reviews

Amazon has a bargain on thumbtacks.

/ Jo Redd / Leave a comment

I’m getting ready to hang a large corkboard so my son and I can put up pictures, and work on projects, and I just found an absolute steal on thumbtacks. I am also looking for something to use for hanging up some lighter blankets and a couple wall hangings. I knew that I would be able to find something on Amazon.

As long as you’re not worried about the color, Amazon currently has a 400 count of yellow thumbtacks for under $6. You can find the deal here. Not sure how long this will be in place, but it is definitely worth it if you find yourself hanging up a bunch of stuff.

Halftime Show was a win for music.

/ Jo Redd / Leave a comment

I don’t care what anyone says. That was an excellent halftime performance from all the artists. Eminem will always be my favorite, but the other artists put all their energy into what they were singing. The crowd seemed to become electrified watching each stage light up.

I knew that Snoop would be the first one out of the gate because that is always how it seems to work. I’ve seen him in concert before, probably about a decade ago, and he’s still got the same swag that he’s always had. It was really cool to watch all the performers work together and create exciting bridges before going into their solo stuff.

I loved all the dancing and theatrical choreography. Each backup performer had a purpose, and no one seemed to be left making their own random moves.

I am not sure why they chose to make the stage viewable to half the audience, but other than that, I have no complaints.

This desk is essential for small spaces.

/ Jo Redd / Leave a comment

About a month ago, I bought a desk for my apartment because I was tired of using a cardboard box (literally) as a computer stand.” I wanted to get a desk that was small enough to not take up a ton of room, but I also needed something that could hold more than just a laptop.

This desk can hold a 17″ screen laptop with room to spare.

This desk fits in my bedroom without making the space feel cramped, and I even have enough room that I was able to purchase a computer chair to go with it. I also wanted something that would give me the option to stand up if I wanted to. One of the local ads around here talks about how “sitting is the new standing,” so I thought it best that I make an effort at being a little bit healthier. I stand just under 5’7, and this desk is perfect for me. It has wheels that you can lock in place, and it is super easy to adjust the desk’s height. I also love how easy it was to put the thing together. I’m not much for construction, no matter how small the task, but I was able to put this together in under an hour, and I didn’t need any help other than the instructions that came in the box. This desk has a handy shelf underneath the main table, and it’s wide enough to hold books, headphones, etc.

The shelf is more than capable of holding multiple items.

I’m so glad that I went with this desk over the other advertised ones. It doesn’t tip towards me, but I’m not looking to use this for drawing or for using a tablet. If I owned a clinic for nearly any specialty, I would use multiple desks just like this one.

Kindle is great for an avid reader.

/ Jo Redd / Leave a comment

The older I get, the harder it is for me to find time to sit down and read a physical book. I don’t know if it’s because I feel like I have so many other things I need to be doing, but it had really started to bother me. I love to read. Reading was my main hobby behind watching baseball and playing softball as a kid. I have always loved to get lost in a story, and a good fiction book always left me wanting a sequel. When I was growing up, the Harry Potter series was being released, and I always had to have the book the second it was on the shelves. I was inspired to start writing because of some of my novels as a child.

I bought a membership to Kindle and initially didn’t use it very much. Now though, I love to open the app and scroll through the endless number of books at my disposal. You can find literally any genre you’re interested in. If you’re not looking to invest in a membership, the prices for books on Kindle are very reasonable. Almost every title you find has a deal applied, so you’re never paying the total cost, and frequently there is the added perk of being able to get the audible version at another heavy discount.

I have been on a non-fiction kick the last few years, and it is always interesting to dive into memoirs or other recountings of current events. Recently I decided to travel back in time and give the federalist papers another try. I highly suggest anyone wanting to better understand the founding of this country <a href="http://<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=joredd311-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B075173F15&asins=B075173F15&linkId=e923534a08aa197730f28af910d59d8a&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff"> reads this book.

Almost one month into the new year.

/ Jo Redd / 2 Comments

Just wanted to do a quick update because I said I would.

I have not opened the Noom app in almost three weeks.

I love the Coursera website, even though I am not a massive fan of bookkeeping.

I am officially done with my job on February 3rd, and that date cannot come fast enough.

My would is ready for winter to be over and the sun to feel warm again.

I have almost completed a transcription program and hope to find a job through the program.

My mission to set up a home office is complete, and I’m impressed with the space I utilized.

First Beauty Box of 2022

/ Jo Redd / Leave a comment
Finally, my box has arrived!

I didn’t intend to continue this subscription, but the renewal month caught me off guard, so I am signed up for another year to receive the Allure Beauty Box. I also have an Ipsy subscription, which I typically like better than the beauty box. Some months the box seems to be a bit empty, or the products are tiny when there is a promise of full-size products. Although Allure claims to send out unique products, I’ve also noticed repeat products.

My first box of 2022 arrived yesterday, and I have to admit I was happy to open up and see what was inside. Although it was a little messy looking, that was easy to overcome once I lined up the items inside and took a better look at what I had.

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I can always stand a new brand of eye serum, and I’m really excited to start using every single item in this package. There isn’t a single thing sent out that I wish I could replace with something else. It also looks like all these products are worth the price of what I paid for my subscription. This month I consider it a win!

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Coursera: what is it? Is it worthwhile?

/ Jo Redd / Leave a comment

I’ve always had a slight interest in bookkeeping, and since I’m looking to one day have my own business, I got the idea to take a course that would teach me more about the subject. After researching, I noticed many different websites recommending the course offered by intuit. With tax season quickly approaching, I thought now would be a great time to dive into the topic. I went to sign up, and it offered me the chance to sign up with Coursera. I decided to try it, although the stiff price of $40 a month made me almost reconsider.

I’m one week into the class, and I really do like it, even if I still feel like the subject isn’t for me. I know that I will never do someone else’s bookwork, but I also realize that I will need to do mine because there is no way I will make enough, in the beginning, to pay someone else to do it. The sections are broken up into small chunks, making them easier to digest. I also like the discussion portion because tons of people seem to be taking the course simultaneously that I am. I don’t typically see anyone replying to others, but people’s responses to the initial question are fun to read. I look forward to getting deeper into the details. As with all topics, once you get past the surface information, you begin to get into the fascinating

information.

Coursera is impressive because it has so many different classes that you can take. While I went there looking for the bookkeeping course, I found a ton of other avenues to investigate. I just enrolled in a class called “Inspiring and Motivating Individuals,” offered through the University of Michigan. All these courses are self-study and, while you’re encouraged to set a weekly goal for completion, you can always change your plans to fit your schedule.

For $40 a month, you get access to many top-notch courses offered by some of the elite universities in the county. Most of these courses are a part of some certificate that you can eventually obtain. I love the access to learning, and I love that all these different courses are available without going to a single one of these schools.

I will definitely be checking in periodically with updates to this product because it seems to have a lot of promise, and I want to share that with everyone.

If you’re interested in checking something out, use this link: here.

Kindle E-Reader Review.

/ Jo Redd / 2 Comments

This will be short and sweet:

Until Amazon decides to put out an e-reader with color, their devices are no better than your standard phone. I grew accustomed to using kindle on my phone, and yet, for some reason, I decided that I really needed to get a device that was specifically for reading. I had envisioned taking it to work to always have a digital A&P book handy. I liked the idea of having multiple ways to consume media. Kindle readers are useless if I can’t see the pictures in color.

A lot of the reviews mention the stellar battery life: I am willing to forgo a long battery life if it means I can see the images in color. I want to pull up a picture within one of the books and not have to play a guessing game with what I’m looking at.

Had I been paying better attention when I bought the e-reader, I opted to get a tablet instead. I already need to get a tablet for when I begin homeschooling in earnest, but I would have made that purchase before I got my Kindle Paperwhite.

The device itself is exemplary. It’s lightweight, and it holds a ton of different books. I love the Kindle app because I find numerous other free books beneficial for both my personal and professional life. I wish it could play audio because I assumed I could pair my audible app with the reader. I was wrong.

Overall, skip the e-reader and get yourself a tablet.

Review of the Clever Fox Budget Planner.

/ Jo Redd / Leave a comment

I’ve been using the budget planner for two weeks now, and besides its beauty, I’m not sure why I bought it. I think the majority of the issues are an error on my end, but it just doesn’t seem like something that can realistically be used to track your finances.

The bi-weekly budget doesn’t make sense to me like I thought it would. I think I’m someone who needs to see the day-to-day finances, and I’m sure that a planner will cost a ton more money.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend it because it doesn’t seem very helpful. I have many more bills than the slots allotted for them. I, at some point, hope to be having multiple streams of income, and the pages aren’t very flexible for trying to change the layout. I’m pretty disappointed with this purchase, and while there is a money-back option- I don’t know if it covers the planner once you’ve started writing in it. I plan on chalking this up to experience, and I’ll never be repurchasing it.