Okay, kids, I’m going to play to my age for this one. You younguns might want to just run along and skip this altogether. For now, at least.

Now that I’m 50 I’ve decided to look into joining AARP.

There, I said it. I admitted that I’m old enough for the old people’s club. And you know, it isn’t so bad. I mean, now that I’m over that initial shock, I can see that there are many benefits to being this age. Being able to join AARP is one of them.

I’m still too young for Medicare but AARP does offer reasonably priced life insurance as well as some nice travel deals. In fact, AARP offers discounts on all kinds of items like the great buys in their Health Essentials Catalog.

Oh, and the one thing that convinced me to join AARP is that my membership is free when my husband joins. That’s two for the price of one. After 50 years, it’s about time good deals started coming my way!

With the holidays around the corner, it’s time to start researching those gifts that are on our lists. Most electronics are costly and we want to spend our dollars wisely. And lets face it, no one can know everything about every gadget and gizmo out there. For me, the weak link is photography. And, as luck would have it, I’ve had two requests for digital cameras from the kids this year.

I’ve read reviews all over the internet but in the end I went back to the one site that has never let me down. Steve’s Digicam site is the best resource for anyone planning on buying a digital camera. Established in 1997, Steve has maintained a straight forward, no nonsense site that’s overflowing with information.

My first stop at Steve’s is always his Best Camera roundup. I’ve purchased my last two cameras from this list and was pleased with both choices. The list appears to be updated frequently so check back often for new picks.

If the whole digital camera thing confuses you, Steve’s Digicam Dictionary will help make sense of all the terminology. Have a question? Head to the Digicam forums and ask other users for help. Steve even offers Digicam software suggestions to really make the most of your photography.

Steve also has the Original Digital Photo of the Day Contest. Read the rules then enter your best shot each month. Even if you don’t win one of the terrific prizes, you might still get featured as a photo of the day!

I’ve always been interested in health and beauty. It wasn’t until I discovered mineral makeup, though, that I began to appreciate the world of herbs and holistic medicine. I must say, I was surprised and fascinated by all of the wonderful treasures that nature provides.

One of the most extensive websites for herbal information is Henrietta’s Herbal Homepage. It’s been around for more than a decade – since 1995! Henrietta began by first posting her Medicinal HerbFAQ and later adding her Culinary HerbFAQ. After years of being hosted free of charge, Henrietta has moved the site to her own domain where she also blogs.

Whatever it is you want to know about herbs, alternative or holistic medicine, this is the site to visit first. You’ll find drawings, photos, articles and some excellent and hard-to-find early works, all scanned by Henrietta. This site is so chock full of information that you just have to go there and check it out for yourself.

Now, I know not everyone is searching for the same in depth information that I might be. I use herbs for blending and for soapmaking. But even if you’re just looking for information on a green tea fat burner or using Feverfew for migraines, you’ll find just what you want here. Go ahead, check it out. Just set your timer because you’ll easily spend an entire day reading and learning.

We all know that there are numerous job hunting sites. I know quite a few people who have had enormous luck finding new jobs by posting their business resumes online. The problem with those sites, though, is that they’re geared toward management and white collar.

I’ve been trying to help my husband find work for the winter. My husband is one of the best brick and stone masons in the country. His work speaks for itself and you can’t really put that in a resume. Sure, he’s run projects; he’s ordered materials, estimated and managed crews. But his forte is his eye for beauty.

Although the pictures are lovely, the home my husband worked on in Hawaii is just breathtaking in real life. He and my son built every arch, laid each stone from the house to the barbecue to the bridge over the lagoon style pool. In fact, my husband laid the block on that house in 2001.

Anyway, he’s now looking for work since things are slowing down around here with the cold weather. I’ve had no luck at the traditional job search engines but I have found a number of leads at Simply Hired and Indeed. These sites seem to include a wider variety of occupations.

I’ve just discovered the employment forum at Indeed so I’m going to look through there to learn even more about online job searches. If you know of other good job search sites, especially for the construction industry, let me know. And if you know of someone who needs a top-notch brick and stone mason, drop me a note. I know the best!

Another summer has passed and I have not kept my promise to myself. For the second year in a row, I had every intention of taking my kids to see a movie at one of the country’s last Drive-in theaters. How did summer get away from me again?

If you’ve wondered whether there are any Drive-ins near you, check out The Drive-In Movie site and take a look at the theaters in your state. I was surprised to find that there are three drive-ins near me; I’d know about only one of them.

Now, back when I was a kid, there were 6 drive-ins close enough to visit frequently. One was right at the bottom of our hill and the the old screen is still standing. That one was close enough that we could walk to it.

I guess traditional theater seating is more comfortable but there are still advantages to drive-ins. Although I no longer smoke, my husband still does and the drive-in allows him to do that while he’s watching his movie. And with snack prices so high at theaters, it’s much more economical to bring in your own food. And then there’s the simple joy of remembering all the great summer evenings spent at the drive-in with friends and being able to pass that on to my own kids.

Hopefully, some of you reading this are in a warm state and can still get to a drive-in this year. And next year, I WILL keep my promise.

Although I have a few favorite TV shows, I could probably get rid of my TV and be okay with that. There’s enough on the internet to inform and entertain me. My family, though, is another story.

For the past year, my kids have taken turns explaining to me why we need to purchase a plasma or LCD HDTV. They insist that if we don’t get new TVs we won’t be able to see any TV at all. They try to lure me into their madness by tempting me with home theater seating and room layouts because they know I like to redecorate my house every so often. Of course, my kids forget that I can read and I know how to search. And so I searched. And I read.

Here’s the scoop on digital TV. If you have cable or satelite TV, chances are you won’t need to do a darn thing. If your TV is really really old, you can call your cable company to be sure you’ll be okay.

If you don’t have cable or satelite, you’ll have a few choices. You can buy new TVs or you can get a converter box. The great thing about the converter box is that $40 coupons are available for them until March 30, 2009. There is a limit of 2 coupons per household.

You may know all of this already but I’d bet that there are people in your life who don’t know the details. My mom has asked me repeatedly about this and she’s so worried that shw won’t be able to get any TV channels after the transition. Just between us, I have to wonder if the wording for some of the new TV’s has been crafted in a way that will bring panic to those who don’t understand. Maybe not but it sure seems like people are clamoring to get TVs that they don’t need and really don’t want. Once again, it’s a marketing thing.

When I start a new blog I tend to tell my friends about it before I get it developed. Imagine my surprise when one of my friends told me about her new blog that had already been launched. Why didn’t I know about this sooner?

If you love fashion, style, makeup and all things luxourious, then you’re going to love Want 2 Be Barbie. If anyone enjoys Girly stuff more than I do, it’s my friend Cass. Whether it’s shoes or makeup or bling or just looking your best, Cass has it covered. With categories like Hi Tech Barbie and Middle Age Barbie, you know you’ll find something to amuse and enlighten you at this great fashion blog.

I’ve just found a great line of Squalane products, thanks to Want 2 Be Barbie and learned a little about how cheese helps when trying to lose weight. (Who knew?) Now I’m going to keep checking back for diet tips, too and hope that there’s a reveiw of various diets or products like orovo. I mean, if Barbie recommends it, it must be good, right?

Here come the holidays! Are you ready? Have you started your Christmas shopping? Well, if you’re looking to make some easy purchases, I’ve got some great ideas for you.

I’m not one of those people who make a point of getting to the stores on Black Friday although I do love the great deals on Cyber Monday. In fact, I’d rather click my way through my shopping list than stand in lines waiting for doors to open and then wrestling for a favorite item. I guess I’m lazy that way.

Anyway, one gift that works well for a lot of different people is a magazine subscription. If you know someone well enough to know the things they enjoy, then you can almost always find a magazine that they’d enjoy. And here’s the best part – Low Price Subs has great magazine titles for really low prices.

You can find many popular magazines, search by topic or even by price. Hard to believe but some of these magazine subscriptions are as low as $2.00 per year! That’s less than one issue of most magazines.

Go ahead over and check out the magazines. Order a few for yourself, too. After all, you’re going to finish your holiday shopping in record time, right? You’ll have loads of time to sit around reading your magazines!

When I first got internet access in 1996, I was totally amazed at all the software that was offered free or on a trial basis. I’d read about “shareware” in computer magazines but had no idea at how much was actually out there. Back then, my internet connection was a 14.4 modem and my hard drive was a vast 2GB. Needless to say, the size of any file I downloaded was an issue. That’s why the first shareware I discovered and downloaded was PKzip.

If you’re reading this, you probably know what a zip file is. What you may not know is that PKware’s founder developed the .zip format and offered it into the public domain. And PKWare is still in business, improving their software and adding security features to meet today’s needs.

Granted, internet speeds are lightening fast compared to 1996 and thumb drives are bigger than the hard drive in my first Windows 95 machine. Of course, files are much bigger now, too. There’s always a reason to want to save space and PKWare is still providing the best way to compress files as well as encrypting them. That’s right, the creator of the standard in file comprssion has added encryption to keep all your data secure.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the cost. PKWare offers a free-for-personal-use download of their SecureZIP software. Just head over to www.securezip.com to download your copy. SecureZIP can compress your files, saving you up to 90% of space. It also includes a digital certificate so that only the person you choose to see your files will see them, no password required. And don’t worry about spyware – SecureZIP contains no spyware, toolbars or other stuff that you don’t want.

If all that wasn’t enough, PKWare is having a great contest right now, giving away some really cool stuff at www.DecryptandDrive.com. After you download and install the SecureZIP software, register for the contest and use your software to decrypt your entry. You could win a Wii, a bike or even a Honda scooter!

I’m heading over to enter now. If I don’t win, then I sure hope one of my readers do. So, what are you waiting for? Get over there and win some prizes!

When I find a website that is notable, I usually look around a while, bookmark it and then blog about it. Sometimes, though, I get distracted. For instance, every time I headed over to Gadget Advisor to collect information and write a review of it, I started reading and reading and reading until I realized that time had gotten away from me and I still hadn’t written anything about the site. That isn’t fair to my readers, is it?

The fact is, there’s so much usable information here that it’s very easy to dig in and enjoy. While other sites offer fluff and filler between their meaty articles, Gadget Advisor offers only the “meat.” Looking for a universal remote? Check out the Gadget category and you’ll find a very cool Logitech that’s even rechargeable.

With HDTV coming to my neighborhood soon, I’ve been looking into new media/entertainment equipment. I’ve got a house full of computers but I thought it was time we looked into a networked media player to go along with the Plasma TV my husband has been eying. I know how to configure a powerhouse PC but I’m lost on the entertaining end. Not only did Gadget Advisor have a great recommendation, but also clued me in to the fact that not all LCD TVs are HD.

I could go on and on about this site since I haven’t even touched on their computer hardware and software sections, but I really want to get back to reading their reviews of backup online services. And I noticed an article on the Thermaltake Blacx Hard Drive Dock. And something about OpenOffice 3.0 being released.

There’s just so much good stuff at Gadget Advisor. I’ll see you there!