Compare Web Hosting Services Before You Buy

I just landed on Web Hosting Geeks and all I can say is WoW... what a great tool! I mostly blog, but have used paid hosting services before. Back in the day when I had a Wordpress blog and didn't have a clue where to start... I relied on the advice I found on online forums to make a decision. Not that this is bad necessarily, but I didn't have a resource to compare the various hosting services side-by-side.

Over the last couple of years, I've been entertaining the notion of creating a website which would require a web hosting service... I've had countless people tell me I should create a Cake Decorating website. That actually would be cool... but my only reservation would be that of time and money. I never really knew how to start or what to focus on, but the thought is still there. Maybe one day the light bulb in the attic will click on and I'll be ready to roll... when that day comes I know where I'll be headed first! Off to get my hosting service so I can start building my website.

It turns out that finding affordable web hosting services isn't the struggle it used to be... I was just navigating through a really cool webhosting site, dedicated to providing the side-by-side comparisons of the major hosting services available that I was so wanting to find years ago. Now I can compare by ranking, price, features, bonus features (such as a free domain) and the ever important reviews of other users.

Web Hosting Geeks is a wonderful resource. I'm on their web hosting blog now and enjoying the read. If I'd had this resource, and well maybe I did and didn't know it, I would have felt a lot less insecure about making a decision about a hosting service. On the Web Hosting Geeks website you'll find the latest industry news and trends as well as great information on available products.

Pretty cool wouldn't you agree? Be sure to visit this site now... even if you're not currently in the market. If you like what you see, bookmark the site so you'll be able to find Web Hosting Geeks when that day comes that you are ready to launch your own self-hosted blog or website.

Selling Jewelry Online? Can I do it?

I'm currently experimenting with a jewelry website... well, I should say blog has been my newest time killer. I'm still doing everything else I was doing up to now, but have added the jewelry to the mix.

It's very much an experiment with the real question being... can you sell jewelry from a blog using a very simple PayPal shopping cart? Will people trust the site? Will the like the jewelry? Will they like the price? There are a lot of questions and so far no buyers! lol

Maybe my readers can check out my blog and give me a little constructive criticism? I'm taking advantage of the traffic I already have coming into Cake Space by adding a banner... but haven't gained a lot of traffic that way.

In any case, wish me luck! I'm hoping to earn a few extra dollars for Summer activities while my kids are home from school. I have about 50 of these crosses already made and will likely make another 50 within the next couple of weeks. A handful will go to my church as donations... something I've been doing for a few years now.

So why not using Etsy? Well, I set up an account and will probably try it, but I really want to see if the blog thing works first. There are pros and cons either way... the customer might feel more secure using their shopping cart, but then again, PayPal is secure. They might feel they have recourse should they not receive their product, or if they don't like the quality, but I'm willing to accept returns and apply insurance for any shipment... hmm... now that I think about it, I should probably post that to my blog! lol

Please check my blog out and give me a few pointers.... especially if this is what you do. This meaning selling jewelry or creating websites/blogs. Thank you!

An Excellent Online Nurse's Magazine

One thing I learned at the hospital, while having my two children, was this... it's not the doctor's who run the show... it's the nurses. Sure the doctor's have to authorize, diagnose, and examine, but the nurses are the ones who insure the patients needs are met, and met with in a timely manner and with a lot of TLC. It's that bedside manner that doctors don't often exhibit that makes nurses so essential to a successful outcome for the patient.

Maybe you're a nursing student, someone considering nursing, or maybe you're already a practicing professional in this admirable field. If so... do you know about Scrubs online magazine? I just found it and WOW! Talk about inspirational. I've been reading some of the personal stories about how nurses have touched the lives of their patients. If you know someone in nursing, these stories will really pull at their heartstrings.

Regardless of the stage of your nursing career you will find inspiration, fun, and warmth at Scrubs. This is so not another stale medical magazine... it's warm and friendly... encouraging and supportive. Scrubs was fun for me to read through, and I don't even have a medical background... probably not even a medical future, but I have been hospitalized a handful of times and know what a good nurse looks like. I can so appreciate the stories I read, like the one about Nurse Angie who always brought comfort to her cardiac patient through a warm, caring smile and her playful scrubs.

One of the articles from the Scrubs website that really touched me was the one about praying with a patient. As a Christian myself, I loved that the article's conclusion that "yes" it is ok to pray with a patient, when asked to do so. There are recommendations in this article for just how to go about accomplishing a prayer in such a way as to accommodate the spiritual request of the patient, and yet still maintain your professional standing. Not that it's not professional to pray, but it's not part of this profession to do so. A very sensitive issue that has been addressed amazingly well in this article. Hats off to the author and contributors who have done such a marvelous job of recognizing the significance prayer plays in the lives of patients.

This magazine covers everything a nurse could want to read about... not just patient stories... not just advice on how to handle sensitive situations, but anything and everything you might be faced with in the workplace. It's a great outlet and resource if you're looking for a little gratitude, encouragement and warmth!

An Amazing $1 Sale on E.L.F... UPDATE!

Updating to state that according to Snopes I'm a giant goof. This is apparently an internet hoax... not the $1 makeup, but the story about Nordstrom's buying out the makeup line. Apparently, this makeup is always $1! Sorry folks! My bad. I got this in an email and believed it to the point that I went shopping! lol

On a happier note... the cosmetic company is legit and if you order you're not falling prey to any time of credit card scam... it's a legitimate online retailer of a legitimate product... just not the "BIG" sale I thought I was sharing. Ooops!

Attention all mommies who enjoy their painted faces and nails... I just wanted to share an email I rec'd a short time ago that I can vouch for! I placed my own order and yes every word of this notice is true:

Nordstrom is changing the logo on their makeup, so they're selling a ton of the makeup for one dollar on line. The make-up line E.L.F.(eyes-lips-face) has been bought out by Nordstrom and will be re-packaged with the Nordstrom name on it. They are getting rid off the entire make up in the ELF packaging. They are selling everything for $1. You do have to pay shipping. They have everything powder,mascara, lipstick, a mineral line, brushes etc. The website is: http://www.eyeslipsface.com/shop.asp When you check out there is a space for a coupon code. Use CAROLINA and save an additional $7.50 if your order is over $15.00. Or use SAVINGSELF and get 50% off any order.

The only thing that didn't exactly ring correctly was the SAVINGSELF discout for 50%. Turns out either of the discount codes mentioned return the same $7.50 savings, but hey... there's your shipping charges! If you spend $75 or more, your shipping is completely free and you can still apply the discount code to your shopping cart. Now is the time to stock up! Maybe even buy gifts for stocking stuffers... believe me, it's not really that far away!

So, head on over before the deals are snatched away! Shopping for makeup should always be this much fun!

Looking for a Faster Internet Service? Charter Has it!

Who doesn't want the fastest Internet service available... especially those of us who work the web as part of our livelihood. Ok... who am I kidding? It's not even just about that... we all hate slow Internet speed, regardless of whether we're working online, reading online news and entertainment, or playing Internet games. Just ask my 8 year old and he'll even tell you that much!

I usually have 4 screens open at any one time on my monitor... just to accomplish what I'm trying to do. My husband is always telling me that by working so many screens all at one time, I'm slowing down our Internet speed. Well... maybe today, but that's all going to be a thing of the past thanks to Charter's lastest technology.

Currently Charter is introducing the fastest Internet service in the St. Louis market, soon to be available in other markets throughout our great nation. Charter's Ultra60 is the fastest Internet you will find in St. Louis, giving this fortunate market the ability to experience an Internet most of us can only imagine... if you're an Internet multi-tasker you'll appreciate Charter's wildly quick and efficient Ultra60! They call the Ultra 60 Mbps the first of their Phatband speeds that makes DSL look like dial-up. Can you imagine that?

Ultra60 Information Page will give you the heads up on this latest and greatest Charter services, something you'll want to know about before your friends do! Learn about the unmatched speed of Ultra60, then you'll be the one to share the excitement with your die hard web gaming friends. This will totally change the way they play!

I've shared this before, but if you'd like to be in on all the latest news coming from Charter, check out Charter’s Twitter Feed. Stay on top of the thrilling technological breakthroughs that are coming out of Charter and watch them change the way we experience the Internet.

Critique My New Blog?

Is this a weird thing to ask my visitors to do? lol Maybe... but I love feedback on anything and everything I'm doing. I've shared my cake blog here in the past, but if you missed that it's Cake Space. Feel free to drop me a comment or two while you're there! And... if you have any advice for me on how I might make that blog stand out, I'm happy to hear from you.

The new blog that I'm actually wanting the most feedback about is: Better Than Ecards, which is a blog about my SendOutCards business. I can't have a business without a blog! lol Just not me. So, after I registered as an Independent Consultant with SOC, I immediately started working on my new blog... even buying a domain name, something I've never done here or on my cake blog. Guess you could say I wanted to start off on a more professional foot.

Since I'm looking to draw in a significant number of new clients via the Internet, it's vital that my blog reads well, has a professional image, and conveys the benefits of the service I'm selling. Otherwise, what's the point. I realize I have a lot of work to do on this new site, but do like the way it's currently formatted. In the end, my goal is to have a clear path for visitors to follow who are looking at both the business side of SendOutCards, and the service side. Meaning, I'll have buttons to click that will take them directly to information relevant to their interests.

So, fire away! What do you like and dislike? Is the white overbearing? A friend of mine told me it was hard on the eyes... but some of my favorite websites are white, so not sure what to think about that.

I'm looking forward to all the constructive criticism that could be coming my way! Thanks for your cooperation!

The Newest Charter Cable Giveaway!

Listen up Charter Cable Subscribers!! Some of you may remember that Charter held an exciting giveaway last month, rewarding fortunate game players HDTV's, with one lucky grand prize winner walking away with a home theater! Last year they even gave away a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid, so I guess you could say they know how to generate excitement for their brand!

Well, guess what? They're at it again, offering another exciting giveaway for the month of May, giving you a chance to win $10,000. Additionally, every week they'll be giving away a 52" Sony Bravia HDTV! So hey, if you're interested in benefiting from this newest campaign to reward customers, head on over to the Win 10 Grand Contest Page where you'll have the opportunity to answer questions about Charter and gain entry into yet another exciting giveaway! Be sure to visit every week, for a new chance to win!

Why Charter? As if you didn't already know... but hey, if you need another reason... did you know they have a library of over 6,000 movies and shows? Seriously! So why not Charter! lol By the way, they also have over 1,000 titles you can view free of charge... WooHoo!

So what sorts of trivia will you be challenged to in order to enter the giveaway for a chance to win either $10,000 or a new HDTV? The question currently on site is about premium channels and free sample programming. There is also a hint provided... just to give you a little guided help. Come on... you can do it! What do you have to lose?

If you're currently on Twitter, or want to check out Charter’s Twitter Feed, you're sure to learn more exciting Charter news directly from the source!

Mothers Working Through Summer Schedules

What's on your mommy plate for the Summer? Will you be working the same daytime routine or will you be spending the long sunny days with your school-aged children at home? Maybe you'll be merging those two worlds together? Our lives all look somewhat different and yet for those of us with children, our goals are pretty much the same.

We all want to strike a balance between feeling fulfilled at home... keeping our children happy, clean, healthy, loved... and keeping ourselves productive in the workplace, even if that workplace is at home, sewing dresses for the children of friends, babysitting, or doing a little freelance writing while our kids are napping. Whatever it is you do, inside the home or out... if you're like me, you're not totally happy unless you feel like you've met all your families needs to the degree that you are capable. For me personally, that means earning a few dollars to add to our families income. Even though my husband makes enough to support us, I've found the extra income essential to taking care of those extra expenses that you don't always anticipate.

My best days are those when I've made at least $10 (lol) and have a somewhat clean house, kids who've had a bath, and a husband who's had dinner before 7:00 pm. Is that weird? lol On days when I bring in $30 or better I feel like Wonder woman. I'm all about patting myself on the back and saying... "see, you can do it!". If however, in an effort to earn from home, I burn dinner, don't get the laundry done, or send the kids to bed filthy, I tend to feel like a giant loser! That's the balance thing I personally struggle with.

For those of us who do work during the Summer months, does having the kids home make it more of a challenge? Do you work as many hours and do those work hours take on a different shape? How do you avoid burnout? How do you get every box checked... or do you?

I work so few hours during the day (typically speaking) that I don't anticipate many problems this Summer, plus I've done that bit before. Actually, my kids were homeschooled up until January, so most of my work-from-home experience has been done with kids at my feet!

As I type this, it's after 10:00 PM and my kids are in bed. Well, kind of. It is Friday night after all and we sorta let schedules slide, so they're laying with their dad (sorta on their dad) on the couch in front of the television watching Alton Brown on the Food Network. lol In any case, this is the time of night I get most of my work done. When no one really misses me and I can concentrate... never mind that my eyes are tired and I feel I'm probably rambling senselessly. It's ok... you can tell me if I am! lol

Have You Heard of Ethical Hacking?

Hackers and ethics? Isn't that an oxymoron? Hmmm, well that's what I thought too until I learned that the EC-Council offers actual classes for people wanting to work as ethical hackers. What we're talking about of course is IT security. This is a profession that isn't about to be effected by the economy. As long as big business and government use computers, there will be hackers trying to find their way into databases, stealing passwords, bank information, government secrets... you name it. So, studying the art of combating Internet thieves and possibly even terrorists is what they call smart... don't you think?

Even with the economy spiraling downward and unemployment nearly at 10%, IT Security experts are enjoying increasingly high paying salaries and when is the last time you heard of an IT expert being layed off of work?

Data breaches are on the rise and in fact last month I had a call from Citibank informing me that my credit card had been cancelled and a new one issued because of a breach in their security system. Apparently they felt there was a possibility that a hacker had attained access to a number of credit card accounts, the ramifications of such an event could have proved very costly for them, and not so convenient for me either.

So where do you study to be an IT professional? Through the EC-Council you can learn computer forensics and ethical hacking, gaining certification in these areas as well as in security fundamentals, penetration testing, and in disaster recovery.

In my ever so humble opinion, Ethical Hacking is the career of today, and definitely the career of the future. If you have children who are computer geeks, be thankful! They'll have a bright future if they get the right training and certification. Maybe you're the computer geek or a computer geek wanna be? Go for it my friend!

Become a Certified Ethical Hacker and enjoy a healthy salary, recession proof career, and have the satisfaction of knowing you're making a huge impact on the betterment of society.

Working From Home with SOC!!!

It's been a great first week with SendOutCards! I'm continuing to find interested moms and small business owners just curious enough about what I'm offering to register for a free gift account and send a card or two on me. This is after all the only way to know if the service really suits you!

Just a moment ago, I sent out 8 cards to 8 friends in 2 minutes! How did I do such a thing... well I confess I spent about 5 creating the front of the card... uploading a photo of our group, adding text (spent about 4 minutes thinking about what to say), then I was off to creating my inner greeting, which was a lot easier! lol Believe it or not.

I went to my recipients directory and clicked their names and then clicked send! The postage was $3.52, the cards themselves were $7.44 for all 8, so all together I spent $10.96 sending out 8 customized cards! What a deal! That's only $1.37 per card and I never had to leave my living room! lol

Ok, enough said. If you're looking for a small business opportunity with a product that sells itself, why not consider at least joining my team? I'm looking for a few strong business builders, as well as women who just enjoy sending out cards. If either of those sound like you, head on over to my website and send out a free card on your's truly.

Try it for free and tell me I'm not onto something? :o)

Give Your Pet a Way Home While Helping a Great Cause

Attention all pet owners! You may or may not realize it but May 3rd through the 9th is the American Humane Association's Be Kind to Animals Week®. What's more, the kind-hearted people at HomeAgain have agreed to donate $1 for every pet registered through their website during this very special week... which by the way end's tomorrow!

What is HomeAgain and what do they do exactly? Their name says it all... as a national pet-recovery service, they offer hope to families of missing pets, insurance coverage for injuries sustained while missing, and even emergency medical assistance. To date this awesome animal recovery service has reunited more than 500,000 pets with their heartsick pet owners. Don't you just love a happy ending? I sure do!

Unfortunately without microchipping or proper identification, 90% of our pets will never be located making for a lot of needless heartache for everyone involved. If you're relying on the outdated technology of a identification tags suspended from your pet's collar, it's time to consider the services of a leader in animal recovery systems... it's time to visit HomeAgain!

Visit the Home Again Web Site and register your pets today in order to make your registration count towards a donation to animals in need. The donations are processed through bringpetshome, a fundraising Web site specifically created to help shelter animals. By the way, if you'd like to make even a bigger dent in the need of sheltered animals, do your shopping through the impressive list of retailers registered with the bringpetshome website. A portion of the sales will be donated to animal shelters, which can in turn offer better care to their animals.

I Signed Up! SendOutCards Here I Am!

With SendOutCards!! I actually did it, so send me your best wishes, then check out my new website at: www.sendoutcards.com/wendylindsey and if you'd like to send out a card on me... go ahead and have at it! You'll have to create a gift account, but it's super quick and painless and seconds later you'll be searching through thousands of card options, for your mom (Mother's Day!, your sister's birthday, your neighbor's engagement, your best friend's new baby boy, or even just to shout a big I LOVE YOU to your boy friend or spouse. Sound good? No, It's actually super awesome!

I've been sending out cards like a mad woman since I signed up on Tuesday. With SendOutCards I only pay $1.04 per card (shipping included) to send out to those on my growing list of friends and family. I pay $1.35 if I chose to upload a personal photo of my kids or a product I'm promoting... if you're running your own small business, SendOutCards is not something you'll want to pass up on... EXCELLENT promoting tool... for whatever it is your selling. Even if it's just a thought or idea.

Ok... so there will obviously be more to come on this. I'm not going to stop sharing the news of my new home-based business. Truth is, I've been looking for 3 years for the right fit, and I really believe I've found it. Needless to say, I'm a bit enthusiastic! WooHoo for me!

Have a great evening, morning, afternoon, or whatever you happen to be living at this very moment. :o)