It’s not uncommon for men to forget about a birthday, anniversary, or some other day that is special for her. Luckily men don’t have to run out and pick up a gift each time one of these days appear on the calendar. Whipping out the credit card and shopping online is always just one click away. I’m not sure how men survive the days before shopping online was popular. Now men can go online and buy shoes, make up, or any other fashion accessories; that he thinks will make her happy. Who is “her”? Well that could actually be a lot of people in a man’s life. Mostly we would assume it’s a girlfriend or wife, but her could also mean a mother, a daughter, or the boss lady at work. All of these women would be worthy candidates for a gift and there are no shortages of women’s gifts online. Some online shopping websites only sell gifts for women. Just remember your gift doesn’t have to carry an expensive price tag for it to serve it’s purposes. A simple bottle of women’s perfume or a gift card to her favorite restaurant is enough to score some major brownie points. It’s the thought and the fact you didn’t forget, that she will remember most about her special day and not the actual gift you bought her online.

If you never tried to shop online before, you really are missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures. If you don’t have a credit card and that’s the reason you have avoided online shopping, you may want to try it again, because many places offer alternative ways to pay. You may be able to do a check over the phone or some other new method which allows fast purchasing power for those that don’t have or unwilling to use a credit card online.

Sylvester Stallone has played many roles. He’s been in some really good movies. Perhaps you know him best as John Rambo or Rocky Balboa. I know those are the first two characters I identify him as. Just what exactly is the best Sylvester Stallone Movie?

They are many to choose from. You have Capone (1975), Rocky (1976), Paradise Alley (1976), Rocky II (1978), Rocky III (1982), First Blood (1982), Staying Alive (1983), Rhinestone (1984), Rocky IV (1985), Rambo: First Blood Part 2 (1985), Cobra (1986), Over the Top (1986), Rambo III (1988), Lock Up (1989), Tango and Cash (1989), Rocky V (1990), Oscar (1991), Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992), Cliffhanger (1993), Demolition Man (1993), The Specialist (1994), Assassins (1995), Cop Land (1997), Antz (1998), Get Carter (2000), Spy Kids 3D Game Over (2003).

He’s been in some really good movies. I didn’t even list all his movies, cause he’s be in over 60 of them. I think personally my favorite would have to be Rocky II. I loved the part where they were trying to get him to be a spokes person for different products and he just couldn’t do it. You could just see him talking about itchy scalp and you can knock it out with Product Y.It wasn’t just the USA against the USSR, but it was during a time that was the peak of the Cold War. There was a lot of tension from the two super powers during this film. The USSR was even upset over the movie, cause of the alleged steroid doping that Dolph Lundgrens Character was using during training. The Soviets felt that was a message of accusing them of giving their athletes steroids.

Of coarse you can’t go wrong with the first Rocky Picture either. The first one’s always the best. Also, no doubt First Blood was one of the best pictures of all time. I guess the only question now remains, who would win? If Rocky Balboa and John Rambo got in a tangle? Hey, it could happen.

Wow, has this summer flown by or what? I can hardly believe that very soon the crisp morning air will arrive, the leaves will turn and the romping of bucks will be seen at twilight. Its only August, but if you think about it is a great time to begin reloading our spent shells and prepare for the bug hunt this fall. There are numerous websites out there that get us up to speed, but the true home of the “Re loaders Experts” for reloading supplies is at www.sinclairintl.com. This is a great site for every hunter and for every re-loader from novice to expert. Their reloading equipment is top notch and user friendly. What I really like is the ease of shopping, where I can look at all the kits and get complete details of what I am buying. They simply have everything you will need to get ready this year from deburring tools and other case preparation tools to loading blocks, shell holders, presses and reloading dies. Right now they are having a special on their reloading log book and Berry’s Tumbler. You can request a catalog as well as sign up to their newsletter via email to keep up on what is new and on sale. They have a great customer service department and great shipping terms. Plus they also offer a multitude of other gun related parts, tools and videos. However, this is your one stop reloading site for all your needs from start to finish.

It simply amazing how many websites are out there selling gun parts. You could spend hours shifting through them all, looking for price, shipping, content etc. What I want and I would recommend is to find one with these items plus customer service. That is a real challenge to any store online; how do you bring customer service to your clients? Well, one store offering gun parts has brought us technical video clips to educate us and retain customer loyalty. I just watched a complete program on how to build your AR-15. They also offer clips form there trademarked “Gun Tech” series on gun sights, product reviews such as for Brownells competition three gun case, scope ring alignment and even how to use ear plugs. Here is an excellent clip of Brownell’s AR-15 Magazine I love companies that love what they do and seek to keep me the customer happy by offering these free how to clips. When was the last time you saw that? Plus, their prices are right on the money too.  They offer top of line parts for your shotgun, rifle, pistol and outstanding how to books and videos. They show you exactly how their shopping cart works by walking you through all the steps and finally a great guarantee. They have been around for 70 years now and still offer a 100% money back guarantee. They also offer a flat shipping rate of $11.50 so you don’t have to shop everywhere looking for that final price. I love their honesty and transparency.

Summer is in full swing and like so many couples, summer is the time for wedding anniversaries. I don’t care what the economy may say to you but we must never forget our loved one on the anniversary of your wedding day. Of course, the dog house is always available. One of the main topics on my page is the use of alternate power so when I think of a great gift for my wife, I think of a solar watch. I found a great one at www.bluedial.com This one amazing site that has a flurry of watches to choose from. I for one am looking very closely at the Casio Ladies LWQ120DA-AV that has a great look and fashion and runs on solar power. Then comes my best man from the wedding who quickly reminds me that is great, but your wife is not looking for practicality. She is looking or a beautiful watch that says just how much you love her. That is when the Citizen watches come into the conversation. Wow, just look at the number of choices I will have. There are 313 Ladies Citizen watches to choose from. But then I look at the closeout specials and behold, I found a lovely, Gucci Watch, specifically the YA116502 with its dazzling band and unique face. She has worked so hard for the family and is a great bride; she deserves the very best. You must remember your anniversary and never go stingy on her.

Even with the new economy, some things just do not change. Our home is still our castle and if you are married, you know just how much a wife wants to beautify her home. Friends and family still come by, there are still summer parties and in fact with people going out less, wives want to have their house ready to display. One idea that we wives should continue to strive for is having a very warm scent about our home. When you first walk into a home and the front door opens, you will immediately get a smell and invariably will make a judgment call. Do you smell the cat, the dog, the evening dinner? Why not make that first impression a warm scent from a candle such as candle within an apothecary jars? At www.jarstore.com, you find a multitude of candles to choose from, all in a decorative jar with pleasant colors a warm scents to make you house a home. With apothecary jars, you can choose the size of the a jar such as clear and frosted as well as the style of the lid. I for one love their honeysuckle and the fresh cut grass for the hot summer months. You can sell all the seasonal scents at their website, especially to get ready for the fall where they have several chosen just for that season. The website is very well designed and easy to get around. As you know, my biggest issue is always the customer service, where jarstore.com excels. You can click if you have a broken jar, need an update or Order info. Make your home a welcoming home by using scented candles this year.

One of the best ways that we can get our image across to our customers is in the uniforms that we wear.  If you think of a restaurant, each person has the brand on their uniform, while at the same time the uniform allows the customer to know what our role is within the business. We take this for granted, but our customers expect it. At the restaurant, what the host is wearing immediately tells the customer what they do and what type of restaurant this will be. This goes for the chef as well whose chef shirt is critical. We all look back at the kitchen and asses the professionalism of the chef. I found a solid company that can produce these uniforms for us at www.iDbyLandau.com. Look at the chef jackets and you will see that the iD0104 projects a different statement than the equally nice iD0131. Take a look at these chef coats again, you see the difference in image and branding. You need to take the time to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. iD by Landau has put together a great site with nice images to make a sound buying decision. I appreciate the way they use models so I can get a real life idea of what my restaurant will look like. iD by Landau also has many other uniform styles to shop for. They create uniforms for small businesses, Spa’s, hotels plus they can help you withe your Logo and monogram needs! I love a site that is so laser focused. This is where business needs to be!

Our family is huge on crafts these days for entertainment. Its fun and educational. We are starting out with clay projects and we need all kinds of supplies like lead free glaze pencils. We found AMACO/Brent to be the finest and most professional site to use for the unique craft supplies. For example, they make 572 different liquid glazes for both professionals and families like mine. They are then broken out for easy shopping, into categories like low and high fire glazes, under glazes and over glazes. I really like the photography they use on this site to give a good graphic detail of the items they sell. Our children like the variety of glaze chalk they have for sale. They come in delightful pastels and hues that the kids love, especially for spring! Take a look at the example image on the glaze chalk page to see what you can create with these colors. It is titled, “Our First House” which gives some idea of just how these colors stand out. Our favorite tab is the Kids and Crafts page, where you learn that they also produce modeling clay and magic mud which our children just cannot get enough of. You may be interested in downloading there 2009 catalog to get an even better idea of what they sell. I found the site to be very easy to use, with all sorts of links to more information on neighborhood clinics with a great help staff when needed. 90 years from experience speaks for itself!

I have friends who are considering a corporate move to the United Kingdom. Its hard to believe, but yes there are plenty of jobs in the world and they still need top talent and will pay to move them overseas. One of the issues that they must think about is affordable car insurance. Your local carrier in the US is probably not licensed in the UK and would it not be nice to find affordable insurance from those who know what they are talking about? The family will need specifically Van Insurance because unlike the US, they really do not drive too many SUV’s over there. The streets are much smaller and not as wide.

At www.autonetinsurance.co.uk/ they have the solutions to this problem. You can save up to 70% on your van insurance and with one click you can get a quote. What is more, you can get quotes on pet insurance, motorcycle, business, travel and caravan insurance. For us on this side of the pond, caravan insurance is RV insurance. What I love about this company is that if you find a better deal with the same level of coverages, you will get your money back. They shop 40 carrier to make sure of it. That is what shopping on the Internet is all about and few companies seem to meet this demand. Thank you www.autonetinsurance.co.uk for doing so! Further, their site is very easy to use and navigate. Just click on the type of insurance you need, click on give me an online quote or call their phone number, enter your information and receive your quote.

Have you ever wondered just how you would go about filing a home insurance claim and making sure that you had received the very best in settlement claim payouts? Probably not until the catastrophe happens, like a tree falling on the house or a fire etc. Step back and imagine for a moment trying to figure out just how much you lost, what items cost to replace, structures to be removed to waste and structures to be rebuild, the costs etc etc. The list goes on and on. I found mysmartclaims.com and I am very impressed. Their program is simply the finest and most professional out there. Their program is so comprehensive and developed to make sure the claim was accurate and that you received the right amount of money needed to replace your loss. Their Public Adjuster program is what you need to look into after you receive your settlement paperwork from your insurance agency. You have rights when buying home insurance and one of them is the right to re-open a claim within so many years depending on your State. In Florida you have 5 years, you will need to look into your state. You pay their $299 fee and begin to walk through their program. If you do not recover more than the cost of their fee, you get your money back. That is why I love these guys so much. This is what believing in your product should be all about! This is a very well made web site, along with informative graphs to show you the cost of their service and a lawyer plus some examples what other customers were able to recover after using their system. If you have an old claim you are still upset about, look into your state laws and if you are in the right time frame why not use this service because of the money back guarantee. It just makes good common sense.

I have to admit that I am using more bill pay methods online but with my new business up and running, I am going to need personal and professional checks to buy. Another friend recommended carouselchecks.com where you can find Checks here for sale in variety of professional and personal style format. With the purchase of business checks, they are now offering a free Logo and a free free binder. I really like this professional format to pay my supply stores and employees. Our family loves all the Checks with sports themes, kittens and especially the American Pride line. For the businessmen out there, there are especially checks for payroll and accounts payable. They also have computer Voucher checks you must take a look at. Carouselchecks.com has live online help to walk you through the process and offers great security to stop fraud. This is the last thing you need in the new economy where desperate people do desperate things. They also offer return label stickers, Ink stamps, checkbook covers and laser jet starter kits. I really like this well made site. It is easy to navigate and find the information you need. Plus, the pictures they use are very professional and are made from classic scenes using great photographers and artists. I think you’ll enjoy your shopping experience here!

Well it is that time of year again where many a couple has gotten engaged during this spring and now wedding plans are to be made. One site I would suggest in buying engagement rings is bluenile.com. These guys are a publicaly traded company on the Nasdaq which brings great validity along with the fact they are the largest online retailer of certified diamonds and fine jewelry.  Further, when buying diamond rings you must also know just what kind of stone shape you want. Finally, Bluenile has been profiled both in Forbes and the New York Times hence you should have no worry buying diamond rings online. Your ring is shipped free on FedEx and they provide a 30 day no questions asked full refund if you do not like the ring you bought. It does not get any better than this!

One of the frustrations I get is when after spending so much time to buy an item, at a price I like, I get the nasty little surprise of the shipping cost. Then I have to spend time trying to find out just who had the best deal after all. Its sad that no online shopping profit is made at the hidden shipping rate. Not much in the way of customer service if you tell me. One way to settle is all together is finding Free Shipping Coupons. I found a great site that publishes free shipping deals. From here you can locate your favorite merchants and others who are offering free shipping. The whole reason for using the Internet is finding the best price. I love this site, for example I found Babies R US and found that they have free shipping on the new Nintendo DSI. Further, I just blogged about Renewable Energy and I was able to link to Baby Earth who has environmentally safe products and learned that they have free shipping on orders over $99.00! My favorite deal though is the Magellan Maestro 4370 GPS, which is $100 off with free shipping. This site is full of deals which you can search through category, new deals or expiring soon. It is a nice professional site with excellent customer service. Go here first before you suffer finding the best deal which can take hours. Freeshippingdeals.com has done the work for you.

With spring coming on fast and the sun breaking through the clouds, it is time for me to invest in some new sunglasses. Even with the new economy, the Sun still shines and I feel so much safer driving with quality sunglasses on. I went out to the web to shop for sunglasses and found opticsplanet.net to be my first choice. They are one of the largest US authorized dealers of top name brand sunglasses that I need.  I am simple person and I quickly found myself connecting with the Bolle Snakes Anaconda Sunglasses. For me they are cool, functional and on sale for $43.95. Plus, when you order over $29.95 you get free shipping as I will for my new shades. When you click on any pair, you get a wealth of information about your choice. For me, I learned about the shatter proof polarized lenses, the Thermogrip temples and nose pads. Then Bolle offers 12 different models of the Anaconda series mixing frames and lenses. If you are in need of prescription lenses, just click on the Rx link and you will learn how they can get your prescription into your favorite lenses. This is much more than a general site with discount lenses. Take a look and you will see a professionally made site, easy to click through and loaded with information. They customer service rocks as well with their 100% customer satisfaction guarantee.

I guess its Auto day for me today. I just learned that Auto Zone’s profit increased in the second quarter by 8.6%. I have to guess that we have not only decided not to buy brand new cars as I wrote about below but have also decided to keep driving our current car and on top of it all, fix it ourselves. Could this be a little metaphor from the early days of Home Depot, where we all became Handymen and women, updating our current home rather than buying a new one? That could be a stretch but the point is that we can take on a few jobs ourselves. Walmart wants 30 bucks to change your oil. I can do it myself for 12.50 from Auto zone and take the oil back to them to recycle. I think its a great idea. Why not show your kids some home mechanical work too at the same time. Of course, things like timing belts and transmission work should go the pros, you will be amazed how you can top off all your fluids by yourself. Very few cars have to be lubed anymore. Remember those huge lube guns you would snap on at the hubs to lube…those are gone and are impacted at the factory. So now its just oil and the filter which is just a snap. Good luck auto parts stores as we all become more self sufficient.