A brand new experience!

My boss has been piling loads upon loads of work on me lately that I haven’t had time for anything else, much less shopping. It occurred to me just now that I haven’t bought a new dress in almost a month, and that I have been wearing the same pair of shoes to work almost every day for half a year. It’s time for a wardrobe change, but how can I possibly do that when I can barely grab a couple of hours to spend with my friends and my husband?

At work one day, I clicked upon an online advertisement by accident, which led me to this website that sold all sorts of shoes! From casual shoes to fancy evening shoes, that online store had it all. And not only that – they also carried dresses, tops, pants, handbags, and accessories. I bookmarked that site and returned to browse through the shoes and clothes during my lunch break. By the time I had to get back to work, I just spent a couple of hundreds on a new wardrobe. And I didn’t even have to leave my office to do so!

My new clothes and shoes should be arriving within the week, and I can’t wait to try them all on when they get here. As a way to relax, maybe I’ll hold a little fashion show in my bedroom, experiment with my new clothes, and figure out how to mix and match them. I just love how the internet makes everything more convenient, even shopping for clothes!

Shorter is sometimes better!

Lengthy is not always the best when it comes to great recipes. I’ve seen recipes that have three ingredients and some that have 20 and more. There are some recipes with directions as few as four and some lasting two pages.

Which would you think would be the best recipes? The shorter ones or the longer ones? Well, I have to say I have some really good recipes that take just a few minutes to cook and some really good ones that take hours to prepare.

I personally like the recipes that take fewer ingredients and take less time to cook. You would be surprised that some of the fanciest restaurants in town will use the simplest of recipes. If the food is plated properly, you would never know the difference.

I tried an experiment on my hubby. I made two dishes, one with just a few ingredients and directions and the other with 17 ingredients and almost two full pages if directions. It took only forty-five minutes to make the easier dish and almost four hours to make the other one. I put both dishes in front of my hubby and had him taste both and try to guess which one took the longest to prepare and which one was the best to him.

By the looks of both dishes, he could not pick the quickest to prepare, but decided that the one I made in forty-five minutes was the best. I also agreed with his taste buds. The forty-five minutes dish tasted so much better. They both were chicken and pasta dishes, but the lengthier dish just didn’t make the cut. It looked good, but didn’t taste as well.

So, when you need that special recipe for a super special meal, hit the internet and give some of the simpler ones a try.

The dead cell phone

I called my hubby this morning and it rang and rang and rang. He doesn’t work and hasn’t driven since his stroke, so he should be home. He always has his cell phone close by, so I don’t understand why he’s not answering.

A million things go through you mind, thinking all kinds of things have happened. But, I made myself slow down and not think the worse. I finally get off work and headed home. I walked in the door and there he sat, in his favorite recliner, with his cell phone next to him on the table. I asked him why he didn’t answer his phone, he replied, “It never rang.” I picked up his phone and the battery was dead as a door nail. I know he had put the phone on to charge the night before and now it was dead. I tried charging it again, but with no luck, so I sat down in front of the computer and shopped for a new phone. You see, I’m lazy when I get off work. I work as a medical assistant and on my feet all day.

So, the computer was the perfect place to shop for a new phone. My phone company has a huge site and even has better prices than when I called over the phone. I’m so glad my mobile phone company advertises on the internet, which makes it so much easier for my busy life.

So, you want to be a caterer?

It's not that hard, you already know how to cook, right? Well just think a little bigger, upgrade your cooking utensils, have some business cards made and you're almost set. Of course, depending on where you live, you will need to contact you county or city government, to see what regulations and rules if any there are to follow. If you do the cooking in your kitchen, you will have to go through an inspection and obtain a business license. There will be a fee for the license.

Next, sit down and decide what kind of food you would enjoy cooking, and then be prepared to experiment with all kinds of dishes. Why you ask, because everyone has different taste and what you like, someone else may turn their nose up at. You can put together sever menus for each meal of the day, for tea parties, birthdays, and for dessert get togethers.

You can start small, by printing your own flyers, leaving them on mail boxes and bulletin boards. Then as business builds, hopefully from word of mouth since I know you will do good, you can place ads in the printed newspapers, magazines, as well as online. Remember though, don’t get in over your head, and schedule your engagements correctly by giving yourself enough time to prepare those wonderful dishes, so your business will boom.

Now, let’s talk about those utensils in your cabinet. Of course, you will need to upgrade them to a nicer quality, if you don’t already have them. You will need extra muffin pans, cookie sheets, serving platters, tea cups, serving utensils and lots of linens. Yes, real linens, customers love that fabric and hate the paper and plastic. Your fridge may need to be a little larger or have a spare in the basement or garage. I personally like having an extra just to hold completed dishes waiting to be delivered. Speaking of delivering, think about your vehicle too. It’s a little hard to cater a wedding for 600 with a VW….just a thought.

When it’s time to go shopping for ingredients, buy in bulk, it’s cheaper and besides, you are going to need the larger quantities. The wholesale clubs are a great place to get everything you need, food wise, but you might want to check out the farmer’s markets for those hard to find ingredients. Oh, and yes, please use as many fresh ingredients as possible, your dishes with taste heavenly. In just about every major city, you will find a restaurant supplier, check them out for you linens and utensils. You can usually get in with your business license.

Ok, you’ve got the basics, think about it some more and take that step to becoming a super star of a caterer! All of the things mentioned here are things your can research online for help.

Oh what a tangled web we weave!

What a mess I made of my computer! I got so sick of it running slow and some days not even running at all. So, what did I do, I struck out to fix it myself. How hard could it be to, just push a few buttons, delete a few things here and there, and get it running faster?

Well, let me tell you how bad it was then….lol. I couldn’t even get it to come on half the time after my home repairs were done. And when it did come on, boy was it a mess. My screen would flash, and my mouse cursor would go where it wanted to, like it had a mind of its own. I really think that sometimes our computers do have a mind of their own, because they do things on their on accord, when you least expect it. But that don’t make up for me doing my own home repairs.

I soon discovered that I was stuck and needed to take the computer to someone that knew a little, well maybe a lot more than I did. My computer was down, so I couldn’t get to the internet at home. I ran across the street in the rain to my neighbour’s house to borrow his computer. He just laughed when I told him why. I told him enough from the peanut gallery. I got on the internet and found a computer repair shop close by my house.

I packed up my laptop and took the short drive to the shop. The repaired my computer in just a couple of days. I asked them how much business they got from online advertising. They said there was more business from online than by people driving by and seeing the sign. I guess it works.

A Day in My Life!

I start my mornings getting up at 5:30am, letting the dogs out, getting ready for work, then putting the dogs back in their crates. Kiss my hubby goodbye and head to McDonald's for my usual breakfast. I arrive at work by 6:30am. I don't have to clock in until 8:00am so, I spend that time doing a lot of my freelance writing. No one else is there and it's quiet. My work as a medical assistant starts at 8:00am and ends anywhere from 5:00pm to 6:00pm. If I get a lunch at all, I'm sitting in front of the computer writing.

I go home, feed the dogs, cook supper, eat, and work on any cleaning or laundry that needs to be done. Then I'm up till about eleven or twelve pm doing more writing.

Now, looking at that typical schedule, when would I have have time to do home repairs? No, not Saturday or Sunday, as I work dog adoptions and writing on Saturday and then Sunday is full of Church, eating out with friends, more writing and laundry.

No, not any day, that's why I have to rely on the internet to help. I can go online and find a painter, roofer, bathroom tiler, or even a source for art to hang on my wall. I rely on the internet not only to do my research for writing, but for finding any kind of vendor that is needed.

A comfy way to make those much needed repairs!

Are you thinking about making some changes around the house, doing some remodeling or need some repairs? Well, join the crowd, you wouldn’t believe how many of us are in the middle of remodeling and repairs or plan to do them before the end of the year.

Some things as simple as painting a room or as complicated as adding on a room are in the planning stages. On average, the normal homeowner will change the color of at least one room, once a year. Carpet is changed out about every five to six years.

Believe it or not we must be one of those normal homeowners. A couple of years ago we yanked up all the carpet and put down alternative flooring. The next year we had our living room completely redone, another new floor, a new ceiling fan, some new furniture and of course the walls and ceiling were painted. The only thing I could do of all that was pick out the new furniture, flooring and paint colors. The work itself had to hired out.

Where did I go to find the right person, the internet, of course! Most all of the home remodelers and contractors advertise on the internet. Why? That’s because 90% of all homeowners have a computer and use it to do searches, instead of using phone books. We don’t even have a phone book in the house anymore. The other 10% of homeowners usually have access to a computer at work or at the public library. The good thing about using the internet is there are usually reviews from existing or past customers.

So, next time you need to find someone to do those repairs or just to help with redecorating, pour yourself a cup of tea, turn on the computer and find that perfect person to assist you. It’s a lot more relaxing sitting in your comfy chair taking your time to look!

The seesaw of life and business

What ever goes up must come down and whatever goes down must come up! This is true in science, in life and also in business. What is also true is that, when three out of four businesses are on the way down, one is on the way up. Many are now seeing the effects of the credit crunch and struggling to keep afloat, but some are finding ways to climb all the way up to the crest of the waves.

Clever entrepreneurs know that they have to take the right steps now to be part of the 25% of businesses who are enjoying financial success at this very moment. Amongst the many things which help a business grow, Internet advertising is right at the top of the list. It's one of the cheapest and most effective ways of advertising a business.

How many people look in the yellow pages or the newspapers when trying to find a business or service provider? In comparison, how many look on the Internet?

What would we do without our computers now? It's now hard to imagine. My niece even has to email her homework to her teachers and one of her homework tasks was to post her views about a history topic on a blog set up by her teacher.

It's called moving with the times
www.dizcover.co.uk