I have fallen in love with a monkey!

Well, not really, but I am very excited that MailChimp has changed their free account option to include a larger mailing list size! Woohoo! So, fellow small business owners, you absolutely must give MailChimp a try—check out the e-mail campaign that I just sent out on behalf of www.EquestrianHomeLeasing.com!

Now, let me count the ways…

1. free up to 500 subscribers,
2. free up to 3000 emails per month,
3. gorgeous website… (an absolute must in my book),
4. clever + hilarious copy (i.e., writing),
5. easy-to-use interface,
6. list segmentation,
7. detailed reports (i.e., tracking),
8. powerful webmaster tools,
9. truly helpful help (i.e., articles, tips, blog),
10. and did I mention FREE !?!

Hands-down, MailChimp is the ideal way to manage any and all of your e-mail campaigns (i.e., special offers, monthly newsletters, birthday wishes, holiday greetings, etc.)!

Tickets for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games officially went on sale today! The 16-day event hosts the world championships in eight equestrian disciplines: dressage, driving, endurances, eventing, jumping, para dressage, reigning, and vaulting.

For the very first time in their 20-year history, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will be held outside of Europe… right here at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington… just a stone’s throw away from my current home in Georgetown!

If you, by chance, are planning to attend the largest equine sporting event ever held in the United States, you should definitely check out EquestrianHomeLeasing.com.

Although the 2010 WEG are expected to have over 500,000 people in attendance, the local area only has approximately 8,000 hotel rooms

OK… Exactly how is that going to work, you ask? Well…

The Barron-Slone Group of RE/MAX Dynamic Realty (whose office is located in downtown Georgetown, just minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park) has been working tirelessly in preparation.

Backed by years of professional real estate experience, The Barron-Slone Group has hand-picked a wide variety of local private homes that will be made available for lease to individuals, families, groups, and corporations during the 2010 WEG.

In addition to these extraordinary accommodations, The Barron-Slone Group has an extensive list of local merchants and service providers who are ready to show Central Kentucky’s visitors some real southern hospitality!

BTW, if you do find yourself visiting the Bluegrass, please get in touch with me… I’d love to meet you for lunch, recommend some of the best area attractions, and personally introduce you to Amy Barron and Carrie Slone!

While working in his home studio, facing a knot of cords and wires, inventor Micah Maraia envisioned a simple, intuitive system to bring order to the chaos.

That day dotz were born—"the ultimate in cord management"!

Who would’ve thought that something so practically utilitarian could be so refreshingly beautiful and colorful, too? The dotz product line is definitely my new favorite when it comes to labeling and managing cords!

Whether or not you are in the market for such a product, you absolutely must visit the dotz website to experience the super cool animations and see all the gorgeous product images!

FYI : I contacted the company to inquire about the availability of replacement punch out icons sets… I was pleased to find out that, in the coming months, dotz will have “individual cards” available for purchase online. Woohoo!

Dropbox has to be one of my favorite finds ever! If you don’t already have a backup system in place for your computer files, you should definitely sign up for a free account.

Dropbox is the easiest way to store, sync, and share files online. There’s no complicated interface to learn, it works seamlessly with any operating system (i.e., Windows, Mac, Linux), and it automatically makes sure your files are up-to-date.

Nowadays, our lives are on our computers. So, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be eternally grateful for the peace of mind that Dropbox offers (without you having to remember a thing)!

Plus, for those of us on a rather tight budget, the free account option is a lifesaver, providing just enough storage space for your most essential files.

Having your files (and all their revisions) accessible from anywhere in the world via the Dropbox website is a super-dooper handy feature for anyone who travels.

If you happen to forget to grab your final proposal before you leave home, it’s no problem! Just stop by the library and print a new copy! So cool!

The features as listed on the Dropbox website…

• Sync files of any size or type
• Share large files and photos easily
• Automatic online backup
• Access your files anywhere
• Sync between operating systems
• Track and undo changes to files

With the start of the new school year just around the corner, now is the time to shop for school supplies. Hit the sales and save!

(And, don’t forget… Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot offer free delivery on any orders over $50! Huge time saver!)

BTW, If you’ve not yet received a school supply list from your child’s teacher, refer to the Back To School Checklist (1212 downloads) to get you started.

Now is also the time to gather your child’s emergency medical information into one place. Check out the In Case Of Emergency (2297 downloads) form.

Back To School Checklist (1212 downloads)   In Case Of Emergency (2297 downloads)