I’m enjoying my account at Get Glue and like that I can access it from my Smartphone too. It’s fun to share a great book, fun TV show, movie or song. GetGlue makes sharing my favorites really easy. Thanks to my Netflix account, I’ve had access to some great old classics and new documentaries that I like to share with my friends. Have you seen “Life Running Out of Control”? Excellent info about genetic modification in research, with animals and in agriculture.

If you aren’t yet familiar with GetGlue, its a social network for entertainment. Members, like myself, check-in and share what they are watching, listening to and reading with friends; get fresh recommendations, exclusive stickers, discounts and other rewards from their favorite shows and movies. Below is a look at some of my recent check-ins and badges earned.

View Karlyn C.’s check-ins on GetGlue View Karlyn C.’s stickers on GetGlue

GetGlue is a fairly new company and won FastCompany’s #10 World’s Most Innovative Companies 2011: “For leading the way in entertainment-based check-ins. GetGlue’s “social entertainment” app, which has accrued more than 900,000 users in less than a year, combines the check-in aspect of a Foursquare with the emotional need to discuss the media we consume. It has also worked with HBO, ABC, Random House, Fox, Universal, and a number of other media companies to build a “social taste graph” that helps people connect with content they care about.”

On your iPhone or android phone, you might enjoy the GetGlue app for quick access to sharing your favorites.. Share what you like, and see what your friends like. Check out this video for more info on GetGlue and the fun ways you can share the shows, movies, music and books you enjoy most.

So, as far as spreads go, my personal favorites include:

	Organicville Ketchup Surprisingly, I was never really that fond of ketchup. That was, until I started paying more attention to eating organic foods and then eventually, making the transition to vegan. Then, when seeking out healthy alternatives to what my family already considered staple items, I finally found my way to OrganicVille products, and then this a m a z i n g ketchup. I know, it’s just ketchup, right? Honestly, it’s good tasting ketchup, but not only that, it’s made with organic ingredients, is vegan and contains no added sugar. It’s ketchup well done! Organic Ketchup, made by OrganicVille www.organicvillefoods.com
	Veganaise You don’t have to be a vegan to appreciate this quality spread. It is so very yummy and perfect on bread, crackers and inside wraps. Veganaise is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and Non-GMO. Besides being a great alternative to mayonnaise, it is low in sodium, lower in total fat than ordinary mayonnaise, very low in saturated fat, and has absolutely no cholesterol. Furthermore, Vegenaise contains no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat and no transfats. I see this spread popping up on the shelves of more and more stores lately and it happens to be one of Ellen’s “Favorite things” too. hehe.. (see Ellen talk about it here) Veganaise, made by Follow Your Heart More info @ www.followyourheart.com
	Kalamata Olive Hummus I actually really like a few varieties of Hummus by BabaFoods. I first found them at the OC Marketplace, a large swap-meet not far from where I live. I brought home some Tabouli salad, pita chips and three varieties of hummus. This kalamata variety was my favorite. The roasted garlic and artichoke took a close second though. I like to put this kalamata olive hummus spread on my lightly toasted Ezekiel bread. Because hummus is a good source of fiber and protein, this meal makes for a very healthy, low-fat, satisfying way to start the day. Kalamata Olive Hummus, made by BabaFoods More info @ www.babafoods.com
	Spicy Smoked Peach Salsa I buy this product when I do my weekly grocery shopping at our local Trader Joes. There are just some staples a gal has got to have around the house and this is one of them. The smokey gives this salsa enough kick to be unforgettable, yet not too spicy and the wonderful peach satisfies the occasional sweet-tooth. One service is 2 tablespoons and only 15 tiny calories, so this is also a very low calorie vegan spread. I like to put a few dollops of this peach salsa spread on top of a few romaine lettuce leaves and strips of firm tofu, wrapped up with Ezekiel tortillas. Quick, easy, healthy and delicious! Spicy Smoked Peach Salsa, made by Trader Joes More info @ www.traderjoes.com

The Mural of Love is a brand new app that is a virtual expression of peace, love and happiness. Users can place virtual dedications on a wall to show admiration to that special someone. There is also a virtual store where people can send gifts their friends and loved ones Facebook pages. The gifts include flowers, stuffed animals, hearts and much more. There are many free items to choose from and some more extravagant items available for purchase. Check this out:

http://apps.facebook.com/themural

One of my favorite drinks that I can rely on always being 100% vegan and good for me, is my spinach smoothie. I usually make it for breakfast and it’s a great way to start my day with plant proteins, omega-3 and antioxidants.

My favorite drink gets mixed in a blender and consists of a generous amount of spinach, blueberries, banana, and almond milk. I stir-in some spirulina and chia seeds for an extra health boost. The result is a cold, smooth, sweet mixture of natural goodness. The more detailed recipe of my favorite vegan drink was posted recently at WiseNaturally.com as well and includes the measurements, etc..  on this Spinach Blueberry Smoothie post.

I’m interested in trying more vegan smoothie combinations. If you have a favorite you’d like to share, post it in the comment section for me. I’ve tried kale in this smoothie, and though I like kale in my stews/soups, it’s not “smooth” enough in drinks for my liking. Blackberries, raspberries, mango, orange, and pineapple are all good fruit alternatives to add some sweetness to this vegan drink as well. If you are new to spinach smoothie drinking and choose to leave out the banana, I recommend adding a little agave syrup into the blend for a little added sweetness. As you become accustomed to spinach or other veggie smoothies, you get used to their taste and require less sweetness, but is all about personal preference. The important thing is to enjoy and drink to your health!

My daughter and I recently updated out phones. We love our new Droids. I have been wanting to upgrade to a smart-phone for quite a while now and finally just jumped in and did it.

Having access to my email, calendar, tasks, banking, etc.. when I’m away from my desktop computer is important to me. The Apps are convenient, productive and fun too!

We had to laugh when we took a few moments to pull together some of the phones we’ve accumulated over the years. I didn’t know we had quite so many! Too many phones!

These old phones will be recycled of course. Verizon Wireless just started accepting cell phone trade-ins and will give you a gift-card for the value of your trade-in. We took advantage of this offer on their very first day of starting it and got a $5 gift card, that we used toward the purchase of our new phone. Verizon gives their ecycled phones to HopeLine®. HopeLine® phones are provided to participating domestic violence agencies and organizations nationwide for use by victims and survivors as they rebuild their lives. There are many more places to e-cycle your old phones as well. There are online, mail-in and drop-off options and it’s become easier than ever.

IF you have too many phones too, check out this helpful article about how to ecycle, by the EPA:

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/plugin/cellphone/index.htm

Get your pom-poms ready, folks, because starting on Monday Swagbucks is holding Spirit Week! Every day next week they will be celebrating a different holiday. Each day will be filled with fun, activities, and surprises. They’ll be announcing every holiday the evening before in our Swagbucks blog. Make sure you keep track of each day’s Swag Codes, as you will need them at the end of the week in order to earn a big, juicy reward. It’s the most fun you can have getting your reward points for free stuff!

I’m sharing a Christmassy photo with some pretty little treasures and yummy goodies from my students, and gifts for friends and neighbors wrapped and ready to give this weekend.

I’m sharing photos of the Holiday Party my husband and I attended at the amazing Mission Inn landmark Hotel. The Mission Inn was built in 1876 and is gorgeous any time of year, but especially during the Holidays. Decorators go all out and the displays are always breathtaking. These are day-time photos, so we’re missing the spectacle of the lights, but it’s still a beautiful site to see, during the day.

In editing these photos, I used a fun selective focus feature that my upgrade to PSP Pro X4 enables. If you have some photo editing experience, you may know this as the tilt-shift effect. I really like this effect, from the first time I saw it in some professional photography galleries online, and then on film using tilt-shift lenses in a couple of recent movies (think Cambridge rowing scene/Henley Final from the Social Network).. awesome.

Click on the thumbnails to see a larger image.

As a Bzz agent, since 2006, I get introduced to lots of new website, products and programs. It’s really pretty cool. One of the most recent places I was introduced to was Smarterer.com. It a place where I can participate in fun quizzes about places I frequent online – twitter, facebook, wordpress, etc, and see how much I know about them and then compare my knowledge score with others who’ve taken the quiz.

They have some cool achievements and badges you collect and display, like the one here.

There are tons of quizzes you can test your knowledge with and you can even add to them and share them on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. It’s totally free and easy to use. If you like to treat yourself to a fun, challenge once in a while, why not check it out.. better yet, ask your friends to join you and compare your scores. See if you are the Smarterer one!

If you are considering a pet for your home, I hope you consider visiting your local animal shelter and saving one of the needy pets there. If you are not sure where your nearest animal shelter is, you can use this site to search for one. Dogs make wonderful companions and in some cases, can provide some additional protection. Dogs and Cats at the local shelters have been dropped off or left behind and really deserve another chance at a loving home. We made the best decision when we picked up Copper and brought him home.

It’s important to note that before you adopt a new pet, to make sure that you will be able to spend time with them, training them and not just leaving them alone all the time. Also, make sure you have time to take them on walks or to the park for exercise, especially if you do not have a large backyard for them to run freely in. Copper loves running through our backyard every chance he gets. He also enjoys playing catch. we go through so many soccer balls, it’s funny! We also take him on walks through our neighborhood. He always gets all excited when he hears the word “walk”.

We love our Copper dog!