While I was perusing the blogosphere, I saw a link at Petroville for a site I’ve never heard of - Baking and Books.

Now, if you know me, you know that baking and books are two of my all time favorite things - I LOVE them both! So to combine the two in a blog just makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside. This site is FULL of recipes that look absolutely amazing (as in, I think I’m gonna need to go grocery shopping for ingredients tomorrow). And right now Ari has a really neat fundraiser going on. If you buy a raffle ticket for $5 you will be entered into a drawing for some awesome cookbooks. Four first place winners get FOUR cookbooks each, and SIXTY others will each get one cookbook. I mean, your odds are pretty darn good here!!! Go check it out!

Baking and Books » Foodies Unite! A Baking and Books Fundraiser

Thirteen Things about LINDSEY

1. It’s been a few weeks since I participated - I am a bad hostess, LOL! Things have been really busy with the holidays and all the changes in my life. My brain hasn’t been up to much real posting, but I think that things are finally starting to get a little more calm.

2. Today is FlyLady’s 7th anniversary! Congratulations to her - she’s made so many changes to so many people’s lives! From the email sent to her list today:

It is hard to believe that this little list that FlyLady started in 1999 has become such a blessing to so many. I am so proud to be a part of something that helps so many of you and I know FlyLady and all of the Fly Crew feels the same way. You have opened up your hearts, minds and homes to us and we love you all.

One of the questions that was asked of me was “Who is the Fly Lady?”

FlyLady is a system developed to help people gain control over their homes, their clutter, and their lives. It is absolutely amazing! I heard about it for a while before I actually decided to give it a try, and once I did decide to try it I was sure that it wouldn’t work for me - it all seemed a little contrived and silly. Imagine my surprise when it began to slowly change my life. It’s caused me to finally learn how to clean my apartment (I’ve just graduated from college, so I’m just now starting to live away from my parents’ home and a dorm), it’s caused me to start exercising (a feat, I assure you - I’ve been trying to get that one going for years), I’m beginning to cook and quit buying convenience food, and I feel generally happier, more at peace.

It’s kind of hard to explain how it works without really getting into depth, so I’ll just direct you to FlyLady’s site - there are great explanations there! And don’t worry too much about being overwhelmed. The entire system is based on the principle of babysteps, so you are slowly eased into the process!

Thanks for the great question SussieQ - I’m more than happy to go on about my experiences with FlyLady if anyone wants to know more!

3. Matt asks where babies come from.

Matt also asks if I am left brained or right brained. I have taken several assessments, and it always surprises me how in the middle I always am. The one that I have found to show the most bias is this one:

However, I feel like there are many characteristic traits for right brained people that I identify with, so I have no idea which I am, haha. Probably left brained with right brain tendencies.

4. Mouse asks, “What is your opinion on divorce? Do you feel that too many people are using divorce as a escape route (lazy way out) instead of sticking by their vows and remaining with their man/woman and trying to work out their troubles?”

Yes, I agree with that completely. I think that as divorce has become more accepted in our society people began to see it as an escape clause to their marriages. There wasn’t as much though put into picking a mate because you could always get divorced if things didn’t work out. As a result, people are not marrying the right people because they aren’t taking the marriage vows seriously (they’re marrying the “right now” people), and when things do get tough, everyone is tossing in the towel instead of actually taking some time to work out issues. Passionate love, while necessary for a relationship, is not the only part of a relationship. The best friend aspect of marriage becomes vital when the passion begins to fade, and it is the mutual respect that holds together marriage. I think that people need to be very careful when they consider their future spouse, and there needs to be a verbal agreement between both people before they are married that they will take the “to death do us part” seriously. I am more than happy to continue this discussion should anyone else be curious! Thanks for the great question!

5. Pete wants to know “Why are girls stupid?”

Pete, to that I ask you - why are boys stupid?

You know I love you.

6. Brittany asks, “Evolution/creationism/intelligent design debates – where do you stand with this stuff?”

I was actually discussing this with my mother yesterday :-). I believe that God created the earth and humans. I believe that He created it in 7 days. However, I am not set on the literal understanding of these things. I am not opposed to the idea of evolution. However, through that evolution, I believe that when it came time for the actual man to be developed, God created him. The exact details of this aren’t really that important to me - my faith in God allows me to be OK with not understanding it 100%. Humans have finite minds and a finite understanding of this world, and since God and time are infinite, how could I ever expect to understand it? As for the 7 days, I do believe the world was created in 7 days. However, I think that each day was not a calendar day as we know it - more than likely day 1 was billions of years, day 2 was millions of years, day 3 was hundreds of thousands of years, etc. There is evidence that days are getting shorter, so who is to say that each of those days was not a God day instead of a 2006 human day?

That’s just my understanding. For some people, exact scientific proof is going to be the only thing that allows them to believe something. I guess that’s where faith comes in :-D!! Great question!

7. If you’ve got a question for me, I’d LOVE to answer it! Please, ask me ANYTHING!!! Thanks for the great questions guys!

8. There’s a really awesome new forum over at the Thursday Thirteen hub! Make sure you check it out!!!

9. A little 101 in 1001 update: on Tuesday I took all my change to the church for a fundraiser the youth are doing - they actually WANT everyone’s pocket change! I’m sure they were surprised with the $165.52 I brought in! Mark off #59 on my list :-).

10. Another big thing happened this week on my list - I marked off #64 . . . but it’s going to get its own post ;-)!

11. You may have noticed my site was down for a while at the beginning of the week . . . that’s because I’ve changed hosts! Be sure to check out Blogs-About Hosting!

12. Has anyone seen The Nativity Story? My mom and I are intending to see it, and I was curious to know what others thought about it . . .

13. Interested in getting rid of all that junk mail AND helping the environment? How about with just a few clicks of the mouse? Enter greendimes!!! This seems positively fantastic! Thoughts? Any other good green tips?

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Thirteen Things about PERSONAL FINANCE

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!

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

Her Bad Mother (who has been involved in communication with THE Gloria Steinham) poses a challenge:

So with that in mind, I have another (yes!) assignment for you: sometime this week, write a post about a cause that you are passionate about. Provide links and information and guidance for people to actually follow up on your post and take some sort of action: where can they make a donation? Sign a petition? Volunteer? How can they help promote your cause? Use this post as a catalyst for action – make it your mission to show, in whatever small way, how the blogosphere can support real action in support of real causes. It doesn’t have to be big – you don’t have a start a fundraising drive from your blog (although that would be cool), you just need to make a stab at showing how writing/speaking/blogging can support action. If you have already promoted a cause through your blog, or do so on an ongoing basis (as I know may of you do), simply provide me with some relevant links and a description of what you’ve been up to in the comments. Ditto if you know of someone else with a cause: do a post or post a comment with links and info. Then, as always, I’ll compile the posts, etc. etc. and we shall be a beacon of light, a chorus of voices – cue choir – and we will have Done Something and will be Doing Something in addition to All This Talk. And we’ll be even more impressive.

And Gloria will be proud.

I will be participating in this, and I encourage others to do so as well! Using our blogs to really make a difference? Works for me!

Hat Tip: Bloggy Gossip