

Must Have Outdoor Games

Sometimes parties are really boring. We've all been to the party where everyone sits around and talks for a really long time about pretty much nothing. We eat, talk, and eat some more. How exciting. To avoid party boredom, show your guests a good time with some fun outdoor games. No one is going to pass up a game of bocce, croquet, badminton, or even horseshoes. If you're having a late night party, try a glow in the dark bocce ball set. Your guests will love it!

Fun Party Lights

No party is complete without fun party lights. I never thought about chili pepper lights until I first saw them at a friend’s house a couple of years ago.

Free Dunkin Donuts on Mondays in July

I'm not a big donut fan. I admit that I like the little munchkins a lot more than the large sugary donut. It's all about variety with 4 little munchkins instead of 1 same flavored donut! Either way, I am fine with having a donut every once in a while especially if it's free. That's right! Free donut every Monday at Dunkin Donuts in July. Yesterday, I seriously thought about grabbing a donut on my way home at the train station in addition to the donut I had already had that morning at the Dunkin Donuts across the street from my office. Now that would be a great way to begin and end the Monday workday!

Serving Great Food

Sometimes the most difficult part of a holiday party is serving all of your delicious creations. You can never have enough serving trays. Actually, if you do, please give me one since I never seem to have enough! Otherwise, I might have to sneak this great bamboo set (includes cutting board) into my house. This set would complement our bamboo place mats really well!

Trying something new for the holiday

Sometimes it’s easy to stick with the same tried and true recipes, especially for holidays. How many times have you had the same version of deviled eggs or classic potato salad? Sure, some people like these tried and true recipes. Some people like to experiment with the classics and add some new ingredients to deviled eggs and transform them into crab deviled eggs.

It’s fine to keep the classics, but if you’re bored with them, it’s fun to try something different. So, this year as you celebrate July 4, instead of the traditional July 4 flag cake, why not try something completely different such as a Black Forest Cheesecake Parfait or an Apple Pie à la Mode Parfait? I am sure your guests will appreciate your sense of adventure!

Picnic Essentials

I am going to share 1 of my biggest secrets....I hardly ever buy gifts from wedding registries. Sometimes if I don't know the couple very well or there's an interesting collection of items, I'll make an exception. Most of the time I stick with a picnic backpack. This is the best gift for any couple who enjoys al fresco dining. There are some high end packs out there but I have found some great deals in the past couple of years. Last year, I bought a reasonably priced pack & included with my gift --a bottle of wine and chocolates. Picnic world offers the best selection of packs and other picnic accessories. Now that I've told you my secret, you can expect a picnic backpack similar to this one from me!

Theme oriented weeks

Since it's more fun to think about about life and finds in themes, I have decided to devote a couple of weeks to themes. With the 4th of July rapidly approaching and beautiful weather, it's a perfect week to share some finds related to holidays & the great outdoors. I have some other "theme weeks" planned but let me know if something in particular interests you.

Shop at NY and Company

I love to shop. My mom and I must share some special clothing gene since we share the same thrill of a new purchase. For me, sometimes it's the thrill of the purchase, the "find" rather than the item itself. I know that sounds weird. If you're a loyal customer at NY and Company (i.e., GET on their e-mail list and join their new rewards program), it's easy to save LOTS of money on great clothes. From now until July 1, they are offering $30 off a $75 purchase in addition to 30%-70% off savings in the store. Plus with their new online site, you can always shop virtually! Keep in mind that the online stores do not always have the same selection or prices.

Free bread only if you live in Chicago

I love fresh bread. There's nothing better than ripping the middle of a warm, freshly baked bread. Sometimes I send my husband on last minute trips to Whole Foods for a baguette to complete our dinner. Even better than fresh bread is FREE bread. For a limited time, Panera is offering some special free promotion to Chicago residents. Get it while you can. I'll probably see you there!

Last minute airline deals

My coworker came to me in a panic yesterday. She needed an airline ticket for her son visiting Chicago next week. He's a Marine on base near Palm Springs, CA. The big catch -he couldn't leave until the evening of July 2 and had to return early evening on July5. After searching expedia, travelocity, hotwire, and site59, I was in a little bit of panic! Finally, we found something fairly reasonable on good ole Southwest. After a calm lull in the office, she found out that she had to change the tickets since her son couldn't get from his base to Los Angeles in time for his flight. Unfortunately, Southwest didn't have anything later. Thankfully, she was able to cancel her Southwest flight for a later flight on US Airways. It's funny how sometimes airlines offer better deals than the 1 stop airline sites.

Anyone else have similar experiences?

Dear Let Me Find It

Dear Let Me Find It,

I would like to adopt a cat but I live in a small 1 bedroom condo. I am not sure I have room for the litter box. What should I do?

Thanks,

M

Dear M,

Cats are the best companions! It’s very easy to transform your small condo into a cat friendly place. Your cat will love the idea of this special plant for his/her private business. Plus you get an extra plant to brighten up your place.

Have fun with your cat!

Let me find it aka Lisa

No cancellation fees!

Don't you hate it when you have to pay a cancellation fee for a hotel you booked 6 months ago and later realized you booked the wrong day? Or you decided you would rather just stay home?

Either way, hotels.com allows you to book your dream vacation hotel without any cancellation fees!! Since I always seem to change my travel plans at the last minute, I love the flexibility.

Making a difference

Sometimes I feel like I need to do more in my life....To support a cause greater than my self. In the daily grind, it's easy to forgot about others who are less fortunate. That's why I love websites such as the Animal Rescue Site, the Breast Cancer Site, the Hunger Site, the Literacy Site, the Child Health Site, and the Rainforest Site. With all of the time I spend on the Internet, it's easy to click on the causes of the sites. Thanks to advertisers, all you need to do is click and you'll feed animals, give free mammograms, fund health care for kids, etc...Now that's an easy way to make a difference!

Taking care of your financial business

I recently attended a session on "women and investing." The speaker talked a lot about planning for retirement. Unfortunately, my burning questions were never answered: How much money should my husband and I be saving? What's a good amount after all expenses and luxuries? I still don't know the answer to this question, but at least I can pretend by inputing all of my personal information into a personalized budget. I still don't know how much I should save each month, but at least I know how much I am spending!

Lemonade in the summer!

I love lemonade in the summertime. Every night after work, I would love to drink a glass of cool lemonade on my front porch swing. I still need to find that perfect house with the perfect porch swing, but I can drink lemonade anywhere. Maybe if I had this lemon squeezer, I would be more motivated to make fresh lemonade every night and find the perfect house for my cool refreshment!

Great dining deals!

For months now, I have been trying to convince my coworker to try this site for great restaurant deals. Every couple of weeks, I ask her if she's checked it out. I tempt her with 50-60% off coupons for her favorite places. It's really simple -all she needs to do is purchase a certificate at a discounted price for any place she chooses and use it as a coupon. Once she signs up, an added perk is that she'll receive special deals throughout the year (e.g., gift certificates for flowers, etc...). Oh did I mention that if she signs up with my referral, I'll receive a $10 gift certificate. Now that's a great dining deal!

Spice up your life

I love to cook & experiment with different flavors. I feel like I can travel the world with my diverse collection of spices. There's nothing better than randomly picking spices and turning a tasteless dish into a culinary masterpiece! Maybe today I'll travel to Asia, Greece or even the Middle East!

This great spice shop offers a great selection of sizes and prices --perfect for everyone's budget and tasting preference!

Travelzoo

I am always looking for a good deal. Ask anybody who knows me. Travel bargains make me really happy! That's why, when I receive my weekly travelzoo's updates, I am a happy gal. Who knew that an upscale trip to St. Thomas would only cost $479. Now that's a bargain! If you're in serious need of an immediate travel bargain, check out travelzoo's deal search.

Climbing cats

Sometimes my cat tells me with different meows that she wants to climb high as possible in my apartment. Jumping on top of the coffee table is not enough to satisfy her climbing needs. Recently, I found out about these climbing trees. They are not only tall enough to satisfy every cat's climbing urges but some even have nooks and cranies for your cat's hiding needs!

Library Thing

Friends are always asking me for book suggestions since they know I read a lot. Unfortunately I can never remember the titles or the authors of books I’ve read. Usually the 1^st thing that pops in my head is a vague “It’s about a girl living on a farm.” I tried to follow my grandma’s approach of keeping meticulous notes on every book I’ve read. But I am not as skilled as my grandma since I have ended up with slips of paper scattered in different rooms throughout my house.

Thank goodness for library thing. I can keep track of books I’ve read and suggest books to friends with their quick and easy book suggester. Best of all it’s free for the first 200 entries and $25 for a lifetime membership.

Today's Baby Gift Find

Lately, I have baby gifts on the brain since my sister is expecting her first in late August. Being the perfectionist that I am, I must find the perfect gift. I must impress everyone at the baby shower with the million dollar gift! Okay maybe I need to be realistic about this whole thing and find one special gift that fits my budget. How about a boo boo bear? These cute bears are perfect for soothing your baby's boo boos. I might even have to buy 1 for my husband!