Another Crafting Deal of the Day Site

Scrapace has a new deal each day directed towards the scrapbookers out there. Enjoy!

Remember that if you want to see all of the fun daily deals that I have found:

Just click on daily deals in the topic cloud on the left side, down just a bit and it will bring up all the entries that I have made on that topic!

GE pays no Federal Taxes for 2010 - What about you?

Most people find the fact that one of the largest corporation in the U.S. is paying no corporate income tax unbelievable and frustrating.  Does it make you wonder if there is more that you can do to pay less?  Here is an interesting article that talks about how to do just that!  I can tell you that not all of the information is 100% accurate...(for example, they use the example of a $150,000 income and then talk about some deductions which are actually phased out at that income level)... but, it still makes for an interesting read.  If you really feel ambitious, read some of the over 2000 comments for more entertainment!

Simple Gift Tag Idea!

This is a great idea for a gift tag.  If you don't have time to buy or make a card, the simple gift tag works just as well.  It never hurts to have a few on hand. 

The simple tutorial is ....

Cut a rectangle from a bright happy paper.  The backside of mine was the same happy orange, solid color.  The solid orange side is where I wrote who it was to and from.

Randomly stamp "Happy Birthday" on top of the design.  Optionally, stamp a design on the bottom.

A simple coordinating die cut or chipboard is glued to the top.

Use a corner rounder on the corners and punch a hole for the ribbon.  Cut a simple coordinating ribbon and string it through the hole.  Use this to tie onto your package. 

And that's it!  Simple and Quick!

Deal of the Day - GROUPON

So... I began telling you about the deal of the day sites before anyone knew what Groupon was.  But, just in case you have not heard about it yet...
Groupon is a daily deal that showcases some store, eatery, or service in your metropolitan area.  This Groupon deal changes daily.  You can check it on their website, or get their daily emails or tweets.  When enough people "purchase" the deal (which is often at 1/2 price) then everyone gets the discounted deal.   You typically have a year to use it before your certificate expires.  They are very well-known and have grown by leaps and bounds in the last year or so.
These are especially great for anyone that likes to eat out and try new places.
If you want to see all of the daily deals that I have featured... click on the daily deals in the word cloud on the left of the screen.

Peanut Butter - Raisin Cookies - Easy & Fast

My favorite kind of recipe is easy and fast!  This one takes the cake, I mean the cookies!
Actually, I am not a huge fan of peanut butter cookies, but these are fabulous and I just can not stop eating them!

1 Pkg. Moist Classic Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Butter or Margarine, Softened
2 Eggs
1 Cup Raisins

Heat oven to 350.
Grease baking sheets.
Mix all ingredients, except raisins, in large bowl until well blended.
Stir in the raisins.
Drop rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake 9 - 12 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool two minutes on sheets and completely on racks.
Cookies stay moist when in tightly sealed container.
Enjoy!!

HINT:  Cookies are also great for freezing and taking out for surprise guests.  Make extras and freeze with a layer of freezer paper between the cookies, then you can just pull one layer out as needed.

Minnesota Record Snowfall for December

After record snowfall in Minnesota this December, I thought I would show you what my bird feeder looks like right now!  I am really beginning to miss summer and the birds, and yes, even the pesky squirrels!

Job Scam

Sometimes you can recognize a scam when you see it.  Like a job offering you $100,000, work from home, make your own hours!  I assure you, you probably have to buy something and then you have to build your own client base.

Other times, however, they are not quite so easy to recognize.  A recent job offer on Craigslist showed a job for someone to pack boxes and run company errands for a little over $10 per hour.  Seems reasonable and legitimate.  It wasn't, here's why...

Upon responding to this listing, the applicant is sent an email such as this:

"Thank your for your interest in this position. We currently have both full time and part time positions, with 4 more slots available. The more common tasks would be lifting , loading, packing boxes, unloading pallets, and similiar tasks.

On your extra time, or on slower days, you would be running company errands and purchasing supplies with the company credit card. Therefore, we require you, per company policy, to get a recent credit score. which we will keep on file along with a copy of your drivers license, so please have a copy of that as well. Get it here below: 
**Website information deleted, for your safety**

If for some reason you have terrible credit, we will discuss that in the interview. When you have all the neccesary documents, please email me with ONLY your phone number and a best time to reach you, then we will schedule an interview. Do not email any documents as it may have your personal information and we will only accept it in person.

If for some reason you are no longer interested in this position, please let me know so I can continue on with the hiring process. Have a good day."


Does it seem legitimate to you?

Sometimes job listings contain obvious language issues, indicating a foreign element, seems to be a recurring theme to be wary of (many instances of asking for your banking information for direct deposit, only to have your account drained or used for illegal activity.)

Here there are only a few minor spelling mistakes, some that may not be obvious even to good spellers, so nothing that would be an immediate concern.

The thing that struck me is that there is no indication of what company this is for.  It is a local ad, indicating a location in the city.  Yet, no mention of the company in the response email, kind of suspicious.  But yet, you feel because you are going to be meeting in person, everything is fine right?

So, a person would prepare and click the link.  The link brings you to a very professional looking website which helps you access all three of your credit scores for free! We've all heard of this, no reason not to do it, right?  You are required to bring your credit score information in when you meet them, because you will be using their credit card for errands.  Makes sense.

Guess what!?  The information that you enter.... Name, address, social security number.... it isn't going to a legitimate source!  It is going to be used against you - to steal your identity!  There is no job!

It is sad to think that in this economy, scams are being built around job openings, but they are!  Beware!