LisaShea : Today's chat is a casual one, on ways to reduce stress :) I'm sure we all have ideas we can share on that

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Deep breathing and valium

LisaShea : For me the one that really works is to put on a playlist on my iPod. I made it especially and named it with an underscore _ so it shows up on top

Jeanne Daigle : LOL

Jilly : sometimes screaming into your pillow works. :-)

LisaShea : Hey there Terrie :)

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : Making something you really enjoy

Jilly : Hi Terrie

Jeanne Daigle : heheeh Jilly. I cried all day yesterday. I feel better today :-)

LisaShea : My playlist even works on my parakeets. If they are all fighting and pulling out each others tails I put the music on. They settle down and start chirping and fluff up

Terrie Lynn Bittner : Hi.

Jennifer_Thompson : Setting boundaries... one of my weak points

Terrie Lynn Bittner : The welcome says this is a cafe press chat :)

Jilly : I'm glad you feel better. I bet working on the soaps always helps a bit

LisaShea : ooops ok

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Not sweating the small stuff....though it took 38 years and 5 kids to learn to do it

LisaShea : I've changed the message of the day :)

Jeanne Daigle : Working on soaps helps if I don't procrastinate doing that - otherwise it has the opposite effect

Jilly : Lisa that is so cute that you have a keet soothing playlist

Terrie Lynn Bittner : I decided this chat was a good lead-in to tonight's activity. I'm teaching ten little girls to sew--and I haven't sewed since childhood, although my helper has.

LisaShea : Five kids?? That would do it for me :)

LisaShea : Jilly - I really need it. When they start fighting it is like water torture. Pull. YELP. Pull. YELP. Pull. YELP. I can't even imagine having four kids, if I get frustrated with four parakeets :)

Jilly : jeanne are you making a nice side income from soaping yet

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : I didn't plan it. 2 bios 2 adopted 1 ooops :) Bella, my only girl :)

Jilly : Lisa you crack me up. :)

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : You know, 3 years ago I had a anxiety crisis... or however it's spelled! haha... and I starting teaching Spanish online. Believe me... it worked and stills works for me!

Jilly : I actually have a couple of games I play with my dog that are GREAT stress relievers, since they make me laugh

LisaShea : Doing something you enjoy is definitely key. It gives you something to look forward to and a sense of accomplishment

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : and crochet too!

LisaShea : Jilly - they've done studies that show that laughing - even if you have to sort of force yourself - release great hormones and feel happy things in you

Jeanne Daigle : Jilly - I'm able to pay for a few bills with my soaps. It's working out pretty good. I lost a few wholesale clients last fall, but gained two this year, so next year should be quite good for me.

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : yes, I've also read about it

Jennifer_Thompson : I'm all for the happy things

LisaShea : So they have "laugh groups" where people go and just laugh, and they really do feel better afterwards. So I guess having a few comedy DVDs is key

Jilly : it might even be a good idea to have an array of DVDs just to put on to make you laugh when you are down

Jilly : ah, we just said the same thing lIsa

Jeanne Daigle : I've been working on crossword puzzles lately

LisaShea : Yup exactly. Even if they have comedy shorts for a short break

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Okay/....Good comedy DVD? How about the Ref with Denis Leary

LisaShea : Hey there Jennie and welcome back Chik

LisaShea : I like the Wedding Singer

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Hello all :-D

Chik_TheCulturedScot : I don't know where I went but I'm back now

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Hi there everybody

Jeanne Daigle : Nah, I cry at that one, next...

Jilly : Anything with Jim Carrey

Samten : Hi all!

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : Hi!

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Home for the Holidays with Holly Hunter

Samten : If I just drop out and don't come back it's because we are in an ice storm...

LisaShea : It's funny I love some scenes on Much Ado About Nothing but Bob has to mute it for the "falsely accuse the girl" scene :)

Jeanne Daigle : I like A Christmas Story

Jilly : So I Married an Axe Murderer with Mike Myers

LisaShea : It bugs me too much :)

LisaShea : ice storm - fun! See you need some stress reduction

Jilly : Monty Python

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Yeah A Christmas Story....all day long on Christmas Day

BellaDreams : I like kids movies - like Shrek.

LisaShea : Noises Off has me rolling every time. And Clue

Jilly : A Fish Called Wanda

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Best in SHow

Samten : the ice storm is stress reduction :)

Jilly : yes, Best in Show kills me every time

Jeanne Daigle : Ok, opening up my Netflix que...

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Joe Dirt

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Happy Gilmore

LisaShea : Speaking of soaps, scents are really good ways to reduce stress. Your body really does react. A lavender candle or another scent you really enjoy

BellaDreams : How about three feet of snow and -20 temperatures? I'm in northrern Albertas

LisaShea : I have this neck "snake" that you microwave and put on your shoulders. Bob just brought it to me so it's all warm, snuggly and lavendery

Samten : I'm green with envy

Jilly : yes, so buy, buy, buy from jeanne (sorry - had to help plug her)

LisaShea : they're cheap and very soothing

Samten : I haven't seen 3 ft in years

Jennifer_Thompson : I keep several essential oils around

Jennifer_Thompson : right on my desk, actually

LisaShea : My boyfriend likes essential oils, he keeps lemon by his desk

BellaDreams : Makes walking and driving a bit difficult

Jeanne Daigle : I like lemon - it's so yummy

Jennifer_Thompson : I love them... very soothing

LisaShea : Plus breathing in deeply when you breathe in the scent helps you too

BellaDreams : Stress reduction - How about deep breathing?

LisaShea : all that oxygen :)

LisaShea : jinx :)

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : How about a beer?

Jennifer_Thompson : yoga

BellaDreams : Or a relaxing yoga pose

Jeanne Daigle : I stay far away from the malls this time of year...

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Meditation anyone?

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : and a valium

Jeanne Daigle : LOL cyn

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Beer sounds better :-)

LisaShea : ooo yes that's something I don't do enough of. I try to work on my ergonomics but then I slouch, and my muscles ache

BellaDreams : Meditation is great.

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : or water, birds and so recordings, the work too

Samten : or a nice long meditation retreat in the middle of nowher ewith no electronics

LisaShea : I really should meditate more

Jennifer_Thompson : affirmations... "this, too, shall pass"

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : I haven't had a whole lotta sleep since Bella was born, I think I'm slap happy

BellaDreams : I have a lot of relaxation CDs - Nature and the classics

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : I have my mom read my articles before I submit them....just in case :)

LisaShea : yes Jennifer so many studies show that a mindset has an explicit effect on your health, that you really can make yourself sicker or better

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Saw a piece of research today - don't sit up staight - sit at 132 degrees

Jeanne Daigle : 20 mins on some exercise equipment actually works wonders

LisaShea : Heya Jase

Jeanne Daigle : Hey Jase!

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : sometimes with one of those CDs and deep breathing, I feel much better

GayLesbianJase : Howdy everyone

GayLesbianJase : Just got back from doing a clietn so am a tad late ;0)

BellaDreams : I saw the 132 dwgree article too. Interesting

Jilly : I use excersize and the outdoors to relax

LisaShea : If you start thinking negative thoughts, it's important to redirect them, to focus yourself on the positive aspects

LisaShea : it's not that you ignore the negative but you accept it's there and then look for a solution

Jilly : Hi Jase!

Terrie Lynn Bittner : So did I...but I flunked math and wouldn't know a 132 angle if it bit me.

BellaDreams : Lisa, sometimes easier said than done

LisaShea : oh definitely, it's not easy to exercise either :) There are always hurdles. But you give yourself a little push and take that one step

LisaShea : It's key not to try to do it all at once. Just start with one step, in the direction you want to go.

BellaDreams : Exercise? What's that? (Grin)

Samten : I am organizing a Mom night knitting thinh that helps with relaxation

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Sorry Jase...."doing" a client :)

Jennifer_Thompson : persistence is often the key, don't allow other thoughts to interrupt

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Terrie 132 degrees is about 1.5 seconds before you fall over backwards

Terrie Lynn Bittner : Oh...thanks, Chik

Jeanne Daigle : LOL Chik

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : and try one, two, three times... the first time is not easy, but you have to go on, and at the end, it comes by itself, working right

Jennifer_Thompson : put yourself in charge of yourself

Jilly : If I don't feel like a regular excersize session, then I tell myself I only need to do 15 minutes. and then I make myself stop. usually i work out for an hour and a half, but all you really need is 15 minutes a day

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : T o lose weight?

Jilly : no, just for fitness

LisaShea : Yup there are always tips and crutches to get you started in breaking a habit. So if you're obsessed about something negative, jump into an activity that takes focus for example. Like a fast paced video game or somthing, or a complex TV show. Just to help you break the cycle. Everything gets easier with practice and then you don't need those crutches

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : I have 20 extra pounds after Bella

LisaShea : Yup Jilly that's right, focus on what you can do, it's better to do that than to do nothing because it's too much

Samten : Only 20? I have 100

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Bad news folks, Chik's found colour buttons he can play with

LisaShea : It's like with the low carb site people get frustrated that they cheat once and give up. It's OK to have setbacks. You just try again and maybe try in a different way. Few people ride a bike the first time

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : and another 20 that I brought with me into the pregnancy total: 40

Jeanne Daigle : I have about 40 I still want to take off someday. Took off 35 last year during that divorce...

Jilly : Cyn, to lose the extra pounds it's better to have more short workouts of 15 minutes, 3 times a week, than to start and stop with a longer effort that won't be sustainable.

Jennifer_Thompson : yes, set attainable goals

BellaDreams : 25 for meand that's a lot when you're 4' 11"

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Is low carb safe when breastfeeding?

LisaShea : yup make it a normal part of your lifestyle, not a big issue you have to worry about finding time for

Samten : 100 is all post baby

LisaShea : Cyn - really it's mostly about cutting out junk food and high sugar. So if you do it that way it's healthy for everyone

Jeanne Daigle : Flies to ::whereever Chik may be:: and bends his fingers back. HA!

LisaShea : few of us need Fritos and candy bars in our daily diet :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Lisa, I find it's actually *good* to 'cheat' on a diet once in a while. It keeps you from going insane ;)

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : On noooooooo

BellaDreams : I prefer the Glycenmic INdex to low carb

LisaShea : My boyfriend used to drink two full bottles of Coke every day. No surprise he gained weight :)

Jeanne Daigle : I say chocolate is good for you. :-)

Samten : Chocolate is your friend

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Thank you Jeanne

Jilly : so is red wine. plus is helps with stress (moderate use)

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : and Samten

BellaDreams : Jeanne, so do the chocolate manufactureres

Jeanne Daigle : LOL

LisaShea : Jennie - I find that over time what I enjoy as a "cheat" has changed. I don't even want sugary desserts any more really. When Bob made sweet butternut squash for Thanksgiving I thought it was an awesome sweet dish like dessert

LisaShea : and it was healthy too :)

Jeanne Daigle : I actually have chocolate fragrance oil

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Okay...I'll give it a shot

Jilly : yeah, my cheating was stuffing on thanksgiving

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Totally agree Jeanne - cocoa bean = bean = vegetable :-)

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : No sugar

Samten : I still want to know WHY all the women who work at the chocolate making store are so dang skinny

BellaDreams : Sweets aren't my downfall. It's potato chips and other salty foods

Jennifer_Thompson : tI agree, sugary foods stress me... lol, never thought I'd say that a few years back

LisaShea : There are sugar free chocolates now that taste *just* like regular chocolate, no off taste at all. And no calories / carbs

LisaShea : so those are great to find

Samten : Yes but the sugar free candy isn't fresh made

Jeanne Daigle : Yes! I've have those! They are AWESOME! :-))

LisaShea : I definitely feel our bodies crave things they need in many cases. I ate dirt as a child and it turned out I had an iron deficiency. So if your body craves salty, it's important to find salty healthy foods. Maybe peanuts?

LisaShea : But also if it's an unhealthy craving (like way too much salt) to slowly wean yourself down to a more healthy level

BellaDreams : Did you know that if you add Y to SLIM you get SLIMY? Sorry. I;'m a word game addict

Terrie Lynn Bittner : For me, the best stress reliever is quiet music. I put on a Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD and I can feel the stress ooze out.

Jennifer_Thompson : I find with the organic sugar I can use a lot less for some reason... not sure why

LisaShea : Samten - I have chocolate makers around me that make sugar free, so if you ask the ones near you, maybe they'll look into it

Jeanne Daigle : Isn't a cocoa bean a legume ?? :-P

BellaDreams : I try to acoid anything in the salty line - and I succeed - well, fairly well

LisaShea : Yup quiet music is key for me, I even have my stress reduction music playlist ordered so it gets quieter as it goes

Jilly : or loud music and you can dance to it to let off steam

Samten : The only time i want salty is after a hard day of phisical labor (dehydration)

LisaShea : So peaceful sounds, peaceful / happy smells ... textures can actually matter, wearing things that are snuggly

Jeanne Daigle : I play really loud music & yell, I mean sing, the lyrics.

Jennifer_Thompson : Tribal dancing around the living room

BellaDreams : Well. Gotta go clean my closet. Enjoy your chat.

Jeanne Daigle : Oh & the best part is when I have a hair brush in my hand!

LisaShea : Well yes there's the flip side of happy energy creating good hormones for you, so doing a physical activity that you really enjoy

Jennifer_Thompson : lol... sometimes it feels good to pound it off! lol

Jilly : so there are two ways to calm the body - one with using quiet soft things, one with having loud things with big activity to wear off the stress

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : There are no happy smells at my house....I have 4 boys

Jennifer_Thompson : one is a release

Jilly : I like how Lisa said she has a list of progressively quieter tracks

Terrie Lynn Bittner : Loud just doesn't work for me--maybe because I'm alone all day working quietly at a desk. The only time I like noise is when I'm playing with children--which is another stress revliever for me, although I have to borrow them now.

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Mr Research bore here but it's recognised in the treatment of depression that even moderate excercise raises the mood

Jennifer_Thompson : I find that i can only take so much quiet time...

Jennifer_Thompson : then I need some noise... lol

LisaShea : There are always candles or essential oils that can overpower any smell, at least in a small area

Jennifer_Thompson : then, more quiet time

Jeanne Daigle : I can believe that. I feel so much better after I've pounded out 20 mins or so on my elliptical trainer

Jennifer_Thompson : even walking can be just enough

LisaShea : Sight is an important sense. We react to so much of our world based on what we see. So the Feng Shui types of things about "soothing colors" really can work

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Cyn, I have a recipe for an essential oil air freshener that will defeat just about any smell ;) You just can't spray it over furniture or such because it leaves a slight powdery residue

LisaShea : Having things around you that make you feel content. Organizing a bit even if it's to put the clutter out of sight

Samten : I zpent 6 months working out for 2+hours every day and didn't lose any weight so exercise is on my bad list right now

Jennifer_Thompson : this is definitely true... I use a lot of color therapy for stress

LisaShea : If you have to start somewhere, start just with where you tend to be looking when you are sitting at your desk or on your couch. Start small

GayLesbianJase : sprry I am back.. had a phonecall

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Excercise releases those things I get stressed out trying ot spell - endorphines

GayLesbianJase : my meeting for tonight was canceled... less stress YAY!

LisaShea : lol see life helps you out sometimes :)

Jilly : samten, how could you NOT have ost weight? that sounds very unusual

Chik_TheCulturedScot : I suppose you can probably guess - humour does it for me

Jeanne Daigle : Or you could do what I do & simply skip dentist appointments :-)

Jennifer_Thompson : laugh your way thin... sounds like a book!

LisaShea : lol you scared her away, Jilly :)

Jeanne Daigle : Chik - I'm the same way, I make a lot of jokes about things.

Jilly : oops. :(

GayLesbianJase : LOL

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Me too.....laughing always helps

GayLesbianJase : She could have not lost the weight due to inproper caloric intake, too much, not enough (calories), too many carbohydrates so excess sugar to the system

LisaShea : Having a relaxed outlook really does help so much. We are all so blessed to have food, shelter, and a way to survive. So much of the world doesn't have it. So it's important to keep other tasks in perspective

GayLesbianJase : oh she left

LisaShea : It's like if we heard that a rich person was worrying about which car to drive on a given day. We'd think it was silly. I'm sure the starving people in Kenya would think some of our worries are silly

Jeanne Daigle : Oh, I'm going bold! neener neener neener

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Why can't we just eat less and move more? Am I too old for that to work?

Jennie_HerbsEditor : You have to realize that there's a diiference between losing *weight* and losing *size*... she may have been working out *too much* to lose weight, replacing fat with muscle instead of just burning the fat

Samten : Hello?

GayLesbianJase : welcome to the BOLD club Jeanne

LisaShea : I was actually thinking that Jennie

LisaShea : that happens with low carbers that they focus on the weight and not the shape

GayLesbianJase : that is true too Jennie

Jeanne Daigle : I'm sort of bold anyway.

Jilly : ah, that makes sense. she might have been gaining muscle, or as Jase said, something nutritionally odd

GayLesbianJase : me too ;0)

LisaShea : Jeanne, you are faaaaabulous

Jilly : Hi Samten

Jeanne Daigle : You are WAY bold Jase

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : If I could get back into size 8 I would be happy...I don't care what the scale says

Jeanne Daigle : and bold

Samten : groan

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Muscle weighs like... well, I don't remember the proportion, but *considerably* more than fat, because it's much denser

Samten : if it's going to boot you'd think it would atleast be kind enough to tell me

LisaShea : OK Samten we are all convinced you can reduce fat and we will help :) Do you have a fat scale? They are *really* cheap. They're likea regular scale but also measure fat. I have two

Jeanne Daigle : too bad David was 'commitment shy' LOL He got scared...

LisaShea : Hey there Victoria :)

Jilly : samten we are thinking maybe you gained muscle, which is heavier than fat?

Samten : No i do not have a fat scale

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Did you drop some sizes?

Samten : I thought might be muscle to but my size and shap didn't change

GayLesbianJase : That was my problem.. I lost 125 pounds and then gained back 75.. was shocked.. until my doctor checked my BMI and I had lost the fat but gained muscle

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Oh. That does stink

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Does this make me an Italican? Per favore

LisaShea : OK if you want, emai me your home address and a note why you're sending it to me - otherwise I'll forget - and I'll send my extra one to you. I had one for a while and then got a new one that also measures your water content so I don't need the regular weight-plus-fat one now

Jilly : because if you were wokring out that much , there must have been some fitness gains

GayLesbianJase : my shape size didn't really change though

Samten : I did do a food log and found that whilde I was eating tons of fruits and veggies I wasn't getting hardly and protien

Jeanne Daigle : HAHAHA, Chik

Samten : ok

Samten : I'll do that now :) thanks

LisaShea : protein is important, your body needs all those different things :) So don't give up, we can help

Terrie Lynn Bittner : Whoops...I have to get ready to go teach sewing to ten little girls...and pretend I know what I'm doing :) I made a really funny looking bearforthe first class,so now they won't be embarrassed if theirs looks funny. I showed them all my mistakes!

Jilly : have fun terrie

Samten : I'm actually repulsed by most sources of protien. currently i only like almonds

Jennifer_Thompson : I have also found that grouping things together and getting them done in advance helps relieve a lot of stress

LisaShea : that's a great idea Terrie, see reduce their stress :)

GayLesbianJase : Samten, the problem with tons of fruit is that the sugar content is much higher than we think, and also the portion size is smaller. I only know nutrition stuff from taking care of a diabetic ;0) Took nutritian classes and also see the dietician on a regular basis

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Have fun Terrie!

Jennifer_Thompson : if I'm cooking for just myself, I will make a double portion

Terrie Lynn Bittner : Well, its funny looking because I don't sew :)

Samten Jilly Hey did you find a place that could help you get you meds?

LisaShea : Samten - ironically for someone who runs a low carb site I'm really not that fond of meat. You might want to try experimenting with different fish and cooking techniques to find one you enjoy

Jennifer_Thompson : and save half for quickie meal

GayLesbianJase : that and Soy alternatives

LisaShea : for example I generally don't like chicken but my boyfriend found if he makes it in a chicken-pieces-in-mushroom-sauce casserole that I'll eat it

Jennifer_Thompson : I never used to do those things for just myself

AltmedVictoria : Hi! Everyone

GayLesbianJase : I am a poultry, fish, and soy person myself. very rare for red meat, and only pork is bacon and that is RARE

GayLesbianJase : howdy Victoria

Samten : How do you get to where you can eat more then once a day? I'm just not hungry, i never have been

LisaShea : Eating well really does have an affect on your stress levels and outlook and of course health. Start with vitamins every day, your body at least needs those to have a healthy chance at being "happy"

Samten : Jase, I thought you could eat prok because of your religion

Jennifer_Thompson : Seemed like a family thing... however, I have found it to be quite effective

LisaShea : Samten - the key is several small meals and make sure they are varied so your taste buds get something new

Jennifer_Thompson : I burn up so much mental energy that I eat like a horse!lol

Jilly Samten YES!!!! Thank you so much. I used the numbers you gave me and it really saved my life

Samten : What kinds of vitamins do you recommend?

LisaShea : Samten - exercise definitely boosts your metabolism so that will help with appetite

GayLesbianJase : A common misperception is that increasing protein intake will foster greater muscle mass. Muscle is comprised of protein, but only about 22%. However Protein is still important, even if getting it by a powder instead of natural protein

GayLesbianJase : Samten.. I am not supposed to... but I have this addiction to real bacon LOL

LisaShea : I personally have lots of trouble swallowing pills so I never ate them even though I knew I should. Then I found Centrum Chewables and I *love* these, I easily eat them every day

GayLesbianJase : i only indulge like a few times a year

LisaShea : which goes to show that a small change to make something easier can really have a huge difference

Samten : LOL I understand! Only my addiction is ham, it's really the only meat i will eat

Jennifer_Thompson : plus if you eat foods that are easily digestible you will find you eat more also

Samten : centrum chewables i'll look for them next trip to store

Jennifer_Thompson : more often, that is

GayLesbianJase : I will have a bit of ham every once-in-a-while. I just cooked a baverian ham for the roomie a few weeks ago and actually ate a few slices

Samten : Aren't veggies easily digestable? is there anything hard to digest?

LisaShea : yes it was a real find for me, I just keep them on my desk. I also have chewable vitamin C. So I have one of each each morning

Samten : That sounds yummy!

LisaShea : fiber is "hard" to digest like celery

AltmedVictoria : Vitamins are a great start, you lose vitamin Bs when under stress

GayLesbianJase : The greener the veggie the better. They are loaded with fiber and also vitamin a and d.

Jennifer_Thompson : actually there are a lot of foods that can be more difficult to digest

GayLesbianJase : also allowing yourself sun is imprtant to mood control and vitamin digestion.. it's weird, but Vitamin D is produced naturally in the body with 15 minutes of sun exposure

Samten : I'm confused i thought the veggies and such that are harder ti digest were good because it makes the body work harder and thus the calories don't stick...to hips butt under arms...

Samten : Whats sun?

LisaShea : so if you want to lose weight though, you don't want to eat more. It sounds like eating too much isn't the problem - but that not burning off the existing fat is. So that means exercise and raising your metabolism

Samten : ;)

Chik_TheCulturedScot : So you live in Scotland too Samten? :-)

GayLesbianJase : Trying to lose weight by quickly "starving oneself" (i.e. eating fewer than 1000-1200 calories per day) is unhealthy and ineffective.

Jennifer_Thompson : If you feel really tired after a meal, your body is working hard to digest it

LisaShea : Bettaparent - you can see our typing right?

Samten : nope, Kansas City Missouri

Jennie_HerbsEditor : You go into starvation mode and your body stores every bit it can instead of using it ;)

GayLesbianJase : however, also limiting calories by 20% is a good way to start helping the body burn more than taken in

Samten : haven't seen that sun in several days

Chik_TheCulturedScot : See, even just running out the room and coming back in again like Lisa just did can be really good exercise

GayLesbianJase : but you should never reduce by more than 20% without seeking help from a nutritionalist or dietician

Samten : The more I limit the more I gain, made no sense to me...

Jeanne Daigle : :-)

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : The way I chase these 3 babies around I should weigh 98 lbs

GayLesbianJase : Samten.. amen to that one.. but how do you like the "spring' we just had.. I was wondering when summer was going to come, and then winter reared it's head

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Samten... read my last send ;)

Samten : I was seeing one but I ended up gaining 20 pounds

bettaparent LisaShea Hi, I see something about food. Maybe that's it. I just thought I'd have to find the right chat, but this one just came up automatically when I logged into chat.

Samten : Jase, I blinked and missed it

GayLesbianJase : but was it good 20 pounds or bad ones?

LisaShea bettaparent This is how to reduce stress, we are talking about eating properly. Why not talk in the main box? :)

Samten : I see it

Samten : bad my maternity pants don't fit me anymore

bettaparent LisaShea O.k., let me read what's being said really quickly! Thank you!

Jeanne Daigle : Samten - have you have your thyroid tested?

LisaShea : OK so sunshine is key for stress reduction too

LisaShea : We all need sunshine

Samten : I've heard that Jennie, I'm told it could be because I was so ick while pregnant

GayLesbianJase : amen to that Lisa.. but this time of the year the Midwest don't get none LOL

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Samten... silly question, but you have been checked for things like diabetes or severe nutritional deficiencies, like the B vitamins?

Jennifer_Thompson : love that one... sometimes it only takes a few minutes in the sun to get that ahhhh going for me.

LisaShea : There are sun lights, I really recommend them. Don't just ignore depression. It's not imaginary, and can be fixed

Samten : Thyriod, yes every few years I stop sleeping and end up in the hospital where blood test says something is up with thyriod they do more tests and nothing

Jeanne Daigle : Sunshine is definitely good :-) I plan to finally plant the spring bulbs tomorrow

LisaShea : It's like ignoring a toothache. It's telling you somthing is wrong, and you can take steps to make it better

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Ahh, I bet that's your problem Samten... the Thyroid can mess with you up down and sideways

AltmedVictoria : the key is to get at least 15 min sunshine with out sunblock on

LisaShea : It might be you're feeling stressed and upset but just having some sunshine each day can make everything seem so much better

Samten : I'm now borderline diabetic they say if i lose weight It will go away...I came close to sluggin the guy

GayLesbianJase : Also the type of excercise you do is important. Anaerobic exercise plays an important role in changing body composition. This will help change the "shape". But then you have to do small weight training to create LEAN muscle mass which might not show a "loss" on the scale of "weight" but will help increase the body's metabolism and thus help burn more calories. The only other thing I can think of is a thyroid or other medical condition. When was the last time you had a FULL medical screening?

Samten : hola!

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : ¡hola!

Samten : I'm not a fan of arobics (yuck) I love weights and rock climbing

GayLesbianJase : Hola! Como estes?

GayLesbianJase : well weight training is only one side of the coin, you have to do aerobics ;0)

LisaShea : Yup Samten brings up a great point - you want to do things you really enjoy. You don't want to force yourself to do an exercise you hate, so it stresses you out and you don't do it. Find things you enjoy. Dance to music you love.

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : Oh! You all speak Spanish???

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Hola, Que tal estas?

LisaShea : If you ride a bike, get audio tapes of stories you enjoy and listen to them. I've often "kept going" because I wanted to finish a chapter

Jennifer_Thompson : un poco

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : ¡Hola!

LisaShea : Buenos dias :)

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : good! didn't know it!

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : Buenas días!

GayLesbianJase : weightlifting, sprinting, strength training, and resistance exercises are anaerobic, but you need to burn oxygen by doing aerobic excercises as well

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : Buenas tardes, en España!

bettaparent : Hi, I'm just jumping in - sounds like you're having a great conversation about ways to reduce stress - sunshine and exercise sound great - I find that drinking lots of water helps, to! You might have already mentioned that.

Samten : I jump on the recombent bke and knit-i got weird looks

LisaShea : Oh great point betta! Water is SO so key

LisaShea : If you don't have water in you, all the other nutrients can't get around to where they need to go. So you block up your system

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : interesting!

Samten : water i need to drink more.

LisaShea : Keep a big glass of water or other non-sugar liquid by you pretty much at all times. You don't even have to force yourself to drink usually - usually if it's there you just drink it naturally

LisaShea : but if it is NOT there, you don't think about getting up to go get some

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : I don't drink much water

Jilly : I keep a quart of water on my desk at all times, and by my bed

LisaShea : if you're thirsty it's too late, it means you're in a deficiency situation

LisaShea : Good for you Jilly that is great :)

GayLesbianJase : Se hablar un pedacito minusculo del espanol. No soy ningun bueno en la escritura el. Mi familia esta tan avergonzada de mi en esto.

Jilly : I also add antioxidants to my water - tastes yummy and is better for me

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Getting a good water purifier is really good for you though... a lot of municipal water systems have stuff in them that can cause as much trouble as the water solves

bettaparent : I heard Peter Jennings say that drinking water helps him stay awake! Maybe so! It's better for you than caffeine, I suppose.

GayLesbianJase : I am half Puerto Rican ;0)

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : oh! ¿de verdad?

Samten : Really?

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : Cuando quieras, yo puedo ayudarte, ¿de acuerdo?

LisaShea : yup water purifiers are cheap, we have a Britta pitcher. You just put water in the top and it pours out clean water. Super easy

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : And whenever you want you all practice your spanish...

LisaShea : and cheaper than bottled water :)

bettaparent : Yo creo que su escritura es muy bien! No debes de tener verguenza!

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : just tell me ok?

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I also found that making a very weak mint tea helps me drink more water... I don't like 'plain' water, but the mint has almost no natural sugar, and gives just enough flavor that I don't mind drinking it

GayLesbianJase : a good test at seeing if you have been drinking enough water is the color of your urine. It should only have a hint of yellow. If it looks like egg yolks, you need to drink!

GayLesbianJase : lol

Jennifer_Thompson : I have wondered how those would work...

AltmedVictoria : I never liked exercise, but I do like lifting wieghts and hitting my husbands speed bag and punching bag, great for stress relief

Samten : I may be the only buddhist on the planet who doesn't like tea...

LisaShea : yup lots of people get sick of straight water. There are ALL sorts of sugar-free mixes on the market now that are great. I love Raspberry Ice, I drink quarts of that a day

Jennifer_Thompson : lol

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I have a long, thin Pur filter pitcher that goes in the side of the top shelf on my fridge... goes all the way from front to back, but is only about 5-6 inches wide

LisaShea : I try to stay away from caffeine myself - it makes my heart tirrip a bit - but herbal teas are good for me

bettaparent : I like to put a squeeze of lemon in my water to make it more appealing to drink a lot!

LisaShea : Lemon is a great idea, it handles the flavor and aromatherapy all at once :)

GayLesbianJase : Jennie, me too!

bettaparent : Yes, I like orange-flavored herbal tea! It's refreshing!

GayLesbianJase : i love those fridge space saver bottles

Jeanne Daigle : caffeine makes me shake & sweat - I stay far away from that. It also keeps me up all night.

GayLesbianJase : I drink little caffeine.. whatever is in my iced tea I survive on LOL

LisaShea : OK so now we're listening to good music, smelling nice smells, exercising in ways we like, taking our vitamins, drinking water, and eating healthy foods. It still is important to not have impossible time constraints, so we can actually go through a day without feeling pressure. So organization is very important

GayLesbianJase : I am a tea and water drinker... not usually hot tea, except when I need comfort

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Caffeine doesn't affect me *at all*. It kinda stinks, cause if I have trouble waking up in the morning, or need to stay awake (like for driving) I have nothing to help -.-

bettaparent : Caffeina has good and bad things about it, I think, but maybe if you have to have caffeine, but you drink a lot of water, it washes out the bad stuff!

Samten Jilly Oh good I'm glad to hear that it helped

LisaShea : I have lots of books on organization because this was always a big problem for me - too much to do, not enough time. It came down to organizing my time better and choosing what I would do in that time. We all only have 24 hrs, that won't change. So what has to change is how we choose to spend that time

GayLesbianJase : hewy Samten.. we are under a severe winter weather warning

GayLesbianJase : LOL

Jennifer_Thompson : Organization is excellent... a place for everything and everything in it's place really can be freeing

GayLesbianJase : oh and a watch ;0)

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : aha!, Lisa, that's the point! organization!

GayLesbianJase : too much organization though can lead to more stress... take it from a person with OCD

Jennifer_Thompson : not having to spend time looking for things

LisaShea : yup you save so much time in finding things - and also just "looking around" is less stressful because the human eye tends to appreciate order. It is easier for the brain to scan and accept

Samten : Isn't it great, Jase! I LOVE winter storms

AltmedVictoria : knowing your limits is so important to stress relief

GayLesbianJase : I don't know yet.. this is a new house, so I shall see

Jennifer_Thompson : and clutter creates stress

Chik_TheCulturedScot : You too Jase?

LisaShea : yup don't try to organize everything at once. Just take on one small task and reward yourself when you are set with it

LisaShea : small victories :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I am BAD about never being able to stay organized

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I can*get* organized... I can just never stick to it for some reason

LisaShea : Jennie - if you get yourself into a habit, then you do it without thinking. It becomes a normal part of your daily routine

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : On weekends, I used to get up thinking I had to do this, and that, and that, and was very stressing, until I started to do all I had to do. Fixing the limits, that's important

Samten : I get organized by getting rid of everything, ca't lose something if theres little to nothing else around

Jennifer_Thompson : it's the rushing thing... taking the time to stay organized is easier than doing it over and over

bettaparent : I agree.

LisaShea : yes definitely we all have junk around. Just donate it to charity, someone else really could need that item that is just clutter for you

Jennifer_Thompson : and less time-consuming

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I managed for about 6 months once... then I got sick for like a month and it became a disaster again and I got so discouraged, and never quite recovered from that in my organizational efforts -.-

bettaparent : Have a yard sale.

LisaShea : yup yard sales are good. or ebay that's easy and brings in money

Samten : Bit nippy for that

LisaShea : again don't do it all at once. choose one category. Old coins. Go through those. Then move on

Jilly : craiglist stuff

bettaparent : Right, I forgot you guys may have snow. I'm in California.

Jennifer_Thompson : attainable goals...

GayLesbianJase : LOL yeah.. snow

Jilly Samten tremendously. I was really in a stuck place and that gave me an actual set of numbers to start calling. You are awesome!

GayLesbianJase : and people wonder why I want to move to some place warm.. like Vegas

LisaShea : Yup I put a bunch of stuff on craigstlist - come take, free. People just show up and remove our junk

GayLesbianJase : i love to look at it.. but hate to try to breathe in that weather

GayLesbianJase : lol

AltmedVictoria : Bye everyone need to pick my daughter and the weather is really bad out here, Lots of snow take care all

bettaparent : ebay is definitely an excellent idea, then!

Jennifer_Thompson : by

LisaShea : Have fun Victoria :)

GayLesbianJase : have fun Victoria

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : bye!

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Bye Victoria

GayLesbianJase : Samten, another reason why I am glad my meeting was canceled tonight... this weather

Samten Jilly no, just been there :)

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : I also have to leave, 23:10 here! too late!

LisaShea : Many mail packages come with built in schedulers and to-do lists. Really, use them. It helps to organize your lists in one spot

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : Have fun and try to practice all this! :-)

LisaShea : Night, Angeles :)

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : bye!

Angeles F. - Spanish language Host : thanks! ¡adiós! bye!

bettaparent : Wow, that sounded like a door closing - was that when Victoria left? That was so cool!

LisaShea : When you work out a schedule, do it by the week, not by the day. That way you have wiggle time in case things come up

Jilly : yeah, Lisa, donating things is fun. Right now I am donating my car to a youth at risk organization

Samten : I'm sorry jase, what did you say, I didn't read it all before I was booted

LisaShea : Think of one thing stress-reducing to do each week, and make it a part of your schedule. It's just as important as anything else

LisaShea : Good for you Jilly - that's great!

Samten Jilly I was booted before I could read it, could you please resend

Jennifer_Thompson : it is really important... stress can pose a lot of health risks

GayLesbianJase : oh I said I like the snow to look at, not to breathe in.. and another reason I am happy is beause with this weather my meeting got cancelled so no dirivng in it if the snow starts coming

Samten : I'm a youth...

Jennifer_Thompson : like many other things...

Jilly : I had to get rid of it and would only be able to sell it for a few hundred dollars, figured it would be nice to donate it, plus get the tax savings

Samten : I love driving in the snow it's so pretty

LisaShea : yes stress really can make you depressed, sick, it has a serious affect on you. It's worth working on and not just trying to "shoulder the load"

Samten : I was teasing

bettaparent : Personally, I like to write everything down. I have a list of things to do each day. I also have a small purse-sized callendar to keep track of things, a refrigerator calendar, some topic-specific medium-sized calendars, and a really big calendar with a large space for each day of the month.

GayLesbianJase : :P

Jennie_HerbsEditor : BRB

LisaShea : but you shoudln't stress out about removing stress :) LOL :) Find little easy ways to start. Find just one clutter item each week to do something with

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Have you guys tried FLYING? I love it for reducing housework type stress

GayLesbianJase : FLYING!

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : "FLYING"

Jennifer_Thompson : I used to have a smiley board when my boys were little... a list of chores for each of them, then a stamped smiley face next to each completed chore... at the smileys were tallied with a quarter paid for each one... they loved it

Jilly : oh, you're a youth! Ha, I get it Samten. You want my car? :)

Jennifer_Thompson : and getting them to do chores was much less stressful... each smiley was a victory for them

LisaShea : yup even us adults enjoy little reinforcements. Give yourself smileys or stamps :)

Jilly Samten hi, i hate it when i get booted

bettaparent : I used to have really good all-weather radials and (knock on wood) never had an accident in the snow, so there were times when I enjoyed driving in the snow, too. It was enjoyable as long as I didn't have to be stressed because I was trying to hurry up and be somewhere by a certain time.

LisaShea : ok Cyn are you telling us about flying?

Jilly Samten I was saying how awesome you are. I really needed a place to start calling to help myself. i was really stuck

Jennifer_Thompson : of course, that was when they were quite young...

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : It's a system put together by a housewife, it releases you from worrying about getting stuff done

Jennifer_Thompson : the smileys didn't thrill them so much, nor the quarters when they were teens.. lol

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : I am compulsive about cleaning and clutter, with 5 kids I had to let go. I found her on the web, and she assigns "zones" in your house that you work at systematically for a certain amount of time each day and a few maintenance hints for everyday stuff....really cool

Samten : hello?

Samten Jilly can you see me?

Jennifer_Thompson : then it was girls coming over to do their chores... lol

LisaShea : Hello Samten :)

LisaShea : Yes definitely doing things in small chunks is key. Don't do everything at once.

Jilly Samten yes, i see you

Samten : ph good, i thought it was going to boot me gain

Jilly Samten did you see my answer above

bettaparent : Maybe a reward could be, let's say...playing with your pet for ten minutes - your betta fish, your kitty-cat or your doggie - it relieves stress and it's a "twofer" because your little sweetie-pie gets some much-valued attention from you, too!

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : It allowed me to stop stressing about EVERYTHING needing to be done. For example today our assingment was to go couch diving...15 minutes tops...I don't worry about the dirty baseboards because I know that sometime during the month it will come up as my 15 minute assignment and it will get done then.

GayLesbianJase : interesting Cyn

Samten Jilly yes, trying to keep the computer from crashing...

LisaShea : It's also important to set priorities based on what really matters. You only have X hours in the day. You can't do everything. Do the things that really matter

Jilly Samten what is couch diving?

Jilly Samten oops, not here, sorry, that was for the other board

Jilly : what is couch diving?

Samten Jilly lol

LisaShea : If ten people ask you to help them with volunteer projects you don't have to say yes to all ten. Choose your time sinks wisely

bettaparent : Yes, and I think that, not only doing things in small chunks, but you can also do a chunk of one task, and set it aside and refresh your mind by doing a small chunk of a completely different task and then go back to the original task with a fresh perspective.

Jilly : BTW, I am thrilled we have a new Fish editor!

LisaShea : Jilly - cleaning out change and junk from your couch

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Clearing out all of the coins, popcorn old cheetoes and lost socks from the cushions, behind the pillows and underneath

LisaShea : fishy fishy fish! It did follow me like a son ...

Jilly : ohhhhh, that kind of couch diving...

Jennie_HerbsEditor : back

Jennifer_Thompson : these things alone can sometimes seem overwhelming... however, once put into practice regularly, they actually become "automatic", and them seem really easy

Samten Jilly been there looking for resources, there is so little here adn the places i have to go aren't in the best of areas. I like to go places where I don't have to worry about my car getting stolen

Jilly : I thought you meant driving in alleys looking for couches. I used to do that. not too long ago actually

bettaparent : Yes, you have X hours in a day - and you may find that you feel more energized at a certain time of day usually - so you can also schedule certain tasks that require more energy during that part of the day and other task during the times of day when you feel tired - or take a "power nap"!

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : Gotta run....Bella is hollering for her mama

Jennifer_Thompson : lol... sounds like an adventure

LisaShea : Yup if you put a paper recycle bin by the couch, and just scan the mail and toss it when you come home, it becomes automatic. The paper doesn't stack up everywhere, unlooked at

LisaShea : Enjoy cyn :)

Jilly : bye cyn

Cyn_EarlyChildhood : IT was nice chattin'

Jeanne Daigle : Jilly isn't that dumpster diving?

Jilly Samten yep, that's always tough, worrying about your car. i like to drive little beaters that are worthless so I don't have to be concerned

Jennifer_Thompson : one that I'm currently working on is "handle each piece of paper only once"... ugh

LisaShea : OK who has specific stress problems that we can brainstorm about?

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Sorry folks, have to go now. It was good connecting with you

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Does lack of money count Lisa? lol

Jeanne Daigle : Bye Chik

LisaShea : Nice to chat with you, Chik :)

Jilly : um, yep, one calls that dumpster diving. :)

bettaparent : Hi, Jilly - I used to read your Fish Site - and you are sooooooo great! You really are! That was SUCH an awesome site! I feel humbled and honored to be following in your much-revered footsteps! Seriously - your site was so helpful and encouraging to me - so uplifting and interesting. Thank you for being you!

LisaShea : Yes certainly! A study recently showed that for best money happiness, live somewhere where your income is higher than average. That way you stop craving things that others have :)

Chik_TheCulturedScot : Take care and catch you all next time

Jeanne Daigle : I KNEW it! I just knew that was one of your readers, Jilly!

Jilly : awwww, bettaparent, thank you. that is so sweet. i am really excited someone like you has taken on the site!

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I live out in the country so no trouble there lol... I just want to get all my bills paid each month -.-

Samten Jilly I tried that but I vcen't breaking down in really bad areas and I found my only dept was keeping the thing running

LisaShea : We all watch TV shows where people have high def TVs and stereos and go out all the time - when really we people with food and shelter and a computer are in the lucky elite, world-wise

Jilly Samten where do you live Samten?

GayLesbianJase : amen to that one Lisa

Samten Jilly Kansas City missouri

LisaShea : Many of us (if not most of us) work from home so it is definitely possible. You need to brainstorm about what you can offer that others would pay for. Jeanne does well with her soaps. I sell origami, I get far more orders than I can accept

Jeanne Daigle : I have a small 13 inch tv & no cable. Just a giant TV antenna on my garage :-)

Jennifer_Thompson : hey... that's an excellent thought... I actually found that to be true... in working online, I am able to live where I can have a nicer ome at a much, much lower price by living in an area that is not a big attraction for jobs

LisaShea : Many of us do well selling ebooks. They take time to create - but then once it's done they sell eternally

GayLesbianJase : and soon I will enter the world of candles.. well online instead of local mom and pop shops ;0)

Jilly Samten do you drive a really nice car that is a target?

Jennifer_Thompson : of other types

LisaShea : yup exactly jennifer. It's the beauty of working at home. We can live in a really inexpensive area and be living large

GayLesbianJase : and my beauty products ;0)

Jennifer_Thompson : I love it

bettaparent : If I didn't have t.v. I would miss the Animal Planet channel.

GayLesbianJase : i would miss the discovery channels ;0)

Jeanne Daigle : I get two PBS stations, so there is always Nature

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I have my herbal/aromatherapy shop, but it's building very slowly at best. Just got a big break though, so I'm hopeful

Jeanne Daigle : I find plenty of junk to watch :-)

GayLesbianJase : our PBS suck. One doesn't work most of the time and the other is so fuzzy it's not worth it ;0)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : A local occult bookstore just opened about half an hour from me, and *contacted me* to place some of my products there ;)

LisaShea : Jennie - post your website information in the editor forum and ask for suggestions. Sometimes small changes on a website can result in huge traffic and sales

Samten Jilly Not anymore. I had a 94 skylark, but the area where I was isn't wasn't about what the car was/is it was about stealing it and the rush that followed, more often then not is was a young teen (13-14) stealing the cars because they were bored and wanted to prove they were a man

LisaShea : also, offer an editor discount to editors - it's the holidays and many editors support each other

GayLesbianJase : Jennie, that would be awesome

Samten Jilly err that should be no, nothing was a target

LisaShea : That's great news about the bookstore :)

Jeanne Daigle : Don't you love that Jennie? When people start to contact you to put stuff in their store or invite you to their craft fair?

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I know the biggest thing I need... PICTURES. My problem is I don't make big batches of everything, I make just what is ordered, and with few orders, I don't have pictures of most of my stuff

bettaparent : Jennie - Maybe you could go in business with a sports massage therapist because they use that type of product. I have a friend who does that and works in a chiropractor's office and also has her own business.

Samten : What kind of pictues?

LisaShea : You definitely need pictures. It is very worth it to do them up even without orders. Otherwise you won't get orders

LisaShea : It's an investment into your own success

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I can't do discounts right now because of how the vstore works, unless they don't go through the site and just contact me directly

bettaparent : What kind of camera do you have?

Jeanne Daigle : If you go to my website, you'll see my Holiday Ducks. I made those up without having an order for them.

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Er... a Sony Mavica... it's fairly old, but still rocks

Jilly Samten oh, i see about the youths and such. that really sucks. it's a tough one to deal with. where do you end up going that you feel unsafe parking in? maybe you can replace those trips with online errands or go to a better area.

LisaShea : Jennie - you can always tell editors you'll send them a bonus X or something like that, if they mention they are an editor in the comments. It doesn't have to be a straight money discount

Jennie_HerbsEditor : My problem, Jeanne, is that most of my stuff will go bad fairly quickly, because I don't use any preservatives at all

bettaparent : A friend showed me her little camera that she got at Rite Aid for only $100 and it takes really good photos and movies.

LisaShea : The holidays are here, give them as presents :)

Jeanne Daigle : THose ducks are debutting at a craft fair this weekend :-)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Good point Lisa ;)

LisaShea : neato Jeanne, I bet they'll be quite popular!

Samten Jilly Actually we rehab inner city houses and rent them to low income families...

Samten Jilly Someday I may get paid! :)

LisaShea : Jennie - you could also tell the editors you'll do buy one get one free, if you can afford that, if they buy things that you need to take pictures of and post a list

Jennie_HerbsEditor : But with this bookstore deal, I'll be making lots of stuff to put there, so I'll be able to catch up with photos :)

LisaShea : that'll encourage them :)

Samten Jilly I work for my father family doesn't pay

LisaShea : Marketing is definitely very key. If you don't have pages and pages on your website, with photos and descriptions, then people won't find you to buy anything

LisaShea : so it's an important investment of time

LisaShea : Jeanne's site is gorgeous, eclecticlady.com. She has wonderful images and it's organized so you can easily find the section you want

LisaShea : that then means it ranks high in search engines - meaning people find her - meaning she gets sales

Jennifer_Thompson : Great name

Jeanne Daigle : I still need to add some more things for the holidays. Not sure I'm going to get to itm though

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I have been thinking of taking a 'group picture', like one for oils, one for bath bombs, etc, with two or three of each type of item in the picture, until I have made and photographed each item

Jeanne Daigle : I did that to start with Jennie

bettaparent : I think that's a great idea!

LisaShea : I'd really do them one at a time. If you are going to put something out to take a photo, take a photo of it individually

LisaShea : You want a page for each item, with a photo of that item, for clarity and for search engine reasons

LisaShea : and each photo can then have a name and alt tag that matches what it is which gets you better google results too

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Oh I know Lisa... but with 70+ items, I can't afford to make one of each just to take a picture of it

Jilly Samten well it is nice you are doing good works at least.

Jilly Samten :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : The rest of it is all set up, metatags and all

LisaShea : Welcome RealityTV :)

BellaRealityTV : Hello everyone :)

LisaShea : If you don't have it, you can't take a picture of it even in a group shot :)

Jeanne Daigle : AS you make them up, you take a picture. I have a standard "Picture Coming Soon" graphic for items without pictures.

BellaRealityTV : This is my first time... be gentle LOL

LisaShea : You should never show an incorrect image with a product. So just have a placeholder that says "photo coming"

LisaShea : jinx :)

LisaShea : We are talking about ways to make money to reduce money stress :)

Jeanne Daigle : Jennie - take a look around my site & steal some ideas - they probably came from Lisa anyway.

LisaShea : LOL :)

Jennifer_Thompson : contests : )

Jeanne Daigle : :-P

Jilly Jeanne Daigle hey girl. how is your dating going?

bettaparent : What is that little da- da- da-da bell ringing sound? It's lovely. Is that when somone enters? It sounds so familiar, though - like I should know it - I think it's from a sitcom - not "Bewitched", is it?

Jeanne Daigle Jilly hehehe - I'm having a good time :-)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Jetsons

Jennifer_Thompson : actually a relaxing thing to do, with potential for earning income : )

Samten Jilly yeah he did promis me a house when the company is off the ground

Jilly Jeanne Daigle it sounds like things are really coming together for you

Jeanne Daigle Jilly I was dating David #2 for a while & then he got scared & I got the brush off

Jeanne Daigle Jilly Now I'm dating a guy from Ghana

Samten : Meet George Jetson...

Jilly Samten do you have a house now? that sounds like a nice benefit :)

LisaShea : Contests are hugely regulated so make very sure you do those legally, so you don't get sued. That can be stressful :)

bettaparent : Oh, right!

Jilly Jeanne Daigle that's cool!

Jeanne Daigle Jilly Can't seem to stay away from those black foreign men

Jennifer_Thompson : My sister takes photos and uploads them to a site called bigstockphotos.com

LisaShea : Or do you mean entering them? Yes, entering contests can be fun :)

Jilly Jeanne Daigle they are so cute.

Jennifer_Thompson : yes : )

Jeanne Daigle Jilly He's thrilled I actually know something about Africa

Jilly Jeanne Daigle just stay away from davids

Jeanne Daigle Jilly I think so.

Jeanne Daigle Jilly LOL'

LisaShea : Yes there are many photo sites, friends of mine use iStockPhoto. That can bring you some income for photos you have anyway

Jilly Jeanne Daigle :)

Jeanne Daigle Jilly No more Davids for a while - although he was a good kisser! hehehe

Jennifer_Thompson : the photos are then downloaded by people who buy them for 50 cents to a dollar

Jilly Jeanne Daigle you sound so much better

Jeanne Daigle Jilly Yeah, I had a down day yesterday - but apparently, that's normal

Jeanne Daigle Jilly How are you doing?

Jennifer_Thompson : there are unlimited downloads so once there on they can earn perpetual income

Samten Jilly I live with my parents (how they get away with not paying me much) I want to move near my best friend but the houses by her are huge! I just want a small 2 bedroom thing

BellaRealityTV : When you guys get a chance check out the Reality TV Shop :)

Jilly Jeanne Daigle doing better too. it's nice to just be here, not traveling or making any big changes for a while.

Jeanne Daigle Jilly Yeah, I hate moving & packing & stuff

LisaShea : OK what other stresses do we have in our lives that we can help each other with?

Samten Jilly we have a small 2 bedroom in a nice neighborhood if you want to move to independence mo

bettaparent : Going to a museum can be relaxing. In fact, I read a statistic that said that you need to do 7 culturally enriching activities per month in order to maintain balance in your life. A museum would be one down, six to go for the month! Of course, with Christmas here, there's a lot of stuff to do in December - singing, dancing, getting together with family and friends, eating - yay!

BellaRealityTV : Mine is stress related, Lisa LOL

Jeanne Daigle Jilly & then unpakcing & trying to find that thing you know you packed but can't remember where. and then there's the stuff you just never find...

BellaRealityTV : I mean money related

Jilly Samten thanks for the thought. :) heehee. that sounds like plenty of room (a two bedroom) after staying in your folks house - is that the home you have your eye on? :)

LisaShea : LOL ok so again that comes down to finding something you can create that others find of value to buy. So think about your strengths - is it taking photos? creating crafts? Mentoring others?

Jennie_HerbsEditor : On a side note for the money thing, I'm working like mad on my CafePress shop ;) While working on my zodiac dragons project, I've been fixing up a lot of my photos with sayings and quotes and such

Samten : 7?? Thats alot! Time it take would be a but much

bettaparent : Going to a tree-lighting ceremony is fun and relaxing!

Jeanne Daigle : Oh! There's my esxcuse to go on dates! LOL

bettaparent : It's free, too!

LisaShea : Keen.com lets you help others, on the phone, for a per-minute charge. They handle everything about the money and phone call, and you just get paid. People never know your number, they call a keen number

Jilly Jeanne Daigle yep, things here mostly have a "home" now. and we are donating and selling the things that are extra in our lives. i feel lighter.

Jeanne Daigle Jilly Oh, that's good. I'm slowly getting rid of things on Freecycle

Jennifer_Thompson : it can be quite lucrative

BellaRealityTV : On Keen.com is there a list of topics to select from?

Jeanne Daigle Jilly Too bad I didn't freecycle Alan's things when I had the chance

Samten Jilly yes and no, I wanted it but then we hit a snag and we have to sell it to regain a lose (sp?)

LisaShea : Yes even if your talent is that you're a good listener, a lot of people just want someone to talk to, because theyre feeling stressed out

Samten Jilly loss

Jilly Jeanne Daigle yes, freecycle. i need to check on the one up here.

Jennifer_Thompson : yes

Jilly Jeanne Daigle thanks for the reminder.

LisaShea : there are categories but you create your own definiton for what you will talk about

Jilly Jeanne Daigle what did yiou do with alan's crap?

Jilly Samten aww, that's too bad. blech.

Samten : and people can call 24/7?

BellaRealityTV : oh i will check that out. i am sick of being financially challenged. :)

Jeanne Daigle Jilly Oh... boyfriend is online - he'll be IMing me.

LisaShea : CafePress is great if you are a skilled photographer or artist, you can make a wide variety of items with your images

Jeanne Daigle Jilly I packed him up so almost all of it went with him :-)

Jilly Samten at least they can deduct any business losses

LisaShea : Samten - you set your own schedule and can always turn it on and off manually

Samten Jilly true, hadn't thought of that :)

LisaShea : so if you decide you'll be at your house from 5-7pm each evening, you just put that into Keen and that's when it will make you available

Jeanne Daigle Jilly Oh, he doesnt' have time to chat... darn.

Jennifer_Thompson : there are really getting to be so many ways to work at home and earn money now... the list is endless... I have found time to be more of a challenge than ways to earn any more. Lisa's suggestion about finding your strengths is a good place to start

Jennie_HerbsEditor : How much traffic is normal for Keen?

LisaShea : When someone calls into the Keen number for you, they make your phone ring, and then a recorded announcement comes on saying "you have a call from Keen do you wish to accept" and you can press yes or no

BellaRealityTV : I know it's not a lot but I was tickled pink the other day when I saw that someone bought something I recommended in an article

Jennifer_Thompson : and also finding something you truly enjoy

Jilly Samten see, being a loser is the best way to not pay taxes. :)

LisaShea : so it's not like you have to sit watching your computer. As long as you're around your phone you're OK

Jilly Samten I like not paying taxes

Samten Jilly here here!

Jilly Jeanne Daigle darn it all LOL

LisaShea : Keen like everything else depends on what you do to promote it. If you promoted yourself on there as a fish helper and then were available all day every day, and listed it as a link in your fish articles, I imagine you'd get a lot of fish people calling you

LisaShea : but if you just say "I'll talk about general stuff" and didn't promote it anywhere and were only online 1 hour a month, you'd never get any money :)

Jennifer_Thompson : it's a business, like any other

Jeanne Daigle Jilly No kidding.

BellaRealityTV : If I can get paid for being a good listener... then I'm your girl :)

Jennifer_Thompson : and will be what you make of it .... success!

Jilly Samten I was thinking that if you were excersizing so much, that surely there must have been some fitness or health benefits. if not, maybe ask a doctor if something else is the problem. was just thinking how weird to work out so much and not get benefits, you know?

bettaparent : I hope to sell e-books, but I have to get my site up and running with articles, first - so I might miss at least part of the December rush by the time it's done. I really want to get people taking really good care of their fishie kids and to get them to love their fish friends and respect nature, but I have a children's book I've written that has fish as the main characters, so I want to work it into my website and I'll be published and spread love of fishes and also make money, too - maybe.

LisaShea : yup but say you're home from 12-5 every day anyway, and you love quilting. Why not have an entry on keen that says you'll help out with quilting problems, and link to it from your quilting content. Even if only one person a week calls, you are helping people and getting money, just for chatting on the phone. And the more you give good answers, the better your reputation gets and more people call

Jeanne Daigle Jilly What's he thinking anyway... He doesn't need to study... LOL He should be talking to ME

Jilly : that sounds very nice, bettaparent

LisaShea : I own RomanceClass.com and for a while I did have Keen set up so people could call me. But it got too stressful for me, to have people calling me with their problems. So I took it down

Jennifer_Thompson : you actually can get paid for being a good listener

LisaShea : so it was easy to do but it was a question of my peace of mind vs extra money

Jilly Jeanne Daigle because you are so fabulous

Jennifer_Thompson : I have seen listings like that

Samten Jilly I know thats why I gave up! I used to work out all the time and I never had that truble. after all that I was still on the bike on level 2 barely making it through my time. I figured for sure after 6 months I be up a few levels and able to finish

Jeanne Daigle Jilly He's at the Univ. of Conn studying Vet. Pharmacology

BellaRealityTV : I'm still eBay shy :( I created an account but have yet to list anything. Even after reading the eBay chat transcript it seems overwhelming and I have books on top of books at my house

LisaShea : People are generally not looking for world class scientist experts. They don't have anyone else to talk to

Samten Jilly I talked to my dr. and he tried me on a calorie control thing but i gained, he was really perplexed

Jilly : well, ebay is both hard and easy. Lisa taught me to start with media.

LisaShea : On eBay, start with one sale where you buy something. Look through ebay and buy something small. That will get you started in how it works

Jeanne Daigle Jilly He's a Vet. Tech right now

Samten : Meida?

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I don't like Ebay

Jennifer_Thompson : setting boundaries is important to the peace of mind issue...

LisaShea : Then once you successfully buy one item it is time to sell one item. Sell soemthing standard and easy like a CD

Jilly : like books and CDs, which they already have pix and descriptions of

LisaShea : You put in its UPC and it does the rest

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I used to, but lately any time I list something, it ends up costing me money instead of making any, because out of 10-15 items I list, I might sell one

Jilly Jeanne Daigle he sounds like a real winner

LisaShea : Jennie - I recently listed 2 origami sets. Neither sold but I got a ton of origami orders on my site as a result. it is free (or pretty much free) advertising

BellaRealityTV : I have a gazillion books. Sometimes I think my books have had babies.

bettaparent : Me, too!

LisaShea : Don't list crafts expecting them to sell. List them with links back to your site for details (like paper colors or ingredients or whateveer) and expect them to be publicity

Samten : LOL Same here!

Jennifer_Thompson : lol... baby books

Jilly Samten wow, did he test your thyroid or anything? maybe talk to a nutritionist. this is so strange.

BellaRealityTV : LOL

bettaparent : I love that idea, Lisa!!!

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Is THAT where kids' books come from??

Jennie_HerbsEditor : lol

Jilly Jeanne Daigle does elizabeth have a boyfriend too yet?

BellaRealityTV : Thanks, Lisa. I will see how that works.

bettaparent : Funny!

Jennifer_Thompson : lol

LisaShea : For books I read them, review them, then donate them to the library. That way I know where they are. I only keep books I really expect to re-read frequently or that are reference

Jeanne Daigle Jilly She's on her 2nd boyfriend :-)

BellaRealityTV : LOL @ Jenny

LisaShea : that reduces clutter and helps me to "share the wealth"

Jilly Jeanne Daigle cute. I hope she picks some nice boys

Samten Jilly Yeah i have an appointment with an alternitive health care person who works with postpardum women. All my health issue started after my body rest (or in my case failed to reset) after I had Bryson.

LisaShea : and because I have so many reviews online, I get publishers sending me more free books to read. So it continues the cycle and is free

bettaparent : Wow, sounds like you have more books than even me!

Jilly Samten ah, okay. so this isn't your fault - your silly body is still 'resting"

Jilly Samten :)

Samten : you can never have too many books

Jeanne Daigle Jilly The current one seems relatively nice. They've been friends since 5th grade - she's in 7th now

LisaShea : I have one wall upstairs that is three large floor to ceiling bookcases, three shorter ones in the bedroom, three in three other rooms and then a stack in the living room that I am working on. So this is an issue for me :)

Samten Jilly though 3 years...

Samten Jilly when you moved did you take all your books?

BellaRealityTV : I wanted to donate books to the library because I felt like I'd be contributing to someone else picking up a book... but our library sells them through the Friends of the Library and then the money is invested in the library. I guess it shouldn't matter but I kinda liked the idea of my books being available publicly vs. being sold to individuals so they'd stay in circulation.

LisaShea : You definitely can have too many books :) If you have 500 of them, it is in essence meaning you're hoarding them and other poor kids in your neighborhood aren't able to read them :) I say, share the wealth :)

bettaparent : Yes, I think reducing clutter is a Huge stress reliever. Just having everything really clean and organized is so freeing.

LisaShea : hey there Elle :)

BellaRealityTV : Hello, Elle.

elleCreatEd : Hello!

elleCreatEd : Just finished breakfast here

bettaparent : Maybe you can organize your books like in a library - you know you can even get one of those library kits to check out your books to other people. They give a little pocket to glue into the book and cards for people to sign when you loan them your books. I always wanted to do that. You can buy the kits at Barnes and Noble.

Samten : You mean let other people take my books home and risk them mishandeling them???

BellaRealityTV : The horror! :O

Jeanne Daigle Jilly Hey, Jilly - I've got to make a run to the store. I'll catch up with you later, OK?

bettaparent : O.k., well, just a thought - maybe I'd better rethink that! : )

Jeanne Daigle : I need to get going. I'll see you all later... :-)

BellaRealityTV : Bye, Jeanne!!! :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Take care Jeanne :)

LisaShea : Libraries will keep books if they are ones people would use and if they have the room. So if you really think your books have a wide audience, go to a larger library where they have room for them :)

Samten : bye

bettaparent : Bye, Jeanne!

LisaShea : Night, Jeanne :)

LisaShea : Plus someone who buys it at a sale might be buying it for a group, for their library. So it might end up being much more helpful than if it was at the library

BellaRealityTV : Never thought of that. Good point.

Samten : stilll.....

Jilly Samten my books....some of them. I have a ton still in storage in AZ. I hate paying storage for stuff like that.

BellaRealityTV : I guess I am so selfish with my books because I have respect for my books. I LOVE my books. I think I need book therapy. LOL

Samten : Nothing wrong with that!

elleCreatEd : I'm very attached to my books too. Even the rubbishy ones.

LisaShea : It's like an art collection. You can have a ton of famous paintings on your walls and have that clutter and stress of maintaining them. Or you can have them in a museum where you can visit them whenever you want but others can share in their beauty

LisaShea : there are lots of people who love books but who can't afford them. So you are helping all of those people by making sure your library is full of things you enjoy

Samten : peopel don't take painting home from the meusem

LisaShea : people with money do :) And books aren't free :)

LisaShea : In fact it was only in the 1900s that the average person could even afford books - before that they were a very luxury item

bettaparent : I know of a library where they give books and magazines for free on their "free" book table. Yesterday, I saw a little boy's older brother showing him the books, and the look on the little boy's face when I got a book of his own to take home was so sweet - it almost made me cry. I guess they were poor and so maybe he didn't have too many books of his own - so he was so grateful. That was a stress-reliever to me - to see that. It's a good cause to donate books to a library.

Samten : I have gotten most of my books for less then a dollar each

LisaShea : right there are definitely many people out there who can't afford books at all

BellaRealityTV : Yeah

LisaShea : To them, it's books or food and food wins

Jilly : I used to be a book hoarder. Now I only hoard the ones I have full of highlights and notes in the margins. those are things I keep returning to use. the rest all goes to goodwill.

LisaShea : so to them a library is a magical place.

LisaShea : I look at it like penny seeding. If I see a penny I'll leave it there to bring luck to someone. Sometimes I'll put down pennies :)

Jilly : you do that? that is so cute, lisa.

LisaShea : It's a little thing but it really could make someone really happy. I remember when I found Mary Stewart books in my local library. They might have only been $2 each but to me they were incredibly valuable, I loved those books

Jennifer_Thompson : time to go to work... thank you : )

Jilly : I always pick up pennies. they go in my Dream Jar.

LisaShea : Night Jennifer :)

Samten : Dream Jar?

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Take care Jennifer

Jilly : I love my dream jar. I get to roll all my coins in them and then put them into a CD when they get big enough.

LisaShea : See so to you those pennies are your dreams.Some people might say "They're just pennies they don't matter". But we all have different relative worths associated with things

BellaRealityTV : Right now the library is my salvation because I can't afford to buy hardcover books anymore.

BellaRealityTV : Nite Jennifer

Jilly : I think i need to follow lisa when she drops her pennies...LOL

LisaShea : LOL :)

BellaRealityTV : LOL

BellaRealityTV : wb betta

Jennie_HerbsEditor : wb :)

LisaShea : I think the key is that something that is small to one person can be really big to another person. So if you have clutter in your house and say "I haven't worn these sweaters in 10 years, out they go" that could be a small thing to you but could be an incredible happy moment for the person who finally gets a well fitting sweater

Jilly : it's so amazing to me - the saving change thing - becuase I have always lived way under the poverty line as an adult. so now I have actual money saved up, earning it's own money, from things like picking up coins, saving my change, selling things on ebay and craigslist, and from using coupons. Everything I don't spend, all rebate money, everything 'found" goes in the dream jar.

BellaRealityTV : Wow... you guys have given me so much to think about. I need to let a lot of stuff go.

LisaShea : yup it is almost magical.

Jilly : it's very magical.

BellaRealityTV : Pass the Kleenex. :)

LisaShea : we are conditioned to gather stuff - but a lot of the time we gather things that aren't important in the long run - and while we hold onto those items that we aren't looking at or using, others are desperately craving those exact items as the single happy thing in their life

elleCreatEd : Clearing stuff out creates space for new things to enter your life

LisaShea : so if I have 100 old CDs that I literally never listen to - and I send them to 100 different fans on eBay who have been really wanting that CD, now 100 people are super happy and listening to them daily, and I have money for my dreams

LisaShea : and my world is cleaner

Jilly : heehee, yes, cleaner

BellaRealityTV : ok... I am gonna let some of my books go *sigh*

Jilly : I am now almost 100% Mp3

LisaShea : I know it's hard, I was a book hoarder. Heck like I said I still have 10 bookcases or whatever so obviously I'm not completely cured. But it's not like I could re-read all of those even every *other* year, reading one a day

Jilly : another trick i learned from lisa

Jilly : the mp3 thing

LisaShea : so the ones I've read, I review, I send them along. If I really want to read them again I can go to the library, it's a good thing to visit your library. It's good to have an excuse to do it

Jilly : books are like a security blanket. I really do like having them around. but it's better to really only have ones i love, not ones I just "like*

Samten : You can send books to me

LisaShea : Yes I am very much in favor of MP3s. We used to have hundreds of CDs and we rarely listened to most of them. We just wanted them around in case the mood struck us. Now they are all stored in iTunes, we can easily listen to them whenever we want. We actually listen to songs more often now because it's so easy

Jilly : I am using that for the whole apartment - everything has to be something *loved*, *like* isn't enough

Samten : I'm good on CD's I cn count all my CD's on one hand

LisaShea : Samten - but you want to be more active, not less active. Get an audible.com account and get audiotape MP3s. You can have thousands of books, listen to them while you are active, and they take up no space

BellaRealityTV : I've recently started going back to the library. Mainly looking for books to review.

Samten : huh?

LisaShea : I love Brother Cadfael on audio book. It is great hearing the story read to you by a person from that region

Jilly : I read on the treadmill, BTW. It's my reading time.

LisaShea : Some stories are just so amazing when they are read out loud. The Douglas Adams series, read by Douglas Adams

Samten : I'm not big on Cd's I only really listen to chants and teachings

Jilly : makes the time fly by. suddenly an hour and half goes by

LisaShea : It's like he's hanging out with you, reading you his stories

Samten : oh books on Cd

BellaRealityTV : My son and I listened to Stuart Little by E.B. White. It was therapeutic. :)

LisaShea : yes but not on CD. CDs take up space. On MP3

LisaShea : Plus iTunes has *hundreds* of free podcasts - MP3 files on specific topics. You can get hundreds a week, for free, on whatever topics you want to learn about

Samten : MP3?

Samten : I'd need an MP3 player i don't have one

LisaShea : it's the music file format. On your PC or mac

LisaShea : no just use your PC

BellaRealityTV : Neither do I, Samten.

Samten : I ment to take with me

LisaShea : Go to iTunes.com and download the free software, it gives you access to all the podcasts and radio stations for free

Samten : now I'm lost if I have mp3's on my computer how am I going to be more active?

LisaShea : Well my exercise bike is within listening distance of my computer

LisaShea : if you mean you want to go out walking, then MP3 players are $19 right now. You only need a very basic one

BellaRealityTV : I need another pc so I can participate in more chats. I am at my parents' house right now.

LisaShea : In fact I'm on eBay and see them for $9.99

LisaShea : So you have all your songs and chats and stories and podcasts on iTunes on your PC. When you decide you're going to head out for a walk, you put whatever it is you're listening to onto your MP3 player and off you go

BellaRealityTV : Hmmm... maybe I will get one soon. (an MP3 player that is)

Samten : actually i go to the gym...r weent i should say. I'm joining the Y because I started to hate my old gym they let these obnoxous preteens run loose in the equipment area...

LisaShea : you have an infinitely large library and it takes up no space

bettaparent : I have to go and change my Betta Fishies' water, so I'll talk to you all later! This has been wonderful, by the way! Seriously, I feel better already! I hope we do this again. It's been so nice chatting with all of you! Happy Holidays! I hope we do this again soon!!! : ) There is free music to listen to at Batanga.com, too. I like to listen to the Flamenco - I think it's a good soundtrack for Betta Fish - the whole flamenco dance thing seems kind of Betta-esque to me! C-ya! :)

elleCreatEd : I listen for birds when I go out walking. Best way to spot them.

LisaShea : and not only that, but you are having the stories read to you often by the author himself or herself which is just so cool

LisaShea : it's the way stories used to be told all the time, by humans

BellaRealityTV : nite, betta

LisaShea : Night Betta :)

bettaparent : I LOVE books on CD!

elleCreatEd : My hubby battles to read though, so I've been getting him audio books

BellaRealityTV : I like to listen to books on cd in the car.

LisaShea : It's especially great for long books like War and Peace. You just sit back and let the story flow over you, you get really involved in it

Samten : I'll have to get an MP# player and try it out it

LisaShea : yes definitely, they can be *quite* cheap. Don't worry about the super expensive fancy ones. You don't need the MP3 player to hold your entire library. Let your PC hold your library and just use the MP3 player to listen to whatever you're into at the moment

LisaShea : and it really does help you be active for longer - because if you're riding an exercise bike or walking, the time flies by if you are involved in a great story

LisaShea : or you can play meditative chants, or 'learn to reduce stress' explanations or all sorts of other things

LisaShea : The free podcasts are great too. There are people all over the world loading up weekly podcasts of how to care for your fish, how to organize better, you name it

LisaShea : even informative ones like 'life in India' where they go somewhere different each week

LisaShea : So you play one while you're cleaning, and the time zips by

BellaRealityTV : I am so glad I came in today. You guys have given some really helpful info. I can't wait to read the chat transcript. :)

LisaShea : ok if we all have ideas about managing our stress, did anyone have any other questions? About their sites, or about life?

BellaRealityTV : I want to know how to resuscitate myforum. It has flatlined. _____________________

LisaShea : There's several articles in the editor site about this, but here are some basics.

elleCreatEd : phone...

LisaShea : Put out a weekly newsletter and explitly ask a question in each one - and link directly to a forum thread on that topic

BellaRealityTV : Ok

LisaShea : In your article, say something like "To chime in on this, come by our forum thread" and link to it too

Samten : The red on the less the 200 word articles...what about my fun and games articles like the book marks and coloring sheets

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I thought of one yesterday, but in true Jennie form I have completely forgotten it. lol

elleCreatEd : gotta go will read tanscript

Samten : byebye

Jilly : also, indivually welcome each new poster and show personal interest in them, ask them about themselves

BellaRealityTV : Bye, Elle. :)

LisaShea : You need a tough skin, but ask or say something really outrageous. Like "Should the costumes in the dance thing cover up the entire body in case kids are watching". Something to get people jumping up and down

Jilly : bye elle

LisaShea : Bye Elle :)

Jilly : on your forums, all you really need is one devoted forum person and that starts to snowball. but it really is like a relationship and needs to be cultivated.

BellaRealityTV : Jilly, I will try that but right now I'd have to welcome the Invisible Man.

Jilly : heehee

LisaShea : Samten - if an article is under 200 words then nobody will find it to know it's there. Remember that 99% of people come in to a specific article from Google. They really aren't roaming your site randomly looking for things to read :) So for example on your fun and games page, talk a bit about how riddles were an integral part of Buddhism, helping people learn

BellaRealityTV : Ok, thanks

BellaRealityTV : lol Jilly

Jilly : eventually, if you keep posing questions someone will answer/ always answer your own questions first to start things off

LisaShea : Check back in the forum every day or two, and respond to posts with questions. Don't just say "That's nice", say "Well OK but how about this?"

BellaRealityTV : I'll give it a try.

Samten : I was thinking more about my puzzles (top in google search) I link to a bella page to be printed off

LisaShea : Puzzles like jigsaw puzzles?

Jilly : people like it when you show an interest in them as indivuals. we all crave connection. a good forum does just that

Jilly : then encourage your regualrs to welcome and answer the newbies.

LisaShea : yes encourage people not to need your specific answer

Jilly : it's actually a lot of work to get a forum off the ground. But it DOES happen if you want it.

BellaRealityTV : I guess there are a lot of closet reality tv fans. lol I get lurkers but no talkers.

Samten : no, I made a ton of crossword puzzles/wordsearches/decoder and so on puzzles last year along with some coloring sheets I have a main page that talks about them and then I link to them for people to print off

BellaRealityTV : BUT.... I will not give up.

Jilly : right, just keep talking to yourself. it sounds silly but keep it up

Jilly : eventually someone starts biting

Jilly : then others get encouraged

LisaShea : People always lurk first. That is the safe thing to do. They need a "tipping point" to decide to create a forum account and talk. It's a big decision. So make it easy. Put up polls, things where they can participate without being scared

BellaRealityTV : I even went back into a thread and said something like ... Somebody talk to me... anybody LOL

BellaRealityTV : Will do. :)

LisaShea : Samten - people really come to us for our views and personal opinions on things, so that is always key for us to provide. If you have a coloring page, just by itself I'm not sure if that's really voicing our opinion :) There should always be something with it, maybe a description of the story that it illustrates

Jilly : yes, exactly. you have to show them it's worth making an account. I hate it on forums where I have bothered to fill stuff out and post, then no one answers my question. it burns me against doing that elsewhere

Jilly : lots of poeple are forum gun shy.

LisaShea : You don't want to sound desperate in the forum :) People get scared away by that. Ask real questions, one with easy answers. That lets people think they can be involved without being a rocket scientist

Jilly : so your has to be the one where they get personal attention, whether from you or your forum regulars

BellaRealityTV : Ok

Samten : Actually I created them last year because there were tons of parents on my message boards wanting stuff for their children and there is so little out there.

LisaShea : I have lots of items for forum contests sitting here on a shelf. Go into the admin area, claim one, and then run an easy contest for it. One that pretty much anybody would know the answers to.

LisaShea : That helps my house get clean, it gets someone to start posting in your forum and the winner gets a free prize

LisaShea : Greetings Kim :)

Kim Bayne - Editor : Hi, there

BellaRealityTV : Ok I will think of a forum contest. :) I am sick of talking to myself in my forum.

Samten : There is really only 1 other site that has coloring sheets and printable puzzle on buddhism

BellaRealityTV : Hello, Kim.

Kim Bayne - Editor : LOL, BellaRealityTV

LisaShea : Samten - but if they're related to Buddhism there must be a reason :) So talk about that reason why the image is related to Buddhism - to give it meaning :)

Kim Bayne - Editor : Hey, what luck that I finally had the time to join you in a chat

Samten : oh you mean do like a full article then link to it in addition to my main listing?

BellaRealityTV : My reality tv newsletter is under 400 words. Do we have to make those longer?

LisaShea : Samten - I mean to put a description under the image. That way when someone prints the image out they have its description too, you want them together

Samten : oh ok

LisaShea : It's like printing out a coloring page of a robin and also learning all about the robin, how it has blue eggs and so on. It brings meaning to the activity

Kim Bayne - Editor : Well, I looked and I don't see a prize that fits Paper Crafts

Jilly : not to mention the hangman game article. that's not going to be 400 words.

Kim Bayne - Editor : Lisa, you could always be a secret Santa to some deserving editors.

LisaShea : It's the difference between having a basic recipe that just says "mix this mix that your'e done" and having a recipe that explains "this works really well if you use a metal bowl, and try adding in raisins instead" - you are making it personal. That's why people come to us, because we are real people :)

BellaRealityTV : Yeah, Jilly. I wanted to do one on Hangman but I can't stretch one out to 400 words.

Kim Bayne - Editor : :)

Jilly : I have old articles like hangman, word search, etc...

Samten : oh ok. I can do that

LisaShea : Kim - it doesn't have to be related at all :) You can use anything as a prize

Kim Bayne - Editor : Yes, I agree with Lisa. Making it personal really helps create a sense of community.

Samten : what about sending a request to review exensive items that you know your readers will love

Samten : http://www.novica.com/itemdetail/index.cfm?pID=48372

LisaShea : Jilly - hangman alone isn't really an article :) We do have many different kinds of puzzles we offer - hangman, word search, word scramble etc. So make an article about all the options

Kim Bayne - Editor : I am always trying to weave a personal comment or insight into my paper crafts project instructions. The readers connect with oyu better.

LisaShea : Samten - people won't send you expensive things if you haven't proven your ability to review inexpensive things first :)

LisaShea : You have to build your library of reviews to show proof that you are a capable reviewer. Once you do that, believe me, the offers will come flooding in

Jilly : back when we made the hangman stuff there was no need to make them 400 words

LisaShea : I get way too many people trying to send me books now, I forward most of the messages to other editors to cover

Kim Bayne - Editor : Good grief. I can't believe how many copies of the Wilson Philips California CD you have.

Jilly : I guess i could unfeature them until I have time to compile the games

LisaShea : Jilly - actually we always asked for 400 words :) We just never had any follow up before, and a specific editor or two started writing every article with only 40-50 words :) So like one or two lines

LisaShea : Well but that's what publicists do Kim :) They send out batches of CDs because to them this is free advertising

Jilly : yes, but we always figured stuff like that didn't count.

Samten : I've done many reviews I have two that I am polish up now

Samten : I'm concerned with annoying my readers with constant reviews tough

LisaShea : Ah but the 400 word count isn't arbitrary :) It's to help ensure Google and other engines find it. In fact the alert in the article listing only alerts at 200 words, that's only half of 400 :)

BellaRealityTV : So.... is it ok for the newsletter articles to fall short or not?

Kim Bayne - Editor : I've got it! You have so much stuff related to Las Vegas. I could create some a Vegas-themed artist trading card project...

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I always consider reviews 'extra' articles, not counting towards my weekly one

LisaShea : On the newsleter article, talk about the issues you'll cover, mention some FAQs, explain your review policy. That way people who are interesting in contacting you read all of that

BellaRealityTV : Ok

Jilly : Like I said, I will take them down until I feel like compiling them

Kim Bayne - Editor : Yeah, Lisa. I still get books for topics I haven't covered in years. I try to tell the publicists to clean up their mailing lists, but they don't.

LisaShea : I find it really helps cut down on the repetitive emails I get, if I put that all out front before people start trying to sign up and email me

LisaShea : Jilly - you can easily hit 200 words just by mentioning all 3 word games, even without doing anything else. And all 3 are listed right on your word game admin page :)

BellaRealityTV : I'm getting ready to head home. I hope everyone has a good evening. :) I'll read the transcript later.

LisaShea : Kim - just forward those along to other editors, many editors do that, it's a whole round robin we have going

LisaShea : the emails not the books :)

LisaShea : Night Reality :)

Samten : night

BellaRealityTV : Nite

LisaShea : On reviews, readers really do find honest reviews to be quite valuable so they don't feel cheated

LisaShea : but yes if you did two straight months of reviews they might be eager for zero-cost advice too - many of our readers don't have extra money to buy things

Samten : And bad reviews? I have one coming that is on a book that is waaay out there

Jilly : well i started taking them down and now have been locked out of living simply.

LisaShea : many editors have mixed feelings on bad reviews. Some tell the publisher their thoughts but won't put up the review. Some will put up the review under the theory that they are helping their visitors not waste their money, so in essence giving them money

LisaShea : If you can explain why you didn't like it, it might still be that others understand that they will like it because of waht they are looking for.

Samten : I'm trying to do maintain a balance but i seem to go in spurt I start on something (currently childrens books) and go and go and go

Samten : grrrr

LisaShea : If you're on a roll, it's fine to go with it ;)

Samten : lisa could repeat your last post or two, please?

LisaShea : many editors have mixed feelings on bad reviews. Some tell the publisher their thoughts but won't put up the review. Some will put up the review under the theory that they are helping their visitors not waste their money, so in essence giving them money

Jilly : did you catch that about being locked out?

LisaShea : f you can explain why you didn't like it, it might still be that others understand that they will like it because of waht they are looking for.

Jennie_HerbsEditor : 'Your session has expired'? You only get 3 1/2 hours a session? lol

Samten : locked out? no

LisaShea : LOL :) Usually that means you didn't type recently, that's odd

Jennie_HerbsEditor : hehe

Samten : 30 seconds? ;)

Kim Bayne - Editor : Oh, I am dialing in on a VPN and my DSL is (gobbledegook)

LisaShea : Jilly - do you mean that your site name isn't in the drop down list any more when you try to log on? That happens if you put in a bad password too many times, it's to keep hackers from guessing at our account passwords

Jilly : no, i took down all my games and newsletters articles and now I can't get into living simply

Jilly : it says it is in an alert status

LisaShea : Jilly you mean like you were completely deleting them?

Jilly : just unfeaturing

LisaShea : That is also something that triggers a hacker warning, in case a hacker gets in and starts trying to delete all your content

Jilly : and unarchiving i meant

Jilly : so now I can't get in

Jilly : not deleting

LisaShea : ah ok if they were really short it probably thought you were deleting things and just putting in short "ha ha" sorts of messages, hold on

LisaShea : see look my peaceful music playlist ended and now the birds are eating each others heads

Jilly : head eating, mmmmm yummy

LisaShea : ok I released the lock. Don't worry about unfeaturing them, just update them as you have time

Samten : I got 2 go, I have to get B-day presents for tommorrow from a friends accross town in this lovely ice storm

LisaShea : It's like one bird bites the others' toes. The other birds goes "ACK ACK ACK". So then five seconds the first bird does it again. And the second bird yelps again. It's like water torture

Samten : but if anyone has any reason for me to stay....

Jilly : okay, thanks

LisaShea : LOL you go and relax :)

Kim Bayne - Editor : I live in Tucson. I don't have to shovel the snow. I just get to breathe the blowing desert dust.

Samten : I have a house here in winter wonderland if you want to move?

LisaShea : Samten - listen to something peaceful in the car to pass the time and go slowly

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I think my computer is arguing with the chat

LisaShea : I love snow :)

Jilly : i like the gentle beeping of finches better than keets myself :)

Kim Bayne - Editor : The mountain's were barely visible this morning in Tucson. I couldn't figure out the haze, then I remembered the dust and the wind.

Samten : yeah i just don't want to get dressed...

LisaShea : yes I *love* finch beeping, that is so cool

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I think my comp and the chat are arguing... just got it again lol

LisaShea : and I love parakeet warbling. It's the "OW! OW! OW!" that gets to me because I know it's one of the birds tormenting the other one repeatedly

Samten : alrighty bye all thanks!

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I'll be visiting Tuscon in about a week and a half :)

Kim Bayne - Editor : There's a beautiful finch "garden" at my mother-in-law's retirement home.

LisaShea : and then I yell "STOP IT ALREADY!" which does little good :)

Jilly : the beeping is so soothing, like dove coos

Kim Bayne - Editor : Really?

Kim Bayne - Editor : So send an email to kimbayne@yahoo.com with the Subject Line:: Editor Coming to Tucson"

Kim Bayne - Editor : Maybe we get meet.

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I'm visiting my BF's parents in Utah right now, and 'on our way home' I'm going to stop in on a friend of mine of 8+ years in Tucson for a day or two :)

Jilly : I love Tuscon

LisaShea : OK I went and gave them all more food. That seems to have distracted them from toe eating. It's good to have distractions :)

LisaShea : ahhhh peace and quiet :)

LisaShea : see, it's the little things that bring you contentment. Fresh seed in your seed dish

Jennie_HerbsEditor : lol

Kim Bayne - Editor : I'm getting into bluegrass music lately. Wish I had an outlet for submitting CD reviews. ANy thoughts?

LisaShea : Amazon. I put a ton of reviews on Amazon

LisaShea : and then publicists see my reviews on related topics and ask if I'll review their item

Kim Bayne - Editor : Oh, good idea. Does it draw users to BellaOnline?

LisaShea : and then people click on my name as a reviewer and see the other sites I run

LisaShea : yes definitely

Kim Bayne - Editor : argggh. <-- operator error

LisaShea : I get a lot of visitors who say they found me on Amazon

Jilly : Lisa is like the number 75 reviewed at amazon. i have no idea how she does all this

Kim Bayne - Editor : So do you have a Listmania list?

LisaShea : I think I'm 66 now :)

LisaShea : Again it's just about going one step at a time. I read a book, I review it, I put it into the library pile

LisaShea : In essence I invest my time - I was going to read the book anyway - on a 10 minute review. That investment then gets me more free books

Kim Bayne - Editor : Not sure I understand the ranking (75, 66)

LisaShea : Nope I don't really bother with the lists. I just write reviews

LisaShea : People vote on your reviews being good or bad

LisaShea : Out of all the reviewers on Amazon, I am the 66th most popular

LisaShea : I'm aiming for the top 50 :)

Jilly : which is amazing since people start at like, what, one million rank?

Jilly : :)

Kim Bayne - Editor : Well, got to go get the teenager at school. Hey, everybody, when you get a chance...check out my daughter's blog. She's got pictures of her with celebrities -- some she's sung with. The most recent picture is of her with Top American cyclist Floyd Landis. http://kaityruth.blogspot.com

LisaShea : right there are millions of reviewers. So it was a slow steady climb :)

LisaShea : Neato Kim :)

Jilly : have fun kim

Kim Bayne - Editor : Yep -- she's becoming the penultimate national anthem singer around here.

Kim Bayne - Editor : Bye

Jilly : wow, cool kim

LisaShea : OK Jilly what can we help you with? Did you get my link to the passport form?

Jilly : yes, thank you so much. I have it printed and filled out. now I need to get a check and picture. We don't have actual checks (we pay our bills online), so I need to get to a bank and make a check

Jilly : it will also be easier to have pix made at the drugstore, since my color printer ink is empty.

LisaShea : I think you can make your own checks. A check is just a piece of paper with numbers on it

Jilly : i've thought about that, that would be fun. but then gotta get the kit

LisaShea : Free. http://print-bank-check.qarchive.org/

Jilly : but this has all been so exciting. I am really catching up on my life. I have sent for my credit scores and have also been waiting in my student loan consolidation application.

Jilly : my counselor says I can be out of default in 50-60 days.

LisaShea : oh here's the direct link for you http://check-printing-software-2000.checkprintingsoftware-com.qarchive.org/

LisaShea : That is SO great! That's only 2 months!!

Jilly : ooh, let me see

LisaShea : So you just fill in the details, hit print, and cut around the edges. Voila! Free check whenever you need one

Jilly : yep. I have to decide what payment plan to sart with. I guess it doesn't matter, since i can change the plan later as needed. it's such a big different in interest, though, my gods.

LisaShea : right don't stress about it too much right now. Start with something that makes sense for you now. You can always change it later

Jilly : okay, looked at the check print site. that is very nice. thank you

LisaShea : So just focus on making a check for now. This will be a great skill to have in the future

Jilly : heeheee, aren't computers great?

LisaShea : Yes indeedy!

LisaShea : You can worry about a photo later, once you achieve this victory :)

Jilly : soon I wil never have to leave my room :-0

LisaShea : Ah actually soon you will have everything so organized that you can leave your room and explore whenever you wish, and have the money to explore where you want to explore :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I have been having SO much fun with CafePress... that chat last time really inspired me ;)

LisaShea : That is great Jennie do you have any dragons for us to look at?

Jilly : I am also really having fun with saving change. I really am jazzed about it. it fulfills the 'gather' instincts of the hunter-gather equation.

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Not yet... I got Capricorn line-drawn, but haven't been able to scan it in yet

Jilly : Jennie, how is your cafe press shop doing?

LisaShea : ah ok let us know when you have a dragon for us to ogle :)

LisaShea : I love dragons!

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Made $4.80 since I got the premium shop after last chat :-D

Jilly : me too!

LisaShea : My son is a Capricorn

Jilly : me too on dragons, not $4.80

LisaShea : That's a great start :)

Jilly : sweet, on earning something. every bit help

LisaShea : Yes saving change is so cool, it adds up quickly

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I also have a lovely silver dragon already drawn that will make some lovely stuff once I get her scanned

LisaShea : I brought all our loose change to one of those coin sorting machines that gives you 100% of the money if you go with Amazon. So that was $35 in "free" Amazon stuff I get now

Jilly : hey! I JUST FOUND OUT i SAVED A LIFE!

LisaShea : oh???

Jilly : Jill,
Our German Shorthair Pointer had eaten a 7/8" glass ornament, half went
down his throat. I read about your cotton ball trick 1 day after. The
minute I read it I gave hime 5 cotton balls soaked w/ eggnog. 1 1/2 days
later we woke early to hear him throwing up,exactly the other half of the
glass ornament was balled up in the cotton, just like you said--it covered
the sharp edges of the glass.- how this worked and how it came out I will
never understand why, but thank you for helping the fami

LisaShea : Wow that is amazing!

LisaShea : You are such a good doobie :)

Jilly : it's nice to get those letters

Jilly : yeah, I'm a doobie

LisaShea : See look that whole family is going to be happy for years because of you :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Grrr...

LisaShea : Now now no stress :) Its' just a browser window!

LisaShea : and Jilly saved a dog's life :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Something is lagging me up badly

LisaShea : So definitely we want to see the silver dragon too when you scan that in

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I think I have a small size posted somewhere... one sec lol

Jilly : with the Eragon movie coming out dragons will get more attention, so it's good timing

LisaShea : yes exactly that is perfect!

LisaShea : all sorts of dragon lovers will blossom :)

LisaShea : That looks like dragonriders of Pern except for boys :)

Jilly : so you should probably review the movie and then put a link to your cafe press shop

Jennie_HerbsEditor : There she is... http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/art/j/e/jenniekiger/silver.jpg.html

Jilly : how will we get a dragon movie to be about herbs, lisa?

LisaShea : I refused to read Eragon for the longest time because it seemed to me that the writer was taking from the popularity of Lord of the Rings with that title and theme

Jilly : oo, very pretty jennie

LisaShea : Jilly - if jennie is going to start these dragon themed projects we really have to help her set up an area of her herbal shop to ahve them all - so all the traffic comes in to boost her herbal shop rankings

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Oooooh

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Inspiration just hit

Jilly : I haevn't read it yet, but i will see the movie. I love dragons. it does sound like aragon, though, whcih bugs me too

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Have you every seen the 'Flower Fairy' series?

LisaShea : That really is pretty :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Like the Apple Blossom Fairy standing next to an apple blossom and her dress looks like the flower?

LisaShea : so a /dragons/ directory off your herbal shop that has all these images and such

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I can make Herbal Dragons... *giggles*

Jilly : is there an herb that has a dragon name?

Jilly : like dragonsbane or something medieval

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Dragon's Blood... I don't know if Snapdragons are considered an 'herb'

LisaShea : like this flower fairy? http://www.art.com/asp/sp-asp/_/Aff--CONF/CTID--330494470/RFID--945671/TKID--15028915/pd--10097212/posters.htm

Jilly : a snapdragon is an herbacious plant, so yes

LisaShea : I wouldn't even worry about herbal dragons to start with. Just make a /dragons/ directory with whatever dragons you make.

LisaShea : it'll get traffic because fo the /dragons/ directory name and because it's part of your herbal site it will boost your overall herbal site traffic which will give you higher rankings

Jilly : that's a cute faerie

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Well, until the end of January I think it is I can't set up my shop >.< lol

LisaShea : well but you have a website right? For your herbal things?

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I do indeed :)

LisaShea : So just start a directory on that server and start filling it with dragon things :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Oh, you mean on my business website lol

LisaShea : that way it gets into search engines and people can find you, and as you add more, more people will find you

LisaShea : yes!

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I thought you meant the: Herbs site shop lol

LisaShea : No no I mean to get your personal herbal shop buzzing with visitors

Jilly : now where did she go?

Jilly : LOL

LisaShea : do de dum dum

LisaShea : she'll be back :)

LisaShea : No no I mean to get your personal herbal shop buzzing with visitors

Jilly : lalalala

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I wish I knew why it was doing that

LisaShea : It might be your system memory - the next time we have a chat try rebooting right beforehand and just having one browser open

LisaShea : Jilly used to have system problems until she got her new uber system. Now she can apparently play iTunes and everything while she works :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I checked the Ctrl+Alt+Del... it *says* I have plenty of free resources. blah

Jennie_HerbsEditor : This is a *brand* new, kick-butt laptop. ;)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : I got tired of comps crashing less than a week after I got them lol

LisaShea : Well, but things get counted differently. For example if your browser cache in particular fills up, your browser will start crashing until you clear out all cookies / cached files / etc. and reboot. Then your browser is healthy again

Jilly : yes, uber is good

LisaShea : Uuuuuuuber

Jilly : Master Uuuber

LisaShea : OK I'm going to go find some food - Bob who usually brings food to me is off galavanting. Feel free to email me if you guys have more questions or would like more ideas!

Jilly : hey, anyone know how much skype will cost after the new year?

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Much as I am enjoying this though... I need to get going... I'm getting complained at because everyone else is upstairs eating lol

Jilly : oops, sorry

LisaShea : Jilly let me know if you need help figuring out the check software, hopefully that will be easy for one check

LisaShea : lol jinx :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : roflo

LisaShea : see food causes stress if you don't go eat it :)

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Take care guys, and thanks for everything Lisa... and I mean everything :)

LisaShea : sure thing! Good luck with your dragons!

Jilly : okee, thatnks for the help, guys!

Jennie_HerbsEditor : Thanks! :-D

LisaShea : enjoy Jilly!

LisaShea : night :)

Jilly : nightie night

Jilly : hey, look, it's just meeeeeeeee!