Massage Chairs are GREAT!

Massages are great! Not only do they feel good, but they are a great way to realize stress. However, getting a professional massage every time you need one is not the most practical or affordable thing to do. Instead, you might want to look into investing in a good massage chair. Human Touch has developed several amazing Massage Chairs and products and has recently added the new HT 7450 Zero Gravity Massage Chair. This chair combines Percussion, Rolling, Compression, and Kneading techniques. I love sitting in massage chairs, but since I’m short a lot of times the motions don’t hit the right spots on my back. However, this new massage chair from Human Touch helps fix this problem! Human Touch explains that “the HT 7450 Zero Gravity Massage Chair calibrates the body frame of the individual sitting in it and adjusts according to that individual’s unique physique, so each massage in the HT 7450 is perfectly focused on the right areas of the body.” I definitely need to try this one out! Sounds like a good Christmas idea!

End of Semester

Wow I cant believe finals week is just about here! I just finished up classes this week and now I'm on the last stretch of the whole semester. It has gone by so fast! What a week its been...I'm actually looking forward to finals week because it will be SO much less stressful! I've been working a lot lately at my new job, and had a big paper for my Evaluation class due yesterday. After a LONNNG night I finally got it done. I am so relieved to have that done! Now that thats over, I feel like I can relax a little and focus on finishing up everything else I need to do for the end of the semester. I only have two finals next week, so it shouldnt be too bad! After Tuesday, I wont have to worry about school at all for a few weeks. (Which will be realllly nice) Then...I'll come back and start up my last semester of school! Wow!

Make your business more competitive...

With the popularity of online shopping, putting your business online may be just what you need to make it boom. Online shopping has become so easy that if your customers do not have that option it may just inch your company out of the competition. Of course, setting up an online store isn’t the easiest thing to do. However, there is some great software available to help get you started.
Ashop Commerce shopping cart Software is one that seems to have everything you need to get started, and maintain your business online. Ashop provides you with thousands of features, allows you to fully customize your store design, and even offers a free trial so you can test it out and see if its right for you. I would definitely recommend checking them out to help you get started with an online business that looks professional, is easy to use, and one that your customers will want to keep visiting!

Panthers Round Two...

Tomorrow is another big game for our Panther's! Round two of the playoffs is tomorrow afternoon. Its another sold out, home game which should give a little extra boost to our team. They'll play Delaware, and I'm sure it will be another great game. I wasnt able to get a ticket before they sold out, but it will be played on TV so I still plan to watch it and hopefully see them come away with another victory! GOOOO PANTHERS! =)

Weight Loss Surgery

There are so many people in our country who face problems with obesity and just cant seem to lose the weight that they need to. Many of these people choose to have stomach bypass surgery, which makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. I am NOT an advocate for this surgery at all, it is extremely dangerous and I think there are other much better options out there for losing weight. One option that is similar to gastric bypass surgery, but has much less risk involved is the Lapband. With this procedure, the stomach is made smaller but it is adjustable and patients lost weight slower than with the bypass surgery. (Which is MUCH healthier for your body.) If you are considering having a procedure done to lose weight, be sure and look into all the pros and cons before deciding. If you think its right for you, find a specialized lap-band doctor and talk with them further to see if its the right solution for you life.


This post is sponsored by Journey Lite.

Its cold in here!

BRRRRR...Our house is down to about 58 degrees! The other day my roommate came home and heard something dripping. She went downstairs and the basement floor around the heater was soaking wet! For some reason, our heater to dripping/pouring out water when its on. So, we've turned the heat way down so it wont kick on as much. Even with it turned down though, it still filled up our kitchen garbage can with water! AHHH I hope this gets fixed soon!

Thanks PayPerPost!

PayPerPost is an awesome way to make money! My boyfriend, Jake, started blogging for payperpost last year and when I saw how much money he was making with it I just had to get hooked up with it too! I get pretty busy with school and other things, so I'm not always very diligent at posting but it's great for me to always have that extra option to turn to so I can make some extra money. Since I am still new to the blogging world, I do not have a page rank on my blog but I hope to someday! The higher the page rank the better the post opportunities that are available to you. Then you can REALLY make the big bucks with payperpost
With PPP, it's great to have such a wide variety of opportunities available. I also signed up with a couple other blog marketing sites, but the others do not have even CLOSE to the amount of posts available or the diversity of posts. I really like having the option to choose a different post if I don't like one that is being offered.
My goal is to use my money from PayPerPost to get my computer paid off…really fast! =)

My New Job!

This week I'm starting a new job as a waitress for a fancy Italian resaurant called Ferraris and so far I really like it! Its so much better than my last job...as a telemarketer. Yes, I was desparite; I needed a job and thats what was avaible right away! However, after about a week and a half I got a call from the manager at Ferraris saying he'd like to set up an interview. I was extremely thrilled! =) Telemarketing was just not my thing. I knew I couldnt last long at that job so before I even knew I had the waitressing position for sure, I quit! Haha...I had never quit a job like that, so it felt a little weird; especially since I hadn't even been there two full weeks yet! I was so relived when I walked out of that place...and I never have to go back. WooHoo! =) Anways...I think this new position is going to be a lot of fun. The restaurant has a great atmosphere, amazing food, and fun people to work with. I can't wait to officially start serving!

Bid 4 Prizes

Do you like winning free gifts?? Of COURSE you do…who doesn’t?! If you are like every other American who likes free stuff (and I don’t mean a free pen or keychain) then you should check out Bid4Prizes. This site is set up like an auction, with tons of great items including Apple I-Phones, HDTVs, designer bags, and even cash prizes. Unlike an auction though, the LOWEST unique bid wins the prize…for free! Not only do you have a chance to win prizes, you get to have fun doing it. Check out the Bid4Prizes sweepstakes and place a guess, you never know what you might win!

Go Panthers!

Wow...our Panther football team is AWESOME! My family and I got to go to the first playoff game on Saturday which was a lot of fun. What a game! Our team was ahead most of the game (not by much though) but then with less than 2 minutes left New Hampshire scored pulling them ahead by a couple points. Everyone was stunned and couldnt believe that the game had taken such a turn with not much time left. BUT our Panthers were up to the pressure and marched the ball right back down the field and made an amazing touchdown pass play leaving only 7 seconds left on the clock!!! WOW! Everyone went crazy. Hah...I dont think there was anyone watching that didnt jump off their seat. On the way home, Steven said..."I think I screamed like a girl when they scored!" It was so exciting. This Saturday is round two...GO PANTHERS! =)

Thanksgiving Break

I cant believe its already the Wednesday after Thanksgiving break! It was so nice having a full week off last week. Usually we only have the day before and day after Thanksgiving, but this year we had the WHOLLLLLE week! It still didnt seem like enough though. Breaks always go by wayyyy to fast! Jon got to come back for most of the week, from California. So that was great to see him! I had a ton of fun living with him this summer and I miss having him around so its always nice when he gets to come visit!

New Baby in the Family!

Thursday night Jenna and Scott had their little baby girl, Kaelyn! She is sooooo adorable! Jake and I went up to Albert Lea this weekend and got to spend some time with Kaelyn and the rest of Jake's family. It was such a great time. She is so prefect! Thinking about little Kaelyn makes me remember how amazing God is and what a miracle a little baby is! I'm so excited to have one (and soon two!) in the family now...Jake is such a proud uncle =)

Need some quick cash?

As a college student, I definitely know what it is like to be low on cash! Sometimes that car payment or phone bill lands just before pay day and it can be stressful coming up with enough money. If you find yourself in one of these situations, there may be a solution for you to check out. A payday loan is short term loan that can range from $100 to $1500, to meet your money needs on the spot. Check out Payday Loan Quotes to see if this is a good option for you.
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I love school!!!!!

Ok, so maybe I dont always feel like that...but I sure do today! =) I just got my grade from my Fitness Assessment and Programming test I had last week, and I got 98% on it! woohoo! AND I found out that I'm sitting very "sweetly", as my professor put it, with almost a 95% in the class overall. Also, I just checked my grade from my chemistry/physics class I took this summer and found out I recieved an A in that class also. Ahhh I love school. (I hope this streak keeps up in my other classes!)

Holiday shopping season is just around the corner...

It's hard to believe but its true! The holiday shopping season is only a few weeks away. Do you have you lists made yet? If you don't, its ok...I don't either! I'm not one to go out the day after Thanksgiving and fight through the crazy crowds. Holiday shopping doesn't have to mean long lines and crowded stores though. This year, maybe try doing some of your shopping online. If you do, Coupon Chief is definitely a place I would recommend checking out first. I have no idea what I am going to get the loved ones on my list, but I am excited to start looking!
Both of Jake's sisters will be having babies (within the week!) so this Christmas is definitely going to be a fun one with the new little ones around and its always fun shopping for baby clothes and toys! Coupon Chief has some great Target coupons for baby gifts to check out.
A Best Buy coupon I'm sure would come in handy for a gift for Jake. He loves electronics, so this is definitely a place for me to start looking.
Whether its at Target or Best Buy I'll be checking out Coupon Chief to see where I can save!

Online Gambling

I am not a big fan of online gambling. I think that for some people it may be a fun thing to do once in awhile, but I also think that it is easy to make it a more than "once in awhile" thing. I have never used an online gambling site, but I know there are thousands of people who do. For those that do use them, first of all, be careful! Don't let yourself end up spending too much time on these sites (or too much money!). Second, if use these sites, make sure they are secure and legitimate and legal.
Pro360.com is a gambling review site where you can read reviews and find ratings for almost 3000 online casinos. I think this site is a good resource to do some research on before going out and logging into any random gambling site you may come across on the internet.
Again, make sure that you are smart and stay in control of your online gambling and be sure to check out the site you're using first before you start.

Yoga and Pilates

Today I started the first day of my yoga and pilates class and I think I'm going to really like it. I hope to someday teach a yoga and pilates class so I'm looking forward to learning some techniques to pass on! Today we worked primarily on stretching and breathing. It was really relaxing and helped ease some of my stress for a test I have today.

Got a messy garage?

My parents have a really nice three car garage but I dont think there was ever a time when you could actually fit three cars in it! They've kept it clear enough for their two cars...but the third stall is completely full of stuff. They have everything in there...bikes, fishing poles (both of which havent been used in YEARRRSSS!), tools, and I'm sure a lot more. =) They would definitely benefit from some garage organization tools to help them out! Carguygarage.com offers several different items for those of us who need a little extra storage in our garage. Check them out and see how you can clear some of that clutter!
"This is a sponsored post"

Homecoming

Last week was homecoming week at UNI, and ended with the big game on Saturday. This was my last college homecoming...but sadly it didnt really feel any different than any other week. Friday night they had something called the pride cry, where different groups make up a song/skit and perform in front of everyone. Its kind of a fun time to get everyone excited and pumped up for the homecoming game. Afterwards there were fireworks, which was a really great display this year! Last year they shot them off WAYYY too close so it was a little hard to enjoy them as the cardboard and debris fell on us! Hah I guess they learned their lesson.
I was bummed that I didnt get to go to the game. Tickets sold out at the beginning of the week and I didnt get a chance to get one. Instead, Jake and I watched the game on his TV. What a game! We won by 6, but it got a little too close for comfort there in the last seconds; but UNI held on and still remain undefeated! Hopefully I will be able to make it to the next home game!

IndieMV.com

If you are a fan of the independent music scene you're missing out if you haven't checked out IndieMV.com. IndieMV is a great site to connect indie music artists and fans, or as they put it: IndieMV - Musical Intercourse. The site offers tools such as video blogging, web-cam messaging, photo sharing, as well as access to music videos, interviews, and much more. One really neat feature I liked about this site is the slider tool; this feature helps you narrow down your search results so you only have to look through ones that match your interests!

In addition to what they already offer, IndieMV is hosting a "UNITE AGAINST AIDS Video Contest" in support of UNICEF's Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS campaign. This contest will give Canadians the chance to express their thoughts about the impact of HIV/AIDS through music or video. Check them out for more details about the contest and see what else they have to offer!


"This is a sponsored post"

Watch your speed!

Ah! I just got pulled over! Thankfully, the police man was gracious enough to just give me a warning though. I was apparently going 38...just singing along to my radio and not realizing the speed limit was 25! oops. Man am I thankful I did not get a ticket! Well I will definitely be more careful and pay more attention to my speed now.

E-commerce Software

If you are interested in e-commerce and would like to set up your own online store, then making a small investment in shopping cart software may be a very helpful asset. When I first read about this, I did not fully understand what this even was. Shopping cart software is not just a "shopping cart" for your business, it offers tons of different features to help you get started and maintain a quality store. Ashop Commerce is great resource for this kind of ecommerce software. Ashop offers a huge selection of services to help online merchants including: inventory control, bulk and batch order processing, customizable layout and design, web optimization, and traffic reports…just to name a few!

I checked out the free template they offer and it looks very professional. I know that designing your own site using html can be a very time consuming and difficult process, so I would definitely recommend using a company like Ashop to get your business up and running. The services they provide seem very affordable and, in my opinion, would prove to be well worth the investment.

Get Paid to Blog!

Getting paid to blog is one of the easiest ways to make money! Jake got me all set up and showed me how to advertise on blogs last year and I'm just getting started with it again. One company I'm signed up with is Smorty, which is a great resource to connect bloggers and advertisers. With Smorty, bloggers are sent different campaigns in which they have the opportunity to review or write about different companies or products on their blog. Once the blog post is approved, Smorty will then pay you for your blog! Pretty sweet huh?

One thing I love about Smorty is that bloggers get paid weekly for their posts. Other blog advertising companies I have come across only pay on a monthly basis for each post, which makes Smorty definitely stand out in my opinion! So if you are looking for an easy and fun way to make money I would really recommend checking them out!

I'm baaaaack!

Wow I havent posted on my blog for a very long time but...I'm baaaack! =) I was in California over the summer (and without a computer) so I did not have any time to visit my blog. Now school is started back up AND I have a new computer so I'm ready to start blogging again!

Bid 4 Prizes

There are tons of contests out there on the internet that offer you chances to win all sorts of free prizes. In most cases, it seems like there is usually a catch and the prizes are not actually “free”. Bid 4 Prizes is one unique site that offers prizes, but from what I can see, they actually ARE free. Bid 4 Prizes gives you a chance to bid on several prizes and the lowest unique bid wins! Up for bid right now is a BMW 3 Series, definitely my #1 choice on the list! I love my Ford Explorer, but I wouldn’t mind having one of these to drive around in…especially if it was free! Check them out and see if you can be the lucky lowest bid!

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What a month!

WOW! It has sure been a busy month! I havent even posted on my blog since the beginning of April. Things have been a little crazy with finishing up the semester, finalizing projects, and packing up and moving back home. It feels so good to have it all over! (I still cant believe its already my summer break though!) Now that I have nothing to do...I'm looking forward to finally getting back into my blog.

Skin Care Products

Last year I started using Bare Essentials mineral makeup, and I love it! I don't like spending much money on products, and it was a little expensive, but it was well worth it. Since using it, I've been checking out other cosmetics and skin care products out there that are healthy for your skin. I just came across Jane Iredale's selection of mineral makeup on SkinCare-MD.com, which sounds very similar to the mineral makeup I've been using. They also carry a huge selection of other Skin Care Products for all types of skin. If your interested in trying out something new, I would recomend checking out their mineral makeup collection!
"This is a sponsored post"

Life Insurance

As I have written about before, finding the right insurance is quite a task. There are so many companies and different plans out there its hard to even know where to begin! There are several online sites out there that help you in this process and serve as a database for hundreds of different insurance providers so you can compare prices and get information on what type of insurance is right for you.

Life Quote Center is one of these such sites. Here you will find loads of helpful information on finding the right type of life insurance for your needs. They provide you with tips, suggestions, comaprisons and over 200 different life insurance companies so you will find the best prices out there. If you are in the market for life insurance, check them out to get a free quote and learn more about what's out there.

Blogger's Choice Awards

Another fun contest from PayPerPost! The team at PPP has created the Blogger’s Choice Awards, where you can sign in and nominate or vote for your favorite blog. There are a ton of different blogger awards to check out. You can nominate as many blog sites as you want AND you can vote for as many as you like! Jake has some great blogs so I’m trying to nominate him for something. I think I’ll nominate him at least for the best marketing blog because his ProBlogger Live blog has some really great blog marketing info on it that I’m sure everyone could use or find helpful in some way! As I said there are a TON of different random categories ranging from best food blog to best podcast blog and even a worst blog of all time! Winners in each category will be recognized at a one-of-a-kind awards ceremony on June 2nd, at Postiecon in Orlando, FL. But don’t worry, if you can’t make it to Postiecon, the results will be posted on Blogger’s Choice Awards page after the ceremony. The votes on the Blogger’s Choice page will all be shown on the site in real-time, so you can see who's leading within each category! Check it out and support your favorite blog!

God is so awesome!

I may have mentioned before that I was looking for a subleaser for the house I'm renting. My lease starts next month, but I will be gone for about two months this summer and was trying to avoid paying rent while I was gone. I was getting a little discouraged and thought my chances were pretty slim finding someone by next month...BUT I put an ad about it on our schools online ad board and just got an email from a girl this morning who needs a place for summer still! She seemed to really like the house and sounded like a great canidate to live there this summer! I was so excited because this was such an answer to prayer! Its amazing how God provides. He cares about everything in our lives, even the little things that stress us out. I feel so blessed and am go grateful He pointed my ad out to her! =)

Announcing 1K Tuesdays!

Wow!!! Payperpost has really gone over the top with this one…and it’s great! PPP is always looking for fun ways to help its posties make money. This month it’s with the new “1K Tuesdays!” In the month of April, a $1,000 opportunity will be released with NO segmentation. For those of you who do not know what I mean by this let me explain. PPP gives its bloggers opportunities from different advertisers to post on their blog. However, most come with different restrictions or segmentation set by the advertisers which means your blog must have a certain Google page rank. The higher your page rank, the higher the pay of your opportunities and the more opportunities are available to you. For me, since I only have a page rank of…ZERO, so I usually don’t have many opportunities available for my blog. BUT! With this new 1K Tuesday deal…I have a shot at a HUGE opportunity!

This This 1K Tuesday is sponsored by Zookoda, "is an email marketing application designed specifically for bloggers." Do you have consistent readers to your blog...or want to develop some?? This is a great, free option for blog marketing to get more traffic to your site.

This is really exciting. I don’t know how the girl ended up winning last week…but I’m going to try whatever I can to get the opportunity! I may have to stay at my computer all day…but for $1,000 its soooo worth it! Thanks Payperpost for keeping it fun and giving us the chance to be RICH every Tuesday and thanks Zookoda for sponsoring this 1K Tuesday! =)

Good Friday

As you may know this is "Holy Week", the week that Christ was betrayed, arrested, and sentenced to death on the cross. Today, Good Friday, is the day that Jesus crucified.

'From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:45-54)

I cannot even imagine what it must have been like for the people witnessing! To me, the power of God stands out so much in this verse. When you look back and read what happened when Jesus gave up his spirit..its incredible. Imagine just how terrifying that would have been...especially for those who just put Jesus on the cross. I love how they knew right away (finally) that Jesus "surely was the son of God!" Imagine what it would feel like knowing you just killed the Son of God! But, it was all a part of God's plan from the beginning. Jesus did not stay dead and buried...God raised him to life! Which is why we celebrate Easter! Personally, I think this is the most significant week in a Christians life. Because of the events that took place during this week in Jesus' life, we can have hope that this life is not the end. On the cross, Jesus suffered for OUR sins so that we could have life after death! The amount of love God has for us is unfathomable!

Women Savers

If you're in a relationship, or looking for one, finding a guy who is loving, sweet, and respectful is very important. For many women, all too often they find a guy who SEEMS like he displays all of these characteristics at first, but then once they are committed to him, his real side comes out...and its not pretty. These kind of relationships can lead to abuse, cheating, and other kinds of harm that no women would choose. Women Savers is a site to help women make better choices on the men they choose to date. This site is the World's Largest Database Rating Abusive and Cheating Men. They have hundreds of ratings on men, so if you are at all suspicious of a man, look him up and see what his rating is BEFORE you get involved!



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Technorati

Since my blog is just a baby, I'm don't have much traffic to it and as of now my page rank is a wonderful ZERO! So, I just signed up with technorati to try and get my blog out there a little bit and hopefully get some people visiting it! Here's a link to my Technorati Profile, check it out! =)

Looking for a new cell phone plan?

If you are looking for a new phone, a new calling plan, or even phone accessories, then I would definitely recommend checking out Wirefly.com for some great cell phone deals. If you need a plan, they offer free phones with a two-year contract agreement with several major cell phone carriers. Switching your wireless carrier and changing your plan to better suite your needs, could help you save big…then you’ll have more money to put towards a new phone or accessories!

Finding the right plan can be tough though, especially if you’ve stuck with the same carrier for awhile. That’s why Wirefly has great resources to help you shop for the right plan and even has developed a wireless wizard tool to help you pick the ideal plan that’s just right for you!

All of the plans I saw offered several free phone options. For example, with a family plan through Cingular, Wirefly will give you 2 free Motorola V3 Razrs PLUS two free blue tooth headsets! What a GREAT deal! I just bought a Razr with a new plan and I love it…I sure wish I got mine for free though!

Are you looking for more from your phone than the Razr offers? Well, don’t worry …Wirefly has TONS of other phones to offer! Just find the right plan and browse through all the great offers that come with the plan of your choice. If you are more of a BlackBerry kind of person, then with a new contract through T-Mobile, Nextel, or Cingular you can get the RIM BlackBerry, free! But remember, make sure you find the right plan first.

Did I mention they also offer free shipping and a satisfaction gaurantee? Wow…sounds pretty hard to pass up! So if you’re in the market for a new cell phone plan, or just a new cell phone, check out the deals at Wirefly.com!


"This is a sponsored post"

My New Nano!

For my 21st birthday Jake gave me an Ipod Nano! I love it! This little thing is so neat...its pretty, sounds great, really tiny, and has 2 GB so there is space for TONS of songs. I'm still learning about iTunes and how to get all my songs on it and organize them how I want them, but I've been having a lot of fun messing around with it and listening to the few songs I've put on it. Thanks Jake! =)

Health Insurance

Health and medical costs have increased to rediculously high amounts, which is why having a good health insurance policy is crucial. For someone my age with my history, it may seem like unneccessary expense. I hardly EVER go to the doctor, so why spend money on insurance...right? Well, maybe, but having some kind of coverage is important. Even if you dont have a history of medical expenses, you never know when one will come up. If you are without insurance, check out the Health Insurance information on SecureInsuranceQuotes.com. They will provide you will free quotes and where to find the best coverage for your needs. If you are a California resident, they will help you find a California Insurance Broker that will be right for you. Don't be stuck without insurance!

"This is a sponsored post"

Summer's just around the corner!

WOW! I cannot believe that we only have one month left of school! This year has gone by really really fast. Its been a great year...but I am sooo ready for summer! I'm planning on going out to California to live with my brother for awhile and take a class and work...and I'm sooo excited! =) Its going to be a lot of fun to be around him for awhile. I will definately miss spending time with Jake and my family here, but hopefully they will have a great summer too!

Can't wait till payday?

Sometimes waiting till that next paycheck is just too long. Medical expenses, surprised car troubles, broken refrigerator, etc. often happen at the worst possible times! If you need money right away to cover an unplanned expense, there's a solution that will help lift some stress of your finances: payday loans. These loans offer you the money you need right away, with no hassle or long process to go through! SecureLoanConsolidation.com with hook you up with information from several Maryland and Washington Cash Advance, payday loan companies so you can find whats right for you.

"This is a sponsored post"

Computer blues...

Apparently, I am not very good at trying to "fix" things on my computer. Sometimes I forget that fact and try to change things on my computer by myself...not a good idea! I have had Microsofts Beta edition of Vista on my computer for awhile, but since I put in on my computer hasnt been running as fast. So, I finally decided to put Windows XP back on. Well, Jake is really good at working with computers but was busy studying so I thought...'hey it cant be too hard, I just do it myself!' For the past four days I've been paying for my impatience because now I cant even get my computer to get past the very first screen! Ahhh! After talking to a gateway support person, and trying without success what he said to do...he concluded that there was probably "physical damage to my motherboard" and would probably need to have a technician look at it. Ummm what?! I dont even know what that is...but I know its not good and I have no idea how I could have messed it up so bad! Hopefully we, actually just Jake, can get it working again soon!

Drug Rehab Center

Drug addiction is one of the easiest ways to ruin a life. It not only effects the individual, but also their family and others close to them. If you know someone who is suffereing from addiction, then you know first hand at just how hard it is to break the addiction and start fresh. That's why the Stone Hawk drug rehab center was developed. At Stone Hawk they know what its like to be in the addicts position because they once were addicted as well. However, through this program they were saved and able to get their lives back on track.
On their site you will see that, "Stone Hawk is the most successful drug treatment program in the country, with a history of an astounding 76%+ success rate. That means that more than 3 out of 4 of our graduates leave clean, and stay clean." That's pretty amazing! If you know someone who needs to break a drug addiction, you can help save their life by checking out Stone Hawk today.
"This is a sponsored post"

MyBlogLog

Sorry, I know it has been a bit since I last posted. I have been very busy with all of my blogs, school, etc. I have three other blogs that have been on the up and coming for quite some time. Two of them are quite developed actually. I have a PR 1 and a PR 3 on those two. Be sure to check them out for a great variety of reviews on products and services. One is the Sankey Blog and also, the Blog of Jake and Renee. Anyhow, let me get down to helping you make some cash!

You absolutely must get an account at MyBlogLog.com! It will show you people that visit your site, it will show how they got there and what they viewed. Most important of all, it draws tons of traffic! Get an account today!

Shop with Coupon Chief and save!

Shopping online is a great way to find deals for what your looking for. I've found a site where you can get even BETTER deals with online coupons! Coupon Chief offers deals for over 1,000 different stores! Whether you're looking for fabric, cell phones, or even want to get started on Weight Watchers they offer coupon codes to help you save.
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D'Iberville, Mississippi...What a place!

Well I'm back from Mississippi and had a great week! Last week for spring break I was in D'Iberville, Mississippi volunteering with a foundation to help with Hurricane Katrina relief. Going down there I wasn't sure what to expect. I mean, its been over a year since the hurricane so there cant be that much left to do...right? Little did I know, there is still a TON of work that needs to be done! It was incredible being down there and seeing only a tiny bit of what these people have been through.

D'Iberville is right next to Boluxi, Mississippi which is right on the coast. Both towns, as was the case with just about every town along the coast, have severe damage. All the news that was focused on the hurricane could never truly portray how horrible and scary its was for these people. Irene, the lady who has headed up the whole volunteer village we worked with, gave us a little idea of what it was like on our first night there. She described how the wind was sustained at 120 mph for about 18 hours, with gusts on top of that! These extremely high winds brought a 20-25 ft wave from the gulf that swept over and demolished hundreds of homes and businesses and whatever else was in its path. Can you even imagine what that would look like?! As she was describing what went on that day/night it sounded like something that could only be on a movie, but it was actually reality and I was standing where it all happened.

My group took one evening to drive along the coast and even now it looks like there was a war in this town. Many properties have only the foundations left where beautiful homes used to stand, others have huge holes in the side of their businesses where it looks like one of those big demolition balls swung through the building. Some hotels and other buildings are already rebuilt, but many are still sitting there in ruins.

Hearing the stories of people who experienced the hurricane was amazing. Judy, the owner of one house we worked on, told us how she had 12 ft of water in her house and the whole thing floated off its foundation about 3 ft! The only thing now left of her old house is the foundation.

My job for the week was to help Tony and Cocoa paint the inside of their house. They had about 4 ft of water rush through their home and as a result had to re-sheet rock house and then everything that follows. After all this time, they were finally able to move back into their house about a month ago and painting was one of the final steps to having their home completed again.

These are just two homes we were able to work on, but there are so many more! Because low funds, problems with insurance companies and grant money...many people rely on the volunteers and donated material to rebuild their homes. Since this is so limited, some people have only been able to wait this whole time and are just beginning the rebuilding process...other have not even been able to start! These people have gone through so much it's unbelievable and even though the drama of the storm is over and we never hear about it in the media...they are still trying to living with its effects and are struggling to build their lives back to normal.

Though the hurricane has caused so much devastation, there has still been good that has been a result of it. Because the government has provided the aid that is needed, many people have relied on the faith based organizations for help getting their lives back. It was such a blessing to be able to provide hope for these people. Even though I was only there for a week and these families still have a ways to go, I was able to bring them that much further to completion. Its amazing how God can use what may seem like even the worst circumstances to show His love and glory!

There is a lot of progress that has been made, but still a lot to be done and people who need hope. So if you have anytime at all to help...do it! They need you down there and they need the word to be spread that even though the storm is over, the people are still suffering from it.

Online Insurance Source

Finding the right insurance can be a time consuming and difficult task. Whether its car, auto, house, or life insurance comparing companies is a very important step in the process. Of course, finding the right company is only part of the deal. You also need to find which type of insurance is right for you. But where do you even begin??
There are several online sources that help you find the right insurance coverage for your needs and your budget. Insurance Portal Online is one source that offers a great deal of info for several different insurance policy options. This site will give you quotes from tons of different companies, so you can get the best rate for your needs. In addition, Insurance Portal Online is a smaller insurance firm so you will recieve more personal care and customer service.

Spring Break!

Only one more day of classes and I'm ready for break! YES! I'm super excited for this next week. For spring break this year I have to opportunity to go down to Mississippi with my family and some others from my church to help with hurricane relief. I'm not sure what our exact jobs will be, but once we get down there we will get filled in on our assignments for the rest of the week. Its going to be a lonnnnng drive down there, but well worth it! I'm really excited to see how God is going to use me and the rest of the team throughout our week down in Mississippi!

ProBlogger Live Job Board - Get paid to blog

The great new ProBlogger Live blog that helps bloggers to earn money blogging has started up their new Job Board! The Job Board is a terrific resource for finding full/part time jobs blogging and doing blog related things. The jobs are things like, posting on a given company's blog and get paid $10-$30 PER POST with little to no limits on how many posts to do per day! Be sure to check out the job board as often as possible to view all of the latest job offers on the web. The jobs will be updated constantly so be sure that you bookmark the board! Enjoy!

First FDA approved diet pill

Just recently the FDA has put their first stamp of approval on an over-the-counter diet pill. This new pill, called Alli, works by blocking the about 25% of the fat you eat from being absorbed. Diet pills are not something I have ever been a fan of, but if taken correctly, I think this could help a lot of people. For those people who exercise and try to watch what they eat, but still can't lose the weight they want, this may be their answer. It doesn't shed the pounds instantly, but over time, it has been proven to help lose weight. I'm sure a lot of people over use or misuse diet pills, thinking it will help them lose weight faster...but that's not the case with this pill. If missused, it will only worsen the side effects which would mainly consist of some serious diarrhea. So, if you are looking for something to help you lose weight ( in ADDITION to a good diet and exercise!) then this may be something to check out.

Gooooooooooogle!

YES! I finally am indexed in google! This is really exciting for me, because I would really like to start posting for PayPerPost. But before I get going with that, I need my blog to be indexed with Google...well now it IS!!! This is great.

My New Phone!

I finally have a new phone! I just signed up with a new contract so I was able to get a nice phone for a good price...so I bought the V3 Razr! I've only had two other phones in the past, but its by far the best so far!

Pentax Optio M20

Check out my new camera! So far I'm enjoying it. I loved my old HP camera, but it was started to give out a little so it was time for an upgrade. My Optio M20 has 7 megapixels, a 2.5 inch screen, Quicktime motion picture capture,...and a lot more!

Cocoa may improve brain function!

I know, it sounded a little crazy to me at first too, but apparently studies are showing that cocoa my improve blood flow in the brain. As a result, it just may have the ability to fight off dementia. Because we live in an ageing society, cases of dementia are being seen more and more and medical researchers are seeking ways to help/prevent this. Researcher have found that one potential source of help for our brains may be flavanols. Flavanols are an antioxidant that can increase blood flow to the brain, and it just so happens to be found in cocoa beans! Now dont start clearing out your local supermarket of cocoa, because the cocoa typically sold in stores in low in flavanols to lessen the bitter taste. However, I'm sure it isnt too difficult to find cocoa high in these antioxidants, so check it out and make a nice hot cup of cocoa a part of your diet! You can read more about his story at MSNBC.com.

The Sower

This is one of the parables of Jesus that means the most to me. I had the opportunity to be a part of a mission project in Poland and this was one of our lessons. In my readings the other day I came across it again so I'm going to share it with you! The Parable of the Sower is found in Matthew 13 and is about a farmer who went out and scattered his seeds. Some fell on the path, where they were eaten by the birds, some fell on rocky places with little soil, some fell among the thorns, and others fell on good soil. Verses 19-23 explains how this relates to us:

"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

My New Blog!!

Yeahhh!!! I finally have my own blog! I'm really excited to get started. My boyfriend Jake created it for me...doesnt it look great?! He does a great job with html editing, as you can see. He's really creative and I'm pretty sure he can do just about anything on a computer. Thanks Jake, I love it!

Runway Models

As I have written about before, weight issues are something that I have a heart for. It's not because I am too fat or too thin or have struggled with weight before, I think its just because I care about how people feel about themselves and I know the pressure we all face to look a certain way. The fashion industry is something I find very frustrating. Don't get me wrong, I love fashion and part of me dreams of being a designer...but its the models that bother me. I'm sure not all runway models are way too skinny, but many are. Why is it that the 'standard' size of runway models seems to get smaller and smaller? I'm not trying to blame the models themselves or put this on them, I'm sure they face a tremendous amount of pressure to be thin. I can't imagine what these girls go through

Obesity - How bad is it really?

CAUSES OF DEATH - U.S. 1990

Tobacco 400,000
Diet/Activity Patterns 300,000
Alcohol 100,000
Microbial Agents 90,000
Toxic Agents 60,000
Firearms 35,000
Sexual Behavior 30,000
Motor Vehicles 25,000

We've all heard about these numbers right....labeling obesity as one of the top causes of death in the US? But where does it actually say anything about "obesity" or being "overweight"?

Yes, our nation is becoming more and more fat, but is it really as lethal of a problem as we make it? It sad that we dont hear the real statistics on this:

"For overweight and obesity combined, our estimate was 25,814 excess deaths" (Flegal et al, JAMA 2005)

What they don't tell us is that the "obesity rate" is actually a combination of undereating and overeating. If only we were aware of the fact that being too thin may be just as harmful as being too fat.

A little of my Urbana experience...

I am so thankful I had the opportunity to be a part of Urbana 06. It was such a great experience and through my time there I learned so much about myself personally and the world around me. Throughout the week we studied the book of Ephesians, in which Paul makes a strong emphasis on the unity of the body of Christ. Taking a deeper look at these passages really made me see some things in a new way. As Paul writes, we are all ONE body. Yes, of course I've been taught this before, but sometimes I forget what that really means. We all come to Christ the same way, kneeling before him, and are all unified through him. As one body, each part should feel the effects of the others. Urbana game me just a small picture of the oppression faced by many people in other countries. Some of these issues include the effects of AIDS on children and families in Africa and the horrific reality of child sex trafficking. As I thought about Paul's teaching of being one body in Christ, and then learned about some of the issues that others are facing everyday, it changed my heart and really made me feel for these people in a new way. It's easy to feel the effects of things that happen to people in our own church body, but in these passages Paul isn't talking about just the people we see on Sunday or in our community; he is talking about our brothers and sisters in Christ everywhere. Many of these people suffering from the effects of AIDS or from human trafficking are our own brothers and sisters in Christ; and as one body, we should feel the effect of their suffering. Of course we can't all go out and save each person, but as I was also reminded at Urbana, God is greater than we could ever give Him credit for and he hears our prayers. Many of these people are crying out to God for freedom from their suffering and though we will probably never know these people, we can at least join them in prayer so they will not be alone!