NIU

SEXY LINGERIE BRINGS THE FIRE BACK

Posted by Stacy on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 3:02 PM

Everyone needs to work at their marriage, and this is one of my new years resolutions. I have decided to put the same amount of effort into my marriage that I do into raising my kids, after all, my husband will be around long after the kids move out and I don't want us to be complete strangers when that happens. I have decided that we need to spice up our sex life a little. Well, you know at first everything is new and exciting, and then somehow it becomes predictable and a little anti climactic. Not to say that I don't enjoy being with my husband, or love him or anything, but I really do think that this more than anything else is what causes people to have affairs. The excitement fades with time. This is why I decided that I must do something. I love my husband and he loves me and I am not going to allow our relationship to fall prey to the hum drum. Anyway, one of the things that I decided I could do to spice things up a little bit is to get some new lingerie. And I am not talking just one sexy nighty. I am talking about sexy bras and panties and garters and so forth, so that he can't wait to see what I have under my clothes. See I will wear them everyday, and this will make undressing so much more exciting.Sexy lingerie is a great way to spice things up. Don't get me wrong, there are other things that you can do too, but I am little hesitant to go too far into all that. The bottom line is some sexy nightgowns are okay too, but trust me the sexy undies under the clothes will be more exciting, everyday, he will wonder what you have on, and he will look forward to finding out.

There is no reason to settle for the same old, same old, so do something different to add something new and fresh to your relationship. Both you and your husband will be glad you did.

Affordable Insurance

Posted by Stacy on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 12:44 PM

When I was out shopping the other day I overheard this lady at the register in front of my checking out talking to the cashier about how her daughter dropped out of high school as a senior and she now has to work two jobs to support herself and can't find affordable car insurance even, so she has been driving around without insurance (which is definitely illegal, at least in Illinois). I felt so bad for the lady worrying about her daughter, but it also made me think about how lucky I am and glad that I am still in school and to have a good major (pharmacy) so I know that I will get a job as soon as I get out (well hopefully, people are always sick). I couldn't believe that someone would drop out of school when they are almost done, and then not go to college or even think about it at least. For me, I never even thought not going to college was an option. My parents both went to college and all of my friends and I did, we never once said, Oh maybe we won't. So when I hear about other people, it really does shock me and kind of take me out of my little bubble I grew up in.

But now the economy is so bad who knows what is going to happen even when we graduate with degrees and are qualified (and probably over qualified) for jobs. My friend the other day was joking about how he doesn't even feel bad about having a history major anymore because it doesn't matter what your major is now, no one is going to be able to find work. Another one of my friends graduated with a double degree and still lives at home, she had to go out and purchase temporary medical insurance because she is no longer on her parents since she graduated, but she expected to have a job by now and doesn't. She ended up getting this UniCare Texas plan and she doesn't really know much about it, but she says it is just temporary until she can find a job (who knows when that will be).

Hopefully I won't have to worry about all of this since I have a pretty demanding major, but still, it worries me that I will have spent all of this time and effort and hard work (and my dad's money) and all of it be wasted because of the economy.

HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS FOR YOUR CHANGING NEEDS

Posted by Stacy on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 9:42 AM

I saw this news report on TV and they were talking about health insurance. They said that more and more people are purchasing temporaray medical insurance, and that they believe it is because of the rise in the unemployment rate in this country. They said that although this insurance is more moderately priced, that many families can not afford even basic coverage and they are concerned for the children who are walking around with untreated illnesses. They said that short term health insurance is a good option for those who are just in between jobs, however for those low income families they may need to seek out other insurance options. This is why many states have put into effect plans like the Illinois health insurance plan that one particular family in this special was on. They went on to say that more and more states are taking the bull by the horns and making some real reforms on the state level. Many states are now offering low cost alternative insurance to low income families who are ineligible for Medicaid. They said that most low to middle income families with children are eligible for this type of insurance and that the availability of this option does vary by state. For instance, in many states it is done on a sliding scale basis, where the premiums are determined by your income and household size. In some states, if you are eligible, then you don't even have to pay anything.

But what if you make more than these families and still find yourself in need of some affordable insurance? Well, that is when it is time to begin shopping around for health insurance so that you can find the best possible rates available. Don't worry though, there are many affordable options out there and health insurance premiums are on the decline, so that means you can get more for your money and you don't have to sacrifice eating to get good solid health insurance coverage.

Many people think that just because they are healthy that they don't need to worry about being uninsured for a while, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The thing about health is that it could be gone in an instant, and you could find yourself in need of serious treatment sooner than you think. So even if you think that you are okay without insurance until you find a new job, think again. Buying health insurance needs to be a top priority.

Weight loss

Posted by Stacy on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 9:14 AM

Being that New Years Eve just passed, weight loss is in right now. My roommate and I have been going to the gym regularly at our school since the beginning of the year (well actually since freshman year) and never have a problem finding equipment to get one or sign up for, except for about 3 weeks after we get back for winter break and about 3 weeks before spring break. People make all of these kinds of resolutions saying that they are going to lose weight and then they clog up the gym for people who actually do go all of the time and the funny part though is that after a few weeks, it does down and is back to normal for the most part (except for the rush of people who come back a few weeks before spring break to get into swimsuit shape).

I wonder now why people are still making resolutions. It seems like no one really keeps them. Losing weight or being fit and healthy should be more of a life resolution instead of a new year's one. Especially for college students who go back and forth and back and forth trying to get skinny (then binge drink) and then spend all week dieting again until the weekend when they go out to a kegger. It seems so silly, but to the average college student, every pound counts and the fact that your trying to lose weight is the point.

I think weight loss though is something people struggle with for their entire lives. Especially if they do as children, or young adults. I think that we need to get into the habit of resolving to not make resolutions about weight loss and instead just decide to make a lifestyle change. If we begin as teens or college students or young adults and try to remain steady in our process of losing weight and keeping it off and being healthy, we can stop the yo-yo dieting and the constant weight loss and gain and frustration. There are too many students who decide to get skinny for an event, like spring break and then after that they go a few weeks pigging out and drinking and then gain the weight back and try again to get skinny. We need to make a permanent and healthy change to be able to see results.

Homeschooling

Posted by Stacy on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 8:58 AM

I just went to our school's beauty pageant and there was not only a competition for the college students at our school, we also hosted a pageant for the local high school and teens that age to compete against each other for most outstanding teen. There were only 3 teens that were competing and 2 of the 3 were sisters and they were both homeschooled. I can't imagine what it would be like being home schooled. I remember when I was younger one of my good friends down the block was home schooled by her mom until high school and then she went to high school with us. I think that being home schooled though probably has both its pros and cons

First of all I heard that there is homeschooling online. This is actually kind of like when people take college courses online or through correspondence classes. I think that this is the optimal way to be home schooled because this way you know you are staying up to date with students your age and can be regulated better. The only downside I can see to being homeschooled (because you can probably do the work when you want and where you want) is that you don't get to be on school sports teams or socialize as much and get used to the scene for high school or college. I think by being in school you are able to prepare yourself for the next step whether it is high school, college or the work world.

I do know some students that had a hard time adjusting to high school after being home schooled all through middle school and junior high and they ended up dropping out and then going back later for their high school GED. I think though that the high school we attended had a lot to do with this. It was huge (about 4000 kids all together) and you are basically pushed in with all of these different kids and the schedule is really demanding. So home schooled kids may have trouble adapting which is understandable because a lot of the kids that weren't home schooled had trouble as well. But I do know that they have a really good High School Diploma Program that some of those kids that do have trouble and drop out, can go back and try. It is never too late to continue your education, home schooled or not.

Computer Lab Security

Posted by Stacy on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 8:47 AM

A lot of my friends work at the various computer labs at my school. Before they could start though they had to go through a series of training and read up about security news and all of the things about the lab that they didn't know before.

They would tell me about the training sessions they had to go to and they were so extensive, but the funny part is that once they got the job they really did nothing. You basically have 2-3 hour shifts and you sit there and just make sure that everyone is okay or that the paper in the printer is okay. But you rarely ever have to deal with things like the security camera that they learned about in the training sessions.

There are a lot of things that I didn't know about the school computer labs until my friends took this job. I didn't know that there is an alarm monitoring the rooms or that the lab proctor for the testing labs has a camera on their screen so they can see what every person is doing (even though the picture is tiny and kind of out of focus). But basically their job entails of doing their homework and getting stuff done.

A lot of people do think though that this job is a waste, but it honestly isn't. If no one was in there to watch the lab, people will probably end up taking things. It is crazy when you hear about someone stealing a keyboard or a mouse. They seem like such small things, but you can sell them online and make money. Even if the lab assistant just sits there and does nothing (or does their homework or plays on the computer) they still have a presence that seems to deter people from stealing from the lab. I know at one point they were talking about eliminating this position at the university, but I guess they decided how important it really was. It is almost like when people don't have security systems on their homes, but they have a sign there saying that they do, just to scare people off. Well we do have cameras and things to keep the labs secure, but students sitting there can be intimidating to people who are thinking about stealing, and that little bit of protection always helps.

HUGHESNET PROVIDES INCREDIBLE HIGH SPEED INTERNET

Posted by Stacy on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 10:20 AM

These days, it is not only wise, but often necessary to not only get the best deals, but also the best service for the money spent. When we moved to this rural area several years ago, I thought what a lovely area, but really had never lived in such a place before. There were obstacles to over come, like having to go to the post office to get mail as opposed to getting mail delivered to the house. I didn't know that there were places that couldn't get home mail delivery. Well, live some and learn some, but that wasn't really too bad. Another thing that I really didn't consider was how difficult it would be to get a selection of service providers for things like telephone service, cable tv, and of course good high speed internet.

When we first moved in, I started looking around at different service providers and then one of the neighbors informed me as to which companies were available out here, and I really didn't have a choice, so I went with them. The thing is that many companies offer some great package deals on telephone, cable tv and internet, but it seems like every company offers only two of the three my area, so no great bundle deals here.

Immediately when I started using my new cable internet, I noticed that it did not work very well. I suffered with it for a few months, and then I tried that same company's upgraded version, which cost me about $15 per month more, but unfortunately did not work any quicker than the service that I had been paying for prior to that. Needless to say I thought I was stuck and dropped back to the cheaper service, after all, why pay more if it didn't do more. Then just a few weeks ago, I was having lunch with a friend of mine and she told me about her new Hughesnet service. She said that it was the best internet service she had ever used. She said it worked really quick and was very efficient, and this is someone who really uses her internet connection a lot, so I know that she knows what she is talking about. I asked her where I could find out more about this great Satellite internet service and she said to just go to www.satellitefamily.com/hughesnet.asp and all the information would be right there for me to see. Needless to say, I have signed up, and yes, they can even provide my little area with service. Better yet, my internet connection is lightning quick and I couldn't be happier.

CUSTOM T-SHIRTS NO MINIMUM

Posted by Stacy on Thursday, December 11, 2008 8:38 AM

You can find lots of good stuff online, but what I keep running into is places that make you order things in bulk. For instance, I really wanted to get a new gym bag, and I found a really great deal on the same bag that I saw in the store for about $20.00 I could get it online for about $3, which was a really good deal until I realized that I had to order 50 of them to get them at that price. Now, let's face it, unless you plan to sell them online, no one really needs 50 gym bags. I still keep shopping online, and there are deals to be had out there, but you really have to shop smart and shop often. It really can be a lot of work.

A few weeks ago I did find an excellent deal on t-shirts. I had been looking for a while and I finally found a site that had great custom t-shirts no minimum. They were really great name brand tees with the labels to prove it. Well finding t-shirts with no minimums was a really hard job, but when they arrived, they were so nice that I got online immediately and ordered some more for myself. Really I am talking rock bottom prices for really nice shirts. I am actually starting to consider starting my own t-shirt business. These products were so nice I thought that perhaps I could put designs on them and sell them on Ebay, or maybe even start my own web business. That would be a great way to make money while I am still in school.

I don't want to brag, but I am really very artistic, and I think that I could really design some incredible tees with paints and studs and stuff. These days tshirts with sayings are the in thing, and those wouldn't be very difficult to make at all. For now, I will just keep buying up all the bargains I can find online for myself, and maybe someday down the road, I will be able to start my own business. We'll see.

Roca Wear

Posted by Stacy on Monday, December 08, 2008 8:49 AM

Roca wear is a line that I have been hearing more and more about lately. I was looking on their website and the first thing I noticed was that even the website is fun and appealing. It makes you want to go on and look more. Their clothes are really cute and fun, but the first link that I clicked on, I have to admit, was the one for handbags. I am a handbag junkie. I am not really sure when this obsession started but I am in love with all kinds of handbags. Roca wear has a ton that I would love (actually I plan on buying a few from there). All of their bags are sleek and most of them are black (a color that I am very familiar with). I think black goes with everything and even when you are just swearing sweats, having a sleek black bag can make you look put together when you're not.

They also have a really great shoe collection. Boots are definitely in right now. Not only are they the style but it is winter and starting to get cold and snowy outside. So these boots are super cute, but they are also practical and warm which is nice because not all cute shoes are good to wear in the winter or very practical at all.

Another thing I am really into right now is jewelry. Not like really expensive jewelry, but more costume kind but still cute and classy. This brand has A LOT like that. I scrolled through the first page and saw at least 5 things that I want to buy (and probably will). I am really into earrings and cute rigs and they have a ton of them. I usually don't wear a lot of color, so when I accessorize I try to add some there.

The thing I like best is that their prices are very reasonable and that they have a plus size section that is just like their regular sized clothing. While I am not plus size, I do know people who are and they are always saying that they have a hard time finding clothes in their size that are cute and don't look like maternity clothes or clothes that are made for someone who is like 40 years old. This brand makes their plus size clothes like the rest of the clothes and offers a wide variety which makes me like it even more.

Match Point Network

Posted by Stacy on Monday, December 08, 2008 8:35 AM

Match point network is a consulting network that helps companies expand their franchises. This company teaches you the basics to franchising including how franchising works (I wish this was available when I was taking my business principles class in high school ha) and also helps you to decide whether or not franchising is really for you. It also teaches you how to buy a franchise, all about marketing and attracting customers (and also how to keep them) and then how to grow your business from then on.

This is such a great idea and is wonderful that it is available to people who have never dealt with franchising before but are looking to get into the business. It is basically like franchising for dummies (the book series that helps you through just about anything). This network is kind of like a big brother. It has already gone through the experiences and is there to help guide you. It can be a great reference tool for when you are ready (or are not yet sure if you're ready) to buy your own franchise. They even have a website that has everything on it including a quiz! There is a free quiz/test on the website that will guide you through questions and it will tell you which franchise is right for you. The rest of the website is extremely helpful too. They include a bunch of information including steps to buying a franchise, an explanation of their network consulting business and how they can help you personally which your questions on franchising and contact information for a free consultation. This website basically has everything you need to know about starting fresh in the franchising business. It even makes me want to get my feet wet. It seems like more and more people are franchising and maybe it is because there are great resources out there for people to turn to.

It would be interesting if there was a network out there like this one for a whole bunch of other stuff too. Like for chemistry class or for internships. Like someone who has already gone through it and can help guide you. I wish a network could tell me how to get through chemistry231 (or to have told me in the beginning of the year if I was cut out for it). Maybe I should start one after I get through this semester for all of the people that are taking it next year ha.

FINDING CHEAP COMMERCIAL CARPETS

Posted by Stacy on Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:04 AM

The prices on items seem to vary very greatly these days. I am not sure whether it is because of price gouging or the fluctuating gas prices, or what. It seems like even the price of gas varies greatly from corner to corner, and it never was like this in the past. Everyone is looking for a deal, and that means that the bargains that are out there need to be grabbed quickly. They are mostly on a first come first serve basis, and therefore you must not only be a wise shopper, but a quick one.

The company that I work for just recently decided to purchase some cheap carpet, and this is one item that seems to vary a lot. The cost of commercial carpets online was all over the place from site to site. Of course, we had done our homework before ordering, because each website had a different deal, and sometimes sorting through which one was going to give you the best price was challenging. We spent a lot of time with the calculator figuring it all out, and finally found a reputable company to buy our carpets from. They had not only the best price that we could find on the web, but the best customer service, and they were very efficient.

We had our new carpets delivered and installed and they look great. Saving money is what it is all about these days. Many people are afraid that a bargain is too good to be true, but really you just need to make a full investigation of the company that you are using and then you know you can really trust that a bargain carpet is just as good as what someone else is selling for three times as much on another site. Paying more doesn't always mean getting more. These days the bargains are out there, so there is no reason to pay more for something. Shop around and use the internet, it is a great way to do your research and get the job done quickly. With this great resource, no one should be paying too much for anything these days.

Providing insurance quotes

Posted by Stacy on Monday, December 01, 2008 11:09 AM

“One day, son, you'll grow up and take over the family business,” my father used to say to me constantly. In his eyes, he was building a foundation that I would take over and cultivate one day when I was of age. It was his dream to grow old and look upon me with extreme pride as he told all his friends “he took over the family business, and look how he's thrived!” Sometimes I wonder if my dad lives for himself or hopes to live a more fulfilling life through me.

Like most sons whose fathers have dreams of living through their offspring, I wanted nothing to do with the family business. What is the family business, you ask? Selling insurance. See, I'm not the selling type. I don't get any fulfillment by making up insurance quotes off the top of my head then twisting the story around later when I'm wrong. I don't get a kick out of advertising from door to door, or doing it from behind a desk, either, or calling people to interrupt them during their dinnertimes or whatever they may be doing to see if they're interested in one of our great insurance package plans. And nothing about the necessity of insurance or receiving deductibles gives me a thrill.

Besides, I know (but won't ever tell dear old Dad) that his business isn't going to be nearly as lucrative in the coming years as he thinks it is. When it's as easy as it is to get an insurance quote, compare rates, and purchase insurance online, the need for smaller insurance agencies just isn't as great.

Plus, I need to live my own life. I've gone off to college, something Dad said I wouldn't need to do because I was “taking over the family business”. I'm majoring in engineering, which Dad thinks is going to be a useless degree. He thought I should major in something like English or Communications so I can improve on the areas he wasn't so good at. But English bores me and I'm too reserved for Communications. And I've spent enough afternoons and summers working at the insurance agency to have heard all the terms and plans and technicalities, and I'm convinced that I would be bored to the bone if it was the only thing I had to look forward to doing every day.

But I let Dad live his dream of his son carrying on his legacy. And who knows? I may have a change of heart one day and decide insurance is the path for me, if for no reason other than to please my dear old Dad.