That time of the year, taxation! This photo was found via Google Images/brightstarsolar.net

This year has continued at a gallop pace through February; just the way I like it. In the beginning of February, I updated quite a bit on my home page for Alicia Harrell’s Bookstore. I was able to add some positive content that I believe our visitors will enjoy. I love sharing things and my bookstore’s website is another great vehicle for doing this. February was also my online bookstore‘s first anniversary! Making it through its first year is definitely a huge landmark; especially when this was opened during a recession. Seeing my bookstore mature into a success was truly inspiring and felt great!

My book manuscript titled Undermining Alex is still going through the lengthy editing process. This is where the women and men authors find out how resilient and perseverant they truly are. Editing can be very taxing and stressful. I view editing as a great method for transforming one’s work (with the assistance of an excellent Editor) into something greater.

Editing enables an author to shine with their best written work out in the world for others to read and enjoy. This author highly recommends that if you are new to the writing field and wish to be an author, the minute your book manuscript is completed to your satisfaction, hire an excellent Editor to review your work. You will be delighted you did. It is a very eye-opening experience and helps you see how another person will view your book’s content.

February is also the month where this author begins preparing for income tax preparation. For those who are self-employed it is best to find an accountant, certified tax preparer or qualified tax preparation service to fill out the Federal and State Income Tax Forms.

I recommend reviewing the IRS official website to make certain you are prepared with gathering together all the correct receipts. Doing this is a great method for becoming aware of any deduction or taxation changes implemented by the Federal and your State’s government. This is a huge help for having what your tax preparer will require for filling out the 2011 income tax forms when you visit.

If you prefer to complete the taxation paperwork on your own, you can ask the IRS to send the income tax booklets and forms to you via their website. Post Offices and Libraries often carry Federal and State Income Tax booklets and forms too. It is wonderful to have choice, on and offline.

For those who find visiting a tax preparer daunting, TurboTax is a great alternative. It is like having a personal tax preparer in your home. It fills out the State and Federal Income Tax forms for you while answering specific questions by typing in your answers. TurboTax takes a while to go through for it is very thorough, but the luxury of doing one’s taxes accurately in one’s home is truly a benefit.

H & R Block and the IRS have online tax preparation services too. TurboTax, H & R Block and the IRS websites are safe and secure. Feel free to browse for price comparison on their websites. You have the right to choose which tax preparation method and website is right for you. Doing your taxes online via H & R Block, TurboTax or the IRS website is a great way to save money during the taxation season. These assistive websites are an excellent income tax resource.

Happy February and thank you for visiting!

Alicia Rose

New Year fireworks for all to enjoy! Compliments of Google Images.

This New Year has already begun at an exciting pace. I have many goals that are planned to be met which mean new ones to create; very exciting for me! I can hardly wait for 2012 to unfold into the expected wonderful year.

One of the goals I have already accomplished is setting my Daily Duties in the order I wish to accomplish them. I even have added which hours in the day I wish to accomplish these tasks in order to organize myself better. This helps me stay on-track throughout my work day.

Along with creating my Daily Duties roster, I have my monthly tasks listed on a wall calendar as a reminder so these do not become neglected. I also use a planner. This way I do not forget to telephone or miss an appointment. I find the more organized I am the better my day, month and year is.

For 2012, I will be monitoring, updating and blogging on Alicia Rose at WordPress on a monthly basis. There is much I have planned to share. Please check monthly to keep abreast of the added content. Thank you.

Looking forward to another delightful year blogging and sharing things with you! Hope your holiday season went well. May this bright New Year bring you and your family much joy!

Happy January!

Alicia Rose

A gorgeous holiday tree for all to see!

This year some companies online are giving 5 to 25% (or more) off website purchases during the Holiday Season. Harry & David, L.L. Bean and Wine Country Gift Baskets are companies doing exactly this. L.L. Bean is including free shipping with no minimum order for their patrons. Wine Country Gift Baskets has shipping specials too. These businesses are reliable and their websites are easy to use.

Amazon, My Habit, Hallmark, Macy’s, JC Penny, Kohl’s, Target, Zappos are also offering some money saving holiday gift and shipping specials. I have found for my family long distance family members that it is cheaper in shipping/handling costs to purchase their holiday gifts online. Some businesses like Amazon, JC Penny and Target have a gift wrapping service plus holiday cards for one’s purchased gifts. This feature usually is given at an extra charge. This service is well worth the added price if one does not have a lot of time to spend wrapping gifts and standing in the long line at the Post Office. Highly recommend shopping this method for those who are extremely busy and already stretched in time management.

Hallmark has a great website where you can pick, create and mail all of your holiday cards through their site. They have many different holiday cards to choose from and you can pick a different card per person you are mailing a card to via this helpful website. Hallmark is currently offering holiday card specials. This is a huge time saver!

May these helpful money and time saving ideas brighten your Holiday Season!

Season’s Greetings to you and your family,

Alicia Rose

Fun idea for All Hallows' Eve

Welcome and greetings to Alicia Rose at WordPress!

Throughout October, I did a little autumn cleaning throughout the pages on this website to keep it up to date. The promised new freebies are located in the video content section in the lower area of the Freebies page. There are some great children’s videos and a special one with The Beatles performing.

Do not forget Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 6, 2011. Remember to set your clock back one hour the night before!

Happy and safe All Hallows’ Eve  to you and your family,

Alicia Rose

This photo of autumn leaves was taken in Ada, Oklahoma. Ada is located in Southern Oklahoma. Found online Google Images/richardbarron.net

Once again, here in Oklahoma, the leaves are beginning to turn into their stunning fall colors. Some trees have already begun the leaf shedding process while others will do this later as the weather becomes colder. Right now, at the end of September, the weather is enjoyable in the milder 70′s and 80′s temperatures. The foliage is incrementally changing toward the beautiful autumn look we appreciate for fall is very pretty in Oklahoma with its browns, yellows, oranges and reds.

Eventually, as autumn grows closer to the Winter Solstice the green grass will become its winter brown (in California they call it golden and their grass if not watered changes to what we call here as “winter brown” in the summer), usually around Halloween or near the time change in early November as we fall back into the Standard Time; bidding farewell to the federal funded to participating states Daylight Saving Time.

Today, my dachshund found more leaves on the ground to stomp over for the “crunchy” sound. He loves walking through a pile of leaves or a lawn covered with them. This is one dog that might be little, but adores making the big “crunchy” sound as he tromps on the leaves child-like. We go through this every autumn. I find it amusing and fun to watch our precious dachshund have so much fun with the leaves – like a young child with a big box.

I will be adding more new content to the other pages; as time permits. I am planning on adding some videos for all ages; some will be educational, others fun or musical (or all three). Please keep an eye out for new content right here at Alicia Rose at WordPress. There is much I have found to share and will be adding these jewels throughout the month of October.

As far as when my second book Undermining Alex will be published, that will occur sometime next year. The release date is unknown at this time – sincerest apologies. As soon as it is published in 2012, I will definitely blog right here on my official author’s blog website an announcement.

Alicia Harrell’s Bookstore is doing well for its first year as an online bookstore that offers more than just books. There have been more photos, banners and a featured selection by Linda Yezak added. We do have space for more to showcase on the Featured Selections page. As this unique bookstore’s owner, I personally invite you to visit Alicia Harrell’s Bookstore and see all that is new.

In October, my plans are to add more services on the Welcome page to well round out the bookstore’s website thereby offering a better variety of services as well as the huge selection of books, CDs, DVDs, Amazon Kindle products, children through teenage items, baby products, accessories and much more! We currently have a great selection of autographed books available on the Autograph and Rare Books page that many might find of interest. The page’s title describes exactly what is on that page; designed for those who enjoy book collecting.

For those ecologically minded and performing their autumn cleaning (similar to spring cleaning), vinegar is an excellent cleaning agent (with or without water added). Straight vinegar is perfect for getting rid of mold and mildew – where ever located in the home. I use it to clean my coffee pot, linoleum flooring, toilet bowls, sinks, bathroom tile, bathtubs, laundry room and for sterilizing the cupboards. It is very versatile, won’t harm the outside of dryers, washing machines, refrigerators, ovens or stoves. Vinegar has saved me
much in cleaning products.

Vinegar smells better than the chemical-based cleaning products. It is chemical free and one does not have to worry about it touching the skin for vinegar comes from all-natural sources. You can also drink a teaspoon of it for detoxification purposes.

Which Vinegar should you use? I have found White Vinegar best for cleaning and Apple Cider Vinegar is great for detoxification. The Apple Cider Vinegar tastes better; is easier to ingest. The White Vinegar has a clean smell that is not overpowering; recommend for the sensitive nose.

A heartfelt thank you for the valuable time you spent visiting this site. All visitors are welcome! Children and teens, remember to get your parent’s permission – or view this website with your parents as a family time thing.

Happy autumn to each and every one!

Alicia Rose

One of the featured selections on Alicia Harrell's Bookstore and more website.

Throughout the month of July, Alicia Harrell’s Bookstore and more expanded by several web pages. Alicia Harrell’s Bookstore now offers articles as freebies, services, books, DVDs, children’s toys, rare books, autographed copies from well known authors, featured selections and much more.

Alicia Harrell’s Bookstore and more is currently accepting feedback and ideas about content. If you know of something that would be a great addition for this website, do not hesitate to visit and use its handy Contact Form on the bottom right of its Welcome page.

All feedback is welcome on Alicia Harrell’s Bookstore and more. This is a visitor and author friendly website.

**************************************************************************

For those who regularly visit this blog website, I do sincerely thank you. As my time permits, more content will be added to the other pages. I am currently occupied with working on Undermining Alex the sequel to Just Alex.

Thank you and happy August to all!

Alicia Rose

A great Independence Day with the US flag waving.

July 2011, the entire state of Oklahoma was placed under the local fire bans. These bans kept Oklahomans safer; especially throughout July 4, 2011. The amount of Independence Day accidents (mostly from at-home fireworks and sparklers) that usually occur during the fourth of July was significantly decreased. This meant more Oklahomans had an enjoyable and safe Independence Day with their family and friends.

Oklahomans further found out the Fourth of July was as fun with family and friends without the sparklers and privately purchased boxes of fireworks one usually has for an at-home Independence Day activity. Due to the extreme heat wave most of Oklahoma was experiencing, the majority wisely held their Independence Day family activities indoors. Dehydration is a concern amongst Oklahomans when the temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. There have been instances of deceasement caused by dehydration for one can become dehydrated in Oklahoma without even knowing it due to the level of humidity in the air. This can be very dangerous; especially to pets, children and Senior
Citizens.

The public July fourth displays were carefully professionally orchestrated due to the local fire bans. Participants who attended claimed they had a great time with their friends and families; all enjoyed the July fourth professional fireworks displays. The favorite firework display was that of the US Flag, truly inspiring and awesome.

Attending the public fireworks displays are safer for the Fire Departments usually are the ones setting off the fireworks. These true American heroes are ready for anything negative fireworks can do. This leads to a safe and happy Independence Day experience; which is exactly what the majority of Oklahomans had.

Hope your Independence Day was filled with much fun and joyful memories. Ours definitely was. We even managed to squeeze in a few Independence Day favorite programs on the television to pleasantly round off this Federal Holiday.

Happy rest of July to you and your family,

Alicia Rose

Here is an example of good Interior Decorating in the kitchen.

Last month I moved into a new place. I am still opening boxes and putting things away. Settling into a new place takes longer than packing up and moving. Unpacking boxes and placing things where one desires are time-consuming. For me, much has been placed on hold during the unpacking process. I have been dutifully applying Time Management techniques. I am grateful to have learned these throughout my employment history and personal experience. These techniques have lowered my stress level and assisted in the completion of my daily goals.

This taking longer to unpack phenomenon is caused by the Interior Decorating aspects as well as organizing one’s new home. Some tips I have learned for settling into a new home is to place appropriate items in cupboards and drawers, especially in the kitchen, as similar (exact) to the old place as one can. For example: If you kept the dishes in a kitchen cupboard to the left of the sink, do the same in the new place. This will prevent going to that cupboard on the left instinctively looking for them, and then having to think, “Where did I put the dishes?”

If the new place is designed where you cannot do this, put items as close to their old positions as is possible or place in locations that will serve as “a memory jogger.” Example: If used to having the silverware next to the sink on the right, but you only have drawers across the kitchen next to the stove, place the silverware in the drawer next to the drawer where the kitchen knives and cooking utensils are. Make certain the cooking utensils are conveniently in the drawer next to the stove. This will make them readily accessible while cooking. It is also easier to remember the silverware being in the drawer next to the cooking utensils.

These beneficial tips have assisted me in becoming adjusted to my new home’s floor plan. With each passing day, I feel more at home even though the new place was designed in reverse. The only room I have left to finish unpacking and Interior Decorating is my office. May was a month filled with accomplishments; especially around the home.

Happy Father’s Day and June to you and your family!

Alicia Rose

A moving truck aka moving van

Greetings every one!

The month of April was filled with moving plans from Southern Oklahoma to Central Oklahoma. Our move-in scheduled date was the beginning of May, so we had much to plan and prepare. As I went through the moving process I found a few moving tips handy to apply.

While preparing to move, make certain you have enough boxes and storage containers; especially for everything non-perishable in the kitchen. This is not easy, but I determined one 58 quart size storage container per kitchen cabinet. This was nigh perfect. I only had to purchase six Banker Boxes for the heavier kitchen items like the canned goods, pots and pans.

Packing canned goods and non-perishable food items like rice, cereal and sugar that is already in the kitchen to take with you is a good way to save on groceries upon moving into the new place. This makes stocking the new place’s kitchen cabinets less expensive. Doing this saved me $25 – $40.

If you have an ice chest and the new place is only hours instead of days away, you can further save money by placing perishables including frozen food items in it. I have a small ice chest I use to transport ice packs, frozen vegetables and some refrigeratable items that will not spill. In this latest move, packing the ice chest saved me about $25 – $35 in groceries I otherwise would have had to purchase upon moving into the new place.

The small ice chest fit perfectly in the trunk of our car with the suitcases and a few other items we did not want to put in the back of the moving van. The frozen items and ice packs stayed frozen because they were only in the ice chest for three to four hours.

Investing in the plastic storage containers of assorted sizes is a money saver. I have found that I use these containers for storing holiday decorations, business paperwork one should save for 5 to 7 years in case of an audit and the like. There is usually a need for a storage container and they are a great way to make the most of one’s storage space, tidy up closet clutter or use as organized storage underneath the bed. If you move every 2 years or more, plastic storage containers save you about $50 – $100 per move for there is little need to purchase boxes. Unused clean boxes cost from 50 cents to $3 each (or more).

Another way to ease the pain of moving is the week before the move-in date, to begin packing per room. I recommend starting the packing process in the bedrooms 8 to 7 days before the move-in date. Leave the bathrooms and kitchen for two days before the move-in date. Example: For a 2 bedroom home, if you’re planning to move in on a Monday, begin the week before on a Sunday. Begin packing on Sunday and Monday the bedrooms (usually takes 1 day per bedroom). Tuesday and Wednesday pack the den (or office) and living room. Devote Friday and Saturday for the dining room first, and then pack the
kitchen. This will give you the Sunday before the move-in date to place all packed items plus the furniture into the moving van.

One thing I have found a must have for moving is an air-bed (usually used for camping) that has an air-pump. We used ours the night before we moved and slept comfortably with all packed in the moving van. We were able to get up in the morning fully rested, cleaned the house so we left it in excellent condition and left after lunch to our new place.

Another thing to consider is pricing out moving vans if renting them. Highly recommend for some places that rent them might have specials or like U-Haul special in-state daily rates that could save on the moving expense. Determining the entire moving expense before moving to the new place is also a good idea. This way you know exactly how much is going to be spent and can budget the move better.

We found planning ahead with the moving expenses and employing these packing methods saved us time, aggravation and stress throughout our move. Another noticed benefit was we were less tired upon our arrival to the new place in comparison to past moves.

Cheery May,

Alicia Rose

Spring flowers blooming in the countryside.

Hi and welcome everyone! Thank you for stopping by. Hope March has been treating you well. I have added the Alicia Harrell’s Bookstore page. Doing my best to add content that is of interest.

Spring this year lands on March 20th. Where have the days gone? They do go by fast when busy.

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think of this informational blog domain. Would love to hear from you.

Happy March and National Nutrition Month to everyone,

Alicia Rose