5 Useful iOS Apps

Devices that use iOS – iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad – are useful for many reasons. Haters can disagree all they like, but Apple has the corner on function and usefulness – with a whole lot of style thrown into the mix. The fabulous user-interface, effortless multi-touch technology, and thousands of apps available for download are just three reasons to use an iOS device.

Here, in no particular order, are five generally-useful iOS apps.
Dropbox
Cost: Your first 2 GB of storage is free, subsequent storage space costs, starting at $9.99 a month. You can get extra storage space through referrals and by completing a few easy steps as set out by Dropbox.
Dropbox is a web-based storage options that uses the cloud to store files and folders. You can share those files and folders with people, or keep them to yourself. Because all data is stored in the cloud, you can access your photos and files from any device, be it your computer or iOS device. The only downside to this app is the lack of ability to sort your files by date.

Evernote
Cost: Basic is free, upgrade to a paid account is optional, which gives you more storage space and added features.
Evernote is a great app that allows you to write notes, store photos, save voice notes, copy snippets of text or even whole screenshots and save them in the cloud. Your info syncs automatically across all of your devices. Anyone who relies on notes for their day-to-day lives – students, writers, admin assistants, etcetera – this app is a must-have.

Skype
Cost: Basic Skype is free. If you want to make calls to landlines or cell phones, you need to buy a subscription or purchase credits.
Skype is a great app that lets you make calls over the internet to other computers (people who have Skype accounts), cell phones, and landlines. The messaging service also works great. You can also make video calls to other Skype users.

Kindle
Cost: Free (there are free books available, too – but most have a purchase price).
Kindle has more books available for purchase or download compared to iBooks. If you want to stick with Apple apps only, that’s fine. But if you’re a reader, and you want access to tons of books, download Kindle. It’s free. Bonuses include different font selections, different colorations (black background with white text, white background with black text, or dark text on a sepia background.) You can also adjust the brightness manually with a slider. If you like to read in bed, and don’t sleep alone, the white-text-on-a-black-background is a great feature.

Facebook
Cost: Free.
iPad owners rejoice! Facebook has finally come out with a version specifically designed for the iPad’s larger screen. The iPhone/iPod touch versions of FB are really quite cramped and not very user-friendly. The iPad version, on the other hand, is a joy: side-bars hold the nav bar (on the left side) and information bars (on the right side) take advantage of all the extra space. You can look at photos full-screen, and you can also zoom and navigate using multi-touch gestures. Facebook for iPad is a must for FB users.
Well, readers, that’s the first five on our favorites list. What are your favorite apps for iOS?

Why you should consider Sucanat

Do you have a sweet tooth? Are you aware of all of the health issues associated with using refined sugar? How about the dangers of artificial sweeteners? When you spend a bit of time to look into those issues, you'll be amazed at the health risks you subject yourself to when you eat chemical sweeteners OR refined sugar on a regular basis. I'm going to talk about the unsafe options vs Sucanat, a healthy substitute for both.

Refined Sugar

White sugar, or any processed sugar (including brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, or icing sugar) is a highly-processed food item. Sugar canes (or sugar beets) are harvested and the syrup is evaporated, heated, and the molasses has been removed. In doing so, all of the minerals and vitamins of the plant are removed. Brown sugar has some of the molasses added back in, but even that molasses has been highly processed in that most of the nutrition is removed for other uses.

Because all of the nutrition is removed from sugar during this process, what is left is pure carbohydrates, which the body stores as fat. Even worse, the daily consumption of sugar puts the body in an inbalance, which causes many illnesses, vitamin deficiencies, and tooth decay. Excess sugar stored in the body can also lead to diabetes.

I'm not even going to go into high-fructose corn syrup and its dangers, because that's a whole article worth of badness.

Chemical Sweeteners

There are several different types of chemical sweeteners, but the most common are aspartame and sucralose (Splenda). 

Aspartame

Aspartame, like MSG, is an excitotoxin. That means it excites parts of the brain and eventually cause cell death if it is eaten too much. Even though many studies show that aspartame causes cancer and infertility in rats, it was approved for human consumption and remains common in every day foods. Cancers associated with consumption are testes, thyroid, pancreas, breast, prostate, and brain.

What is most unfortunate is that aspartame is found in many food items consumed by children. As they age, their exposure to this harmful substance will accumulate and many could develop cancers or increase the liklihood that their offspring will be infertile.

In addition to cancers and infertility, aspartame also triggers sensitivities in millions of people. Dizziness, headache, nausea, seizures, and other brain function issues have all been reported after consuming aspartame.

Sucralose (Splenda)

The company that produces Splenda is very quick to say it's made from sugar, but so what? Sugar isn't even healthy for you. Even worse, sucralose is made by chlorinating the sugar. Yum. While likely not quite as dangerous as aspartame (originally made by Monsanto, by the way – BOO!), it still is not a “safe” alternative. Pre-approval studies showed sucralose was associated with shrunken thymus glands and enlarged kidneys and livers.

Sucanat

Sucanat (a trademarked name) is made by harvesting organic sugar cane plants. The syrup from those plants is removed and then dried. The resulting dried product, which is light brown/golden in colour and looks grainy, is packaged and sold as Sucanat. That's it. So what does that tell you? It's a whole food, contains all its original vitamins and minerals, and is actually GOOD for you. One teaspoon contains 15 calories, but it also has iron, calcium, B6, chromium, and potassium.

Because Sucanat contains less sucrose than refined sugar, it tastes less sweet, which can take some getting used to, but it has a natural flavour and no aftertaste. It tastes a lot like brown sugar, with a lovely molasses smell. A further pro is that Sucanat is made from organic cane sugar, and the company that makes it (Wholesome Sweeteners) is certified fair trade.

Each bag of Sucanat (it comes in a 16 oz or 32 oz size) includes a recipe for using the product. You can buy sucanat at most health food stores, or in the organic/health food section of your local grocery store.

Natural cane sugar products have been linked to positive dental health, as well. It is thought that several components of Sucanat inhibits dental caries (cavities) and can promote a healthy mouth.

So – are you convinced yet? Switch to Sucanat and eat a whole food rather than a highly-processed or chemical sweetener, and reap the benefits.

**I have no association with the company that produces Sucanat.**

Sources

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/salud/esp_salud23n.htm

http://loveforlife.com.au/content/08/03/11/my-aspartame-experiment-female-rat-developed-mammary-tumor-so-large-she-often-used-

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-sweeteners.html

http://www.vollrohrzucker.webs.com/eng/wirkung_karies.html

Article - Why Does My Blood Sugar Rise After Exercise?

Introduction

Blood sugar level, also called blood glucose level or blood sugar concentration, is the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. Sugar, called glucose by the medical community, is the main fuel source for a body's cells. The hormone called insulin makes the glucose available for use by the cells. Too much glucose in the bloodstream is called hyperglycemia. One cause of hyperglycemia is Diabetes mellitus. A person with Diabetes does not produce enough insulin and therefore cannot control the amount of sugar in his or her bloodstream. Both long-term hyperglycemia as well as fluctuating blood sugar levels are dangerous and can cause severe side effects and shortened life span.

Exercise

In some people, especially those who have high blood sugar levels before exercise, their blood sugars will rise after exercise. Normally, exercise causes blood sugar to drop, but in cases where the glucose levels are already high, the stress caused by strenuous exercise causes the liver to release excess glucose into the bloodstream.

Testing

It is very important for diabetics to consistently monitor their blood sugar levels. To make sure exercise is safe, they should test before, during, and after exercise. This will help determine when the best time of day is for exercise on an individual basis, plus it will help prevent dangerous glucose level fluctuations. The best time to test is thirty minutes before exercise and then immediately before exercise begins to make sure no major change has occurred.

Sugar Levels

The Mayo Clinic says that when the blood sugar level is between 5.6 mmol/L and 13.9 mmol/L (100 mg/dL and 250 mg/dL), exercise is safe. If the sugar level is more than 16.7 mmol/L (300 mg/dL), then levels could rise after exercise and cause an unsafe blood glucose level. In this scenario, exercise should be avoided. To prevent dangerously low levels, test every thirty minutes during extended exercise situations. If levels drop to 3.9 mmol/L (70 mg/dL) or lower, stop exercising immediately and take measures to raise blood sugar levels.

Cautions

Never exercise right before bedtime, since exercise usually causes blood sugar levels to drop, and this could result in hypoglycemic levels occurring sleep. Consult your doctor to determine what type of exercise is best for your situation, and how to design an exercise program for you if you've been inactive recently.

Sources

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/diabetes/131-1.html

http://www.diabetes.org/news-research/research/access-diabetes-research/advanced-diabetes-may-hinder.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-and-exercise/DA00105

German Traditions of the Spider Christmas Tree Ornament

By Rebecca MacLary

The history of the Christmas tree as we know it today is said to have started in Germany.  There is conflicting information about its origins but most agree that the first decorated Christmas tree was erected some time in the 15th or 16th century century.  Traditions have evolved since then and many different cultures have their own customs.  One fascinating Christmas tree tradition is the German tradition of the spider ornament.

Many years ago, on Christmas Eve, the woman of the house tidied her home in preparation of the upcoming festivities.  She swept the house spotless, and all of the spiders ran and hid in the attic.  The family erected their Christmas tree and spent the evening decorating it.  When the adornment was complete, the family went to bed while the woman stayed up to do more cleaning.  She was the last to go to bed.

In the middle of the night, the spiders crept out from the attic and went back to the living room.  Behold, there was a beautiful Christmas tree!  The spiders leaped from branch to branch in joy, inspecting the tree and all its ornaments.  The spiders´ activity covered the tree in a thick gray web, hiding all the ornaments.

Weihnachtsmann, or Father Christmas, arrived soon after, and saw what the spiders had done.  He was pleased that the spiders had so enjoyed themselves, but knew the family would be heartbroken to come down to a tree covered in thick spider webs.  Father Christmas touched the webs, and they magically turned into strands of silver and gold. 

When the family came downstairs in the morning, they gasped with surprise.  The woman of the house knew that the new decorations were a Christmas miracle.  They so enjoyed the look of the tree, they adopted the tradition of adorning Christmas trees with tinsel.  Some families even began the custom of placing a small spider ornament hidden somewhere among the branches.

Many cultures follow the custom of decorating a Christmas tree for the Yuletide season.  Many households, in Germany and elsewhere, also hang a spider ornament from the branches to represent that Christmas miracle from long ago.  Decorate your tree with tinsel, and remember the story of its origin.

Win a Rosetta Stone course!

Now is the perfect time to give your child the gift of possibilities for the holidays with Rosetta Stone Homeschool — and you can WIN a Level 1 Homeschool program, language of your choice (valued at $249)!

Right now Rosetta Stone is having a special Holiday promotion on our Homeschool Edition program and we’d like you to help spread the word! Everyone can save up to $150 on Rosetta Stone Homeschool by visiting our website at http://www.RosettaStone.com/hsw1110.

By helping us spread the word you can win a Rosetta Stone Homeschool Edition Level 1 program, language of your choice, valued at $249.

This is a computer based curriculum and Rosetta Stone will also include a headset with microphone, and a supplementary “Audio Companion” CD so you can practice lessons in the car, on the go, or where-ever!

Students participate in life-like conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone incorporates listening, reading, grammar, vocabulary and writing along with speaking and pronunciation lessons. For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program to allow parents to easily enroll up to ten students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, grade completed work (the program grades the work automatically as the students progress), and you can view and print reports for transcripts. Homeschooling a lot of kids at your house? This program is designed to enroll and track up to ten students (five users on two computers) and will work for nearly all ages — from beginning readers up to college students.

To win this program, copy these paragraphs and post them in (or as) your next blog post, and/OR post about this contest on your facebook page. Then go to the original page at

http://www.othersuchhappenings.com/2010/12/rosetta-stone-giveaway-yay.html

and leave a comment saying that you’ve posted about, or have linked to, the contest. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post, and good luck!

***

***Open to U.S. Residents ONLY.

Happy Labour Day!

From Wikipedia:

Labour Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in Canada since the 1880s. The origins of Labour Day in Canada can be traced back to April 14, 1872 when a parade was staged in support of the Toronto Typographical Union's strike for a 58-hour work-week.[1] The Toronto Trades Assembly (TTA) called its 27 unions to demonstrate in support of the Typographical Union who had been on strike since March 25.[1] George Brown, Canadian politician and editor of the Toronto Globe hit back at his striking employees, pressing police to charge the Typographical Union with "conspiracy."[1] Although the laws criminalising union activity were outdated and had already been abolished in Great Britain, they were still on books in Canada and police arrested 24 leaders of the Typographical Union. Labour leaders decided to call another similar demonstration on September 3 to protest the arrests. Seven unions marched in Ottawa, prompting a promise by Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald to repeal the "barbarous" anti-union laws.[1] Parliament passed the Trade Union Act on June 14 the following year, and soon all unions were demanding a 54-hour work-week.

The Toronto Trades and Labour Council (successor to the TTA) held similar celebrations every spring. American Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was asked to speak at a labour festival in Toronto, Canada on July 22, 1882. Returning to the United States, McGuire and the Knights of Labor organised a similar parade based on the Canadian event on September 5, 1882 in New York City, USA. On July 23, 1894, Canadian Prime Minister John Thompson and his government made Labour Day, to be held in September, an official holiday. In the United States, the New York parade became an annual event that year, and in 1894 was adopted by American president Grover Cleveland to compete with International Workers' Day (May Day).

While Labour Day parades and picnics are organised by unions, many Canadians regard Labour Day as the Monday of the last long weekend of summer. Non-union celebrations include picnics, fireworks displays, water activities, and public art events. Since the new school year generally starts right after Labour Day, families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer.

An old custom prohibits the wearing of white after Labour Day. The explanations for this tradition range from the fact that white clothes are worse protection against cold weather in the winter to the fact that the rule was intended as a status symbol for new members of the middle class in the late 19th century and early 20th century.[1][2]

A Labour Day tradition in Atlantic Canada would be the Wharf Rat Rally, while the rest of Canada is watching Labour Day Classic, Canadian Football League event where rivals like Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts, and Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers play on Labour Day weekend. Before the demise of the Ottawa Renegades after the 2005 season, that team played the nearby Montreal Alouettes on Labour Day weekend. Since then, the Alouettes have played the remaining team in the league, the BC Lions.

Labour Day parade in Grand Falls-Windsor Newfoundland started in 1910 and still continues today, over 100 years later. The celebrations go on for three days with the parade on Labour Day Monday.

Vaccine Zombie

New Kitty

A lot has been going on in the last few months! A new career turn for me (writing is going very well, I have several regular online writing jobs) and a move coming up on October 1. We're moving back to London, since we were unable to find a suitable place in a good neighbourhood, within our price range, that would take the dog. And now we have a kitten, too.

I've spoken with several people who said that another dog or cat would make a big difference in Harley's separation anxiety. One guy I met at the dog park said his german shepherd would chew through doors when she was left alone! After they got her a cat, she calmed right down and now can be left alone without incident. Amazing.

So since we have a solid move-in date, we decided to get a kitten for Harley. Ok, for me too. I really miss Birdie, and I know she's in a great home... but now that we have a dog who won't EAT a cat, I really wanted another one. So I started searching Kijiji for a free kitten. A few days later, I found a listing for a litter that was born June 10. There were 5 kittens, and two of them were white with a grey mohawk and black noses. I emailed the lady and asked if the female white one was still available, and told her a bit about myself and my family. She responded and said she would love to give me the last girl kitty.

Yesterday I made arrangements to borrow a cat carrier. The same friend who lent me that also gave me a small litter box! Thanks Stephie! That cut down on a lot of cost, and let me spend a little more on quality kitten food (Blue Buffalo brand: no by-products, no wheat/soy/corn, no artificial flavours). I also got some Swheat Scoop litter.

Swheat Scoop is made from wheat and other grains. It is completely renewable, biodegradeable, flushable (supposedly), clumping, and chemical-free. I love the fact that it has no clay or other mined products. I've read a lot about clay litter, and how it can cause illness and death in cats and kittens. I got the small bag to try it out.

I met the lady and her daughter in the pet store parking lot. The lady was carrying the kitten in her arms. My first thought was, "man, she's fuzzy!" She has longer wispy hairs all over her body. She's not a long-haired cat, but she'd definitely not a short hair! Her eyes are a weird yellow-brown colour and the black mark on her nose is so cute...she is pure white, except for the streak of grey on her forehead.
She's still very small, being only 10 weeks. I haven't weighed her yet but she's definitely under three pounds. She's got a lot of attitude in that little body! She has already told Harley to back off a few times. He needs to learn to respect her space. She's not afraid to spit and use her claws!

In any case, I'll post back in a while with a review on the litter. Hopefully it works well for her, because I really don't want to use clay litter. I'm actually toying with the idea of training her to use the toilet...

Earning Money Online

I am sure there are millions of web pages and blogs dedicated to the topic of earning money online.  From content articles to entire web pages, people devote a lot of time, money, and energy to this topic.
 A person who is interested in making money online has thousands of options.  From completing paid surveys to reading articles, to writing e-books, there is a job for someone.  You just have to be willing to work cheap and fast, in some cases, to establish some credibility in your area or niche. 
For those people with administrative skills, there are a lot of transcription jobs available.  For coders, the opportunities are endless.  The same goes for many different skill sets.  You just need to know where to look for work.
 I have found that the best place to find work is on job bidding sites.  There are a few that offer a certain number of bids per month for users with a free account.  They take a certain percentage of your profits.  Other job bidding sites require you pay a base fee each month for membership, but they take less of your earnings.  Lastly, there are a couple bidding sites that are completely free to bid an unlimited amount of jobs each month, but they take up to 15% of your profits.  It's up to you to decide which bidding site(s) you'd rather deal with.
Some common sites  are Elance, vWorker, Guru, and PeoplePerHour. 
Elance - has a basic (free) membership that gives you 10 bids a month.  Elance takes up to 8.75% of each job pay.  Also has 2 additional member levels that you must pay for but those allow you more bids each month and Elance takes a smaller percentage of your profits.
vWorker - free, with unlimited bids per month.  vWorker takes 15% of your profits, with a minimum $3 charge on each job you win.
 Guru - has a free membership level, but the jobs offered to people with free membership, I have found, are few and far between.  So not really worth your time, in my opinion.
PeoplePerHour - based in the UK but people from all over the world post looking for workers (and jobs). Free membership, and PPH takes a cut.  (unsure how much, 10% maybe?)

New Blog Created!

Well I got the new blog up and running.  I've located it at http://get-fit-with-berry.blogspot.com and I've given it a temporary name of "Health and Fitness with Berry."  I may or may not keep the name, it all depends on if someone makes a recommendation that I like better.  See previous post HERE regarding contest for new blog name!

You won't likely see any more general health and fitness postings here.  What I plan on doing is making this my personal blog (as it was intended all along), and branching off with other blogs, each focusing on a different topic.  Eventually I will have one for Real Food and assorted recipes, and maybe one for crafts.  Or maybe this will become the craft blog and I'll start a new personal one that isn't linked to all over the place.  Who knows.

In any case, changes are underway.  Please don't let that bother you!  Stick around, and see what happens!

Contest!

I will be starting a new blog separate from this one, based on Health and Fitness.  My interests are so varied, I need to have a specialized outlet for each one so people coming here for one thing aren't forced to read about another.  Of course, everyone who reads this blog is welcome to sign up to follow me on the new blog!  I'd love to take you all along with me!

Anyhoo, onto the contest.  Creative writing isn't my strong suit, except for the occasional haiku when inspiration strikes.  I'm having a hard time coming up with a suitable name for the health and fitness blog.  It needs to be fairly short (3 words or less), catchy, and relevant.  Here's where you come in.

Submit your suggestions in the comments section (or email me privately if you'd prefer) and, should I choose your name suggestion, you win a prize!  I haven't decided upon what the prize will be.  But it will be good.

Contest is open to residents of the world.  So have at it - contest closes Friday night at 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time.  Good luck.

***Edited to add:  Since I've had several people asking me to clarify what specifically will be discussed on the new blog, here's a list of things that will be included (and no longer discussed on THIS blog):
~fitness, fitness challenges, workouts, etc
~any alternative health issues
~discussions about chiropractic, massage, etc
~posts concerning Real Food, recipes, and how foods affect your health
~any reviews relating to any of the above topics (books, magazines, workout videos, reviews of specific practitioners, etc)
~I will be taking applications from advertisers within those fields, so if you or anyone one you know is a practitioner (registered massage therapist, aromatherapist, chiropractor, reiki, etc), talk to me.

How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off

I wrote a super long article today (1600 ish words) and turned it into a HubPage called How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off.  I thought about selling it on Constant-Content, but I used first person POV and it would have been a pain to edit all that out.  I find I am much more comfortable writing weight loss articles when I can talk a bit about my experience and knowledge base in the first person.  C-C doesn't accept first person POV so that would have taken a lot of work.

In any case, I have compiled and expanded upon all my weight loss and fitness knowledge.  I don't go into a lot of detail regarding Real Foods, but that will come and get attached to this hub.

Here's the link, read it, enjoy it, use it.  And if you like it, click the buttons at the bottom that are most applicable, like "useful" or whatever.  And leave a comment - I love comments!

Hub Pages I've Written

As indicated in a previous post, I've created two Hub pages.  The first was based on the article, "When to Have Children and How Many to Have" and you can go HERE to check out the hub.  I plan on adding a poll to see how many children readers think is a good amount.

The second one I created is called "How to Make a Composter" and you can see it HERE.

I really enjoy creating hub pages.  I'm working on one now - it will be titled, "Ten Halloween Costume Ideas for Kids."  I'll come back and add the link as an edit when I'm done.

Edited to add:  HERE is the Hub page for the Halloween costume ideas.

Enjoy your reading!  If you like what you read, please consider leaving a comment or question, and click the button if you found my articles "useful."

2 Haikus

  Here are some haiku poems I've had published with Helium.

              ~~~ BUYER BEWARE~~~

"Caveat Emptor"

Buyer beware.  Read the fine

Print or get burned.

RAGE

Anger so blinding

It makes my vision go black

And spotted with red.

A Brief Review of HubPages

HubPages is one of those resources for freelance writers who want to use their writing abilities to make some money via passive income - aka ad revenue.  It's an extremely friendly site, especially for people who might be technically limited.  Basically the premise is this:  you write an article.  You create a Hub page, wherein you design (using super easy user-friendly click-to-select or drag-and-drop style design) and make a mini web page featuring your article.  If you have affiliate advertising membership with Amazon, eBay, and Adsense, so much the better.

You have the option to insert different "capsules" into your hub.  From easy-create polls, to quizzes, there are tons of fun add-ins you can choose.  Once you have people interested in your article, they can rate it up or down, or describe it as "useful," "funny," "awesome," or "beautiful." Depending on the ratings your hub receives, and how much traffic it pulls in, your hub is rated on a score of 1-100, with 100 being the top rating.

I've made 2 hubs so far, and honestly, it's kind of fun.  It's a nice change from writing for Constant-Content.  I've made it my goal to make at least one hub a day.  Let's see if I can keep up with that goal.

Here's a link to one of the hubs I made, so you can see what it looks like.  Keep in mind that the hubs are totally customizable according to the "hubber's" preferences.

Freelance Writing Takes a Lot of Work

Wow.  I've just totalled up all the writing I've done in the last 9 days.  Since June 12th, I've:

~submitted 18 articles to Constant-Content;
~had 4 articles published on Triond;
~had 8 haikus published on Triond;
~submitted 4 haikus to Helium ( a mistake, I think);
~submitted 7 articles to a private client thru Elance;
~submitted 1 blog post and 1 article to a private client thru Elance, and
~created 2 hubpages.

Keep in mind that, except for the four articles for Triond, all of the articles and poems were written in the last 9 days.   Although I'd love some day to work part-time hours for full-time pay, I think that the more work I put into this endeavor now, the more I'll get out of it (and sooner).  I'm not one for lollygagging around once I put my  mind to it-I jump in with both feet.

I am grateful that I have my laptop.  With the arrival of warm, sunny weather, D and I have been going outside into the backyard more often than not.  I take my work along with me.  The only downside to my laptop is that the battery is really crappy and only lasts about an hour.  I aim to improve that with a new battery purchased off ebay with my FIRST ELANCE EARNINGS!!!!  I've ordered the 9-cell battery, now I just have to wait for it to get here.

I've been staying up late (usually until 2 am) writing and researching.  These last few days, I've been reading about how to make passive income online.  Interesting stuff, but it takes a lot of work and can be confusing.  I'm still trying to wade my way through it all.

Needless to say, I won't be posting quite as often as I'd like, but I'll try to check in regularly so you all know what's going on.

Edited to add:  In case you'd like to read/buy any of my work, here are some links to my profiles for each of the sites (click the names of the sites):

Constant-Content where high-quality articles are purchased

HubPages where I create mini-webpages (hubs) on different topics centred around articles, recipes, and more

Elance where I bid on freelance writing jobs

Triond is a site where I submit articles and haikus for ad revenue, not sale.

I won't mention Helium, because I don't plan on submitting any more work to them.

A Haiku for My Husband on Father's Day

ROBOT LOVE

Robots are coming, 

Created to rule the world:

Are you friend or foe?

New Business Cards!

I'm so excited!

I wrestled with the idea of getting a new set of business cards printed.  I  mean, my biggest issue was, "Why do I need biz cards?  Aren't they pretty irrelevant for a freelance writer?  To whom would I give business cards?"

Well.  Self-promotion is a freelance writer's number one responsibility.  So business cards ARE useful.  I plan on writing a post on the usefulness of business cards and where you can post/hand out/leave them in order to grow your business.

This is the design for my new business cards.  I ordered them today from VistaPrint.  It's not the first time I've ordered from there-all of my business stationary and advertising needs are handled by VistaPrint.  

I got an email today from VP, offering 250 Premium business cards FREE.  It was a limited offer.  I spent about 4 hours last night scrolling through all the designs they offer, but I wasn't convinced to plunk down the money for cards, as I still hadn't convinced myself that I really NEEDED them.  So the email was pretty fortuitous.

If you order a free product, all you pay for is shipping and taxes.  This order for 250 cards came to a total of under $10.  I picked the "slow shipping", which is just regular mail.  Every other order I've placed, I've used the same kind of shipping and received my order within a week.  Officially, it can take up to 21 days, I think.  But I've never had to wait that long.

I'm excited and impatient.  I can't wait to open my mailbox and see the little white box sitting inside....opening the package is always thrilling, when you get to see your order for the first time in real life, in real colours.  I've been extremely satisfied with my other 2 business card designs and printing quality.  VistaPrint rocks!

If you're interested in checking out VistaPrint, click HERE and you will be offered 25% off your order.**  After that, you will receive regular emails offering lots of cool stuff and tons of free items.

* you can get regular (not premium) business cards for free ALL the time (you pay shipping) as long as you choose the option where they put a bit of advertising on the back of the card.  It's one line, and makes your cards FREE.  Try them out.

**this is a referral program and I will receive 3 VistaPrint bucks for each person I refer who places an order. 

Articles Published on Triond

In case you'd like to see how my Triond articles look on the page, here are some links:  (Please consider clicking, "I Like It" at the bottom of each article!)

Rules for a Lifestyle of Healthy Eating

Why Disposable Cleaning Products are Bad

Just Say No to Commercialism This Holiday Season

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot!

I'm trying to increase the number of visitors to my blog, too-so if you would, please pass on my blog addy to all of your friends-facebook or otherwise.  Obviously, if they're into crafts this would be a great blog for them.  But any aspiring writers could learn something here, too.  I plan on reviewing all the freelance sites I've been using, in a couple weeks.  Stay tuned.

Constant-Content

It has been a few days and I'm quite impressed with Constant-Content. Despite reviews to the contrary, it is NOT impossible to get articles accepted. Perhaps the reviewers who had such poor experience with the editor of CC should take some basic English courses and improve their writing skills.

I have written eleven articles so far for Constant-Content. So far, eight of them have been reviewed and accepted. Three are awaiting review. I've written on topics ranging from housecleaning to environmental stewardship issues to articles for a Christian publication. One of the Christian articles sold.

Right now I'm working on series on Wicca. I've completed three so far and plan to start on another today.

If you're interested in learning more about becoming an author with Constant-Content, click HERE and you will be taken to CC directly. This is an affiliate link provided to me for suggesting authors. If you become an author with CC, I will receive 5% of the sale price. The 5% is taken out of CC's cut, not yours! When you sign up, you will receive your own affiliate link to provide to your friends so that you too can benefit.