This post is for the Day of Blogs 2008! I am blogging for Children’s Literacy Initiative. For more information about what I am doing, please click here, or you can sponsor me!

• 7/27/2008 -- Books in the Workplace (Day of Blogs ’08 #44)
• 7/27/2008 -- NaNoWriMo (Day of Blogs ’08 #36)
• 7/27/2008 -- Longest Meme Ever (Day of Blogs ’08 #32)

One of the things I enjoy the most is trying new recipes, especially when I find older family recipes. I have a tea cake recipe that my grandmother used to make when I was a little girl, and I was so delighted to finally give it a try and have them come out just the way I remembered them!

Most of the recipes I try aren’t in cookbooks, so I have a binder that is overflowing with recipes I’ve either tried or are waiting to be tried. I’ve been looking for a while to find a way to keep them better organized, and of course the internet provided just that.

This neat website called TasteBook lets you create your own cookbooks! You can put in your own recipes, find great pictures, and then actually get it bound! For about $20 you can have a professionally printed cookbook for your own personal use!

This post is for the Day of Blogs 2008! I am blogging for Children’s Literacy Initiative. For more information about what I am doing, please click here, or you can sponsor me!

• 7/26/2008 -- Recycled Reading Meme (Day of Blogs ’08 #17)
• 7/22/2008 -- Are you ready to stay awake?
• 7/27/2008 -- Longest Meme Ever (Day of Blogs ’08 #32)

Also, I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’ve done a little Christmas decorating around the blog! You can thank Lisa for the AWESOME design that she’s made for me! I can’t express how excited I am about this design. It makes me want to drink hot chocolate by the fire while listening to Nat King Cole!

How was everyone else’s Thanksgiving?

• 12/1/2007 -- Storage Solutions
• 12/16/2006 -- Christmas Meme!
• 7/19/2006 -- About

This is a problem! Why did I lose my motivation? I was doing well, and all of a sudden it just seems like too much effort.

Does anyone have any advice or tips to offer me? How do you keep your motivation? HELP ME!!!

• 7/19/2006 -- About
• 12/18/2005 -- 101 in 1001 – 67.33% Complete
• 7/26/2008 -- Recycled Reading Meme (Day of Blogs ’08 #17)

Also, in the past couple of months, I have a renewed sense of dedication for making our planet a better place. This happens to coincide with the time that An Inconvenient Truth came out, but that is not what got me started. I actually can’t remember the initial trigger, but the Internet has fueled this interest with its vast resources. About 10 years ago I was VERY committed to environmentalism – my weeks consisted of collecting the recycling in my school and my weekends were spent on beach clean up trips and letter writing campaigns. Then high school came, and I was more concerned with myself than the planet. Then college came and I didn’t have time to be concerned with the planet. I always figured I had gone through an “environmentalist phase,” so I was quite surprised to discover that little piece of me come back alive!

So, I have replaced these goals:

62. Create my own WordPress template.
66. Create new printables section for Doodlebug Designs.
69. Rework all of my websites so they use valid XHTML.
70. Rework all of my websites so that they use valid CSS.

with a new section in my 101:

Green Living
62. Change all the incandescent light bulbs in my apartment to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
66. Stop using plastic bags at the grocery store and switch to reusable canvas bags.
69. Switch a significant portion of my food and cooking supplies to organic. Healthier for me, healthier for the planet.
70. Search for organic and free trade coffee and tea that I like, and make the switch.

I imagine that when I create my next 101 in 1001 that this section will be larger, but for now I’m starting small.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programing.

• 12/18/2005 -- 101 in 1001 – 67.33% Complete
• 12/29/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #35
• 7/19/2006 -- About

Sorry for the late posting. I don’t really have many specific New Year’s resolutions because I am working on my 101 in 1001 – and I’m more than 40% through it! I’m right on track with the amount of time I have left, so that is very exciting! However, I do have a few clarifications about some of the goals in my 101 in 1001 . . .

1. #5 on my list is to officially join the Episcopal Church. So far I haven’t done this because I’m never home at the time that they’re offering the courses. I’m going to make a serious effort to see if I can somehow work that out this year.

2. #50 is to sponsor a child. This was actually one of the first things I completed. However, I would like to become more involved, so a resolution of mine is to try and maintain regular written correspondence with my child.

3. #47 is to stop biting my fingernails. This is one of the things that is the hardest on my list . . . I’ve been biting my fingernails for 22 years! I had stopped at one point my freshman year, but then I started to date a guy who bit HIS nails, and that got me started back again, and it’s only gotten worse since. However, Mama recently told me about something that she heard on the radio. One guy said that biting your fingernails is an addiction just as bad as smoking (which I think is probably true – no chemical dependency, but mentally . . . geez). The way that HE stopped was one finger at a time. He was allowed to bite the nails on 9 fingers, but not the tenth. Then 8 fingers. 7. All the way until he was down to only being allowed to bite one nail. And he said it took him a loooong time to get off that finger, but when he did it he had completely kicked the habit.

I’m starting with my right thumb. Here’s hoping.

4. Since I haven’t made much headway on reading the books for #76 and #87, I’m going to try and keep a list of the books I’m reading this year here on my blog. Hopefully that will make me a little more accountable!

5. To aid in my reading the Bible for #4 I have just purchased the The One Year Bible Companion: Questions and Answers to Help You Make the Most of Your Daily Bible Reading. It leads you through reading the Bible in a year – every day a little New Testament, a little Old Testament, and some Proverbs and Psalms. And this version of the book has questions and things. I like it !

6. To go with SEVERAL of my health 101′s I am going to continue further implementation of FlyLady‘s principles. While her main thing is cleaning, decluttering, and organizing, everything is built on routines, something that I have found is leading me to healthier eating and (gasp!) daily exercise!! Through the FlyLady way and through her book Body Clutter: Love Your Body, Love Yourself I am going to work to have a healthier lifestyle. And if that gets in place, the weight will come off !

7. #27 is to get a job. Now that I am no longer in grad school, this is priority numero uno for the new year!

8. As listed in #42, I want to begin creatively writing again. In the past month or so, I’ve actually felt like I think I can do this soon. I’m slowly working on ideas for a new book, and I’m excited that my little creative spark might be ready to go after a looong hiatus!

9. My books are out of control. I’ve got my closet cleaned, so it’s time for the next step! Not only will this help me declutter and make my room more pleasant, but it will help me through reading my books AND it will get me to the point where I can add them to a database (#56). Lots of goodies rolled into one.

10. I am revamping #61 a bit. Up until now it has said “Get Mama’s bead business online.” While I would still LOVE to do that, it appears as though my big resolution from last year is not going to be completed by the end of the year. However, I don’t consider this to be a complete failure. Mama isn’t ready to go online. However, I have helped her to figure out a system for keeping track of her records, which is just as valuable as getting the business online. I’m not sure when we’ll be able to get her online, but I can help her get completely organized . . . taking inventory of probably somewhere near a million beads. This is just as big a task as getting her online, and it’s something that I have more control over. I don’t want to push her into going online if she’s not ready just so I can complete my list. So, the new #61 is “Get Mama’s beads inventoried and make the inventory something she can easily work with daily.”

11. If I plan on writing 1001 blog posts on this blog and Reading Red Letters in time, I need to get busy or #75 won’t happen!

12. Now that I am getting a little control over my life and I am establishing routines, I am cooking a lot more, so I am really hoping to get my “In the Kitchen” goals completed this year.

13. And one resolution that isn’t addressed in my 101 in 1001. When I was younger I had a little bit of an environmentalist in me, and I pushed that aside when I turned 13 because it made me “uncool” – yeah, such is middle school. Then when I was in high school and college I was so super busy that I didn’t even consider making time for caring about the earth. But as I’ve been out of school and have slowly started to become “a grownup” (like that will ever happen), I’m realizing that this is something that is a part of me. I am going to work on green living this year, and try to conserve and reuse whenever possible. I’m researching cleaning products and clothing lines, as well as how we can make up for energy expenditures. I’ll be posting more about these things throughout the year, and hopefully I will have started some great new habits by the time we get to next year’s resolutions!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Leave me a comment and I’ll give you a shout out!

• 12/18/2005 -- 101 in 1001 – 67.33% Complete
• 9/15/2008 -- 101 in 1001 #2 – 47.52% Complete
• 6/15/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #45

I’ve been working on my personal finance situation a lot lately! Here are several tools and tips that I’ve come to depend on!

1. PearBudget: I know I’ve talked about this before, but I just have to put one more plug in. Everyone needs a budget, at least when they’re first getting started with personal finance management, and PearBudget is a great program that is free, super easy, and will keep you using it! I’ve been on it for more than 2 months now, which is a HUGE achievement, LOL!

2. Next, you need a way to keep up with your accounts. There’s the old paper and pencil checkbook ledger, but we’re on our computers for everything else, why not managing our finances! I’ve used both Microsoft Money and Quicken Personal Finance, and they are both great tools!

3. Almost any personal finance site that you read tells you that you need to have an emergency savings fund, just in case something happens like you have to go to the hospital, or you get laid off. The amount that goes in this fund varies – a great place to start is $1000, and many sites recommend you keep 3-6 months worth of living expenses. The most common complaint: I can’t afford to put money into an emergency savings fund! The most common reply: You can’t afford NOT to do this. I’ve got 2 that I’m working on right now. My immediate emergency savings fund is through my bank, and I’m currently building a long-term (the 3-6 months one) emergency savings fund in a high-interest savings account. The immediate one is in case I need the money RIGHT NOW – I can get it from an ATM. The long-term one is accessible within a few days, and it will grow because of the interest! Free money!

4. High-interest savings account? How do I get one of those? I’m currently setting up accounts through ING Direct, and I’m LOVING it so far. The interest rate is 4.4% – how crazy is that?! Accounts like these are run through the internet – there is no physical bank, and you don’t get checks. They’re just savings accounts. There are many other financial institutions, but ING allows you to set up sub accounts, which is too cool! I have sub-accounts for my emergency fund, travel fund, medical expenses fund, etc. And all are gonna earn 4.4% interest!

5. I Will Teach You To Be Rich – I’ve blogged about it before, but again, I have to mention it. There are so many different concepts, ideas, and terms that I am so clueless on, and this site explains them in a simple, no nonsense way that will make things clear! Amazing.

6. Don’t want to wade through all the personal finance sites? Then just get the goodies through the Carnival of Personal Finance every week! You’ll find topics about EVERYTHING, and there are three or four sites that I’ve found through reading the carnival that I’ve stuck with.

7. Get an Entertainment Book. They only cost about $20, but there are hundreds (probably thousands) of great coupons and savings in the book. Well worth the money spent!

8. Invest. There are many different kinds of investments (see my #5, he explains them all), but make sure that you are investing. The type of fund that I keep seeing more and more recommendations for is a Roth IRA, which I am still learning about. It involves investing your money and paying the taxes now, and then when you withdraw it, it will be tax-free (no matter how much more taxes are at the time).

9. Another great way to invest – the stock market. Ahhh, don’t be scared. If you read up on what to do, and find a great place to invest with, then you’ll do fine. And the place I’ve seen mentioned over and over again is ShareBuilder. As soon as I start to receive a regular income (aka, when I get out of grad school), I will be investing with ShareBuilder – the fees aren’t bad, and they’re not gonna try to trip you up because you have no idea what you’re doing.

10. Shop at discount stores and buy in bulk! You’ll be amazed at how much you can save at places like Costco and Sam’s Club! However, be wary . . . pay attention to the costs, and divide by how many you’re getting. Are you really saving? Discount stores can be great as long as you play it smart!

11. Take advantage of websites that offer promotions. For example: you need to buy a book for your Bible study in two weeks, and there was a CD you were wanting to get. You could go to Barnes and Noble or Borders that is right by your house . . . or you could go online and get them from Amazon.com for cheaper. And if you spend $25, it’s free shipping, so it’s like you bought it in person. You just have to wait a few days. So why not go for the discount? Or, even better! Do you buy books/DVDs/CDs/software/toys/groceries a lot? Do you shop on Amazon.com A LOT?! Then become a prime member. For a reasonable fee you get free 2 day shipping and significantly discounted overnight shipping. I was offered a free 3 month trial, and I loved it so much that I paid the fee. Now I NEVER buy these things from expensive stores in person! Click here for details!!!

12. Cook at home – don’t eat out, don’t go to fast food restaurants. I’ve been experimenting with my spending lately, and it’s AMAZING how much I’ve saved in food costs!

13. Want a great new opportunity to save HUGE on virtually anything you can buy online? I’m an IBO member, and we sell everything – we have our own product lines as well as partnerships for huge discounts on stores like Barnes and Noble, Office Depot, Dell, Things Remembered, Shop.com, Joann’s Fabrics, and SOOOOO many more! We run the business through Quixtar. The discounts alone are worth it, but if you’re a member, you get a check back based on your purchases and the purchases of your customers. Take a look, and if you’re interested in buying something, let me know! I can set you up as a client with ZERO obligation. Or, if you want to take a great opportunity and are interested in making some money, let me know, and we’ll discuss!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Leave me a comment and I’ll give you a shout out!

• 12/18/2005 -- 101 in 1001 – 67.33% Complete
• 12/29/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #35
• 8/10/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #23

I’m trying to figure out some fun recipes to have ready to go for when my roomies get here. As I’ve said, I don’t cook much when it’s just me because I get sick of eating the same thing for a week. So now I get to bake fun stuff!!! Anyone got any good suggestions?

I’m looking for some good websites with recipes . . . Anyone got any? Here are a couple I found in searching, but I’d love your links!

Great resource: allrecipes.com
Random findings: FoodTV and Cooking Recipies and Baking Community

• 9/1/2007 -- Foodies Unite!
• 12/16/2006 -- Christmas Meme!
• 2/9/2006 -- Thursday Thirteen #25

However, today, when I checked the mail, there was something in it for Ben. And it hit me – in a week, I will have a roommate. And in another week, I’ll have a second roommate. AND THEY’RE BOTH BOYS.

How weird! I mean, Matt and Ben are two of my favorite people ever, and I am super excited about living with my best friends. But . . . they’re boys. And as cool as they are and as much as I love them, they’re still boys. I mean, they’ll get icky. And they’ll act all boyish. And I won’t be able to walk around the apartment all nekkid (admit it, you do it too).

Anybody got tips on having a roommate of the opposite sex in a VERY nonsexual way?

• 12/8/2006 -- ABC Meme!
• 1/17/2007 -- Works for Me: AMAZING Lightbulbs
• 8/28/2006 -- Busy weekend!

How can I help my friend/family member who has cancer?
Helping a friend or family member who has cancer can be as easy as writing a letter of support, cooking a meal for them or offering to drive them to the doctor. Let that friend or family member know that you are ready and willing to help them by asking that person how they would like you to help. Simply asking, “What can I do for you today?” may be the best way you can help and support a friend or family member with cancer.

This post is for the Blogathon 2006! I am blogging for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information about what I am doing, please click here!

• 7/29/2006 -- The Underground Blogosphere (Blogathon #34)
• 7/30/2006 -- Can you taste it? (Blogathon #49)
• 7/30/2006 -- That was fast! (Blogathon #40)