Online Magazines

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We all know the world is going digital. There's almost nothing we can't do from our computer or even our cell phones. Wouldn't you pretty much say that you feel lost when one of these devices crashes?

Even the leisure activity of reading has gone digital and wireless thanks to devices like the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook. My family loves to buy books. Barnes and Noble is one of our favorite stores. To have all our books available at anytime in one small, handy machine would be awesome!

Although I'd love to have a Kindle, I'm not as excited to jump on board with digital magazines. A few home design and decorating magazines have been popping up. They have loads of great information and inspiration, but I just can't get into them.

One of my favorite ways to relax and unwind involves magazines. I love to either a) go to B&N and spend an hour or so in the Starbucks cafe looking at magazines or b) sit in my favorite recliner, porch seat or bubble bath with a recent edition of my favorite magazine.

It's just not that easy to do when they're online.

However online magazines have a couple of benefits. They are usually free. And it's easier to save and file information on your computer instead of tearing out and keeping important pages. Bookmarking services such as Pinterest and Delicious really make it easy.

If you've never seen an online magazine, please browse through my favorites below. Don't forget you have the ability to view them full screen.

rue magazine

Lonny Mag

Kinfolk Magazine

A Wish List

I love to take pictures! Mostly because I like to document even the most insignificant occasions. I own a Nikon D70, but most of the time I'm not sure what to do with it. I usually just set it to aperture priority, and hope I get lucky.

After spending lots of time browsing blogs with great photography, I've come up with a little photography wish list. Photography is no cheap hobby! All those interchangeable lenses, accessories, books and one stylish bag to keep it all in, will put a dent in your budget.

But I don't see any harm in dreaming.

Take a look at my wish list, and please feel free to leave a comment about your favorite photography gear!



1. Kelly Moore Posey Bag - When I am out and about with my camera, I am usually carrying a very old camera bag, plus my purse. This Posey bag not only looks great, but would eliminate the need to fool with two bags. It has room for a couple of lenses plus the camera body. The front section is perfect for personal items like credit cards and lip gloss. I love the slate grey color!

2. Nikon D90 - I would love to upgrade my Nikon D70 to this D90. The D90 is a newer model with enhanced features including video.

3. Canon PowerShot G12. I would love to have a camera that I could just throw in my purse and have ready at a moment's notice. I don't carry my D70 everywhere I go because it is so big and bulky. I have read some really great things about this Canon. It's a point and shoot, but with manual controls. One of my favorite bloggers uses it, and so does Martha Stewart!




4. Nikon ML-L3 Remote - I'd love a remote control. It would be so much easier than setting the self-timer. It would also help me take sharper shots by reducing camera movement.

5. Nikon Zoom Normal- Telephoto 55-200mm/f4-5 - I bookmarked this lens, but don't exactly know why. I'm sure that some blogger has it in their collection. From reading the customer reviews, it looks like a good lens for shooting sports, and taking pictures from a distance.

6. AF Nikkor 35mm f/2.0D - This is one of Pioneer Woman's favorite lenses. It is a prime lens which means it does not zoom. If you want a close up you have to actually get your camera closer to the subject. If you want to include more of the surroundings, you have to create more distance between you and your subject. Right now I own a 50mm/f1.4, which is also a prime lens. I think I'd like the 35mm, because it would give me more focal length.



If I ever want to make photography a serious hobby, I'll need to learn a lot more about aperture, shutter speed, exposure and composition. I think the books above will help.

7. Scott Kelby's Digital Photography - His books are praised for his easy to understand language. He doesn't get into the technical terms. If you want to know how to shoot a waterfall or a landscape, he tells you specially which camera settings to use. He doesn't go into detail explaining aperture or shutter speed. Yes, this sounds like my kind of book.

8. After I get a handle on shooting in Aperture and Shutter Speed Priority, Understanding Exposure would probably take my pictures to the next level.

9. Expressive Photography by the Shutter Sisters - Shuttersisters.com is a collaborative website for women photographers. I flipped through this book during a recent trip to Barnes and Noble and loved it!


I don't know a photographer today who doesn't use Adobe Photoshop to enhance their pictures. I have access to Photoshop, but it overwhelms me to think of learning how to use it on my own. I'd love some personal instruction from Pioneer Woman or Scott Kelby. Can anyone get me the hook up?

10. The Pioneer Woman

11. Adobe Photoshop

12. Scott Kelby

Please tell me what's on your photography wish list!

Rent A Green Box. A franchise opportunity?

I was trying to write a post about the company Rent A Green Box, but I decided to let the video do the talking. Rent A Green Box eliminates the cardboard box by presenting a much more earth friendly way to move. Please take a few minutes and watch the video below. You'll be amazed!

Unfortunately, the company is currently only serving the southern California area. So I wrote the founder and told him I would love to see Rent A Green Box on the East Coast. Guess what? He actually wrote me back! He said there are plans to launch a nationwide franchise!

I love love love this idea! Anyone want to start a franchise?

Giving Gifts

I love giving gifts. I often feel that buying one gift for a person is never enough. I'm always tempted to buy everything that reminds me of that person. And yet I'm often reminded that material things are never enough. This year's got-to-have gift will just be replaced with next years'. Material gifts don't usually create memories or lasting impressions. Hey, maybe that's why I don't have an answer to the question "What is the best Christmas present you ever received?"

I'm posting this video that I first spotted on the Frugal Girl in hopes that it will inspires us to create new gift-giving traditions.

H2O

After watching this interesting video on Mark's Daily Apple...




I bought this:




A Camelbak Better Bottle.

I had become so caught up in the "drinking clean, pure water craze" that I didn't even think about the waste those plastic water bottles produce! One of the first things Mr. Price and I registered for when we were engaged was a Brita Water Pitcher. We rarely buy bottled water for our home, and thanks to the Brita, I rarely drink water straight from the faucet.

The places I am most tempted to buy bottled water are at work and on the road. I guess it's the convenience factor. The bottles are right there, the water is already filtered, and I don't have to do anything but pay for it.

To me drinking water from a refillable glass or container just seems like common sense and not too novel of an idea. But it took watching that YouTube video for the light bulb to go off in my head. I guess somewhere along the way, I got caught up in the craze just like many folks (which reminds me of the bible verse Romans 12:2).

Check out another cool invention I saw in Popular Science magazine:

It's a Bobble. It filters water as you drink! I must try this.