Pay Codes Coupon for Our eBay Store

Seller Name: Abbey's Carolinas This-n-That

Coupon Code: n1u8l9o1z

Discount: 25% (U.S. Dollars) off your next purchase!

Coupon Code Description: 25% off on purchases of $50 or more through 31 Jul 07.

Visit Our Website - Abbey's Carolinas

Expires: 07/31/2007

Become A Squid - Squidoo Referral

I'm a Squidoo lensmaster, and I'm inviting you to join me. In my opinion, Squidoo is one of the most astounding social networks presently on the web. The knowledge and creativity of lens developers never ceases to amaze me. We all have knowledge and creativity to share.

Find and share recommendations online by building a lens. Click the link below to get started.

http://www.squidoo.com/lensmaster/referral/Abbeys_Carolinas

Energy Conservation and Pools

With gas prices headed skyward, people are doing a lot more thinking about their energy use in general. Electricity costs have continued to rise as well, and energy-efficient products are the best way to offset these cost increases. If you want to lower your energy use, it is always best to start out by analyzing what uses the most energy in your home. In the southeast and southwest, most people know that air conditioning is number one. If you have a pool, it generally fills the number two spot. The sad truth is that your pool pump is an energy hog - but it doesn't have to be.

Reducing the cost of pool ownership is an area that the pool industry has been working on for some time. Some great advances have been made, but most people are unaware of the energy-saving technologies that are available. You want to enjoy your pool at a minimum cost, so how can you save money? Two main methods have emerged for reducing the energy consumption of pools. One is to have a two-speed pump. Running at an optional low speed decreases the resistance to water flow, allowing for more efficient pump operation. The second method employs a smart year-round controller, specifically designed for pools. A seasonal cycle runs the filter less in the winter and more in the summer, gradually turning up through the spring and down through the fall.

A two-speed pump is pretty simple to understand. A two-speed pump is just a conventional pump with an added low-speed mode. The low-speed mode moves water through the filter more slowly but much more efficiently. This gives you more gallons filtered per dollar. A good analogy is: "slow and steady wins the race". It also has a high-speed mode which is used to run your surface cleaning equipment (pool sweep or pop-ups). This is an efficient method of keeping your pool looking great, but is a sizeable investment because it requires that you replace both your pump and controller. It will usually cost over $1000 to upgrade to a two-speed pump.

A smart year-round controller allows you to keep your existing pump, but is designed to run it only as much as necessary. Most pool owners know that you don't need to run your filter as much in the winter as you do during the summer months. When the water is cold, bacteria and algae don't do much, and you can get away with running your pump less.

Some pool owners adjust the run time of their filter a couple times a year, but many don't adjust them at all. You simply set a "summer" and "winter" run time for your pump, and it calculates the rest of the year based on those values. This is a good option for people who want to save money but can't afford the investment in a two-speed pump. It is an affordable replacement for an aging mechanical timer, at about $149, and an easy way to save some money.

American Breast Cancer Foundation Mystery Box Auction

In this mystery box will be a selection of brand new items, one of a kind Artisan designed creations, vintage and retro treasures. Some examples will be fine jewelry, porcelain products, crafting products, something for everyone.

There will be enough items for you to have pre-purchased gifts for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Graduations, Weddings and summer birthdays!

Out of the gate, the box already contains $300.00 in valuable items for those gift giving occasions. As the auction increases in $20 increments, additional gifts and gift certficates will be added.

One of the best additives to this auction is FREE SHIPPING to the winner whether in the United States or Canada.

REMEMBER - 100% IS GOING TO BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOR A CURE!

Here is a direct link to the auction:

American Breast Cancer Foundation Mystery Box Auction

Ya'll bid now, ya hear?

Jewelry from Nepal is this Seller's Specialty

Greetings readers,

Our next featured seller is named Sallie and she specializes in jewelry. But not just any jewelry...exquisite pieces from Nepal. Sallie's eBay user ID is the-silver-lotus.

Sallie actually lived and worked in Kathmandu, Nepal for a few years. While there, she fell in love with locally handcrafted silver jewelry. So impressed with her finds, in the mid-1990s she began a small part-time business exporting it.

Per Sallie, Nepali silversmiths are masters of centuries-old techniques who create an incredible range of styles using silver, gold, gems, and other materials. Unlike the workers in factories in most other countries, artisans in Nepal still work with simple hand tools and use the traditional techniques handed down in their families. Much of the jewelry they create is unique, and all of it is distinctive. The raw materials come from all over the world – Kathmandu has been an active trading center since ancient times, when Nepali, Tibetan, and Indian traders traveled throughout the Himalayas and across Asia.

Due to deteriorating and increasingly dangerous political situations in the once-peaceful Himalayan kingdom, Sallie was forced to return to the United States. However, she brought back jewelry along with contacts to import the jewelry.

We highly recommend this seller. It will be one of the most incredible shopping experiences of your lifetime.

eBay User ID: the-silver-lotus
Visit her eBay store - Silver Lotus

http://stores.ebay.com/silver-lotus

Tornado Safety Tips

Wow, the weather has certainly been unusual the last few weeks. Looking at past issues of our newsletter, we do not usually run this all important column until April. Although Spring is tornado season in the Midwest, did you know that tornadoes have been reported in every state and they can occur at any time of the year? The recent outbreaks in Florida, Georgia and Alabama prove that these powerful, destructive storms know no season.

When you hear that a National Weather Service WATCH is in effect, it means conditions are right for a tornado. Changing weather such as thunderstorms should put you on guard. A WARNING means a tornado has been spotted.

Check your portable radio and replace batteries if necessary so you can get information if the lights go out.

If you are inside, go to a safe place to protect yourself from flying glass. Stay away from windows and don't open them. If you hear a tornado approaching, get under a workbench or sturdy table. Protect your head and neck.

If you are in a car or a mobile home, go to the basement of a sturdy building. If there is none nearby, lie flat in a low spot where wind and debris will blow above you.

Tornados come from severe thunderstorms, which can produce a lot of rain. If you see water rising and coming toward you while you are in a low spot, move to another spot.

Avoid places with wide-span roofs, such as auditoriums, cafeterias, and shopping malls. Wide roofs provide less protection than roofs over smaller rooms.

Sellers Resource Group Mall Grand Opening

Good morning readers,

We have mentioned the Sellers Resource Group (SRG) in our blog before. However it is worth mentioning again.

SRG is a collective gathering of eBay sellers dedicated to making your eBay shopping a smooth and hassle-free experience. Members of the SRG are a diverse group of independent merchants sharing a common goal: provide quality products, great prices and exceptional customer service.

A collaborative effort of this group has been the establishment of the Electic Avenue Mall. And guess what? The mall has a brand new look. Here is the web address:

Where Smelling Nice Does Not Need to be Expensive

Hi Readers,

It has been awhile since we featured a seller on this blog. It's time to get back in the habit of doing so. And to resume this feature, there is none better to bring your way than Kathy from CherryBlossomDiva. Kathy brings years of experience as a beauty and fragrance specialist to the selection of the products contained in her store. Just reading her products information pages immediately brings one comfort in knowing that she knows her business and the buyer can't go wrong.

Her featured products are perfume oils. However, it is Kathy's application device that makes these fragrances a hit...roll-on. Yes, I said roll-on! The benefits of applying perfume by roll-on are there is no waste and it goes just where you want. You can apply as much or as little as you like. No spraying into the air or into your eyes!

Cherryblossomdiva carries an enormous quantity of scents. You are sure to find the perfect fragrance just for you.

And as with all our featured sellers on this blog, we do not recommend anyone whom we have not personally checked out ourselves. We assure you that your experience will result in exceptional customer service and a quality product. More importantly, you will find a seller/product/store that you will want to visit repeatedly for yourself and when you require a gift for that special someone.

Here are some ways to find Kathy and CherryBlossomDiva:

http://www.cherryblossomdiva.com/

http://www.squidoo.com/cherryblossomdiva/

Until next time,
Rob and Abbey

Greetings Everyone!

Easter is just a month away. I recall that the giving of new Bibles is an Easter tradition in some families/regions. We added a new product line for your consideration if this is a tradition in which you participate.

The New International Version (NIV) Bible is the modern English version which was released in 1978. Our new product incorporates the NIV into a contemporary design which came on the market at the end of 2006.

The new style is the trimline Bible. It is tucked in its own coordinating poly cotton canvas bag, fully lined and stylishly top-stitched.

Trimline Bible 7" x 3.25" x 1"; tote bag 6" x 5" x 1.5", convenient double handles.

Bible features include:

• Double-column format
• Cross-references
• Words of Christ in red
• Coordinating satin ribbon marker
• Silver page gilding

To view this product line: http://www.abbeyscarolinasthisnthat.com

Select the religious books category.

Social Networking: Find Your Pals with Cellphone GPS

An estimated 63 percent of mobile phones sold in North America in 2007 will be equipped with the Global Positioning System.

One new buddy-tracking tool is offered by Loopt, Inc., and is available from wireless operator Boost Mobile (owned by Sprint Nextel). It is one of many companies offering phones equipped with GPS receivers.

Once users download the application to their cellphones, and invite friends to do the same, they can click on an icon to view a map that will display their friends' locations as green dots.
Their friends, however, can elect not to have their location shared simply by clicking on a button.

Want to know where your children are? Sprint Nextel has launched its Family Locator, a $9.99 a month service that lets users track the location of family members, or at least the location of their cellphones.

There are some privacy concerns. A number of parents worry that someone could hack into the new services and possibly stalk them or their children. Some privacy advocates are concerned that the government could use location information to spy on people. Those who use the services, however, think the convenience outweighs the possible risks that may be involved.