OLA Team Blog: 11/30/11

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

SEPARATION ANXIETY

I have heard of separation anxiety and know what it means but I have never experienced it I don't think. You hear about it with babies and with pets. I have seen it with both.

I now think I have it. With Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Terrific Tuesday sales going on and so many hours being spent on the computer during the sales and listing items before the sale. When I got up this morning and got on line I did not see a lot of the usual traffic I sometimes see.

Maybe it is just me. But I miss not seeing some people on OLA.com or at least a post from them. It felt like to me something was missing. On Line Auction aka OLA is like one big family and you get used to knowing who to look for and who will not be on until later.

As I was searching for friends to say good morning to I realized that some of them deserved a day off. Like Yogi Bear who kept the Cyber Monday and Terrific Tuesday sale up and running for 2 full days. Thank you Yogi, you are amazing. And Mat who kept the Black Friday sale running for 24 hours. Thank you also Mat you did a great job.

There are amazing people on OLA like American Hippie aka Metzy who ran a special auction for a special OLA member. What the mystery box sold for is what goes to the member in need. Great job Metzy and you should be proud of what you did. Now we have another member doing the same thing. Yogi is starting a new mystery box auction for this same special OLA member. I am sure it will do well also. If anyone wants to donate items to add to the box contact http://ola.com/store/yogibear66 for details.

I am so amazed at the way OLA members care and share for each other. I will have been on OLA for one year on December 24, 2011 and I feel like I have been here for years. I never had this kind of treatment or caring for one another on other sites I sold at. I am happy I found OLA and joined as a founding member.

Another thing about OLA is the owners and staff are not selfish and they run specials where we all have a chance to win prizes of all sorts. The one they are running now is guess how many mints are in a jar. You do not have to be a member to guess but if you are a member be sure to leave your OLA information. Click here http://ola.com/ to get to OLA and go to the chats for the game.

Well since I have put my anxiety to words I feel better already. I will now go back to the community and check the chats and see who is roaming around. If you are reading this and you have the time, come on and join us. You will not find a friendlier place to buy or sell your items than OLA and the prices are right. You have a choice of options for membership.

Be safe, be healthey and be happy

Time To Snuggle In With A Good Movie!

Brrr! Here he comes... Old Man Winter. Here in Chicagoland, the morning dawned sunny, but chilly, at 27 degrees today! Some people across the country have already seen their first dusting, while others wait with trepidation for the first snowflake to fall.

Yes, I know many of you love the cold and snow! Snowboarders, skiers, snowmobile fanatics, and hearty folks of all ages are giddy with delight at the thought of a heavy snowfall. But what about the rest of us?

It's time to snuggle in with a good movie!

Have you been to a movie theater lately? I do not know how parents can afford to have a family movie night! Between the cost of entrance and the concessions, their debit cards are surely smoking. I would easily trade that cost for surf and turf with my favorite date, followed by a movie at home.

And when was the last time you purchased a new DVD? No matter the retail outlet, DVD's are still expensive. It's difficult to build a collection at that expense.

But wait! You can find tons of new and pre-owned movies at OLA, at affordable prices, so you can still afford popcorn! You'll find DVDs and VHS tapes galore. What's your favorite genre? Drama? Crime? Comedy? Chick Flick? We've got you covered.

Here's a sneak peek, but for a greater selection, just stop by the DVDs and Movies category! (There are 2966 auctions available as of this writing.)

JOAN OF ARC DVD

Red Heat DVD Arnold Schwarzenegger Jim Belushi

(Lots of great flicks at FleaPirates!)

AUSTIN POWERS VHS MOVIE MIKE MYERS

People Will Talk VHS Cary Grant Jeanne Crain

Short Subjects

Today is the END of November.
Today is the END of the OLA Team Blog challenge.
Today is the END of Dr Murrays sentencing hearing for Michael Jacksons death. He got only 4 years.
Today is the END of Cyber Monday/Tuesday Sale at OnlineAuction.com

Today some Miami folks posed as tourists. They say times are tough, so many people are searching for hotels with free continental breakfasts. "It is what it is, bro, times are tough and they're hungry," "They're just trying to beat the system and save a buck. The first time you're going to get away with it, the second and third time I'm going to ask you to leave." What do you think? Would you do it? Do you consider that stealing?

Britain, Norway, France are closing their embassys in Iran. British embassy has been trashed by Iranians...they do not want the sanctions imposed by western countries. Iranians were expelled from Britain.

I wonder what we are doing sending troops to the northern coast of Australia? The Chinese feel that is a poke in the eye from the U.S......we're going to need more Chinese money to keep our economy afloat. Australia is feeling some threat from China? I'm just watching....

I wonder how the taxpayers (US) can afford to send billions to Europe to bail out the euro? We'll be borrowing more money from the Chinese.

I wonder if today will be the end of Herman Cains candidacy for President?

After I spend some time trying to keep abreast to the happenings of the world....I need to take some time on my store...Supergrannys Treasures . I like to spend some time at other online shops....I truly have found that the prices at Online Auction are the best and fairest priced.

As an example, this past Monday I sold a 1933 Copper World's Fair Ashtray for $10...I am happy with this sale. The young man was making his first purchase at OLA. I started looking around at other shops....prices for this item was $18 - $22. I'm happy and the customer got a good deal. I offered him a 25% discount on any purchases in the future.

Read some news everyday, I know we all work hard. After the END......there is always a BEGINNING! We'll all enjoy.

Christmas Homemade Goodies

For those of you who have small gifts to give but you want them to be special, here are two recipes for easy to make some easy homemade goodies!!

The first is Crockpot Apple Butter

12 to 14 large tart apples
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups apple cider
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Chop the apples with or without peelings. (For the elderly, remove the peelings.) Place in a crockpot and add 2 cups cider and sugar. Cover and cook 10 to 12 hours on low. Run through a strainer if not peeled. Add cinnamon and cloves. Cook 4 hours more on high with the lid off until thick. Put into jars or decorative mugs. Seal with paraffin. You can also let cool and freeze in Glad or Ziplock containers!! If you want extra "kick" add 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice when adding spices!! Refrigerate after opening.

Cranberry Honey

2 cups cranberry cocktail
2 cups sugar
1 tsp grated orange peel
1 cup honey
1/2 bottle fruit pectin

Bring first three items to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes and add honey; boil 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Add pectin. Skim the film that forms on top. Pour into sterilized glass containers and seal with paraffin. Makes five 6 oz. glasses. Refrigerate after opening.

Both of these recipes are absolutely great!! I've done them both and to dress them up for the holidays, I like to put the Apple Butter or Cranberry Honey in pretty glass jars or mugs. And I found quite a few at Replacements and More, one of our OLA.com stores!

CHD Folk Art Design Christmas Glass Mug 1984

Spode Christmas Tree Pattern 12 oz Glass Tumbler

CHD Christmas Goose Holly Design Glass Mug

Cristal D'Arques Luminarc Christmas Tree with Snow Design Glass Mug

These will make pretty gifts for the recipient long after the goodies are gone!!!

I am sure that you can find others! Check out all the bargains to be had at OLA.com! And please check out our store, Korn Kountry Treasures for many more great finds!!

Thank you!

Christmas Hint #30 -- The Downside of Christmas?

Does Christmas bust your butt or your budget? For most of us it all boils down to time and money. As the Christmas season rolls along, make a note of the spoilers. What costs too much? What takes too much time? What spoils the fun? As you identify these humbugs, send yourself an email or text for later reference.

After the bills settle in January, figure out exactly how much Christmas cost you this year, including travel expenses, fancy food, parties, and everything else. If you don’t want to itemize, just compare your credit card and checkbook balances to a slow month with no special events. When you get to the bottom line, make Christmas Club a New year’s Resolution. There are lots of ways to save up for Christmas all year long. Here are some ideas:

Find a friendly bank or credit union and open a free account for your Christmas Fund.

Coupons. If you aren’t a couponer, start now and put the savings into the Christmas Fund.

Recycle. When you return soda and water bottles for the refund, put the money into the Christmas Fund.

Sell stuff online and put the proceeds into the Christmas Fund.

Start a Change Jar. Loose change adds up but it’s rarely missed. When the jar gets full, wrap the coins, take them to the bank, and put the money into the Christmas Fund.

When the weather gets nice again, have a garage sale and put the money into the Christmas Fund.

Watch for opportunities to make extra money in your field of interest – knitting, web design, nursing, housecleaning, yard work, etc. – could all generate an extra $25-$100 here and there for the Christmas Fund.

Now go back to your “spoiler” notes. Really focus on the downside of Christmas. Are there tasks you could delegate or outsource? Are there projects you could start on way in advance so they don’t wear you out at the last minute? Could you use some dead-of-winter down time to get better organized for next year?

We used to have a big house, so I had the luxury of a Christmas room, where I could lay out all of my projects and not have to clean up after myself. When I was finished playing, I could just close the door on Christmas until next time. After we downsized, I still had a Christmas closet. Now we’re living in an RV, so I’m down to a Christmas box, but I can still play Christmas all year round. Christmas is never out of season at our house.

In our tiny little town, there’s a store devoted to nothing but Christmas. It’s in our historic section, where you can still hitch up your horse to the old iron rings. The store was converted from an old house, with every room themed and packed with ornaments. Her inventory must be in the hundreds of thousands. The lady who owns it has been there for 35 years. When our daughter asked her if she sells online, she said “Omigosh, no! I don’t have time for that.” In this economy? In a town of less than 10,000 people? 20 miles from the nearest mall? On a dead-end street with no “draw” but the post office? Let’s hear it for Christmas!

Here are the vintage Christmas items available at OLA.

It'snot just a cold..

Started to feel puny today at work, then started sneezing, then developed a sinus headache, then got a runny nose...I think I officially have a cold. As I sit here, blowing my nose, I'm wondering about cold facts. So, I looked up the American Lung Association and here is what I found:

Colds are minor infections of the nose and throat caused by several different viruses.
A cold may last for about one week, but some colds last longer, especially in children, elderly people, and those in poor health.
In the United States, colds account for more visits to the doctor than any other condition.
Adults get an average of two to four colds per year, mostly between September and May.
Young children suffer from an average of six to eight colds per year.
Colds are highly contagious. They most often spread when droplets of fluid that contain a cold virus are transferred by touch. These droplets may also be inhaled.

Between one and three days after a cold virus enters the body, symptoms start developing, such as:

runny nose
congestion
sneezing
weakened senses of taste and smell
scratchy throat
cough

Infants and young children are more likely than adults and teens to develop a fever. Smokers usually have more severe symptoms than non-smokers.

Colds are extremely difficult to prevent entirely. The following suggestions may help:

Avoid close contact with people who have a cold, especially during the first few days when they are most likely to spread the infection.
Wash hands after touching someone who has a cold, after touching an object they have touched, and after blowing ones nose. If a child has a cold, wash his or her toys after play.
Keep fingers away from ones nose and eyes to avoid infecting oneself with cold virus particles that may have been picked up.
Put up a second hand towel in the bathroom for healthy people to use.
Keep an eye on the humidity of one's environment so that sinuses do not dry out.

Do not inflict one's cold on others! Cover ones nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then throw the tissue away and wash hands. Also, stay away from people who are most vulnerable, including anyone who has asthma or another chronic lung disease, or at least try to limit close contact.

Until recently, it was thought that a single vaccine could not be developed for the different cold viruses. New research approaches may enable the development of a single vaccine for most types of colds.