Queen Bloggerella

More Date Nights on the Horizon

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:41:00 +0000

CJ and I still have like 3 customized gift cards yet to use that we got for Yule last year. We usually use these situations to get a date night for us.

I am so glad my mom lives next door because that makes it easy for her to watch the kids while we go out. As the years pass I am realizing how important it really is for CJ and I to have alone time together.

Looking for Unique Things

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:15:00 +0000

I am always on the look out for sites that showcase unusual gifts and other unique items, regardless if it is the holiday season or not.

Recently, I decided to create a blog to feature my favorite items as well as host contests and giveaways. Check out Cool Gifts and Giveaways and if you are hosting a giveaway, please let me know about it so I can pass it along!

Saving Money

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:53:00 +0000

Guest post written by Derick Burks

Being an only child made me grow up fast but one of the best things is that I learned how to save money from my mom. She was always clipping coupons and seeking out sales and I learned some real tricks of the trade from her and that’s helped me score the best deals.

I love using my WIRELESSINTERNET.NET connection to see what’s going to be on sale where the coming week and then I come up with a plan. Usually use my lunch hours at work to get out and run errands, buying things at a discount that otherwise would be really expensive.

I think it’s cool being able to see the register ring up at so much less than the tag price but you know, at the end of the day I wish I could save more, always. It’s that drive that keeps me playing this game and I can thank my parents for instilling this penny pinching way into me – it’s made me a lot of money over the years!

Working Hard Already This Year

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:48:00 +0000

I am really trying my hardest to make 2012 a wonderfully productive year, financially speaking. I am still writing articles for various companies; in fact I just wrote an interesting one regarding hypertherm - it has to do with plasma cutting - a process used to cut steel and other metals of different thicknesses.

I am also looking to expand my freelance writing business, L&C Freelancing - I want to do more with Internet marketing via social media and seo. I am really committed to making things work much better this year. I have been at this long enough, time to stop spinning my wheels!

Last Minute Items

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:13:00 +0000

The holidays are over but there are still some things we wanted/needed that we did not get. It is mostly m fault, I did not make a list and the kids, well, they change their minds constantly. I really want a pair of adidas f10 trx fg j - high energy/electricity/white size 8 in case anyone reading this feels like sending a pair my way, LOL!

My daughter loves to read in her bed at night before crashing. She uses a flashlight to read, despite having those reading light clips (the ones that attach to books) given to her. She just prefers a flashlight. I found flashlight dozen aluminum "9 led" online, think this is perfect - she will not run out so fast!

For CJ and me, well, we both agreed we wanted stuff for the house. We got a gift card to a home improvement store but we already spent that! We still need new blinds for the living room, a light for the kitchen, and I have been on the look out for a polished brass tension shower rod which seems to be tough to find, that was, until I looked online!

Cheernastics

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:27:00 +0000

I never heard of cheernastics, until Olivia started cheering. Apparently these are the gymnastics used specifically in cheering routines. Well, my lil cheerleader has decoded she wants to take cheernastics so she can do flips and rolls during the competition routine next year.

So, her dad signed her up and on January 30th she starts cheernastis. Every time we drive by the steel building where she will be going for lessons, she gets all excited. The countdown has begun!

Tip for New Bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:52:00 +0000

A friend of mine recently started blogging and asked me to take a look at her blog. She was new to the game and wanted me to tell her what she was doing right and what she was doing wrong. Since I manage a blog about blogging, I felt I should take a look. I have decided to share a few things with you that I felt she could improve on.

As a whole, she did an excellent job. She stuck to topics that she knew and understood so she was able to come across to readers as authoritative. This is very important when blogging. Blog readers are smart and can all the BS flag right away if they see you don’t know what you are talking about. If you plan to blog, blog about something you know. If you’ve never watched an NFL game, I’d stay away from blogging about Football.

One thing I did notice is that when she wanted to link to a website, she linked to the actual URL, however, the best way to link to a site is to use a keyword. This not only prevents the post from looking cluttered, it helps the website that you are linking to, provided your blog has page rank. As an example; the term or keyphrase medical malpractice insurance california when hovered over, you will see it is a hyperlink that takes you directly to the website I am talking about.

When indexed, the keyword and the link will help the website you write about. This is called a "backlink" and is very important for beginner bloggers.

How Was Your Holiday?

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:05:00 +0000

We had a good holiday - lots of food, fun, and presents. Even got some funny pictures of my crazy family, like this one. It would be complete if only they were all wearing funny shirts too; Olivia 'photo bombed' this picture:

No plans yet for New years Eve. We will probably just stay home this year, just like the few years before.

Thinking About Insurance Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:40:00 +0000

Working as an independent contractor definitely has it's perks but thee are also some aspects that are problem areas - such as insurance.
I know of some people who are looking into term life insurance vs whole life insurance. Most have told me to just compare the best life insurance online instead of calling around.
If you are working as an independent contractor, what do you do for insurance?

Small Business

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:15:00 +0000

Posted by Arden Wallace

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the economy. The ups and downs of the stock market, companies downsizing, people losing their jobs and homes and ways that I could secure my own finances. After a lot of researching and soul-searching, I’ve finally decided to start my own business. I’ve had a lifelong dream of running my own business and with the real estate market at an all-time low, there’s never been a better time to buy and building and start out on my own.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m still working my regular job so that i can pay my bills until this new business takes off, but I’m extremely excited about starting out on my own. No more boss to tell me what to do and when to do it. It is all up to me now. With that said I found a nice little house near one of the major shopping districts in my area and am currently in the process of converting it into my store. After having the outside of the house cleaned, I had planned on knocking out walls and renovating the inside.

However, under the advisement of a friend, I started looking at ADT Security BENEFITS to not only monitor the business once it’s open, but also to monitor the property while it is under renovation. I was truly shocked at the number of commercial burglaries in my area where the thief’s and solely targeting the copper wiring from inside buildings. I’ve got a business to run; I don’t have time to worry about someone stealing all of my wiring.

Looking for a Good Pair of Coveralls

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:43:00 +0000

With Winter on it's way I have been on the hunt for a pair of coveralls as well as a pair of boots. I found a few sites that have carhartt coveralls; in fact, I really like this:

The weather forecast shows that snow is to arrive sometime this week. I haven't even gotten snow pants and boots for the kids yet! You would think I would be prepared, the first week of December is coming to an end already!

Sickness While Traveling

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:35:00 +0000

With the holidays approaching, I am sue many people are planning on traveling. Please keep in mind, you need a plan should you need medical help while away from home. This way, you can be sure you will get to the best medical facility - one that you want, not whichever place is closest to where you are.

Traveling these days is scary enough; traveling without a plan for the best case scenario as well as the worst is just plain dumb.

Shopping Time is Soon

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:56:00 +0000

Soon Thanksgiving will be here! UGH, I really do not like this time of year. It is just too chaotic. The kids' school usually has a 'Santa Shop' with great gifts for parents and siblings or other family members but every year we seem to miss out on taking the kids.

This year I think we will try to make a conscience effort to get them there so they can shop!

Back Issues

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:51:00 +0000

I think it's time for a new mattress - possibly a foam mattress since I have heard a lot about them. I know getting back on the treadmill will help me lose some extra pounds AND make me feel better but I also think the right mattress will help as well. A combination of both should do the trick.

Once CJ goes back to work outside the home, I'll get back into my workout routine.

A New Job Venture

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:40:00 +0000

CJ and I both work from home as freelance writers. I've been doing this about 6 years, him, only a year. We had a really good run this last year BUT we decided that it is just too unpredictable. Yes, we always knew it would be, but not knowing what your income will be from week to week or month to month is just too draining, emotionally.

I started looking online for jobs in the medical field and found some interesting Psychiatric Aide Jobs posted. CJ hit up a staffing agency to see where he could be placed and his years of machining experience landed him a spot as a machine operator for C.F. Martin Guitars! Needless to say, he will be the one going back out into the work force and I'll continue to work from home. WHEW :)

Halloween Party

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:28:00 +0000

The kids really want to have a Halloween party and invite their friends. I found invitations here: invitationbox.com halloween party invitations but I am the world's worst procrastinator. Why? Well, it is already October 21st - like I can plan and pull off a party in a week! NOT!

I think this year we are just going to go trick or treating and maybe to a corn maze. Something simple. Next year I will think about having a party...

Cars and Bikes

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:27:00 +0000

Well, CJ is almost finished with his schooling - once he is done he will be a certified motorcycle technician. He loves his bike.

He had a Mustang he loved but I guess he loves the bike more because he doesn't have the Mustang anymore, LOL. He used to love working on the Mustang though, always dong something to it to modify it a bit. He had a huge automobile lift in the garage and now that it is gone, the garage looks so bare with only that motorcycle sitting in it.

Thank You For All Your Help Mom.

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:26:00 +0000

The other day I decided to send my mother flowers just because she has been such a big help lately with taking care of the children and helping us out while we need it.

It has been a while since I purchased flowers but I was astounded at the modern flower designs and arrangements available. I was used to the old “bouquet wrapped in paper” but the design I picked out was unlike anything that I’ve ever seen. My mom was very happy with them and suggested that I keep them coming!

Back From Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:47:00 +0000

We sure spent our share of money wile on vacation in Walt Disney World! We stayed at Bay Lake Tower and at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. We had never stayed there before. This was the view from our room:

Now I need to go into save mode. I have been thinking about holiday shopping too; how to save money and buy presents for the holidays...not an easy task. I did find really awesome dell home coupons at dropdowndeals and I know a few people who would love technology related gifts.

Have you started shopping yet for the holidays?

Fire Damage Clean Up

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:46:00 +0000

Remember those horrible fires in Texas last month? I have a friend who lives near Austin, Texas and he said it is really bad--just the smoke in the area. He had to find a company to help get rid of the smoke damage in his office. The smell was really horrible in the rugs and carpets.

Being the Internet geek that I am, I told him to Google "fire and smoke damage clean up austin" to find a local company that could handle the job. Of course that worked and he found a reputable company and contacted them for help.

I recently asked him how things went and what he thought about the services and he said he was pleased with the services he received. So, if you're in that area and need the services he did, check them out. Here is a quick link: http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-restoration-services/smoke-fire.shtml

I am so grateful we have never had a fire or that there has never been a fire near us so we never had to deal with this nightmare. Fire is such a scary element.

Keeping The New Girl in my DVR Lineup

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:53:00 +0000

Guest post written by Stephanie Molton

In my apartment my roommates and I have a very strict rule that after we watch something, we have to delete it from the DVR lineup. But I think that there is one exception to this rule for our apartment out of all the new fall shows this season. And that is Zooey Deschanel's show The New Girl. My roommates and I were anticipating the show every since we first heard about it and we all love it as much as we thought that we would.

Right after they put the show on iTunes for free, all kinds of reviews popped up on the Internet about it. While I was searching through all kinds of them, I ran across a clear 4g review and showed it to my roommates, then we switched our internet service over to it.

We're all really loving the show. I've already watched the first episode twice. Besides, I think that show is something that would be perfect to watch on a rainy day. Plus, it helps to have something cheerful and funny on my DVR to watch after coming home from a bad day at work.

My Little Jewelry Maker

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:32:00 +0000

My daughter made this necklace for me. My ex-husband, Jeff (her father) helped her make it.

She loves making jewelry; she has already made me two pairs of earrings since making the necklace. She wants jewelry making tools for Yule. She is 8 years old and from seeing what she has already made, I think she may be old enough to get just what she wants!

Listening to Music While I Work

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:17:00 +0000

I usually have something on while I work--the tv or music. A little while back I came across cdbaby.com and found a friend of mine on there! KO - (Kevin O'Connor) he is a seasoned and introspective guitar and vocal artist who has been performing and recording his original music in the New York area for 25 years.

I listened to clips of his latest recording here on his website: Soulful Sounds and enjoyed what I heard. If you want some relaxing music to have on while going about your day, definitely check him out. If you like what you hear, you can buy his latest collection of songs on cdbaby - 175 Cherry Lane from KO

Boot Trends for Autumn

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:55:00 +0000

It is already really chilly in the mornings here now and it is getting dark out earlier and earlier. Once we get back from Florida I am going to have to sort through my winter clothes and figure out what I need.

I know I will need to buy new shoes and boots. I've already been looking online hoping to find cheap womens boots that are stylish. During my online search, I learned what the latest boot trends for this Autumn are. It seems ankle boots are a big hit this season. I found this pair and I love them! Zip-up ankle boots with a buckle on the outside. They have that biker chick edge to them and I think that is cool!

Then I found this pair; ankle boots with straps and buckles. I just love the buckles on boots.

The style I usually wear is something close to these lace-up ankle boots.

Although I am loving the ankle boots, I think I might need something to go with a skirt--not that I dress up often, but I would still like to have a pair of boots for the times I feel like wearing a skirt or a dress. I kind of like these but there is no way I can wear heels :(

Hmmmm, maybe I will just ditch the skirt and dress wearing and get this pair to go with my jeans. Of course, there are buckles on these! No matter which (or all) I choose, I know I am going to get them online because I have always found the best deals when shopping online.

Sweet Looking Wedding Band

noreply@blogger.com (Blogging Queen) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:25:00 +0000

A friend of mine is getting married this coming spring and well, with CJ and I talking about marriage to (just TALKING about it!), she and I share wedding planning ideas.

Her husband looked at triton wedding bands and picked this one out:

Pretty sweet looking, isn't it? She is giving me wedding band ideas and I am giving her ideas on places to go that have excellent wedding and spa services since of course she wants to be pampered on her big day!