I’ve been a member of the “Paid to Blog” community for quite some time now. I know that PPP is the larger of the companies right now but I think I’ve been through them all. The cool thing, that I found out today, is there’s a site called Geeky Speaky where they talk about ALL of the paid blogging companies. They share tips, ideas and even strategies for EACH paid-to-blog website. They have areas on their message boards for each company and help you in all aspects of paid blogging. There are sections setup for all of the companies out there; PayPerPost, Blogitive, Blogsvertise, PayU2Blog, Sponsored Reviews and many more. I think it’s a site that’s worthy of being checked out.

A lot of people argue that paid blogging is killing the whole point of having a blog but consumers have been reviewing products for years, what’s wrong with getting paid for your reviews? It doesn’t hurt anyone and while some users kiss ass for products that they would never actually use. I can tell you that if I came across one that sucked, I’d blog about it. Having a site like Geeky Speaky around is an excellent resource for your paid blogging venture. You should seriously check them out.

For the first time, in many…many years, I’m going to have a LAWN for the Spring and Summer months. I’ve always kind of wanted to give Bella some grass to play on and I’m finally able to do it. The problem is, I’m going to be standing on just a green lawn with no real decoration. I could always throw up some kind of a flag to add to the decor, every other house in the neighborhood seems to have one. The big thing that I’ve always wanted to have is a bird bath. I know it sounds kind of cheesy but I’m easily amused by anything that’s not only cute but critter friendly (well…WANTED critters, down here are a lot of skunks). Another thing that I want to load up on is planters, there are some pretty nice ones out there and there’s a lot of yard to cover in flowers and what not. I can’t wait for spring.

Growing up, I wasn’t really into the typical board games that most kids enjoyed. I never really played Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land, Memory and other games like that. I always found myself to be drawn to games where you have to think a little. I was taught how to play Chess, Checkers and of course Backgammon.

I haven’t really played Backgammon in quite some time. So while doing some surfing around the ‘net I was surprised when I came across a website for Online Backgammon. This site is using a rather original approach to promote their game software. Most places will just throw a banner ad up and leave it at that. they’ve gone as far as creating a Backgammon Master named Jean Claude, an animated tiger.

Jean Claude, the animated tiger, is part of a 5 part animated series “Life According to Jean Claude”. In this series he’ll teach you how to succeed in everything from playing backgammon to chopping onions. He teaches you how to fulfill your dreams and make important life choices. When I first read this I kind of thought this was a hoax but after watching the clip, I have to say that he’s a really amusing guy. I think I’ll wind up tunning in for the rest of the series.

If you’re at all interested in seeing what I’m talking about, head here and view the clip for yourself. If you’re at all interested in learning how to play backgammon there’s a 3-in-1 free software located on backgammonmasters.com as well.

The most important part of running a business is making sure you advertise. You can’t exactly bring in any clients if absolutely no one knows about you. When it comes to the internet it can easily be done by purchasing banner space on random websites that rank with a PR7+ or you can just plug your name wherever you possibly can. The more traditional route would be to post flyer’s and run advertisements in the local news paper. The most effective one is, of course, business cards. It’s hard to find a site online where you can design decent cards for your business. I’ve gone through quite a few companies before and there really isn’t anything better than finding the perfect company to order your cards from.

After doing some research on their site, it’s safe to say that my next batch of cards will be purchased from 123print.com. They offer high quality backgrounds, excellent text options and they even offer magnetic cards. For companies just starting out, or whom don’t have an excellent grasp of Photo Shop – they offer something called “Image Builders” to create a logo for your business. It’s really nothing more than one-stop-shopping for business cards, address labels, letterheads and even post cards. I’d recommend them to anyone looking to get their name out there. Their prices are extremely reasonable as well. You get 100 cards for less than $4. Of course, based on how frequently I hand cards out, I’d purchase the 1,000 cards for $34. This is about $20 cheaper than the company I’m currently getting my cards printed with.

Anyone looking to gain a little exposure, or if you’re someone who thinks ahead and instead of having to write all of your information down during a car accident, you can just hand them a business card. It makes life a lot easier no matter what you use them for, I’d recommend 123print.com to anyone. Even if you only base your purchase with them on their prices alone, you’ve still made an excellent choice.

This is a sponsored post.

Before I was lucky enough to own a cellphone, I basically lived on Phone Cards whenever I was calling someone out of state. At the time there wasn’t any Long Distance on the phone and it cost way too much to keep in touch with friends and family around the US. I’ve used basically every one there is to use. None of them really gave me what I was looking for. The minutes all ran out too quick and if you were stuck somewhere with no calling card, and not even a quarter – you’re basically screwed.

It’s important to have an emergency phone card, especially if you’re a student…they have quite a few international student phone cards. The cool thing about companies like Pingo.com is they have no hidden fee’s, the best competitive rates and when you sign up for their company you get like $5 in free calls, instantly. I say it’s worth it the next time you’re worried about being stuck somewhere without a cellphone. It’s a nice idea to keep a calling card on you for emergencies.

Are you planning on taking a vacation this summer? A second honey-moon, a trip with your friends/family just for fun, or do you just like to travel whenever you get the chance so you can experience different cultures? I’ve come across a site called that offers you all of the resources you need for travel if you live in the UK. One of the top destinations listed is Cyprus Holidays.

Thanks to its position in the Mediterranean, Cyprus has been pretty popular for the last 9000 years. Romans, Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Assyrians, Egyptians and Byzantines have all ruled here at one point! Now it’s your turn to sample the delights: ancient vineyards, castles, monasteries and, best of all, hot Mediterranean sun! Even in winter, Cyprus is the one holiday destination where you can go skiing in the mountains in the morning and sunbathing on a beach in the afternoon. How perfect is that?

DialAFlight is one of the UK’s top travel companies offering cheap flights, hotels, car hire, city breaks holidays, and travel insurance to help you to create the perfect all-inclusive trip to any worldwide destination. Because they’ve been in business for more than 25 years, they’re able to secure the best travel industry rates available. They pride themselves on their experienced sales staff who are all well-traveled and committed to creating your perfect trip – at bargain prices. Browse their holiday options or call them for more information on flights, holidays, car hire or hotels for your dream vacation.

I came across a site today that I believe can be of help to many people. If you happen to live in Pennsylvania and are dealing with depression, you should consider looking through a database Philadelphia Psychologists that I found online. This site doesn’t just focus on Pennsylvania though, the listings include Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and even Washington. If you live in or around these area’s you should seriously consider looking through the database.

Every day there are more and more people falling victim to depression, it’s good to know that there’s actually something that can be done about it from the privacy of your own home. It’s hard to ask someone the name of a good psychologist, let alone even getting to the point of bringing it up. It’s nice to find a site where you can get all the information you need with out the embarrassment.

Their site is very easy to read, as well as navigate. They’ve built a solid database of dependable professionals to help you get through your toughest of times, it’s worth checking it out.

It’s been exactly one week since the boyfriends mom bought her new car. In order for her to get this car she had to get herself a loan. She went through the same company she got the loan for her house from so since she had good credit with them she was almost instantly approved and is now the proud owner of a brand new van.

I’m not a big fan of the idea of taking out a loan, but when desperate times call for desperate measures than I guess you have no choice in the matter. I believe the loan ratio at this point is 1:3 at this point considering the country runs on credit. The thing I don’t quite like the idea of are bad credit loans. When you have bad credit, the only loan you’re most likely going to get is a secured loan. A secured loan is defined as:

A secured loan is a loan in which the borrower pledges some asset (e.g. a car or home) as collateral for the loan. The loan is thus secured against the collateral ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù in the event that the borrower misses a few payments, the lender takes possession of the asset used as collateral and may sell it to regain the amount originally lent to the borrower.

This means you can lose your HOME, or even your CAR if you mess up on your payments. Is putting your home at risk really worth the price of the loan?

Another option really isn’t based on your credit score, so I don’t quite understand it…it’s called an unsecured loans. An unsecured loan is defined as:

Unsecured loans are loans that are not guaranteed with any asset, so that the risk of repossession does not exist. Though the lender can still take legal action in order to recover the money, such a legal process would be significantly longer and more expensive than with secured loans. Typical unsecured loans are credit card debt, bank overdrafts, and personal loans.

When they talk about it this way, an unsecured loan is basically every time you overdraw your bank account. All you have to pay back is everything you took out, without interest…at least that’s what they want you to believe. With ALL of the banks I’ve dealt with, there was a $20-$50 overdraft FEE. Say happen to be late on a deposit and go -$1 over with a withdrawal, you’re charged $30. So instead of paying back the $1 you need to get your account to $0.00, you have to pay the bank $31 in order to make things right again. These over draft payments are what contributes to your credit score, at least that’s what I was told.

Your credit score, most times, isn’t even based on an actual credit card most of the time. It’s based on your cycled billing payments. Take your cell phone bill for example. Figure you pay around $70 a month for your cell phone, this would include any fee’s or taxes you have to pay on it (obviously). If you never miss a payment and never are late on one, you’re considered to have “good credit” with the company. This helps your credit score and the rest goes from there. I’m now basing it on Wiki (best site in the world), but according to them, this is the makeup of a credit score.

So basically, no matter what you do in life financially will contribute to your credit score, I guess you have no choice in the matter but to be an upstanding financial citizen if you plan on borrowing money from anyone.

When I got my first bank account at 16, I was lucky enough to have my father as my financial advisor. Following his lead, I was able to build and maintain a solid savings account that was in the $10,000 range, untouched. When I turned 18 I treated myself to a computer and other things that I felt I deserved in my two years of savings. Little did I know, this would help me to keep and maintain an account for the rest of my life.

The cool thing about my dad is I can go to him for basically anything, within reason of course. If my account ever dipped into the low hundreds, I know that I can easily speak to him openly on the topic of debt advice, loans, credit cards and just random questions in regards to my current accounts without him flipping out about it. I also know that based on his experience he’s a good source to go to for mortgages and even home insurance.

I was luck enough to have him around when the 100+ “You’ve been pre-approved” notices showed up for credit cards over the last 6 years. I think every credit card company available to my age/paycheck range had me in their database. I was smart enough not to take any of them. To this day, I still don’t have a major credit card other than the Master card logo that’s attached to my ATM card. I’ve lived on the theory that you can’t spend what you don’t have. I’ve heard the horror stories about young adults almost having to claim bankruptcy because their debts have just kept building up to uncontrollable levels. I know that I will make it a point to never be like that.

Even if I had $20,000 sitting in the bank, I don’t think I’d ever get myself a credit card. What’s the point? You can buy things as you need them with the money you have or you can pay the unreasonably high 20% interest rates for every dollar you spend. A friend of mine bought a new TV for like $1,000 on their credit card, now it’s costing them $1,200. She had the money in bank to buy it in one shot, why she chose the credit card route is beyond me. Spending what you don’t have is never going to be a smart idea, no matter how financially advanced you are.

Stick to what you have, 90% of purchases made throughout the day are on credit. Buy now…pay later. This is what young teens think when they get their first card. They never realize how much everything builds up over time. It’s more effort than it’s worth, something to think about the next time you go to pay for an item you don’t really need…with money you don’t really have.

Anyone who is sexually active should really consider proper forms of protection against STD’s, Pregnancy and other potentially life threatening issues associated with having sex. The problem with a lot of the prescriptions out there are the life threatening side effects to products that aren’t tested properly before they are openly available to the public. One product that comes to mind is the birth control patch Ortho Evra.

Millions of women have embraced the Ortho Evra birth control patch with great enthusiasm because it fits into their active lifestyles. In fact, 95% of women are satisfied with ORTHO EVRA as a discreet form of birth control. Women find Ortho Evra convenient and easy to use. In a clinical study, women who used the Patch were more likely to use it consistently and properly than women who took birth control pills.

Unfortunately with every great product, there is always a downside. There are quite a few life threatening side effects to using Ortho Evra. A few law firms have noticed the rise in cases based on these side effects, adding entire sections to their practice just for medicinal law. One that comes to mind is a Seattle Personal Injury Lawfirm. Based on their weblog, you can read through the three entries related to this product.

A direct quote from their website:

Lawsuits have been filed and settled alleging the manufacturer of Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch knowingly concealed risks of serious injuries and death while aggressively marketing the patch to young women. The Ortho Evra birth control patch has been shown to cause up to 11 times the serious injuries as the pill. The patch is linked to blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, death, and other serious injuries.

If this doesn’t make you think twice about taking a new product, I don’t know what will. Unless you have an allergy to latex, there is no real side effect to using condoms (other than some minor chaffing) the upside is you can’t possibly get the same side effects as you can by using this patch. I’ve never heard of a women forming a blood clot or having a stroke from using Trojans…something to think about the next time you go to stick the patch on your body.

Baby and I went to the beach today and watched the waves. While it was rather chilly, we did still manage to hang out there for long enough to enjoy everything going on. On the way back to the car we were walking a long the board walk and found ourselves in front of a summer-sports kind of store. This store was over run with skate gear, surf gear, and just vintage looking clothing that everyone seems to be wearing these days. While he looked at the wave boards I found myself heading more towards the reef flip flops.

I’m not a fan of flip-flops but I am getting used to them. I’ve worn a few pairs in the past that really were more uncomfortable than they were worth. A friend of mine, last summer, told me about Reef and how they would most likely be the last pair I ever own. She wasn’t the most reliable of sources considering she was twiddling her hair around her finger but I took her advice on it anyway. She was right, and I hate to admit that, but Reef are seriously the best pair of flip-flops I have ever owned.

Anyone who wears flip-flops knows that buying them out of the $1 bin at Wal-Mart is the biggest mistake you’re ever going to make. Unfortunately I didn’t have anyone to inform me about this. Every pair I’ve ever owned has come out of the cheap bin which is why up until this past summer, I refused to wear flip flops for the extreme discomfort that my $1-$3 pair of shoes gave me. Thanks to Tammy having something to say about my choices, I’ve found myself looking for sites on line that offer Reef for affordable prices.

The store I was in tonight had a HUGE collection of them but the lowest price I found was in the $50 range. Now, I know people spend a lot of money on shoes but I think $50 on a shoe that only protects the bottom of your foot just isn’t worth it. I did some searching around the ‘net and was lucky enough to come across active-sandals.com. They have a HUGE selection of reef flip flops in the $20-$40 range, this obviously makes me happy. They also offer a large selection of other brands like Chaco, Birkenstock, Teva and Cobian. Fortunately, I’m a simple girl so I think I’m just going to order these sandals before the weather down here gets unbearably warm.

God…I can’t wait for summer. There’s going to be so much to do and so much sun to do it in.

Today I came across a company that specializes in email marketing for your blog. This site enables you to send daily, weekly or even a monthly summary of your latest blog posts right to your subscribers inbox. The really cool thing…it’s free.

Sure, there are wordpress plug ins out there that send an email out to everyone when you’ve justed posted an entry but with this system you have a little bit more control over what entries you want and don’t want to send out to visitors. I think it’s pretty nifty, so much so that I’ve added it to my sidebar. So if you’re at all interested in signing up for the krissy.nu mailing list…go for it.

I think this company – zookoda.com – will be pretty successful…honestly. They’ve taken a solid idea to help millions of people gain and keep their hits for just posting blogs. I know that if the blog is interesting enough…people will come back on their own but some people don’t have the time to surf a blog every single day (especially for people whom post regularly). It’s nice to be able to access your favorite blog without even having to load the page. I wish them a load of success with their site.