The term blogging often sounds awkward and intimidating to newbie web entrepreneurs and emerging small-business owners, however, the concept behind the wording is quite the contrary. In fact, e-commerce go-getter Gloria McQuade insists that blogging is as simple as keeping a pen and paper handy to scribble down creative thoughts and ideas as they come to you.

“It’s important to be a multitasker to succeed in the competitive world of e-commerce,” McQuade said. “As a full-time employee by day, I have to take advantage of every free moment I get to help market my web business.”

Blogging allows business owners to promote their products/services in brief, engaging articles while dually encouraging interaction and discussion among consumers. It also happens to be a key concept behind the professional marketing strategies of iePlexus – the company that helped McQuade formulate a business blog of her very own.

Developed in May 2010, www.PrincessAndTheBlog.com was created to educate readers about the numerous functions and exciting features presented by McQuade’s collection of dollhouses that’s available for individual purchase through her web store. In recent posts, she has discussed important tips for assembling a dollhouse, the similarities of dollhouse doors to life-size doors as well as the dramatic difference dollhouse accessories – such as winding staircases and decorative furniture – make to each miniature home sweet home.

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Two weeks – that’s all the time it took for Cindy and Jerry Jackson to witness a booming success with their web business after signing up with iePlexus.

“Right away we noticed an increased and steady flow of traffic to our website and, by the end of the first two weeks, our sales had nearly quadrupled,” Cindy recalls.

In June 2008 the couple embarked upon their enterprise, www.BreezeByYou.com, and was just staying afloat with an average of three sales per day. Now, with the professional support of iePlexus, the business averages 10 to 12 sales daily.

“I’ve already burned up one printer, and am almost through another, with all the orders I receive. My drop-shipper even struggled to keep up with my order requests; they had to hire more help just to maintain our commissions,” she said.

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Roger Kern remembers the aches and pains of a time when he used to get the flu and a lung infection each year, like clockwork. Fortunately, those days are long gone and his health has grown strong and unwavering to ailment for three years now.

Naturally, the first question most people have when they hear of Kern’s story is, “What is responsible for such a miraculous change?” Well, listen closely because the secret to his transformation isn’t an everyday remedy or cure-all, it can’t be found in a drugstore and it didn’t involve a shaman. The key to unlocking his newfound wellness was nothing more than a few simple changes in his diet, a switch from nutritional neglect to a meal plan that was heavily focused on herbal supplements.

“After several failed attempts with other popular solutions, I discovered the Herbalife program and dropped 30 pounds within the first three months,” Kern said. I’ve felt great and energized ever since; it was the exact boost I was looking for.”

In fact, Kern was so impressed with his results that he decided to become an independent distributor for Herbalife, launching www.HerbalWiseSupplements.com in October 2009. Here, healthy-living seekers are invited to browse an extensive selection of herbal-based supplements that promote basic cellular nutrition, weight management, core nutrition and targeted health, energy and fitness as well as a variety of products that deliver personal skin care and outer nutrition.

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No matter her age, size or preferred taste in clothing, every woman is familiar with the struggle to find the perfect-fitting jeans. While some consider this notion a fairytale and others believe it’s about attainable as a four-leaf clover, nearly all women – even those who have stumbled upon occasional luck – share the frustration of chasing this dream.

“I had never heard of Not Your Daughter’s Jeans and then, one day, a friend who lives in Australia called me up to see if I could find her a pair and ship them overseas,” said Lee Ann Singleton.

It was the summer of 2008 and, although Singleton discovered she wasn’t able to grant this wish due to international distribution laws (specific to the brand), the request did spark a curiosity that led her to purchase a pair of her own to find out what, exactly, made them worth all the trouble to track down.

“Before I was introduced to NYDJ, I had to try on every pair of jeans prior to purchasing them because my size seemed to vary from store to store. But after slipping into my first pair of NYDJ, I was enlightened by the exhilarating reality that: Jeans can fit!” Singleton said.

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Swirls of olive, jade and green apple flourish among the gently rolling hills of kudzu and shrubbery, bordered by skyscrapers of wooded terrain. Delicate bursts of lavender, peach and magenta botanicals highlight the abundance of leafy greens to create a collage of splendorous nature.

Embraced by the warmth of the Deep South – Dallas, GA to be exact – this little piece of paradise is home to an array of wildlife; mostly birds and squirrels that have nestled into the birdhouses and birdbaths that adorn this cozy backyard. Following suit of invitation, the garden welcomes small creatures and critters alike with a collection of bird feeders, birdbaths and squirrel feeders.

This nature wonderland is additionally home to property owner Beth Wheeler, an avid birdwatcher and all-around animal lover. For the past 20-plus years she has enjoyed the relaxation birding allows; whether perched in her backyard or gazing through the kitchen window, her passion for observing the essence of nature provides an escape from the every day hustle and bustle, Wheeler explained.

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Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. The question has been popped and wedding bells chime in the distance. It’s time to commence the planning and preparation for the big day, but where do you begin with the countless details to attend to?

Set a date, pick a venue and find the perfect dress – don’t sweat the small stuff – leave the table décor and party favors up to Show Me Wedding. In one simple sweep of online shopping, brides-to-be will discover hundreds of decorative accents produced by Atlanta-based designer Kate Aspen.

Transform your visions of fairy-tale bliss into tangible accents of elegance and creativity with table décor and favors themed for every season or personal preference, such as wine, hearts, beach, candles and more. And don’t forget to thank your bridal party with tokens of appreciation and sentiment; choose from monogrammed jewelry pouches, flip-flops, koozies and more.

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Ready, set, adventure! It’s time to set out on an educational journey with your kids; today’s expedition, a world of amazing animals.

Did you know that most garden snails live in and around moist areas such as ponds, wooded terrain and, of course, gardens?

Transforming playtime into an exhilarating learning experience is a hopeful mission for many parents; however, simple solutions do exist. At www.BlocksAnd3DPuzzlesBlog.com you’ll find an abundance of fun facts paired with mini lessons plans of exploration; brainchild of Garolyn Bowen. This interactive blog is anything but sluggish as it already has the how-to’s figured out, which means less strategic planning and creative effort required from mom and dad.

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One in 58 men and women will be diagnosed with melanoma – the most aggressive, and often deadly, form of skin cancer – during their lifetime, according to the American Melanoma Foundation.

While such a dismaying statistic is a blindsiding truth to many, Andrea Licata-Bernath knows about the dangers of melanoma all too well.

A longtime resident of the sunshine state, she became an avid tanner – soaking up the luminous Floridian rays – at the early age of 15. Regular trips to the tanning bed soon followed, almost replacing her outdoor sunbathing by a three-to-one ratio, as she discovered the convenience and nearly instant results it produced. (more…)

It grows naturally. Deposits of white clay, waiting to be unearthed, are scattered throughout the lands of Boleslawiec, Poland, a tiny town just outside the German border. And from this malleable substance, a magnificent array of stoneware is crafted by the locals.

More commonly referred to as pottery, it was the brilliant vibrancy and intricate design of these handmade kitchen creations that attracted Kiki Nohmer – along with a handful of other military wives – to cross into Poland. While stationed in Germany for five years (then two more in Belgium) with her husband, who was an active solider in the United States Army, she made frequent expeditions to Boleslawiec.

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It’s somewhat mindboggling to consider how the minor details in life can unexpectedly transpire into the bigger picture; shaping and transforming our malleable existence to define our future.

When father and son, Anthony and Chris Markgraf, set out to develop a new formula for their company’s fog machine – with help from co-worker Adam Pogue – they could have never anticipated the life-changing events that would soon follow the creation of the new brew. (more…)