Welcome to Shopping and Product Reviews


Saturday, December 09, 2006

Cheap Mattress

Cheap mattresses are not usually uncomfortable to sleep on or of poor quality. There are a number of companies which produce comfortable and supportive mattresses in different models and at cheap prices. The pillow top mattress, which is a luxurious type that provides an extra layer of soft cushioning and the single-sided no-flip mattress are the popular types. A cheap air mattress is another model that can be deflated and rolled up and is suitable for camping trips.

The dealers acquire cheap mattresses from special deals at furniture liquidations, overstocks or bankruptcy settlements, auctions and various other sources. They charge very low overhead charges and do not often impose sales tax. So customers can buy mattresses for wholesale prices. Dealers in cheap mattresses enjoy good rapport with various manufacturers and acquire good quality mattresses from them. Cheap mattresses can be bought for prices as low as 75 % off the original price.

Cheap mattresses come in factory sealed plastic and all of them are new. Occasionally dealers might sell a damaged mattress, which will be even cheaper. You can try out the mattress before buying it, to ensure that it is comfortable.

Cheap mattresses are given more discounts for multiple purchases and those in businesses like the hotel industry can avail of greater discounts. Cheap mattress dealers arrange speedy delivery of their mattresses and allow discounts in shipping charges also. The dealers gain by the increased sales of their products. You can also make use of the services of bedding experts present at these outlets.

Heated Mattress Pads

Heated mattress pads are a great advantage in winter months. These serve the function of heating the beds and providing warmth to individuals in a cold environment. The pads are found comfortable if placed at painful areas, especially the lower back.

Heated mattress pads are operated by electricity and make use of wires to provide warmth to the mattress surfaces. These pads fit over the mattress and under your fitted sheet. These can be switched on to heat or preheat the beds and switched off when not necessary. The pads take a minimum of 15 minutes to warm up, in most cases. Once the pads are warmed up, the heat gradually spreads on the bed top. Therefore, it is necessary to turn on the pad at least 30 minutes before one decides to sleep or take rest on the bed. One can even change the desired level of heat with the help of remote controls.

Heated mattress pads are available in different sizes for twin, full, king, and queen sized beds. These are available in cotton and polyester blends or polyester alone. The brands, models, and colors vary too. Pillow top heated mattress pads are popular in the market. This model is usually obtained in 100 percent polyester with cotton inside and it has a thickness of about half inch. This model comes with digital controls which help the system to sense the body and room temperatures and adjust the pads accordingly.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Mattress Sets

Mattress sets consist of the mattress and its foundation, marked by the manufacturer as a single unit for sale. Mattress sets available nowadays have many advanced features because of the development in technology. These sets are made with the ultimate aim of providing comfort as well as sound sleep to individuals. Comfortable cushioning is a specialty of modern mattress sets. These sets also have additional treatments for soft surfaces.

Persons who are about to buy mattress sets may sometimes confuse box springs with foundations. Foundations and box springs are not the same. A foundation is usually a box with a slat and fabric cover. It may or may not come with springs. Foundations with springs are generally known as box springs. These springs allow the foundation to distribute the weight load evenly. The sets obtained at much reduced rates do not have matching box springs. In such cases, it is necessary to ask the sales person for box springs.

There are mattress sets specially designed for stomach and side sleepers. For stomach sleepers, mattresses have hard pads or steel bands across the system, which support the body. The mattresses include mesh plastic or any other conforming material over the system for side sleepers.

Mattress sets are identified as an important item that enhances charm and beauty of rooms. When you buy mattresses, discount is allowed for mattresses purchased as sets, in most cases.

For mattress sets, it is better to go for those with patent features. Secondly, it is necessary to avoid buying generic mattresses. Thirdly, customers can enquire about specification sheets for mattresses, which contain all necessary details about mattresses. In addition, mattresses of better quality and branded ones have a warranty of at least 10 years minimum.

Mattress Toppers

Mattress toppers are the ideal solution for people who want better support without replacing their existing mattress. Mattress toppers enhance the softness of your bed, without making any compromise on healthy support. Mattress toppers are placed right on the top of our current mattress.

Mattress toppers can be those made of memory foam or those made of natural latex. The former is less expensive, but less durable than the latter. From twin to king, the memory foam mattress toppers are available in every size. They are also available in different thicknesses, from two inches onwards. The cost of the topper will increase in accordance with its thickness. These memory foam toppers are very popular because of the excellent performance for their low price. But these are not suitable for the mattresses which have indentations.

The latex topper is produced from all natural, organic materials. The latex toppers are suitable for mattresses which have impressions from excessive wear. These do not have the problem of indentation or the loss of supporting capabilities because of the resilience of the latex topper's natural rubber core.

Mattress toppers offer us the luxury and comfort of a new mattress without incurring the expense of purchasing a new mattress. Most toppers have quilted covers, which give them an extra softness. Usually these covers are made from polyester, but they are also available in organic wool and cotton.

Mattress toppers guarantee a wonderful night's sleep to us. You should avoid prolonged exposure of these mattress toppers to direct sunlight. The prices range from $210 to $355 for different sizes. The price range for the type of topper with heavy fill is $240 to $395.

Waterbed Mattresses

The mattress industry has shown remarkable changes in the last few years. One of the most recent additions to the industry is the waterbed mattress, a type of mattress similar to the traditional bed mattress. These are mainly made of vinyl and filled with water. Compared to other mattresses, waterbed mattresses are quite heavy and costly. A wide range of waterbed mattresses are available in different styles, sizes, and comfort levels.

As a conforming type of mattress, a waterbed mattress provides the best support to the entire body. These mattresses provide special support to the spinal alignment. It is also possible to get the therapeutic effects of heat by heating the water. Waterbed mattresses are available in different levels of firmness. Experts recommend that the firmest waterbed mattress is the healthiest. Single, double, queen, and king size mattresses are available. The most common shapes are oval, rectangular, and boxed. All waterbed mattresses have a valve to fill or remove water. A standard waterbed mattress uses around 150 to 400 watts of power, and a thermostat to control the heat.

According to the hardness of the mattress, waterbed mattresses are of two types, soft-sided and hard-sided. Earlier, waterbeds were hard-sided and consisted of a frame that rested on a platform and deck. The waterbed mattress was positioned on this frame. Soft-sided waterbed mattresses are commonly used these days. These are a compliment to the entire furniture in the room.

Three types of waterbed mattresses are available, free flow, hydraulic, and fiber fill. The free flow mattress is specifically designed to allow the water to flow freely. Sleeping on this type of mattress is just like sleeping on a boat; it makes free movements with every toss and turn. These mattresses have no balancing mechanism and do not give any body support. The inner part of the hydraulic waterbed mattresses is filled with tiny round vinyl coils. These mattresses are more supportive and not shakable. In fiber fill types, also called 100% waveless waterbed mattresses, the mattresses are filled with fiber, which increases the firmness of the mattress and reduces the movement of the water.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Mattress Sizes

In addition to comfort, support and price, mattress size is a major consideration while searching for a good mattress. There are many sizes of mattresses available in the market. To purchase a right mattress, one should first take the size of the bed and the required mattress.

Mattresses are designed to accommodate one or two persons at a time without any space problems. Mattresses with restricted space don?t provide you comfortable sleep. The Better Sleep Council, a non-profit, mattress industry supporting organization in the USA, provides some guidelines to the shoppers regarding the size of mattresses.

In the USA, a standard chart for mattress sizes is available. Almost all manufacturers follow these standard sizes. Single or twin size mattresses are 39 inches wide, but a double or full size mattress has a width of 54 inches. Both single and full sizes are 75 inches long. This length is too short for some adults. Full size mattress is more appropriate for a single person only if he is less than 5 feet 5 inches tall. Full size or twin mattresses are increasingly used for teenage bedrooms. Queen size mattresses are 60 inches wide and around 80 inches long. Measured as today's most accepted mattress sizes, these mattresses are comfortable for couples. These type mattresses are ideal for small master bedrooms and guest rooms.

King model mattresses are 78 inches wide and 80 inches long, which is 18 inches wider than that of queen mattresses. This type mattress offers maximum personal sleeping space of about 39 inches for each sleeper. Other USA mattresses sizes include 66x 80 for Olympic queen, 60x 84 for California queen, and 72x 80 for California king. Although, there is no standardized size for the thickness of mattresses, most fall in the range of 6" to 14".

Mattress provides detailed information on Mattress, Air Mattress, Foam Mattress, Memory Foam Mattress and more.

How To Get The Most Of Sales

As holidays are approaching, your mailbox or e-mailbox is often flooded by all kinds of sales advertisements with very creative names such as my best customer specials, midnight madness, super coupon savings day, and so on. As a customer, you always want to get the best deal. But very often, it is hard to know if all these sales are really worth. That’s why here you will find some useful tip to get the most of your money during the sales period.

The first advice: Shop around. You will see everywhere sales prices. But keep in mind that a sale price is not always the best price. You can get it cheaper at another shop, so you should compare. But when comparing, make sure that you have the item's manufacturer, model number, stock number or other identifying information to be certain that you do not compare two different products. You can also go online to check your item if it is offered online. Besides, the Internet is quite convenient to compare products.

Second, you should make sure that you thoroughly read sale advertisements, especially the tiny lines at the bottom of the last page. Look for mentions such as quantities limited, or not available at all stores. You can also contact the merchant before going to the shop in order to know if the item you are looking for is in stock. By contacting a merchant ahead, you can also make a reservation on the product in certain cases.

During sales period, people tend to grant too much importance to the price of the item. But they should also take into consideration time and travel costs. If an item is on sale, but the shop is located all the way across town, you will save some money on the item itself but you will spend a greater amount on transportation costs and time.

Fourth, too many people are lured in bargain offers that are based on purchases of additional merchandise such as "buy one, get one free" or "free gift with purchase". In general, if you do not really want or need the item, this kind of bargain is not really a good deal. So, try to avoid such deals as much as you can.

Eventually, you should make some inquiries with the shops regarding refund and return policies for sale items. Merchants may have different refund and return policies for sale items, especially clearance merchandise.

Spot Out Scanning Errors

Most products nowadays bear a Universal Product Code (UPC) or bar code. This symbol, which is a series of numbers and vertical bars of varying thicknesses, is in fact the ID of the product. When the UPC symbol of a product is scanned, a computer decodes the symbol and sends the price to the register. The price appears on a display screen and on your printed receipt. This technology allows fast checkout time and facilitates inventory records among other advantages.

Electronic scanning is also said to be more reliable than human price quoting. But there is no denying that this technology is not foolproof and scanning errors often occurs. It can result in undercharges but most of the time in overcharges. Overcharges can cost the individual shopper money, especially if the shopper does not notice them when they occur. It is often due to the fact that shoppers do not remember posted prices or special promotions when they check out too.

When checking out, it is essential to spot pricing errors at the register. You should watch the display screen for prices. In case of overcharge, you should speak up and inform the cashier. You can also make an inquiry about the store’s policy on pricing errors, and ask the cashier to make the adjustment before you pay. Some stores simply adjust the price, but others deduct an additional amount or some even offer the item for free. You should also bring a copy of the store’s flyer or newspaper advertisement. Some advertised promotion may not be stored in the computer and must be keyed manually by the cashier.

Eventually, make sure to check carefully your receipt before you leave the store. At this moment if you spot an error, you have to ask the cashier to adjust the total. But in the case that you already left the cashier’s lane, you can approach the store or department manager or the customer service department to correct any mistakes.

4 Tips For Safe Online Shopping

An ever increasing number of web surfers tend to make transaction on the Internet. While they were a minority half a decade ago, the number of web shoppers is growing at a fast pace. However, buying online requires some precaution especially regarding security matters. That’s why here you will find useful and simple security tips for secure online shopping.

First, you have to check if the online shops provide a secure Internet connection when you will make a payment. Most websites inform their customers that their sites use technology solution such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Secure Electronic Transaction to make the connection secure. You should also check if the web address on the page that asks for your credit card information begins with "https:” It means that the Internet connection is secure.

Second, you can also decide to give your personal credit card information over the phone instead of filling a form on the websites. Most websites offer this alternative. You should make a note of the phone number, company, the date and time of your call, and the name of the person who recorded your credit card number. This can allow checking on your credit card bills later. By all means, you should never give your password and credit card number in an e-mail.

Third, be careful when you choose a password. Your password should not your address, birth date, phone number, or recognizable words. You should choose a string of at least five letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. Besides, make sure that you don’t write down your password near your computer or where someone could see it, the best being that you don’t write it down. But if you need to record your password, you should reverse the order of the characters or transpose some letters or numbers.

Eventually, beware to get viruses on your computer. If you receive an unsolicited commercial message, you should not open any attached files which are executable files. If you click on such files, you could activate a computer virus that might affect the operation of your computer or damage the information stored on your computer. You can also protect yourself against viruses carried by e-mail by purchasing and installing on your computer or network a virus-protection program.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Spot Out Scanning Errors

Most products nowadays bear a Universal Product Code (UPC) or bar code. This symbol, which is a series of numbers and vertical bars of varying thicknesses, is in fact the ID of the product. When the UPC symbol of a product is scanned, a computer decodes the symbol and sends the price to the register. The price appears on a display screen and on your printed receipt. This technology allows fast checkout time and facilitates inventory records among other advantages.

Electronic scanning is also said to be more reliable than human price quoting. But there is no denying that this technology is not foolproof and scanning errors often occurs. It can result in undercharges but most of the time in overcharges. Overcharges can cost the individual shopper money, especially if the shopper does not notice them when they occur. It is often due to the fact that shoppers do not remember posted prices or special promotions when they check out too.

When checking out, it is essential to spot pricing errors at the register. You should watch the display screen for prices. In case of overcharge, you should speak up and inform the cashier. You can also make an inquiry about the store’s policy on pricing errors, and ask the cashier to make the adjustment before you pay. Some stores simply adjust the price, but others deduct an additional amount or some even offer the item for free. You should also bring a copy of the store’s flyer or newspaper advertisement. Some advertised promotion may not be stored in the computer and must be keyed manually by the cashier.

4 Tips To Return Products

After shopping the whole sales month, you just found out that you bought two the same pull over to your husband and a toy that your kid already got last Christmas. So now it’s time to go back to the store to return them. But now retailers are stricter and you can simply end up with some gifts or with your unreturned products. In fact, retailers do not have any obligation to accept returns, but they are required to display their policies. So you have to ask a salesperson about the store policy about returns since this can vary greatly from one store to another. Even though polices can be very different from one store to another, you can apply some basic rules to return an undesired item.

First, you should not wait too long between the day you purchase and the day you want to return the item. Sometime, especially after Christmas, it seems to be more convenient for you to wait that the entire crowd disappear. But sometime if you wait too long, s store may refuse that you return the item. Even large chains such as Wal-Mart clearly stipulate that return should be done within 90 days after the purchase date.

Second, you should always keep the boxes of the item. Indeed many stores refuse returns if the item is not in its original box. Be careful also before you even break the seal on new electronics. Some stores like Best Buy even impose now a 15% restocking fee on notebook computers, digital cameras, and camcorders if the packaging has been opened.

Then, everybody knows the importance to keep all the receipts of your purchases. Nowadays numerous retailers even offer receipts that show the date of purchase without the price. Therefore it is important to be well organized in keeping the receipts. If you lost lose a receipt, you can ask to have a new print-out. Many stores are now able to print out a new receipt if you paid by credit card. However if you pad with any other form of payment, you will likely have to accept the most recent and probably lower price.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

How To Shop On Flea Markets

Everybody wants to get the most of his or her money. But being a savvy customer is a hard job. Sometimes it means paying full price for something that is just right, while at other times it will be about searching for sales or bargains. Eventually, at other times, it may also take you to be more creative by shopping in non-traditional places such as used furniture stores, consignment stores, flea markets, antique shows, country fairs, and auctions. But venturing in those non-traditional places requires a certain amount of planning and preparation. Here is some advice one should follow to get the most of the great opportunities offered by these alternative shopping places.

First, you will need to gather a map, directions information, phone numbers, and hours. What for? You may have the feeling to go for a treasure quest on an abandoned island. But you are right, you are in search of the golden deal, therefore you need to be prepared for it. You need to get ahead the information on your stops. Before jumping in the adventure, you should also call to get tips on parking, admission fees, hours, and availability of food and drinks.

Second, you should prepare some information regarding your desired items and your house layout. For instance, you should take a measured floor-plan of your space so that you can check the size of your entryway or any other place of the house where you want for pieces to fit. Measure your floor areas ahead of time if you will be looking for rugs. You also consider to take a set of room photos to remind yourself of other items and colors in your rooms.

Third, prepare yourself to have a harsh and tiring day. Therefore you should wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Consider clothing with lots of pockets in order to put your sunglasses, lips balm, pens, or maps. You should also consider taking a light jacket, hat, umbrella, sunscreen, or whatever will help you be comfortable.

Eventually, you would be well advised to bring with you a selection of packing materials including old blankets, tarps, tissue paper, bubble wrap, boxes, tape, rope, and twine (and a knife). These things can help you get your purchases home in good condition.

Choosing a Porch Swing

What would a front porch be without a porch swing? There are many different styles of such swings that you can have whether you decide to build your own or buy one ready made. A swing can be free standing attached to a single post on each side or you might like the A-frame support style. The plans for such swings are only cheap, ranging from $13 to $21 dollars and make the perfect project for those that like working with wood.

The perfect swing has an adjustable seat so that it will suit all members of the family. The back adjusts so that you can recline or sit up straight. To build such a swing, you won't need to invest in a lot of expensive tools, as you only need the basics of a hammer or screwdriver, a saw and a tape measure. You will need to buy two types of lumber - treated pine for the frame and armrests and hard wood for the seat and back. You will also need to buy galvanized chain, galvanized coach bolts, 4 inch nails, and wood screws. The plans for each type of swing will provide you withy the dimensions that you need for cutting the wood.

After you complete the end frames, you have to make the seat frame. Then you can make the support for the back of the seat and fit the seat slats in place. If you affix a piece of board to the slats, there will be something for them to rest on while you are attaching them in place. Once you have this completed, then you can create a design in the back of the seat, such as curves on the top, or you can leave it straight across. Once you have all this done, then you can fit the armrests in place. Lastly, thread the chain through the holes in the armrests, through the bottom of the end frames and back up again. The holes for the chain should be bigger than the chain so it can move freely.

Quick Review of Adjustable Beds

The goal of this article is to provide a brief overview of some of the more popular adjustable beds on the market today. Many of these beds can be found both online and at local retailers and include prominent manufacturers such as: Sleep Comfort, Sealy, Craftmatic, Tempur-Pedic, and Spring Air. Craftmatic Adjustable Beds

This company has been marketing adjustable beds for more than 30 years and sold more than 800,000 of these units around the world. Craftmatic offers options such as heat and massage, which for some provides important health benefits as well as comfort. Some of the problems that these types of beds are best suited for include: low back pain, hernias, blood circulation issues, water retention and swelling of the legs, arthritis, join pain, muscle pain, frequent heartburn, stress related aches, and neuralgia.

Sleep Comfort This company offers two models of bed: standard and wall hugger. The beds are offered in twin, full, queen, dual queen, king, and dual king sizes. Mattresses can be purchased for these beds in Dual firm coil, pillowtop coil, latex foam, or visco memory foam. The company is based in San Diego, California, and supplies bedding all over the United States.

Sealy Sealy is one of the most recognized and trusted names in the bedding industry. They also happen to be one of, if not the biggest bedding manufacturer in North America. This company produces a wide range of quality mattress and foundation products from conventional bedding. Some of these include: Sealy Posturpedic, Sealy Posturpedic Luxury Collection, Sealy Backsaver, and the posture premier products as well as the Reflexion Latex Foam Collection. Sealy products can be found in more than 7,000 retail locations across the U.S.

Tempur-Pedic This is the company that is most often associated with the visco foam mattresses (visco would be the space aged material discussed in the commercials). These mattresses are made of 100% visco-elastic memory foam. This foam has a unique ability of responding not only to the shape of the body lying upon it, but the temperature also. This combination makes for a heavenly night of sleep. This company provides the Tempur-Pedic mattresses, beds, pillows, and mattress pad toppers to more than 60 countries around the world. These products are sold in retail locations as well as online.

Spring Air The most advanced product at the moment offered by Spring Air is the Ovation, which is an adjustable base having Comfort Reach action. While the Ovation looks like a standard bed, it has the Comfort Reach Smooth Glide Action. The head and foot elevation that this bed offers is instrumental in relieving symptoms of poor blood circulation, nighttime heartburn, and backpressure. Additionally, Ovation offers a wireless remote control with programmable memory. This device is glow in the dark so that you might find it in the middle of the night and has a memory massage program that many find to be a very enjoyable feature.

Surefire Hit Gift Ideas For Kids

Whether it's a holiday or a birthday, kids can be especially hard to buy gifts for. Here are some surefire gift ideas that will make any kid happy.

Games

The best games to get a child are usually the tried and true games that have stood the test of time. These include Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Monopoly, Battleship, Sorry, Operation and PayDay. These games have been played for generations and are fun for the whole family, as well as the kids.

Toys

The old standby's may be your best bet. These include Barbie's, Lego's, Mr. Potato Head, Hot Wheels, Nerf toys, kitchen and baking play sets, doll houses and remote control cars. Action figures or play sets for the child's favorite TV show or movie are also a great idea.

Educational

Terrific educational gifts include books, the line of VTech, LeapFrog and Leapster electronic learning products, globes, science kits, See 'N Say, wooden blocks and telescopes.

Creativity

Nurture the child's creativity with gifts that allow them to be creative and have fun too. Creative gifts include modeling clay or PlayDoh, craft kits, coloring books, art supplies including markers, crayons and pencils, jewelry making kits, notebooks and journals, EtchASketch, origami kits, Spirographs, sewing kits, bead sets, gardening kits, musical instruments, electronic keyboards and stamp and sticker sets.

Electronics

For electronics items, you can't go wrong with MP3 players, digital cameras, handheld games and video game consoles.

Old Fashioned Games & Toys

Some great old fashioned gifts include puzzles, card games like UNO, bingo and activity books, bubble making toys, an easel, rock tumbler and banks.

Sports Equipment

Most kids, but especially boys, will absolutely love any sports equipment you get them. Consider balls of every kind including baseballs, footballs, soccer balls or basketballs. Accessories like gloves, nets and bats are also great. Wonderful outdoor activity gifts include kites, lawn games, trampolines, tents and tunnels, water toys, playhouses, pogo sticks, bikes, hula hoops and wagons.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Kids Shoes - Making The Right Selection

Shoe Selection Guide...

Newborn/Infants Shoes

For infants, the primary reason for shoes is to keep little feet warm and comfortable; secondarily, to look nice.

All infant shoes are generally soft-soled, and made of breathable materials.

* Booties are ideal for newborns.
* Lambskin shoes are the dressiest.
* For cold weather Booties and Slipper socks will keep the feet toasty warm.
* For outdoor winter wear, Boots are designed with a very large opening (almost like a paper sack), so that little feet can easily step into them, without the hassle of bending, turning and twisting the feet as with other boots. Once they are on, simply pull the 2 drawstrings to create a custom fit over socks, slippers or shoes.

Infants/Crawlers Shoes

For more active youngsters, keeping the soft-sole shoes on their feet (whether in a stroller or crawling) may present a bit of a challenge. The unique elastic ankle systems allow shoes to slide on easily, and then stay on. However, they are not too binding, as with some other brands which often leave painful red marks and indentations on tender feet.

Early Walkers Shoes

Before you know it, children progress from crawling to cruising (the first steps while holding onto furniture, etc.) to their wobbly first steps. As recommended by medical experts worldwide, soft-sole shoes are essential to proper foot development and growth during this time and onward. All of our slippers and shoes are soft-soled. You can freely choose any design with the comfort of knowing that you are choosing the absolute best type of shoe/slipper for your child. For indoors, any of the above-mentioned brands would be great. For kids' shoes, we prefer a slightly higher level of protection than a suede sole. Stride Rite offers dual thin, flexible leather soles; the Naturino sandals, Soft Socks and our Primigi shoes feature flexible rubber soles.

Walkers/Runners

All of the issues from the previous group also apply here. But for maximum outdoor protection, some parent prefer a thicker rubber sole once kids hit age 2 or 3. The Stride Rite and L'Amour Shoes have been extremely popular. The Umi Sandals are great for warm summer days.

A Personalized Business Card Holder is a Perfect Gift for the Important Executive

Sometimes an afterthought when it comes to personal gift giving, business card holders are some of the most useful and efficient items for any businessman or woman. The professional purposes, of course, are clear. When you’re out networking and meeting various business contacts, it’s absolutely vital that you have several business cards available at all times; business card holders give you a sleek, refined place to carry those cards.

But the personal uses of business card holders are often forgotten; not only are they an element vital to any business-person, they are also fantastic gifts. Constant use of business card holders forces them to lose their luster and elegance quickly, so members of your friends and family are almost always in constant need of a new one. And when Father’s Day or graduation comes quickly rolling around the corner, what better way to show your love and support than a token that speaks volumes for your faith in the person receiving it?

Of course, business card holders don’t have to be used for holding business cards only. Quite the contrary! These sleek metal pieces are perfect for carrying a number of items, many of which are relevant to people who rarely, if ever, set foot inside an office. Business card holders are great for holding credit cards, other people’s business cards or even mini-invitations (or RSVP reminders), so consider purchasing one for someone planning a wedding or similarly huge event. If you’ve ever been in charge of planning an event, you know that keeping track of tons of different credit cards, business cards and invitations is a constant struggle. These items will definitely help keep a planner’s life a bit more organized.

The single most amazing aspect of business card holders is the ease with which they can be engraved and personalized. What was once maybe an expected gift for someone who had been planning to buy one anyway becomes heartfelt and personal with a well thought out engraved message. Want to thank your business team for a job well done or wish your recent graduation well on his or her upcoming career? Have their initials engraved on a business card holder in a classy and dignified font; there’s no better way to give a business-person a little luxury than a personalized item like this. Your gift recipient may even consider this their “lucky” business card holder, always using it in certain high-profile situations. How amazing would it be to give the gift of luck?

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Using Personalized Blankets

There are many reasons to use personalized blankets. They not only make great gifts, but can come in very handy with your own family at home and other places. They are sure to be treasured keepsakes.

Personalized blankets as gifts

Anyone can give a plain blanket as a gift, but a personalized blanket shows that you gave some extra thought to your gift. For a bridal shower, the bride-to-be would love to have a blanket with her new last name on it. This makes it, not only a useful gift, but an instant heirloom as well. And what could be more special to an expectant mother than to receive a baby blanket that has been personalized for the new baby.

Other great occasions for giving personalized blankets include birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s day, weddings and even ‘just because’. The list of recipients who would love to get a personalized blanket as a gift includes any member of your family and friends.

Personalized blankets of every kind

Besides blankets that are used on a bed, there are personalized blankets of many different kinds and sizes to suit many different uses. They can be in solid colors, prints, landscapes or even have animals on them.

Personalized blanket throws are wonderful and come in several styles. Some of the smaller ones are used as lap blankets by those in wheelchairs or just for extra warm while watching TV or reading a book. Larger Personalized blanket throws can be used as a cover when taking a nap on the bed or on the couch. They are also good for traveling in cold weather. Some have snaps or ties so that they stay wrapped around you when you get up to fix yourself a cup of hot cocoa or a snack. These are especially nice as personalized blankets.

For the sports fan, there are almost endless choices for a personalized blanket. A full sized blanket or blanket throw of any size can also be a personalized blanket. Imagine a blanket that not only has your favorite team’s logo, but also your own name on it! For the equine enthusiast, there are personalized blankets that make very good saddle blankets. It will make the horse rider stand out from the crowd.

The personalized blanket is a usable and nice gift, if you are out of original ideas this may be the one gift that people will later tell you they use all the time, from the baby to the sport fan, almost anyone would appreciate a blanket to call his own and that it will also show it is theirs, think about the one blanket that is distinctly yours.

Zune Vs. Ipod - The Battle Over The MP3 Domination Begins Right Here

The ipod has been one of the best little gadgets that apple has designed in a long time. Not only was it great for mac lovers for also for those who still like owning a pc. Microsoft has something in mind that will blow the ipod and the ipod nano clear out of the water. Microsoft calls it the zune and the features that this little mp3 player so far is showing much more promise then the ipod ever did.

The zune has a retail price of $249.99 and guess what that is more then worth the price just because of all the features the little powerhouse has. It gives you storage that you will probably never be able to fill along with being able to send information to other zunes through an ingenious wireless zune to zune connection. I can see apple starting to worry about the zune not only because it is a competitor for the ipod but also because microsoft has been able to dominate the computer market for a very long time and odds are will always.

There is talk of a zune shortage during the release time and this can always be met with many trying to get their hands on them as soon as possible. There are at the moment 3 great colors for the zune and odds are there will either be updated colors or skins that could possibly go over the case. Microsoft is also setting up a song site where zune owners can get a membership to and get a ton of songs that will go right into the zune.

Whether you are an apple fan or not you have to realize that the zune will end up taking over what ipod started. There were many diehard pc fans who ended up going and buying an ipod so whatever you do don't feel like you are a traitor to your brand. You just need to go with what suits you best and has the features that you are looking for. For most though it is hot, it is new and it is something that they need right now.

There are many places where you can purchase the zune just make sure and pick one up before they get too hard to buy. Odds are you will start to see these selling on ebay for an appreciated price due o the demand. Also do not forget that there are ways to get the brand new $249.99 zune completely free. Odds are a free zune is much better then paying for one but you need to be the judge of that.

It looks like most people are going to be getting the white zune and then there are a few who are actually going to test out the brown colored one. Not really the best choice for an electronic device but looks like money none the less.

All around probably going to be one of the best devices to be sold in the year 2007 and for good reason. Stop wasting your time and get a microsoft zune today.

Home DNA Testing: How To Choose The Better DNA Test Kit

What makes DNA testing so popular is its ability to be performed not only in DNA Test Laboratories, but also in the privacy of their own homes. The search for biological parentage can be an emotional time for most people. Some find it rather uncomfortable to let friends know they are undertaking a DNA paternity test. Some also find it awkward if their surrogate family, the one who has raised them and love them all their lives, find out that they are undergoing a DNA paternity test to prove or disprove relationships and parentage!

With that in mind, DNA test laboratories and DNA testing companies came up with the home DNA test kits. Home DNA test kits are easy to perform and the best part is that home DNA test kits can be bought online, delivered privately, and be done in the privacy of the home!

Without question, home DNA test kit can be bought online. But the question remains: with all the home DNA test kits to choose from, which one is better? Here are some points of comparison or things to consider when choosing a home DNA test kit:

1. ISO 17025 Accredited Like any organization or companies, DNA testing companies should be ISO 17025 accredited to ensure that consumers are receiving quality products. In this case, a home DNA test kit should be ISO 17025 Accredited to guarantee its quality.

2. AABB Parentage Accreditation Program The better home DNA test kit should also be one that comes from a DNA test laboratory that is a member of AABB Parentage Accreditation Program. Again, this is an international accreditation program to ensure that quality of DNA testing procedure and of the accuracy of interpreting test results.

3. Collection services A better home DNA test kit should come from a DNA testing company with an affiliate DNA test laboratory that is willing to collect your DNA test kit and your specimen where you want it and when you want it. Again, privacy of the DNA tester should be of their primary concern.

4. Percentage of Inclusions and Exclusions A better home DNA test kit should come from a DNA testing company that offers 100% exclusions of paternity and 99.9% inclusions of paternity. In simple layman’s term, exclusion percentage shows the tester who can not be their fathers, and inclusion show who can possibly be their father