Do you read?

If so, you will LOVE this site! I've been using it for about a year (or more?) now and have gotten SO many great books from other readers across the country, as well as passed on some of my favorites to those who wanted them. Just for listing your first ten books for trade, you get free credits that you can use to get books that YOU want! Then you get more credits as people request your books... It's super!!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

I've got a secret...

Wanna know how I get such great deals at Food Lion?? First sign up here for the Shopper's Companion.

Then check out the FLIPs (Food Lion Internet Printables) at WeUseCoupons.com! (If you join the site, which is completely FREE, of course - please feel free to tell them that mpayne referred you. I get nothing for that, but would just love to know how many folks join because I sent them. I'm weird that way. LOL)

There are just a few rules to abide by when you use FLIPs -

* These coupons can only be printed *once* per computer, but the print limit can be increased in the “print” box BEFORE you print. Remember to print as many as you think you will need, as you cannot come back to print again!

* Each FLIP can only be used once per transaction, but you may use multiple FLIPs (for different products) in the same transaction. Most Food Lions allow customers to do multiple transactions. (YMMV: Your mileage may vary)

* Sometimes there are different versions of similar coupons. WeUseCoupons tries to keep the first post of the FLIPs thread updated with all of the current versions of these coupons for everyone to print.

* Most Food Lions allow customers to combine a FLIP with a manufacturer’s coupon to maximize the savings, just ask a manager

Have fun saving with Food Lion -
and keep checking back here for more great deals & steals EVERY WEEK!

---

A new (ad)venture!

So, I've been talking for awhile with a friend of mine (actually my niece's stepsister) about her home-based business. I really HATE selling things - which is why my Avon and Tupperware businesses went kaput. LOL I'm just not a salesperson, I don't like to pressure people (not that all Avon & Tupperware people do!), and I loathe having home "parties" to sell stuff to my friends and family that they don't really need - just so I can get some freebies. That said, I have been known to attend many such parties - and I'm a sucker for a great smelling candle or new storage container! :)

Most work-at-home jobs are in sales, as we all know. Been there, tried them. Don't like 'em. I wanted to work with a company that makes a difference in the world. I'm trying to make our home as green as possible, and this company is SO earth-friendly and environmentally-conscious! I just love that. This is truly a company I can be proud of and enjoy working with.

With my job in somewhat of a precarious state due to the economy, I am VERY happy to have found out about this opportunity to make some extra cash from home, and possibly replace my existing income and work at home full time - which is what my friend has done in just the past few months! I've already met my great team that is helping me to get up and running. So excited!!!

If you want to know more about this, just click on my banner and click "Get more info" and I will contact you - NOT a telemarketer or some sales agent. And yes, I have set up a website already - as I said, I'm not a salesperson, but I AM a very proud geek! ; )

Cheap, delicious coffee + mug - YUM!

(Note: I get absolutely nothing for posting this - just sharing a great deal with you) :)

Get 3 Boxes for $3 + a free stainless steel mug with no obligation!

ZERO shipping charge - yes, just $3.00 total!

You can choose from 27 different coffee flavors and 13 tea flavors. I have personally used Gevalia before, and the coffee really IS great. (I wouldn't pay full price, because it's steep, but still very good coffee)

I've got their coffee maker (through another promo several years ago) and it's still going strong. And trust me when I say, I use it EVERY day. LOL I need a new travel mug, so this is a perfect new promo for me. By the way, if you just buy the mug alone - it's $14.95! Eek! Nothankyou. ;)

You DO have to call and cancel your membership after your order has been received - if you don’t want to be placed on their automatic coffee shipments, which can be around $28 for 3 bags! : o But canceling is SUPER easy.

Just so you can see that it's REALLY only $3.00, here's my order summary:

Your Trial Offer:	Your Gifts:
Vanilla Nut Decaf Ground Breakfast Blend Regular Ground Creme Brulee Decaf Ground	Gevalia Travel Mug Stainless Steel
Offer Price $3.00 Shipping Included Total $3.00

Stopping by to Show Some Love! (but please don't get too close)

My Ladies group just started a new Bible study this week called "Loving Well", by Beth Moore. I love, love, love Beth - but I have to tell you....she makes me think about things I'd really rather not think about. Things I've pushed down for years, hidden away from the world and, to some extent, myself. Things that hurt to consider. But that's the point - to make us face our worst, so we can learn to live our best for Christ.

One thing that she talked about this week was the lack of real, meaningful relationships that we - especially ladies - have today. We're more plugged in than ever - IMs, cell phones, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter , blogging - but we're also more lonely than ever. We connect with thousands of people on the Internet, but never have real, deep relationships anymore. I know can I relate to that... Can you?

How often have you visited a real-life friend's MySpace or Facebook page and left a nifty little box or banner like the one above? "Stoppin' by to show some love!" - why don't we physically stop by to SEE them, in their home, and show some REAL love? Why don't we invite them to our home, or out for coffee or dinner - and show some REAL love?

I remember growing up and going with my grandparents to visit their friends, or having their friends come over and visit them. They didn't call first, they didn't have to. They didn't email back and forth to coordinate a "good time" for both parties - they didn't have the "luxury" of that technology. They just showed up on the doorstep, sat over a glass of tea or cup of coffee, and spent time together. Genuine, happy, good time. Why don't we do that anymore? Yes, we're busy - we're all busy. But how much busier must our grandparents have been - working all day without technology to help them, coming home to do chores, many working farms and other hard labor jobs --- yet they still found time to spend with family and friends. I think they knew something that we have all forgotten: real relationships - those are what really matters.

When I'm working in my garden, or pass a funny sign on the road, or one of the kids says or does something crazy - my first thought is not "I need to call _____ and tell them!" More often, it's "Oh wow, I need to blog, Tweet, Facebook" about that! Now, I can justify this by pointing out that it's easier to just post it out there for everyone, rather than calling up each person I want to share the news with and taking the time to tell each one individually. It's efficient, you see. I'm saving time - mine and theirs!

Speaking only for myself - the truth is that it's fear. Fear that I'll be interrupting my friend's life by taking up their time. Fear that people don't want to be bothered with my petty news. If I post it, or email it, or use some other form of technology to communicate - they can't reject me to my face. They can delete my email and I'll never know. They can read my FB or Tweet and move on about their day without a 2nd thought to my words. But I won't know that. I won't have the opportunity to be hurt by any form of implied rejection. I could go into all the reasons for this fear, but that's another post for another time.

I just wondered if I'm the only one of the millions of blogging women out there who feel this way? Do you use technology as a crutch to avoid real, meaningful relationships with other women? With your church family? With your family? Even with your kids or spouse?

Mid-week Makeover!

So...I started to just change the header graphic on my blog here, and as you can see I got just a little bit carried away.

:)

Hope you all enjoy the new look. I even have a new name here! I think I like this much better...it just feels...cozier.

Please remember to update your subscriptons (just click the little box to the right that says "posts").

If you have my button on your blog (first, thank you!!!) - please grab the new one, also to the right.

Please let me know what you think of the new place!

What a vacation!

It's been a while since I updated here...have had a very busy few weeks. Hope you all had a GREAT and safe Independence Day! We are so, so very blessed to live in the United States - so many freedoms that we take for granted... Hopefully this weekend gave us all a chance to think about those freedoms and our blessings, and say a prayer for those who fight for us to keep them.

Hubby and I returned from our 4th of July vacation late last night (much later than we'd anticipated!). He decided we needed to change up our usual Oak Island trip, and took me to Gatlinburg, TN instead this year. It was SO FUN!!! I'd never been, and I can't wait to go back - hopefully with my car this time so I can stuff it full of wonderful trinkets from all the shops! I'll be posting pictures soon, if anyone's interested in checking them out... Oh, did I mention we went on his motorcycle?? 905 miles in 4 days!!

Speaking of shopping...upon returning, I found this wonderful product while I was surfing this morning. It's called the Couponizer and it's probably one of the BEST coupon organizers I've found. I can't wait to get mine in the mail. As most of you that read this blog (all 4 of you! ;) ) know, I'm an avid couponer (some might say that's an understatement). I love a great deal, but I am not the best at keeping my couponing stuff organized. Hoping that the Couponizer can help with that!

Check it out yourself!

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