Life is...

I've determined that life is always confusing, always unexpected and never turns out the way you thought about or possibly planned. No matter how many times you think about what your perfect life may look like, you almost always get thrown a curve ball and your life takes a different turn. A turn you never wanted.

Need fabulous eyeglasses at a great price? Try Zenni Optical!

Zenni Optical is running a fabulous sale right now! If you buy 2 pairs of eyeglasses, you'll get the 3rd pair free (equal or lesser value). This is their biggest promotion ever and it is a limited time offer. Zenni Optical relies on their customers to promote and market their brand, Zenni. All of their glasses include free anti-scratch coating, free thin and light 1.57 index single vision lenses, free full UV protection, a free protective case and a free microfiber cleaning cloth. Tinting can be added to any frames for an additional fee of $4.95.

If your style is mod, retro or conservative, Zenni Optical has you covered.

Their prices range from $6 to $46. The ordering process is super simple. You need to have your prescription before ordering. If you don't have your prescription, you will need it before getting started. Once you have your prescription, visit Zenni Optical. Find and choose a pair of frames. You can even try the frames on your own image (needs to be uploaded). Once you've decided on a pair of frames, you click "order". The next step is where you'll enter your prescription. Once you've entered your prescription, you'll add your frames to the cart. That's about it. Simple right?

So what are you waiting for? If you need affordable, hip or conservative frames at reasonable prices, try Zenni Optical. They design and manufacture their own product and are able to pass the savings to you, their customer. Where else can you get three pairs of glasses for less than $150? For affordable glasses, visit Zenni Optical! Check out this link for $6.95 prescription eyeglasses.

Don't underestimate the power of using Linkedin.com for your job search!

My son started full time pre-k this past September. I told myself I would go back to work when he started school full time. I started (passively) looking for an opportunity in August and really kicked my search into full gear in October.

I have always used search firms/agencies in the past and was always successful. This time around was different. The job market has changed so much since the last time I worked. Recruiters are looking for candidates with specific talents. I must admit, my job search this go around was difficult and I started to get down on myself. I know I'm a good candidate, but I almost felt as if I was being discriminated against. It was as if just because I didn't have recent employment experience, I was not good enough for any positions they had. Very disheartening to say the least.

I would wake up every day and repost/refresh my resume on Monster and Careerbuilder. Those job boards are so saturated and don't really work, at least not for me. I think they're a great way for recruiters to fill their "pipeline" as they call it, but that's about it. I did get a few hits off of both of those sites, but most jobs were garbage for the most part. It was as if the person sourcing for the job didn't read my salary requirements or my educational background. One job I was contacted about paid less than what I earned in my first corporate position, before I even had a degree (now I have two degrees).

I started using the job feature on Linkedin.com. I would get on Linkedin.com every day and search the most recent positions posted. I would search all positions, not just opportunities in a specific category. I finally found an opportunity a few weeks ago and thought to myself, I can do that! I submitted my resume and cover note and was contacted the next day. We set up an interview for the following week. Fast forward a few weeks and I was offered the position. Yay! I'm so excited. I start the Monday after Thanksgiving.

For those of you who are unemployed, please look into Linkedin's job search feature. If you don't have a profile, set one up. It worked for me!

Do you want to cut your cell phone bill in half? Try Straight Talk today!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Feel Richer with Android

If you're like most people these days, you try to figure out ways to cut back or cut out bills altogether. Cutting back doesn't necessarily mean you have to sacrifice good service. I'd like to tell you a little about Straight Talk:

Straight Talk offers two No-Contract plans:

1) The “ALL YOU NEED” plan for $30 a month to receive 1000 minutes, 1000 text or multimedia messages, 30 MB of data transfer for data phones and 411 calls at no additional charge.

2) The unlimited plan for $45 a month to receive unlimited talk, text and data Nationwide anytime with calls to 411 at no additional charge.

•  All the apps and games you need.

•  A smart phone with a smart plan, and as always, no contract.

• The power of Android phones, at only $45/month for unlimited use.

• Imagine unlimited calls, text, picture messaging and web for a whole year, for only $499.00!

• 411 calls are included at no extra charge.

• Free from activation, reactivation, or termination fees

International Long Distance:

Straight Talk also offers an International Long Distance Service, which is a flexible prepaid calling service that enables you to make international calls from your home, cell or office phone at low rates. 

Free from activation, reactivation, or termination fees. There are no contracts, no surprise bills and no credit checks. Great nationwide coverage and excellent reception/connectivity. Amazing smart phones; touch screen phones, and app capable phones with features like voice navigation, camera, video recorder, music player, instant messaging, and Bluetooth®. Reconditioned phones are available from $10.00 with camera, mp3 player, mobile web access, and blue-tooth capability. Great for young users! Finally, Straight Talk only uses trusted phone manufacturers like LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia and Samsung.

The power of Android

I love how Straight Talk enables people to cut their cell phone bills in half. You have to be crazy to be on a contract these days when you can get everything you need without one. Imagine the amount of money you could save switching to Straight Talk. What would you buy with the extra money you save?

Straight Talk is a service provided by TracFone Wireless Inc., America’s largest no-contract cell phone provider in the U.S., with over 18.8 million subscribers. TracFone Wireless is a subsidiary of América Móvil S.A.B. de C.V. ("AMX") (BMV: AMX; NYSE: AMX; Nasdaq: AMOV; LATIBEX: XAMXL), the 5th largest cell phone company in the world with more than 236 million cell phone subscribers. 

Feel Richer with Android

So what are you waiting for? Their phones have all the apps and games you need, a smart phone with a smart plan, and as always no contract! Ditch your carrier and your high monthly phone bill and check out Straight Talk today! You'll be happy you did!

The getting richer effect has expanded... by LittleBard95

Food Day is October 24th. What will you be eating?

I was making a smoothie earlier this morning and adding a banana as I normally do. I looked on the side of the banana and there was a sticker for Food Day. I had never heard of Food Day before. I decided to visit their site to learn more.

Food Day's goals are:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

There's even a Food Day map to find events in your area.

One question they ask on their site is, "why eat real"? We should all be eating real foods, instead of processed foods that have no nutritional value. Real foods consist of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. I think our world would be a much better place if people started incorporating real foods into their diets. Maybe a lot of drug companies would be put out of business because peoples lives and health would actually improve.

Food Day is this coming Monday, October 24th. What will you be eating?

High Fashion Home...Your place for contemporary modern decor!

If you live in Houston you are most likely familiar with High Fashion Home. This business originally started out as a fabric store and the owners opened High Fashion Home just across the street.

High Fashion Home is located in the heart of Houston's midtown area, just south of downtown. They carry an amazing selection of modern/contemporary furniture, accessories, fabric, lighting and gifts. I visited Apartment Therapy earlier today and High Fashion Home has an ad on the sidebar. I drive by this place pretty frequently, but haven't visited for a few years.

When you go to their site, they have a "room ideas" link at the top of the page. They have some amazing things and great ideas. All of their items are new, but many things look like vintage reproductions.

They also have a room planner application on their site. If you live somewhere other than Houston, don't worry! They ship to the 48 contiguous United States!

Baby-G & Ke$ha = Fab watches for any occasion!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Baby-G for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I'm someone who typically prides myself on current trends. Fashion-forward brand Baby-G has done it once again! This time partnering up with Ke$ha to create two watches that couldn’t tie in any better with her hit song “TiK ToK.”
Launched in September, the Baby-G and Ke$ha collaboration watch models display the head-turning style that make both Ke$ha and Baby-G unique to loyal fans. Ke$ha tackles two of her most signature themes in the design of her timepieces – animal print and All-American. Both watches are also adorned with Ke$ha's signature "Ke$ha" logo.

To date there are two Ke$ha watches that are currently available:

1) Red White & Blue watch: Inspired by the American flag because it's a recurring theme in Ke$ha’s aesthetic and also represents freedom of speech which is a right she passionately exercises in her life and music. Ke$ha created the patriotic BG5600KS-7 model, which features the colors and shapes of the American Flag's imagery with red, white and blue complete with stars.

2) Leopard Print: Ke$ha enjoys wearing leopard as it brings out the animal that is inside of her. Ke$ha hopes when people wear her watches they express themselves and never lose the animal inside of them. The BGA200KS-1E harkens to Ke$ha's wild side, as well as what is arguably the most identifiable theme in Ke$ha's music, imagery and style, by using an animal print. She designed this watch with a leopard print pattern on the watch's face and also its black resin strap.

The attention-grabbing watches also have the functionality that sets the Baby-G brand apart. The BGA200KS-1E is shock resistant and 100M water resistant and is equipped with an LED Light, world time from 48 cities and 29 time zones, a daily alarm, 1/100th second stopwatch, countdown timer, 12/24 hour formats and a mute function. The BG5600KS-7 features 100M water and shock resistance, EL backlight with afterglow, 48-city world time, four daily alarms and one snooze, countdown timer, 1/100 second stopwatch, mute function and 12/24 hour formats. Check out images on the watches here.

The watches are available at Tourneau, Nordstrom, select Macy's stores and fashion boutiques, with an MSRP of $120 for the BGA200KS-1E and $99 for the BG5600KS-7. Check out the collection on baby-g.com for more information.

I personally love the leopard print watch! I typically wear a lot of black and this watch would look great with jeans, t-shirts, flats, skirts, shorts-basically anything. I also love big watches. The bigger the better!

I encourage everyone to check out the watches themselves and enter the Baby-G sweepstakes! Please comment on this post and tell me which watch you love and why! For more information about the Baby-G sweepstakes please visit the contest rules page. You could win a Baby-G watch!

Please also be sure to check out Baby-G's photo shoot below.