Surviving NJ

Encore: from my other Surviving NJ blog. It's that good, I needed to share!

I've been blogging for over 2+ years now. During the last few years, I've done the blog thing, online stores, websites, and just about everything you can think of. I've got close to 200 Squidoo lenses, a book, and more. You could say I've spent a lot of time online, and all with the goal of being able to work from home.

I've signed up for e-courses, read books, researched tons of stuff, but there was something about Amy Bass that told me I needed to give The Niche Blogger a try. It was well worth my time. As much as I'm an online presence, I also keep to myself about things. This is one of the few times I want to rave. I love being a member of The Niche Blogger, and my income has all ready started to increase.



It's the little details I've overlooked in the past, and I'm able to take the information I'm picking up here to not only create more content, but also go back, and improve other sites I have. The Niche Blogger is a no brainer, and I happily lent my voice and picture for testimony on her site, because it's something that truly is helping me increase my own income. Period...hands down, the best move I made this year. Go ahead...start looking around and see if you see my testimony scattered on the internet- I'll wait. It won't happen, because not much adds "that" much value to what I all ready know from being online.

Amy takes your hand, and goes step by step, as basic as it gets. She uses blog posts, videos, and there's a very active forum board where people are helping each other. It's not a cut throat board, it's a help each other do better board. This is a community I was so happy to join, I jumped from monthly member to lifetime member the first month. I know QUALITY when I see it.

I happily recommend The Niche Blogger, whether you're a new blogger, looking to create niche blogs and more. It's the fine details many people overlook, and this time, I'm taking the time to do each step...one at at time. I'm all ready seeing the results of the time and effort I've put in, with Amy's details.

You won't hear me shouting out about many programs, but this is one I'm happy to have joined. I became a member of the "do it faster, take shortcuts" crew, and I wasn't getting the results during the last two years, that I'm getting now.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:16 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I was surprised when I saw that "Forever a Jersey Girl" chose me on her post, after she had previously been chosen to win the Superior Scribbler Award.

Sometimes I just ramble on, and wonder if people read what I have to say. Apparently some people do, and I thank you for that.

While I've taken on extra projects this year, I don't ramble quite like I used to, since I've been putting that extra effort in elsewhere, and I apologize for that.

I hope to add some more thoughtful posts, that you may or may not be able to relate to. Currently, I've been writing about food addiction on one of my other blogs, and I think this week, my passion is there. Last week, I was writing about other topics on other websites I carry. Having over 50 websites now, I'm pleased that Surviving NJ is still thriving, because of all my websites and blogs, Surviving NJ is my home.

I'm supposed to pass this on to 5 more people, but I'm never good at this part. I'm not much of a tagger, and half the time I'm tagged, I don't participate. It's not that I'm not into goodwill pass it on, it's more of a not wanting to make other people feel obligated to continue the path.

There are some good blogs out tehre I read and enjoy, if you want to be tagged great, continue it along, and if you just want to say, hey, cool, I was tagged, that's cool too...here are a few of the blogs I like:

Julie's Journal, Whatever I Feel Like, and LaLaGirl, Twinfinite Chaos.

 Interested in carrying it on? The picture above is linked to the originator if you choose to use it.

Cheers to all, Deb

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:55 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I never realized how much I loved ScribeFire until it stopped working. I got a new upgrade that came through FF, and suddenly I have an error on trying to use it. I'm not good with this stuff. I stumble my way through it half the time. It took me awhle to get it working the first time. Now i have to figure it out again? ....and figure out what's wrong?

Damn upgrades. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:29 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

It all starts with a solid foundation...a well laid plan.

This was taken during our scavenger hunt. Marisa and I are on the bottom, while Colleen is on the top. Alli took the picture.  

 You'd think knowing that a solid foundation makes a difference, that I'd always follow that plan. Ha, hardly. I'm a spontaneous, fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. (By the way, the green thing in Colleen's was our mascot made out of a pipe cleaner, in case you wondered)

 I've taken on a lot of projects lately, and as much as I know I should slow down and do one thing at a time, it's never been my style. Usually, this works for me. This week, I feel overwhelmed. I'll catch up and have things under control in about 2 weeks, but until then, I feel like I've taken on a lot of extra stuff.

 Tomorrow, I head down to the shore to do some more research and picture taking for my LBI website (Long Beach Island Summers). After that, I have to sort through my Wildwood site, my Gettysburg site, I have skin care sites, stores, blogs, niche topic sites and more. Eeeeeeee....Slow down Deb! I keep telling myself, but my brain is working in overdrive.

I go through these creative spurts and have to write everything down, because the ideas come so fast. After I get it all out on paper, then I have to play catch up. I wish I was organized, because then I'd have an awesome checklist to get everything done. I have about 40 sticky notes on my dsek, and pads everywhere, on top of an overcrowded desktop on my PC!

Anyway, I've rambled on enough. There's work to be done, so I guess I should dive in! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:06 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:35 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Still totally in love with this song. This has got to be the sexiest song...even though it's sad. If you haven't listened to Paolo Nutini's "Last Request", give it a listen!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:23 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Do you have a small business? One of my blogs is a small business blog over at BizMarkTech.com and it talks to small business beginners. I cover everything from business plans, to ideas, customer service and even topics like employee performance evaluation, and different software products worth looking at.

I finally started syndicating it as well to try and build up a little bit more exposure. I was thrilled when the Forbes blog network contacted me and asked me to join their network. It told me I was doing something right, even if it didn't have a lot of traffic at this point. HP also contacted me about my blog, and that was another thing that left me feeling good. If you haven't checked it out, please feel free to. 

I actually have multiple blogs, one on entertainment, one on travel, another on health and wellness, a business blog and even a couple more! I hope to see you over at BizMarkTech.com. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:16 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I'm in the process of building a skincare website, along with two travel sites. I love the web building process, because it allows me to write and use my creativity to design something that makes me feel good. The best part, is the help provide me with income as well. While I'm targeting a certain skin care market, I won't be discussing things like eczema or psoriasis. I didn't choose to get involved in skin disorders with this particular website. If you need information on psoriasis treatment, you can go somewhere like here. They can help you out with treatement stuff, but that's not my area.

Sometimes you just have to choose a narrow market, so I decided to work on one direction, rather than covering everything. I'm lovig the process, and hope to wrap up shortly!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:21 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

"Reports of monks caught using or selling drugs or having consensual sex with women are not uncommon in the Thai media, which reported on Tuesday a 23-year-old monk was caught raping a teenager he lured to his room through the Web site."

Source 

Man, sometimes you read something and have to really scratch your head...

I was reading an article about a problem with Thai Budhist Monks and the internet! What do you think of when you think of a Monk? Me too, holy person, peace, etc...

Imagine my surprise to read an article speaking of monks using social networking spaces to lure women to them. They had an issue with a rape, and also issues of selling drugs. What is this world coming to?

You can read the article by clicking on the Source link above.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:20 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've felt my priorities shifting this past month or two. When income is attached to what you do, it has a habit of molding your priorities! I've been in web building mode, and adding some new online things to my life. I'm trying to stretch out, and flex my internet knowledge, hopefully so that it helps me in the passive income area. I've been doing it casually for awhile, but I kicked it up a notch in 2008.

I'm not sure exactly where I will end up, but at least I finally have a path I want to follow. That's a big change for me. Usually I'm figuring it out as I go, but this time I blueprinted ideas and a path. That's rewarding for me, since I was unsure which direction to move in for awhile.

What have you been up to?  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:11 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've been MIA here for a few days. That's the thing, when I get involved in something, sometimes I get REALLY involved, and forget other stuff! That's not cool, seeing as I have multiple blogs! I didn't just foret this one. Rut-roh!

Here I am today, stopping by to say hello! I'll be swimming in my sea of websites for about another 2 weeks, but once they're done, they're done. It's hard for me to find focus sometimes, but when I get in the zone, I'll go for hours and hours at a time. The other day, I put about 12 hours into one site!

Normally, I build my websites with a certain program, but I'm trying something different. We'll see how it goes.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:45 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've been in website building mode, and have three projects I'm currently working on. One is about 80% complete, one is just about to be starting, and one is still in the blueprint phase, and keyword research part. My husband asks me why I don't just finish one full project before starting another...I'm one of those people who likes a couple things going on at once. That way if I get bored or frustrated while working on one thing, I move to another. I like the variety.

Are you the type of person who likes to only focus on one project, or do you like a pool of them to choose from? 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:30 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've got some serious backing up to do today on my computer. I've been busy the last few days working on a large project, and I've been collecting quite a few files. I'm one of those all or nothing people with backing up. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson in the past, but I get lazy sometimes or just forget.

I did a good backup about 2 or 3 months ago, but yikes, I have so much new stuff on here I need to get on it! Do you clean off your computer everyonce in awhile? It's like a clean sweep, I'll save what I may need later, than start picking through my files and deleting things. I did clean through it awhile ago and deleted a crap load of programs I just haven't used in eons. Wow, did I free up space! I was blown away at how much stuff I'd collected. Sadly, my bookmarks look just as bad.

As for my laptop, I need to get some laptop memory, because I'd like to customize it more and toss some extra programs on there, but I really don't want it slowly down. Vista takes up a lot of room as it is. Lately, I most use it just for writing, and that's not a big deal, but I'll be traveling a lot this summer, and I'll want to bring it along. I know I'll want certain programs on it too! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:24 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Remember this classic? This is one of my favorites! I saw a picture earlier and thought of this.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:16 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

LINKS (keep reading) and a great feeling, knowing you're helping a great cause.

I am trying to raise $1800 for breast cancer by participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I'll be walking 26 miles, and bringing more awareness to this disease.

Here is my official donation page through AvonFoundation.org. Under my picture, there is a pink button that says "SUPPORT ME".

In an effort to raise donations, I'm offering you an awesome deal.  

If you make a donation through my official donation page, I'll hook you up with link love. I have a network of 10 active blogs. Each is updated regularly, and is current. Please click on the pink button under my picture on the donation page that says "SUPPORT ME".

• $25 donation gets you a link on my sidebar here for the entire year of 2008
• $35 donation gets you a link on 3 of my blogs for the rest of 2008
  
• $50 donation gets you a link on 5 of my blogs for the rest of 2008
  
• $100 donation gets you a link on all 10 of my blogs for the rest of 2008

You must make a donation through the official donation page. They accept credit cards so it's  a quick and easy way to donate. Remember, you're making the donation through the AvonFoundation at my official fund raising page to sponsor my walk. You are not paying me individually.

Once you have made the donation, email me at: DebsMix (at) Gmail (dot) com, to let me know what you would like me to link to. I WILL NOT LINK TO GAMBLING, RX sites or ADULT SITES. Once I recieve an email from them showing that your donation was made, I will add your link.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

I'm bringing awareness and helping raise money for breast cancer.

My grandmother lost both her breasts to breast cancer, and I've had my own scare in 2003, after they found a lump via mammogram. Thankfully for me it was benign. My grandmother was not as fortunate, and on two separate occassions went through breast cancer, each time having to sacrifice a breast.  I'm making a difference in my own small way.

If you'd like more information on Breast Cancer, I have a Breast Cancer Awareness page here.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:08 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

 I love playing with colors and pictures. I'm not a graphics girl, but I know what I like. I'm about to start building another website during the next week or so, and have been busy looking at great photos over at iStockPhoto.com. I love that place for professional images! Anyway,  last night, I got caught up looking at images so I could pull just the right ones I'll need when I build my site. I like to have all the pictures that I like selected, and then I go in, buy more credits and purchase them. Lookig through the pictures, I could feel the creative surge swirling through me. It's a slow process in the beginning for me, because I know I'll sit for hours tinkering and playing with things.

I'd like it to have a similar feel as another site I have, but offer totally different information. Once I get into the want or desire to get started, it's like a fever takes over me, and I have to keep going! I'll start to feel the drain about 3/4's of the way through. That's the point where I'm doing playing with the creative side, and working on adding content and more information.  

Either way, I'm ready to dig in and get started. I've penciled out an outline, ideas that I want to flow with, along with topics I'd like to cover, and looking at the amount of content I'd like to add.

My schedule has an interuption in the middle of the day today, as it's my first day back to my trainer, so I'm going to start it tomorrow! I can't wait to dig into the project and get going. It feeds my creative side.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 01:09 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

Merry Christmas!

If you like this video, you can see a full page of similar videos at this site... Best Christmas Lights Ever.

The video runs approximately 9 minutes.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:59 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

This week is a week of maintenance for my websites. I have approximately 30 websites that I manage. I need to go in, check for detail work, re look at a few things, and tighten it all up. It's not a fun week I have ahead, but it's what I've got to do. At least my son will be here this week, so I'll take breaks to play games with him and other things.

My son's desk is right next to mine, so we'll chatter a bit while he plays World of Warcraft, and I work. He doesn't know it yet, but he got a new computer! He desparetly needed to be upgraded, so it's all set. We even loaded in some extra games and his WOW disks for him. He's good to go!

What will you be doing this week? 

I'm also looking at advertising right now. I've done advertising for my skin care book, but I'm looking at new ways to advertise my small business blog over at BizMarkTech.com. I've gotten some business cards to pass to the offline crowd, but I'm thinking of postcards of promotional pens as well. I know when I launched my skin care book, I mailed schools postcards with information and my web address. It's all new to me, and I like to learn as I go. It helps me enjoy the journey. I could pay someone to do it for me, but I love the actual learning experience!

What have you had good experience with offline, to advertise online sites? 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:56 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I spent a good portion of yesterday doing research. My eyes felt it big time, and by the end of the evening, they made it clear it was time to walk away from the computer! I don't go into 6 hour research periods very often, but once I get onto something, it's hard for me to walk away.

Ironically, focus is an issue for me, if I don't have an interest! I'm either one way or the other, not much in between! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:08 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I was reading a series about about blog improvement on Problogger.net the other day. One of the questions it brought to my attention was "Who is your audience?" The follow-up to that was "Am I giving them what they're looking for?"

Heady questions to sit on...I have multiple blogs, so each time I ask myself a question like this, I have to apply it to my business blog, my health blog, along with my personal blog, and others.

I started out blogging 18 months ago on my first blog, and I wrote for myself. I wasn't writing for anyone in particular, but writing because I loved to express myself through the written word. Little did I know, a year and a half later, I'd have a bunch of blogs, and I'd think about things like building traffic to those journals.

While it was obvious to me who my audience was on my business blog, aimed at beginners in small business, I wasn't so sure who I was talking to over here at my personal blog SurvivingNJ.

I say what's on my mind, talk about things that are going on, and try to find humor in those day to day tasks, but maybe I'm missing my mark. It's a fine line to write for yourself, and to write for others.

I guess the question goes out to you, the reader...Is there something I'm missing? Do you find what you're looking for? A 40 something chick who blabbers on, or are you looking for the latest scoop on NJ? Do you like what you read and come back, or are you a first time reader, and thinking it's just not for you? Thanks in advance for anyone who leaves me their thoughts, since I only live in my head...and am not sure what others are thinking when they stop by and visit my blog.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:02 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

My mail went down on me. I couldn't access it for 2 days. I was a bit upset, to say the least. So this morning, when I was finally able to access my account, I was tickled! I was happy, until I saw my account was purged, and I was missing over 200 emails. My jaw dropped. I had important information in there. They weren't life or death matters, but they were important, had contacts, news, pieces of information I was saving...and then they were gone.

The blood drained out of my face. I contacted the company, and I'm hoping because I have a premium account that they'll have some back-up. Please, please, please let them have back-up. So this is a shout out, as a big ole reminder to everyone....back-up your stuff! If it's important to you, and suddenly it was gone, what would you do?

I'm scrambling to recover, and praying they have back-up files. I back-up my hard drive often, but this was web-based mail. I didn't back it up...and now I've learned a valuable lesson. Passing this on to you now. Over 200 emails purged, and I wasn't ANYWHERE near my space limit.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:10 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

What exactly are they saying? I've been on the internet for ages at this point, and know tons of the lingo that goes along with forum boards, chats, and other conversations like IM. Sure you know what ROFL means, or even the longer versin of ROFLMAO.

Do you know what CD9 means, KPC, MOS or even IF/IB means? Netlingo.com does....when I saw the website listed in one of my magazines, I knew I should check it out. When I saw the lists they have, this one jumped out at me, and I wanted to pass the information on to other parents. This link goes to the list of top 50 things a parent should be familiar with.

Know the lingo, and you'll understand more of what kids are texting. I'll be honest, I can't keep up with all the latest lingo, so knowing there's a place I can check makes me feel better.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:11 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

Yesterday I went domain shopping again. I've got more than 20 now, but less than 30 I think. Well, no wait, maybe I'm right about there. :\ I can't help myself, I get ideas and run with them! Okay,so I'm in the shower thinking about something, and a lightbulb goes on. Hey, that's something I want to do! I'll look for this phrase, or something like it!

So I go to check out domains, and of course the phrase I'm interested in is gone. Like any domain-aholic, I look for different versions, something similar, and something that grabs me by the gut and makes me go, "yeah, that's it!"

I'm playing with words, jumping between woman, women and girl, I have ideas swirling in my head. Then I have sheep in my head. What? Hello? What the heck are sheep having to do with this? I'm busy, go away little sheep. I'm busy, and looking for a new domain name....and then there's sheep.

Yeah, you guessed it, I went from "What Women Want" (taken obviously) to "Don't Eat The Sheep".

Ummm, no explainations for you, it's the one that grabbed me! That popped into my head, and my gut said...oh I love that. Not sure why, maybe just my silly personality coming through, but I bought it. I'll be using it a little bit later. I leave on vacation this week, so I won't be doing much until I return. Either way, this classy woman, hahahahaha, I tried to say it with a straight face, didn't happen, jumped, spun, and ended up with Sheep!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:12 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

This picture has been on my cellphone since February! I took it at Sea World, when I visited with my husband. Guess what I learned how to do this week? I learned how to send it to Flickr! I'm so excited because I'd like to send a few pictures from Disney, when I head there shortly!

I'm learning new things everyday. I'm twittering a bit, I'm going to Flickr more, and I may even tweet from my cell phone once or twice. I'm no texting queen, so it takes me awhile just to type a sentence of sort!

Either way, I wanted to share my pic here with you! I loved the underground section where you could stand and watch the dolphins go by. It was really nice. I also loved feeding the stingrays...it freaked me out, but it was so cool at the same time!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:19 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

I'm in the process of doing some history on a few cars. I'm looking to add information to a site I'm building. My husband is full of all sorts of details when it comes to knowledge and history. I knew he enjoyed cars, but I was surprised to see how indepth he is with some information. Of course, if I need any Mustang history, I'll just head over to AmericanMuscle.com.

I'll be gathering information over the next couple of weeks. I just finished wrapping up information on another topic I was working with. It's amazing the things you can learn!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:15 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I'm floating in mediocrity because I've took on too many projects. The obvious thing for me would be to cut down on the number of tasks I have before me, and get back my gusto. I'm sitting a sea of half-done, half-thought out, half-finished ideas.

The problem comes in when my brain goes off in a zillion directions, but I can't quite keep up. I'll take on new projects left and right, and then I'm left with so many things, I really can't focus and give each my all.

Do I want a lot of medium level projects, or do I want a few great projects? You know...the answer changes a lot, so it's hard to figure it out. Sometimes I need lots of variety so I don't get bored, but on the other hand, I'd like to get back to doing things more full-throttle than "just getting by".  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:05 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Got a successful business? Why not change it up? HA, most people like to hold fast to a name that's well known and ride the wave of success. Ted Murphy, founder and CEO of PayPerPost, Inc. likes to shake things up and keep things moving along. That's where Izea comes in. (That little purple dot to the side you can barely see is a "TM".) He's got an idea, I mean Izea, and he's running with it.

Izea is now the umbrella company name for many of his smaller sites. His massive PayPerPost company falls under Izea, as does RockStartUp, RSSbrief, and many others. Want to learn more about this great Izea? You can check out the full list of companies under this blanket at Izea.com.

It's being launched today! I got the scoop from my friend Colleen over at Simple Kind of Life! When your done checking out the new Izea site, go check out the fun going on over at Colleen's blog.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:23 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Speaking of shirts, I just helped my trainer with her online store. I ordered two of the products when I was done, so we'll see how it all turns out. I'm hoping that the resolution looks good. I did their recommendation, but it could have gone a little higher. It's just that the image got too large. I hope it comes out clear and sharp when they get here.

What was cool for me, is I traded a free training session for help. She offered me the opportunity and I jumped at it. She's a great trainer, and I've loved working with her. I'm signed up for 8 more weeks, so a freebie tossed in there works for me.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:44 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

There's some crazy boat rocking going on in the internet world of PR (pagerank) these days. Google has spun their wheel and people everywhere are stunned at the results. There are big websites that are being knocked down 2 and 3 points in ranking. That's a heavy burden to face when you rely on PR for value.

It's a funny thing, because before a year ago, I didn't know what Page Rank was, nor did I care. Today I care, because I understand that there's value attached to that number, when you're doing online work. It's going to be a fun ride, because I don't think it's over yet. This blog took a hit, as did 3 of my other blogs. Land where they may, it just means you have to adapt. We're humans, we adapt...we may not like it, but it is what it is.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:50 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Have you ever worked on a project with someone, and when you went to jump in and enter your data, you saw it was all ready done? It's frustrating to lose that time, when you could have been working on something else. The problem is with some programs, only one person can be in them at a time. When you have collaboration software, everybody has access to it, and things run more efficiently and smoothly, since you can see what others have done. It makes business team projects run that much better having collaboration software.

If you're in the market for collaboration software, Epazz has the solution for your company. If you contact them, you'll be able to get set up and experience a 30 day free trial. Once you see how much mor smoothly things like scheduling, email management, and your content management is, you'll be glad you found Epazz! They offer total manage hosted solutions for businesses just like yours. Not only will it help improve work flow, you'll be able to personalize it to your needs. When you have enhanced communications, things just work better. If you're looking for solutions, look to Epazz.com for your needs.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:44 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Have you ever been to a forum where it was just starting? The groups are still small, and you know everyone. The best part is you can usually find something you have in common. If you were on the Only Alumni communities, you'd be able to hook up with your College Alumni Forum. 

If you're looking for colleages and alumni from California colleges, or maybe from right here in New Jersey, you can check to see if there's any activity, or even start some of your own. My own husband is a Rutgers graduate. I went to the Rutgers board, and it was pretty quiet, though it could be a great place to start some conversation. It only takes a few people to get the ball rolling, and then everyone is joining along!

The lastest posts are talking about ghost stories, and getting the conversations moving about Kenyon. What have you got to share?  So whether you're looking for Union College Schenectady Alumni or University of New Haven Alumni, join into this new forum board, and tell your friends! This post has been brought to you by Only Alumni.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 01:58 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

How cool is that? I did a makeover at Makeover Solutions! It was so much fun. I got to choose from a bunch of different hairstyles, make up, hair color and more. We won't get into haircolor, since I had that mishap last week! Anyway, I found out that I just don't look good with long hair. It weighs me down, but I do love the medium layered bob. That's pretty much what I'm always working towards, only my hair has more wave in it, and curls in humidity! I'd love it to stay this smooth and straight! That's actually the color I was for about 20 years, and I've only gone darker this past year. What do you think? This goldie girl went more natural. Looking at it, I do like the gold, maybe it's time to go back to it again! I've worn bangs since I was young, so I like to stick with those.

What do you think?

Over at Makeover Solutions, it's so much fun to play. You can open a free account, and you have access to a bunch of great selections. You can also choose to upgrade, and then you go from about a hundred choices to thousands! I don't know about you, but I love doing these makeovers! It's so neat to try things before doing them, so I can see if they work for me. I always think I'll grow my hair longer, and then I see it and I know why I need it medium to shorter hairdo. What I loved about this program was you were able to adjust the settings around your eyes, lips and things, so that the makeover stuff actually lines up properly, and you get a realistic look. It was so easy to use. I did this in under 10 minutes! It's up in the gallery now!

Which picture do you prefer? This 40 year old chick could use some comments on what to do next!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:57 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

I just want to put this information out there. I moderate ALL my comments.

That means if you leave a comment, I'll be sent an email, I'll read it and approve it. If it's SPAM, it's NOT going through....you've wasted your time and mine, that's it, but no link love for you my spamming friend.

This DO Follow list has hit me again. From the time I went to bed last night around midnight until this morning, I've gotten 100 comments. 1 is legit, 99 are spam. 

People think if they go back to old posts, it goes unnoticed, but my little spamming friend, when you try to put about 30 comments on 1 post, and 70 on posts that are more than 6 months old, obvious?

I love my little delete key...because your work last night or this morning...GONE.

I moderate ALL my comments.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:37 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

When it comes to investing and other things, my husband takes the wheel. He's generally interested in investments, and no matter how I wrap my head around it, I always end up confused. Take for instance the different strategies one uses when creating a portfolio. There's one called the iron condor where you mix and match different styles. It's like when my son asks me a math problem from school. I could probably figure it out if it was in front of me, but ask me to explain how I got my answer, and I'm in trouble!

Luckily, there's a place you can turn to where you can trade options like a pro. They even offer you a trial, a help section with great articles and information, as well as a great search option. In fact, their SmartSearchXL is so good, it's patented technology. With PowerOptions, not only will be be able to invest to grow your funds, but you'll learn to invest smarter.  

Here's the cool part about their free trial, all you need is an email address. They don't make you give them a credit card number. They want you to try them out, because they know you'll be impressed and like what you see! They even have tutorials, so you'll learn as you go. Stop by PowreOptions.com today and start your free trial.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:02 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I'm seriously tired of spam; aren't you? I have multiple blogs, as well as multiple other types of websites. That means I also have multiple email accounts, and multiple amounts of spam! You get the idea...this blog gets spam-blasted when someone finds it on a "DO Follow" list. Suddenly somebody decides they want to grab a link from a PR4 blog, and they leave comments on 20 or 30 articles in a few minutes. I know the difference, and they are not getting through. No thanks, not interested...

When it comes to fighting spam in your email though, some of it can get downright dangerous, as some of it goes phishing for information like financial records, some attach viruses and spyware to their spam send to YOUR inbox.

Did you know that half of all email is junk mail. That's right 50% of the email passing through our accounts is SPAM. It's like a dirty word, one you spit out of your mouth.

SPAM is a global problem, and you'll get it from all angles of the globe, so that includes foreign mail in that mix. Last week alone, I got multiple phishing emails coming from the likes of banks, large companies and other sites, telling me my accounts were in trouble, and "click here" to fix it. It's scary how real they can look, and to the average person who hasn't been around the web block a few times, they may think it's real. I always forward the spoof mails to the companies that are being spoofed, and hope they catch some of them.

I HATE SPAM.

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Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:57 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I've been Squid happy, Squidoo-ing time away, hip-hip-Squidooing. Do you Squidoo? I have lenses on shopping for purses, I have lenses on anatomy, I have lenses on celebrities, on golf, on plants, on video games, esthetician information,  and even on one on plus size models.

My friend Eve just did an excellent lens too. 

What's your passion? They is a new lens making frenzy called SquidWho. Who's work do you enjoy? Do you have a favorite singer or musician? Who's your favorite actor, historian, president, or even presidential candidate? You may Squidoo, but do you SquidWho? 

PS- check out my Designer Handbag store at DesignerHandbagMix.com too! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:26 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

Hey, look what I found the other day. I love how the internet connects the entire world. Whether I'm looking to move to Brazil, or get a job in Edinburgh, Scotland, it only takes a click of my mouse to get information. Take for instance, this site GumTree I found this weekend, it calls itself "London's Online Community". Here I am sitting in New Jersey, and checking out jobs across the pond. I love how the internet keeps us globally connected.

A few weeks ago, I was on Skype talking with someone from Dublin, Ireland. It's an amazing thing, that we can all interact so easily online. This morning, I was emailing with someone from England. We've taken a vastly huge world, and made it globally friendly with online internet communties. So whether you're here with me in Hunterdon County, or sitting over in Edinburgh, Scotland, we can all be connected!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:31 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Hey, I just did a Squidoo on Melissa Etheridge today. It sure would be awesome if you could go visit it and give it a little time! You can find it here.... Melissa Etheridge

I've actually done a lot of new lenses, but this one and my Angie Jolie one are my latest. Two women I really like.  

I've got lenses on anatomy, skin care, esthetics, blogging, business and a few other things too. Feel free to poke around. :)  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 06:46 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 06:07 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

When I was walking yesterday, one of the things I noticed in a recycle pile was a box from an online drugstore. It had the company's logo on it. It got me thinking about how much stuff people buy online now. We've become a point and click society. If you don't have time to shop, you can shop online and have it delivered to your home. Maybe you're looking for better prices; I know I always am.

Take for instance my test strips for testing my blood sugars. Those can get expensive, so if I can find them online for less than in my local drugstore, I'm going to buy them there. I found AllegroMedical.com lately, and they have my strips for less than I'm paying now. They also sell lancets so I can get them all together. Actually, they have just about anything you can think of. They offer over 50,000+ home medical supplies! If you're looking to save money, check them out. I've been comparing prices, and they offer some great deals!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:07 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Are you looking for a new career? What industry do you work in? If you're working or looking to work in the legal field, accounting, risk management jobs, or other mid level to executive positions, then you'll want to head to AEFeldman.com. They place people with precision accuracy. They have an easy navigation system, you can search for a job by category, location or by keyword.

Searching for financial analysis jobs, they offered multiple choices! My husband is an analyst, I've told him to bookmark this site! Searching by location, you can pinpoint a particular region that you want to work in. They have a strong reputation for finding the right candidate for the job, and have been doing this since 1967!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:51 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Now that the school season is back, my Esthetician Student book is starting to sell again. Summer was a little slow, but I'm hoping for a pick up now! My book Skin Care Student Q and A can be found over at SkinCareStudent.com.

You can also see my Squidoo lens on Esthetician information at Squidoo.com/esthetician

I've actually built a couple of lenses on skin care, mineral make-up and others. You can check them all out!

What are you waiting for? Spread the word!!!! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:47 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I cleaned my files out this weekend. I decided I was going to go through my picture files on my computer and see exactly what I had on my computer! I had a lot of clip art I've collected over time. I dumped a lot of it. Once I've used it, I rarely reuse most of it. Some I kept, since they were more like icons. I have a lot of pictures of my dogs, and lots of pictures of the beach.

The funny thing is instead of having a regular labeling system, I have beach ones labled BH, WW, LBI, beach and stuff like that. I need to get better organized! I need to pick one name and stick with it!

The dogs I have all their nicknames, their regular names, dog, dogz, dogs and others! What am I thinking when I upload those things???  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 06:55 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've been blogging for awhile now, actually well over a year. I started on Blogger and still have two blogs over there. When you get into a stride, you sometimes forget what starting over is, and the building process.

I decided in August I was going to do some new things. I went over to my SkinCareStudent.com site, and decided I wanted to try to change the style to a crisp, white background and change how it feels. I'm happy with the result for now, but I like change, so who knows if it changes again in the future. I hope to add more to the shop a little later, but for now, it's been renovated.  

I just changed this template, changed the template on my health blog, and I'm about to change it on one of my other blogs. I'm in shape-shifting mode! LOL

I also took on some other marketing projects. This is something I've played with a little bit before, but this time, I've put about 2 weeks worth of time investment in this project, and I'm dedicating another week to it. I'm hoping to expand my reach, and learn new things in the process.

Looking around here, I do like the new colors- they make me happy! Look for me to shake things up on another one of my blogs soon! I'll clue you in when I'm finished! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:16 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Do you subscribe to Surviving NJ yet? If not, why not join along! Click on the link, and add me to your reader today!  I'd love to add more readers, so if you like what you're reading, tell a friend too!

 Cheers, Deb

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:28 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I thought it was time to freshen things up a little. I'm an upbeat and happy type of person, and I thought this reflected my personality a little better. I may still tinker with the color a little, I think this is what I'll be playing with for awhile.

It's the same Surviving NJ with some bright, bold colors to go along with it. If you're in Firefox (like I use mostly), I'm happy with the font size. As for IE, the fonts really big and bold. I guess I'll have to change it somehow. I think it's changing it from font to .em stuff. I'm not really up on that stuff. I have to tell you,  I miss my simple html! LOL

Either way, here we are...fresh new look, same Surviving NJ content. 

Cheers! Deb 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:56 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

I happened upon a coincidence today. I was over doing some social networking, and recognized one of my fellow bloggers! Apparently he's trying to win an awesome prize. I'm not talking sort of awesome, I'm talking mega awesome. Are you ready for this? He's up for a spot in a commercial during the SUPERBOWL!

You can check out his blog over at DodgeBlogium over at AndrewIanDodge.com.  After you read about the contest there, make sure you head over to Fuel My Blog and vote for Andrew. You can even vote daily, but only once a day.

This is big! Get over there and vote, and help him get fueled to the top. Good luck Andrew.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 05:27 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I'm home today and earning money. I work from home. I do freelance writing, along with other things. One of the new things I started doing was playing with HubPages. They are similar to Squidoo lens, but there are a lot of great untapped topics available. I have pages on both sites, and it's so easy to create the pages. Both Squidoo and HubPages have simple modules you use, so you don't need to know how to build web pages. They take the work out of it and simply the process. You can add in Amazon modules, affiliate codes, Ebay modules and more. It's free to create sites, and you can earn income!

I have a couple of lens on Squidoo, and I'm also building them on HubPages. I hope to have them all complete by the end of September. I'm taking my time so I can do a good job on each page! I have a bunch planned! What are you doing?  

If you'd like to see what a Squidoo lens looks like, or a hub on HubPages, you can compare them both. I did the topic of Womens Golf Clubs on both sites. You can check them both out, and start coming up with your own ideas!

Here's my Squidoo Lens on Womens Golf Clubs

Here's my HubPages hub on Womens Golf Clubs

What do you want to create?  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 03:32 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

You've seen the iRobot vacuum right? How cool are they? What I need though is an iBrick-Pick-Up! Do you have kids? If you do, I'll bet this is a familiar site. I have Legos everywhere, and they multiply like rabbits! Seriously, if I step on one more brick I'll have permanent indents under my feet.

My son is a huge fan, and he gets really involved in the projects he builds. I'm not talking about a little house, I'm talking 3 story houses, entire neighborhoods, and even mosaics. I don't want to stifle his creativity, but we sure could use an eaiser way to clean up!

Right now over on the PayPerPost blog, there's talk of a contest to create and name your own robot, so here's my thought. I'd make an iBrick-Pick-Up robot to help make cleaning these Legos up easier! You could even shape it like a brick. Of course you'd have to team up with Lego to use their brand, but not their shape. I would market it to every mother out there, and every mother would be writing me thank-you notes for my genius. Seriously, can you help me out here?

If you'd like to learn more about the contest and have the chance to win an iRobot, check out the PayPerPost blog posting here. Let me just shout out, I have 2 dogs and a cat here! I could use it!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:26 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

Comments are being turned back on. I'm caught up from being away last week, and hope I got rid of most of the spam! :) Thanks for your patience. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:10 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Due to being listed on multiple Do Follow lists, and now also in a Do Follow directory, somebody decided to put up, I've gotten slammed with comments of people looking for a link back. While I haven't had issues sharing link love, some people literally go through post by post and leave comments on 30 and 40 posts at a time...looking for multiple links.

I went away for 5 days. In that time I've received about 200+ junk comments. I'm temporarily turning off my comments for now. I'm deciding on whether to turn off the do-follow attribute or not. 

I will turn my comments back on by Monday. Until that time, I need to get caught up on a lot of other things. Every time I sign in, I have more and more and more spam. I'm trying to get caught up, but am ending up spending too much time deleting, as ALL comments are moderated. 

 Thank you for understanding while I catch up, and figure out what I want to do about the do follow list.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:02 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:52 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I was going through my feed reader today, catching up on some blogs that I'm subscribed to, and came across a post on 1938Media.com. That got me heading over to Man and Wife, which is over at ManAndWife.tv.

I've just been loving watching the episodes and Scoop (Isaac) and Shanda are just too cute together and so much fun to watch. For those of you interested, they discuss adult topics, and there is harsh adult language, so if that offends you don't head over there. On the other hand, if you could use a giggle, and like when people keep it real, this is something you'll want to check out. Again...the language, don't say I didn't give you the ole head's up. I'd be sure there are no kids around. There isn't nudity, but the language is VERY adult!

Now that I got nothing accomplished today, I guess I'll be working extra tomorrow! I had a blast watching a bunch of the episodes though. LOL It's not your average "talk" show! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 05:21 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:19 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've just done my first call with Skype! I actually downloaded the program about 2 months ago, but I never actually used it! It was so easy to use, and was a snap to hear and talk with my headset. I've actually done NetMeeting, and other things like ICU before so it wasn't a total stretch. It was just the fact that I've had this program here, and didn't use it until today! I talked to somebody across the globe, how cool is that?

 Skype me, baby!

 I'm actually quite excited because I'd like to find a way to cut down on my montly phone bill, and that was the entire reason I downloaded Skype. I just had to actually turn it on and use it! Consider it done.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:58 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I've got my headset and mic, and now I've got to dabble and play with Audacity. I've got it on my system, along with LAME to be able to export MP3's. I feel like I'm behind the game when it comes to these things.

I'm going to attempt to do a few clips on one of my blogs. I've looked at things like podcasting on BlogTalkRadio, TalkShoe, GabCast and the sort, and I just can't decide how I want to do this. It would be easy to just call in on the telephone, talk and post it to my blog, but what have I learned?

I decided that while I could do it the easy way, I would get more out of the experience if I did it, edited it, and uploaded it myself. I'm one of those people who love to put a puzzle together. The outcome doesn't excite me as much as building the puzzle and making sure the pieces fit. I love to learn, so it will be a good experience.

I'm also one who gets frustrated easily when I have trouble teaching myself if it doesn't go smoothy! If I end up throwing my headset across the room, I'll be calling in on my phone through one of the other services! LOL  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:39 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

I've been tagged by Sandy at Rep on the Run! Duck, or it may hit you next...Actually, this is a fun one. You can only use one word to answer the question.

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse

2. Relationship? Happy.

3. Your hair? Windblown.

4. Work? Creative.

5. Your sister? Bonded.

6. Your favorite thing? Life.

7. Your dream last night? Quiet.

8. Your favorite drink? Diet.

9. Your dream car? Tahoe.

10. The room you’re in? Living.

11. Your shoes? Socks.

12. Your fears? Weight.

13. What do you want to be in 10 years? 50.

14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? Family.

15. What are you not good at? Patience.

16. Muffin? Blueberry.

17. One of your wish list items? Security.

18. Where you grew up? Bucks

19. Last thing you did? Transformers

20. What are you wearing? Jammies.

21. What aren’t you wearing? Shoes.

22. Your pet? Three.

23. Your computer? Busy.

24. Your life? Rewarding.

25. Your mood? Content.

26. Missing? Dad.

27. What are you thinking about right now? Work.

28. Your car? Pontiac.

29. Your kitchen? Refreshed.

30. Your summer? Peaceful.

31. Your favorite color? Yellow.

32. Last time you laughed? Today.

33. Last time you cried? Movie.

34. School? Graduated.

35. Love? Husband.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:05 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I wrote a post the other day about Breast Cancer and useful sites. I got a comment about a video that's available at NationalBreastCancer.org, and I'm scanning through it....GREAT STUFF. This is a video more women should know about, and I didnt' want it overlooked in comment people may not notice, so I wanted to give it it's own post.

The BREAST CANCER VIDEO is here. 

Make sure you take a moment and bokomark this video, and then send the link to all the women you know! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:55 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:49 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Have you ever taken an online class? I'm not talking about college courses for a degree, but a class to learn something new or fun? I've taken a class or two through Barnes and Nobles, but today I learned about free classes you can take at HP.com.

When I got my new laptop last month, I signed up for their emails, and today one caught my attention. I decided to explore what they were offering, and I'm impressed. I wanted to share these options with you, because maybe you are like me, and like to stay on top of learning new things. I think it's a great way to keep your brain active. Some of the classes they offer range from digital photography to learning excel to learning how to keep in touch with your family on the road to learning Windows Vista whether you have the basic or the premium edition, like I do.

The first thing you do is look through the full list of classes which you can find here. After choosing a class, enroll in the class. You'll need to register if you're new to this. Siging in is simple and easy. The class will be accessible all day and night, 24/7 while it's going on, and then for another 2 weeks after it's finished, so you can wrap up any loose strings. You use their messaging board system to speak with the instructor.

If you have questions of would like to learn more about the HP online classes, you can check out their FAQ here. I'll be signing up for one of the classes shortly, will you?

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 12:53 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

If you follow your statistics, get ready to go for a ride. Google is going to be updating pretty soon, and people will be scrambling looking for some indication of where their blog or webpage will end up. This blog has seen it's share of ups and downs, coming in at a 4, then last period going down to a 3, then climbing back up to a 4. I hope when it's all said and done, it finds itself securely locked in at a 4, or working it's way slowly up towards a 5 in the future. If you're looking for a list of PR Checkers, I've created a list of 10 PR Checkers that you can check out over at BizMarkTech, my business and technology blog.  

While I used to pay more attention to my other stats, this is the one I keep my eye on most. Other stats people check out are things like traffic, keywords, where people are coming from, and how long they are staying.

Are you a PR Checker? Do you like to know what your stats are? I go through phases, and right now I only glance once or twice, but everyone likes a little growth now and then!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:45 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

Hey, this is me. If you checked out my about page, then you all ready know...but the reason I'm popping this picture up here it to tell you about a fun meme that I do on Sundays. See, I'm telling you on Saturday, so you still have time to do it! My friend Cass, over at DigiCass.com has a meme called Self Portrait Sunday. Each Sunday, you take a picture of yourself, an image, whatever you feel expresses you that week and you post it on your blog. Then you go over to DigiCass.com and post the link to your self-portrait in her comment section of that day's Self-Portrait Sunday post.

What it's done for me, is made me less critical of myself. Let's face it, we can all find fault with how we look. I always hate seeing myself in a picture, because it's blatantly obvious that I've gained too much weight. Letting other people see that makes me feel vulnerable sometimes, but you know what, doing this self-portrait Sunday meme, I'm getting used to seeing myself, and it's okay. It's me, and it's really taken the edge off of those horrible feelings I'd have when I see a picture of myself. It's also fun to see the outcome. I even have a rule for myself, I get three shots, and I have to pick the best, because otherwise, I'd never pick one or take like 30 pictures to find one I like. This was the best of the three I took, so up it goes. I usually play along on one of my other blogs, but I wanted to get Cass some more exposure for this meme. I'll be posting this up on my other blog for Self-Portrait Sunday, but now you can see one of the meme's I participate in.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:31 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

If you're a writer, than you can appreciate the excitement of getting a book published. Sara Orem, PhD has co-authored a book with two others called "Appreciate Coaching: A Positive Process for Change".  Sara is actually a faculty member at Capella University, and also has her own coaching firm.

You've heard of Capella University right? They are an online college that offers you the chance for continuing education and the ability to work towards a degree or to take courses. Imagine being able to advance your career with a degree, and the best part, fitting it into your busy lifestyle. That's the thing with distance learning, you're working around your schedule, and flexibility means a lot when you have a job and family to juggle. If you'd like to learn more about Cappella University and the many choices they offer, check out Capella.edu.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:49 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

1. Have a voice, and know what you want to say before you write a post.
2. Read and comment on other blogs, to understand conversational value of blogs
3. Decide if you want a niche or a general blog. Have a plan with a goal.
4. Know which blogging software or program will work best for you: Wordpress, Moveable Type, Blogger, Vox, or any of the others.
5. Decide who you are writing for, and what kind of audience you want to target.
6. Read other important blogs in the blogging world that offer tips, Problogger.net, Copyblogger.com, DoshDosh.com , SEOBook.com
7. Network with other bloggers, there is strength in numbers
8. Find a pattern of writing posts and stick with it. 20 posts one day, 2 the next and then nothing for a week may confuse your readers.
9. Link out to others freely. Don’t expect things in return.
10. Write fresh content, don’t just rehash what everyone else is saying.
11. Have a unique angle if you’re writing a topic that’s well covered.
12. Add personality to your writing. It keeps people reading.
13. Find plug-ins/add-ons that are helpful to your blog, like tagging.
14. Write for people, not search engines.
15. Offer a way to subscribe either by RSS or by email.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:28 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

It would seem I have too many bookmarks. This is only one itsy, bitsy teeny, tiny section of my bookmarks. My husband asked me a question and was standing behind me, as I scrolled through my bookmarks...his response was "Good Gosh, how many bookmarks do you have?" See, the thing is, I don't clean them out quite enough. This is just a tiny piece of my Firefox bookmarks, I have hundreds in my IE too, and they are all different! LOL

So here's a peek at what I have to scroll through, and some comments along the way. Do you do this? Save things for later, then forget about them? What about bookmarking the same exact thing twice because you forgot if you did it. Yup, overwrite it or change the name, just in case. That Theme Generator I'll probably never use, but I sure like knowing where it is!

Wallhogs.com is saved because I thought I might get something for my son's room....later. Amazon, somebody recommended a book. Maybe I'll go back and get it at some point. The computer one for Dell's Inspiron, I guess I can get rid of that one, because I all ready bought my Compaq Presario! Hmm, some plug-ins friends have mentioned, not sure if I'm using them or not, but I want to look at them....later.

Love th WikiMatrix.com where you can compare them. Notebook Dummie guides, once again, I bought the laptop so I guess it's time to scan them and see if there's anything I need in there and print it out. There are a few articles, again, another computer mention, the wal-mart facts goes to NJ facts, which I couldn't bookmark on my reader because it was down, but that's now bookmarked, so I can delete that...so you see my dilemma? I'll delete them later, eh? Vista, not having problems with, so I really don't need those communities, and I can just pop that in a search engine if I want to find it again. Ahh, that audio player, that's something I was looking for!

Anyway, here's another peek at some of my bookmarks. What are you bookmarking? 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:01 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I've mentioned capella university here before. They are a University that allows you the flexibility of distance learning. They have some great programs all ready, but they just recently launched some new programs. They offer degrees in things like education, IT, public safety, psychology, as well as business. With these new offerings, they are expanding an all ready great expanse of programming available. They have so many great courses and degrees you can work towards, but the best part is the ability to work around your own schedule. When you are looking to advance your career, or start a new one, look to Capella University to lead the way.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:50 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

If you're looking for a good mailing list, you should check out Martin Worldwide. They have a massive database that includes over 14 million business records, and more than 290 million consumers in it! They offer things like specialized Mailing Lists, business mailing lists, mortgage lists, consumer lists and more.

If you go over to their website, you can get a free quote, or get a free catalog that will show you their most popular lists and lead categories. If you're looking for lead lists that actually help produce better numbers when it comes to conversions and sales, then you want to get your lists from Martin Worldwide. They are the number one resource in the nation when it comes to mailing lists. Why would you go anywhere else?  This month, they even have a special that can save you $100. Head on over to their site to learn more.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:45 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I just learned about a cool new plug in for WP that I'd love to add here, but I'm using MT on this blog! I'll use the plug in elsewhere. This is my only blog that uses MT, and I almost switched it, got really close, but then panicked when I thought I might lose everything! I'm getting used to MT now though on here.

It's interesting learning different programs, but when you get used to something, it's hard to relearn on another system. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and whlie change can be good, sometimes change can be daunting! Relearning where files are, how to do a simple task, and how to rewrite a piece of code can turn into chores, rather than a quick fix. I'm getting better at it, so I think I'll stick with it after all!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:31 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

If you read my other blog, you'd see I'm just at about 100 books sold. I'm at a stall, and have only 4 more books to go to reach that goal! Speaking of books, Sara Orem of Capella University co-authored a book called "Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change". She's a faculty member of the school's Business and Technology division. Congratulations to Sara!

Capella University is a university that lets you learn online, offering flexibility and continuing education. You can even get your mba degree!  They have a large selection of courses and degrees you can work towards. They make an online education degree a reality. Even with a busy schedule, you can work in time to take courses on your own schedule. If you're thought about advancing your career, then you should look into distance learning. Capella University can make that dream a reality.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 07:26 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Have you heard of Achieve Planner? It's a planner, or time management software. It's a system that helps you organize. They have three different versions of the software, so whether you choose the Standard version, the Pro version or the Suite version, you'll be on your way to finally becoming more productive. If you go to their site at Effexis.com you can even download a free trial to see how it works for you. Their trial allows you 30 days to try out their program for free! They offer color coding your lists for priority, which is something that helps you see at a glance what needs to take priority and what can wait. You can easily prioritize tasks based on a letter coding system as well. This helps you organize and become more efficient. With weekly and daily planning, you'll become more productive, and you'll spend less time trying to keep track of what needs to be done. If you'd like to become more productive and stop wasting time, try our your free download trial of Achieve Planner today. This post was brougth to you by Effexis.com.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 05:30 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I thought my Movable Type blog was Do Follow. I disabled the one plug in, and when my little firefox plug in went to my pages, it showed they were following. I was wrong! My page was doing a redirect. My other blogs are Wordpress and I had that problem sorted out, but this Movable Type blog was being difficult. You see, you don't need to just disable the plug in. You also have to go into the template of your individual archive and change a parameter. Thanks to Andy Beard, I now know this. Andy pointed out I was still on redirect and guided me to a great article on another blog that would show me the tag attribute I needed to make this work for Movable Type. Once I got in and played around with it, adjusting the tag, my blog finally was following properly. Thanks to both Andy Beard and the blog Now Is A Long Time Too  for great information. The tag that needs to be changed is in the authors identity. You need to put in a "no redirect" attribute. The one problem I ran into, was not realizing I had to take out the other tags on that same line. Once it was removed, and I rebuilt the individual archives, there was smooth sailing ahead. That means that my blog is truly Do Follow now! Thanks again to Andy for helping me out through this. Another place you can check out is EatDrinkSleepMovableType.com. A very simple fix is right here.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 12:06 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

Calling collect? Nope, I'm calling via email!

Jangl is a new way to contact your friends, and all you need is their email address. You'll be able to enter a email address to call your friends and family. Just like Skype, calling over the internet is saving people bundles on their phone bills.

Jangl is offering free calls for the first month. For other terms of service check out Jangl.com.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:01 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Have you checked out "My Live Signature" yet? It's pretty cool...you can create your own hand written signature by choosing the size, style of writing and more. I played with it for a little while and found one that amused me. I don't really have a place for it right now, but it was definitely something I bookmarked for later.

If you're looking to add a little pizazz to your signature, it's over at MyLiveSignature.com. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 10:32 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Have you ever been shopping, and wish you'd stopped to check for personal reviews first? I've recently been looking at laptops, and I am reading reviews galore, because I've learned my lesson. Take for instance, you're shopping for a new cell phone, and you aren't sure which one is right for you. Are you needing a good camera on the cell phone, maybe you want to be able to listen to your tunes. The thing is, you know what you want, but with so many choices out there, how do you decided which one is for you. At TestFreaks.com you can find reviews and popular choices on things like cell phones, televisions, mp3 player reviews, camcorders and other electronics. It's the first place you should check when you're looking to see what people are saying.

Not only will you find the best products, you can also find the best prices. Right now, TestFreaks is in beta mode, but you can join in, or check out the Beta Developers's Blog.  

I just jumped into the cell phone section, and I love how they are organized alphabetical, so it's easy to find what you're looking for. I can't wait for the laptop section to be readable, because I'm needing to read more reviews before I make any final decisions. If you haven't checked out TestFreaks.com yet, what are you waiting for? This post has been brought to you by TestFreaks.com.

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I was just sitting outside watching a bird dance between fence posts and enjoyed seeing glass blades bending in the wind. I was sitting thinking about whether I needed something my mind has been turning to.

I work from home, so most of the time, I'm at my desk and working at my computer. This is a great convenience to be at home working, but the one thing it does is ties me to a desk a good part of the day.

What if I had a laptop that I could bring with me into another room? Maybe take it with me when I travel so I could continue to work when I had spare time. Then I started to realize, do I really want to have that capability. I'm at my desk sometimes 10 hours a day, and do I want those moments on the sun room ruined with a laptop on my experience. I'd miss seeing the bird dance, and I'd miss watching the grass blow in the breeze, because I'd be working on my computer.

Let's talk about travel...if I have it with me, I'd sure be able to connect at the hotel, but then I'd miss the quiet I enjoy which I set aside for thinking, or reading, or taking a long bubble bath. When it comes down to it, if I have the laptop, most likely, I will work or do things in those moments where right now I treasure that quiet time.

I had to then think about why I want the flexibility of a laptop and what it represents to me. What exactly does it represent to me? I think there's a piece of me that associates it with "business men" and "success", so if I have a laptop to go along with my desktop, it must mean that I have achieved a level of success to need both. Maybe it's my mental imagery that pushes me need and desire to get one. I've been close to buying one before, but came to the same conclusion. I really don't need one, and honestly, sometimes I desperately need a break from my computer.

When I went on a 12 day vacation, I thought I'd be lost without it, but you know what, email waits, work waits, and message boards are still there when you get back, and the time not focused on a computer meant it was focused elsewhere and I enjoyed my trip more thoroughly.

My biggest want and need is word processing capabilities, because I love to write, and when I'm away from my desk, I want the ability to jot those thoughts down quickly and easily, and quite frankly, typing gets it done SO much faster than handwriting for me. I'd then have to copy it over to the computer at a later date. I did pick up a small toy that helps me with those word processing abilities, so why would I need yet another ability? What is it that the laptop means? Why do I need it?

I'm such a retail therapy person and I've gotten pretty much anything I've wanted over the years, but this is that one thing that I've said no to over and over and over again. I've stopped myself so many times, why do I give in this time. So now it becomes, am I denying myself because it's the one thing I've been able to say no to for so long, or am I saying no because quite frankly I don't need it. Overthinking things....doesn't do you any favors ;)

Then I started thinking about my cell phone and realizing that there are times that I resent that thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I have it in case of an emergency, but when you are taking time for yourself, suddenly you are now "reachable". Everyone knows you have it, so why not. How many people are more accessable to their bosses as well with their online capabilities at home, cell phones and laptops at hotels when traveling. We've become reachable 24 hours a day, and instead of being more productive and happy that we got more done, we end up more stressed wondering how to get away from it all....

There's a fine balance between having the tech gadgets and toys because you want them, to them driving you nuts, because you can't get away from them. Any thoughts on this topic?

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 04:11 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (2)

‘Top 5′ Group Writing Project

This is from Problogger.net's writing project...there was a massive response and almost 900 people sent in submissions. It was crazy, so many people getting involved! It was a fun topic where you could write a Top 5 about anything of your choosing. Here was my entry....
Top 5 NJ Controversies.

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Marcus, Cass (in the pink), and Me

*Carolina humidity does my hair no favors.... :P

As I take in each personality, and wonder if they are who I see them as in my mind, I remind myself that they are meeting me in person for the first time as well.  We are all forming thoughts and opinions as to who we are as we sit together. Am I who they think I am? Do I come across as the same person? I think in person, everyone is softer. Am I different? I think it starts with hearing someone's voice. I remember a few weeks ago, hearing Suni's   voice for the first time...so wild, we laugh when we realize we sound different then we both pictured.

Cass and Deb (Satruday, May 5th)

Marcus is the type of guy you want to take home to meet mom. Single girls line up, because ladies, I’m telling you, he is the real deal- a true Southern gentleman. He looks much younger in person, and if I didn't know him, I'd easily subtract 7 years from his real age. He’s tall, clean cut and handsome. He stands at 6’2”, so now you know what I look like when I stand next to my husband who is also 6’2”. He has a very laid back charm, and is well thought out. I adore Marcus, and now in person, I know he is who he is online. That’s his truth and personality shining through. He has a bunch of “on-line” sisters who keep an eye out for him, and ladies, what a great “brother” we have in Marcus.

It was a lovely day, and Cass tell Patrick, I’m glad I left when I did! I’m exhausted, it caught up with me. It's 8:20pm (I wrote this Saturday night at the hotel) and I'd be happy to tuck in for the night. I just don't care to wake at 5am...so I'll force myself to stay awake longer.
 

Driving down one of the highways, I saw this really creepy grey cloud way too close to the ground, so I high-tailed it out of that spot as fast as I could and a massive downpour got me!

Overall, my journey this past weekend was a lovely experience.

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Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISTP)

Your personality type is reserved, methodical, spirited, and intense. Only about 6% of all people have your personality, including 3% of all women and 8% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Perceiving.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:49 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

Everybody likes doing well, and with PR shifting, and Google moving again, many are sitting on the edge of their chairs waiting to see their final number. I'm right there with them. I try to ignore it, but as soon as the process happens, I get sucked in wanting to know where it will end up.

PR or page rank is not something I needed to know about when I first started blogging, so it really didn't make much difference. Ironically, when I didn't know it existed, my first blog moved up to a 4 with no extra help, but just me doing what I did. Now that I know about PR, it taunts me...because now I know where I can be, and where I am. This particular blog was a PR4, bumped back down to a 3, and I'm hoping will bump back to a 4. It's funny how those silly numbers make a difference.

The difference comes along when you are monetizing your blog. When you're looking at ways to make money on the internet, suddenly PR means something to you.

The process is starting again, and we'll go through this same thing in a few months. The question is, where will my pages end up? I have multiple web sites and blogs, so I go through this for all of them! It's a sit and watch game...buckle up, it's a bumpy ride.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:50 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I was recently reading about a book co-authored by a Capella University faculty member abotut appreciative coaching. The book, "Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change" was co-authored by Sara Orem, who works in the school's business and technology division.

Capella University is a school that offers you the chance to advance your education. They offer distance learning. The thing I love about e-learning is the flexibility it affords you. You can work on things from your home, at your pace, and on your schedule. If you're like most people, you have a job and a family, and time is precious. Getting to a school is half the battle. Online, using distance learning with an accredited university, you have the opportunity to continue leanring and work towards a degree. This post was based on information from Blogitive.  You can get more information by visiting Blogitive.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:18 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

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Here's my new toy I've been playing with today. It's a palmtop of sort...think of a mix between a tiny laptop, and a bigger PDA. They don't make them anymore, so it's an older refurbished piece, but it has a 2 year warranty, so it's all good.

It's a Jordana 728. I wanted something I could take with me when I travel so I could write. I don't want all the things a laptop gives you, though we have one. My husband uses it for work mostly. I have a desk top and I also have a PDA, but I wanted a keyboard, where I could blog or write when I'm at a hotel, or on vacation for a spell. Sometimes I have thoughts in my head I just want to jot down! Othertimes, I want to work on one of my books. Either way, it's my fun throwback toy that I just got. :) Thought I'd share it here, in case you don't read my tech blog.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 06:29 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

I make money online by working at home. I'm proof that there are opportunities out there.  By being open to different opportunities, you too can earn some money from home. One such way is by playing a surfing game. It's called Adventure 11 and what you do is surf and win! You have a chance to win a small amount of money, or a large amount of money. You view websites once you're registered, and once you've visited 11 websites, you're eligible to start winning money.

Here's the skinny, in every 24 hour period, you have to have surfed 11 sites.  Go up to the "Go Surfing" link once you're logged in. While you're going through the surfing process, you may get a surfing surprise, which means you may have won a prize!  When the surfing surprise shows up, you click the button under it and see if you won. Within a 48 hour period, your winnings will hit your account over at E-Gold or E-Bullions. One small thing, you do have to be 16 years old to play the surfing game. You can check the website out for further details. This post was brought to you by Adventure11.com.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 06:22 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

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I decided to do a few more bookmarks to see what else I can find!

I have 43Things.com bookmarked. Kind of ironic, eh? I haven't been there yet.

The Lost Girls is a blog about traveling. I think I subscribed, so it should go to my feeder. I'll delete it after I check my reader! 

I have a bunch of icon archives bookmarked, but I went through and got what I wanted, so I think I'll be deleting those. I have enough icons to last me all year!  '

I have a blogger forum bookmarked that I thought I'd check out. It was okay, but I didn't get into it. Maybe I'll give it another chance today and get rid of the bookmark if it still doesn't hold interest to me.

I have a bunch of hotels bookmarked. I need to toss those in a folder. I have one on my other browser, and they should be in there!

A bunch of research articles are bookmarked, but their purpose has been fulfilled, time to clear those out as well.

Spring cleaning isn't so scary on bookmarks! The only scary part is I still have TONS more to go through!  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:30 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I'm still going through and decided to post a few more of my bookmarks. I'd be curious as to what you find you bookmarked but never got around to.

Ooh, I like BacklinkWatch.com, keep that one.

101 Freelance Essentials, an article I bookmarked, though I've read it and gone to the sites I wanted to checkout. Why am I keeping the article? Good question. Time to clean it out.

I found the link to a couple of templates I was considering for a blog, but since I all ready picked something else, I'm deleting those.

Google's My Notebook site. I'll get around to it. There's a couple of sites for pocket PC's, a few how-to guides, which I should probably go through and clip the information that I need.

Hehehehe..a guilty pleasure, Payback is a Picture...oops, it's gone. Guess they got busted, well it was fun while it was there. I can delete that one.

I have a ton of SEO ones bookmarked. I guess I should get through those as well. Those are the ones, that "I'll get to eventually".

What do you have bookmarked? It's scary how many bookmarks I have! LOL I guess this is a good time for cleaning them out. :)  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:11 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I have too many bookmarks. This is one of them for SwapTree. I bookmarked it when I read about it on somebody elses site. Looked interesting, maybe at some point I'll get around to it. I have so many bookmarks I never get to, so I'm going to give my computer's bookmarks a springcleaning!  I sometimes forget I ever boomkarked something. This weekend, I'm going to start sorting through them. The funny thing is I have totally different bookmarks in IE and in Firefox. I didn't do the import thing, I just started a brand new list of new stuff! LOL

Let's see what else I have bookmarked.

I have a photoshop tutorial bookmarked. Funny thing is, I don't have photoshop. Maybe there was something interesting there. Peeked, no idea, but it's gone now! I deleted it.

Wridea.com...seemed like a neat idea, but I have enough other programs that work for me. I checked it out, played, and decided it wasn't for me. On the other hand, I still have the bookmark!

http://www.sxc.hu/ is Stock Exchange. I'll keep this one, it's a nice place to check for pics.

One was for LifeHacker's Texter, which I've all ready downloaded, don't need that one anymore.

Have you cleaned through your bookmarks lately? I have TONS more to go through. I'm going to do them in small batches! 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:00 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

When it comes to internet security, it's not just the big boys who have to worry about their ineternet safety. Small and mid-sized businesses have to worry as well. Don't overlook that fact, and think if you're a small business, it isn't an issue, because it is!

Software Security Solutions is a member of the Better Business Bureau for Reliability and they are offering you tips for your computer safety. They have a chart which lets you know what protection you should be using, based on how you connect to the internet.

What they are trying to do is making computer security understandable to everyone. The want to raise the bar on computer security, and they want their clients to not only be protected, but to understand why those layers are important.

If you're looking for  Internet Security Software then look to Software Security Solutions. This post was brought to you by SoftwareSecuritySolutions.com.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:23 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Here's a way to earn extra money you may not have known about. You can go over to Associated Content and write articles. It's a simple procedure, painless to sign up, and before you know it, you're earning money! You can click on the picture above or through the link. (aff) If you sign up through me, I do see a small $3.00 referral fee. It's been a great place for me, and I currently have over 60 articles over at Associated Content. Join today, and start earning!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 02:10 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

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Are you new to blogs or blogging? Are you wondering why you keep seeing this orange button everywhere? This is a button called an RSS button. You can simply click on the orange button and add this blog to your feed. If you see this on other sites, you can add them as well. This way all the updates go to your feed reader, and you can read them all in one place.

Google Reader and Bloglines are some of the favorite readers out there. Check them out today! Oh, and before you leave, don't forget to subscribe to my blog! Simply click on the orange button and add me to your reader today!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 01:53 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (1)

I'm hoping to go to the Skin Care Conference in Philly this October. It used to be in February, but they moved the event. I'd love to make it to Orlando's Premiere show this year. Why do I get excited about going to a trade show and convention? I love the ability to have continuing educuation. When it comes down to it, the only way you'll continue to learn and grow is by taking classes and courses in your chosen subject.

When it comes to going back to school, if you're interested in Mechanics, you'll want to check out Mechanic-School-Directory.com. They have everything from your standard Mechanic Course to courses in diesel mechanics, airline mechanics, and auto and motorcycle mechanics. They are your one stop resource to finding all things mechanics. If you're looking for educational resources, this is a site you'll have to check out.  This post was brought to you by Mechanic-School-Directory.com.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 01:42 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

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I've had a website that I've had trouble getting indexed, and after months, it's finally indexed! It was so frustrating, because I have multiple sites and blogs, and only this one particular site wouldn't index. I'm so happy to have found yesterday....voila...it's indexed! Life is good ;)

It's was a long road with it, and I was about to give up on the site, but after holding in just long enough, I'm thrilled it made it into Google's engines.  

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 This  is an interview meme, where you ask to be included. I read Julie's interview, and asked her to interview me. If you'd like to participate, in my comments write "INTERVIEW ME" and I'll send you questions. I'll take the first 3-4 people who comment they want to be interviewed. Each person gets unique questions. Here is the interview Julie sent to me. Thank you Julie.

1. Of all the blogs I read, you are the first one to post with the latest current events happening in the world.  How do you stay on top of the news?

 I have a voracious reading appetite. I have both My Yahoo and My Personalized Google stacked with headlines on different topics. For NJ news, I scan NJ.com along with other places. I also have a large list of popular blogs on my reader, and try to stay current. I don't necessarily blog about top stories all the time, just the ones that catch my eye.

2.  Of all the places you have blogged about on your travel blog, which is the one place you want to go to most?

My travel blog Two Dog Zoo Travel, lists multiple places. I'd love to go to Australia, but I'm not sure I could sit on a plane for that long. I'd probably have to say Puerto Rico. I'd love to explore it with my husband who has family there. He hasn't been there since he was a young child, and I've never been. It seems a paradise unto itself.

3.  How much Diet Coke do you drink a day?

Way too much....hahah. I easily do a 6 pack of cans...sometimes more. I do mean EASILY.

4.  What do you think about your state Governor not wearing a seatbelt when he got in his car accident?

It's hard to preach when you don't practice something yourself. I think it's a shame he was hurt so badly. I'm surprised that the state trooper didn't insist. When I ran with a rescue squad, it was mandatory to wear a seat belt to drive the ambulance, and I got into the habit early. While I don't think that the government should dictate what a person can do or has to do in their vehicle while driving, I think common sense says, if you put it on, it may save your life.

5. Do you have any regrets? (this is just a great question for everyone)

Sure I have regrets, I think most people do. Would I do some things differently? Hindsight is 20/20, but I've learned from most of my mistakes and became a stronger person for it. Adversity is the key to growing.  

Thank you again to Julie for taking the time to interview me. 

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I sat and thought about what I wrote yesterday, about losing passion and doing too much. I thank everyone for their kind words and encouragement. It's a weird feeling, because some projects have been going on for months, and to put them aside is a difficult task. You become attached to a name, an idea or the project itself. I've given myself until the middle of May to make final decisions on what will be closed down, though I'm pretty sure my opinion won't change on the two that I'll be closing. I'm not a cold turkey kind of girl.

I'm not a dive into the cold water without dipping my toe first person. I test the waters, if I think I'll like them, then you'll see me playing in the water for way too long! It's funny how hesitation starts me, and then I have a hard time leaving. Like anything in life, it's finding that good balance between what works and what's too much. When you find yourself putting more effort into the effort itself, rather than the outcome, that's when you realize the balance is tipping.

All ready today, I feel renewed, because I have a new thought in my mind that I'm following, and it's a better one. I feel the weight lifted all ready. I've got a large project I've been working on, and it will demand a lot of my time during the rest of April, on top of which I am hoping to learn something new. April is full, and I want to spend it doing things I enjoy, and getting things accomplished, rather than just doing things because they have to be done. It feels good, because I'm ready to finally get out of the water, and dry off.  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:37 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy | Comments (4)

I think I stretched myself too much. The goal was to have a lot of different sites, niches, so that I could continue writing on a lot of different topics on individual blogs, and it would be a wise move when it comes to earning extra money as well. My problem creeps in that I find I'm just talking now, and I'm missing the passion that was once my voice. I'm stretched in my brain because I have more places to write on. In the beginning, this felt like something that made sense...but it doesn't for me.

You see, when I do something, I don't do it half way! I decided to create extra sites, each with their own niche, and grow from there. What happened is my voice became stifled, I was now, and am promoting numerous blogs, and then I end up losing my voice all together.

It's hard to decide where to cut back, what to fold, and how many I want to close. With 8 different areas I'm writing on, I've decided to fold two for certain this spring, and I'll slowly incorporate my older posts from them onto other blogs, so I don't lose them completely. It's hard to know what I want to keep, what I am ready to close, and what I want to expand on. What I do know, is that my voice wants to come back. I want to write more than a paragraph, because I have something to say again.

It's all a learning experience, because when you think something is good in small doses, sometimes you think, bigger means better, more means better, or well....more is more. I'm learning that maybe expanding a little is better than expanding a lot. Lesson learned, now what to do about it? It will be a slow process, but I'm glad I feel this way today. 

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I first met my husband on an online dating web site or matchmaker service. We had emailed back and forth a few times, and to be honest, I wasn't looking for love. I was looking to go out with a few nice guys, and after coming out of a divorce, was not ready to be involved again. The problem was, the more I talked to him, the more I liked him. I realized this was a really nice guy, and we might not be looking for the same thing. Well, maybe we were, and I didn't know it yet!

We finally decided to meet, and we hooked up over at the TGIFriday's over on the Flemington circle. I was coming from Bucks County and he was in Hunterdon. I had such a good time. We talked so easily and it felt like I knew him for a long time. After lunch, we didn't want the date to end, and we ended going back to his house to talk more. Hey! I said we talked! We spent 8 hours that day talking and talking, and really had a lot of fun laughing. The problem is, even though I liked him, I wasn't sure I wanted to get into a relationship. One of my friends straightened my head out. She said, Deb, you just spent 8 hours on this date, you had a great time, and you're not sure if you want to go out with him again? Tell me why again!

Needless to say, I gave it another go, just to make sure I didn't want a relationship, and within moments, I knew I was in trouble. I was hooked. Here was this incredible, genuine kind guy and was sweet as could be. I'm blessed to have had that same man in my life for 7 years now, and he is the best thing that came into my life. I hope he feels the same way. True love can and does happen after meeting people online. I'm proof, and we've been happily married for 4 years.

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I've spent the day trying to figure out where my priorities lie between my different sites and blogs. I have mulitple blogs, and I have multiple web sites. I had to create a way to figure out what goals I have for each blog, and which ones should be the ones I promote first and foremost. I guess it comes down to figuring out if I want one or two high ranked blogs, or a lot of medium ranked blogs, or too many low ranked blogs.

How do you decide. I had to look at why each blog mattered to me, and where my passion sits on each topic. What helps you decide if you have multiple blogs? 

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What you can do, is follow the link above and get "Do Follow". Load it into your plugins, activate it, and help others with link love. This is a way to thank people for taking the time to comment on your blog. I moderate all my comments, so no naughty spammeres are allowed through, but regular comments are rewarded.

Colleen over at GeekySpeaky has started an official “D List“. You'll get real links when commenting on blogs on the D List, and add your own and spread the word. 

(Note: Any blog using any Do Follow  or any of the other do follow type programs are welcome to join in the list! Add your information, spread the word, and let's get some link love going!)

***Begin to copy here***

1. Write a short paragraph at the beginning of your post and link back to the blog that put you on the list in the paragraph. This isn’t a suggestion. You need to break up the duplicate content. Someone took the time to add you so the least you can do is give them an extra link back.

2. Copy the list of originals below COMPLETELY and add it to your blog. If you would like a different keyword for your blog then change it when you do your post and it should pass to most blogs with that keyword.

3. Take the adds from the blog that added you and place them in the “Originals” list.

4. Add at least 1 new blog that you KNOW us using the DO FOLLOW plugin to the list in the “My Adds” section. (Add no more than 5!) Let the people you’ve added know, so that they can keep the list going!

5. Leave relevant comments on the blogs listed and get a link back to your site thanks to Do Follow!

My Adds:

BizMark Tech

Two Dog Zoo

TDZ Travel

Body, Mind & Solar 

GeekySpeaky
Simple Kind Of Life
3DayMom
BuyMeBlog
The Hockey Dad
Midlife Musings
Utterly Geek
Whatever I Feel Like
My Dandelion Patch
Surviving NJ

***Quit Copying Here***

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My friend Alli has her hands full and has left the corporate world for the world of being a full-time mom. She speaks often of family life on CrumleyDotOrg. She had a really great post about being a mom and her son Fuller. You have to read this one!

Want to see our gorgeous momma? Pssst...click here to see Alli. 

You can read more about Alli's adventures with Fuller on her blog CrumleyDotOrg! Check it out today. 

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 09:53 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Okay, I need to head on over to my Travel blog and write a few pieces! It's been fun hanging out, but I've got work to do. If you haven't checked out my travel blog, it's at Two Dog Zoo Travel.

I'm not sure what I'm going ot write about yet, but I'm thinking a book and a fun destination! Let's see...I think I covered New Jersey earlier today! What? NJ? Hmmm, wonder why? I wonder who lives in NJ and might want to write about it. Okay, don't go getting all excited, it was just a tiny piece. Have a great day!  

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There is a $1,000 op out there on PayPerPost...and I can't get it! Everyone is trying to get it! I can't wait to see who's quick fingers snagged the opp! As for me, I'll sit on the sidelines, it doesn't even want to finish loading on my end, due to the incredible traffic surge going on over there right now!

They are planning on doing a $1000 drop each Tuesday through the month of April! Get your fingers ready, set....hope it loads.  

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I was over at Great Expectations reading my friend Lisa's blog, and she had mentioned about the stolen credit card scandal regarding TJ Maxx. Turns out that Stop & Shop users had that same issue as well last month, and over 1,000 credit card and debit card numbers were lifted too!

Lisa is one of those women, who when she speaks, you go "Wow", because she talks about things she cares about and defends them well. She has multiple blogs, and this one is more a personal blog. She speaks about grilling, what's going on in the world regarding science and the environment, to her garden and her seeds sprouting! Get to know Lisa at "Great Expectations" today.

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Jenn has a lot of love to give, and a lot of patience, even if Rotten Lucy is getting into the cheez-its!

Jenn has two new nephews, two cats and an adorable new bag. You can read all about Jenn on her blog "Footprints on the Moon". She recently gave her blog a new look, and it look's great!

She's also an awesome granddaughter and spends quality time with her grandmother. Read more about this sweet girl, my friend Jenn today.  She also recently changed positions at her company. Find out more about Jenn by heading over to her blog, "Footprints on The Moon".

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Angie was part of a retreat this weekend, and it sounds like it went really well. I hear about things like this, and I always wonder how people become involved in them. It sounds like it was a wonderful time where there was growth, laughter and learning. I love things like that! In the second picture of that post, Ang is the adorable girl on the left with the big, bright smile!

On "A Bit of This and That" Angie shares about her family, life happenings and offers reviews. Stop by and say hello to my friend Ang! Tell her Deb sent you. :)

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I was over reading Lisa's blog at Hippie Spelunker, and the latest entry about Yellow Snow really floored me! We're not talking about the "Don't eat snow where the huskies go" yellow snow! It's a pollen fest in Alabama, and she said it's so thick down there right now, the dog slid on the porch! Our cars get that lovely yellow "dusting" in the spring, but not coated like a blanket! I can't even imagine in, and don't think I could deal with it. Sure my Flonase works wonders for my allergies, but I'm not sure about blanket thick pollen!

Lisa lives in a small town in Alabama, and it's been an adjustment, but one that has her living in the small town environment she's wanted.  She lived in Texas before this. I understand adjustment! It took a while to shift from PA to NJ and it's only 1 hour difference. For me, the neighborhood wasn't the big change, but the distance I was from my friends and family.

Stop by and see Lisa over at Hippie Spelunker today.  

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Are you looking for backup options? I recently came across IDrive.com which offers both a free version of their backup services, as well as a pro version. The free version has no catch! Here's the deal, you get 2GB of storage space, absolutely free, while always having the option to upgrade to the pro version! Go back and read that, I said free! If you want the unlimited version, it costs less than $50 a month, and you can back up everything you've got! They even have a special where if you pay for a year, you'll get 2 months free.

I love finding new great deals, and IDrive's free backup service is certainly a great one. They have remote backup, easy drag and drop features, they compress data which saves space, and even enhanced security! If you have any questions, check out their FAQ and it will walk you through and find you answers regarding the differeing IDrive-E Online Backup services and firewall circumstances.

Here's the best part- when I say free and easy sign up, that means you don't even need a credit card. Check them out today! This post was brought to you by IDrive.com

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I started hand coding HTML pages close to 10 years ago. I loved that I could throw a page together and understand the language of the land. Next came "WYSIWYG" (what you see is what you get) programs that let you add your elements in, set it up easily, and before you know it, many were happily creating web pages without knowing code. As time moves on, changes have come along, such as PHP, ASP, AJAX and Ruby. I'm still struggling to learn PHP and am a die hard lover of HTML.

The problem comes along that people and businesses want more interactive pages, so that users are drawn in and spend more time on their pages. With AJAX there's the offer of a more interactive experience, where only certain elements change when things are done behind the scenes, rather than reloading an entire page, which means for a quicker experience. Only having to change minor elements means faster changes, and then there's better usability.

What does the future hold in web development? Do you think that there's a place for old timers who are still comfortable with HTML? I personally do, because not every mom and pop business is going to want a high-end, or interactive website, though the bigger companies will. When it comes to web development, I think there will be different levels, based on who you are serving. Times change quickly, so if you want to be at the top level of your game you'll need to keep up. For me, web development isn't my main job, so it will take me a little longer to catch up, but like anything, once you learn it, you'll be just fine, and then someone will come along and make your job just a little easier.  If you want to talk programming and web development, check out Dream.In.Code at DreamInCode.net. This message has been brought to you by DreamInCode.net.

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John Chow has seen tremendous growth and he's making money while he's at it. In fact, John Chow dot Com is a blog that helps you make money online. He is offering to link to your blog if you review his blog.

One of the things I like about John Chow's blog is that he not only figures out how to make his blog a mover and shaker, but he also tells you how you can get ahead as well. One of his recent articles talks about how to target google ads by using a quick snippet of code.

An article last week showed you how you can take advantage of advertier's dollars to boost your own site with advertising. Of course it was rated on an "evil" scale of just how right or wrong it may have been to do each one. It's written with knowledge, and a twist of fun to keep you reading.

In an article dated today, he speaks about how you can make a better impression with your blog. One of the tips is having a detailed about page. I actually just added an about page this weekend, so I was glad to see that listed.

If you'd love to improve your blog, as well as make money online, then you'll want to add John Chow to your reader and follow along! He may be willing to take you for a ride in the process! Bookmark JohnChow.com today. 

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I have a friend who is doing a survey for Turkish learners. I first met Osman on a community we both go to that relates to blogging. He has impressed me with his passion for linguistics and his blogs. If you have a language related blog, or are learning Turkish, he would love your help with a survey.

He is currently doing research about computer-assisted Turkish learning.

If you can help out, please go take the Survey for Turkish learners.  

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We saw a video about pouring Coke on pork and claiming worms were coming out of it in 2 minutes. The problem is, there was a cutaway. This intrigued me, so I tested it out at home, and guess what, no worms! My son was convinced it was a hoax immediately, but since I'm the one feeding the family, I wanted to be certain. I know that meat has to be FDA approved, and cooking meat kills bacteria, but I still wanted to know for myself. I also want to note, I don't know if the same standards are worldwide for meat testing as the United States...Of course, non-tech person that I am, I forgot to put my memory card in my camera! LOL My results: nada, nothing, zero worms.;

Here's the original video of them pouring Coke on Pork...;

What Happens When You Pour Coke On Raw Pork? - The best home videos are here

....Some other people tested pouring Coke on pork as well...this is my favorite test result! This is a MUST SEE!

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I was over at RusticGirls.com reading a couple of articles. It's a simply designed site with a list of informative articles. Take for example an article on bonding with your child as a single parent. They have a large area of coverage when it comes to articles, but they try to keep it based around home and family life.

There is focus to the page, though I think it could be better organized. Having topics with articles listed under them may make navigation a bit simpler. Otherwise, there are a good assortment of topics ranging from faulty fuses to deciding on the right fence for your home. Some of their newer additions include pruning a citris tree to fun article on never fighting a goat over a patch of grass.

I think that Rustic Girls has room to grow and with a simple redesign can have a crisp look that will make finding articles easier. The articles are well selected and offer a range. The picture at the bottom shows their sense of humor.  

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Do you blog? If you do, there's a large bloggers conference that's coming soon, and you'll want to be a part of it. It will be held down in sunny Orlando, Florida. PostieCon is going to be a blow out event, with speakers like Robert Scoble. This will be a full weekend event, so pack your bags and plan on sticking around.

PostieCon is the conference that was created for the blogger. It's about learning how to improve your voice in the world of the net. Find out how to monetize your blog, as well as how to become a better blogger. David Ponce, the managing editor of OhGizmo.com will also be speaking at the conference. It doesn't end there, there will be fun, more speakers, and awards.

PostieCon is going to be a happening event that everyone's going to be talking about, and you're going to wish you went. Hurry up and register, because there's limited space.

Are you ready to take your blog to the next level? PostieCon can help get you there, with informative speeches, and people with experience in growing traffic as well as helping you become a more defined voice. Join everyone as they meet May 31 through June 2nd in Orlando.

Sign up information can be found at PostieCon.com. This post was brought to you by PayPerPost and PostieCon.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:23 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

If you’re trying to install the latest income tax preparation software on a Windows 98 computer, you’re going to have a problem.  Most of the popular packages no longer work with 98 since Microsoft has stopped support of that operating system.  But don’t assume that you have to upgrade to XP, which would be a challenge for an older pc.  Most of the software is still compatible with Windows 2000, so you may want to simply upgrade to Windows 2000.  It’ll be a lot cheaper, too.

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:53 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Along with the introduction of Vista, Microsoft is also launching Microsoft Office 2007.  From what I’ve seen and read, it will be a comprehensive package, including new programs in addition to the standard Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.  As usual, there will probably be some changes to get used to, but it looks like an impressive package.  One tidbit…now Excel can support one million rows of data.

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There's a new tool and 3D model builder you'll want to check out. Google's SketchUP lets you create models of buildings and more. You can create a simple, moderate or complex model. Here's a build up of Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.

A more complex build is the Opera House in Sydney. If you love new programs, this is one you'll want to get your hands on. Just go to Google and go to their "more" section of tools. Look for "SketchUP" and you'll be on your way.

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FuelMyBlog.com has a new look they'll be unveiling this week. They had hoped to have it up by today, but as with life, there were a few glitches. Look for them to unveil their hot new design in just a few days. If you haven't signed up for Fuel My Blog yet, get on it!

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 11:13 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

Sometimes when you blog, it's hard to stand out in a crowd, and sorting through tons and tons of blogs at some other sites doesn't let you pick and choose as easily. At Grokodile, I can head over and check out other blogs in New Jersey, or anywhere! It's a fun, new way to get your site seen!
This post was brought to you by Grokodile.com

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 12:58 PM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

I'm looking to create one more site, like I mentioned earlier, and am working on the proper name. It's funny how sometimes a name just comes to you and it works, and other times, like now, I'm struggling to find the name I like or want that isn't all ready used.

When selecting a name for say a personal journal, you can use whatever floats your boat. When you want it to represent something, you tend to want a certain feel to it. There are a few names I have jotted down that are almost what I want, but not quite. Usually within a few hours, I know the name I want, but this has been days, and it's slowly driving me nuts!

How do you choose names?  

Posted by Deb of Surviving NJ blog at 08:32 AM | Permalink| Disclosure Policy

You can search for a domain right on their site, and register easily.Their small business basic plan cost under $14 a month when you sign up for a year. With those kind of prices, people can afford it- even small businesses just starting out. We're talking about 2,000 MB of disk space and 80 email addresses!

If you prefer just email hosting, they can start you out from $6.95 a month. Do you want motivation? You can get a free blackberry with a new business or email hosting account. The details are on the site.

Let's get down to the basics, supplying the tools you need such as free podcasting, a free blog, virus tools and spam tools are the things that you'll both want and need. They'll be there for you, and you won't have to change services to try and accomodate your needs. You may need to change to Concentric, but you won't have to change again, because Concentric offers it all. This post was brought to you by Concentric.

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