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How to Go "Green" Easily,Effectively and Affordably (cont.)

Besides the vaporizer which is healthy, one saves on fuel with it. My sinuses are less dried out by the heat, with it. My skin is less dry and the dander on my pets should decrease too.. I am even thinking of getting an Infrared heater for about $ 150., next month, as it should pay for itself in 2 months by cutting my propane bill in half monthly! It operates off of the humidity in the room,being created by the vaporizer, which makes the room warmer by providing warm moisture to the room which makes one more comfortable. The infrared heater gets hot quicker but yet is perfectly safe for the home against fires.

2. I just bought Thermal-backed curtains as they are used to keep the heat in and the cold winds out and to keep the place cool in the summer so saves on fans and air conditioners. It even blocks outside noises.

3. Of course I recycle and I should be rewarded for this too! Besides the bottle tax on soda, 4. there should be one on juice and water, like in California. I think it should be higher if we do the right thing.. This is what Patterson, the governor of NY, wants too by imposing a sugar tax on soda. Due to the high instance of obesity in this country, he is making Obesity Awareness, his platform. There will be an emphasis on childhood obesity because many children are dying of heart attacks and strokes one normally sees later in life, due to the poor condition they are in. Video games, computers and tv's instead of parents and baby sitters, are not helping this trend either! Shows like "Ruby" and the "Biggest Loser", are also bring the rising obesity in Americans, to the forefront.

5. I also bought a space heater to focus the heat on one area so I can lower the heat as propane is too pricey to keep above 68 degrees.

6. I also applied for weatherization for the cottage I just moved into, that I am eligible for FREE for if the landlord pays for the audit which he said he would as will increase property value of the place in that we may get a new energy saver stove and refrigerator.

Go Green!!

I Hate Linkreferral! (cont.) 9-11-08


SAmple post from this forum to show you how mean some of it's members here are and how their ridiculous behavior is uncensored or curtailed but instead glorified for traffic by it's web site Linkreferral owner,Mike! How sad what some people will do just to get $! No morals really,ugh!! More My I hate LInkreferral Group.






my poly clay jewelry made you like?


8/11/08 "Traffic" post (cont.)

It is best in these matters to be as specific as possible. We all know that health care is a hot topic now,especially with the election. More importantly tho, many have no health insurance so they are interested in getting affordable advice for what ails them. Now it is as easy as receiving an email for $5. with excellent info in it from an expert in that particular field. It is key on your blog or site to give some free information and then if one wants to know more then they can pay for it! lol..Yes you want to get them interested tho. If you share nothing but say you are a doctor or a therapist you are robbing your potential client of the experience of knowing you.

  If you mention your therapy approach or give a link to some articles on say brain injury that you have written ..then one knows a little about you and if they will feel comfortable with you as their doctor. Having a doctor or therapist is a very personal choice and one is not comfortable with just anyone. Why I think a photo and a little bio is helpful for one to get a sense of who you are and what you are about so they know what they are in for. In this way the consumer and visitor to your page can make an educated decision. Also by touching on the weight loss topic, you are diving into a multibillion dollar industry. Evidence of this can be seen easily if you do a google search under weight loss as 25 million sites will come up! Why it is vital then to offer something very specific like in my case ..health,alternative,aromatherapy,hand made,green,affordable,soy,candles,soaps,essential oils,biodegradable,not tested on animals,castile soap,body,room,sprays,cleaning products...and so forth. You can see in this instance how these key words which you would put in your meta tags, can hone one into the specific product you are selling. this is very important because as you get more specific less people are offering what you are and then you will find less merchants there and more customers which is always nice. In this place LR,linkreferral, you find the opposite so one can not expect to do much business here! Hello! This place is more for educating yourself on how to have a great site,blog,store,forum and business and for networking with others in your field! This is important if you want to attract the people who will buy from you and more importantly return to your site and stick with you for a life time as a loyal customer!! These are the people you want as a client or rather, a visitor to your page. Just like any fool can have a child, anyone can have a web page. There are very few tho who are good parents or really know what they are doing on the net and even fewer who will actually succeed here. Again, having an excellent web site and being in good SEO and advertising yourself so that people can find you is key! Do the one thing you do better than anyone else that you love and don't mind spending say 80 hours a week on and you can't help but be successful at what you do. Have a nice day. Here's to your health and wealth!

Ann Reilly is a successful alternative medicine practitioner,artist,jewelry designer,animal expert,rescuer,environmentalist,human,animal rights activist, artistic model and makeup artist who lives in the Hudson Valley of NY, USA with her rescue dog and 3 cats. She enjoys photography and has written articles for her local newspaper and offers FREE!! medical tips to the public in her blog Closertosane. She shares her love of art with the world thru her business Artzstuf.

Woodpecker (cont.)

Haven't heard from DEC,Dept. of Environment and Conservation after my complaint regarding the business down the road. As for the woodpecker, I have not seen it since but was quite a site! Was told probably was a pilated one not ivory but I think they are wrong as was bigger. Oh well.


Rest of past post on 7/21/08 'Living Consciously'

Their actions don't stop us tho from flocking to their stores to get a great deal on toilet paper now do they?! No, we will not stop saving a dollar here for the bigger picture of say buying from a Mom and Pop shop down the road that charges $ 1 more for the sake of protecting children working or the sweat shops making your earrings for a dollar in some Third World country or China! No, us Americans will not give up the convenience and economical sense of a Walmart. This one stop haven is a place for many to spend in these economically trying times! We don't care who is getting abused or violated in the process as long as we are comfortable and happy!

The cattle industry is a prime example of how many haven't stopped shoving meat into their fat traps even though they process to love animals! We all know how brutal the cattle industry is in shooting it's cows right in front of one another, right in the head! Or the chickens dying on the conveyor belt! These inhumane practices are alive and well despite the efforts of your PETA and Humane Society or ASPCA. Yes some have stopped buying fur as they realize one can be equally as warm in wool, without killing 50 mink in the process. Yes some are using alternate skin care products of botanicals like Arbonne instead of say Neutrogena or ones doing animal testing and having animal by-product like your anti-menopausal potion made from calf liver! Yes we are exploring options but.. the ones who are are few and far between as many still endorse the companies like Revlon and Neutrogena that are full of chemicals and do in fact do animal testing.

It seems that we have no conscience as long as we get what we want at the expense of innocent children, animals, women...or our planet. With the awakening of America due to the efforts of Al Gore and the 11th Hour, we now are at least trying to do something about global warming. Many tho still do nothing as they think it is all a hoax contrived by the Green party and crazy Ralph Nadar. Not sure how many species of animals and flora need to be wiped out before we stop going to space and bombing in the desert!

With all the social problems plaguing America, we still have not stopped butting into others' affairs as evidenced by our involvement in Iraq, despite the fact that we never found one weapon of destruction there! Yes Binladen in fact was in a cave some where in Afghanistan but.. we still are bombing Iraq and killing it's people and animals and destroying it's landscape today! health care is the number one threat facing our nation today! Along with education and our environment yet.. it is not of interest to the Republican party who is war hungry and more concerned about keeping their voters who got them into office like the tobacco and oil companies, happy. Not sure how many more children right here in the states have to go hungry or go to bed tonite without health care or how many more women have to die from breast cancer that has spread throughout their bodies because they couldn't afford a followup visit, before we wake up and smell this bitter brew of Black yes Black coffee!

from my Ezine article 7/21,08




Rest of past post "Good Company" below

 food from local farms donated to food pantries for poor.

about you? In what way do you impact the community in which you serve?! Are you a "good company"?! I for one, support the ethical humane treatment of animals,not PETA, and feed,water,rescue abandoned pets. I have rescues at home, a pit bull and 3 cats! I don't know who was helped more by my actions,them or me! I definitely think they prolong one's life an add to it but.. they also make you healthier! I was depressed before I got on the green wave(eco-friendly too)! Or rather healthier. I lost about 100 lbs. this past year and have kept it off without diet or exercise or joining a crazy program or gym. I adopted a dog who needed a home as it's owner was moving to a place that didn't allow pets. I also took in an abandoned kitten!! They are incredible and truly a gift! I have taken my attention off my selfish self, and I take care of them! In response they give me love unconditionally! I think animals are a wonderful example of what we could and should be if we just give love a chance and peace! Today I take but one anti-depressant as compared to the other crap I was on, and I embrace a healthier life style and give to my animal causes! One can't be self destructive, when one has a pet or a child or an elder parent to take care of! Man that is a good thing! Peace and love, Ann.'

from my post on Linkreferral forum (htttp:/www.linkreferral.com, a web page to get traffic to your web site)today. Referring to the link of a web site started by a child, Free KIbble in response to the devastating effects of storms out west and the many displaced animals thrown in shelters as a result of being now homeless as so are their former owners, who can't take care of them anymore. This wonderful child started a company and web site to feed them! It was modeled after Free Rice, , to combat hunger and poverty world wide. Please give to these wonderful sites and causes, now , won't you?! Yes there is really no excuse for poverty now,as we have plenty of food to feed the world!




Past post, "HOme Spa"

I know today is supposed to be extremely hot here in upstate NY. Be especially careful folks if you have respiratory and heart problems or are elderly. Use your air conditions as opposed to fans which just blow pollen and such about..I use fans as I have pets and the other can be linked to arthritis. I like open windows especially in the summer but then that is me and I don't have major health concerns OK?!

What other home spa treatments are there you may be asking yourself?! Well I mentioned the other day that green tea was good for hair. It can also be used as a tint for hair along with vegetable oils. Henna is also used for a more natural effect as opposed to peroxide found in many dyes. Health food store does carry some colorings though that are not harsh or tested on animals. I like the Kiss my Face line of products see Kiss my face and Burt's Bee's soaps and such. Kiss my face line originated in the Hudson Valley of upstate NY in response to vegetarian's desire for ethical non animal testing healthy skin care products. I know my therapist years ago and we're talking say 1996, she used to use them..Anyway,the prices are great too.

I bought a tinted plum colored lip balm by Alba brand with peppermint flavoring in it. mm..They call them Terra Tints. They also come in like an ice pink and earth brown tones. see It has oils in it like olive,coconut and soy for moisturizing benefit too. In fact according to Dr. Bronner and Woods,they both also have great castile soap..see Dr.Woods and Dr. Bronner Anyway they say all you need is enough sleep and to use the castile soap with lavender,peppermint,olive,coconut,tea tree oils in it...and that is enough of a cosmetic for the skin. Makes sense as if you have perfect skin,skin being our largest organ..then why would we even need makeup to cover it up?! I would add to that beauty regimen tho in tha I say drink alot of water also so you get all the poisons out of your body. Cranberry juice is good too as is sitting in the dead sea salts, I mentioned earlier.. as they bring the toxins to the surface and then you take a warm shower and then nap.

In these economic times it is hard now to go on a vacation or at least one that is far. NOt only this but it is a pain with the terrorists and the airport searches and long lines now with the gas situation and also the cost of travel whether by car or bus or plane..

What does one do?! Stay home! Make your home your sanctuary and a great place to be by investing in some home improvement. I bought recently some plants to beautify the front yard. I also bought an oil diffuser, a must with pets I have my paintings on my walls to a add a personal touch. I need to add light and color to the living room as is dark and drab. I will accomplish this with some wall treatments like adding canvas to the wall in a pastel color.

The room is a weird shape too as is rectangular not square. Slowly I will get it together. I have a nice front porch as i choose not to go in the back yard as there is poison ivy and weeds back there and the neighbors took it over anyway as are inconsiderate and rude. Yeh is supposed to be shared but what you gonna do with such people but avoid them. That is what I do. Let them hang out with the mosquitos I'll keep the front where I have a table chairs my bird feeders to watch the birds wind chimes and yes all my plants I just bought! I also go a rose bush a friend will put in ground for me today so I can have fresh roses all season. I love the smell of roses how about you?

Friend Bill worked the organic farm yesterday as is in charge of composting. In exchange he got some produce. He is bringing some radishes and fresh spinach to me today. mm..

In case you didn't know the leafy vegetables are great against depression. I don't know about you but I rather eat well than take those nasty pills with the side effects. Don't get me wrong,they are a great buffer. In times of stress they help. However food,healthy food can do wonders for you and help you think and function better. Omega fatty acids found in flax seed have been linked to better brain function and eye improvement as well. In fact vitamin deficiencies of omega fatty acids can cause learning difficulties. The oils too that I use in my practice help you be happier like orange and it makes you more alert like the fennel with the licorice smell.

Many office buildings that are SICK would be better off if windows were opened and they used these oils to help their employees. In the long run all would be healthier and do more work. Instead the air filtration vents are polluted often with dead animals like mice and they breathe in the fumes all day in close closed quarters. ugh!

Talk to the management. They did studies and checked the vents and you'd be surprised what they found. It's like the mattresses. Many are full of dust mites. Why you need to not only change your sheets regularly,at least once a week,but you also need to steam clean the mattress and rugs in your home. Rugs attract bugs like fleas and yes mites as they burrow into the weave of the rug and infections caused by the animal scratching and biting insanely in response to the bite and itch. They can cause mange in your pets and skin diseases so beware. Many vacuums have HEPA filtration systems that have good suction in picking up the dirt. The dust particles is what accumulate and can cause disease. Now vacuums are being made with lights on them with natural light to kill the bugs as well.

There are also natural sea salt air cleaners which absorb the pollutants. Keep your windows open and fans on to circulate the air during the summer months as it is warm enough now as opposed to the winter when the windows are closed due to cold temps. Drink lots of water and have juice too like grape for the heart and cranberry for the urinary tract. This flushes the toxins naturally without colon cleansers from the body. Load up on raw! Yes raw veggies and fruits,nuts,trail mix cereal,granola bars for snacking healthily. Use olive foil in your foods too.

Don't forget to exercise but be smart about it Please! Don't be out there in the high noon jogging like you see some fools do. Walk or bike for cardio in the morning early or in the evening hours. Don't forget our weights for toning but not too much ladies! We don't want to look like Neanderhals do we! ~ Let's embrace our femininity and lift not more than 10 lbs. but increase the repetitions to atleast 15 a day to prevent those sagging arms. You want to wear the sleeveless tops to be cool so do this.

EAt alot of salads too . One can have egg,macaroni,chef,tuna,chicken...you don't have to eat like a rabbit folks and yes yo can even use sow mayonnaise but use moderation n all things even as we know our exposure to the sun! We still do need the vitamin E it gives us so indulge but use sun screen.


Included copy right now as some here feel the need to use my blog name for their posts as they lack originality and can't come up with one of their own to represent self and thoughts. omg! how lame is that?! I tried to get some help with this but person who runs forum this person attends did nothing to help me and said person probably never even heard of me as they are in England and they made up a name themselves by stringing words together. To add insult to injury they said my request for them to intervene and ask for name change, was bizarre! I don't find it bizarre to not want to be linked to other person's posts. To top it off, if this isn't bad enough, someone else out there is using my site and company name Artzstuf. Forum owner said I could seek legal recourse if I wanted. For now I won't as is too much of a pain but.. I may in time as everything they write out there links to my stuff I write under these names which is rubbish I say! What you think? Has anyone ever copied for their own amusement anything of yours?!

More below...


Copyright © 2008 Closertosane


Past post..

my beer bottle cap earrings from my etsy shop.

something for a client I deliver and in a timely manner. Recently a client decided to return some of my merchandise I had made for him rather than pay me for the product he had ordered. I have decided not to do business with him anymore, even though I have made $ in the past with him. I don't like losing customers but is best as when I do close a door a window to something better opens.

Wednesday I made a couple of sales and picked up two new accounts. I can see myself doing business with one of them as she was fair and didn't haggle with me, which I don't like as my prices to store owners are wholesale to begin with. I need to make a profit. The other one haggled which made me wary. She has some items I can get in her store that I may be able to resell but I probably won't as I know the distributor she deals with and what the prices are and her price she offered wasn't great. I have a friend closing a store which is probably a better way to go.

This week end I visit my mom on Saturday and do a flea market on Sunday. Today I am filling an order for an for a fashion show she is putting on as she is using my earrings in it which is exciting and flattering! I hope with the exposure some orders will be placed as I plan to leave business cards with her as well.

As long as I listen to my intuition and do what feels right for ME and choose the next right action I find it leads me to proper connections I need which are people who appreciate me and my work and are willing to pay me for it at a reasonable rate I can live with and on.

As we know it is not easy out there and it is even harder as an entrepreneur who doesn't have a steady check and is not paid by the hour when I show up at work guaranteed. I make $ if I sell. Fortunately for me I do see opportunity not lack even in this poor economy. People are still buying as they are still enjoying their lives and part of that involves once in awhile treating oneself to something nice like a unique or pretty piece of jewelry,art or photography which is where I come in. :)

Feel free to share your thoughts

.link to Articles here which is continuation of posts on first page of blog.