I’m having technical problems today, and it’s not just my popup blocker that is aggravating me. The header has disappeared on this blog and I can’t get a new theme to work on another blog. I know enough about code to be dangerous, but obviously not enough to fix my problems.

I guess that’s what I get for using free WordPress themes!

I packed up all my luggage and arrived at my parent’s house around dinner time yesterday to celebrate the holidays. Being the youngest married couple in the family has it’s perks, like free food and booze, no one expects you to buy lavish presents, yet you still receive presents from everyone because you qualify as part of “the kids”.

I’m addicted to blogging so I’ll probably be around, but if not HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Make sure to come back and tell me all the good things you received from Santa!

Since I’ve accepted a new position that doesn’t come with the perks that my current one does, I had to order a cell phone and sign up for a plan.

My husband scored a great deal with unlimited text and internet, free cell to cell calling, and a bunch of other features for $35 a month through an employee referral plan with Sprint, so he signed me up for the same package.

So I wouldn’t miss my Blackberry Pearl too terribly, he ordered me a Centro by Palm, that’s supposed to be comparable in size and features.

• $399.99 Centro
• $35 monthly cell phone charges

As with all great bargin shoppers, my husband had a coupon code to bring the price of the phone down to $99.99, then found a $50 rebate, and then found a referral program where we each get a $25 Visa gift card when I activate my plan, making my new cell phone FREE!

I’m all about finding ways to make extra money and capitalizing on them, but I draw the line at finding free stuff and making money from it when the ethics are questionable.

I realize that using public domain materials to make money is perfectly legal and does not infringe upon any copyright laws, but it makes me feel smarmy. It’s profiting from a technicality You can read about making money from public domain material and make up your own mind, but I’m going to stick to original material and giving credit where credit is due because I can imagine that any money I would make would eventually go to pay for a lawyer!

If you don’t have all your holiday shopping done yet, you may think that a gift certificate is your only option. Not so when there are 20 easy gifts that aren’t gift cards. My favorites are:

• Netflix
• key chain bakcpack (these are AWESOME and every woman should carry one in her purse)
• BookSwim
• money savvy pig

I admit that I love a gift card as a present, but I think there are ocassions when they aren’t appropriate, like Christmas, when you’re supposed to be showing someone just how much you care for them. If you care for them that much, you can do better with the personalization than a gift card!

In a few minutes, the first batch of orders from our newly launched online company store at set to arrive and includes tshirts, bags, hoodies, and fleece with custom embroidery.

Even if your company doesn’t go all out with a custom store, you can get custom embroidered items though Namifiers. I’m a fan of custom embroidery because it is awareness advertising for your company and it builds a employee morale by letting them pick and choose items that are customized and make them a part of a team.

So, how pretentious is it to put professional abbreviations after your name? Do you list your professional credentials? Why or why not?

This debate started after I received an email from someone that included BS, MBA, and PhD after their name and it struck me as odd because they are a regular 9-5 employee. I feel like it would be different if they were an executive or a professor.

I have my MBA, but I don’t go around announcing it to the world.