If you’re like me, you’ve had your fair share of disappointments when trying to capture important memories in your life. Pictures come out too dark, blurry or just don’t look the way you’d hoped. You’d think with digital technology and the ability to preview pictures in the screen, it’d be a whole lot easier.

Well, the truth is, it’s not that complicated once you know what you’re doing.

It took me a while, but I finally figured it out when I discovered “Your Guide to Digital Photography” by Dan Feildman. After being completely frustrated for too long, I happened across his website and I instantly download his concise guide that takes you through:

• An overview of digital cameras, shopping for the right one for you and myths about digital photography.
• Learning to effectively use the features of your camera and tips for taking photos of various subjects in different lighting.
• Actually doing stuff with your pictures like editing, sharing and printing your photos.
• Advanced information like white balance, interpolation, digital zoom and a bunch more.

There’s even information on memory cards, travel equipment and making money with your hobby.

You can get more of the details at the Your Guide to Digital Photography website.

And that’s just the guide. There are some pretty cool extras that come with it, including some useful video tutorials, FAQs, comparing digital cameras and advanced techniques.

It all finally took the mystery out taking great digital photos – plus the important tasks of organizing and using the photos too. If you’ve got a memory card full of could-be-better shots or your hard drive is full of photos you don’t know what to do with, definitely grab a copy of the guide.

It’s available 24/7 right here.

No more excuses for not taking GREAT digital shots.

A while back, I posted some information about Aurelia Williams’ practical “Real Life Guidance to Helping Your Teen with High School”.

I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to check it out yet, but if you’ve struggled with keeping the lines of communication open with your teen, I really encourage you to pick up your copy of this instantly downloadable guide.

This easy-to-apply and straight-to-the-point guidance will show you to maintain a relationship with your teenager and help with all the tough things that come with the high school years including:

• Helping come up with the answer to that always difficult teen question of, “Who Am I?”
• Connecting with the right people and avoiding those that should be avoided!
• Handling peer pressure.
• Dating and first romantic relationships.
• Pressure from school work
• There are also a few cool extras to help your teen and you meet the challenges of young adulthood and beyond.

As a certified life coach specializing in helping moms and families find balance and happiness in their lives, Aurelia’s guide is practical no-nonsense help perfect for the busy parent.

Here’s the link with all the details.

I know you’ll find it helpful. The teen years really don’t have to be this complicated.

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Recently David Duchovny (of X-Files fame and Californication Golden Globe Winner) admitted that, much like his character on Californication, he is also addicted to sex. He entered sex rehab (Los Viajeros Inn) and his wife isn’t leaving him either. When you think of the word “sex addict” you instantly think of secret meetings, illegitimate children and venereal disease.

Turns out, this may be more of the sex addict variety that involves internet chat rooms, phone sex, and dirty magazines. While still a serious thing for a marriage to overcome, it makes me understand why his spouse (actress Tea Leoni) is sticking around.

I have to give David props too, he’s a well-liked man in Hollywood both in movies and on t.v., good-looking, very charming, etc. He could have done what many men have done in Hollywood when they’ve been busted for thier mistakes – remake themselves. Leave the wife, get a custody arrangement, go cavorting with women half their age and put on a big smile.

Instead he checked himself into rehab…good for him! I hope the best for his family and wish them well.

…or does Nick serve Mariah? Or who is Nick? Judging from the various news articles that are always coming out about Nick Cannon’s marital relationship with Mariah Carey, one can never tell. I feel bad for him, sorta. I am sure he knew he was marrying a diva when they tied the knot. So I have no sympathy when her reported antics pop up in magazines and the like, that’s just part of the gig.

But I do feel it’s unfair that he’s been labeled as her “assistant” and such just for doing things like running to get her water, rubbing her feet when she’s tired, etc. I’m sorry, but this sounds like normal (and welcomed) spousal behavior. Why must everything become a scandal?

And the same people calling Nick Cannon her assistant instead of her spouse also are denying the success he’s had in his own right. Sure he’s not MARIAH CAREY, but he’s had quite a bit of a career himself between movies, music, t.v., writing/directing.

To claim that he’s just a sidekick to Mariah is ridiculous. I think he brings the level-headed balance to Mariah’s life that she so desperately (and very obviously) needs/needed.

EBay is a fantastic way to make extra income. We’ve determined that from the beginning. For someone just starting out, eBay is way easier than opening up shop through your own website and praying the traffic will find you in the virtual world.

I recently received a question from a fellow eBay mom….

“I have been wondering this for a while. I need to turn eBay into a full time job and I was wondering how do you get a lot of stuff listed in one day?

If you do eBay full time, what does your day consist of? How do you list? I have experimented with a lot of ways to get things listed and I just can’t get more then 20 listed a day and that is work all day long on it.

How can I get in my head that this is my job and I need to work it like a real job?”

If you are buried under inventory, overwhelmed with photo editing, and can’t wrap your brain around what to list next – know that you are not alone.

Take baby steps!

Work at a pace your are comfortable with. Your business is not going to grow overnight. Burning the midnight oil is only going to make you overwhelmed, and want to give up. You can’t expect yourself to list hundreds of items to your eBay store in one day.

Take chunks of time to work on different things, that is normally pretty productive. Maybe spend an hour taking as many pictures as you can, then one hour to edit photo’s. Or maybe you just want to get through one bin of clothing and you’ll be satisfied. You’ll quickly find what method of madness works best for you. It’s being productive that will keep you motivated to do more.

Take pictures first. Usually in bunches of 10 items or so. That could potentially be 30 pictures. Then edit, upload to a photo host, and list those ten items on Turbo Lister (that’s just my own method). As I’m listing, I weigh and fold each item, putting them in resealable bags and on my shelves alphabetically by boutique designer. That way they are all ready to ship once they are sold. When that chunk is done, I make sure to upload everything from Turbo Lister to eBay… Finished!

Buy In Bulk. If you are listing the same item – just different sizes, it usually goes VERY fast because there is only one picture to take. If you have pictures to take of many different items, it will take a bit longer.

These are some of the tried and true methods that have helped auction experts build their businesses a little at a time. I hope you find it helpful in your business as well!

Moms, if you’re in need of some extra cash check out this eBay Toy Selling Guide. The author Jenni Hunt is an eBay auction expert. She created this guide just to teach moms how to make surprisingly good money just by selling the “hot” toys on eBay.

Just recently I was searching for something for my daughter’s room that happened to be an IKEA product. Incidentally, we have an IKEA store here locally but I was hoping to get a great deal.

Um… no.

The item was selling at far above retail price! The point in this is that many times people are willing to pay more for stuff they want on eBay if they can’t get it locally. In the case of IKEA merchandise, if there isn’t a store near you (there are only a few around the US and people cross state lines to shop at them!), you might be willing to pay more than the item sells at retail if it’s what you really want.

Jenni has created this guide to help you discover what these “hot” items are – specifically toys that sell well this time of year, so you can leverage this concept to earn some quick, easy cash. She also shares how to get the best price for the item. Think it would be cool to turn your kid’s castoffs or yard sale or thrift store finds into a nice side income?

Yeah, thought so! Check it out here: eBay Toy Guide