I'm Not Moving Anymore

 In the past sixteen years, I have moved more times than I care to remember.  In the past three years alone I have moved three times.  I have become quite the expert packer, but I do not want to have to do that again for a long time.  Thankfully, I like where we live now.  The kids have friends, and I am friends with several of my neighbors. It's when the kids get home and all they want to do is go outside and ride their bikes with their friends. I am hoping that I will be able to find the money before Christmas to get each of them a new bike.

If I ever have to move again, it will be somewhere new.  I was looking online, and I found sites like rentedmonton.com are so helpful. I can look at properties in all kinds of locations and find the perfect place for me and the kids.  When we moved into this apartment, I had never set foot in it.  I knew it was a three bedroom, but I didn't actually view it until after I signed the lease because it was being cleaned.  I wish the apartment complex had a website so I could have seen it first, but they don't.  I was thrilled when it turned out to be the perfect place for us.

For now though, I am going to stay put right here.  The rent is reasonable and I can pay the bills on my own.  And that's important for us single parents.

Norton For Small Business Owners

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Norton Small Business by Symantec for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

How do you know which anti-virus software is right for you?  There are so many options available, and it can be confusing trying to find the right one to fit your needs.  I have heard really good things about the products Norton offers, and if you own a small business, it is even more important to have the right software on your computer.  You should check out Norton Small Business by Symantec.  This past September, they launched both the Norton 360 and the Norton Internet Security 2012.  You can even get 30% off Norton Small Business Products now.

I am not good with all the technical stuff, but from what I understand, having good malware protection can save you money in the long run, especially if you have to hire an expert to clean your computer of viruses.  I know I have had my share of computer viruses, and I am so thankful that my computer experts are relatives, so except for lost time online, it didn't cost me anything to have my computer restored. 

So even if you don't own a small business, it is still important to protect yourself online.  I am sure Norton has a program that can benefit you, no matter what your anti-virus needs are. Please leave me a comment letting me know which Norton product you think would work best for you and why.  Thanks!

LG Doubleplay

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of LG DoublePlay™ for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I want one of these phones!  Check out how cool it looks:

I do a lot of texting, don't you?  Whenever I stop to do a delivery and am waiting to either be loaded or unloaded, I spend my waiting time texting and checking my Facebook.  My problem is that I have an old flip phone and it does not have a full keyboard.  I really want a full keyboard.  This LG DoublePlay™ phone, which is available exclusively t T-Mobile, has a full keyboard as well as two different touch screens.  Talk about being able to multi-task! 

There are a ton of features this phone offers, most of which I do not understand.  The one thing I do understand is that it has a 5 megapixel camera (with a flash!) and the ability to record video.  Both of these can be uploaded to Facebook right from the phone.  Awesome, right? 

So tell me, how many hours do you spend every day texting?  How about on Facebook?  Don't you think a phone like this could make doing those things easier? Trust me when I say you need to check out all the other features of this phone.  I wish I could explain them to you, but it's probably better if you check the out for yourself.  I'd never get all that technical stuff right.

Cheap Eyeglasses

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zenni Optical for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

The other day my mom and I were talking about our eyes.  She needs new contacts, and I want new glasses.  I don't need new glasses, I just want them.  I have had the same pair for a couple of years, and I am ready for a change.  I don't have a lot of money to spend, so I need to find some cheap eyeglasses that I will be able to afford.  After a quick online search, I discovered Zennioptical.  They have complete sets of eyeglasses for under ten dollars.  That is definitely a price I can afford!

I browsed around a little and found this pair of purple eyeglasses that I love! Check them out:

They had several other pairs that I liked as well, so it's going to be hard deciding which pair of eyeglasses I want.  The good thing is that at these prices, I can get two or three pairs. Heck, I could get six pairs for the same amount of money I spent on the pair I am wearing right now.  With the money I save, I might just be able to buy myself some clothes to go with my new glasses.  I used to live in sweats and t-shirts, but now that I am working (which I am so thankful for with the economy the way it is these days) I like to look pretty every day.  New glasses and new clothes would help with that.

I am curious if any of you have ordered eyeglasses from Zenni,  What was your experience like?  Did you love Zenni's glasses?  Would you order from them again?

I Vote Babies!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puppies vs. Babies for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am going to be an aunt again very soon to who I am sure will be another beautiful niece.  To me, there is nothing more amazing than a brand new baby.  If I could, I would have more kids, but money and the thought of being pregnant again and having to give up sleeping again keep me from doing it.  Oh, and the fact that right now I am a single mom plays into that as well.  There was a time when my ex and I discussed having another baby, and from where I am right now, I am glad we decided against it.  I am having a hard enough time with the three kids who are fairly self sufficient.  I don't know what I would be doing right now if I had an infant or toddler.

But that doesn't mean that I don't love babies.  I love the way they smell and coo and smile.  I will never forget the first time each of my kids laughed.  It was the sweetest sound in the world.  Right now, there is a Puppies vs. Babies online contest going on, and you can have your say as to which is cuter.  All you have to do is visit the website and cast your vote before November 23rd.  The winning puppy or baby will win $5,000!  That could either go towards a child's college education or a lot of chew toys. 

Let me know how you voted in the Puppies vs. Babies contest.  There are a lot of cute puppies out there, but to me, there is nothing cuter than a baby!

Dig. Drop. Done.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done. for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love flowers.  There is something so beautiful about the look and the smell.  I find it difficult to see a beautiful bloom and not smile.  But if you are like me, you have a hard time knowing which kind of flowers to plant when, and in what light.  There is this website called Curbside Chaos and they have all the information you need to plant a beautiful garden.  They have this garden guru tool which lets you know exactly when and how to plant the bulbs you love.  Simply follow these four easy steps:

Step 1 – Pick your Country
Step 2 – Pick your location within that Country
Step 3 – Choose the type of bulb you want to grow
Step 4 – Check out the Planting Guide that shows you how to plant your bulbs

Here's what came up when I tried it out:

Right now "Bulbs. Dig. Drop. Done." is giving away a $5,000 yard makeover, and all you have to do to enter is submit a picture of your yard.  In addition to the yard makeover, the winner will receive a visit from Taniya Nayak (@TaniyaNayak on Twitter).  She will go through and give the winner tips on the best way to update their yard, including ideas for incorporating flower bulbs into the winners landscape.  You can visit www.digdropdone.com to learn more about this contest and to check out all their tips. Also, for every share on Twitter, "Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done." will donate $1.00 to Rebuilding Together - the nation’s leading nonprofit, working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities.

They also have several different women on their site who offer their tips for gardening, and after reading their profiles, I discovered that I identify most with Marcy, the super mom.  Like her, I would rather spend time with my kids than gardening, but that doesn't mean I don't want beautiful flowers in my yard.  (or flowerbox since I technically don't have a yard right now) Simply and easy is perfect for me like it is for her.

Which women do you most identify with?

Crazy Talk

This guest post from Lenny Mcknight

I know it sounds crazy but I’ve developed a whole business around gift wrapping. I live in a really affluent community and there are lots of people here who give gifts for just about every occasion and they like for those gifts to be incredibly fancy when they give them. That’s why I’ve opened a website up that sells my wrapping services for a fee – I’ll even go to the store and pick up their gifts for them! Anyway, it took more effort than you’d think to get this up and running – I had to look into small business xo for all the technology and hire a graphic designer for the site and generally just do a lot of background. But at the end of the day I wanted to be sure I was getting it right – it had to be professional and aesthetically pleasing or it wasn’t going to attract the kind of customers I wanted it to, you know? I just hope this continues and business is just as good for years to come!