Wow, it really has been a while since I did a WFMW! I thought I’d jump back in with this week’s theme - the “Brand Loyal Edition.” We’re supposed to post about what brands/products we can’t live without. So, here are a few of my favorites!

Starbucks - there’s a reason I love my job. Not only do they make quality products, but they are becoming more socially responsible and they are an AWESOME company to work for (that is not marketing hype - all the rumors you hear about them being a great employer are true).

E. Webscapes - there’s a reason I love my other job too, LOL! I was a very loyal customer for E. Webscapes before I joined them this past spring, and now that I get to work for them every day I see just how much hard work and personal care goes into each design project. Most definitely worth the money!!!

WordPress - it is so freakin’ versatile! If you haven’t experimented with WordPress as a blogging platform (or just a site management too) I SERIOUSLY recommend that you do so. I’ve tried many different platforms, and WP by far outshines them all. You can do so many things with it, and it is super crazy user-friendly. I have 2 blogs run on it, plus I’ve set up blogs for 4 or 5 friends on WP as well. And they are people who don’t know HTML from PHP from voodoo . . . and they love using WP.

Bookcrossing - this site has revolutionized the way that I think about books. I was always taught to hold on to your books since they are such a precious item. I still have great respect from books, and if a book holds special meaning for me or if I REALLY enjoyed it, I will still hold onto it. However, I’ve also learned the joy of sharing books. It’s so awesome to read journal entries as your books travel around and are enjoyed by countless others. And, if that’s not enough incentive, think about how many trees you could save by not printing new books!

Amazon.com - speaking of books, LOL! Amazon is almost ALWAYS my first stop when I’m buying something new. The prices are almost always the cheapest (plus, within 30 days if the price changes you can get back the money you would have saved by using Price Protectr), the reviews are EXTREMELY helpful, and if you join Amazon Prime you get EVERYTHING with free 2 day shipping (yes, there is an upfront fee, but I’ve found that I save way more than that by not paying for shipping or having to bump my order up to $25 for free shipping, and there is the benefit of not waiting a week). I even applied for the Amazon.com credit card, and I use that as my primary card. I get 1 point for every dollar I spend, and once I get to 2,500 points, I get a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com! Since I keep track of my spending like a debit card, it’s not rare for me to see one of these almost every month. AWESOME. Books? Check! DVDs? Check! Canvas grocery bags? Check! New external hard drive? Check! All things I’ve bought (for less) on Amazon.com!

Finding awesome brands that I trust and have proven themselves to me time and again? Works for me!

Tired of resolutions that you won’t keep? How about starting a new habit instead that is so easy to keep that you really don’t have to do anything . . . and all your junk mail problems will be GONE! GreenDimes is a great new company dedicated to getting rid of YOUR junk mail. The thought is that by getting rid of junk mail we reduce trash, save trees, and minimize mail so there aren’t so many mail trucks on the road. Plus, it gets rid of all the junk that you don’t want anyway, and helps cut down on the opportunities for identity theft! For a VERY reasonable price (about $3 a month) GreenDimes will:

* Take your name off major direct mail lists
* Remove other family members’ names too
* Keep you from going back onto those lists
* Reduce unsolicited credit & insurance offers
* Reduce your risk of identity theft
* Unsubscribe you from unwanted catalogs

And we handle contacting all the companies for you so you don’t have to. No printing letters, buying postage, and mailing letters. No filling out numerous online forms. No calling companies and following up requests. And we’ll do it for less than it would cost you to do it yourself.

And not only do you get all that yicky junk mail GONE, but you also get a tree planted for you each month! I am signing up RIGHT NOW!

Getting rid of junk mail AND helping the environment? Works for me!

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One of the biggest issues addressed on the WordPress lists I subscribe to is the lack of a customizable form for the WordPress platform. The only form people really know about is inTouch, and you can’t exactly customize it.

Well, in my quest to redo forms on one of my websites that was hacked, I found a solution!!! The Form Assembly 2.0! It’s a great form that is VERY customizable, and all you have to do is insert the code into a page in WordPress! There’s also a bit of code you insert into the header file of your theme and some files to FTP to your server, but that is only if you need to apply their CSS to your form. If you don’t, then ignore those parts and just insert the code into a page!

There’s a free version that has ads associated with it, but the paid versions are cheap! A great, cheap, customizable form, and I can have as many as I want?! Works for Me!!!!!