As the Internet becomes the outlet for most things social in our lives, people are increasingly looking towards the web to fulfill more lifestyle needs. Social behavior used to possess more physically active connotations, you can now be social, while sitting on your couch. The Internet has made everything from finding friends to joining clubs much easier, and some have even gone so far as to look for their future partner or spouse in the world of online dating.

This is one industry that has grown exponentially in the last several years. It was once considered a last ditch effort and an avenue of the desperate or socially inept, but as social media has consistently gained in popularity and use, other forms of online interaction have become more commonplace. Online dating is no exception. In fact, there have been an increase of niche sites that have cropped up to cater to any and every specific dating requirements, including religion and specific interests. You can go online and find almost any kind of person you can think of.

Initially, dating sites were more generic, and the information placed online was basic information. Now sites for specific religions and its practitioners, race specific dating, goal oriented dating – for example: those specifically looking to get married, and even sexual transmitted disease communities are boasting the opportunity for meeting a potential mate online. Some sites, like eharmony.com, do not cater to the LGTB community, but some of the top dating sites are inclusive to all races, genders, and sexual orientations, as niche sites grow in success and popularity.

According to various dating sites and statistics posted on datingsitesreviews.com, one in five people have used the services of a dating website. The same site also offered the statistic that last year, about 17 percent of all those who were married last year met through various online services. These are impressive figures and have increased rapidly in recent years, and these figures are likely to only increase more as people become comfortable with using online services for many social aspects of their lives.

Just because your restaurant leftovers are gone after you devoured them last night at midnight, doesn’t mean the container your leftovers came in needs to be thrown away. You don’t have to be a restaurant owner to find a use for food packaging. Surprisingly enough, regular people have several uses for the common take out box you are given to take home your leftovers in, and anymore they are well-designed and durable so they don’t look like obvious eyesores. By reusing the plastic take-out containers you’re also doing the planet a favor. Five great ways to use leftover food storage containers include:

Replace the Tupperware

Plastic food storage containers typically used to deliver take-out or package up leftovers were specifically designed to protect and store food. So why not use them for the same reason after you eat your restaurant leftovers? Simply wash the containers out and use it to package your kids’ school lunches or even your own. You can even use them to store your own homemade leftovers, and many are microwave safe which makes reserving the leftovers a breeze.

Small Storage

Paper clips, push pins and rubberbands can easily create a mess in any desk drawer, and you guessed it, placing a small food storage container in a drawer can easily organize these items. Most plastic take out containers even have compartments in them allowing you to separate all your desk items.

Art Projects

Not only can the left over food packaging be used to create jewelry boxes or faux treasure chests, but they can also be used to facilitate the creative process by serving as mixing dishes and water bowls. After consuming your leftovers, simply wash out the containers and keep a small stack of them with your children’s art supplies so that they may easily be grabbed when your kid sits down to create.

On-the-Go Watering Bowls

If you and your canine companion frequent the local trails or dog parks, you know the importance of keeping your dog well hydrated, and letting your dog drink out of your water bottle isn’t always an easy or sanitary task. However, with a cleaned take-out container, you can easily provide your dog with a water bowl without having to haul the big one around.

Water Saucer for Flower Pot

Have a flower pot that drains all over the floor? Well, why spend an extra $2 for a water saucer when you can just use a left over take out box? Both the top and bottom pieces of a plastic take out box make great water saucers, and they’re free with the purchase of your restaurant meal.

If you already have a house full of plastic take-out containers being re-used, remember to recycle the new ones you have brought home. While re-using is one great green way to live, so is recycling so don’t be afraid to toss your take-out containers in the appropriate recycling containers if you can’t find a use for them.

As we’ve seen in recent years, Hispanic culture is becoming increasingly important nationally. Their cultural roots have made their way into the fabric of the greater American consciousness and have only added to our country’s eclectic background. As the Hispanic population grows and their influence is felt in more varying ways, we continue to see how their presence, politics, values, and culture shape our country.

Late last month MSN reported this growing demographic is foreseen to make big waves in the coming 2012 elections. Their numbers are growing, as is their influence in states that haven’t been traditionally considered Hispanic or Latino battleground states. The 2010 Census reported that the Latino population has almost doubled in several states, and some analysts foresee the increase to continue across the US. These figures are a lesson to the larger public that Hispanic culture isn’t just something that exists in one or two states or in certain areas of the country. Their influence as a part of our country is being felt by the greater whole and is helping shape the future of our nation. With the Republicans and Democrats in hot debate for control over the political landscape, neither party will neglect this key demographic, which will figure into the deciding factors for the outcome of 2012 elections.

Besides politics, Hispanic and Latino culture are the benchmark of many current American communities. Our country has seen an increase in Hispanic entertainers and programming on network television, which brings seemingly two different worlds together. The popularity of novelas and other Spanish-speaking programming has increased in the US, according to an article by Variety. Novelas are television programming depicting various interpretive melodramas where the characters portrayed are usually Spanish-speaking. The series, “Soy Tu Duena”, according to the Neilson ratings, topped the Monday night lineup among the other networks heavy hitters, such as “Two and a Half Men.”

Last year the Senate voted on the Dream Act, but it failed in the final vote with 55-41. This was a bipartisan bill designed to help children of illegal immigrants become citizens through agreeing to go to school or join the military. This act failed, but it will likely see the floor of the House soon.

Hispanic and Latino immigrants are working every day to be a part of our country’s communities and continue to help shape it’s future. It will be interesting to see how these cultures will either clash or meld together in the coming years. With so much at stake and on the cusp of change, we can only wait and see how an ever changing America will continue to evolve with its people.

Using storage can be helpful for families with limited space and resources, and people don’t realize the variety of ways storage can work for them. Traditionally, users look at storage as a way to house items that wouldn’t fit in a living space, or as a resource for people who are moving and looking to store their possessions in short-term. Here’s a list of some alternative ways in which people use storage units.

Wine Cellars:

Americans are becoming more familiar with wine, and it’s no longer viewed as a luxury of the rich. As the average consumer’s interest in wine increases, so does their knowledge and taste for it. It’s becoming a part of social demand, and Hub Pages released an article that discussed the growing popularity of wine clubs and other wine-related events popping up all over the country. If someone is interested in investing in a wine collection but they don’t necessarily have the space for it, public storage is an excellent way to build a stock, while keeping your home free from clutter. It’s easy, affordable, safe, and climate-controlled environments are often available to those who want to keep their precious collection at the optimum temperature.

Small Business:

If you own a small business and rent an office, you already know how expensive square footage can be. Having offices, desks, employees, and other various space demands does not leave room for many other items, and if you are currently renting an office and paying a premium for your facilities, you might want to look into self-storage for business purposes. Consider the costs of expanding, then you might want to consider taking some of your filing systems and other materials to an off location storage facility in a storage unit. Most businesses have large portions of the office taken up by shelves and drawers of files and other documents that will merely for record. You can keep most of these non-essential materials and potentially save yourself a lot in rental space.

Band Practice:

This isn’t exactly a new idea, and the self-storage industry has been used for a long time by bands that don’t have the space to practice at home. There’s actually an industry term attributed to this kind of practice called Storage Music. Squidoo.com talks about this trend and refers to musical selection that’s been played and recorded in similar places. It actually is a great way for bands to play and record their work more cost effectively. Recording studios are incredibly expensive and finding the right space to use can take a lot of work. If there’s a self-storage facility nearby, speak with a representative or manager about renting an affordable space to your band for practice. They may require you to rent a larger space, but the benefits will outweigh the cons.

There are many reasons that people would find self-storage useful and not just for the reasons listed above. They can also be used as food pantry cellars or surplus storage for restaurants. Whatever your reason, contact one of these facilities and speak to their staff to see if self-storage is something that you’d find useful. They’re all over the place and chances are there’s one just around the corner.

I’ve neglected all of my blogging for quite some time, for very personal reasons. It’s time now to brush off the dust and get these blogs shining again. I’m ready.

I considered changing the focus of this blog but I have to admit I really enjoyed writing about such a wide variety of websites. I know a narrower niche would be better for SEO and marketing but my heart just isn’t into narrowing my focus here. I will be adding a few topics, though, that I hadn’t covered in the past. We’ll see how that goes.

So stayed tuned for new website reviews. They’re coming soon.

Let’s keep with a safety theme. While keeping our kids safe is a top priority, it’s also important that we safeguard our rights. One way to do that is to become aware of the things that are happening in various aspects of our lives.

Public Citizen is a watchdog group that sets out to protect consumers. Founded in 1971, this non-profit group fights for openness and accountability in our government. Since they recieve no corporate (advertising) or government funding, donations are welcome.

Public Citizen monitors Auto Safetly, keeps tabs on Congress, watches over Global trade and has divisions for energy, health and litigation. The organization has been instrumental in removing Red Dye #2 (a carcinogen) from the market, releasing the Nixon White House tapes and organizing protests against the World Trade Organization. While diverse, these are all issues that concern every citizen.

You’ll also find a contact form at the site for any inquiries you have. This isn’t the place to complain that term life insurance quotes are too expensive but it is the best place to stay informed about the Global economy and what our government is doing day to day.

If you like what you see here, please consider a donation. You can become a member for as little as $20, although $35 will get you the Health newsletter, too.

So much has changed over the years since I first became a mother. My oldest son is almost 30; my youngest is 12. In the early 80s, child car seats weren’t mandatory. When my youngest was born, a nurse accompanied us to the car to ensure that we had an infant seat and it was installed correctly.

I still remember the mini blinds in the boys’ bedroom when they were small. We made sure that Jesse’s crib was away from the window because we were concerned about the cord. As it turns out, those cords on window coverings were the cause of many child tragedies, although we didn’t know it at the time. Today, parents can visit the Window Covering Safety Council website to learn about cord safety and how to keep kids safe.

With saftey tips on choosing the right window coverings as well as instructions on how to retro-fit existing window treatments, this site is a must-have for all parents. You’ll also find saftey alerts and an information packed newsletter.

Be sure to look over the list of other safety site links, too. With new technology comes new hazards for our kids. Whether you’re pricing tv lifts for the family room or garage door openers, there are always safety factors to consider, especially with children in the family. Be safe and do your homework!

I spent seven years working for an internet company. The owners/partners of the company were all about security. I learned quite a bit from those guys about keeping a network secure.

I’m not sure why but those lessons never really transferred over to my real life. Perhaps growing up in Small Town, USA I just never thought much about keeping my home secure. We’ve always had a low crime rate around here and neighbors still watch out for each other. Yet, times are changing and I don’t necessarily like those changes.

Over the past 15 years our garage/shop has been broken into 3 times. This is supposed to be a safe neighborhood but it seems even safe places aren’t so safe these days. So far, we’ve lost a few hundred dollars worth of tools but I’m not comfortable waiting around until something worse happens.

In fact, I can’t help wondering what will happen if someone gets the courage to break into our home. And what if that happens when we’re all there, asleep perhaps? What about my kids who sometimes fall asleep in front of the TV on weekends?

Yes, we do have a dog and she can be quite intimidating when she greets visitors with her bark. She’s a Pit Bull and they do have quite the reputation. The truth is, though, Belle is a very typical Pit Bull, meaning she’s friendly and affectionate. She just loves people and it wouldn’t be difficult for someone to calm Belle and turn her into a friend in a matter of seconds. Her bark may alert us to a visitor but a watch dog, she isn’t.

For the record, most family dogs are useless for protecting the home. A skilled thief can get around most any dog other than those trained solely for the purpose of guard dog. Yes, a dog may protect its master and I’m sure Belle would risk her life to protect my kids, but at the end of the day, she’s just a lovable dog whose strong suit is scaring off inept amateurs.

So, what to do? I’ve been looking into home security systems and I’m just amazed at the wide array of services. Not only can ADT Security monitor your home for break-ins but also for fire, flood, carbon monoxide and medical emergencies. Now, we’re not at risk for flood here on this hill but with our wood burner this winter, fire is a frightening possibility. I just never realized that one monitoring service would handle so many different situations.

I’m not sure if we can use one system to handle our house as well as our garage, since they’re not attached. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be a problem. I know I still have more research before I make a decision but so far, I really like the system and service that ADT offers like the 24 hour monitoring at five centers across the USA.

So, do any of you have a home security system? If so, has it calmed your fears of safety for your family? If not, have you considered one? Do you like what ADT has to offer? Take a minute to let me know what you think about home security in general.

My husband can build houses. He’s a brick mason but he can do just about any part of home construction. I consider myself fortunate that he’s so talented. He doesn’t, however, work on cars. Oh, sure, he can change the oil and do some minor repairs but he’d rather hire someone to do the big stuff. Working on vehicles frustrates him. He’s the kind of guy that isn’t interested in the latest turbocharger or new rims; he just wants to get in his truck or car and drive. Some guys are like that.

I’ve been around long enough and have owned enough cars to know that finding a reputable car repair person can be a daunting task. I don’t know why that is but I think it’s a pretty universal situation. Maybe it’s just that most of us don’t understand automotives or maybe we expect too much from our mechanics. Or maybe a good mechanic really is hard to find.

I have one son who has helped a lot with my car repairs and we have a very trustworthy regular mechanic, but for those still searching, there’s finally some help. Repair Pal claims to take the mystery out of auto repair and by the looks of the website I’d say they’re definitely on the right path.

Repair Pal is full of information for the car owner. There’s an Encyclopedia with answers to your questions about car parts and services. There’s a knowledge base of common problems and ratings of cars as well as an area to list your car with your own repair information. This information along with the ratings you give to mechanics in the Shop Directory help to make Repair Pal even more useful.

My favorite part of the site, though, is the RepairPrice Estimator. Just enter your car’s details, your city and state or zip code and the repair work you need done and the Repair Estimator will give you the price range you can expect to pay. Scroll down and you can see the price broken down into parts and labor. That service alone makes Repair Pal an invaluable site for car owners. Check it out and be sure to rate your favorite (and least favorite) mechanics.

At least once a day, someone in my family asks me to search for something on the internet. Even my husband, who doesn’t know a mouse from a thumb drive, has me searching every time he hears or sees something interesting on TV.

Probably the most common searches I’ve done by request are for health questions. I guess we all have a bit of hypochondria, huh?

When it comes to health related searches, I’ve found one of the best places to begin is at Organized Wisdom. This site is powered by real people who guide you to the best online sources for your topic. No more wading through spam links and junk sites just to find those two or three or reputable sources. Organized Wisdom does the sorting for you and presents the best, most authoritative results.

Organized Wisdom covers all sorts of topics from Diabetes and Asthma to Depression and Breast Cancer. Whether you’re looking for general information on Obesity or have specific questions about an eating plan or the alli diet pill, you’ll find honest answers here.

I noticed, too, that Organized Wisdom has some job openings. After you look around the site a little and bookmark it (because you really ought to bookmark the site) take a look at the jobs they’ve listed. Maybe there’s something there for you!