Best of the Best for 4/24/09

Well I sure am a big fan of body wash... and especially of getting it for free. These Walmart offers DO come!
Free NIVEA Touch of Happiness Body Wash

Here is an article called 11 Ways to Get Extra Cash. I think the most useful parts of this article are the web addresses for 3 reputable "call-center-from-home" companies.

This really nifty website converts almost any format document into almost any other format document. I gave it a go and it worked well! You upload your document to the site, choose your conversion, and then enter your email, and it will email you a link to the finished converted document. CometDocs

This... is just really cool and innovative! Watch the video! Lights made from water bottles.

This is a really cool site that will help you figure out what to make from the food you have at home. It's not perfect, but it sure will give you some good ideas and suggestions! Just put in the ingredients you have as keywords, and RecipePuppy will find recipes from all over the web with those ingredients, as well as making suggestions as to what other ingredients you might want to add. I find that helpful because I'll look at the list and say to myself "oh! I have that!".

Woah! Check out this Monster List of Freelance Job Sites (2009 Update)!

It will save us all! From having to keep mashing the phone keypad, that is. ContactHelp tells you how to get an actual live person on the line. Now that's customer service! If nothing else, their front page picture is pretty funny.

And last but not least, we have AlternativesTo. What a GREAT SITE for finding alternatives to programs for Windows, Mac, or Linux software that may have a high price tag.

On backing up your files and Cat Health

I am a huge advocate for backing up your files in an off-site location (i.e. not on your PC). Doing this has been an invaluable tool for me, as I tend to have to transfer files from PC to PC a lot, or have a lot of crashes (for some reason, way too many in the past year or two).

I just put a link to Mozy backup on my page, and there it will stay. I can not advocate this service enough. It is FREE and really no-hassle at all. When your files back up, it runs in the background and does not slow down your PC - it just backs them up quietly at a scheduled time every day and you're covered in case you lose your hard drive (oh how we all hate that).

I urge everyone to get this service. 2GB free, and you can choose which files to back up.

DOOOO EEET!

This is especially handy if you have been dealing with shitty unstable computers like I have. Ugh!

Now, on to cats. I want to provide this insight and info in case anyone might have a cat they need to medicate or are wondering whether to take to the vet (unlikely, I know, but I'm a huge cat fanatic and I like to spread info).

My friend came to me and told me about her cat that had a urinary blockage. She was extremely upset because she hadn't noticed sooner and the vet told her he could have died. She said she felt like a bad cat momma because she should have been more aware. Here is what I told her:

Ah I know how you feel – when Ziggy got the cancer, I was so devastated and I spent so much trying to make him better!! It’s hard to grasp how dangerous these things can be to their health, even such a simple thing, and alarming to realize how quickly it can go downhill. You are an awesome cat momma and you DID do the best thing for him, which was to call the vet. Animals tend to not show their pain until it’s way late in the illness process. I mean, my cat sneezed out his damn tooth but he was still eating dry food! Trust me, I felt plenty bad about that, so now I’m always on top of them, getting them dental chew toys, etc.

It’s all a learning process and we do the best we can.

She also expressed concern about the medication. He has 3 meds and wasn't doing well with one of the pills. She says:

I had to give him his medicine and it didn’t go well. The pain medication is in a syringe and I had no trouble getting that to him. And this one pill is in capsule form and he took that with no problem. Opened his mouth popped it in and it went right down. This other pill is huge and he just kept spitting it out. It was awful Jackie. I even tried to but margarine on it to make it go down easier. Didn’t work. It started falling apart and it made him drool like you wouldn’t believe. I then tried mixing it in with water and giving it to him through a syringe and he just spit it out. It didn’t mix well. Have you ever had this problem? I am going to call the vet to see if they have any suggestions. He won’t take pills in food. Just eats around them.

...

It’s an antibiotic called Baytril. I have to give it to him once a day in the pm for five days.

My advice was:

I would say call the doc and tell them the pill isn’t working out for him. Baytril is one of the best antibiotics, and it DOES come in a liquid form.

The other suggestion I have is they sell these pill popper things in the stores that gets it further down their throats. I have one of those and it is a slight help. Putting the butter or margarine on it is def a good idea in any case because it can get stuck in their throats if not. Ever tried to swallow a dry pill? Ick, right!?

What I usually do when I give meds is that I get it all prepared first, get a couple of paper towels or a towel and then catch the cat. Then I sort of straddle the cat and cross my feet in the back so he can’t get out. Then you have to get your hand under his chin and sort of raise his head, open his mouth, pop in the meds and then, here’s a big part, hold their mouth shut and rub their throat or blow lightly into their nose until they swallow. It’s a real struggle any way you slice it!

Don't be afraid to advocate for your kitties!

The shock of "America's Next Top Model"

I guess I have been pretty out of touch with what we as a society have been telling young girls these days. I caught the end half of America's Next Top Model at a friend's house last night, and I was honestly appalled by what I saw on the show. Maybe I am too old fashioned, but here is what I learned that young girls are learning by watching this stuff:

Being painfully skinny is beautiful
No, seriously, I had NO IDEA girls were being led to believe this is what normal people should look like. Yes, I knew they were being told that "thin is beautiful", but I thought THIS particular variety of sickliness was off the market. Looking at these chicks made me literally wince in pain. I kept yelling at the screen "GO HOME AND EAT!" These girls are so tall but they weigh less than me, most likely (I'm 5'2" and 119 lbs), but that is NOT HEALTHY! Yes, maybe they are like that naturally, but many girls just aren't built that way, and they are seeing these people looking that way being "adored" as models and they think they should look that way.

If you're 25+, you're too old
Really? REALLY?! When one of the judges noted that one of the "models" was 25, the other judges gasped in horror and surprise. Ok, some of that was purposely exaggerated, I'm sure, but since when did being 25 mean you're old?! These girls are being led into "modeling" at a younger and younger age, and now we all are starting to think we're worthless once we're past 25?! I can't even stand it. I'm 29, and I don't happen to think I'm particularly old. Gosh, I even thought maybe I could still do a bit of modeling at my age, but I guess I'm just an old washed up hag! UGH!

DON'T LET PERSONALITY SHOW IN YOUR PHOTOS!
Jeez, I guess all my photos are for shit. God forbid MY PERSONALITY comes through! That's just not FASHION enough! You have to look like a model, gosh darnit, not a real person! Come on, be more sassy! But wait, that's too sassy! Tone that shit down before someone sees you! Ugh, you suck so much because you aren't posing, but you're posing!

You're constantly being judged and you don't meet our standards
The judges actually insulted just about every girl that appeared before them. I could not even stand it or believe it. "What are you wearing?", "You made a funny face", "You're just not interesting". Oh give me a break, come on! You're telling these girls to mug for the camera, but then not to mug for the camera because they are too "sassy" or too "posed", but then you're telling them they suck no matter what they do. I just... I can not stand it! Of course they look uncomfortable when they get out there - you're making them paranoid!!

Yes, I realize this post devolved into more of a rant, but come on... REALLY?!

I just can't believe we let this go on! I suppose I was under the impression that things had gotten better and people had become more aware of this problem. I thought we were edging towards healthier looking "models" or role-models... I guess I was wrong!

Bailing Yourself Out and Mother's Day Ideas

Two end of the day articles for you guys.

Lost your job, or the economic downturn otherwise affecting you? Bail yourself out with some of these tips.

Mother's Day is coming up, and you may not have much cash to spare, so here are some ideas to get you started on an inexpensive gift for mom.

List of Paid Survey Sites I Use

The thing to remember is that you won't always qualify in for the surveys and it's very small amounts of money here and there, but once or twice a year you might get like an online discussion board that pays you $50 or something!

https://www.surveysavvy.com?id=2421042&action=join
https://www.globalopinionpanels.com/home
http://www.clearvoicesurveys.com/
http://www.valuedopinions.com/index.php?id=17
http://us.lightspeedpanel.com/US/register/registerPage.us?custom=BOWUS00303&lc=en
http://www.greenfieldonline.com/
http://www.npdor.com/default.asp
http://www.i-say.com/
https://www.opinionoutpost.com/
http://www.harrispollonline.com/AdultReg.asp?lang=1
http://www.opinionsquare.com/Home.aspx
http://mindfieldonline.com/user/register
http://www.hotspex.com/
https://www.acop.com/Registration.aspx?L=1
http://village.gongos.com/invitation.aspx?namesource=GW

Also, these are for online focus groups/discussions you can get paid for:

http://www.focusfwd.com/

http://www.schlesingerassociates.com/joindatabase.html

Also, you should go to imommies.com and follow her blog. She lists survey opportunities for online focus groups as well, but I don't have the direct links to the companies.

A beginning note, and today's awesome articles!

Look, let's face it. I can't really write original content and I most likely never will be able to unless it's about personal things. However, I think it's important to share the amalgamated wisdom of the most awesome bloggers on the internet - and of course, some comedy cold, too!

That's what you'll find here - mostly my sifting through articles and presenting you with the best of the best for your consideration. Once in a while, I may write my own musings, but don't count too much on that!

Feel free to comment on anything or email me to ask me to look for info on anything specific.

Ingredient Substitutions

50 Side Businesses You Can Start on Your Own

25 Vintage Baking Tips

25 Vintage Kitchen Tips

Lentil Burritos (this piqued my interest!)

Listing of Free or Low Cost Clinics throughout the US

The Great "Convenience Food" Debate

As I was preparing my mid-month grocery list, I started thinking about convenience foods. All the frugal advice in the world tells us not to purchase convenience foods because it's "a waste of money". Honestly, I have come to the conclusion that it's not a waste of my money because I simply do not have the time to prepare EVERYTHING from scratch. I hate to admit it, but I do *need* these convenience foods! With 4 people, 5 cats, 2 mice, appointments all over the city and suburbs every week, volunteer projects, and late work hours (for one of us, at least), we just can not afford the time it takes to not use these items.

If you're in the same predicament I am, here's some advice for you to help you minimize the expense of convenience foods.

First for foremost, don't waste your money on non-nutritious items. The time it saves isn't worth your health. Look for healthy alternatives to the most processed favorites.

Don't let EVERY meal consist of convenience foods. For instance, I make dinner from scratch. The other meals largely consist of cereal, Kashi or health food bars, frozen dinners (lowest sodium and fat I can find) for lunch, granola bars, instant oatmeal, etc etc. Choose one meal a day that you have time to prepare from scratch, and that will cut down on your usage of these quick alternatives. Leftovers from dinner the night before fit into the category of "from scratch", since you aren't eating something that you newly opened out of a package that day. Yeah, we're stretching the rules here. I also bake once in a while in bulk, which gives me items to grab and take (mostly healthy muffins and cookies - let me know if you'd like the recipes - they're amazing!).

Cut down the expense as much as you can by using coupons and sales. Scour the circulars before you go shopping. Shop and purchase according to those sales as much as you can, and use internet printable and circular newspaper coupons to match up to the sales. For instance, I never purchase cereal for more than $2.00/box. I can always find a sale that it that low and/or matches up with a coupon.

Use Amazon.com for food in bulk. Seriously, buy it in cases. They have special sales and deals all the time, and the same applies here - buy from the sales!

Stop being brand loyal. Now I can admit to being loyal to Dannon Coffee Yogurt, simply because they are the only one that really makes that flavor and makes it correctly. It's also something I consistently eat and is healthy for me, so to me, the expense is justified. However, everything else? No brand loyalty at all! Buy generic. Broaden your horizons, branch out, be adventurous. Really, most store brands are just as good as brand names, and usually cost a lot less. The only exception to this is if you check out a sale or sale + coupon and the price for the brand name is cheaper (this is how I get a lot of my Box Tops for Education - people must think I spend a fortune in food, but really, it's just because the item was on sale and I had a coupon to combine for the win-win!).

Lastly, don't buy foods that are cheap but that you won't eat. This also defeats the purpose of saving the money, because they'll just sit there in the pantry while you order out pizza because you're deprived of stuff you like to eat. I learned this a long time ago, and try to stray away from it now. If you don't like vegetables or fruit, don't buy them, no matter how healthy everyone says they are or that you should eat them. If you know you're not going to, what's the point? Just look for other ways to incorporate healthy items in your diet, for instance, smoothies, fruit tarts, cereal with a fruit add-in, 100% juices, vitamins, etc etc. I am not advocating being unhealthy, but let's be honest - many times I have tried to prepare "healthy" recipes using vegetables and I just wanted to vomit I hated it so much, so I've just acknowledged that I hate vegetables and I buy the little carrots on the side for my son while I eat other things to supplement for the discrepancy.

To give you an idea, we generally spend about $250 for 4 people for a month, including paper products (paper towels, toilet paper - we don't buy paper dishes or cups), and any cleaning or personal hygiene products we might need. Our personal hygiene products usually come free after rebate at Walgreen's or from free samples, though, so we don't generally need much on that front. My 2 honies and my son eat cereal like it's going out of style, and our milk consumption is through the roof, and that takes those into account also.

Yeah, we could be spending less, but at the same times, I'd be run ragged by cooking and preparing all the time.