Hand Picked Friday Features

I figured I would join in on the feature fun! I know by Friday we are all tired and ready for some relaxation and laughter! Time to wind down from the week!

SO HERE IS.....

A Little Relaxation!

A little humor....

An Afternoon at Riverbank Zoo

Sunday I decided to go to the zoo with a friend of mine! I love nature because it makes me feel so connected to God and the River Bank Zoo here in Columbia, SC is really nice. I needed to just get away and have a time of refreshing and although the zoo was fairly crowded, it was still great! I also bought a membership so Zionna and I could make some grandmommy/granddaughter memories. Here are a few pics of some of the things I saw at the zoo!

Wordless Wednesday

Boundaries

Being a mom and a woman in general, I have had a difficult time much of my life setting “Healthy” boundaries. I tend to feel GUILTY when I say “no” or sometimes I just second guess my response. I am learning though especially as my children have grown to become young adults (ages 19 and 21) the impact of NOT setting healthy boundaries. Both of my kids live at home with me. One for health reasons and the other because they are a single parent and getting on their feet. My brother lived with me for over a year and as soon as he moved out, my mom moved in for over a year after that. I finally had to ask my mom to move out and I felt tremendous guilt doing so. I have found myself asking - Will I ever have my own space? Am I selfish for wanting it? How much is too much to ask? Should I want to always support my kids? My mom? My family? No matter how much I do often times I have felt it is never enough or someone always has a complaint. Several of my friends recommended that I read the book Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend so I purchased the book back in January. It sat on my shelf until this past Friday. Finally I made the decision to start reading it and just getting through the first chapter, I so related to it that I cried and eerily felt some relief! I will definitely share the journey of my experience reading this book! In celebration of the start of my journey to setting healthy and freeing boundaries.

Here are a few Etsy items I found with interesting Boundary Titles! I so relate! How about you?

Boundaries - Abstract Art

Moveable Boundaries

Blurring The Boundaries

Etsybloggers - Let's Go Green!

What do you do (or what can you do!) to make your etsy business or home a little bit greener?

Truly we all need to look at what it means to Go Green and equally important is what It will mean to our future if we do NOT Go greenIt has been shared that preserving the world’s natural resources is the responsibility of EVERY individual both at work and at home. !. I was reading an article on World Watch Institute that shared 10 ways to go green and I decided to list there here! Personally for me is that I no longer buy paper plates, plastic silver ware or cups! I purchased the compact Fluorescent bulbs and love the money I save on my energy bill! I don’t eat a lot of meat! Not much at all actually. I also am a yard sale junkie and I Use BookMooch to get the books I want and to recycle those that I have! I even have a few 'Go Green’ Tote bags in my shop!

1. Save energy to save money.

· Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.

· Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.

· Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.

· Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.

· Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying. If you must use a dryer, consider adding dryer balls to cut drying time.

2. Save water to save money.

· Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.

· Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.

· Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.

· Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.

3. Less gas = more money (and better health!).

· Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.

· Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.

· Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.

4. Eat smart.

· If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.

· Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy.

· Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great.

· Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain [pdf]. This is especially true for seafood.

5. Skip the bottled water.

· Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.

· Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.

· Check out this short article for the latest on bottled water trends.

6. Think before you buy.

· Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you've just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist or FreeSharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free.

· Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items.

· When making purchases, make sure you know what's "Good Stuff" and what isn't.

· Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse.

7. Borrow instead of buying.

· Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.

· Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage.

8. Buy smart.

· Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.

· Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.

· Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you'll be happy when you don't have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).

9. Keep electronics out of the trash.

· Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.

· Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem.

· Recycle your cell phone.

· Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event.

10. Make your own cleaning supplies.

· The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.

· Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-not to mention your indoor air quality.

Two Zany Zebra's Featured Etsy Blogger

What a pleasant surprise for the awesome SAHM! TwoZanyZebra's is our Featured Etsyblogger of the month! I have a grand daughter so I loved all I saw in her shop! LOL!

A day in the life of Terronda

Well I know I have not been blogging lately! I do so greatly miss it! My life has just been busy! I now have a full time job working for BlueCross and BlueShield! So grateful to be working again! As a result of having been unemployed, I am able to go back to school through a program called WIA (Workforce Investment Act). I am going to school at night to get my Project Management Certification. I have also been serving to help lead our singles ministry at our church. Not to mention just every day life.



Actually my grand daughter Zionna is having surgery on Saturday to have her tubes put in her ears and her adenoids removed. She has hd an ear infection since December - Poor Baby! So say a prayer for Zionna!

Anyway, I hope to get back to blogging and creating in the very near future! But in the mean time know that I miss all of my online friends and family!

Huggles to all!

SHIFT HAPPENS!

Wordless Wednesday

Unique Commodities

DesignsByNora Featured Etsyblogger of the Month

DesignbyNora is the Etsyblogger featured artist of the month! DesignbyNora loves graphic design, making cards, jewelry, playing around with polymer clay, reading and geeking around on the computer! Check out a few of her great items and please visit her blog !

An Obituary printed in the London Times........ Interesting and, sadly, rather true

oday we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights I Want It Now Someone Else Is To Blame I'm A Victim Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone! Unique Commodities

Snow man humor

Wordless Wednesday

Unique Commodities

Wordless Wednesday

Unique Commodities

Woman calls 911 three times when Mcdonald's Runs out of McNuggets!

Can you believe this?! What in the world! Now I Know McDonald's nuggets are good but are you serious! This was Hilarious so I just had to share!

Woman was told McDonald’s was out of Chicken McNuggets after paying for a 10-piece meal, a local woman called 911.

Three times.

“This is an emergency, If I would have known they didn’t have McNuggets, I wouldn’t have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don’t want one,” Latreasa L. Goodman told police. “This is an emergency.”

The McNugget meltdown happened last week at a McDonald’s in the 600 block of North U.S. 1 and ended with Goodman, 27, getting a notice to appear in court on a misuse of 911 charge, according to a recently released police report.

Goodman told investigators she tried to get a refund for the 10-piece McNuggets, but the cashier told her all sales are final.

“I called 911 because I couldn’t get a refund, and I wanted my McNuggets,” Goodman told police.

The cashier told police she offered Goodman, of the 2400 block of South 25th Street, a larger portion of food for the same price to make up for it, but said Goodman got “irate,” the report states.

Goodman reportedly yelled, “I don’t want a McDouble and small fry,” the cashier told investigators.

Dispatchers for 911 told police Goodman called the emergency number three times and on each occasion was told an officer was en route.

“Goodman maintained the attitude ‘this is an emergency, my McNuggets are an emergency,’” the report states.

McNuggets, introduced to the McDonald’s national menu in 1983, are sold in more than 100 countries and often are dunked in barbecue or hot mustard sauce. Goodman’s 10-piece selection has 460 calories and 29 grams of fat.

On Tuesday, Goodman said she agreed to get a McDouble in lieu of the McNuggets as long as she also got the difference in price back. Goodman said the only menu items she cares for are McNuggets and McDoubles.

Goodman claimed a McDonald’s worker wouldn’t give her the difference in money back, so Goodman decided she wanted a full refund.

Donna Pool Featured Etsyblogger

Donnapool is Etsybloggers team featured artist of the month!

In her own words, she says "Think of my shop as a place where you can find something traditional...with a twist!"

Check out these cool items from her shop!

Why Etsy? Blog Carnival

What made you open a shop on Etsy? What do you like about being a seller on Etsy? What don't you like?

I had been selling on Ebay for a couple of years and was growing tired of how saturated it had become and its off the chart fees. Fact is though I happened upon Etsy. I was doing a search for a particular item I was looking to buy and Etsy came up as a place that someone offered it. I saved Etsy to my favorites out of curiosity and several months later, I finally looked around at the site, liked what I saw and opened up my Unique Commodities Etsy shop on April 11^th, 2007. While I greatly enjoy the team spirit of Etsy and love all of the new online relationships I have built, it seems IMPOSSIBLE for jewelry sellers to get much exposure. So many people are selling it and the fact is as soon as you post so are 10,000 other jewelry sellers. The search criteria is HORRIBLE. Even when I search for my own items after posting, sometimes I can’t find them!

But overall, being a part of the Etsy team has been a positive experience even if all I get to do on it is network and have a few good laughs with a great online friends!

Featured in Treasury

Thank you so much Magdalene Jewels for featuring me in your Surrealistic Pillow treasury!

MY OWOH WINS

WOW! I am so excited about my FIVE OWOH give away wins! LOL! Now you are probably wondering how in the world did Unique Commodities win FIVE!?!

Well they say its all about the odds of numbers baby and I entered over 560 blog contests! LOL! A couple of my gifts I have not received yet but no doubt they are in route (hey that rhymes)! I must say that my absolute FAVORITE gift received was my note cards below from Caloway Creations! Not only did she give me note cards but she wrote me a sweet note on one of her other hand made cards! LOVE IT!

OWOH Gift #1 from Caloway Creations

OWOH Gift#2 from Rhonda Willis Glass and Jewelry and my next favorite

OWOH Gift#3 from TresBelle (also got a book mark but couldn't find it at the time I took the picture)!


OWOH Gift #4 (en route) from Dale's Flights of Fancy
OWOH Gift #5 (en route) from 88 Designs

HELP PLEASE - Left over Bead Mess!

Ok so where do you guys keep your beads left over from projects or that you open and realize it doesn't work for the project. I have sooooo many beads and they are covering my work table! I cant seem to figure out where and how best to store them so they can be easily accessible! So tempted to just DUMP them in the trash but of course I can not do that every time I start a project! I want to be able to use something recyclable versus going out and buying new containers and need it to be space conscious since my work space is rather small (folding card table for now)!

What do you do?