Hanging out in Daytona Beach Shores for the Winter

I don't post much on this blog for some reason - so much has changed over the last couple of years. Or, should I say last 7 years!! A few years ago we started getting out of New England for the winter, and actually tried to sell our house up there, but the real estate market pretty much went belly up for us as it did for many others. No big deal - ya gotta live somewhere!

But the winters were getting brutal, so we started our winter adventure by staying in North Myrtle Beach, SC and then Myrtle Beach... But it was still pretty chilly during the winter, and the internet access at our favorite place just wasn't cutting it, so we headed down to Florida.

John loves it here because just down the road, in New Smyrna Beach, there is a winter softball league, and he loves playing - and for me? I love being able to just leave the condo and take a walk on the beach. Barefoot.

We stayed on the mainland last year, in Port Orange, but it was kind of a hassle in the middle of a work day if you wanted to take a quick walk on the beach, you had to get in the truck, drive over the causeway (Dunlawton Ave bridge) - and while it was only 3 miles, it definitely took some valuable time out of the work day...

So, right now we are in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida for this winter - and I love being beachside! We're just up the road from some really gorgeous homes in Wilbur-by-the-Sea (they have this really cool boat house for special events) and Ponce Inlet. I've been having a ton of fun doing one my favorite free activities, which is visiting open houses of lovely homes. This last weekend I went to an open house at a Ponce Inlet waterfront home for sale, and here is a video of the house - so atypical of what you might think of when it comes to beach homes. The realtor explained that it's somewhat in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, and it actually had a few similarities to our home up north. A little outside my budget (well, at least for now!) but the landscaping was stunning, and it backs up to the Halifax River (aka Intracoastal Waterway). Here's a video about it - and you'll see that "beachside" isn't JUST the beach - Ponce Inlet is VERY cool - maybe we can stay there next winter! (This video is for the property for sale at 105 Inlet Harbor Rd, Ponce Inlet, FL 32127- a Re/Max broker, PJ Warner, has it.

Anyway, I've been here about 2 weeks, and am learning where the locals hang out, and some of the remarkable things about the area. I wish I had been here a bit earlier to have seen the sea turtles, but during sea turtle nesting season, I'm up north.

Oh, well! I guess you can't have EVERYTHING all the time! :) Anyway, I'd best get back to work! Gotta make some money so I can not only pay the rent, but can buy a house like the one in the video! :)

Wolfgang Puck Bistro Food Processor - Personal Reviews

In a word, this Wolfgang Puck (Bistro) food processor is amazing. If you go to this page:

Wolfgang Puck Bistro Food Processor - Personal Reviews - you'll see a VERY in-depth discussion of my experiences with this thing.

You'll see a video - actually, I may just add it here, too... of this food processor in action.

Also, you'll find a couple of rather fun photos of my little "Wolffie!" - serious kitchen appliance, but my review is light hearted!

I don't know where I get this stuff... the ideas for the fun photos, or the ideas for the stories... they just sort of spill out of me! It really is all true though - how we came to trade in our old KitchenAid for the Wolfgang Puck.

Please head over to Squidoo and check this story out! http://www.squidoo.com/wolfgang-puck-bistro-food-processor

I Am LOVING Adding Video to My Sites!

So lately, I've begun adding video to my website posts and articles. I LOVE VIDEO! :)

This brings out a creative part of me that I honestly never knew I had. I've done a lot of SHARING of videos, but I now realize how valuable it can be for readers to SEE something that they have come to learn instead of simply READING about it.

They can bookmark the page, come back to it, etc...

For example, in this particular site, which is at Total Fitness For You, there are videos that illustrate certain things - such as fitness moves (as you'll see in the page about muscle building). There, I actually introduce the reader to the people behind the products - and it shows them as real people.

In this case, Vince and Flavia Del Monte aren't actors. And I personally think that's GOOD because most of us in this world are just regular, non-acting folks.

Am I right?

So, the more I can put "real people" into my articles, posts, etc, the better.

At least that's the way I see it.

I have found that when I do this, my "work" doesn't really seem like work - so that means that this is adding a particular value to my work! It's flowing so easily - it feels so natural.

If you are running websites, I really suggest adding some video - even if you don't make them yourself - you can find a really nicely done video on a related topic, and as long as the owner of the clip doesn't mind, you can embed it into your site (I have permission from the owners here).

I'll show a few other places where I've done this; particularly for my husband's blog. Stay tuned!

Chris Farrell Membership Review By a Real User

It should come as no surprise that I'm a bit of a "Chris Farrell" groupie! :) (BTW: I have permission from Chris to use these photos and screenshots). Anyway, I have learned a LOT from Chris over these last couple of years, and if you are at all interested in Internet or Affiliate Marketing, then please give Chris a chance. Watch my little video, and then try it yourself for only $4.95 for a 7-day trial. My link is www.YourInternetBasedBusiness.com Thanks! :)

Overcoming Procrastination - Pretty Serious Stuff

I'm on a writing jag about overcoming procrastination right now. A couple of months ago, I was given a book called "The Procrastination Cure - 7 Steps to Stop Putting Life Off," by a guy named Jeffery Combs.

Now, Jeff is a motivational speaker and success coach who has more than 20 years experience in this stuff. And, in his book, he talks quite a bit about how he built up a hugely successful sales business (I'm pretty sure he was in an MLM or network marketing business, but I don't know which one).

Having had more than my share of network marketing experience (NONE of which I care to relive or ever participate in again, thank you very much), I can relate to how paralyzing procrastination can be. After all, who on earth WANTS to deliberately jeopardize friendships by asking people to hear your business presentation for whatever the product or program happens to be?

Trust me... I've lost friends over network marketing, and that really hurts. It won't happen again. (Yeah, I know... I can hear some of you saying "well, maybe they weren't true friends to begin with..." but, maybe they thought I wasn't being a true friend either.)

All sales stuff aside, Jeff Combs really lays it all out. He talks a lot about his own experiences - not all of them good.

Anyway, since Jeff Combs puts HIS heart on his sleeve for all the world to see... so did I. I just spent the better part of the day writing about this book.

And, in my narratives, I share a couple of painful things about the true and very tangible costs of procrastination.

Look... whether you are in business for yourself or not, if you EVER find yourself struggling with overcoming procrastination, I invite you to take a look at what I've written. There are a couple of places where I've talked about this book at my Self Development and Growth blog, and I invite you to check out any or all of what might be helpful to you.

YES, you can overcome procrastination. I'm not necessarily saying that Jeff's book is the end-all on the matter, but let me tell you this: He certainly got ME thinking! And more than that, he spurred me to ACTION.

ACTION is something I talk a LOT about at Self Development and Growth. And, although I'm not into network marketing at all anymore, I AM into online marketing - as you can see from my Bring the Fresh Experiences and Results blog here. And trust me when I tell you that the Procrastination Monster lives in the field of online marketing as well! :)

And it lives in every day-to-day life (as you'll see in a very painful example that I give).

So, because I'm getting a wee bit tired having spent the day wrestling with my demons, here are the articles that I hope you will find helpful (I've been told I'm a little... *ahem* anal about stuff, so forgive the cross-referencing here!):

1) My initial post and realizations when I first got the book: Read Intro Post HERE

2) My SECOND post with some of my background: Read Post HERE

3) My FULL ARTICLE: Review of The Procrastination Cure by Jeffery Combs HERE