Services and stuff

It's back: My periodic list of cool stuff and links.

Do you like how I make no promises about having a weekly list, a monthly list ... no, it's a periodic list. I've been working in PR for 10 years now, with some breaks, and I have definitely learned the value of the nebulous non-promise.

1. KickItBack.com. If you ever buy on eBay you can start getting cash back on your purchases. If you buy a lot on eBay you might get a lot back. I know some of you creative, entrepreneurial types (ahem, Dana, Kris) make a lot of eBay purchases buying your supplies; this is your chance to get a new revenue stream going for your business. Or if you are like me, always buying new cords for your electronics to replace the ones the kids chewed through (why are you looking at me so funny?) or browsing for fun vintage finds, you can feel a little better about all the cash you blow through PayPal. If you sign up, make sure to tell them I referred you. The name is shawsinmn. Because when I first signed up for eBay ... oh, it's a long, privacy-compromising story. So, never mind.

2. You might remember how much I have loved finding a wonderful food blog written by a nearby person, Simply Recipes. What's local and seasonal for her is local and seasonal for me. But what if I move to a new place? Well, I am checking out Kalyn's Kitchen. And wondering if I am related to the author. She looks kind of familiar, and I think I am related to about 50 percent of the state of Utah.

3. This is just a fun idea. Sometime when it is Sunday night and you want to stay up late to keep Monday from happening, commandeer the family Wii and make some Miis that resemble members of your extended family. Monday night, have a family baseball game on Wii Sports. It was very fun to cheer on all our aunts, uncles and cousins, not to mention Grandma and Grandpa, even though S and A were the ones doing all the pitching and batting. It turned out that the best hitters were somehow all the girls under 2 - my Z, my sister's daughter R, and my brother's fast-growing preemie sweetheart A. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I made them all short and chubby. The boys got a kick out of it. I got a kick out of it, too, because if you ever made my family play a real baseball game we would all start having bad flashbacks to PE (we all hated it) and probably end up comatose in the outfield from the trauma. But I rock at Wii sports and I bet my family would, too.

4. I am surrendering control of my menu and joining a community-supported agriculture group through Willey Farms. There is another one I seriously considered, Silveira Farms. It is closer and I actually know the family. But my office mate is doing Willey and we can split a box so it's cheaper. I am so economically motivated, it is kind of pathetic. But anyway this is exciting because I am going one step more organic! And local and seasonal! And look at me break away from my neurotic menu and shopping list! I long to find a local dairy that delivers. Then I could just do a monthly trip to Costco for meat and Cinnamon Toast Crunch and be free, free from the grocery grind ...

5. If you have adopted within the last year you may be able to find a photographer to do a free session with your family through Celebrating Adoption. There is some beautiful work on this site. As you might know, I am hoping to be able to use it really soon! Photographers who want to get on board can do so, too!

6. My sisters, very unfeelingly if you ask me, recently went to get their hair cut without me at a hoity toity salon. Well. This is where I get my hair cut. It is as hoity toity as you get in my town and I'm very happy with it. Highly recommended. It's one of the benefits of living in a small town: The best is really not out of reach. (Same was true for preschools; I sent A to this place - the best in town - for less than $500/month, full time.) While both these joints need a little website help, the quality of service really has been great.

7. If you have given up on scrapbooking in favor of blogging (raise your hand with me, girls) but still love the feminine look of a flowery, cute scrapbook page, check out Kris' new blog backgrounds. Free, free, free! And as cute as the URL suggests! Sigh ... my friends are so talented. I want one but I want it purple and proprietary, so no big changes at Watch Out for Mama today, folks.

8. Actually I am making first-year scrapbooks for K and Z, with the help of 8x8 scrapbooking kits like these. Why did I not do it this way before? It's tons faster, easier and better looking. I am tempted to redo the books I made for S and A so many years ago. Maybe sometime. Not now.

That's it for the moment. More stuff coming ... in a while.