I’m still working on training my dog to do all types of things. He was a rescue dog from a local animal shelter and even though he was three when I adopted him, he hadn’t been properly trained. So I’ve been working with him on a lot of things. I thought that while I was working with him on other things, that I would also work on training him to get used to wearing a Halloween costume. I had a little friends and family Halloween get together a few nights ago and I thought that it would be really cute to dress him up in a Halloween costume.

I looked online to find a suitable Halloween costume for him and while I was doing that, I ran across some info on tv phone and internet packages. I read through them and after that I decided to change over my home service to one of those packages.

At first he was a little resistant to the costume, but we practiced wearing it quite a bit and I think that he took to it a little bit after that. He was such a hit at the party!

I am a dentist. Our business has been very slow lately. People will make appointments and never show. I guess it is due to the slower economy. Patients also are not spending any money on cosmetic dentistry. They are only coming in when they need to be seen for their yearly or when they are in pain. Business is hurting. I met with my office manager last week and she showed me the books and the numbers. I was terribly upset when I realized that if business did not pick back up that I was going to have to let someone go or drastically reduce some employee’s hours. I hate the thought of those who have worked so hard to support me suffering. I decided to try and cut our monthly overhead at the office as much as I could. I logged onto www.texaselectricityproviders.com and got a better electricity rate. I also cancelled the cable that was really just for the break room. I also decided to start doing the yard work on my own and cancel our contract with the landscaper. I have saved a lot but am still keeping my fingers crossed that business picks back up!

The Steam Team uses only the safest cleaning methods and no harsh chemicals.  They know that the only way to keep their clients happy is to do the best job possible so they guarantee their work.  If there’s ever a problem with their work, they’ll go to extremes to do whatever it takes to make sure their customers are happy.  And to further ensure the safety of their clientele, they make sure all their staff members are insured and bonded.

Though known for their carpet cleaning abilities, The Steam Team can clean just about anything in the home.  They can clean leather and upholstery, and offer their customers leather furniture cleaning tips to help with the upkeep between visits.   They can do drapery and hardwood floor cleanings, get rid of obtrusive pet odors, and can deal with smoke and fire restoration duties.  If it needs to be cleaned in the Austin area, The Steam Team has what it takes.

Whatever nastiness the weather in Austin throws at you, The Steam Team can clean it up.  They can even accommodate those who have a deep love of the planet and want a company who believes in going green.  If you’ve got something in your home that needs to be brought back to it’s normal beauty, call the professionals at The Steam Team.  They’ll have all your Texas sized cleaning issues handled in a New York minute.

(The company in the above article asked me to do a review of their site.  All opinions are of my own and all information can be found directly from the company’s website.)

I grew up in a home where there were always plants in the house and flowers growing in and around the yard. My dad (not my mom) had the greenest thumb you’ve ever seen and I was fortunate enough to pick up on some of it. I have a house full of beautiful plants, but when it comes to creating gorgeous flower gardens and arrangements, I just don’t have it. But I did find a site that does have it and are more than willing to share it. That place is the flower arranging and gardening tips blog called E-FlowerTips.com.

I’m a sucker for pretty flowers and when I came across this site, I had to stop. The front page is loaded with bright, beautiful pictures of flowers of every kind. I was shocked to realize that each of those gorgeous pictures was a link to an existing article that had something to do with the flower in the picture. So, I had to check out the link to the snapdragons as they were one of my dad’s favorites.

The article is about how to get your snapdragons to last longer when placed in a vase. It’s a wonderful article and I knew most of the tips, though I did learn that they prefer soft water to hard water because it’s easier on their systems. Hard water can cause the fragile leaves of the snapdragon to drop early and can takes days off the life expectancy of the flower.

Another article that caught my attention is about how to grow orchids at home. I tried this once and failed miserably. It didn’t even last a full month, I don’t think. Orchids are so temperamental that even the slightest issue with climate or things in the atmosphere can cause them to die. I had a friend who grew them without any problems. But then again, I could grow African Violets and she couldn’t. Coincidence??? Yeah, probably.

So from there I had to go find out if E-FlowerTips.com had a facebook page, which they do. I know several people on my own friends list who would really enjoy this site. And I think this will be an easy way to keep up with the site as they publish new articles. I also decided to follow them on Twitter as they’ve got links coming and going with other flower and gardening tips sites.

There really isn’t a lot of articles on the site yet, but I think with time this could end up being a very helpful place for those of us who want more information on putting together beautiful arrangements without spending a ton of money. But for now, I’ll just read what I can and enjoy the gorgeous pictures found on the front page.

]]> http://sapheyerblu.com/floral-arrangement-tips/feed/ 0 http://sapheyerblu.com/add-a-little-spice-to-your-intimate-life/ http://sapheyerblu.com/add-a-little-spice-to-your-intimate-life/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 07:00:15 +0000 Christine http://sapheyerblu.com/?p=204 I remember a time when it was unheard of to discuss the idea of bringing adult toys into the bedroom. These days it’s not only discussed, some people actually compare notes. Yet there are still a few out there who believe in privacy and discretion. For those people, there’s a site called EdenFantasys. This isn’t the sex shop of old. This is an elegant site made for singles and couples who want to improve their intimate lives for the better.

I really took my time going though this site before I wrote this review. I wanted to give this site the benefit of the doubt, and I’m glad I did. As with any adult toy store, there are items which I wouldn’t feel comfortable showing to certain members of my family. But there’s more to the site than just marital aids. I personally enjoyed going through the lingerie section as I’ve always had an addiction to teddies and sexy nighties.

Besides the obvious, EdenFantasys also offers their customers items such as books, videos, audio selections, and even gag gifts. There is even a forum where people can go in and get advice or talk to other like-minded people. I do kind of enjoy the site’s blog as it’s funny and very naughty. The Bloggess (the lady who writes the blog) is blunt, she’s funny, and I have to admit I’m kind of jealous of her because she’s not afraid to show the world just how weird she really is. My hat’s off to her, I wish I had the nerve.

If you’re looking to add a little spice to your relationship, give EdenFantasys a try. They’ve got just about everything you could ever imagine in the way of intimacy aids. They’re very discrete and go to great lengths to protect their customers privacy. They’ve created a sex shop that’s a fun and safe place to play.

One of my favorite things to do is shop for unique art online. I’m a real film buff and I enjoy looking through online warehouses for old movie posters or signed autograph photos. Once I even found a framed acrylic painting of Humphrey Bogart – it’s the centerpiece in my living room! I recently got wireless from CLEARWIRELESSINTERNET.COM because a friend of mine told me that the service allowed me to get online pretty much anywhere in town. I’m now able to stay abreast of online auctions as they happen and I’m never without service…it’s really nice. Using my connection ha! s been great, too, in that I’ve met other film buffs in the area. We’re planning on getting together soon to screen some old silent movies at my place, which should be really fun! I’ve currently got my eye on an old screen projector – it would be absolutely perfect in my theater room. I can’t seem to get enough of the old timey movie stuff and being online all the time has only made my “obsession” worse!

Now at the moment, this is still a work in progress and I’m sure it will take me some time to get anyone to join up.  But I’m hoping to make this forum a place where anyone who has a blog and hosts giveaways will have a good time and can feel at home.   There are also categories for those who have online stores and need a little extra exposure and can even tell others about things they have one sale.

I’ve also added a section for various freebies from around the web and a place where you can step in and introduce yourself and a place where we can all just sit and discuss the topics of the day.  I have some other ideas for the place, but I kinda want to step back and see if anyone joins up first.  LOL

So you are all cordially invited to my new site.  Tell us about your giveaways or your shop, or find some places that you didn’t know existed before.  In time, I hope this is a place where we can all have fun and win some cool stuff.

The nice thing about this site is that I can find just about anything from clothing to jewelry to a new sleeper chair.  The site gives me an entire list of that particular item from different shopping sites around the Internet.  They showcase major retailers such as Kmart and Sears, as well as online only shops such as Overstock.com.  Plus, they tell you right up front how much the item is, whether or not it’s currently in stock, and how much of a savings you’ll get if any.

Now because I live in such a rural part of the country, I don’t have physical access to some of the more upscale shopping centers.  I thought that this would be a great way for me to find some of those things I’ve always wanted but could never find around these parts.  One thing I did go looking for was some Chenille bedspreads.  I remember my grandmother having one in the spare bedroom and I loved that thing.  So I typed it into the search bar at Become.com and sure enough, there was a whole list of options to choose from.  I had no idea there were so many styles or some many different colors.  It all comes down to a person’s budget and personal preference.

So as I was playing around on the site, my daughter came in and thought it would be cool to look up something in her taste.  Now mind you, my daughter is a teenager and a very punk rocker outlook on life.  She wanted me check out if there was any zebra print wallpaper.  Now I don’t see my husband ever allowing her to put this up in her room, but it was fun to see just how many variations there are in the zebra print world.  I figured there might be a couple, but there were several and they came in both vertical and horizontal linings.  There was even one that had a swirl pattern.  Now there’s a zebra I’d love to see in the wild.

So the next time you think you want to do a little window shopping but don’t feel like leaving your house, check out Become.com.  I had a ball on this site and I guarantee that I’ll be-come-ing back again and again.

There are other ways of attracting some of the locals.  One way is to send out letters to other business owners using stationary with my business name at the top, and complete the ensemble with some custom envelopes.  I don’t know if it would work, but it would sure look cool.  I’ve always been a fan of custom stationary and letterheads.  I’ve found some of my favorite places this way, so I know it works.  Well at least for me anyway.

Finally, I thought about putting ads in the local papers.  Now I know paying for advertising can get VERY expensive, but there are ways around it.  Rather than taking out ad space, I can always put a quickie piece in the want ads.  It’s a lot cheaper and more people will actually see it.  My local paper also has a section for small business owners to put in their business cards, so that might be another option.  But whatever I do, I still think I’m going to get myself some of those engraved pens.  I always wanted to see my own business on a pen.  LOL

I’d never heard of this shop before this giveaway, but I fell in love instantly. It’s a handbag/tote shop and I love these types of items. I make my own totes, but not like these. In fact, the main entry into this giveaway is to check out the site and leave a comment on MGWE as to what your favorite item is. That’s when I found this beautiful Frilly Bag In Black.

There are a lot of ways to enter this one, but checking out the sponsors site is mandatory. This giveaway ends on April 27th and the winner will be drawn on the 28th. I’ve become a huge sucker for a good giveaway and if you want some of the best, you’ve got to check out Mint Green With Envy. She’s a giveaway diva!!!