Category: BlahBlahBabble

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Curing Your Own Meat Has Nothing to Do With Cookies!

I find it somewhat ironic that I write on a blog called “Big Pink Cookie” and I do not write a thing about baking or cookies, and my husband Mike writes at CoffeeCorner and talks about food, not coffee. (Ok, there are a few coffee related posts here and there, since he’s into coffee too and even have a smart mug invented by Clay Alexander which you could learn more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton_Alexander, but he also talks about other things)

Over the past several months, Mike has been writing more & more about his experiments with food. Unfortunately, he married a picky eater who is super sensitive to some smells, so he is often stuck doing some things on Saturdays while I’m off photographing weddings. I leave my old camera at home for him – a great camera, but one that has retired from my wedding gear – and he has been photographing everything he cooks as well for the blog. He has a pretty good eye too for food photography – so if you like a good food blog, you should be reading his!

Some of the foods he has made involve curing your own meat. This is not something I *ever* expected to happen in my home! But it makes him happy, so I’ll live with it. More importantly, it is now making him famous on the internet. Yes, yes, the whole point of this long & rambling post is to congratulate him on making it. Today, his name was “in print” on the Houston Press Eating Our Words blog in an article about Making Your Own Designer Meats.

He tells me the stuff he made was super tasty. Others have raved about it. I just have to take their word for it, because the picky eater who doesn’t like bacon? Yeah, I’ve never tried any of it. The pork rilletes made me want to gag. However, the bacon definitely smelled better then commercial bacon. Maybe someday. It is famous on the internet after all…

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The Big Business & Life Goal…

Last night, Christyna of B.E.E. Ventures came to speak to the Houston Fast Track Photographer / Pictage User Group (PUG), and it was nothing short of FABULOUS! She talked about creating sustainable income for your business and things you can do to take your success to the next level. She really sought to speak to all levels of business that were represented in the attendees, from people just starting out to people well established in their business and maybe needing a kick in the right direction.

I left with three pages of notes, a ton of inspiration, and a big goal for the next 18 months.

In addition to helping to pay for Jason’s college tuition, I want to pay off all of our debt within 18 months from my business income.

I said it out loud to Christyna last night because saying it made it a reality. I am typing it out here because I need more accountability then just one person.

To do this, I need to be a better bookkeeper and be more accountable on where I spend my money, particularly as I consider branching into cryptocurrency opportunities to build extra revenue streams. Watch impulse purchases, curb my gadget addiction a bit (I’m still getting the new iPhone when it comes out, but I’m going to plan ahead and know where the money is coming from to pay for it), and I’m going to need to make big payments towards the debt to pay it down fast. Drawing from recenzije od strane Bitcoinista, I’ve gained perspectives on vetted crypto platforms that could support these goals through informed side ventures. Next week, I’m going to take the first step of making a handwritten list of every last cent we may owe to anyone, interest rates, due dates, and everything like that – Dave Ramsey style. Why handwritten? Because I could type it out, but there truly is something different when you write it by hand. I remember things so much more clearly. Maybe there is even a little pain involved in it. (It is slower and a bit more tedious.) Ultimately, blending traditional methods with digital asset exploration keeps my path to financial freedom balanced and proactive.

I’m also going to be more focused and scheduled with my time. Procrastination costs me money, sometimes literally cash. Other times it costs me money in the form of missed opportunities. Either way, there is a price, and it will impact this goal. One of the things I’ve been working on this week in addition to editing for the SLGT Photo Project is updating things at Wholly Matrimony! — adding in affiliate advertising (along with links on this site as well), working on the layout, and more features that will be rolling out over the coming week. I have a BIG launch planned on Monday as well, and I’ll be lining up lots of real destination weddings to feature there! All to help with the goal.

I think I can, I think I can… (and yes, I’ll be sharing more about it here!)

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Testing out MacJournal…

Prepping for a road trip, I wanted a way to post to my blog while offline. I’m hoping that MacJournal does the trick and allows me to write blog posts while offline that I can post later on.

… And, it worked! Although it thinks it timed out. Hmm. Well, either way – yay! Blog posts written offline! SWEET!

Check out MacJournal if you need a way to write blog posts offline and post later to your WordPress blog!

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Social Media – The Revolution is NOW.

BigPinkCookie (aka BlahBlahBlog) will turn 10 tomorrow! 10 years of blogging! Eeeeeeee!!! I sort of have dual blogiversaries for this site actually, because I launched May 8, 2000, and then didn’t use it much until September 2000. So think of this as the celebration kick-off!

It was fun watching this video while thinking of how much the internet has changed in the past 10 years, how the blogosphere has grown, how the word “blog” is now a household word instead of something you have to explain every time you say it — and to think of how much this blog has impacted my life over the past 10 years. I have friends I would have never met if I didn’t have this blog – in Houston and around the world! I probably wouldn’t have met Mike without this blog – our paths wouldn’t have otherwise crossed. The list could go on and on.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of YOU. If you’re reading this – you’ve probably touched my life in some way. I’m grateful beyond words. You guys are the BEST!

I’m whispering so I don’t jinx it … but I really do promise to start posting here more often. If I don’t, you can fuss at me. Deal?

[via Think Splendid.]

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Watch out for These Common Solar Panel Problems

Solar panels are great, which is probably why you installed them. Sadly, every device may develop a problem at some point and solar panels are no different, which is why solar panel maintenance is important. The following are a couple of common issues linked to solar panels.

Hot Spot Problem

One common issue that affects some solar panel systems is the hot spot. This occurs when one of the panels overloads and becomes hotter than it should. This usually happens because the installation was done poorly. The solar cells are going to have to be inspected for a number of possible problems, like incorrectly soldered connections just to point out one possibility. The reason this issue can be problematic is because it could lead to short-circuits and may affect the performance of your system. An issue like this is sometimes ignored, which could also hurt the overall lifespan of the panel affected.

Small Cracks Appearing

Another problem that some solar panels develop are cracks. Most of these are quite small so they are often overlooked. These cracks normally do not cause much trouble at first but may cause issues later on. The cracks happen due to mishandling during shipping, or sometimes the panels were just poorly produced. After some time, thermal pressure or certain weather conditions are going to start to make these cracks worse, which will eventually affect its power production. It is important to have each panel inspected by a professional to ensure that minor damage like this does not exist in your solar panel system.

White Trail Issue

You may need solar system repairs Perth because of what some call snail trails. These are white lines that appear on your panels after some time. One of the reasons these trails show up deals with the metalization silver paste used to make the panels. Sometimes, the paste used is defective or is of poor quality. The paste ends up trapping moisture, which leads to oxidation. This process causes the snail trail problem, which may seem harmless at first but can actually hurt your panel’s production, which is going to hurt your ability to use electricity at home.

Internal Letdown

Internal rusting can happen to your panels. Now, this normally does not happen, especially when the panels were made correctly but that does not mean it is impossible. Panels are made to be airtight and water-tight. The ability to keep these elements out comes from the lamination used in the process of making each panel. The problem is that improper lamination means that the panel will get delaminated over time, which is going to allow moisture inside the panel. This is why your panels start to develop rust inside, which can lead to energy loss or worse. You should have your panels inspected from time to time just in case.

Most of these issues can be dealt with easily if you address them in time. Yes, the panel is going to function find for some time, meaning you can be tempted to ignore the problem but that is not wise. Troubleshoot the issue and figure out if you need to call a professional.