When you think of “email marketing” your first thoughts might turn to the word “spam,” and you’ll think we’re talking about all the spam email that relentlessly clogs up our inboxes.   However, email marketing doesn’t have to be synonymous with spam.  An appropriate metaphor would be that spam emails are the billboards that ruin the view when you’re traveling as opposed to tasteful signage that helps you locate your destination or sites of interest as you travel.  When done properly by using a company such as Software Projects, email marketing can generate sales leads, build brand advocates, enhance brand image, and  remind your audience of your product offerings.   Email marketing can help you and your customers interact with each other in an efficient and respectful manner.

There are a few companies whose emails I eagerly anticipate.  I do a large portion of my shopping online, and I’m always looking for a good bargain on items I regularly buy.  Here are some examples of products I buy from email marketing:  k-cups for my coffee maker, books for my classroom, software for my computer or decorations for my new home.  Email is my preferred method of communication between businesses and myself.  Don’t call me at home.  Send me an email.  Then I can respond to it at MY convenience.  It’s quick.  It saves me time and effort.  Most of all, it doesn’t interfere or interrupt my other activities.

There are benefits to email marketing as opposed to using snail mail.  The first inherent benefit is that email marketing is a great marketing tool.  The second is that it is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of snail mail.   The third benefit is that it’s quicker to implement.  You don’t have to design postcards or letters, wait for them to be printed, address them and stamp them and get them ready to go.  Email marketing is also much easier in terms of tracking response and return on investment. 

If you are serious about learning more about email marketing, check out Software Projects.   There’s you’ll find the support for all your email marketing needs.

Now that the house is done, we’re turning our attention to the barn and getting RT’s workbench completed.  We found a wonderful website, Formaspace, where you can design your own workbench.   I had a great time playing around with the design.  It has a drawing of the basic bench, and as you click the features (utility drawer, cabinets, support arms, overhead lights, upper shelves, etc.) you want on your workbench, that feature is added to the drawing.  You can see the workbench being formed right on the page.   How cool is that? 

I love books.  I probably spend quite a few times more money on books each year than the average person.  Since most of the books I buy are for use in my classroom, it is important to keep track of which books I buy with my own money, and which books I buy with school funds.  School systems get real picky about keeping track of their expenditures.   Thus, every time I buy a book with my own money, I either put one of my personal address labels on the inside cover, or I write my name with a (P) beside it to show that it’s my personal book.  Trust me, the labels are the easiest way to go.  When I see my label inside a book, I know it is one I bought myself.

There’s another area in which I use address labels a lot, too.  Unfortunately, I’ve done a LOT of moving the past 10 years.  I didn’t plan on moving so often, but it happened anyway.   Since I really enjoy having personalized items, I especially like having custom address labels because they save so much time when I get ready to pay my bills or to write thank you notes - and they’re wonderful for using with Christmas cards.  I can spend my time and energy on writing a personal message inside inside cards and letters rather than spending time writing my return address each time.  They are just about the least expensive time-saver there is!

I have found the coolest website:  Great Discovery: www.ZenniOptical.com.  Even though I need to wear glasses, I often don’t because I leave them at home.  However, Zenni Optical provides such inexpensive eyeglasses that I intend to order a couple of extra pairs - along with prescription sunglasses, too.  All that I need to order new eyeglasses is the prescription from my optician.  I’ll input that information into the Zenni Optical online order form, pay an unbelievably low price, and soon the glasses will be on their way to me.  One thing I really want is a pair of sunsensor eyeglasses since the sun really bothers my eyes, and that way I wouldn’t have to worry about switching from regular glasses to sunglasses.  They have a huge selection of frames, too.  Plus, each pair of glasses come with an eyeglasses case.

One day last week I forgot to set my alarm clock, and thus when I woke up it was 7:16 a.m.  I remember the exact time because as soon as I saw those numbers on the alarm clock, I panicked.  There was no time to shampoo my hair.  By the time I shampoo my hair, dry it and curl it, forty-five minutes have passed.  And since I had to also shower, iron my clothes, get dressed and grab a bagel and a cup of coffee, and since I had to leave by 7:30 in order to get to work in time, taking the time to shampoo my hair was out of the question.  The result is that I went all day with greasy-feeling hair. 

As I’ve gotten older, I have found that I can occasionally skip of day of shampooing.  Unfortunately, that day last week wasn’t one of those days.  I had to prioritize my get-ready-for-work routine.  I took the shower, wore something that didn’t need ironing, skipped the bagel and coffee and headed to work.   Although I got to work on time, I went through the day with my hair looking stringy and limp.  And, if I’m having a bad hair day, I’m having a bad day.  Really, it’s almost ridiculous how much the state of my hair affects   

Then I read about the availability of a dry shampoo.  Salon Grafix has a Spray Powder Shampoo that acts like a dry cleaner for your hair.  It has a color match formula, easily brushes off, leaves hair revitalized, clean and shiny, and leaves no white powder or oil residue.

What a good idea!  The next time I wake up too late to wash my hair, or after RT and I ride our dirt bikes and I take off my bike helmet only to find that my hair is now pasted to my head, or I want to work out before a meeting, I’ll get out the Spray Powder Shampoo that I will start keeping in my car, and my hair will end up looking fresh and fluffy again. 

As a young girl, I sold Girl Scout Cookies.  As a mother I helped my children sell magazine subscriptions, candy, more Girl Scout Cookies, popcorn and wrapping paper for the various groups they joined as they were growing up.  There were also the service-oriented fund-raising attempts - the car washes, yard work, etc.  Now, my oldest granddaughter has become the third generation of our family to sell Girl Scout Cookies.  It seems that no matter what school or community group you belong to, there is a need for fund-raising.  And that fundraising usually means selling products.  No matter where we have lived, there is always that ringing of the doorbell that signals another child on a fund-raising mission.  Although I almost always support them because I remember being in that same position myself, it becomes annoying after awhile.  The items are usually over-priced.   Most importantly, though, I don’t need or want any candy bars or cookies or popcorn or magazine subscriptions.

Today I read about Shoutbox which is an online auction site that works with individuals, groups and organizations for fund-raising.  Just think - no more annoying and potentially dangerous door-to-door selling.   Using Shoutbox, you can raise money for children’s field trips, school supplies and other educational needs, along with athletic groups. You can post and share photos, too.  At Shoutbox, you can shop, sell and save.

RT and I tried to install our new printer today, but it required that our computers have Microscoft Vista instead of XP.  We weren’t sure how to proceed because what we needed was a Vista upgrade.  I started researching Vista and I found www.CostCaptain.com  - and online resource that provides authentic Microsoft Products.  They have special pricing for academic institutions, administrators, teachers and students of accredited academic institutions, along with public libraries and home schoolers.

CostCaptain provdes 100% Authentic Microsoft products at academic discounts.  They have Microsoft Office 2007 from $129 and Vista Upgrades from $89.  Add their friendly customer service, the availability of gift certificates and the convenience of online shopping, and it becomes even more attractive.  Buyers must provide proof of academic eligibility before the product is shipped.

It is so nice having the house completed.  It feels like home now, and I awaken each morning thankful for living in such a beautiful place.

Now that the house is finished, it’s time to start working on the interior of the barn.  The barn has been invaluable during this move.  We had it built last summer - just the floor and the exterior.  It holds all those things that we don’t want to put in the house.  It will be a workshop for RT once we’re finished with it.  Before RT can start working on the interior this winter, however, we have to find a way to heat it.

I’ve looked online and found a site, DESA Online Outlet, that has a wide variety of heaters.   I was particularly interested in the wall heater to the left.  It would work well to heat the barn while we finish the interior.   They also have vent free gas logs.  Although we already have a fireplace in the house and can’t use gas logs in the barn, I thought they looked really nice.  One of the items I’m most interested in is a patio heater they feature.  Wouldn’t that be cool out on the patio when we have guests over?

RT and I decided to have his office Christmas party at our house this coming Sunday evening.  There are two reasons for our decision.  Foremost is that we enjoy entertaining.  In the past week we’ve had company over for meals on four different occasions.  We’re looking forward to having friends over for a celebration.  The second reason is that having a big get together will force us to go ahead and finish our unpacking and decorating.  Right now we still don’t have any pictures on the walls.  All our pictures are leaning against the walls in both the dining room and the library.  It probably won’t take more than an hour altogether to put them up.  We just have to do it.  We also have to get lamps put up throughout the house.  There is only one lamp in the entire house right now, and that’s the small lamp on the bedside table next to my side of the bed. 

So we are shopping for lamps.  We need lamps and lamp shades for all the bedrooms, table lamps for the great room, floor lamps for the living room, and desk lamps for the library.  In my online search for lamps, I came across Farreys.com which has an enormous selection of lamps.  They have such a wide selection of lamps that my dilemma is in narrowing down the field and deciding which of the thousands available I want to get for our house.  They have just about any style, size or design you would want.   The thing I liked best about their website is that they have a search tool in the left sidebar.

We have a beautiful Tiffany style light fixture in our breakfast room.  So I used the search tool to look for other Tiffany style lighting.  I looked for a floor lamp to put in the great room to bridge the theme from the kitchen area to the great room.  The lamp at the top left is what I found.  Pretty, isn’t it?  Since the kitchen and the great room flow into each other, I think the lamp will provide the needed continuity between the two rooms.

A few years ago I made a trip with some friends along the Georgia coast and into Florida. One of the most beautiful places we visited was Amelia Island, Florida. Talk about heaven on earth - white sandy beaches, big oak trees, and a 50-block historic district in Fernandina Beach. Within those fifty block are many of the original structures dating back to the late 19th century. It includes many Victorian-style cottages and mansions. My friends and I enjoyed strolling along Centre Street that is packed with a wide variety of shops, art galleries and restaurants. There are also many lovely bed and breakfast inns in the historic district.

Now I’ve found a Lodging Special that gives you a third night free when you book two nights at one of Amelia Island’s hotels or bed and breakfast inns.  The deal is good through February 29, 2008.  That gives me a little over two months to get RT to help me plan our Amelia Island get-away.

So I’ve started preparing for the trip.  First of all, I read up on the history of Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach and discovered that it is the only city in the United States to have been under the domain of eight different national flags.  What eight nations could those flags represent?  I plan on visiting the Amelia Island Museum of History on RT’s and my trip there to learn more about the island’s varied and vibrant history.  There are also lots of activities.  Fort Clinch has six miles of hiking and biking trails, and there’s fishing, golf courses, bird-watching, sailing and beach combing.  Conde’ Nast readers voted it one of the top ten beaches in the America.  I’m really looking forward to seeing the island again and enjoying a relaxing three nights for the price of two.