5 Geeky Gift Ideas For Valentine's Day 2012

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I bet many of you are dying to find some cute gifts to give to your other half. The flowers, chocolate and other usual gifts are just... old. They don't cut it for me. I love geeky things, therefore I like geeky Valentine's gifts as well. Here are some super cute gift ideas for that geek in your life :) Geeky Gift Ideas For Valentine's Day 2012:

1 - If you plan on cooking (or buying and pretending you cooked) a dinner for your geeky love, you definitely need to consider buying a pair of these Star Wars Lightsaber Candlesticks. Now, the Lightsaber Candlestick is red, the color of love, so pay no attention to the color if your lean towards the views of the Rebel Alliance. These adorable candlesticks will set you back $29.99, but think of the coolness factor of it! :)

2 - Ok now, for all of you with nothing but good intentions, here is a pair of Rebel Alliance Earrings. They are officially licensed by Star Wars and super cute. As a fangirl and Star Wars fan, these would be on my list! The dark side is just not for me, even though I think Anakin was a cutie in his pre-Darth Vader days lol. The earrings are $24.99, but you need to show people you have not gone to the dark side!

3 - Forget the same old heart shaped box of chocolates you bought at CVS, this is much better. The Gift Box of Mini Plush Microbes will be much better received over a box of fattening milk-chocolate goodness calories. The Mini Plush Microbe Gift Box comes in set one (Egg, sperm, kissing disease, an amoeba, and penicillin) and set two (herpes, syphilis, hpv, chlamydia and penicillin). These plushies are adorable, at least when you give your loved one herpes, it will be in a gift box, cute and cuddly :) lol. Each set will set you back $19.99!

4 - Flowers that never die. No, they aren't zombie flowers, I'm talking about a cute assortment of... 8-Bit Flowers. Yes, this 8-Bit Flower Bouquet is a must for your loved one. These pixelated flowers will make your girl the envy of her friends! No need to water and they last f-o-r-e-v-e-r. The bouquet will set you back $14.99 and we think its a great deal!

5 -For those with deep pockets, and huge hearts of course, this next gift is one that I absolutely love. It's an Anatomical Heart In A Jar. The care and dedication that goes into making them definitely deserves its hefty $95.00 value. According to the maker "This piece is formed by carefully manipulating different colors of glass in the flame of a 5,110 degree torch. A great deal of focus and control is required to create such fine details with molten glass! This piece is created from the most durable glass available; borosilicate glass- the same kind of glass used in scientific labs. The jar is a completely sealed vacuum, and does not open. "It looks amazing.

Weird Toys - Whats Up With This?

I sometime think I am the only person that notices how weird some toys are. I won't go into the popular "dog that shits and you collect it toy", but I will mention this "Sprayden". Apparently, he is a Prehistoric Pet... that has the power to spray you by peeing. I saw this at a Kmart store, which I rarely go to because it smells like old moldy clothes. I have seen my share of weird toys, but this one is just odd. It's a posable dragon that pees on you. I regret not reading the box to find out if you could actually fill it with liquid for it to extract.

A while back I ran into a Grandpa Doll that sang at Big Lots. What did it sing? It sung, "Don't you wish your grandpa was hot like me?". It was quite disturbing seeing as it was around Christmas-y plushies, but make me laugh nonetheless. I even took a little video of it! Anyone else run into some weird toys?

Pre-Ordering Video Games: Pros & Cons

When hot video games are announced plenty of stores offer incentives in order to get people to pre-order them. What stores do this? Most often it's Best Buy, Gamestop, Target, even online stores like Amazon. The incentives are sometimes digital ones that include alternative scenes, outfits, weapons for your character in said game, etc. Other times you get a physical incentive like a T-Shirt, keychain, plush doll, gift card, etc. Either physical or digital, pre-ordering video games is always a good thing for plenty of reasons, some include:

Pros:
•Making sure you'll have a copy waiting for you in case the stores get sold out.
•Incentives. Free gifts are always nice!
•No need to pay for it when it gets released

Cons:
•The actual waiting for the video game to be released
•Paying the high amount of $ of a newly released game costs

Pre-ordering videos games has more pros than cons, and for die-hard video game junkies like myself, we NEED to have the game when it comes out. It's smart to take advantage of any incentives by pre-ordering a game that we will eventually buy the same day it gets released. This comes with a little work though, always compare. Stores will always have different incentives for pre-ordering the same game; for example Target might offer a $5 Gift Card, while Best Buy offers a keychain. Which would you prefer? Always be sure to compare and get the best deal that appeals to YOU. And for all you moms out there with kids who constantly ask for the latest game, always pre-order OR you can get it for them 2-3 months after they are released, as they tend to drop anywhere from $10-$20.

My Top 5 Favorite Popcorn Flavors (+Recipe)

I'm a HUGE popcorn fan, over the years I have also experimented and eaten some pretty crazy flavors. At fairs and carnivals you'll always find popcorn, butter, cheese and caramel are ALWAYS present. Despite the regular flavors being so popular, I once bought a bag of cinnamon popcorn and my mind was blown! The popcorn was a beautiful bright red and the taste was incredible! The moment I got the recipe I tried making it myself and succeeded. I always have my friends asking me to make a batch, I think I've gotten them as hooked as me! I love popcorn, its such a great light and airy snack that comes in many different varieties, my top 5 favorite popcorn flavors are:

1 - Cinnamon Popcorn - My all time favorite! Great flavor and wonderful color.

2 - Caramel Popcorn - Love it at all times.

3 - Cheesy Popcorn - I prefer to eat this during the holidays, not sure why.

4 - Butter Popcorn - Best to eat during the movies!

5 - Nuts & Popcorn - Not exactly a flavor but the mix is great!

Cinnamon Popcorn Recipe:
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil •1/2 cup unpopped popcorn •1/2 cup butter •2 tablespoons light corn syrup •2 (2.25 ounce) packages cinnamon red hot candies

1. Heat oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour in the popcorn, cover, and shake a couple of times to coat the kernels with oil. When the corn starts to pop, shake pan continuously until popping stops. Pour popped corn into a large paper bag.
2. Combine the butter, corn syrup and red hot candies in a microwave safe bowl or saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally until the candies have melted. Pour the hot syrup over the popped corn, and shake the bag for 1 minute, until completely coated. Cool, and serve.

Disclaimer: I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for popcorn and was compensated. However, views & opinions are my own.

When to Hire a Trucking Company?...

When you're car is broken down on the freeway late at night, that's when! When we moved to our new house over 2 years ago we had a long commute. We didn't realize how much stuff we had accumulated living in our old apartment. One day we decided to take our SUV to haul some kitchen items and clothing to save time. It was about 11PM on a Los Angeles freeway with little lighting. We were not prepared, had no flares or little traffic cones to alert the drivers behind us. We were in a semi-blind spot with a sharp turn. One careless driver and we would've ended up falling down the huge rock valley behind us. To add to that, the lighting was horrible, you could actually look up and see the stars... in Los Angeles.

The only lighting we had was the headlights of upcoming cars, it was terrifying. We had the highway patrol stop by about 1 1/2 later which was no help really. We were very short on cash and a long way from our destination. We had never needed a flatbed truck to get hauled anywhere, so we didn't know what to do. To add to the problem, we didn't know where we were, I only remembered an exit from 20min. earlier. I went on my cell phone and called about 14+ places with no luck, the majority were way too expensive. After another hour of being stranded one of the previous companies we had called stopped by and said they were free. We decided to go with him. 

It's quite uncomfortable sitting in a flatbed truck with a stranger in the middle of the night as he takes you (and your broken down car) home. The feeling of being stranded with no help in a dangerous place is horrible and not something I want to ever experience again. As uncomfortable as the experience was, I asked him for a business card (to have in handy) and he offered me a discount if it ever happens again. He was quite friendly. 

TIPS:

★Look up prices and number of local flatbed trucking companies around you and save their numbers and info on your phone. This WILL come in handy in the future, believe me.

★Consider buying some road flares and traffic cones. They don't take up much space in your car and will come in handy when you're stranded one day.

★If you have kids, make sure you talk to them about it and be sure to give them a pre-paid card in case of any car emergencies. I never carried extra cash when I was younger.

Disclaimer: I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for flatbed trucking companies and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

We Made It To 2012! Another Year, More Goals!

 

We made it! 2012 is here! I truly hope all of you had a great New Years Eve/Day. New Year's is wonderful, no matter how bad life can get, we always set new goals and have new hopes for the new year. I, myself, always choose a great quote to live by, always one that will bring joy to me. These is so much I want to accomplish in 2012 and I set to make it happen.

Yes, I realize its been 2012 for a whole day and a half already BUT I was glued to my TV watching my Packers beat the Lions yesterday. It was a GREAT game, although I missed my Matthews and Rodgers on the field. Its OK though, they need the rest because we're ready to see them kick ass in the playoffs :)

This Is What Happens When I'm Behind On Couponing + My Holidays!

See the picture above? That's what happens when I have a lot going on. I just went through my coupon filer in my bag and they were ALL expired (I won't even mention how many old inserts I have that are all expired too). I have not been on a Shopping Round-Up trip in a while, and this was due to school (especially during finals), the Holidays and just life. The Holidays make everything so hectic, so much that I took a 5-hour nap on Christmas and missed my Green Bay Packers win and beat the Bears! I missed my Clay Matthews made an interception :(

Well, life is back on track, the worst is over (hopefully). My house is still full of little cousins sleeping over for the week, the grandparents and then some, but its always fun! The reason I went through my coupon filer was because I am well rested and READY to hit up Target in a couple hours. I LOVE clearance, and all things Christmas-related should be at 50% today. Woohoo!

I actually got a couple gifts this Christmas, all from my uncles. Mostly money (no 4ft. Maxx the Sock Monkey, unfortunately) and gift cards, but that's far better than getting absolutely nothing last year. Well, I did get a gift from my buddy Kerry from TotallyTarget. What was it? A Justin Bieber doll that I adore lol. Justin hangs out with Spock, they are the best of friends! :) I hope you ALL had a wonderful Christmas and enjoy your New Years! Let's start off 2012 on a positive note!

P.S.  Santa... Clay Matthews was not under my tree! Please remember next year, lol. I'll settle for his jersey or even a huge wall decal of him! :)

Holidays Are Officially Here! + Exclusive Duncan Hines Facebook Giveaway

The holiday are OFFICIALLY here. Finals are done, school is over, and that's a load of stress off my back. What a great feeling it is. What have I been doing with this wonderful time off? Browsing some of my favorite foodie blogs for inspiration, lol. I came across the cutest Mini Cherry Pies and decided to try them out myself (see my mini pies above). I'm a HUGE pie fan and these portion-friendly ones are great! Of course, its always hard to take just 1 lol :)

Also, quick note, if you follow Student Saving Bucks on Facebook, be sure to check out that "Giveaways" tab under the left hand side! I find it a great and fast way to give away FREE Product Manufacturer coupons. Its an easy entry, takes less than 30 seconds. All giveaways on there will be exclusively via Facebook, giveaway on my blog will be completely separate. Be sure to drop by and enter our latest giveaway for a FREE Duncan Hines Product Manufacturer Coupon!

Student Saving Bucks - Here's To 1,000 More!

I find it amazing that this is my 1,000 blog post. Student Saving Bucks has been around for almost 2 years now and we are a thousand posts in! :) A huge thanks to our readers, both new and those who have been around since the beginning! :) 

Thank you all! Here's to 1,000 more! 

The Shelter Pet Project Campaign - Why We Adopted & Rescued!

The Shelter Pet Project is a campaign headed by The Ad Council, in partnership with The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund. The campaign is aimed at increasing the number of pets that get adopted from shelters and rescue groups versus buying them from pet stores or breeders. It has helped chance the landscape of shelter pet adoption and reduce the euthanasia of shelter pets by 10% since its launch in 2009.  The number of pets being put down dropped from 3 million to 2.7 million, the campaign's goal is to make that number reach 0.

Their television, radio, print, outdoor and web ads focus on shelter pets observing their owners quirky yet loveable behaviors, concluding with the message that, “A person is the best thing to happen to a shelter pet”. All of the ads direct prospective pet owners to a comprehensive website, The Shelter Pet Project, where users are able to search for a pet from a local shelter or rescue group, read adoption success stories and learn valuable information about pet adoption. See the cute video below and check out others on the Shelter Pet Project YouTube page.

My take: I would like to see the Shelter Pet Project reach their goal, moreover, see others helping the cause. There are many people that don't understand that the pet overpopulation is a tragic problem, there are over 2.7 million pets being euthanized at pet shelters yearly, and those are only the ones accounted for. There are people who let these pups go free on the street before they are even weened because of the time, effort and cost of keeping them after their dog got pregnant, most likely "on accident". Others that add to the problem are back-yard breeders who sell dogs. 

I have 3 dogs, two of which I adopted and 1 which I rescued from someone who was literally just going to drop her off on a sidewalk. She was only 2 weeks old and a little bigger than my hand. One of my adopted dogs was 1 1/2 years old when I got him. He is the sweetest dog and he lights up when he sees me. I could tell by his way of being that he came from an abusive family but with all the love that me and my family have shown him, he has become much friendlier and very loyal. He is now a little over 3 years old and earlier this year we went through the horror of him being stolen. A week went by and I couldn't sleep, as I was in tears worrying about him, wondering what horrific things they could be doing to him. The feeling and experience were horrible. It affected us very much.

At that time we decided to adopt another dog. He was about 2 months old when we got him, a baby the size of my 1st dog. We thankfully got the call from a dog rescue about 10miles away saying someone dropped of my dog that was stolen. Ever since then, he and the baby of the house have been inseparable. These dogs are my life, they are part of our family and we wouldn't be one without them. It hurts my heart that people let dogs that deserve love and care in shelters die. The feeling of walking through the shelters knowing that these dogs won't probably leave anytime soon (and might die that same day) is heart-breaking. The Pet Shelter Project is doing a great deed bringing to light the reality of things. Our pet overpopulation won't end soon, the choice you make when you bring a pet into your family will. Shelter and rescue dogs are the way to go, make their day and they will make yours.

Disclaimer: I was selected for this campaign by Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are my own. 

When Kind Deeds Keep Going...

...anything can happen. I just read a great post on WeUseCoupons.com Target forum from "jltieman" who wrote:

"Last night I went to Target with my "Spend $50, get a free $10 Gift Card." I planned on using it but they were out of half of the things that I wanted. Whenever I was checking out with the few things they DID have in stock, the lady in front of me had quite a bit of stuff. I asked her if she plans on spending $50 and she said yes so I gave her the coupon. She was SO thankful. After her transaction was over she came over to me, handed me the $10 gift card and said "Merry Christmas." I was in complete shock (and in tears). Her giving me the gift card certainly was NOT my intentions. I was just surprised that there are still people that would do such a nice gesture. It completely made my night.

...Being nice to others definitely pays off! She has no idea how much she blessed me (and how far I can stretch that $10 gift card for my family.)"

It certainly touched my heart reading this. For some odd reason, there are people out there who don't know there are tons of good people with good hearts out in the world. I must say, we are sometime so wrapped up in things we do that we never think about others. I am certainly guilty of this, to an extent. I recently used the Get a FREE $10 wyb $50+ Target coupon and used it.  Next time I walk into the store I will hand my $10 Target Gift Card to the first person to flash me a smile, because I always flash mine to others. I hope I can make their day and inspire them to do a good deed for someone else :) I wanted to keep the gift card (because as you can see from the picture above, it is SUPER adorable), but will part with it for a greater cause. :)

Happy Holidays!

Don't You Wish Your Grandpa Was Hot Like Me? Big Lots Finds!

I fund some great little finds at Big Lots. My favorite were these HUGE 4ft. sock monkeys named MAXX. They are priced at $25 and let my parents know I WANT HIM for Christmas. Since we are better off than we were last year, I might get a present for Christmas this year. Last year, I didn't get anything, unfortunately. I love monkeys, real, stuffed and toy. I would even be nice enough to let him sleep on my comfy queen-size bed, lol. 

While shopping yesterday I ended up at Big Lots. I love this store, always have, but found something a bit weird this time around. In the Christmas section I came across a "grandpa doll" that sang when you pressed his hand. I thought it would be a cute gift for my grandfather, which is currently stuck in an out-patient convalescent home after his surgery. I was actually quite grossed out at the lyrics of his song, but couldn't help to laugh. "Don't you wish your grandpa was hot like me? Don't you wish your grandpa was a freak like me? Well, don't cha". Would you buy this for your grandpa? Would he like it? lol. You can see the video above that I took (turn up your volume!).

Nivea's "Kiss Of A Lifetime Contest". Can Your Kiss Make The Cut?

Although I've never been to New York's Time Square during New Year's Eve, I have watched it on T.V. As soon as the countdown is in the 10s you can see all the couples getting closer to bring in the new year with a kiss. Although it looks packed out there, during the exhilaration I'm sure they all feel as if they are there alone.

NIVEA is holding the "Kiss of a Lifetime" contest, in which they are looking to find America's next deserving couple to experience the once-in-a-lifetime moment this New Year’s Eve in Times Square. To enter the contest all you have to do is: Like Nivea's Facebook page and submit your love story via their "Kiss of a Lifetime" app before November 13.

Thats it. Public votes will determine the winning couple which will get the grand prize of being flown to New York City where they’ll join Bill & Giuliana on the NIVEA Kiss Stage in Times Square on New Year’s Eve for the year's most spectacular kiss. Grand Prize winner's will also get (2) exclusive VIP tickets to the New Year’s Eve party at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square AND will appear in NIVEA Lip Care's new commercial set to air on New Year’s Eve!

Terrified Of The Dentist... At 23 AND A Trip To Disneyland In December!

If you follow me on Facebook you would have come across a recent post where I said my posting for the last week would be on the light side. Why? Because I had a terrible tooth ache that hit last Sunday. I slept it off (as hard as it was) and with the help of some amoxicilina, it was (sort of) gone. Since I am terrified of the dentist, I decided to not go and let it go away. It went away... and literally slapped me in the face on Friday night. I didn't sleep, as the pain didn't allow me to. So I told my parents to drive me 40min to a Dentist that my uncle recommended.

The elevation difference made the car ride much more horrible, as it made me tear up in pain, it was unbearable. I got to the dentist's office and 10min. later he sat me down to photograph the tooth that hurt. The Dentist came back and told me, "its okay, its just an infection, you need a good cleaning". Hearing this I said, oh thank goodness, I won't need something like a root canal. He turned around and said, "no... you do need one".

My heart sank, I felt like dying.. literally. I didn't know exactly what a root canal was, I was under the impression that they would literally get a mini drill and start going at it on the tooth. I am ashamed to say, but at 23 years old, I cried like a baby. My heart was beating fast, I was sniffling and my face was red. I was laying down on the dentist's chair not knowing what would be done, but when given the other possibility (extract my tooth) I said "ok". I signed the release forms and he came back in, swabbed my tooth with gel and then grabbed a needle with whoknowswhat in my mouth. It went numb.

The dentist left again and came back about 10min. later and went to work. All throughout the 1 1/2 hours I sat there, he stuck pins of some kind in my mouth. My head hurt more than the procedure actually did. All I felt was the needle and the pins hitting and killing the nerves. It didn't hurt, it was more of a weird uncomfortable feeling. I am ashamed that I cried, as it wasn't anything like what I expected. He was very sweet and helped me calm down. I actually hugged him when we were done. I no longer have a fear of the dentist. I have to go back in two weeks for the 2nd part of the treatment, in which he has to do the same thing and put a crown (I think) on the tooth. I am not scared, but they said tooth canals have a 80% chance of fixing the problem, extraction is the last option. I hope with all my heart that I am part of the 80% because I have no greater fear than loosing my teeth.

As a student with NO INSURANCE, this did take a toll on us money-wise. Bad enough to cause us to cancel our trip to Nicaragua in December. Its very disappointing as we were ALL looking forward to it, we already had bought tons of bug spray, some new clothing, extra things we would all need like shampoo, snacks, canned food, etc. We were even prepared with some great Travel-Friendly Products from sponsors we reviewed recently. It really is a shame, but all we can do now is send off the box of toys to donate to the children out there. Since this was such an unfortunate event, we decided we would at least do something special as a family and decided to go to Disneyland in December. My two youngest siblings have never been there, and at 5 and 9 they are at a great age where they will remember it.

Updates On Ai Mei :) #Coupon Jungle, #T.V. Shows

I finally got around to cleaning out my 1/2 of my coupon jungle, I had inserts from September of last year. It was a pretty tall stack but not as tall as the last coupon jungle that was about 3ft. tall. Since I don't get as many coupon inserts as before, I won't be having any big cleanouts like this anymore.

On the other hand, I've been trying to keep my mind clean and clear since Sunday when I experianced a horrible tooth ache. I think it was caused by infection, as my cheek was a bit swollen. The pain is gone, but I think thinking about it bring it back. Could it be mental? I hope. Either way, I've been watching some shows on T.V. (and I don't really like watching T.V.) to keep my mind occupied. 

I came scross The Big Bang Theory and have fallen in love with it. I have also renewed my love for the sexy Dean Winchester on Supernatural. I watched the premier over 5 years ago, watched the 1st two seasons and stopped for some reason. I just started, watching half of the 5th season and starting on the 6th while watching the new opisode of the 7th season. Thats a lot of catching up, but well worth it, the show is amazing. I'm not into T.V. much but there are some amazing shows on lately, including The Secret Circle and the upcoming GRIMM... hopefully more shows like this get made, and less ridiculous "reality" shows.

T.V., coupon cleanouts, homework and buying decorations for Halloween is what I've been up to lately. Hope everyone has been doing well! :)

Happy Birthday To... ME!!! :) #Birthday

Exactly 23 years ago in the early afternoon, a queen was born. Lol. I'm joking, no queen, just myself. I turn 23 today. Its funny how I don't seem to enjoy birthdays like I used to when I was young. I remember being 15 years old wishing I could already be 18. Well, 18 came and went, as did 19, 20, 21 and 22. Time sure does fly by and it makes me wish I could go back in time to tell myself to be more of a rebel lol. I was terrified of the consequences I would have if I sneaked out of my house or ditched and went to the beach and whatnot. Now I look back and wish I had that excitement, mainly because I know I had a good educated head on my shoulders and I wish I would've taken more risks and had fun. After all, my ditching and going to Starbucks and the library doesn't count as a "big adventure" lol.

Happy Birthday to all the other Oct. 7 birthday people out there. Have a fun birthday and remember the good times. I, like last year, wish I could have my rum drenched cake from Portos in Burbank, CA. It is so good, but I came across this picture of a Star Trek Spock cake... and you all know my love for Spock, so I would die for a cake like that lol. :) For all of you that have been generous and donated to my tip jar, thank you so much! If you would like to feed my tip jar (via PayPal) click the tip jar image on the right hand sidebar.

Hidden Geeky Star Trek Treasures @ Fallas Paderes

I love when I go out shopping and find little treasures, or things I wouldn't expect to find, at stores. I recently went to Fallas Paderes, a kind of discount store where I always find odd little things that I just HAVE to buy. We headed there after going to TJ MAXX, JC Penney and Target to get new clothes for my little sister. Out of curiosity I always go to the back area that has everything that is not clothing and I comes across a Kirk Doll from the Star Trek 2009 movie (not the original series). I love the movie, so I panic and think there surely has to be a new Spock as well. After 10min. of searching I find the original Spock, and new Spock from the 2009 movie. They were together, as if they were waiting for me, lol. I grab them both, a a tricorder toy, and guard them with my life until I get to the checkout. They were only $2.99 each. Yeah... $3 for my favorite men. I wanted to find the new Chekov, since he was played by Anton Yelchin and I adore him. 

These are little geeky treasures that I LOVE finding at discount stores, its all very random. Have you ever found something unexpected at a store before? :)

R.I.P. Netflix... Why Netflix Is Destined To Go DOWNHILL!

If you guys haven't heard about Netflix and their price hike recently, I'm sure you saw it on your bill and thought "...what the hell?". Their decision to hike the prices (for their mediocre service, at best) took a BIG hit on them. Their stock has fallen, they have lost many many customers, more than they even anticipated. NOW Netflix announced an "apology" stating that they are moving and rebranding their DVD-to-mail service to Qwikster "a Netflix Company". After the price hike, if you were one of the people who opted to keep both the streaming and dvd-to-mail service, you have been given no consideration whatsoever. Why? Because now YOU will have to different charges on your bill, how exiting! With that comes along different websites, different movie queues, different ratings, etc. They have changed things around, but the benefits are on their side, while the customer is left aggravated. As a customer, companies (that are around because WE pay for their service) should aim to make things easier for us, not "upgrade" to make it more difficult. That is the reason why Netflix is going downhill.

Netflix doesn't seem to care much about its customers, but they enjoy the $ that comes in. DVD rental is a service that is declining and will soon disappear. Common sense leads me to think that they renaming moving their DVD rentals to another company so that when it eventually happens in the coming years it won't be associated with "Netflix". Smart move? Perhaps. But this is one company I want to see wiped out. There are many other services around that can revive what Netflix was before AND make it much better. Where are you guys?

What do you guys think of this ridiculous rebranding? Also, do you enjoy Netflix? I unsubscribed before the price hike because I just didn't feel like watching movies older than myself and not having a good selection of recent movies released in the recent 6-months to watch. IMO, it was a mediocre service.

My Addiction To My iPhone 4 Needs A Solar Powered Charger!

I came to the conclusion that I was addicted to "staying powered up" a long long time ago. Its so bad that I sleep with my cell phone on my bed next to me. My cell phone never gets turned off, I don't even turn off my desktop or laptop (they go on hibernate) and there have been instances where I have almost forgotten my bag, but have never forgotten my cell phone. Go Figure!

Being for addicted to my electronics makes it difficult when I'm out and about about because at times I'm not around a readily available outlet where I can charge my iPhone. These moments sometimes spark a bit of desperation and leads me to shut down any apps I may have running, WiFi and other energy-consuming things in order to save battery in case I need it for emergency calls. Now, my last phone, an HTC, had a universal mini-USB which made it easy to buy portable chargers to use for it. I also had other electronics with a mini-USB that used the same portable charger. I later upgraded to a solar power charger which made my life a bit easier.

Finding a portable solar battery charger for my iPhone 4 will be my next step. I loved the old one I used for my HTC a lot. Its very eco-friendly and provided me with FREE power for my phone, and all in a neat portable product! Nothing beats that. So it looks like my addiction to staying powered up will not change any time soon! lol.

Disclaimer:  I am participating in a blogger campaign with Bucks2Blog and was compensated. The views and opinions are my own.

My Horrible Moving Experience, Two Years Later + Tips!

Learning things the hard way is not always the best way, and it can create a LOT of stress. After living at our last residence for about 10 years, or half of my life better said, we moved over 40 miles away. Long distance moving might not as difficult as moving to another state, but it was still a big move that would've required a lot of planning. Unfortunately, we made many mistakes that made our move very stressful and they are things you should definitely avoid. So here are a couple tips to help you out.

Pre-pack - Its simple. If you have things in your house you know you won't be using any time soon, start packing it as early as 2 months beforehand. If you're low on help you definitely need to start asap in order to not have everything done last minute. Many of us have items in closets the garage or basement that we haven't used in years so to have them packed up and ready to go long before is ideal.

Cleaning - As mentioned before, we all have items we haven't used in years stored all over our house, with that comes junk we won't need or want at our new place. Cleaning out and packing gets rid of unneeded junk and lets you get a little better organized. As for big seasonal blankets and clothing, its best to wash it all before getting to your new place. There is no fun moving to a new house only to unpack dirty stinky stuff.

Get Help - By cleaning and prepacking you should have a reasonable amount done within two weeks of your move. Make sure you get friends and family to help you out. Make sure you also reward them with some pizza or Chinese at your new place. Maybe them can stay longer and even help you paint!

These are simple tips, that although we have heard, we seem to ignore. We made the mistake of not cleaning blankets and clothing before arriving at our new house and with unpacking, going around the city finding out where to go to turn our water and electricity on, it made things stressful. I managed to pre-pack maybe 2 boxes of only my things about a month in advance. This was no help though, as we had a house with 6 people to move, not just me. It was a horrible experience having to fill tons of boxes a mere two weeks before moving. Also, for a reason I can't recall, we had absolutely no help moving. So I was stuck helping my dad lift couches, heavy TVs, extremely heavy dressers and other things by myself down a flight of stairs to the moving truck. I was also the only one helping him move it inside our new house. All the yelling, being unprepared and being hurried stressed me out and made my moving experience horrible. Its something I NEVER want to go through again, and if forced to, I am protesting to get paid help. It made me hate packing, and let just say that we still have a good amount of boxes in the garage that we have not opened... 2 years later.

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