I’m going to be honest and blunt about this. Sponsored posts are BORING. Unless you have an amazing knack to turn even the most dry topics (like fake plants) into something that will fascinate the people asides from your gardner, people will usually choose to not comment, or even read your sponsored posts. Admit it, writing it is boring, so how can you expect the people reading it to be entertained? If it wasn’t for the money behind it to motivate you, would you still write about the alpine industry? Probably not.

The thing with writing sponsored posts is that the more you write, the more it decreases the overall quality of your blog. From what I’ve read of other people’s (and my own) sponsored posts, they all sound boring and dead. To me it’s like watching the commercials on TV minus all the excitement. It repels readers, or at least, I get repelled away when I see that the first couple posts are sponsored posts. I go to a blog expecting to find some interesting content or at least to hear about your day. Not to listen to you talk about police gear, unless you happened to be a police or the owner of the store.

I know I sound like a hypocrite right now, because that is what I’ve been doing for the past couple months. It didn’t occur to me at first because obviously I don’t view my site the same way a regular visitor would, but after seeing the trend on other sites, I began to realize how ANNOYING it was. So I propose a simple solution:

Pair your sponsored posts with a quality, non-sponsored post. What does this mean? Basically, if you’re going to write a sponsored post, go for it. But right after you write it, write another decent, non-sponsored post, so your quality post will be the first one your readers see, not the one about anxiety medicine. As far as I’m concerned, no rules are being broken by doing this, because usually as long as the sponsored post is on the main page of your blog, the post order is irrelevant. So why not have your readers come to your site and read something decent, so they won’t think that your blog is a wolf under sheep skin? For example, this post will be the first you see and hopefully read when you arrive at my blog, not any other sponsored post. In short, always make sure the first post on your blog is a quality post.

Yes, you’re still writing humdrum sponsored posts and in a sense you are deceiving your readers, but at the same time, you’re making it easier for them. Now they don’t have to filter and skim through posts just to find that something good and real you wrote.

When you buy books, where do you usually go? Online or offline? And when you do buy books online (for those of you who have never bought books online, you should. They usually provide free shipping and give you great discounts), where is the place you go? A lot of people will probably say Amazon books or Barnes & Noble. Well, those are great places to shop for books online, but did you know that Buy.com also sells books, and at great prices too?

They offer a large selection of books, many at the lowest possible prices. If not the lowest, then they tell you where you can buy them cheaper! If you sign up for their credit card today, you also get a $30 discount off your first purchase!

I have a very bad sense of directions. I can drive to a place a couple times and when you ask me how to get there, I’ll still tell you “I don’t know”. Either that or I’ll give you directions bad enough to land you on the opposite side of the country. We have a map in the car, but unlike my parents who are extremely map-savvy, I’m terrible at reading them. I can find the places fine, it’s just following the map that’s a problem. Of course, there’s Mapquest and Yahoo! Maps, which do help, but they give faulty directions at times too.

We finally have a GPS now, and I don’t know what I would do without it, especially when I’m driving by myself. We got ours at Buy.com too, and you can get $30 when you apply for their credit card. They offer great selections, and many times at the lowest possible prices. Good services too

Nowadays many people, including me, rely on their cellphones for time. Those who still use watches probably wear a wrist watch, and many of them might be a digital one too. So why not make a statement by use a pocket watch, the choice accessory of men in the earlier days (think Jane Austen). Not only are they elegant and smart, you never have to worry about the watch not matching with your outfit. Nor do you need to worry about it getting scratched, though you should watch out for pickpockets!

Jewel Elegance carries a great selection of men pocket watches at great prices, and many come with free shipping.

What better way to spend a great vacation than on Disney cruises? Adults will enjoy the luxury of a 5-star cruise line, with plenty of leisure activities and fine dining plus shopping, while kids have the time of their lives aboard a Disney themed ship! There is something for the whole family, and that’s just on the ship! The cruise will take you to exotic islands and faraway retreats, you decide where you want to go!

Check out Cruisecheap for more information on Disney cruises and all possible destinations.

I was planning on posting anything, but for some reason I felt strongly to write my opinion about religious groups, especially Christians, that try to spread their beliefs to others. The reason being is that I read a post that Regina wrote about inappropriate conversion, and though I agree with them on some parts, I find myself standing up for these accused Christians.

Now the girl who wrote the post on inappropriate conversion was a Muslim, and when the Christian group tried to convert her at an Arabic festival, I can see why she was annoyed (and amused) at the same time. However, it’s when self-claimed Christians mock what the group was doing that I got really upset and disappointed. I don’t expect non-believers to understand what those people are doing or even why they’re doing it, but as Christians, we should know why they do it. But when you start saying things like”The bible did not say that everyone has to believe in god. there are other religions too, like Buddhism“, it’s apparent that

1. people either don’t know the bible at all
2. people have been taught to the twisted truth

I’m no expert in the bible myself and I’m still learning, but the first commandment of the 10 made it very obvious

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

If you are a Christian and believe that God is the creator and ruler of the universe and that the bible is His Word, then you should know that even though the bible doesn’t explicity say “EVERYONE SHALT BELIEVE IN GOD”, it implies it very clearly. Yes there are other religions, but to God and Christians alike, those gods are nothig more than idols that humans have made and decided to worship. And God is so adamant about everyone eventually coming to know Him and believe in Him that in the new testament Jesus says again in Matthew 28:19-20

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

So pretty much the bible is saying, those of you who already believe, good, because now you got to make sure that everyone else knows about God too! This is why those Christian groups go out there and talk to people. They have nothing personal to gain from doing it, absolutely nothing. There are no financial rewards, not even an award on paper or a chocolate medal for doing what they do. But they do it because they know that 1) God commanded them to 2) they just want to share the joy and peace they feel with others. The second part is something that words can’t describe, but any one who has an initimate relationship with God can understand, and it’s just something you can’t keep inside of you. It’s like you want the whole world, or at least your close friends and family who are non-believers to know about it and experience the same kind of joy and peace that you have. I’m speaking from personal experience here.

What I’m trying to say is that people need to understand that these Christians are getting scorned and mocked, and sometimes even physically hurt, for what they do. Haven’t you ever wondered what’s the driving force behind them, why they’re willing to do something like this? It’s not a cult, and it’s sad to hear that even amongst Christians, some would say something like that or have such deep misunderstandings. But all I can say is that it’s not easy, and that it takes a lot of guts. But the bible never said it’d be easy, and in fact Jesus said in Jon 15:18-19

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Of course, it was foolish of the Christian group to chose to spread the gospel at an Arabic festival. I also don’t like it when they try to force things on to people. Things like this should never be forced, and in fact, it can’t be forced. Sometimes I think they get too desperate and too passionate that they forgot what it was like to be a non-believer.

If you’ve an avid dieter or having been seeking desperately for ways to lose weight, then I’m sure you’ve heard of Phentermine. It’s the most sought after prescription diet pill there is on the market, but how much do you really know about this drug asides from what the manufactures tell you?

Consumer Price Watch has reviewed the top 200 best-selling diet pills on the market and ranked it out of the following 12 criteria and then finds the best place to purchase them online.

1. Value
2. Ingredient Quality
3. Customer Feedback
4. Safety
5. Company Reputation
6. Reorder Rates
7. Customer Service
8. Product Sensation
9. Packaging
10. Long-Term Benefits
11. Product Convenience
12. Weight-Loss Potential

Read more to find out what the review says about Phentermine so you can make the best dieting choices today.

Summer is finally here, and what nicer place would there be to escape to than at the Caribbeans? Those of you who have been there know just how beautiful and relaxing that place is, and those of you who’ve never been there, why not try? You’ve seen the photos and you’ve seen the movie (the beaches in Pirates of the Caribbean were beautiful, and you can’t deny it), so why not make it a reality?

If you don’t know where to start or how to plan out your dream vacation, let Wimco help you! They specialize in Caribbean villa rentals, but they will also help you plan out your trip, from the flights there and back and everything else in between! So if you’re planning a vacation to the exotics, check them out today.

My last couple posts since I talked about the importance of consistent blogging haven’t really been of quality or of interest. Even as I write this now, I can’t guarantee that it’ll be of interest to you, but:

1. It’s not just pictures or some twitter-like post
2. It’s not a sponsored post

I haven’t really gotten back to replying to all your comments still and I haven’t been commenting on your sites either (though I do still browse through every now and then) even though I’ve been back for almost 2 weeks now. A lot has happened, and I’m going to try and condense everything and save you all from boredom.

Basically, I found out my boyfriend of a year cheated on me all the way back when we just started going out. The hurt and emotional distress I went through isn’t something I can describe, and it really isn’t something I’d like to disclose any further either. All I can say is that I thank God for the amazing friends that have been on my side and supporting me throughout this whole ordeal, despite my cutting off connections with them this past year. I also realized the importance of God in my life and just how much I need Him, so I’m probably going to be spending a lot less time on my blog now, just because I would much rather be spending time catching up with Him. I know I haven’t posted anything lately in the Quiet Time category, but expect them more often from now on

On the other hand, I’ve made well over hundreds of dollars through sponsored posts now, and I’m definitely going to continue, as it’s a really convenient and good way for me to make some extra cash on the side. Trust me, I’d love to get a normal job with a set salary, but the US government is an idiot and they are taking their precious time approving my renewal for my work authorization card. Morons.

When I get the chance, I will definitely put up some proofs and individual reviews of each service. Meanwhile, please check out the Get Paid To section.

Have you or a friend or family member recently been in a personal injury, suffered from a car accident, or suspect medical malpractices? When faced with crisis like these, there’s often confusion and panic about what to do, not to mention on going emotional distress and trauma at these sufferings. While there are things we can do, when it comes to dealing with legal issues and fighting for our rights, it’s better to leave those to professionals.

Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C provides you with the top-of-notch Chicago personal injury lawyers, so you know you are in good hands. They’ve been in business for over 25 years now and are considered one of the top firms that specialize in cases like accidents or medical malpractices. If you live in the Illinois area and are in need of legal aid or advice, please check them out today.