Bartering:

Okay, so I am the absence of talent in any shape or form (except for the fact that I know how to make a balloon animal or two, I have no special gifts), but I recently heard the coolest idea for my gifted friends out there with special skills...this means you "J" and "sis" and well, pretty much everyone I know except me! I even have some ideas for my mom! See below:

There was a feature on the Today Show recently about how there has been a significant increase in the use of bartering and websites such as CraigsList.com that allow people to buy and sell things, but they have also seen an increase in actually exchanging one service for another. So those who can no longer afford special "treats" like having your nails done, for example, can now exchange a manicure for something like the design of a new website for the manicurist's salon. Another example might be someone who sells a certain product exchanging that product for say having a shelf built in his or her basement for free. How about this one? A person could exchange errand running (for someone insanely busy such as myself) for a product or service they want as well. Everyone can run an errand. So, if you are going to the grocery store, why not offer to pick up your neighbor's grocery's in exchange for him or her fixing that broken lawn mower, or something to that effect? So my friend is a cosmetologist and my sister does website design, so maybe they can get something really good in exchange for those things? The one woman they interviewed talked about how she had exchanged art for plastic surgery, trips to foreign countries, etc. Or maybe they can exchange with one another! Anyway, here are some sites they recommended:

Websites that can aid in bartering as suggested by the Today Show:
youexchange.com
favorpals.com
swaptree.com
friendlyfavor.com

http://www.msnbc.msn..com/id/29407653/

**********
On a personal note: Things have been good at school and at work (well, for the most part). I have been making some progress on my goal of sleeping researching sleep habits, etc. and by getting only three hours two nights ago. Okay, except for that last part I have been making progress. I went to a party at one of the people in my cohort's house and it was actually really fun. I had to leave early and really didn't want to! Other than that, not much else is going on. My daughter was in the paper for one of the local Dr Seuss reading week's events. That was exciting for her. The new girl started at my work and seems nice. Okay, if I am going to get to bed early I should at least try to eat dinner before 10:00!