Are You On Facebook?My family members are Facebookers. They use the social networking site to send messages, share family pictures and keep in touch more often. They love it and urged me to join. I agreed somewhat reluctantly because I was sure I didn't need yet another way to "waste" time on the computer. But what happened was pretty amazing and far from a waste of time. I saw a video of my niece's first swimming lesson. I reconnected with high school classmates I hadn't heard from since graduation and found old friends I hadn't heard from in years. It really has been fun to share memories, re-tell funny old stories, swap photos and get caught up on each others lives.I also became a "fan" of some of my favorite companies. One night, as I was becoming a fan of yet another brand name that I adore, it hit me: why not start a page for The Lighter Side? Once I had it up and running, our webmaster put one of those "become a fan" buttons on our own web site. Every day, I'd go to Facebook to answer the question "what's on your mind?" and update our status with a special bargain or a unique item that I'd fallen in love with. To be honest, I didn't expect much from the page. But in less than six months, we already have over 500 fans! I'm so glad I acted on my impulse to put up a page for fans of The Lighter Side. I love reading your comments--from the Betty Boop and Elvis admirers and fans who love our retro stuff or can't live without our silly tees to the people who just love to buy gifts of any kind. (You know I admire that in a person.) We've had comments from from all over, even one from France that, thanks to my very rusty college French, I still managed to figure out without using a translator. Facebook connects people who never would have or could have connected without it. Like connecting me to my family and friends I haven't seen in decades. And connecting us to you, and you to one another. Now that I think about it, Facebook is really a lot like The Lighter Side: it delights, entertains and amuses.    Your "Socially Networked" Gift Guru, Linda Posted by Linda at
5:00 AM | Friday, March 26, 2010
DreamersHave you ever had a really strange dream? One that seemed so real that you just had to know what it meant? For me, it seems like a lot of things can trigger vivid dreams. Last night it was a late night pizza. According to the experts, our sleeping brain reveals something about our inner Self. From fantasies to fears, our dreams expose our deepest mind and give us clues about our waking life.But first you have to decode them, which isn't always as easy as it sounds. What does it mean if you dream about animals? Depends on the animal, its color and what it's doing. And colors themselves have their own meanings, sometimes influenced by how you feel about the color and/or how many times you see it. Which brings us to numbers--they also have separate meanings depending on whether you saw the number itself or a certain number of a certain thing. So you see how extracting the meaning from a single dream can turn into a pretty long research project!  Your "Decoding Dreamland" Gift Guru, Linda Posted by Linda at
5:00 AM | Friday, March 19, 2010
Old T-Shirts Never DieT-Shirt weather has finally arrived in Florida and I couldn't be happier. Well, yes I could--if they'd let me wear t-shirts and shorts or jeans to the office. Sitting all comfy at my desk in a sassy or silly t-shirt tonally matched to my flip-flops...now, that would make me happy. But, I don't see it happening. So, I have to save my sense of humor and my love of comfortable tees for the weekends.The greatest thing about t-shirts is you can use them until there's nothing left but a few threads. When they're new, you wear them out and about. As they age and get faded and tattered, maybe you only wear them around the house while you're laying around or doing chores. When they get so old and thin you can almost see through the cotton, they lay at the bottom of your drawer until their next assignment: becoming a rag. Really worn out, washed-a-million-times tees are great for cleaning windows and mirrors (no fuzzies left behind), for washing and drying the car (they're soft and won't scratch as long as you remove any decorations first) and for painting (either wearing or cleaning up.) And they're the green solution for everyday spills and messes. I cut them into different sized pieces and keep them in a plastic bag, which hangs right next to my paper towels, so I'm always reminded to use the re-usable alternative to paper. It saves me money and helps the environment.    Your "Green Tee" Gift Guru, Linda Posted by Linda at
5:00 AM | Friday, March 12, 2010
Alice In "Underland"Like a lot of people, I've been waiting not-so-patiently for the premier of Tim Burton's extension of Lewis Carroll's classic "Alice In Wonderland." It's always been one of my favorite fairy tales--both as a child and as an adult. The basic premise of the new movie is this: Alice, now 19, accidentally returns to Wonderland while trying to escape an unwanted marriage proposal. She runs into her old friends, including her old ally The Mad Hatter (played by none other than Johnny Depp) who tell her that she's the only one who can save the surreal world from the Jabberwock, a dragon controlled by the dreaded Red Queen.So far that's all I know from reading the synopses and watching the trailers (several times!) I already have my tickets and I'm prepared to stand in line with the crowds to get a good seat. I just can't wait to see Carroll's Wonderland reimagined as Burton's Underland and find out what happens to Alice on her second trip to the trippy world. Your "Through The Looking Glass" Gift Guru, Linda Posted by Linda at
5:00 AM | Friday, March 5, 2010
Keeping Kids Busy Indoors“Cleaning up with children around is like shoveling during a blizzard.” ~Unknown It seems the cold temperatures are never going to end. Even here in Florida, the kids don't want to play outside in this weather. But it's hard to accomplish anything with the little ones underfoot all day. So, what to do with the youngsters when it's too cold to go out?My strategy starts with settling them into a room I'm not working in. How do you do that? That's easy: first threaten them with chores if they don't stay put. Then find something for them to do that will keep them occupied for a stretch. Like an interactive game. Or building a fort. As you go back to dirty dishes, vacuuming, dusting, ironing and lugging loads of laundry around, you'll hear them happily laughing and playing. You might find the hardest chore of all is keeping yourself from joining in their fun. Being a grown-up is so overrated!   Your "Keep The Kids Busy" Gift Guru, Linda Posted by Linda at
5:00 AM | Friday, February 26, 2010
New Year, New You?Did you make any New Year's resolutions for 2010? I only made one: exercise more. Would it surprise you to learn I haven't started yet? Hey, the year's not over--I still have time, right? After a visit to the doctor to check my general health, which included a longer than necessary lecture about how women "my age" need weight-bearing exercise, I decided to start this week. To get the doc off my back if nothing else.So last night I sat down with the last of my Valentine's chocolates and did some internet surfing (riding electronic waves unfortunately doesn't count as exercise.) I'll be honest: I'd rather have a root canal than work out, so staying motivated will be tough. According to all the fitness web sites (and there are millions!) setting a goal is the key to motivation. Since I have no intention of torturing myself with a daily "walk of shame" to the scale, the most popular goal--losing weight--won't work for me. I need to gain something. So my mission? Improve my strength and stamina.   I picked up some free weights and a handful of DVDs to work with at home. I can choose a different fitness guru and routine every day instead of just watching the news while pedaling to nowhere on my stationary bike--a strategy that lasted all of about two weeks in 2009. I'm hoping the variety will help keep me on track. Wish me luck! I'll keep you posted on my progress. Your "Fitting In Fitness" Gift Guru, Linda Posted by Linda at
5:00 AM | Friday, February 19, 2010
Love Is In The AirWow, it's not even Spring yet, and already wedding invitations are starting to arrive. I love weddings. I love helping with the planning and the shopping and I really love when I'm asked to participate. (Which I was this year. Maid of Honor, thank you very much!) But for brides-to-be, making the big day live up to their girlhood dreams can be financially challenging.It is possible to plan a stellar wedding on a down-to-earth budget. How? Before you start actually spending your budget, I suggest you decide on the "must-haves" and the "nice-to-haves" for your big day. Your must-haves can be anything--from a certain flower or flavor of cake to flying in Aunt Ellen from Germany--but these are your necessary ingredients. Figure out what those will cost and you have a base budget that you don't compromise. Then you can add in your nice-to-haves until you reach your boundaries. I really like this approach because it ensures that the things that are truly important to both bride and groom rise to the top of the list instead of getting lost in the chaos of planning. There are also some great books written by wedding experts to help you plan your perfect day. Many offer budget guidelines as well as cost-cutting ideas like DIY invitations and decorations.  With a little planning and a little expert advice, you can have the wedding of your dreams--without making a nightmare of your finances!Your "Perfect Wedding" Gift Guru, Linda Posted by Linda at
5:00 AM | Friday, February 12, 2010
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