| Welcome Home My Florida! |
| New Beginnings! |
| February... ALREADY! Well, the house is getting a thorough cleaning, bills are being paid, and the creek hasn't risen above neck line as yet, so I guess all is well! This month we're bringing you some tips on Internet buying from first hand experience, some great cleaning tips to help you with the coming of Spring and a bit of humor because we all need to make time to laugh, smile, giggle and know that it's all OK. |
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| FEBRUARY 2008 |
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THE INTERNET & CREDIT CARDS
Something to think about.
When you purchase something on the Internet, do
you use your credit card or PayPal? Let me tell you
about something that I hope will make you think
the next time you go to make a purchase online.
When you purchase on the Internet and use your
credit card, your information goes into a file…
which, depending on the business, may or may not
be seen by employees. Let me back up here a bit
and start from the beginning.
When I opened my storefront in Ocala, I was
surprised to find out that the Merchant Services I
used (the card processing company) required that
I keep all receipts for TWO years! My first thought
was what would happen if someone broke into the
store and stole my receipts? So immediately I
visited my attorney. What I was told was to keep
the receipts under lock and key and not to worry
about it because there wasn’t anything I could do
to change the system. So I did.
Eventually, I closed the store and went totally cyber.
I created an online store where anyone in the
United States could buy from me. I gave my
customers two choices of payment… PayPal or
Credit Card. The majority of them chose credit
cards and gladly entered all the information
necessary for me to charge their account. People
who I didn’t know and who didn’t know me were
handing over valuable information that could easily
be used against them.
On the other hand, when a customer used PayPal,
I never saw any private information outside of the
When you purchase something on the Internet, do
you use your credit card or PayPal? Let me tell you
about something that I hope will make you think
the next time you go to make a purchase online.
When you purchase on the Internet and use your
credit card, your information goes into a file…
which, depending on the business, may or may not
be seen by employees. Let me back up here a bit
and start from the beginning.
When I opened my storefront in Ocala, I was
surprised to find out that the Merchant Services I
used (the card processing company) required that
I keep all receipts for TWO years! My first thought
was what would happen if someone broke into the
store and stole my receipts? So immediately I
visited my attorney. What I was told was to keep
the receipts under lock and key and not to worry
about it because there wasn’t anything I could do
to change the system. So I did.
Eventually, I closed the store and went totally cyber.
I created an online store where anyone in the
United States could buy from me. I gave my
customers two choices of payment… PayPal or
Credit Card. The majority of them chose credit
cards and gladly entered all the information
necessary for me to charge their account. People
who I didn’t know and who didn’t know me were
handing over valuable information that could easily
be used against them.
On the other hand, when a customer used PayPal,
I never saw any private information outside of the
name of the customer and how much they paid. That’s
it. This is not an endorsement to use PayPal, however,
because I’ve been on the other side of the desk, so to
speak, whenever I purchase something online from
now on, it is completed with PayPal. They have walls
around their organization that no online retailer can
match and I can trust that the only ones who see my
private information is a computer. No human contact,
unless you have issues with your order. They have a
strict policy that the consumer is NEVER to tell an
employee their pass code, so they are unable to
access private information.
I once had a customer who called to place the order on
the phone because she felt safer. Why, I wondered?
She didn’t know me… I think we’ve all become so
familiar and confident of the Internet that we’re letting
our guard down and risking being vunerable to the
‘creeps’ of the world. Now not everyone is a creep.
Myself for example. I would never deliberately
compromise my customer’s private information for
gain. But that’s me… Who knows who’s on the other
side of that computer you’re using.
So next time you purchase something from a new
company that you’ve never done business with,
consider using PayPal to safeguard your private
information.
Again, this is not an endorsement to use PayPal. The
one and only reason I use them in this story is
because they’ve been around a long time and have
done a terrific job of taking care of the consumer’s
privacy. I trust them over trusting just anyone who runs
an online store.
Just something to think about!
it. This is not an endorsement to use PayPal, however,
because I’ve been on the other side of the desk, so to
speak, whenever I purchase something online from
now on, it is completed with PayPal. They have walls
around their organization that no online retailer can
match and I can trust that the only ones who see my
private information is a computer. No human contact,
unless you have issues with your order. They have a
strict policy that the consumer is NEVER to tell an
employee their pass code, so they are unable to
access private information.
I once had a customer who called to place the order on
the phone because she felt safer. Why, I wondered?
She didn’t know me… I think we’ve all become so
familiar and confident of the Internet that we’re letting
our guard down and risking being vunerable to the
‘creeps’ of the world. Now not everyone is a creep.
Myself for example. I would never deliberately
compromise my customer’s private information for
gain. But that’s me… Who knows who’s on the other
side of that computer you’re using.
So next time you purchase something from a new
company that you’ve never done business with,
consider using PayPal to safeguard your private
information.
Again, this is not an endorsement to use PayPal. The
one and only reason I use them in this story is
because they’ve been around a long time and have
done a terrific job of taking care of the consumer’s
privacy. I trust them over trusting just anyone who runs
an online store.
Just something to think about!
CHECKING THE MAILBOX
A man was in his front yard mowing grass when his attractive blond female neighbor came out of the house and went
straight to the mail box.
She opened it, then slammed it shut, and stormed back in the house. A little later she came out of her house and again went to the mail
box and again opened it, then slammed it shut again. Angrily, back into the house she went.
As the man was getting ready to edge the lawn, here she came out again, marched to the mail box, opened it and then slammed it closed
harder than ever. Puzzled by her actions the man asked her, "Is something wrong?"
To which she replied, "There certainly is! My stupid computer keeps giving me a message saying, "YOU'VE GOT MAIL!"
A man was in his front yard mowing grass when his attractive blond female neighbor came out of the house and went
straight to the mail box.
She opened it, then slammed it shut, and stormed back in the house. A little later she came out of her house and again went to the mail
box and again opened it, then slammed it shut again. Angrily, back into the house she went.
As the man was getting ready to edge the lawn, here she came out again, marched to the mail box, opened it and then slammed it closed
harder than ever. Puzzled by her actions the man asked her, "Is something wrong?"
To which she replied, "There certainly is! My stupid computer keeps giving me a message saying, "YOU'VE GOT MAIL!"
| Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" ... George Carlin. |
| THE BIRD DANCE Click on the link below to view the cutest little bird dancing... It will put a smile in your day! BIRD |
SPRING CLEANING TIME
Yep, it’s here. Time to purge, clean and say bye-bye to
Charley the spider who joined the family about 4 months
ago in the corner of your dining room. I know… it’s sad,
but there’s a season for everything.
I’ve dedicated this last month to cleaning out every single
nook and cranny I have and I’ve got to tell you, I feel great!
Number one, spring cleaning is great exercise, number two,
it’s wonderful to be able to bend over to put on my shoes
and not hit my fanny on the dresser that was holding clothes
I’ve not seen since 2004! Number three I have enjoyed the
MONEY I’ve made from the garage sales I’ve been having!
So I’m hot on this spring cleaning thing!
There’s just a few cleaning supplies I rely on to keep my home clean and shiny… I have cats and with
cats come stains on the carpet… you know… fur ball stains. Gross, I know, but I love ‘em, so I deal with it.
The VERY best thing I’ve ever found for pet stains is Oxyclean, in powder form. Used with very warm
water, I’ve never had it fail to remove stains from the carpet. And I’ve had white carpet at one time! I’m
telling you, it’s the best! It can also be used in the bathroom to remove HAIRSPRAY! I discovered this little
secret when I wanted to clean my hair clips… Nothing I tried would take off the hairspray, and I was about
to throw them all out. For some reason, I tried dipping them into my hot water solution of Oxyclean and in
60 seconds the hairspray was gone! So I decided to try it on my bathroom floor. I created the solution, and
poured it all over the floor. I let it sit for about 15 minutes and then came in with a dry towel and simply
dried it off. No rinsing and my floor was shiny, clean and not sticky! It’s amazing stuff! Try using this same
technique on tile floors to whiten your grout. I do NOT recommend making a paste out of it! I did this once
and it took me forever to get the grit off the floor.
Another thing I use is Clorox Clean-up. I know… not environmentally friendly. But I like it and I’ve seen it
clean a sink in an old store of mine that I thought was a total loss. One of my employees did it and when I
walked into the bathroom I was shocked to find a white sink. So he’s the one who introduced me to the
product… Thanks Louie! It’s also great to spray some in your sink drains especially in the kitchen. I have
a refrigerator on my back porch and to keep it from molding, once every 10 days or so, I lightly spray it
down. So far, so good! It’s also nice to know that it disinfects as well. I use the Clorox wiping pad on
toilets, handles, doorknobs… you know, all the disease spreading areas.
Do you know what the number one dirtiest thing they found in a hotel room? It can also be found in 99.9%
of all American homes… Think about that for a moment and I’ll let you know the answer below…
Ok… Have I spurred you on to begin to purge, to clean and to enjoy your surroundings? Need help? I’m
here for you… Seriously! I am available to help you begin to get your home in order. Just let me know how
you could use some help.
The number one dirtiest item in a hotel room was… are you ready? The remote control. Now, I’m not
going to go further, but you might want to grab a Clorox wipe and scour that thing right now.
Happy Cleaning!
Deborah Sheehy
http://www.welcomehomemyflorida.com
Yep, it’s here. Time to purge, clean and say bye-bye to
Charley the spider who joined the family about 4 months
ago in the corner of your dining room. I know… it’s sad,
but there’s a season for everything.
I’ve dedicated this last month to cleaning out every single
nook and cranny I have and I’ve got to tell you, I feel great!
Number one, spring cleaning is great exercise, number two,
it’s wonderful to be able to bend over to put on my shoes
and not hit my fanny on the dresser that was holding clothes
I’ve not seen since 2004! Number three I have enjoyed the
MONEY I’ve made from the garage sales I’ve been having!
So I’m hot on this spring cleaning thing!
There’s just a few cleaning supplies I rely on to keep my home clean and shiny… I have cats and with
cats come stains on the carpet… you know… fur ball stains. Gross, I know, but I love ‘em, so I deal with it.
The VERY best thing I’ve ever found for pet stains is Oxyclean, in powder form. Used with very warm
water, I’ve never had it fail to remove stains from the carpet. And I’ve had white carpet at one time! I’m
telling you, it’s the best! It can also be used in the bathroom to remove HAIRSPRAY! I discovered this little
secret when I wanted to clean my hair clips… Nothing I tried would take off the hairspray, and I was about
to throw them all out. For some reason, I tried dipping them into my hot water solution of Oxyclean and in
60 seconds the hairspray was gone! So I decided to try it on my bathroom floor. I created the solution, and
poured it all over the floor. I let it sit for about 15 minutes and then came in with a dry towel and simply
dried it off. No rinsing and my floor was shiny, clean and not sticky! It’s amazing stuff! Try using this same
technique on tile floors to whiten your grout. I do NOT recommend making a paste out of it! I did this once
and it took me forever to get the grit off the floor.
Another thing I use is Clorox Clean-up. I know… not environmentally friendly. But I like it and I’ve seen it
clean a sink in an old store of mine that I thought was a total loss. One of my employees did it and when I
walked into the bathroom I was shocked to find a white sink. So he’s the one who introduced me to the
product… Thanks Louie! It’s also great to spray some in your sink drains especially in the kitchen. I have
a refrigerator on my back porch and to keep it from molding, once every 10 days or so, I lightly spray it
down. So far, so good! It’s also nice to know that it disinfects as well. I use the Clorox wiping pad on
toilets, handles, doorknobs… you know, all the disease spreading areas.
Do you know what the number one dirtiest thing they found in a hotel room? It can also be found in 99.9%
of all American homes… Think about that for a moment and I’ll let you know the answer below…
Ok… Have I spurred you on to begin to purge, to clean and to enjoy your surroundings? Need help? I’m
here for you… Seriously! I am available to help you begin to get your home in order. Just let me know how
you could use some help.
The number one dirtiest item in a hotel room was… are you ready? The remote control. Now, I’m not
going to go further, but you might want to grab a Clorox wipe and scour that thing right now.
Happy Cleaning!
Deborah Sheehy
http://www.welcomehomemyflorida.com
