Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Dedicated Hosting

Well, I'm up to three blogs now (Tanyas's World of Business Finance and Technology [this one], Tanya's Weight Loss Journey, and Science Matters). I wonder if that is enough to move myself over to a dedicated server and off of the free blogspot service. Not that I am knocking blogspot's freeness, but it is unreliable at times. I know I am making more than enough from Pay Per Post to cover expenses, but I don't know if the money is better spent somewhere else. Managed Servers Charlotte is a sub site of hostedsolutions.com, a leader in website hosting.

My mom (my biggest blogger fan) says she loves to check out my blogs early in the morning with her cup of coffee. But, she also says that they are often unreachable at this time. I don't know why, but Blogspot must do like server maintenance then, because that time is worse than any other time.

With Managed Servers Charlotte, they offer a data center with a dedicated hosting managed environment. Plus, 24/7 monitoring. That's 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I think that means if something goes wrong with my site, they're monitoring that and will catch the error immediately. Now things go wrong a lot in this business, but if you catch the error immediately, even if you can't fix it immediately, at least it's being fixed As Soon As Possible.

This seems like the very first thing I would be looking for if I went to use a dedicated host. More than anything else, it's what annoys me about the free server and would be first on my check list to rectify. But I guess it's not that common of a service...simply because it's not that easy to offer. It's hard to offer to watch over every single thing at every single moment of the day, but that's just what Managed Servers Charlotte does.

Thank you for reading, this has been a sponsored post.
Tanya

Financial Update

I had Tina (who is a math whiz) do some calculations for me. Consolidating all my credit cards onto one low interest credit card saved me about $25 this month. I would recommend this to anyone who is in need of some financial uplifting. That's like $25 for doing nothing, woohoo!

Lasik

Do you know anyone who has had Lasik surgery? My mom had it. She said it was painless and quick and greatly improved her eye sight. Luckily she took the time to find a good doctor. Which is exactly what the cover story of US News and World Report is recommending. Glenn Hagele writes that "No amount of technology can make up for an inferior surgeon." I'd have to agree. My eyes are very important to me (not to mention my best physical feature). If anything ever happened to them I'd be so upset (but could I even cry?) USAeyes.org offers a HUGE database for finding the perfect, qualified surgeon to perform your operation. It takes all the worrying out of the process.

This has been a sponsored post.

iPhone

I have never been a fan of apple computers or products. That being said, I must say the new iPhone looks really cool. Being on the pseudo-cutting edge of technology, I do have a cell phone, and I do have an MP3 player, but it'd be great to combine those into one along with a PDA. Technology excites me, I can't wait to see what they come up with next!

Backup

Are you afraid of losing your important computer files? I've had two computers crash in the past two years, and there wasn't anything TOO important on there, but it was still a major inconvenience replacing buddy lists, pictures from my digital camera, etc. IDrive-E Online Backup offers free online storage for up to 2GB. FREE! I thought the days of things for free were gone :-) Plus, they offer unlimited storage for less than 5 bucks a month. Beats having your computer crash...AGAIN...and losing all my files...AGAIN!!!

This has been a sponsored post.

Monday, February 26, 2007

So now I officially won't hear anything about whether my offer on the home was accepted or not until tomorrow. Plus, it's fully possible that all I'll learn tomorrow will be that the seller needs to think about it, which they have three days to do! At least after that, the ball will be in my court...that's assuming there is actually a ball to be had. If they decline the offer, I'll be back on the market looking for a different place. It'll be ok.

Tanya

Mortgage Refinancing

Hello there,

One great thing about buying my first home is all the information that I'm learning. Before this, I really had no knowledge about real estate, and now I feel much more "in the know." Since this will be my first mortgage, I won't be thinking about mortgage refinancing right away, but for those of you who are, I've found a great mortgage refinance calculator that I'm sure you will find very useful. And I hope it'll still be around in a few years, if I decide to refinance on my expected 30 year fixed rate mortgage...but that's far in the future.

So make sure you check out creditprovide.com for all your important financing needs, they have lots of calculator features, and you're sure to find the one best suited for you. For me right now, the simple loan calculator was perfect, and it helped me to realize that right now, I could afford a house of up to 300K, but I would rather go a little lower than that so I can still have a good quality of life!

Finally, a really cool calculator is the payday loan calculator, where you can find out how your take home pay translates to a loan estimate. Plus, you can also get lots of detail about payday loans on their site as well.

All of these calculators are extremely helpful for those of you who, like me, are first time buyers, and maybe are a little uninformed as to how much you can actually afford. I found the education center to be particularly helpful; it was basically able to answer every question I had about purchasing a home.

So make sure you check out their site, I bet you'll be glad you did.
Tanya

Thanks for reading, this has been a sponsored post.

Tickets to Disneyworld!

Hello there,

If you have children, you probably have taken notice to the recent Disney campaign in which the parents are realizing that they can indeed afford a Disney vacation.

If you are one of those families where a Disney vacation would truly stretch your budget, then you might want to consider Discount Disney Tickets through dwtickets.com. Although I don't have children myself, I have plenty of friends with young kids, and one of them went to Disney at a very reasonable price through this company. They are reputable, and their customer service is great.

You can get a great overview of the company from their very informative website, or you can travel to Disney and buy tickets on site. dwtickets is located just minutes from the park!

Thank you for reading, this has been a sponsored post.
Tanya

Offer's In

Hi there,

I'm super nervous, because I put an offer in with my realtor yesterday evening, and this afternoon it will be presented to the seller. Evidently, there is another offer also available to the seller, and of course, I don't know what the other contracts' terms are. Plus, the really weird thing is, everyone I tell about this other offer is skeptical that it even exists. Does fraud like that really occur in the real estate business? That would be a horrible way to exploit potential buyers, and I hope that's not the case.

Tanya

Sunday, February 25, 2007

PayPerPost Rumor

Hi There Fellow Bloggers and Bloggers-to-be,

For those of you who have blogs, I certainly hope you're signed onto PayPerPost, the site where you can get paid to blog. Recently, there is a rumor going around that in a few weeks, PayPerPost is going to do a payout cash windfall in which unlimited $1000 opportunities are going to be available all day long. But we don' know what day it's going to be, so there's no way of knowing when the humongous cash in is going to start.

However, if you don't have a PayPerPost-approved blog yet...what are you waiting for? This big news--whatever it is--is going to be released shortly, and you have got to make sure your blog is approved in time...

Whether the rumor I heard is correct or not, whenever PayPerPost broadcasts that something new is about to occur, they mean business. So get your butt to your computer and start BLOGGING! You really have nothing to lose, and TONS of money to gain. I'm serious here, I already made over two grand with PayPerPost, and their opportunities are only getting better with each day!

Thank you for reading, this has been a sponsored post.
Tanya

Offer

Hi There,

I'll be talking to my realtor this afternoon about putting an offer in...I'm nervous but also excited. I think after that, it'll be a few days before I learn whether the sellers wanted to accept it or not. What a nerve wracking experience.

Tanya

Saturday, February 24, 2007

A Movie You Must See



Hello there,

Have you heard about The Ultimate Gift? It was originally a movie, but now there is a book coming out with the same name. Both movie and book are based on the theme: "The only way you can truly get more out of life for yourself is to give part of yourself away.” It's sort of like a Pay It Forward idea, very heartwarming. If you want to know more about this, check out the site below.

This is the official site of the movie "The Ultimate Gift" and the grass-roots movement its starting to help charities and give to others.



The movie stars Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin (from Little Miss Sunshine), James Garner, Ali Hillis, Drew Fuller and Brian Dennehy and promises to be amazing, one of the best this year.

If you haven't yet heard about the book or the movie, then you need to get plugged in! The book has sparked an underground philanthropy movement in which teens are making the theme their purpose, and some of them have begun "Show of hands (www.raiseahand.org)," a great charity initiative.

So get involved! This little movie promises to be a very special find.

Thanks for reading, this has been a sponsored post.
Tanya

Realtor again

Now I'm just trying to get in touch with my realtor to see what to do next. I have my loan application all ready to go and approved and everything, now it's just a matter of whether she can get the ball rolling on her end.

Tanya

Remote PC




Hello there,

With my box making company, I sometimes find that I need to check some information on my laptop at home while I'm at the office, or vice versa. And since my office is 50 miles away from my home, there's no convenient way to get there. That's why I'm so happy I found a solution! It's called RemotePC - Remote Access, and it's available for PCs or laptops. All you do is set one computer to allow remote access, and then set the other computer to connect to it. It's secure and simple and in just a few seconds you essentially have two computers in one; including all the data and information that just seconds ago was miles and miles away. It's such an amazing concept, and prices start at only $4.95/month, PLUS there is a FREE 30-day trial. If you're planning on needing advanced features like desktop sharing with up to 10 users, remote printing, or file and folder transfers, then all of these features are available as well.

It's awesome technology at your fingertips. Just think of all the time spent driving back and forth, plus the price of gas. RemotePC literally will pay for itself, and then some.

So check them out today, I'm sure you'll love it.

Thanks for reading, this has been a sponsored post.
Tanya

Bad News

Hello there,

Well, this morning, I got some bad news. The townhome I'm looking at might be going under contract with a different buyer. That means I either need to act lightning fast, or find another place. Sigh.

Tanya

Friday, February 23, 2007

I-Backup

Hello there,

If you have a small business that is constantly generating data, then you know backing up your data is of utmost importance. For instance, my box making company backs up EVERYTHING each night, because after just a few days, we have tons of new box designs and purchase orders, and it would be a horrible thing if our computers crashed and we lost it all.

If you're looking for a leading online backup and storage solution for your business, or even for personal use, then you've come to the right post. IBackup - Online Backup is just what you're looking for, and at a great price. Check them out today, backing up your files with I-Backup will probably save you money and time in the long run, and the peace of mind they guarantee is priceless.

Thanks for reading, this has been a sponsored post.
Tanya

Eagle Optics

Hello there,

I recently started learning more about optics, and so I was so excited to find a website that has awesome leica binoculars,and lots more. In fact, Eagle Optics is the best place to buy optics for a lot of reasons. They're well established with super low prices and free financing on orders over $200. Plus they have an unbeatable selection, and if there's ever a problem, their customer service is fantastic.

It's really no question. If you're looking for awesome optics, this is the place for you. Eagle Optics has the best selection, the best name brands, and the lowest prices you're going to find for optics on the internet.

Thank you for reading, this has been a sponsored post.
Tanya



Rash Decision?

Hello there,

Well, I still haven't received more information on the alternative townhouses I might be interested in purchasing. I just feel like I want to buy the one that I saw in person, and get it over with. But of course, I might regret making such a rash decision a few years down the road....

Any advice?
Tanya

Finding Counseling

It seems like everyone and their brother these days has their own therapist. And in many cases, the therapist can be the sounding board a person needs to turn their life around. If you are feeling hopeless or depressed, maybe it's time that you Find A Therapist, and with FindCounseling.com, it couldn't be easier.

For many people, choice of a therapist is a very personal one. So, it's so wonderful that this site allows people to search for therapists that fit their ideal. FindCounseling.com has been around for a long time (formerly, TherapistFinder.net), and they are the ones that initially established a framework for locating the perfect therapist. Their rubric includes sorting mental health professionals by treatment area, treatment modality, language spoken, managed care or insurance coverage, therapist gender, and location, and it really cannot be beat as an online therapist directory. I was floored by the power and scope of their search engine, and I'm sure you will be too.

Thank you for reading, this has been a sponsored post.
Tanya

Townhouse dilemma

Hello there,

Well, I'm waiting on my realtor to send a few video walkthroughs of some other properties that might be of interest to me. Although I've already fallen in love with one of the properties, I want to be as broad-minded as possible, and not just go with the first one I see.

At the same time, though, I don't want my current top choice to slip through my fingers.

Tanya

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Lighting

One of the easiest things I think you can do to any house (i.e. my future townhouse!) to make it look a lot nicer and a lot classier is to add a chandelier. There's just some about a chandelier that screams fancy! I love homes with chandeliers either in the dining room or in the entry foyer. Unfortunately, I'm not in a financial position to purchase a chandelier...UNLESS OF COURSE I CHECK OUT THIS SITE for Discount Chandeliers. Oh my gosh I was so excited to see this Pay Per Post opportunity, there are some really great companies out there offering some awesome products!

Thanks for reading, this has been a sponsored post.

Rewards

I love my current credit card. Every time I spend money on gas or groceries, I get 5% cash back! That's like having a permanent coupon for 5% off at the grocery store. Of course, cheaper food means I buy more food...and more food doesn't exactly help my weightloss journey.

UK HIP

This post is specifically for my United Kingdom readers (my sitemeter tells me I have quite a few from there!!). HIP stands for home information pack, which from my research of this website is a common term in the UK. If you are not signed on to use of the big name agents (i.e. if you are yourself a small time agent, or looking to research homes on your own) then this site will be a big help for you! This allows you to complete with the big fish with no upfront fees!
This has been a sponsored post.

Small Business

I wish I knew more about business, because I really think I could do a better job than some of the guys who run my box company. Maybe I'll take some business classes someday and start up my own business. I always have lots of ideas, some of them are probably good ones!

Wirefly

Hello there,

It seems like every American has one or more cell phones, and they're becoming more and more complicated with camera phones, mp3 players, and PDA systems all incorporated into your cell phone. These days, you can even buy a phone with a complete QWERTY keyboard for more efficient texting. Phones are becoming the multitasking tool of the century, and consumers are amazing keeping up with each new advance by upgrading their existing phones or adding additional contracts.

In fact, I have a close friend who is really crazy about cell phones to where she will pay hundreds just to add the newest feature, then she shows it off to everyone. Ten years ago, I don’t think people would have ever guessed that phones would have become such a status symbol, but they really have. Whether you want the smallest phone, the prettiest color, the thinnest phone, or the phone with the most options, there’s something out there for you.

With so many options, how can you choose the best phone for your needs and at the same time, be sure you’re getting the best price? One way is to check out Wirefly’s website, which is designed with the cell phone consumer in mind. With Wirefly, you can get amazing cell phone deals--satisfaction guaranteed, of course--at unbeatable prices. Plus, shipping is completely free! Whether you're buying a cell phone for the first time, or you are upgrading your phone for the 20th time, Wirefly is for you.

So check them out today. They have tons of different brands and versions of cell phones, basically every version that is offered anywhere can be found at Wirefly! You’ve got nothing to lose, but a great new cell phone to gain.

Thank you for reading; this has been a sponsored post.
Tanya

I'm so excited to have a townhouse where the yard in front and in back is mine to add plants to; maybe I'll even make it into a garden!

I'm also really looking forward to having a place that I own where I don't need to worry about whether the rent will go up or the landlord will change. The stability is really appealing!

Tanya

Credit Loan

Hello There,

I've been talking the townhouse I'm hoping to purchase for awhile, and as you know, with the purchase of a new home comes a new mortgage. If you are one of the many Americans with bad credit that needs a mortgage, then this post is for you. I was able to find a company that caters specifically to Bad Credit Mortgage Loans called CreditLoan. With CreditLoan, you can be approved for a mortgage, even if you suffer from bad credit or no credit. You can also just check them out for information and insight about your finances and credit and how to improve them. They're a great resource overall for first time buyers like me or people that just want the facts!

Thank you for reading, this has been a sponsored post.
Tanya

PR4!

Wow! I checked again, and this site is actually a PR4, so I'm totally thrilled; that's going to really help me get great opportunities with PayPerPost, all of which I'm going to use toward my townhouse, which by the way, I think I'm going to put an offer in soon!

Tanya

Monday, February 19, 2007

Mortgages

Talked to the mortgage lender today, and she said that everything looks good, and they're happy to write a letter of approval. But it was all in a voice mail, so I didn't get any information about rates, fees, points, etc. So, of course, I need to follow up on those things, but otherwise, I'm really excited!

Tanya

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Townhouse description

As I was looking through townhouse listings online and in person, I just kept thinking that when I saw the place, I would know, because each one seemed to have one or two problems that peeved me, and I didn't think I could possibly live there and deal with it for a long term. Well, I was right about knowing it when I saw it, because the place I finally settled on is perfect in everyway. It's not extravagant, but that's not what I wanted anyway. It's in a quiet and safe neighborhood, and the neighbors seem very nice. Those things are more important to me that the number of fireplaces in the home.

Tanya

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Grr

I'm really frustrated because I wanted my site to be used for PayPerPost sponsored posts, but apparently it's not cached in Google's search engine. I don't understand how this could be, because last I checked it was a PR3. Hopefully, it'll get cached soon, so I can start doing more PayPerPost posts.

Tanya

Monday, February 12, 2007

Car Insurance

One thing's for sure--cars are bad investments. Repairs and gas aside, car insurance can be very costly--especially if you're in New Jersey or California. Then add things like inspections, and you've got a very pricey venture that you need to protect from poor drivers who might crash into you on the road.

For that reason, I'm really happy that I was able to find a website that deals with finding the best car insurance possible. It's called insure121, and it's a great site if you're new to car insurance, or if you're just looking for a better deal and want to compare car insurance .

And it's not just car insurance, here, the site also has great information and tips about purchasing home insurance, and I've found it to be a great help to me as I plan to purchase a new home.

Enjoy the site--I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Thanks for reading, this has been a sponsored post.

Promotion

Hello there,

Well I am really excited because I was offered a promotion in my box-making position, and it's really going to help with purchasing this townhouse. Maybe this way, I'll be able to go to an even better location, or add upgrades to my townhouse that I wouldn't have been able to afford before--who knows?

Tanya

Upgrades to Light Fixtures

Hello there,

I've been looking at townhouses, and it seems like lighting is a big deal when it comes to renovations. And it got me thinking, because I didn't realize how important it was. But when I really considered the beautiful homes I've seen, I realized that they all had recessed home and garden lighting, and it added a fantastic glow to the entire place.

Bathroom lights are also a big selling point, especially because women often do their makeup and men often shave in front of the bathroom mirror, so good lighting is key in this room. For those reasons, I'm so glad that I found shoppremier, where you can get all different types of beautiful lighting to upgrade your own place. That way, even if I end up purchasing a townhouse without recessed track lighting, for example, I can install it myself and have a great resale value down the line!

Thanks for reading, this has been a sponsored post.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

PayPerPost

I think I’m going to apply for PayPerPost on this blog. I’ve had it going for a while, and I think it’s a PR3 by now, so I could make some money on the side by including some sponsored posts. I really like the idea of making some extra money—it could be exactly what I need to pay for my utilities.

Friday, February 9, 2007

Old soul

I am actually getting along with this new boss really well. Although he’s young, he has an old soul, and he really understands the workers that have been here for a long time. Of course, a lot of people are grumbling behind his back, but that’s just because he’s young and he has already risen really quickly in his career. I think he’s handling this quite gracefully.

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Stablity...Phew

Luckily I just found out that my position in the company is stable and I won’t have to worry about relocation. That comes as a huge relief because I am really starting to finalize my townhouse purchase, and I was worried that a job change would completely disrupt all of that.

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Youth

I do feel weird about this guy though, because his youth is so much that I feel like there HAVE to be things he doesn’t know about that we just haven’t identified yet. Like, could he possibly have any experience? He said that he did some summer internships, but other than that, he’s never really worked anywhere for an extended period of time. This is really his first job. I’m sure he’ll have a lot to learn.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

New boss

I’m really surprised to say that we met with this guy and he’s really not that bad. He went to a specialist’s program in design, and he has some really great ideas for boxes that we’ve been banging our heads against the wall about for weeks. He might be the best thing for this company, because he brings new perspectives and the view of the “younger generation.”

Monday, February 5, 2007

Switching Jobs

Well my boss confirmed the inevitable today, she is sure that she wants to switch jobs, and she’s sorry but it might affect my current position. Her boss also made it clear that this new guy is going to take over her position, and we have to meet with him tomorrow to see what his new box making philosophy is going to be.

Saturday, February 3, 2007

My boss

It’s amazing how people can change when they no longer think their job is right for them. My boss is constantly distracted, and I think she is looking for alternative positions. She very well may leave the company. And her boss has not even said definitively whether he is surely going to replace her with this other person. It would be weird for me, because this guy is really young, but also because I have such a good relationship with my boss, and I would hate to see her go.