Community Connection- Let's Review!

Salute to Moms! Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T13:25:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all our fantastic Moms at Viewpoints!

We have so many, it's impossible to list them all!

Read Happy Mother's Day wishes on the message boards
Meet many of our Moms on the Guest Bo ok
Find more Moms tweeting around at our ViewpointsinTwitterville Twibe

For any Moms who may need sitting help, we have completely FREE annual memberships to Sittercity.com ($100 value!!!) Please email me at meredith@viewpoints.com if you're interested. Find more details about Sittercity and the offer here.

Cheers to Moms!!!

Meredith

GrandmawsOpinion gets your attention!

2009-04-20T16:32:00.004-04:00

GrandmawsOpinion comes to us from the lovely state of North Carolina... residing in one of the most beautiful places on the planet (okay, I'm biased but it's true!) She's one hip granny who loves anything from juggling and Jack Daniels to horseback riding, cattle wrangling and garden growing! Sounds like a gen-yew-wine Southern belle, huh?! On top of all that goodness... she's also a published author. Read more about her first book, A Hot Dog Stand in the Himalayas. You can even buy it on Amazon.

Check out her very funny blog, view her gorgeous photos and read her advice. Stop by to say hello!

We're feeling pretty fortunate to find this GrandmawsOpinion here at Viewpoints!

Bayoubengal & Chicken Soup for the Soul

2009-04-06T16:42:00.004-04:00

BayouBengal has been published in the March 10th release of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins & More!

Read her blog for more.

Also, visit the official web site of Chicken Soup for the Soul to find more details on how to buy this book!

Congrats to BayouBengal!

Congrats to SpokaneMan on becoming a new Daddy!

2009-04-01T11:39:00.002-04:00

SpokaneMan and his lovely wife welcome their new baby girl this week. Isn't she a cutey?!

Our warmest wishes to him and his growing family!

The 411: Update on Viewpoints and Sears

2009-03-26T18:37:00.001-04:00

As you may recall, Viewpoints and Sears have been partners for over a year. As part of the partnership, Viewpoints and Sears have shared our "site". Each group had a different entry and different view, but the bones were essentially the same.

In order to help each site grow and retain its own personality, we have recently decided to divide up the sites. Sears will continue to be a partner of Viewpoints, but Viewpoints will help run and operate a completely separate site for them!

So, how does this change impact you? Because we'll no longer be sharing communities your sk-YOU friendships will be impacted. You will see their photos and historical information, but they will no longer be part of the community. That means that you cannot message them through the site, get comments from them, read their new reviews, etc. But, you can still connect with them! You will see their profile and be able to find them on the MySears website.

When is this all happening? The changes will then take effect on March 28th. To make the technical changes, the site will be down for several hours in the middle of the night! So, if you want to reach out to any of your dear friends from sk-YOU, please do so today or tomorrow.

Feel free to email any questions to me: meredith@viewpoints.com.

We appreciate your understanding and support!

DiBellezza bedazzles!

2009-03-20T14:03:00.005-04:00

Meet Anna, aka DiBellezza. She's a Sunshine State transplant from the Midwest who is loving Orlando (but as for the theme parks... not so much.) She's a proud wife of a U.S. Soldier who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. We're very happy for his safe return and thankful to his service and Anna's too. It takes a lot of courage and strength to be a military family.

DiBellezza is a self proclaimed bargain hunter who loves beauty products. Find her take on e.l.f. makeup at her latest blog post. Check out photos and meet her VP friends. This feels like "...the beginning of a beautiful friendship" and we can't wait to read more from Anna.

Click here to stop by her profile page to say hello!

AlabasterBeauty brings the beauty bling!

2009-03-10T11:08:00.002-04:00

Meet Julie, aka AlabasterBeauty! We're pretty sure she's going to enjoy the spotlight on Viewpoints :) See her Surprising Facts to find out why. Julie is a self admitted "health and beauty freak" so hit her up with questions. Check out her beauty product reviews stacking up quickly! She made it to Writer 1 with 25+ reviews in under 1 month! Now that's hitting the road running. Stop by and give her a big VP congrats.

Along with reviewing, AlabasterBeauty is also chatting it up on the message boards. See her comments under:

We can't wait to read more from this beauty diva!

TunefulGal hits high notes at Viewpoints

2009-02-22T16:39:00.003-05:00

Meet TunefulGal! She's Annabanana's cousin! (Have we mentioned how much we love friends/family referrals? Well, WE LOVE THEM!) TunefulGal joined us back the summer of '08 and has been making sweet music ever since. And by making sweet music... we mean writing excellent reviews and contributing a lot of fun interaction with the community here. She even hit Writer 3 this week with 100+ reviews!! Wowza!! She's a West Coaster with a love for music (duh!), pets, food, gardening and teaching. As an animal lover, she's adopted several four legged friends... find pics of them here in her photo collection.

TunefulGal uses I Am tags to describe her personality... In her own words, she is:

value conscious
a tender flower
a snack attacker
a dog and cat mama
an unconventional music teacher

Check out her latest, thought-provoking discussion topic, What purpose does classical music and art serve in the life of our communities?

Meet Krislynn, a proud mom and sweet southern belle

2009-01-23T15:17:00.004-05:00

Krislynn joined us back in August 2008. She managed to climb the writer status ladder pretty darn quickly. She's a mom of an adorable little boy, a faithful person, a NASCAR fan, a Jack Russell lover, a game fanatic and much more.

Krislynn has shared a ton of helpful recommendations particularly in the beauty, health and baby categories. Find some of her top rated reviews here:

Also, pop over to enjoy Krislynn's photo collection and inspirational blog entries.

Jasyjen keeps it jazzy.

2009-01-16T15:25:00.005-05:00

Meet Jasyjen. She reached Writer 4 and hits her year anniversary with Viewpoints next month. NICE! Jen is a mom of two boys... check out how adorable they are here in her photo collection. She is also a blogger, writer and product reviewer. (Oh and a fellow North Carolinian to me, shout out to the Tarheel State!) Visit jasyjen's personal blog called Random Thoughts from the Mind of Me: http://jasyjensthoughts.blogspot.com/

Also, find her Viewpoints blog posts here. She maintains a healthy balance between the serious and meaningful topics to the funny and quirky. As a beauty diva, she rates the best and worst beauty products out there. Find some of her top picks here.

Congrats Jasyjen! We're so happy you're here.

Get Ready to Rock N Roll! DUISparky brings the noise!

2009-01-12T15:40:00.005-05:00

Yea, that's a beer in his hand. Meet our booze-sippin', road trippin', guitar pickin', speed racin' buddy... DUISparky. He leads an online racing league called www.dui-racing.com. Check them out... It's hilarious! Driving under the influence is perfectly safe while seated in front of the computer screen at DUI Racing. They are "... Proud to be the drinkinest league on the interwebz!"

DUISparky is a classic rocker through and through. He has reviewed some amazing guitars and amps by top brands like: Fender, Gibson and Marshall. Like a true rock n roller, his other love (aside from his guitar) is his bike. She's a beauty!

His message board threads have become (Viewpoints) world-famous! Read Not Necessarily the News!!

Stop by and give DUISparky a high five for making it to featured writer on the home page this week!

Eatingcookies makes us happy (and hungry!)

2009-01-02T14:48:00.006-05:00

Meet Christina, also known around these parts as eatingcookies! She's a mommy, wife, Washington stater, blogger and now a review writer! She's been catching the eyes of our community with her well written, honest and fun recommendations. As a full time mom and full time employee... we're so happy she is able to spend some time here at Viewpoints. Sounds like we have another Wonder Woman on our hands! (There are thousands in our community, we're so lucky!) Find out how she can make your buying decisions a little smarter by reading her reviews.

She is:

She started some helpful topics in the Beauty and Clothing discussion boards:

Drop eatingcookies a big congrats for reaching Writer 1 status and Featured Reviewer all in one week! Now that's a great way to kick off a new year!

Visit her personal blog to find out what else she's been up to lately...

Find out what Brendan is smiling about...

2008-12-19T16:12:00.006-05:00

Brendan, aka brenviewer, is a writer, poet, father and doting husband. Check out his beautiful family photos and read his blogs and you'll see why he's grinning in front of that tree above ;)

As a "soccer dad" who is nearing the "end of twentysomethingness"... he's focused on family, personal growth and career. Networking and sharing advice are important to him during this stage of launching his writing career. Have any tips or suggestions for Brendan? You can connect with him on Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanepps, or find him right here at Viewpoints.

His reviews are top notch (hence the featured reviewer recognition on the home page) and he's always open to feedback. The community is thrilled to have him here so stop by and share a big welcome.

A Georgia peach and Bulldog for life... Meet WhiteChapelMaiden

2008-12-12T15:00:00.006-05:00

WhitechapelMaiden joined us this holiday month of December. She's brought a lot a cheer to the community already with her helpful reviews and thoughtful feedback to other members.

Using some of the most creative I Am tags yet, find out what she recommends as a:
Ripperologist
Head banging goddess
Metal princess

When she's not modeling, chasing her 5 year old, reading a book or arranging things on her desk... she's collecing "evil" dolls or adding fun photos and blogging on Viewpoints. Eclectic mix huh?! Stop by her profile page to read more and say hello. Just don't mention spiders or cotton :)

Meet our Cali Mom, This2ShallPass19

2008-12-04T12:08:00.005-05:00

This2shallpass19 is a new mom, newlywed, a big time foodie, tattoo sporter, and ... Check out her profile to find out more. She's looking for a little holiday cheer on her blog. Have any "get in the festive mood" tips you can share?

Do you buy organic? Looking for natural products recommendations? She can help! Parents, cooks and beauty product lovers will find her reviews very helpful as well:

Check out photos of her adorable family, her wedding in Hawaii and especially her little man!

What about Bob? Let us tell you...

2008-11-14T15:45:00.003-05:00

Bob Kovacs (aka: bkovacs) started with us when we were just a little baby site. He stuck with us through the growing pains and we're proud to have him around today... almost 2 years later. (BTW, Who caught the Bill Murray movie reference above?) As a Publisher's Circle member... he's written over 200 reviews and has almost 1,000 helpful votes!!

Speaking of movies, Bob is quite the film buff with over 50 movie reviews. He is into movies that tell a great story. He is a New York Stater who now resides in Virginia. As a man of many trades and eclectic interesets... he can be found "taking pictures, playing guitar, or acting silly."

Bob is not a big blogger right now but he is a photo man. Check out his personal pics and review photo albums here.

Stop by his profile to say hello and congratulate him!

Lilsquibb: One of our Super Hero Moms at Viewpoints

2008-10-31T15:04:00.005-05:00

Meet one of our super moms... Lilsquibb. Multi-tasking is the name of the game for this mother of 2, preschool teacher and avid review writer. Our hats are off to her for all she manages to do for our community and content.

Her top 3 most frequently used I Am tags are:

Mom of gorgeous boys
on a tight budget
Child development expert

Check out her adorable pictures, her Viewpoints blog and her reviews.

Also, join in on the conversations Lilsquibb is chatting about lately:
What are your kids wearing for Halloween?
TV or Parents? What shapes our minds?
Thanking the Veterans

Meet PERRYEASTEP

2008-10-27T17:16:00.006-05:00

Pop by and say hi to Perry who comes to us from the Buckeye State. He joined Viewpoints this summer and hit the ground running. Not only is he writing reviews, but he's all over the message boards too. He's a movie buff, Xbox live fan and a music lover. Check out his blog and fun photos.

We're looking forward to reading more from this up-and-comer!

Meri Meri Quite Contrary

2008-10-13T17:12:00.006-04:00

Meri joined us this summer and hit the ground running! She's already a well known community member to so many. Her reviews are very thoughtful and always informative. She's one of our beauty and home experts at Viewpoints. She's reviewed anything from kerosene heaters and crock pots to tweezers and designer perfume.

Meri is a southern belle turned New York Stater. Check our her beautiful Fall pictures of "cow country" in upstate NY. Plus, visit her profile to find out who she's been kissing (hint: he's a world famous actor and award winning director.) Then sit a quick spell and read her blog. Other spider bite victims will be able to relate to Meri's latest Halloween month scare. Then check out her friends and fans to find out if you have shared friends. You can even recommend friends to her too!

Also, check out some of the fun threads she started on the message boards:
Childhood food cravings?
Favorite time of year
Controversial Levi Ads

We have revamped the Viewpoints profile page!

2008-10-09T11:52:00.004-04:00

Exciting news! We launched a huge redesign of the profile page tonight. Say hello to new functionality and features-a lot of the ones you have been asking for!

You now have a place called My Home which is basically the center of YOUR Viewpoints universe. You can track all important stuff there like: Your inbox messages, your stats, your discussion board threads, and all your reviews.

To get your feet wet... We suggest visiting My Home and get to know the following sections:

About Me - Tell us about you so we can connect you to other members with similar interests. (These are all new features-so you definitely want to jump in and do these!)
Friends & Fans - Check out our 4 new ways to make new friends! Meet people in your state, people with similar I AM tags and more!
Profile SiteMap (the link to it is called MORE...) - A simple snapshot of all the elements that make up your profile.

The major highlights are: (drum roll please)

Ability to mark "private" comments to others. These messages will not appear publicly on the site.
You can add more photos to your profile page than ever before. And, your review photos are now on your photos tab
Scribbles functionality will be more like a blog with dated entries that are easier to track and more reader-friendly
Ability to track threads you're in on the discussion boards more easily. You will have a feed of the threads you have commented on that have new posts
Find friends by state, common interests and similar I Am tags
Recommend friends to other members
Track all your friends activity including new reviews, message board posts, comments, photos, and even blog entries!

As always, we're all ears for feedback so tell us what you like and don't like!

Also, Visit Matt's blog post for a detailed rundown of all the new features with direct links to each one.

Jolie & Meredith

Round of applause for our new Publisher's Circle member, LoveisJoy

2008-10-03T15:41:00.003-04:00

LoveisJoy is quite simply one of the sweetest, smartest and most kind-hearted people we have at Viewpoints. As a respected member of our community, many look to her as a source of inspiration and a beacon of light. Her personality truly glows even through the computer screen.

Pamela (aka LoveisJoy) is a budget conscious, pet lover and domestic diva who loves quilting and crafts. As a grandmother, she's always looking for great learning toys for the kiddies and other quality gifts for her family. Sewing and quilt making is her self-taught speciality. She joined us back in August 2007 along with her hubby, TheBard. The two have contributed so much to our content and community in such as short time.

If it's sewing advice you need, Pamela can surely help. Check out her review of the best computerized sewing machine she's found on the market so far. For examples of her beautiful work... check out the quilts on her profile page.

Pamela writes with a lot of genuine feeling and honesty. So much so that she's even been known to bring some to tears with her heartfelt contributions like her review of Pet Euthanasia. Lots of readers can identify with her experiences which is why she's one of our most prolific reviewers.

In the words Lionel Richie... she's once, twice, three times a lady for sure. Stop by and give her a BIG CONGRATS for reaching the Publisher's Circle with 400+ reviews!!

Heard enough about Jersey Boys? Meet our Jersey Girl!

2008-09-23T15:56:00.009-04:00

Yep, you guessed it... njchicaa comes to us from the famous Jersey Shore. She's a passionate animal rescuer, chic lit connoisseur, beach lover and parrot mom. In her year+ with Viewpoints, she has contributed a ton of helpful recommendations across all our categories, but especially within pets, home and beauty.

Here are just a few of njchicaa's top picks for your furry or feathery friends:

iRobot Roomba Vacuum for Pets
Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover for Pet Smells
Important Parrot Owner Advice: So You Think You Want a Parrot?
Frontline Plus Flea & Tick Treatment for Cats
Dentley's Rawhide Chips for Puppies

Also, find these helpful threads for pet enthusiasts on the message boards:
Do you care about the ingredients in pet food?
What do you do with your pets when you go on vacation?

Click here to meet Scarlett, Bogart, Cosmo, Cappuccino, Timi and Mr. & Mrs. Njchicaa too!

The great outdoors and jps246

2008-09-19T16:53:00.005-04:00

Jeff (aka: jps246) is one of our resident outdoorsmen who keeps our community tapped in to the best and worst camping and hiking gear. As an avid hiker and backpacker, Jeff is an expert on necessities like camping tents, hiking boots and men's sportswear.

Are you ready to blaze a trail? Before you go... be sure to check out Jeff's highly recommended hiking guides:

White Mountain Hiking Guide

Hiking Guide to Mt. Washington & the Presidential Range

Visit Jeff's profile and check out his awesome pics of scaling the Adirondacks, navigating the Grand Canyon and exploring Death Valley!!!!!

Happy trails to you all!

In the words of Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello and Leonardo... Turtle Power!

2008-09-12T15:42:00.006-04:00

Meet Turtle4592! Maybe she'll share why she chose "turtle" as a screen name in her Scribbles or in the fun thread: My Amazing User Name Story.

Mrs. Turtle is an Army wife and mom . A lovely story... her and her hubby met while serving in the military together. She's a frequent online shopper, Florida dweller, softball mom and avid reader to name a few.

Check out reviews of her favorite web sites, besides Viewpoints of course. Her list also happens to coincide with many of our users top web site picks too:

Etsy
Cafemom
Webkinz
Craigslist
Freecycle

We're all looking forward to reading more of her reviews coming soon. Sounds like there will be some new school supplies and kids clothes to talk about after her mall mania weekend! Woo-hoo!

Drop her a note to say hi sometime!

Salute to girls with guitars

2008-09-05T16:45:00.005-04:00

Awlafon wears many hats including mom, wife, teacher, writer, and even entertainer. Yes, she enjoys spending time homeschooling her kids, planning fun trips, throwing out a lure, or strumming the guitar for a preschooler audience.

She joined us only recently but has become a strong voice and motivator to both our new and long time members. Angela has created fun games on the site like the Update Your Profile Page Challenge!

As a mom who teaches her kids at home... she's always looking for ways to make learning fun! She has shared many reviews of the best educational toys, especially for kids ages 6-10.
Family and faith are two very important things to Angela. Be sure to check out her review of the Best Christian Books for Kids.

Additionally, she's shared reviews of great resources for all parents, especially homeschoolers and adoptive parents:

Stop by and check out Angela's profile for more creative ideas!