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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Nexx Online. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s interesting to think back to when I first attempted to create an online presence. This was way before the days of social networking and such. It wasn’t as easy as it is now to get cheap prices on domains and web hosting. Gosh, I’m beginning to sound like one of those grumpy old men saying phrases like “I remember back in the day…” but it’s true. Creating your own website is now as easy as a click of a button. There’s no longer the need to spend endless nights editing your own HTML code for a website. With blogging software like wordpress and pre-made templates, you’re pretty much set. Of course there’s the need for content but that’s another matter altogether.

And now with the tight competition among web hosting companies, it’s pretty much a win-win situation for us bloggers. Check out the latest deal from Nexx Online. They’re currently offering a full year of Unlimited Web Hosting for only $10. And not only that but your 10 bucks include a free web domain. Now that’s what I call a deal.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s included:
- unlimited web space
- unlimited bandwidth
- unlimited email accounts
- one-click wordpress installations
- one free domain
- $50 credit for google adwords
- $50 credit for facebook ads
- and 24/7 customer support

All you have to do when you sign up for a new Nexx account is use the coupon code: SPARK10 to take advantage of the offer. but don’t wait too long, the $10 offer is scheduled to expire at the end of the month.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

With millions of iphone users here in the U.S., developers are working overtime to get that “next big app” out into the marketplace. We’ve all heard the ubiquitous ad slogan – “there’s an app for that”. And it’s so true, there are vast numbers of apps in all kinds of categories. Even the good folks at IZEA have come up with their own iphone app which is called WeReward. It’s actually a pretty neat concept. Essentially WeReward.com harnesses the power of the mobile network to help bring attention to local businesses. Users can earn points by taking assignments through the WeRewards app. Assignments can be something like checking-in at a local coffee shop or purchasing a meal at a restaurant. The neat thing is that through geo-tagging and cameraphones, businesses as well as IZEA can verify that you were actually there.

Besides “check-ins”, they also offer “tasks” which doesn’t require you to be at a specific location but may involve you trying out a new product in the comfort of your own home. All the activities will be tied into one of the major social networking sites like FaceBook, Twitter or FourSquare. So be aware that all your friends will end up knowing all about you and these WeReward “scavenger hunts”.

I think this can be a game-changer of sorts. It’s pretty radical in my opinion. Ted Murphy and the rest of the gang over at IZEA are taking a big leap of faith with this new concept. Hopefully it’ll pay off for them. If you’re an iphone user and want to join in on the fun,
Download the App for free and check it out for yourself.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of 20th Century Fox. All opinions are 100% mine.

The highly anticipated comedy “Date Night” opens this friday, April 9th. Two of the biggest stars of must-see comedy thursday pair up in what looks to be this spring’s bona fide big-screen smash. Steve Carell and Tina Fey portray your typical suburban married couple deeply entrenched in the day to day routine. They impulsively take another couple’s table reservation at a trendy restaurant one night and that’s when their troubles begin. They’re mistaken to be the ones who stole some information from a mobster and are then chased after by some no-good henchmen.

I’m a huge fan of both Carell and Fey and it’s great to see them work together in this project. There’s some good buzz surrounding the flick and early reviews say the pair have great chemistry together. The neat thing that I’ve heard about the movie is that it has a positive take on the couple’s marriage. Yes, the couple is in a rut and may appear bored with their lives but screenwriter Josh Klausner made it a point to show their marriage in a good light. In fact, he has been quoted in saying that the movie is “a love letter to marriage.” With so many crude and obnoxious comedies topping the box office, it’s actually refreshing that “Date Night” has some heart to it.

The Date Night Movie was helmed by director Shawn Levy who has had a string of hit movies including “Night at the Museum” and “Cheaper by the Dozen”. The movie also features a great supporting cast including Ray Liotta, James Franco and Mila Kunis. It opens this weekend so be sure to grab your spouse and make it a date night. I know I will!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Alvin and the Chipmunks. All opinions are 100% mine.

My six year old is currently obsessed with the new Alvin and the Chipmunks DVD – “The Squeakquel”. After purchasing the double DVD pack last week, the movie has been playing in my playroom DVD player practically non-stop. no lie. Initially, I wasn’t really that interested in watching the flick but after seeing how much my son was enjoying it, I had to see for myself what the fuss was all about. And I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the Chipmunks movie. The Squeakquel is quite entertaining with tons of music and hilarious antics by the lovable Chipmunks. Plus the movie features the addition of “the Chipettes” voiced by none other than Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate. It’s fun to see a new generation of kids enjoying characters that we all grew up with. I personally remember owning the “Chipmunks Punk” album when I was little. How could anyone resist Alvin, Theodore and Simon singing songs like “My Sharona”?? I know I couldn’t. And now, the Chipmunks are at it again, performing tracks like “We Are Family”, “Shake Your Groove Thing” and “Single Ladies”.
Speaking of which, the “The Squeak Along” bonus disc is a must have. Come on, you know you want to singalong to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”! don’t deny it! It’s great family fun and the DVD two pack as well as the Blu-Ray versions are available at a store near you so be sure to buy it now!! Your kids will love ya for it.

And if your kids are like mine, they’d definitely enjoy More Munk Mayhem over at FoxFamilyFlicks.com. There are neat little games, activities and videos featuring the Chipmunks. I also want to mention MunkYourself.com which allows your kids to customize their own version of the Chipmunks with different clothes, hairdos and accessories. fun stuff!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Foodmix. All opinions are 100% mine.

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon an online coupon for a brand of cooking wine called Holland House. It wasn’t a brand I was familiar with but I thought I’d try the classic burgundy cooking wine for my spaghetti sauce. I don’t know if most of you add wine to your sauces but in my opinion, adding a bit of wine brings out the flavors in the sauce. And unlike the usual table wines, Holland House wine is made specifically for cooking and has a shelf life of approximately six months. The added salt in the cooking wine prolongs the stability of it but you have to keep the extra salt in mind when using it in your recipes. I’ve also used the Holland House wine for my signature spicy grilled pork dish. The key to the dish is the marinade which is a mixture of red cooking wine, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and molasses. The grilled pork turned out great the other day and Holland House did the job in enhancing the flavors in the dish.

I just checked out some of the recipes featured on the Holland House website and there’s a glazed ham recipe that I want to try this coming weekend. It looks pretty straight forward and the sherry-orange dijon sauce looks intriguing.

I recently had to purchase a pair of eyeglasses for my son who’s currently in middle school. He noticed that he couldn’t see the blackboard that well when seated at the back of some of his classes. Without much thought, I took him to the lenscrafters at the mall. But honestly, I regretted it once I got the bill. It’s not like my son needs those “high-index” glasses (to reduce the thickness of the lenses) but we still got stuck with a nearly $300 bill. yikes! I’m definitely not going back there again. Especially now that I’ve seen this recent article by the Brooklyn Liberal Examiner. The writer recommends purchasing your next pair of eyeglasses online via a site called Zenni Optical. Zenni cuts out the expense of the middleman and retail outlets and sells direct to the consumer. And by running their business this way, Zenni is able to offer high quality lenses and frames at low prices. If only I knew about them before purchasing my son’s glasses!

Two things to keep in mind when purchasing glasses online. It’ll definitely take longer to get your glasses. According to the Examiner article, the manufacturing lab is located in China so the turnaround time seems to take a couple weeks. They also require the PD (pupilary distance) number which isn’t usually written out on the average prescription. It’s something to remember to ask for the next time you see your eye doctor. But even so, I’d have to say the huge savings in cost is definitely worth the hassle.

Here’s a preview of a funny commercial that’ll be shown during the Super Bowl this year. It’s a vacation rental commercial featuring the official Vacation Rental.org mascot/superhero, UNITARD. The video does a good job in reminding viewers that hotels aren’t the only game in town during family vacations. Why limit yourself to a cramped hotel room when you can stay at a roomy vacation home or condo? And it’s as simple as a click of a mouse by using the vacation rental website. And just think, by renting a spacious vacation home on your next family outing, you’ll not only make your whole family happy but good ol’ UNITARD as well.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Allison Maslan, author of “Blast Off!”. All opinions are 100% mine.

As major corporations continue to shed jobs, many folks have found themselves unemployed and feeling powerless. For most people, their identity and self-worth were intricately linked together with their careers. And once the job is removed from the picture, they are utterly lost. Interestingly enough, many have found Allison Maslan’s brand new book Blast Off! helpful in getting one’s own personal and professional life back on track. Maslan is a renowned life/business strategist that wants to help inspire others to take charge of their lives during these troubled times. In her book Blast Off! Maslan shares her secrets of success and provides her readers the tools needed to reach their own life goals. I find this book very timely and inspirational and I look forward to applying her techniques to my own future endeavors.

The new book was released on January 19th and is currently available on Amazon as well as Barnes and Noble, Borders and other fine bookstores across the nation. It normally retails for $24 but Amazon has it on sale right now so be sure to add it to your shopping cart today! Don’t let the state of the economy get you down. Empower yourself and make your dreams a reality.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Tony’s Pizza. All opinions are 100% mine.

I recently received some coupons from Tony’s Pizza for me to try their new Crispy Crust style frozen pizzas. Since pizzas and our household go together hand in hand, I had no problem going out to the local grocery store to seek these out. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these pizzas were priced around $1.50 at our supermarket but you have to take into account that these are “individual sizes” and not one of those super-sized pizzas. But even so, I thought it was a pretty good deal.

I brought home three varieties of the Crispy Crust style pizzas – the Supreme, Pepperoni and cheese. It took around 12 to 15 minutes to heat up in the oven and yes indeed the crust was crispy and not spongy like some other brands. My kids were the official taste testers on this occasion and the pepperoni was the unanimous pick of the three. They thought the supreme had “too many vegetables” on it and they felt the cheese was too plain. From what I tried, I thought the Supreme was the tastiest of the bunch but had to agree with them about the Cheese pizza being too bland.

Anyway, I have FIVE extra Tony’s Pizza coupons that I’d like to giveaway to one lucky RetroBlog reader. Each coupon is good for one free Tony’s Crispy Crust Brand Pizza. All you have to do is post a comment here to let me know you’re interested in the Tony’s Pizza drawing. You can get an EXTRA entry in the drawing by following me on Twitter but be sure to post here to let me know that you did so. I’ll gather all the entries and draw a winner at random on February 10th, 2010. And while you’re at it, why not enter for a chance to win a $500 Tech Prize Pack from Tony’s Pizza. The contest is currently being held on several different blogs. Here’s more info on the tech prize along with links to all the participating blogs. good luck!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Coldwell Banker. All opinions are 100% mine.

I recently had a chat with a younger colleague of mine who has been house hunting for the last few weeks. He’s a first time home buyer and wants to take advantage of the 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits that are being offered as part of stimulus package the Obama administration put into place last year. The deadline is fast approaching so my friend is scrambling to find just the right place. Apparently, as long as you have a contract by April 30th and close on the house by June 30th, it’ll qualify you for a tax credit of up to $8,000. It’s definitely a great time to buy especially with the low interest rates and the decline in home prices. According to news reports, the tax credit has successfully fueled a surge in existing home sales the last few months which is a good sign for our economy. I wasn’t aware of this but during our conversation, my colleague mentioned that there’s even a tax credit for existing homeowners seeking to “move up”. It applies to homeowners that have lived in their current home for 5 of the past 8 years and are in the process of purchasing another home. This particular tax credit can go up to $6,500 and the same deadlines apply as the first time home buyers tax credit. Income limits to qualify have increased to $125,000 for singles and $225,000 for married couples. I’ve been in my current house for approximately six years so I’d would qualify for the new tax credits except for the fact that I’m not ready to move on up to a bigger home just yet. There’s no indication that these incentives will be around next year so be sure to take advantage of them while you still can.