Martha's Blog

My Review of Nikon HB-35 Replacement Lens Hood for the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF ED AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor.

2012-02-06T06:19:00.001-08:00

Originally submitted at Adorama

Nikon HB-35 Replacement Lens Hood for the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF ED AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor.

Same as the One that Came with the Lens

By MB from Texas on 2/6/2012

Pros: Durable, Easy To Use, Lightweight

Best Uses: Home, Landscape Photography, Traveling, Portraits, Studio, Everyday use, Macro Photography

Describe Yourself: Hobbyist/Enthusiast

Was this a gift?: No

I always use a lens hood to protect my lens since I'm so clumsy. That is unless it appears in the shot, which this one did. Unfortunately, I took the hood off instead of reversing the position as usual. Then walked off and forgot about it. I looked up my lens at NikonUSA, then ran a search for that part number.

(legalese)

Check Out Amazon's Kindle Fire, Its New Tablet!

2011-09-28T11:16:00.001-07:00

Pre-order now, shipping November 15, 2011.

Details

Stunning Color Touch Screen
Magazines in Rich Color
Beautiful and easy to use
100,000 Movies and TV Shows
Fast Dual-Core Processor
Your Favorite Apps and Games
Ultra Fast Web Browsing Amazon Silk
Millions of Books
Free Cloud Storage
Your Favorite Children’s Books
17 Million Songs
Extra Durable Display
Email
Amazon Whispersync
Read Your Documents

Technical Data

6 Inch Multi-Touch Screen
7.5" x 4.7" x 0.45" (190 mm x 120 mm x 11.4 mm
14.6 ounces (413 grams)
8GB internal. That's enough for 80 apps, plus either 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books
Up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as web browsing and downloading content
Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via included U.S. power adapter. Also supports charging from your computer via USB
Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or 802.1X standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks
USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)
3.5 mm stereo audio jack, top-mounted stereo speakers
Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, WAV, MP4, VP8
1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 2-year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Kindle is subject to the Kindle License Agreement and Terms of Use.
In the Box, Kindle Fire tablet, U.S. power adapter (supports 100-240V), and Quick Start Guide

Flooding During the Drought

2011-08-23T06:26:00.000-07:00

Who would have expected flooding during a drought, but it happened in a nearby city. A twenty-four inch water main burst, and several homes ended up flooded. The water main was a 50 plus year old piece of cast iron pipe. But to at least one home owner's despair, they learned their regular homeowner's policy didn't cover the damage, because the cause wasn't on their property. And, the city wasn't liable for the damage, wording in their papers. To be covered, the homeowners would have needed flood insurance.

To top this all off, the city increased their water restrictions.

Finally Some Much Needed Rain

2011-08-12T11:10:00.001-07:00

Last night, it rained a whole 37/100th of an inch, giving use a total rainfall for the year of just over a half an inch! We've had over 50 days of temperatures at or above 100°F! They're rationed us to water our yards only twice a week for starters, and many trees in town are showing the hot dry temperatures! Even though we got rain last night, we'll need a lot more before the drought ends.

Things in Texas have been so dry, that the Wall Street Journal published an article recently about it!

Firewood Stacking Tip

2011-07-26T12:02:00.001-07:00

Due to the drought, we're only allowed to water twice a week, and with 100°F temperatures and higher this summer, we're watching a lot of trees and shrubs die.

The landscape artists still have a lot of work today. Instead of planting lawns and flowers, they've moved to tree removal. As a result, I've seen more than the normal amount of trees getting chopped down. I've driven past several of these homes with firewood stacked neatly outside the front door. While it may be really handy during the wintertime not to have to walk too far in the cold, it's not safe from the termites.

We used to stack our wood against the house, but after finding termites, I purchased a metal rack from Home Depot, and carried the wood, two pieces at a time across the yard. These days, when we buy firewood, we always tell them to stack it WAY out back!

Project Payday - Realistic Extra Income!

2011-07-07T05:55:00.000-07:00

Project Payday - Realistic Extra Income!

How to succeed in tough economic times

2011-07-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

How to succeed in tough economic times

Handcrafted Wooden Knitting Needles at Dyakcraft

2011-05-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

My knitting needles came in from the kind folks at DyakCraft. Each set of needles are handcrafted using DYMONDWOOD®. They handcraft fixed circular knitting needles a well as double pointed needles and interchangeable needles. They come with four cables and four matching stops. They also make crochet hooks, and have won 2011 Flamie award for the best crochet hooks by an individual. Right now, they have three styles of crochet hooks, and future plans for interchangeable crochet hooks. But their crochet hook line is temporarily out of production to focus on their interchangeable knitting needles. Other handmade items on their website include looms, spindles, shawl pins (also temporarily out of production).

Often a pattern will suggest a size that's not in my needle inventory, or after working a gauge swatch, another size is indicated. Fortunately, these interchangeable needles come in size 4 to size 9 or 10.5, so the proper size is handy. While their individual needle sets come start at $19.99, the sets are $109 and $140 respectively (including shipping). So, the sets are definitely the better buy.

Each interchangeable needle has a tiny screw on the end, that attaches to a tiny nut on the end of the cable. The needles start out slightly sticky, but get smoother as you knit due to the lanolin in the yarn. The points are sharper than most knitting needles I've used.

I've been using nothing but Addi Turbo Knitting Needles for years in fact, I have a lot of the 40" Addi Turbo Lace Circular Knitting Needles for sock knitting because I work the magic loop technique.

I've noticed fewer yarn splits with the DyakCraft interchangeable as compared to my Addi Turbo needles, and that's a huge advantage for me. Nothing is more frustrating than noticing a split stitch ten rows back and having to unravel those rows to fix it! Even just loosing a few stitches down to the split stitch is annoying, because I can never duplicate the original tension. Also the sharper points make it easier for me to "pick up and knit" than the blunter Addi Turbo needles.

I like the joins on my Addi Turbo fixed circular needles, and the join on my DyakCraft is comparable. Too many times, I've found yarn catching on the joins of inferior circular needles, or the cables too stiff and jumping out at me. Addi Click Interchangeable Needle Set come with a press in and twist connector that I found a little harder to figure out. And aggravated my arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. They're also a little more expensive than DyakCraft but exclude the size 10.5, but include sizes 11, 13 & 15. But for me, once I'd gotten the Addi Clicks connected, they stayed put. My DyakCrafts have a habit of unscrewing with my style of knitting. No problem, because my 5" needles are long enough to grasp the point with one hand, and the 5/8" join in the other and simply twist the needle a few times every couple rows. I find DyakCrafts cables seem to become part of the project, and almost disappear from notice when in use, rather than having the stiff cables bounce up at weird times like other circular needles have done in the past.

Dyakcraft needs more payment processors than just Paypal. I'd suggest finding a payment processor that charges the purchaser's credit cards upon entering shipping information.

Each interchangeable set comes with a handmade case that is numbered and signed by artisan.

If You're Looking for New Socks

2011-05-07T09:24:00.001-07:00

I just love my Thorlo Socks These socks are amazing! They have excellent cushioning knitted into the toe section and heel, making these perfect for those times you're on your feet too long. You can pick light, moderate or thick cushioning!

Now's the time to purchase them, because many are on sale with a 4 for 3 promotion until June 1st!

Check them out!

Kindle DX & Oberon Design Cover Makes a Winning Combination

2011-05-05T10:58:00.001-07:00

I jumped on the chance to order a Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 9.7" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology a few weeks ago. And I just love it! It's easier to read, and you can see more on the page! When you combine it with one of the Oberon Design Leather Covers you have a wonderful reading system. Because comes with a cord and tab platform device that lets you prop up your Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 9.7" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology for tabletop reading.

This morning, I propped my new Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 9.7" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology up and was able to read my The Wall Street Journal without craning my neck at an awkward angle.

Order one soon while you can still get the $25 Amazon Gift Card with the Mother's Day Promotion.

Check Out the Great Mother's Day Deal at Amazon.com

2011-04-29T11:14:00.001-07:00

Two Great Deals for Mom

Get an $25 Amazon Gift Certificate when you purchase a Kindle 3G or Kindle DX.

Doctor Who Season 6 Available at Amazon

2011-04-24T07:47:00.001-07:00

For the Doctor Who fans out there, Doctor Who: The Impossible Astronaut is available at Amazon Instant Video! I'm only getting basic/expanded cable at home, and BBC America isn't one of the channels we gete. But thanks to Amazon Instant video, I can still watch Doctor Who without paying a lot for a higher costing cable package.

I had a laugh though. Death Valley is in California, not Utah!

Kindle DX $299 (Down $80) - Through Midnight April 15, 2011

2011-04-15T09:18:00.001-07:00

Kindle DX available for $299 today only (April 15th). That's $80 off the regular price!

Features:

New High Contrast Pearl E-Ink Screen
9.7" Diagonal Display
Read in sunlight, no glare
Books in under 60 seconds
Buy once, read everywhere
Global Coverage, wireless coverage in over 100 countries & territories
Auto Rotating Screen
Large selection over 900,000 books
Free book samples
Built in PDF Reader
Battery life with wireless off 2-3 weeks
Battery life with wireless on seven days
Storage 3,500 books

Buy today, because the price goes back up tomorrow!

Amazon Kindle Special Offers for $114

2011-04-13T06:26:00.001-07:00

Get a Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology - includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers
for $114. That’s $25 less than the regular model. You’ll be receiving special offers on your screensaver as well as a strip at the bottom of the page. Don’t worry, it won’t affect your reading.

Special offers such as:

$10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card
$6 for 6 Audible Books (normally $68)
$1 for an album in the Amazon MP3 Store (choose from over 1 million albums)
$10 for $30 of products in the Amazon Denim Shop or Amazon Swim Shop

Cat Bordhi's New Sock Book for Knitters

2011-03-23T15:11:00.001-07:00

Knitters!

Have you checked out Cat Bordhi's Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters: Book Two in the New Pathways for Sock Knitters Series? I got mine yesterday, and talk about illuminating. I thought New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One was innovative, but this one looks even better. She has included a new stretchy bind off method. Several ah ha moments!

Check it out!

On Novels, Series, Stand Alones and Trilogies

2011-03-22T08:41:00.001-07:00

Back in the 80s, I started reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series but got bogged down about book four. Robert Jordan started that series, and it became a best seller. Each book while having an ending of sorts, also had a cliff hanger. As the series progressed, more characters and story lines were introduced. He wanted to put every little detail into his world. Unfortunately, he never lived to complete it. If you've followed the series, Brandon Sanderson took over in Book 13!

I really like Anne McCaffrey's Pern Series because even though Mrs. McCaffrey has written over a dozen books, maybe even twenty or more books in the Pern world, they are either stand alone books, or at the most grouped into a trilogy. By stand alone, I mean that the story is complete in itself, while trilogies usually are a three-book story with a cliff hanger at the end of each book. Now, Todd McCaffrey, Anne McCaffrey's son has continued the Pern legacy.

Probably the most famous trilogy is The Lord of the Rings: 50th Anniversary, One Vol. Edition.

Check them out!

Not So Good Deal at eBay

2011-03-12T16:02:00.001-08:00

Over on ebay, cruising for iPads, I saw an iPad 2 with a top bid of $30. I placed a bid via eSnipe, and read more carefully especially the shipping. It had a shipping charge of $600! Needless to say, I clicked back to eSnipe and deleted my bid!

If you're going to place a bid, make sure you use a sniping service, because if you change your mind, you can cancel the snipe. If I had made the bid via eBay, I would have been stuck with an iPad that cost $633, and the same model was running for $499 at apple.com.

FusionMails is Up Again

2011-01-15T12:13:00.001-08:00

Less than one month after catastrophic server failure, Fusionmails is loaded to a new server and is running again. Be sure to follow the link to their forum for the latest news.

Pictures from My Alaska Cruise

2011-01-14T10:38:00.000-08:00

Check out the pictures! I finally got them registered with the copyright office, so I can now share them!

FusionMails & RareMails Down

2010-12-23T10:31:00.000-08:00

Please pause all ads for FusionMails and RareMails. They had a server crash! You can read about it here.

Stop All Fusionmails or RareMails Ads at Global Friends Online

Frustration Free Packaging at Amazon.com

2010-12-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

Last summer my sister purchased one of those Nerf surf guns from Amazon.com. It must have taken me thirty minutes to get it out of the package, because it had about 20 plastic clamps anchoring it to the box. And working all those clamps loose didn't help my arthritis. The box wouldn't have protected the gift from the package handlers either, since it had no lid. I've purchased some items in Amazon's new Frustration Free Packaging, and it's so much easier to get to the product! Amazon has a whole list of items available in Frustration Free Packaging. Check it out!

Weight Watchers New System

2010-12-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

Weight Watchers unveiled the new system this week. Instead of figuring your points based on Calories, Fat and Fiber, they are now using Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates and Fiber. Some foods are higher, some are the same and some are lower. Especially fruit, which is now zero points. Instead of a points finder that I called my WW Slide Rule, we have to purchase a calculator. Most of the food at the center has gone up too. One Point Bars are now two points. Two points bars now three points. Weight Watcher shakes have gone from one to three points.

I took my calculator to the store to re-figure my favorite foods. Unfortunately, I'd gotten into the habit of bulk buying then storing in Tupperware or Lock-n-Lock, so I'd lost all the nutritional information. Cell phone to the rescue! Snap the nutritional table, send the picture to my email account, then figure it once I get home!

Shoelace Update at Resole.com

2010-12-03T15:58:00.000-08:00

I emailed customer service last night, and had a response this morning. We'd assumed they'd just replace the new laces, but they put them inside the shoes. My husband hasn't gotten around to wearing them yet.

Get Your Shoes Fixed at Resole America

2010-12-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

I sent off my shoes to www.resole.com and had them fixed up.   It's a really easy procedure.   You can print out the pre-paid mailing label than pack your shoes and drop them in the mail.   Resole America will fix many brands of shoes: MBT, Rockport, New Balance, Clarks, Fine Italian Leather, Birkenstock, Footprints, Havana Joe, Vasque Hiking Boots, Military Boots and Bostonian.   If you don’t have anything suitable to ship them to www.resole.com, you can send off for a pre-printed label and mailer.   That’s what we did this time, and it arrived quickly.

They access them, select replacement parts that closely match the original materials. Many services are available: Full Soles, Half-Soles, Combo Soles/Heels.   They'll even put in lifts. You can also have your insoles replaced.   Which I did this time, because my orthotics tend to tear up my insoles. I started using Resole America several years ago when shoe repair stores locally would not repair our Rockport shoes.

Resole.com also does a good job cleaning up your shoe.   While they usually replace our shoe laces too, it got overlooked this time. I’ve sent them an e-mail, and I’ll post their response here.

Still, it’s a great way to get more wear out of your shoes!

How to Make Good French Toast

2010-11-27T06:26:00.001-08:00

My French Toast was always inconsistent until I saw a demo on Alton Brown's "Good Eats" show.

You start the night before, by putting your bread out on a rack to get stale. (So your toast doesn't fall apart when you add the egg batter.) The next morning, you mix up your favorite egg batter, Mr. Brown says to use only half and half with eggs, but I use skim milk with egg beaters if on hand. I also make my french toast with reduced calorie bread. Fill a 6 inch cake pan with your egg batter. I like to use this size since it fits my regular bread well. Then dip your bread in, 30 seconds on each side. And put on a cookie rack for two minutes to let the egg mixture seep toward the center. Next cook in your pan. The less you move your toast at this point the better. I lift up a corner to test brownness. When it's brown on both sides, move it to your oven set at 375 Degrees F (to cook the center), and fry the rest of the toast. Alton Brown suggests moving your fried toast to a cookie sheet lined with a cooling rack, but I simply use a Oven Crisper Sheet. By the time the last of my french toast is fried, the first slices are ready to come out of the oven.

In our house Maple Syrup is the only thing we pour on our french toast and waffles.

Deep Fried Turkey Safety

2010-11-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

Let's have a safe Thanksgiving.

If you're planning to deep fry your turkey this year, I suggest watching these two short videos first. The second video is from the show that made me an Alton Brown fan.

Deep Fried Turkey Explosion Demo

Deep Fried Turkey Mini-Tutorial

Movie and TV Deals at Amazon

2010-11-22T14:41:00.001-08:00

Black Friday Event with savings up to 70% on over 3000 eligible DVDs and Blu-ray discs from 11/22 - 11/29. Movie and TV Deals. If you're interested, bookmark this page and check back often. These deals are changing by the hour!

Black Friday Deals at Amazon

2010-11-22T14:27:00.001-08:00

Check out Black Friday Week at Amazon! Be sure to bookmark this page, so you can grab the deal when it comes available.

Holiday Cooking Tip

2010-11-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

I love my Brownie Edge Pan. I no longer have to worry about mush in the middle! You get at least two edges on each slice! Another unforeseen benefit turned out to be how easy these brownies were to remove from the pan. I've used my pan for much more than just brownies: cake, rice crispies treats and more. If you bake No Pudge! Fat Free Fudge Brownie Mix, Original, 13.7-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6), you'll need two mixes. I've heard other mixes take just one, but for me it's either No Pudge or from scratch.

This would make a great gift!

Black Friday Starts Early

2010-11-21T08:15:00.001-08:00

Save big on HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players, home audio equipment and more from top brands starting on 11/22.

Come back every day to see our latest deals.

Black Friday Deals

Photo Tip - Removing Glass Reflections

2010-11-21T08:10:00.001-08:00

Ever try to take a picture through a window and end up with a nasty reflection? That's where the Circular Polarizer comes in. Just screw it to the end of your lens, then rotate it until the reflection disappears. You lens should have the filter thread size printed on the end. Some Point and Shoot Cameras come with an optional accessory called a Lens Adapter Tube which will allow you to attach other lenses, etc. and of course filters.

Travel Tips

2010-11-17T08:37:00.001-08:00

This holiday season, airport security will be tighter than ever! Nearly every time, security must open my bag, and then it's up to me to put it all back together. On our last trip, it got easier with packing cubes. All my lose items went into these handy containers, and guard looked at each cube, instead of fingering through all my items.

It's my goal to match my packing cubes colors to my suitcases, to make it easier come packing time.

Once you reach your destination, simply move the cubes to your drawers. No need to worry if the drawers have been cleaned recently.

Another great accessory are Compression Bags, because you can pack a lot of the clothes you don't mind getting wrinkled in a lot less space. At the end of your vacation, these Compression Bags become laundry bags!

With bedbugs on the rise, I suggest adding Bed Bug Spray to your list.

Early Holiday Shopping

2010-11-17T08:27:00.001-08:00

Get a Head start with the Early Bird/Gifting/Sci-fi Event

Savings up to 57% on over 3000 eligible DVDs and Blu-ray discs from 11/2 - 11/21

Check it Out!

Wall Street Journal

2010-11-05T08:38:00.001-07:00

We've subscribed to the The Wall Street Journal for years. I've always found a lot of fascinating articles, some of the opinion articles contain useful information. For about a year, we've been receiving our issue a day late. When contacting customer service, we learned that due to cancellations of several critical flights, the journal is one day late, and it will remain so until further notice. However, we can still get our issues downloaded on time with our Kindle Wireless Reading Device. It also means fewer trips to the the local recycle bin.

Save the Planet

2010-11-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

Back in the 70s, they called it ecology. Today, it's called being green. Just a few ideas to get started.

1. Recycle your newspapers.

2. Instead of buying disposable water, invest in a Brita Purifier and buy some Kleen Kanteens. Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Poly Loop Cap (12-Ounce, Black Eclipse)

3. An idling car emits 20 times pollution than one moving at 32 miles per hour. So, turn off the engine after fifteen seconds.

Photographic Techniques

2010-11-03T14:54:00.001-07:00

I like to call myself a photo enthusiast. I've been taking photos for 40 years, so in that time I've picked up a few tips.

1. Be sure to use your LCD screen to proof your pictures as soon as possible. Since your pictures can look great on your two-inch screen, it's a good idea to enlarge them on your screen to make sure they still look good. I've taken many shots that look good, until I enlarge them.

2. Beware of camera shake. I use attach my camera to ThePod, to create sharp pictures. Also, my camera pod is easier to haul around than a tripod. But that's not all I do. I've learned the process of pressing the shutter release will also cause camera shake, so I often use a self-timer. Some cameras have self-timers with more than one delay setting.

3. Back-up your photos in the field. I use a Photosafe II, because I simply insert the memory chip and hit copy. If you want two copies to be on the safe side, you can insert your regular memory chip, then a compact disk and copy from the memory chip to the compact disk!

4. I utilize the scene modes, such as Sunset, Landscape, etc, to make my pictures even better.

5. Use the rule of thirds for composing your shots. Instead of putting your subject in the center, divide your screen into a tic-tac-toe grid, and place your subject at one of the places your lines intersect.

6. Use the built-in frame-assist to line up horizons, buildings, etc. Or, you can use the lcd edges as a guide.

7. Protect yourself by registering your pictures at copyright.gov.

Airline Hassles

2010-10-08T06:52:00.001-07:00

Everyone hates to fly these days. In fact, we'd rather drive 550 miles one way than take an airplane. But sometimes we have to fly.

Last August, we were flying into Vancouver for our Alaska cruise, and had to change planes in DFW. Our connecting flight was canceled due to mechanical problems, and suddenly American Airlines had to find alternate flights for a planeload of people.

The American Airlines ticket counter employee booked us on United Airlines. It was in another terminal, so we had to catch the tram to the other terminal. Once we arrived, the guy at the United Ticket counter refused to let us board until our luggage arrived at their gate! We informed him we had a cruise to catch, but it made no difference.

The plane took off without us, so we called American Airlines and they sent us back to the American Airlines terminal. Finally, we arrived at the gate in question and we got a manager this time. He put us on standby on the last flight to Vancouver. We ended up being the last two people on the plane!

We arrived in Vancouver, but our luggage didn't. We were so late, the Pan Pacific had sold the last waterfront room, so we ended up with a Mini-Suite! That Mini-suite was fancier than the one we got at the Hilton back in 1996 when our ship was eight hours late getting into port, and Royal Caribbean had to put us up for the night. The next morning, we had french toast worthy of Alton Brown! Yum, Yum. And coffee in the dining room was $4.50 per person. Ouch!

Flying back from Anchorage, Alaska, we were delayed again, due to damage on the wing. We waited for an hour for American Airlines to contact an engineer in Tulsa. Of course with the time difference, he was off work by then. Finally, we got the go ahead to fix the wing, and they fixed it by applying duct tape (I kid you not). Then we waited another hour for the paperwork (including serial numbers) to be completed. Due to delay regulations, we got more food before the flight than during the flight. We ended up being only a few minutes late for our connecting flight in DFW, but they refused to hold the plane for us. We were told at the desk that it's a huge no-no to have customers arrive without their luggage. But I suspect not as big a no-no as having to put them up in a hotel for the night.

In the October 7, 2010 issue of the Wall Street Journal, "A Big Jump in Gripes About Airline Service" mentions all the hassles, and how people that complain get better service than people that don't. They no longer take complaints via e-mail. Probably because many people can now send emails via their cell phones. These days, you can go airconsumer.ost.dot.gov and fill out a form.

Payments for August and September (Month to Date)

2010-09-14T06:55:00.001-07:00

Also Speedearner & MidnightClicking

Waiting Payments

Both Deep-C-Links and LadyoftheLinks have announced upcoming closure.

Deep-c-Links: 66 Request Ahead of You, 154 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed Balance) Number ahead of me decreasing, but no change in beenpaid page. Ads are slow to process, and none of my ads from my PTP rotator upgrade have been processed in nearly 2 months. All this, and still requires 125 clicks a month.

E-Qoo2: 31 Request Ahead of You, 151 Days Old, 1 click required every 15 days.

LadyOfTheLinks: 5 Requests Ahead of You, 154 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed) Ads are slow to process, and none of my ads from my PTP rotator upgrade have been processed in nearly 2 months. Still require 50 clicks a month.

PreciousPomsPTR: 4 Requests Ahead of You, 74 Days Old, 50 clicks required monthly

RoseBizs: 8 Requests Ahead of You, 190 Days Old, Been Paid Page Removed (owes me $7.74, but changed the amount of my payment to $1.01 after a post at GlobalFriendsOnline)

Lose For Good Campaign

2010-09-14T06:01:00.001-07:00

Weight Watchers is teaming up with http://www.facebook.com/ShareOurStrength and http://www.facebook.com/actionagainsthunger to fight world hunger. Learn more about it at www.weightwatchers.com/loseforgood.

Save 35% off Commbs Maple Syrup in September

2010-09-03T06:12:00.001-07:00

Get 35% off Commbs fmaple syrup!

We use only Maple Syrup on the Breakfast table, so I always have my eyes out for a good buy.

Order Commb’s Maple Syrup at 20% discount in September, then save an additional 15% with the Subscribe and Save Option!

Digital Photography Tips.

2010-08-10T08:25:00.001-07:00

I've inherited my father's interest in taking photographs, and have inherited his collection of slides taken over a period of six decades.

While my shots are no where near the quality of a professional photographer, I've learned a few tips over the years.

1. Make sure your camera has a thread for a tripod mount. While I seldom take my tripod on trips anymore, I've purchased some The Blue Pod - Camera Platform over the years, and use these as often as I can. I have a small with a center screw for my point-and-shoot, and a larger one for my Ultra-Zoom and Compact SLR. I'm probably going to order one with an off-center screw for the SLR. By simply mounting the camera on one of these, I've gotten much clearer photos.

2. Utilize the self-timer button on your camera. Just the act of pressing the shutter release can move your camera. The last two cameras I've purchased have a two second delay, as well as the twelve second delay.

3. All images look sharp in the two-inch LCD screen on the back of the camera. Be sure to use the image magnifier to check the sharpness of your photos. When purchasing a new digital camera, make sure that your camera's LCD will work in bright sunlight. Check it out in both portrait and landscape mode. I tried a camera which looked great in the normal position, but would go blank when turned 90°.

4. Backup your photos as soon as possible. I always take a remote backup on our travels, so I have a second backup of my photos! While there are some that actually come with a screen for viewing, I've taken my Digital Foci Photo Safe II PST-251 500 GB Digital Picture Storage (Blue/White). It also acts as a hard drive back-up for your computer on those days when you need to restore factory settings.

Depression Era Saving Taken Too Far

2010-08-10T08:14:00.001-07:00

I've been shredding my mother-in-law's decade and older documents, and have come across all sorts of things she had used to save a penny or two. Mainly, she's taken used envelopes and recycled them to store other documents, by adding her own handwritten note of their contents. Some of these envelopes two or three handwritten notes as to their contents. Not too bad, and definitely a money saving technique. I've always been a little in awe of how much my mother-in-law's been able to save over the years, and recycling old envelopes is definitely good for the environment. But today, I came across a stack of old Christmas cards secured not with a rubber band, but with that colorful slightly tacky tape they use to anchor gauze to the track wound when making blood draws. Yuck!

2010-08-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Deep-c-Links: 66 Request Ahead of You, 117 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed Balance) No payments and slow ad processing, but still require 125 clicks per month.

EmailsForAds - 104 Days Old, No Been Paid Page, Requested Again 6/24/10 (No Payment Plug In)

E-Qoo2: 32 Requests Ahead of You, 114 Days Old, 1 click required every 15 days.

LadyOfTheLinks: 5 Requests Ahead of You, 117 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed) No payments and slow ad processing, but still require 50 clicks a month.

OrangeBizs: 258 Requests Ahead of You, 61 Days Old (Last Payment On Been Paid Page April 26), request ahead of me decreasing, but no change on beenpaid page.

PreciousPomsPTR: 25 Requests Ahead of You, 37 Days Old, 50 clicks required monthly

RoseBizs: 8 Requests Ahead of You, 153 Days Old, Been Paid Page Removed (owes me $7.74, but changed the amount of my payment to $1.01 after a post at GlobalFriendsOnline)

2010-08-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Payments Waiting

Aquamails: 28 Days Old, click quota of 100

Cash for Action: 32 Days Old

Deep-c-Links: 66 Request Ahead of You, 111 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed Balance) No payments and slow ad processing, but still require 125 clicks per month.

EmailsForAds - 98 Days Old, No Been Paid Page, Requested Again 6/24/10 (No Payment Plug In)

E-Qoo2: 32 Requests Ahead of You, 108 Days Old, 1 click required every 15 days.

JJClix: 24 Requests Ahead of You, 0 Days Old

LadyOfTheLinks: 5 Requests Ahead of You, 111 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed) No payments and slow ad processing, but still require 50 clicks a month.

OrangeBizs: 258 Requests Ahead of You, 55 Days Old (Last Payment On Been Paid Page April 26), request ahead of me decreasing, but no change on beenpaid page.

PreciousPomsPTR: 34 Requests Ahead of You, 31 Days Old, 50 clicks required monthly

RoseBizs: 8 Requests Ahead of You, 147 Days Old, Been Paid Page Removed (owes me $7.74, but changed the amount of my payment to $1.01 after a post at GlobalFriendsOnline)

New Kindle With WiFi and 3G to Ship August 27th

2010-07-29T05:48:00.001-07:00

Introducing the new Kindle with 3G and WiFi! Smaller, lighter, faster with 50% better contrast.

21% Smaller but keeping the 6" screen.
15% lighter, 8.7 ounces
One month battery life.
Double the Storage. Up to 3,500 books.
Enhanced PDF With dictionary lookup, notes, and highlights
New WebKit based browser.
Free 3G Wireless
No annual contracts, no monthly fees. Download books anytime, anywhere.
Built-In Wi-Fi
Connect to Wi-Fi hotspots at home or on the road. Includes free Wi-Fi access at AT&T hotspots across the U.S.

Download Books, Magazines and Blogs wirelessly to your Kindle!

Surf the internet with the Basic Web!

"We've reached a tipping point with the new price of Kindle--the growth rate of Kindle device unit sales has tripled since we lowered the price from $259 to $189," said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "In addition, even while our hardcover sales continue to grow, the Kindle format has now overtaken the hardcover format. Amazon.com customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books--astonishing when you consider that we've been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months."

Currently, they’re temporary out of stock. That happened to me too, but I ordered mine anyway, so I was one of the first once they started shipping again.

If you want the Kindle with WiFi only, it's available too. Consider it a Kid's Kindle, or a Family Kindle.

Order Your Kindle Now to Hold Your Place

2010-07-27T15:31:00.001-07:00

I love my Amazon Kindle! When I purchased mine, it was close to twice the cost of today's model.

Download Books, Magazines and Blogs wirelessly to your Kindle!

Surf the internet with the Basic Web!

"We've reached a tipping point with the new price of Kindle--the growth rate of Kindle device unit sales has tripled since we lowered the price from $259 to $189," said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "In addition, even while our hardcover sales continue to grow, the Kindle format has now overtaken the hardcover format. Amazon.com customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books--astonishing when you consider that we've been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months."

Currently, they’re temporary out of stock. That happened to me too, but I ordered mine anyway, so I was one of the first once they started shipping again.

Payments in July

2010-07-22T11:49:00.001-07:00

Payments Waiting

Aquamails: 14 Days Old, click quota of 100

Cash for Action: 20 Days Old

Deep-c-Links: 66 Request Ahead of You, 100 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed Balance) Number ahead of me decreasing, but no change in beenpaid page. Ads are slow to process, and none of my ads from my PTP rotator upgrade have been processed in nearly 2 months. All this, and still requires 125 clicks a month.

EmailsForAds - 86 Days Old, No Been Paid Page, Requested Again 6/24/10 (No Payment Plug In)

E-Qoo2: 32 Request Ahead of You, 97 Days Old, 1 click required every 15 days.

LadyOfTheLinks: 5 Requests Ahead of You, 100 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed) Ads are slow to process, and none of my ads from my PTP rotator upgrade have been processed in nearly 2 months. Still require 50 clicks a month.

OrangeBizs: 260 Requests Ahead of You, 44 Days Old (Last Payment On Been Paid Page April 26), request ahead of me decreasing, but no change on beenpaid page.

PreciousPomsPTR: 34 Requests Ahead of You, 24 Days Old, 50 clicks required monthly

RoseBizs: 9 Requests Ahead of You, 136 Days Old, Been Paid Page Removed (owes me $7.74, but changed the amount of my payment to $1.01 after a post at GlobalFriendsOnline)

Diabetes

2010-07-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

Diabetes is really on the rise! Every year, my heart doctor does blood tests for all sorts of things, including blood sugar. The combination of high blood pressure and diabetes is really nasty, because the sugar works like shrapnel in your veins. To make matters worse, it's easier to be diagnosed as a diabetes, because blood sugar number has dropped from 125 to under 100 in my adult life!

I realized yesterday how bad it's gotten, because I got a phone call asking me to send letters to 15 people in my neighborhood. I have been sending notes for March of Dimes for years, but now there's a movement to educate the public about diabetes!

Do you know what your numbers are?

High Blood Pressure

2010-07-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, my grandmother told me about the miracle of modern medicine. How high blood pressure medicine had helped her, but unfortunately, not before it had damaged her heart.

About three years ago, I started having high blood pressure myself. In fact, it had been creeping up for a few years, and it reached the danger point in February 2007, I started feeling bad, and found my blood pressure had topped 206/107. Our family doctor had died a few months prior, and hadn't left a successor, so here I was with high blood pressure, and only my allergy doctor to help me. I ended up in the emergency room, but other than a little monitoring, and pronouncing me all right, they refused to give me any medicine, because the doctor needed to monitor me. And my first appointment with a new family doctor was still a month away. Fortunately, my mother-in-law's cardiologist agreed to take me as a patient, and a few months later, my blood pressure was under control.

It's possible to have high blood pressure with no symptoms, so it's important to test your pressure regularly. Once the blood pressure is under control, it's still a wise policy to keep a daily record of your blood pressure. Some people cease their blood pressure medicine after a few months, and that can lead to trouble. So, when you return to the doctor, the doctor's happier if you have daily readings for him to study.

Also, more than once I've found my blood pressure creeping upward, and reported it to the doctor, so he could adjust my medicine. Something, I couldn't have done if I hadn't been keeping an eye on the numbers. I ask myself, did I take my medicine today? If I've also tested my blood pressure, and it's low, it's a pretty good bet, I've also taken my medicine. I also have my medicine sorted into a weekly planner with 14 slots. So, it makes it much easier to keep track of, than just taking the medicine out of the bottle.

About six months ago, I asked the doctor to change my remaining name brand prescription to a generic one. And he did so, but with the order that I make sure I'm really diligent about taking my blood pressure each day, because sometimes changing medicine can cause the controlled blood pressure to return to uncontrolled.

Healthy blood pressure numbers have changed. Anything under 120/80 is considered normal. 120/80 to 135/85-139/89 is considered borderline (my doctor wants mine under 135/85 90% of the time), and anything above that is considered high. For diabetics, the numbers must be even lower. It's my understanding that if the patient is in the borderline range, you can get your blood pressure down with lifestyle changes (diet and exercises). But with blood pressure as high as mine was, patients will need medicine.

Do you know your blood pressure numbers?

Amazon Kindle Reaches Tipping Point

2010-07-22T06:07:00.001-07:00

Rough Time for PTP Sites

2010-07-22T06:06:00.001-07:00

I've been known to miss admin messages myself, and advertise PTP for sites which have withdrawn the PTP links in the past, so I thought I'd give you the heads up on some more changes to sites with PTP.

This month, we just received word that effective August 1st, another family of sites (ButterfliesNRoses, PolarBearClicks, PreciousPomsPTR) will be changing their PTP terms to upgraded only, and also limiting their hits to tier 1 & 2. In addition to this, PTP has been withdrawn, or will soon be withdrawn from AllMyMoneyForYou and E-Qoo2. Also, effective August 1st, long term sites MidnightClicking and Speedearner will also close their doors.

In addition to this, Connie is selling her sites.

birdcrazymail, downhomefolks, majesticmails, moo-overmail, puppiesptr, wallabymail

Hopefully, things will improve once school starts.

Interesting Discovery Today

2010-07-11T09:25:00.001-07:00

Today, I requested a payment from ValePTR and noticed I had mispelled the email for my payment processor. Imagine my surprise when I learned I could edit the payment request! There are at least two sites where I have had to cancel my payment request because the payment had been so slow, it had exceeded the payment maximum. Unfortunately, that means at those sites, I had to request a second time, and ended at the bottom of the payment queue.

This experience with ValePTR has me wondering if WMs have a setting they can use to prevent editing payment requests.

Cell Phones and Pedestrians

2010-07-09T15:05:00.001-07:00

When I was little, I was taught to look both ways before walking across the street. Today, I turned left into a driveway of a hospital/medical center from a very busy street, and I almost hit a guy because he was walking across the driveway talking on his cell phone and not looking where he was going. He was lucky I've adopted a no cell phone zone in my car. Once you get on to the road, both pedestrians and drivers should turn off their cell phones.

Payments in July

2010-07-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

Payments Waiting

Aquamails: 0 Days Old
Cash for Action: 7 Days Old
Deep-c-Links: 70 Request Ahead of You, 87 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed Balance)
EmailsForAds - 73 Days Old, No Been Paid Page, Requested Again 6/24/10 (No Payment Plug In)
E-Qoo2: 32 Request Ahead of You, 84 Days Old
LadyOfTheLinks: 5 Requests Ahead of You, 87 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed)
OrangeBizs: 262 Requests Ahead of You, 31 Days Old (Last Payment On Been Paid Page April 26)
PreciousPomsPTR: 36 Requests Ahead of You, 7 Days Old
RoseBizs: 9 Requests Ahead of You, 123 Days Old, Been Paid Page Removed

July Payments

2010-07-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Payments Waiting

AllMyMoneyForYou: 2 Requests Ahead of You, 36 days old
Cash for Action: 0 Days Old
Deep-c-Links: 70 Request Ahead of You, 80 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed Balance)
EmailsForAds - 66 Days Old, No Been Paid Page, Requested Again 6/24/10 (No Payment Plug In)
E-Qoo2: 32 Request Ahead of You, 77 Days Old
LadyOfTheLinks: 5 Requests Ahead of You, 80 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed)
OrangeBizs: 265 Requests Ahead of You, 24 Days Old (Last Payment On Been Paid Page April 26)
PolarBearClicks: 10 Requests Ahead of You, 43 Days Old
PreciousPomsPTR: 42 Requests Ahead of You, 0 Days Old
RoseBizs: 9 Requests Ahead of You, 116 Days Old, Been Paid Page Removed

Restoring Factory Settings

2010-06-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

My computer had gotten slower and slower, so I decided to erase everything, and start all over. I'd signed up for Dell "Your Tech Team" and decided to phone them before getting started. Once I was halfway through erasing everything, and realized they hadn't given me all the required start up disks. So, this time, I figured I'd make the phone call.

I spoke with a helpful technician, who told me rather than formatting everything, to try to Restore Factory Settings instead. I'd still have to back-up everything first.

After a couple of hours, we were up and running, and he gave me one more piece of advice. In about a week, I'd get about 30+ windows updates, and a few days after that, I'd get another batch of updates. The entire system would work much better if I wait until after these updates to start installing software and copying my files back. Talk about annoying!

I guess the idea is that the read head on the hard disk doesn't need to bounce around as much if we wait.

Also, be sure to create restore points!

One last tip, he told me. Restore to factory settings every six months!

Well, I'm doing what he says, and we'll see if the machine runs any faster.

June Payments - End of Month

2010-06-26T05:16:00.000-07:00

Payments Waiting

AllMyMoneyForYou: 2 Requests Ahead of You, 30 days old

Deep-c-Links: 70 Request Ahead of You, 74 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed Balance)
EmailsForAds - 60 Days Old, No Been Paid Page, Requested Again 6/24/10
E-Qoo2: 32 Request Ahead of You, 71 Days Old
LadyOfTheLinks: 5 Requests Ahead of You, 74 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed)
OrangeBizs: 266 Requests Ahead of You, 18 Days Old
PolarBearClicks: 11 Requests Ahead of You, 37 Days Old
RoseBizs: 9 Requests Ahead of You, 110 Days Old, Been Paid Page Removed

Amazon Kindle Drops to $189

2010-06-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

I purchased my first Kindle Wireless Reading Device
two years ago for about $360, and now it's close to half the original price. Also, it's a better unit now, since it has Global Reception. There are a lot of public domain books you can download at no additional cost. It has a rudimentary Basic Internet connection for when you're away from your computer. And it will store up to 1,500 books! In fact, I've downloaded thick computer manuals which are now too heavy for me to hold for long periods of time. But the Kindle Wireless Reading Device
is only 10.2 ounces! It's also just over a 1/3" thick. Enjoy a 3G wireless coverage at home or abroad in over 100 countries. No annual contracts, no connection fees, no monthly fees and no searching for hot spots.

I've used the built in dictionary a lot! The six font sizes are wonderful, because when I'm tired, I simply move to a larger font size.

We've subscribed to the Wall Street Journal and Reader's Digest for a while now. It's wonderful to be able to read the newspaper without worrying about used newspapers stacking up.

Check it out yourself!

Be sure to check out the Kindle Best Sellers also note the free books at the right.

June Payments

2010-06-22T06:06:00.000-07:00

Payments Waiting

AllMyMoneyForYou: 2 Requests Ahead of You, 26 days old

Deep-c-Links: 100 Request Ahead of You, 76 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed Balance)
EmailsForAds - 56 Days Old, No Been Paid Page, Requested Again 6/24/10
E-Qoo2: 32 Request Ahead of You, 67 Days Old
FusionMails: Cashout Page Closed
LadyOfTheLinks: 5 Requests Ahead of You, 70 Days Old (Second Request Due to Exceeding Maximum Allowed)
OrangeBizs: 266 Requests Ahead of You, 14 Days Old
PolarBearClicks: 11 Requests Ahead of You, 33 Days Old
RoseBizs: 9 Requests Ahead of You, 106 Days Old

Keep Hydrated

2010-06-20T09:09:00.001-07:00

During the hot summer months, it's important to stay hydrated. In fact, I learned first hand what happens with dehydrated, when I ended up in the hospital. These days, when I start to feel sluggish, I reach for a bottle of water. Keep in mind, if you notice you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

I used to hate purchasing bottled water at the supermarket, due to the cost and environmental concerns. A few years back, I purchased a half-dozen stainless steel water bottles. We no longer have to worry about running out of bottled water, since we keep our fridge stocked. The 12 ounce bottles fit well on the shelf of our fridge. Also, it's wonderful to reuse them, it's simple to wash in our dishwasher.

If you're doing exercise outside in the heat, be sure drink a lot before, during and after your activity. Also, it's a good idea to add some Gatorade or other sports drink to keep your electrolyte count up.

Fantasy Artist Frank Frazetta Dead at 82

2010-06-18T18:48:00.001-07:00

I had purchased three of the books by Frank Frazetta during my college years. He illustrated many of the Robert E. Howard covers as well as the Edgar Rice Burroughs covers. It's strange, because the first two books cost me $7.95, but when they raised the price for book #3 to $9.95, that was the last book I bought, because the price was too high. Now, trade paperback books are $9.95!

Wow! A Duct Taped Car!

2010-06-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

Had to take a picture of this, or no one would believe me! Even the door handles were covered with Duct Tape!

Summer's Here

2010-06-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! 109° yesterday! They had predicted 111, so it wasn't as hot as predicted. It beat the 104° high set in 1948. We're so glad that the big move for my mother-in-law was the week before the heat wave struck.

I took advantage of our solar cooker the last two days. Ours is a great unit! We purchased it right after Y2K, but have found it less likely to heat the house up during the summer. I've baked cookies, cakes, casseroles, and a lot more over the years.

May Payments

2010-06-03T06:50:00.001-07:00

Payments in May

Payments Waiting

7 Days AllMyMoneyForYou
51 Days Deep-C-Links
47 Days E-Qoo2
51 Days LadyOfTheLinks
14 Days PolarBearClicks
87 Days RoseBizs

Lost Camera Found - Aruba to Florida Keys

2010-06-03T06:40:00.001-07:00

Here's an interesting story about a camera that was lost in Aruba, and drifted for six months till it was found in Florida! And the most amazing part was returning it to the owner!

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3906

Cruising

2010-06-02T16:14:00.001-07:00

My husband and I discovered cruising on our tenth anniversary, and found we liked it. While we still do land trips, we prefer cruising. With land based trips, we must make our reservations for each motel, then plan our route. We are also deciding whether to buy some groceries so we can eat on the cheap, or which restaurant to eat at. On our last few trips, we've brought long an immersion hot water heater to bring water to a boil as well as some instant coffee. We also pack heater meals. These are shelf stable meals with their own heating packs, so we get hot meals without the need of a microwave. Now when we're traveling over land, we must pack and unpack each night, as well as hunt up some food.

With cruising, once you get to the ship, you have your vehicle to drive you to your points of interest. You also have your restaurants, as well as you lodging all within easy access. In addition to this, you can book your land tour reservations via the cruise company. Most cruise companies require full payment a couple/three months in advance of sailing. So, once you get onboard, most items are paid for. You still have to pay separately for your bar bill, excursions (some cruise companies allow prepaying those), specialty restaurants, spa treatments, specialty coffee and souvenirs. At the end of the cruise, they suggest you tip your cabin steward, waiter, assistant waiter and head waiter. Some cruise companies have an auto tipping system, that adds the tips to your bills, while other cruise companies give you a form to fill out to add the tips to your bill. The food is delicious, and it seems that there is food being served some place. The cabin stewards clean your cabin twice a day, and also fold your towels into cute towel animals. In addition to this, there are live shows nightly, as well as movies in the theater. On our last cruise, we were 36 hours late out of dock, due to fog, but it didn't bother us. For us, the ship was our destination!

McDonald's Observatory

2010-06-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

We visited McDonald Observatory over the weekend, and got to see a live image of the sun. Of course, we can get eye damage if we look directly at the sun, but they used a close up image and projected it onto the screen. Actually, it looked more like a big white golf ball. However, we were able to see some sun flares! In addition to this, we learned that we are coming out of a rather long Sunspot Minimum. Our tour also included visiting the 107-inch telescope. They have Star Parties three times a week, and these are open to the general public. We visited one of the Star Parties several years ago, and got to look through some telescopes!

Knitter's Important Tool

2010-05-27T17:31:00.001-07:00

As most knitters know, we a lot of wonderful specialty yarns come in hanks. And you need to take the time to wind them into balls. I really like my yarn ball winder. This wonderful gadget creates a pull skein. Another must for knitters. Before the yarn winder, I was constantly chasing my yarn as it rolled across the floor.

Mr. Rebates

2010-05-27T08:57:00.001-07:00

I really like Mr. Rebates!

I've been paid over $140.

You get cash back bonuses as well as coupons. You can shop at hundreds of online stores like Dell, Office Depot, Old Navy, Macy's, Best Buy and many more. You can get up to 30% cash-back! Join today, and get a $5 bonus added to your account to get you started!

Let this be your window to many stores!