Inspiring Quotes:

"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." - Henry Ford (1863-1947)

Friday, April 10, 2009

New Blog address

I originally started this blog with my husband & myself in mind. After getting into blogging more and more and commenting on other blogs, I cringe every time I enter my blog name dudechick :P It just doesn't sound right without the & sign in there! I started a new blog in my profile, under a name I can love forever "ahensnest". This fits great with my given name (henrietta) as well as my chicken hobby! To continue following us or if you're dropping by from an old link, please come over and check it out! Let me know what you think. Thanks, hope to see you soon.




Friday, April 3, 2009

Books I've read - Books to Read

I thought this was an interesting list. According to BBC's Big Read these titles are the top 200 books in the UK. Just for fun I'm going to keep track of what I've read on the list. I can see I have a lot of reading to do. I have many more books on my shelves that aren't listed here. I think this year I'm going to start a side blog just to keep a running ist of everything I've read. That should be fun!

bold green = read
bold pink = read & it's a favorite
bold gray = read it and hated it
blue = haven't read yet
red = don't care to read now

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
103. The Beach, Alex Garland
104. Dracula, Bram Stoker
105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz
108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks
109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, Sue Townsend
113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat
114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo
115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy
116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson
117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
119. Shogun, James Clavell
120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham
121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy
124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl
133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck
134. George's Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett
136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker
137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson
140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson
143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
144. It, Stephen King (explanation- I despise clowns- really I hate them)
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
146. The Green Mile, Stephen King
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett
149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian
150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz
151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett
153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett
154. Atonement, Ian McEwan
155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson
156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier
157. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey
158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling
160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon
161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
162. River God, Wilbur Smith
163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx
165. The World According To Garp, John Irving
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
169. The Witches, Roald Dahl
170. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco
175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder (I love this book - I need to dig it out and reread it)
176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson
177. Fantastic Mr Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay
184. Silas Marner, George Eliot
185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis
186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Grossmith
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. LawrenceLife of Lawrence
191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons
193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett
194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells
195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett
198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
200. Flowers In The Attic, Virginia Andrews


Thursday, April 2, 2009

Blog Hopping

I think I may be addicted to blog hopping, at least sporadically. I'm not even sure that's what it's called, randomly drifting around from one blog to another by way of buttons, links and other various ways. Oh the places you can go and the things you will see when you have no particular things in mind! Perhaps you've landed here that way!

Yep that's what's it's called all right, I looked it up :)

This morning I've found another blog with tons of giveaway links! Aren't those ones grand and so very convenient :) A Blog of Goodies (ABOG) has a great list of giveaway links to take up some of your free time. Everything from T-shirts, gift cards, jewelry and cookies can be found, go on and enter a few!


Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Happy Chickens

It actually feels like Spring today! The sun is simply beautiful this morning. Almost all of Mother Nature''s silly white trick of the night before last is melted away, it feels wonderful outside. The sun rise on the frost was gorgeous but I'm still glad that it will soon be gone for another season.

I also know it's Spring because my Hens are in full out egg laying mode. This morning There were 12 fat eggs piled into 2 nest. One hen was so excited to get outside and enjoy the weather that she laid the 13th egg as she ran out the coop's chicken door! ~ PLOP ~ right into the mud puddle, lol. She didn't even stop to check as she normally does, just kept going and started scratching away.

It's kind of funny that there should be 13 eggs this morning, especially since I have only 11 hens, 1 or 2 of which are old grannies and not particularly fond of laying an egg every day. I'm quite certain the 2 Roos had nothing to do with it. All I can figure is there must have been some midnight gabbing fest going on between a few of the chickies :)


Happy Spring!

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Found a great Blog giveaway!

WhileTheyPlay is having a De-Stash Giveaway! She recently found she has an acrylic allergy so can't use any of this yarn, so she's giving it to a lucky reader!

All you have to do to enter is visit her blog and leave a comment! Get 2 entries by blogging about it, just like I did here :) There's $65.00 worth of beautiful yarn + a cool tote to stash it in!





Good luck everyone that enters!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Savvy Sampler

Finally!! I have a free minute to check out the goodies I received earlier!

First up is a 4.23 oz organic Sensible Sipper from R.W. Knudsen family. It's really adorable and has the Berenstein Bears on it :) It also cam with a coupon for Buy one get one free of an 8 pack! That's awesome!

Next up is a packet of 2 Gummy Vitamins for Adults! (cool!) These are by Slice of Life. It says they're a Multi + Lycopene, it has a coupon for $2.00 off a bottle of them. I really like this idea of gummies for adults! It makes it fun for us too :)

The next item I pulled out was a sample bag of Puffins 100% all natural Peanut Butter Cereal, it's wheat free and low fat and looks yummy! Made by Barbara's. Hey whattyaknow! I can pronounce all the ingredients! It came with a $1.00 off coupon, sweet!

Something non-food related is next a 33 oz sample of Aubrey Organics Creme de la Shave shaving lotion in Rasberry Honey, Hmm, it sounds almost good enough to eat!

Last but not least out of the box is a 2 pack of Herb Teas from Traditional Medicinals. One is Organic Chamomile with Lavender, the other is Organic Nighty Night. I can't wait to try these, I am a big tea fanatic!

Do you want to know how I got all these treats? Sure ya do! I signed up to be a Savvy Sampler at NaturallySavvy.com. The website is full of great articles, tips, news, reviews and so much more. There's a lot of great information on organic and natural foods & living. Check it out! I signed up with them maybe 2 weeks ago and never expected to get products to review so soon!

Did I mention....

I absolutely love samples! What I love even more is finding a box of free stuff in my mailbox! Look what just came today :)



I've got to run but later on I'll post the what and more importantly, the HOW of these samples! I don't think I've heard of any of them so it's great to get to try out some new things!


Monday, March 23, 2009

A quick post

I've been a bit busy lately, I was hired as an agent at kgb_(The Knowledge Generation Bureau) , and have been spending most of my free time answering some strangely weird text messages :)

I just wanted to leave a link to some really great contests and giveaways going on right now! I've been following Deal Seeking Mom's blog for for a few weeks now and there's a lot of great info there! I ran across the list of blog giveaways yesterday! If you have a little free time to kill then this is definitely a fun way to spend it!

Every Sunday there will be a posting of Blog giveaways! If you are having one or want to enter one this is the place to go! Giveaway Gathering of the week. Who knows, maybe you'll find a great new blog to follow or find some new friends :)

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

A little Grocery Tip

At our local grocery store, Tuesday is a day to look forward to! On Tuesdays around 11am they stock the shelf back by the doughnuts with discounted baked products. Now these aren't from the store bakery, these are name brand goodies! Yesterday I bought Pepperidge Farms bread for $1.09 a loaf! I got a loaf each of 9 grain, dark Whole Wheat, Oatmeal & Rye! They had a ton more but we can only eat so much bread! The week before I bought some of the Pepperidge Farms Bagels, 1 regular and 1 whole wheat for $0.99 a bag! This is a huge savings considering these breads usually sell for $2-$4 each! They store beautifully in the freezer and can go straight to the toaster frozen, YUM! You should definitely check your local store to see if they have this special! I always missed it until I finally asked an employee when the heck the bread came in! lol.


Tip: Don't store your bread in the refrigerator, it goes stale faster. Store it in the freezer. It defrosts quickly and stays fresh much longer that way!
Don't forget to enter the Better Homes & Gardens Sweepstakes today! The prize today is a set of 6 Tritan Crystal Wine/Water Goblets!

I found a few freebies today. First here's a free mousepad from Hostohost.com, who can't use a new one of those!
Hey, how about a free Kelly Clarkson song? Enter "Dove" in the box and click redeem for a free track on Walmart.com! I love free music downloads!



Stay Dry!

Monday, March 9, 2009

Did you know?


I didn't realize how many magazines have great websites! Ya know what else a lot of their sites have? Giveaways! I'll bet there are a ton you subscribe to or read that have contests or a giveaway of some sort on their site! The most recent one I've found is over at Country Living, they are giving away some really nice stuff this month! Personally I want these Hunter boots (contest link here), so no one enter that one! lol

Today's prize on the Better Homes and Gardens site is a Peugeot 9-inch Pepper Mill. Tomorrow it's a Linea Q flatware setting. Sweet!


Here's a great sample for the guy in your life! Degree for men - Absolute Protection Deodorant! There's a quick form to fill out. "dry & fresh without compromising your manliness" LOL!

A freebie I seen on TV last night was for that new Emergen-C product. I think it looks like a really good thing, definitely can't wait to try my free sample!


MaraNatha is having a sweepstakes, you can enter to win One of two free weekend Yoga Getaways. They each include a 4 day/3 night trip for 2 to Yoga Journal's Estes Park, Colorado National Conference Sept. 24-27, 2009, Airfare & lodging, Meal vouchers, Yoga class & conference, Yoga DVD, one year subscription to Body+Sol magazine, MaraNatha Sampler Kit with coupons & recipes. The prize is worth $3,100. There are also some really nice first place and second place prizes. I know I could use a getaway! Go enter! If you win take your mom, aunt, cousin or bff and enjoy!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

A few quick freebies + more!

This could be a regular thing on my blog! I do love looking for unique and different freebies and samples. I want something different from the same old ones you see all over the web. I think I found a few good ones today! I'll save the best for last :)

First up is a FREE MenopauseRx Survival Kit , this looks really interesting and has a lot of information in the kit! Great for ladies who gone through natural or induced menopause. The kit contains free educational materials, full size samples and coupons, you also get 5% off if you order through their site. Very easy form with a few quick questions to answer.

Next I found this free
"Kids Shouldn't Smoke" bumper sticker. They also have posters, brochures and even 2 free board games you can order! Help spread the word!

This one isn't a freebie but it's something else I love, online games! This site is very cool! The Actibrain site is based on the company's Brain Trainers for the PC which have sold over 500,000 copies around the world. The site says you can "Exercise and train your brain in five key areas: Verbal, Numerical, Logical, Memory and Spatial. Play workout games as much as you want. Take Daily Tests and review your progress charts." I tried it and the games are simple but fun and challenging. Great way to keep your brain sharp :)


Last but certainly not least is my favorite giveaway today! Actually 3 freebies in 1! The Gooseberry Patch Store has a Free Fall Favorite Cookbook form you can fill out. They say there's a limit 1 per address. U.S. & Canada addresses only. The form is still active so you should get your new cookbook within 4 weeks!

Gooseberry Patch also posts a new free recipe from one of their cookbooks each week! This week's recipe is Nutty French Toast Bake, yum! If you register on their site they'll give you another recipe as well!

They also say if you have a recipe you'd like to share and they use it in one of their cookbooks they will send you the cookbook it's published in for Free!


I hope you find at least one of these freebies useful! I have lots more to find and post so stop by again!

clip art of a robin
There was a Robin in the backyard today!
Welcome spring!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

More Freebies! - It's an obsession

Wow! A double posting day! This is good for me :) There are some great giveaways going on at Seventeen Magazine's website right now. They are giving away lots of green/organic prizes, clothing, jewelry, makeup! Go take a peek and tell your friends! I know I've entered them all!

I love free samples!

I've spent my Saturday glued to the computer. I've been freebie & sample hunting :) It's one of my favorite web pastimes! I mean who doesn't like free? Free is so good! I have to tell you about the really awesome new sample site I found today! I've never seen so many legitimate and GOOD samples in one place before! I mean this is stuff I actually WANT to sample!

Before I point you over there though I want to show you the blog I ran across yesterday, RealWomenRealMoneyWorkFromHome , This lady knows of some really great survey & money saving sites so it's definitely worth your time to check her blog out! She's running a contest right now called the Sitemeter 10,000 Contest Check it out! There's a great chance to win cash ($100) or a goodie bag of free stuff! She has a lot of good info on her site!

The sample site I'm so excited about today is called MySavings.com. You will just go nuts over all the free stuff on their site! I can tell you I hate sites that try to reel you in and make you do all these offers and jump through hoops to try and get a sample, this site is NOTHING like that at all, very straightforward list and even has member reviews and forums! The site has more than just samples, you can find coupons, freebies, sweepstakes & contests, giveaways, surveys & deals of the day. If you visit let me know hat you thought of it!

OH! One more thing, I almost forgot! Vitabase has a really nice deal going on for anyone who has a public blog. They will send a 20g sample of Creme Au Caramel Rooibos Tea to anyone who places a link to Vitabase on their web site or blog! Wow! Now that's a great freebie! I can't wait to try mine, I absolutely love tea.

I hope you found some useful info her today! I plan on blogging more about my search for samples and quest to save money, so stop by once in awhile to see what's new!

SPRING is right around the corner!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Silly Kids

Imagine you have 2 children, they are 13 & 8, they like to argue...with each other. You often wonder if you get through to them at all.

Say on Valentines Day you go shopping with your mom...for 7 hours....let's just say you leave the kids home....with your hubby (insert evil laugh here).

What if they actually get along for a few hours while you're gone, they secretly work TOGETHER!!! to make something for you and hubby while hubby is on the computer. Say you come home and give everyone the valentines treats you got them and your children hand you a card!


You look at the cute card front they made, Goofy kids :)





You open it up and find two heart loollies, Yum!
(It's a good sign the plastic is still on them :)
The sticker Mom & Dad they made are adorable!
Oh Ya! Mom & Dad Rock! Woohoo!





Then you read what your eight year old daughter has written:

"Thank you for all you done.
Have a very very very very
Good, + Awsome Valentines day!
Love you very much!"

AWWWWWW How sweet :)


On to your thirteen year old's musings, this should be good.
He usually has something weird to say:

"To my loving and careing parents. I thank you for all you have done to keep me safe. Not that many parents do that and I am grateful for your support..."Even know I don't do anything". Let's stay on topic, oh, oh, yeah, I Thank you very much and hope you have a good valentines day. Your loving son, +++"

WHAT! Is this from the same boy who just farted on the cat?
You think you might cry!
Did aliens come and abduct the kids while you were on a 7 hour grocery shopping spree???





And then you turn the card over and realize,
"Yes these are my children, and I'm so lucky to have them :)"

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Booth of the Week!



This weeks Bonanzle Booth really needs no introduction from little ol' me!
Felicitations is owned by a talented and witty lady with whom I share a first name with!
Henrietta's booth is filled with gorgeous reproductions of Victorian era paper greeting cards, photo frames, scrapbooking items and so much more. Browsing her booth will take you back in time and put a smile on your face! I especially love the cheeky magnets.

You should also check out her amazing blog "The Red Ink Diary". There is a wealth of knowledge for online selling as well as quite a few amusing stories/pictures :)


Some of my favorite items from her Booth follow. You can't go wrong with your holiday & everyday greetings if you purchase from Felicitations!


















Thursday, February 5, 2009

Booth of the Week!





Earth First Native Plant Nursery

This week's favorite booth is one I really enjoy visiting. Their booth is full of native and natural plants and flowers. Based in New Jersey they really have a great selection and I plan on getting a few things from them this spring :) Some of these items are hard to find in your local greenhouse setting so it's nice to find them here.





They have other things besides plants. There are some really beautiful earrings and environmental friendly clothing. Also Handmade bird feeder wreaths and pine cones!





Gift Certificates are also available in their booth! Plants always make a wonderful gift for the gardener on your list!

Stop by and check out EarthFirstNatives' Booth today! It will make you long for spring :)



Saturday, January 24, 2009

A Lens that you need to read!

I've been very busy lately and just can't seem to find the time to blog! I did run across this great Lens on Squidoo that was written by a fellow Bonanzle seller, eyecatchingbeauty. The Lens is very well written and has some great content! Check it out!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

If You Can..



I just got this in an email and it is so true!
Thank God for man's best friend :)


(this is a picture of our sweet baby Ginger Grant, we couldn't imagine life without her! We rescued her in 2002)











If You Can..
If you can start the day without caffeine;
If you can get going without pep pills;
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches
and pains;


If you can resist complaining and boring people
with your troubles;

If you can eat the same food every day and be
grateful for it;

If you can understand when your loved ones are
too busy to give you any time;


If you can forgive a friend's lack of consideration;
If you can overlook it when those you love take it
out on you when,

through no fault of your own, something goes wrong;

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment;

If you can ignore a friend's limited education and
never correct him;

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than
a poor friend;

If you can face the world without lies and deceit;


If you can conquer tension without medical help;
If you can relax without liquor;

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs;


If you can honestly say that deep in your heart
you have no prejudice
against creed or color, religion or politics; then,
my friend, you are
almost as good as your dog.


Have a wonderful day today!

Bonanza Time!

Here's another great thing about Bonanzle.com - BONANZAS! You can hold a Bonanza (sale) once a month on Bonanzle. You can determine what percentage off you want your buyers to receive and the time & date of your sale. You can can decide if it will 1 to 3 hours long. The day of your Bonanza your booth has a much higher chance of showing up on the front page, it will also show up in the list of Bonanzas happening soon. You should try to be in your booth during your Bonanza so you can make deals and answer any questions a buyer might have, plus it's just plain FUN!

We will be holding our Bonanza tomorow (Jan 18) at 3:00pm EST / 12 noon PST. If you have the time to stop by and say hello, chat or tag a few items that would be great! You might even find something you just can't live without!

Here are just a few things you could purchase for 20% off!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Talkshoe

TUNE IN TONIGHT!
Brainstorming Bonanzle : Auctions on Bonanzle


01/12/2009 8:00 PM EST
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/31369

What's so great about Bonanzle?

Here's what!!

  • Tagging. I love tagging, it's like giving someone a big pat on the back! The great thing is the more people that tag an item, the better chance it has of showing up on the front page! I will warn you that it can become addicting like most things on Bonanzle!
The tag choices are Bizarre, Beautiful, Funny, Cool and Well Priced.
Make a choice! You can choose more than one at a time.


Another fun thing about tagging is that you can go into your stats and see how many times your items have been tagged!



  • Live Chat Window. This feature is awesome! You can connect it to your Instant Message program, it allows you to chat with those in your booth without even being there! Live Chat is a great way to let your customers know if you have any specials, sales or coupons running. It's nice to be able to discuss combined shipping, payment options and other details with potential buyers! It's great to let someone know you stopped by to check out their booth or tagged one of their items, maybe they'll return the favor! One more thing I love about the live chat window is......

  • Live Booth Auctions. This is a newer user-started feature of the site! You can run a LIVE! auction right in your booth's chat window! I've observed a few and they are very exciting! I have yet to hold one but plan on doing so in the near future. I think for my future auction on Bonanzle to be successfull I should do a few things.
  1. Promote! I'll need to get the word out, this means posting in the forums ahead time, usually there's a thread for that day's auctions that you can add your auction to.
  2. Try to choose something that will appeal to as many users as possible. I've seen people hold a poll asking what items buyers would like to see auctioned off. This will defintely give a better idea of what item to put up for bid.
  3. Make sure to put a message up in my booth chat window!
  4. Be in my booth ahead of time to get the party started! I'll need to try and get everyone pumped up and keep the chat going!
  5. Hold a 10 or 15 minute auction, seems shorter is better here.
  6. Make sure I & everyone else involved knows when it will be ending! Say I'm having a 10 minute auction starting at 9:50 pm EST. I would start the bidding at 9:50, the last bid that comes in when the clock still reads 10:00 would be the winner.
  7. As soon as the clock turns to 10:01 the winner would be announced.
  8. Thank everyone!

  • Handpicked Lists. These are great! I have about 8 in the works right now! I believe you are only able to have 3 active at one time, only one of mine is active so I'm good :) It's almost like tagging but better! You can find different items on the site that you like and add them to your handpicked lists! It's good to have a theme for each one such as Jewlery, clothes or fun things you think the founder might like! Nightgirl made this one. LOL! They only last 2 weeks so it stays fresh.



There are many other great things that I'll talk about in later posts. My daughter is home sick from school AGAIN today so I'm cutting this one a bit short. Have a good one everyone & leave me a comment if you're so inclined!



Fun YouTube Videos

IWON Team Challenge