ertlnet

50% off Zagg Sitewide - Cyber Monday 2011

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:58:00 +0000

I'm a big fan of Zagg InvisibleSHIELD screen protectors! My handheld GPS, iPod and phone all have them. No more worrying about scratching the screen when putting my gadgets in my pocket or purse. I've even run my keys over the protector and no scratching! I've recommended them numerous times to friends and many of them are repeat customers for their various gadgets! invisible shield

Free Coffee @ Krispy Kreme - September 29

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:06:00 +0000

On Thursday, September 29, Krispy Kreme will celebrate National Coffee Day and its new Krispy Kreme Signature Coffee Blends by giving a FREE 12oz cup of House Blend Coffee to its guests in the U.S. and Canada. No Purchase Necessary.

Borrow Amazon Kindle Books From Your Local Library

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:29:00 +0000

photo credit: Amazon

Starting today, users of the Kindle and Kindle app can borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 United States Libraries!

According to the Amazon website, these books are available at libraries using OverDrive to distribute digital content. You can search for a library near you on the OverDrive search page. (Make sure to click the Library tab above the search box.)

Don't have a Kindle? Download the free Kindle app for your PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android Phone, or Windows Phone 7

Yard Sale Spoils

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 20:05:00 +0000

Armed with my smartphone and the Yard Sale Treasure Map app (check out the website, they have PC, Android & iPhone versions!), we headed out this morning to find some bargains. Here are the yard sale spoils for the weekend. I was really on the hunt to find some things to resell, but ended up with a few things we needed for the house instead!

$5 - 1 piece place setting of our dishes - Noritake Colorwave Graphite. It is missing a mug, but for that price, who cares? Normal retail price is $39.99
$3 - large brown throw pillow for the couch. Brand new!
$10 - wireless router
$1 - The game of things.
25 cents - wire rack for the kitchen

The dishes were purchased at a benefit yard sale. We think they actually came from Bed, Bath & Beyond since they had several new items in packages from there. This was definitely my favorite find of the day!

I've not been able to print wirelessly since we got married because our modem/router is downstairs and my office is upstairs. It's been a slight pain, but I didn't want to spend $50 to buy another router or bridge. (My router didn't have the capability to pick up the signal from downstairs). I thought $10 was definitely worth it. There have been several times I needed to print off a recipe, coupon or something and I was downstairs. In order to print, I had to take the laptop upstairs, dock it, print, undock & take it back downstairs. I can't wait to get this hooked up! Looks like I got a pretty good bargain. This is going for about $20 with shipping on ebay.

The game of things is one I've wanted for a couple years. It's been on my Christmas list and our wedding registry. It looks brand new. Some of the parts are still in the shrink wrap. Hmmm...used ones are selling on ebay for around $20. Tempting. But since I've wanted it for awhile, I think I'll keep it for now.

Sadly, there probably won't be many yard sales next weekend since it is a holiday. Hopefully, there will be some so we can go again! The following weekend we're planning to have a yard sale of our own, so no hunting that weekend! :-(

Craigslist on Auto-Pilot

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:32:00 +0000

Have you found something on Craigslist only to discover someone else already bought it? Are you looking a specific item, have time to wait for it, but don’t want to check Craigslist EVERY day? Here are a few ways you can put Craigslist on “auto-pilot” to make your searching easier. My best find so far using these methods was a $279 IKEA dresser for $40!

notifinder.com – emails you when the item you’re looking for is added. Note- my notifications went to my Gmail Spam folder, so be sure to check that!
RSS feeds – there are MANY ways to read feeds, but my favorite is Google Reader.
Search Craigslist.org for the item you are looking for. Copy the URL of the results page. Open Google Reader and click Add Subscription. Paste the URL of the Craigslist search results page. Any time an item that matches your search is added, it will show up in your feed reader.
craigz.com – doesn’t send any automatic notifications, but the advantage of this site is the ability to widen your search radius up to 300 miles

Search tips –

Try your searches out on Craigslist to see what kind of results are returned before you use notifinder.com or an RSS feed. If your search is too broad, you may need to be more descriptive or search only in a specific category.

Use broad search terms for more results – van, table, highchair

If you are looking for specific items, use descriptive search terms for fewer results - Venture van, IKEA table, Chicco highchair

Also try multiple variations of your search terms (including misspellings!) – Chevy, Chevrolet, Chev,
Chico

Looking for homeschool curriculum? Try variations – Beka (some list as ABeka or A Beka- Beka will catch both), BJU, Bob Jones, homeschool, home school, textbook, or curriculum

Remember – if you are searching for multiple items, do different searches for each! Searching for van, table, highchair won’t give you any results unless someone happens to be selling all three!

My New Favorite Cookbook

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 23:41:00 +0000

Since getting married a little over a month ago, one of my biggest challenges is coming up with meals and staying within the budget! I'd like to eventually sit down and create a meal calendar, but so far life has been pretty busy so it hasn't happened yet! My sister-in-law told me about Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead

I was going to buy the paperback version, but decided to go with the Kindle edition since I have a Kindle reader on my phone and computer. You can get the free Kindle Reader here for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, or Android Phone

So far, I've made Cheesy Chicken Bundles, Beef Chimichangas, and Breakfast Burritos. They've all been hits!

I'm making just one batch of each to make sure we like the recipe before I make a lot to freeze. But since it is just the two of us, we've eaten one meal and I've had enough left to freeze another one. One mess. One cooking day. Multiple meals. Win!

The recipes are even laid out in an easy to read format and the math is done for larger quantities. Yay!

WYFF - Make Sure Your Smartphone Doesn't Bite You

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:08:00 +0000

WYFF, my local TV station, did a segment about using data on a smartphone. Major carriers no longer offer unlimited data plans to new customers. So how do you keep from exceeding your monthly data cap if you don't have unlimited data? WYFF offered the solution of using wifi whenever you will be using a lot of data. That is good advice, and fine when you're home or at a coffee shop, but what about the times when you're out and about and don't have access to wifi? How do you monitor your usage then?

I have a solution - monitoring data (3G/Edge/GPRS) use with - 3G Watchdog for Android.

The basic version is free and I found it to be enough for my needs. I've only had it installed about three months, but I love it! Previously, I would really limit my data usage because I had no idea what my usage was. I was paranoid about going over my limit and paying a big fee. Now I can use it more freely because I know what has been used and how much is left!

The widget is installed on my home screen so I can constantly monitor where I'm at in relation to my quota. 3G Watchdog alerts me when I am at 75% of my usage for the month. (The 75% can be changed to whatever the user wishes.)

Last month, I was out of town for a couple weeks with limited wifi access and using Google Maps Navigation for driving directions. Before, I was afraid to use it in case it used a lot of data. Turns out, it doesn't! (Tip - if you can, get the driving directions while on wifi BEFORE you head out for your destination. You'll use less data that way.)

I'm currently at 83.6% of my monthly usage with 7 days left in my billing cycle. 3G Watchdog says if I keep my usage constant, I'll be at 106.4% of my quota by then. But now that I'm home, I'm fairly certain I can keep that under 100% by limiting my non-essential use away from wifi.

3G Watchdog keeps track of all sorts of statistics so you can see your daily usage history for the month and monthly totals back through several months.

Thanks, 3G Watchdog! Now I won't get bit by my smartphone!

Free Amazon Kindle books

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:14:00 +0000

The Amazon Kindle Store has a plethora (currently 37,456) of free Kindle books! The menu on the left side of the Amazon page lists the different categories to make it a little easier to wade through the long list. Click on those links and it will break things down even further.

Don't have a Kindle? You can still get the free books! Download the Kindle app for your PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android Phone, or Windows Phone 7 I have the Kindle app on my Android Phone. The screen is a bit small, but it is great for squeezing in some extra reading time wherever I am!

This book isn't free, but it is on sale ~~$14.99~~ $9.99. The author is my friend, Adam Blumer. It is a riveting mystery that I couldn't put down!

Free X-Men First Class movie tickets when you buy X-Men on Blu-Ray

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Best Buy has X-Men Blu-Rays on sale for $7.99 this week. Regular price is $24.99. Each Blu-Ray has a coupon for up to a $12 ticket for X-Men First Class.

Total $31.96 for 4 Blu-Rays and 4 movie tickets!

Zagg Invisible Shield Memorial Day Sale 2011 - save 50%

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Mon, 30 May 2011 20:15:00 +0000

50% off InvisibleShield May 30-31, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Mon, 30 May 2011 17:21:00 +0000

Organizing

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 02:49:00 +0000

I'm trying to get my life a bit more organized this year. Laura at "I'm an Organizing Junkie" is hosting 52 weeks of Organizing. That might be doable! I typically get overwhelmed, but seeing it in manageable chunks seems less intimidating! I'm already a week behind, but I have a few really small projects, so I hope to tackle two one week and catch up!

I have some fabric bins from IKEA that I love. Great for stashing stuff that sometimes just has no other place to go! I keep my bike helmets and other related gear in one. It is nice to have it all accessible near the door, all in one place and out of sight!

Another bin contains cables and miscellaneous electronic stuff. It is always a mess and the small stuff gets lost in the bottom. So I organized it today! Some stuff will be sold at a garage sale or on eBay. The rest of it went in smaller boxes. I added a white sticker and some packing tape so I could label them with a dry erase marker. (I hate permanent labels! I might change my mind about what goes in the box!) Aaaahhhh....it is much better now!

Before:

After:

A Mexican Supper

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:22:00 +0000

Tonight's supper will be Speedy Layered Chicken Enchilada Pie. Recipe recommended to me by my friend, Leslie.

I'm cooking the chicken using this roasting method from The Big Red Pot.
Making the beans in the crock pot using CrockPot365.
Dixie Cornbread from Southern Plate. Love her recipes! And her Southern Charm! Being a Northerner living in the South, I have learned much from her! This recipe is part of her hilarious "Six Meals to Marriage Proposal". (I'm working on that one!) :-)

I do hope the cornbread turns out. If not, it won't be Christy's fault! I realized I had cornmeal MIX, not regular cornmeal. I realized it before I started mixing, so I left out the flour, salt and baking soda 'cause they were already in the mix!

Hopefully it all goes well!

Free Supplies at Office Depot (plus a $20 money makers!)

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:49:00 +0000

First, print a $10 off a $20 purchase coupon

The following items are free after Worklife Rewards!
3M pop-up tape dispenser $2.99
3pack writing pads $4.99
100 pack holiday stationary $6.49
Rotating 7 compartment desk organizer $6.99
12 pack self-sealing bubble mailers $7.99
Sharpie retractable pens $9.99
File tote $9.99 (I use mine for regular storage!)
Compact Stapler $10.99
Fiskars non-stick Scissors $11.99
Post-its Super Sticky Pop-up Notes $12.99
Office Depot storage boxes $14.99
3M Permanent Adhesive Clear Address Labels $24.99 - Submit for the 3M $10 rebate and make $10! (Plus the $10 off $20 coupon makes it a total of a $20 money maker!)

They also are offering 100% back on shipping USPS or UPS in store! Mail your Christmas gifts early for free!

Free In-Flight Wifi for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 17:11:00 +0000

This holiday season, Google Chrome has teamed up with AirTran Airways, Delta, and Virgin America to offer free Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi on every domestic flight from November 20, 2010 through January 2, 2011. These participating airlines have outfitted their entire domestic fleet with Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi, and we expect more connected passengers this holiday season than ever before!

Free reusable bag from Kellogg's

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:42:00 +0000

Free reusable bag with the purchase of any 2 Kellogg’s cereals. (Plus $1.75 shipping.) Download the form here.

See a photo of the bags here.

Free Reynolds Wrap Foil after rebate

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:13:00 +0000

~~Reynolds Wrap® Foil from 100% Recycled Aluminum Free with mail-in rebate~~

~~Register here. The rebate form will only be available on 4/22. Reynolds will send you an email reminder and link to the rebate form when it becomes available.~~

This deal was apparently for last year. I didn't notice that. Oops! Reynolds has since taken the page down.

Cashback Database!

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:05:00 +0000

I have now added a cashback database to my business website! You can search the cashback amounts for Ebates, Cashbaq, Mr. Rebates and ShopAtHome.com all in one place!

The database idea came about because I was constantly checking multiple sites to figure out which one had the best return on my money. After lots of trial and error, updating of the web page, testing and updating all the data, it is ready for public use!

Buying a new iPad? Get a rebate
Apple Store          1.50%    ShopAtHome.com
Apple Store          1.00%    Ebates
Apple Store          1%    Cashbaq
Apple Store Canada   1.50%    ShopAtHome.com
Apple Store          1%    Mr. Rebates

Rebates between 2-4% at various office supply stores. (Discount Office Items, Staples, Office Depot)
Rebates between 1-2% at Dell Small Business

How do I love my Grape Nuts? Oh, let me count the ways!

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:43:00 +0000

I LOVE Grape Nuts! Growing up, my dad ate them almost every day for breakfast. I thought they were gross. I don't remember when, but eventually I developed a love for them. These are my favorite ways to eat them. (In no particular order)

1. Plain
2. Drizzled with honey
3. Mixed with granola. Homemade or Breadshop's Crunchy Oat Bran are my favorites. Post thought they were doing me a favor by creating Trail Mix Crunch. I tried it. Yuck. It seemed to get soggy too quickly. And the taste wasn't the greatest either.
4. Mixed with a 4-6 oz container of fruit yogurt. Raspberry, Blackberry Pomegranate are my favorites. (add milk, then the yogurt on top)
5. Hot (with a little butter. This was in the original recipe I got off the box years ago)
6. With honey and coconut.
7. With raisins
8. With honey coconut pancake topping
9. Grape Nuts ice cream. Had this at a friend's house. Not sure what recipe they used, but I found one here.
10. With fresh strawberries
11. With fresh raspberries

Use Google Maps to send locations to your GPS!

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:16:00 +0000

I stumbled upon this today while trying to figure out the latitude/longitude for a new address that was not in my map software. (Going to the new IKEA in Charlotte, NC! Woo hoo!)

Connect the GPS to your computer.
Enter the address in Google Maps
Find the pinpoint on the map (indicated by a dot with a letter - A, B, C, etc.)
Click on the dot to bring up a "pop out" balloon window
Click Send
Click GPS
Select your GPS manufacturer
Enter notes if you wish
Click Send

I have a Garmin eTrex Legend Hcx with Garmin City Navigator. I use this all the time - on my bike around town to track speed, distance and navigate! I use it for geocaching and driving directions in the car as well.

Fatal Illusions Book Release

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:39:00 +0000

My friend and former co-worker has released his first Christian suspense novel and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my copy so I can read it! You can read the prologue and first chapter here.

You can also read more about the book and Adam on his website.

Congratulations, Adam on seeing one of your dreams come true!

Bloggy Givaways Quarterly Carnival

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:17:00 +0000

I'm giving away one copy of a conservative Christian music CD, Love So Amazing. This is the newest CD release by Kevin Inafuku. I love this CD because the album is a mix of old hymns and new songs, but done in a conservative style!

You can listen to a few samples from the CD below

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Forgive Me
Speak, O Lord

How to enter & win: Leave a comment on this post by 10pm EST January 30, 2009. The winner will be chosen at random. Be sure to leave your blog or email address so I can contact you if you win! Shipping to US (and Territories) & Canada.

Go to BloggyGiveaways.com to enter more giveaways!

It's Tax Time!

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:02:00 +0000

Do I hear a collective groan from everyone out there? Yep, it's time to gather all your financial paperwork and crunch those numbers!

Good news! Several companies offer free filing if you meet certain criteria! In years past, I have used both TurboTax Freedom and H&R Block TaxCut. Now that I own my own business, things are more complicated and I have to pay for software. Now I use TurboTax Home & Business and have been pleased with it.

TurboTax Freedom
To qualify for free federal tax preparation and filing using TurboTax Freedom Edition 2008, you must meet one of the following criteria *

Earned an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for tax year 2008 of $30,000 or less; or
Qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); or
Served Active Duty Military with AGI of $56,000 or less.

To qualify for free state tax preparation and filing using TurboTax Freedom Edition 2008, you must meet both of the following criteria:

You must qualify for free federal tax preparation (above); and
The state(s) must participate in the state FFA. States (AL, AR, AZ, GA, ID, IA, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NY, ND, NC, OK, OR, RI, SC, VT, WV)

H&R Block TaxCut Free File
Free if you earned $56,000 or less AGI and were 50 years or younger on December 31, 2008. State e-file is $29.95

TaxAct freefile
You qualify for free tax preparation, printing, & efiling if your age is between 19 & 55, and your AGI is $56,000 or less. State e-filing is $13.95

You can find more free tax preparation sites on the IRS website.

Another tip - many times you can print a copy of your state taxes and mail it in. It takes a little longer, but I usually don't get enough back in state taxes to justify spending the money to e-file.

If you need more advanced tax preparation or don't meet the criteria for free preparation, here is a list of major software titles and the lowest prices I could find.

TaxAct
Online 2008 Standard Free online prep (1040, 1040A & 1040EZ) and federal e-filing. State e-file is just $13.95.
Online 2008 Deluxe $9.95 federal, optional state is $7.00
TaxAct Ultimate $16.95 free filing for federal and state.

TurboTax
Deluxe direct from Intuit $29.95 (Federal e-file included, state prep & e-file additional $34.95)
$38.99 from Buy.com (Federal e-file included, state e-file additional $19.95)

Premier direct from Intuit $49.95 (Federal e-file included, state prep & e-file additional $34.95)
$59.99 from Buy.com (Federal e-file included, state e-file additional $19.95)

Home & Business direct from Intuit $74.95 (Federal e-file included, state prep & e-file additional $34.95)
$59.99 from newegg.com (Federal e-file included, state e-file additional $19.95)

$10 TurboTax Rebates can be found here. It says "participating retail stores", but the FAQ indicates online stores are participating as well, but I can't find a list. It's worth a try if you have to buy the software anyway!

TaxCut
Premium Federal + e-file $34.95 $32.99 from Buy.com (state e-file cost determined at filing time)
Premium Federal & State + e-file $49.95 $45.99 from Buy.com (state e-file cost determined at filing time)
Home & Business $79.95 $70.99 from Buy.com (state e-file cost determined at filing time)

Don't forget to purchase through ebates to receive 1% back from buy.com and 2% back from newegg! (plus $5 for new members)

Works for Me Wednesday - Canceled Flights

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:21:00 +0000

As I was ready to board a flight last week, it was canceled due to a maintenance issue. The gate agent announced we could get in line to rebook if we had a tight connection at the next airport. EVERY SINGLE PERSON in that waiting area rushed the counter! I ended up being the very last person in line. There were probably at least 30 people ahead of me now. This is gonna take awhile! From my cell phone, I called the reservations number of my airline and found I had already been rebooked on another flight that was leaving in about 30 minutes. (The guy ahead of me in line asked for that phone number!) If I had just waited in line, I would not have been able to catch that next flight!

I arrived at my new gate in time to sit and relax (it was delayed). After awhile I saw someone huffing & puffing and out of breath arrive at the gate. She had been siting near me at my original gate and had finally made it through the rebooking line to find out her new plane was leaving shortly. (Well, it was supposed to, but unbeknownst to her it was slightly delayed.)

Calling the airline reservations number helped relieve the stress of waiting/wondering if I was going to make all my further connections.

The rest of the story - Unfortunately my newly rescheduled flight had a few delays and complications causing me to miss the next connection so I spent 5 hours in the next airport, but that's another story!

Head over to Rocks in My Dryer for more hints and tips!

Gumby went to Japan and Guam and this is what he did...

noreply@blogger.com (ertlnet) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:21:00 +0000

To see more pictures of Gumby's travels, click here.