PAYPAL

PayPal is an American-based global e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. Online money transfers serve as electronic alternatives to paying with traditional paper methods, such as checks and money orders.

PayPal acts like a digital wallet where you can securely store all your payment options, such as your bank account and credit card. When you want to make a payment, you don't have to pull out your credit card or type your billing info every time. get account paypal here





Libertyreserve

Liberty Reserve is an account-based payment system where you can store value in U.S. dollars and transfer payments to others and receive payments from others. It is safe, reliable and confidential. Payments are irrevocable (meaning they cannot be reversed). Liberty Reserve is instant, real-time currency for international commerce. In just minutes, you can send and receive payments from anyone, anywhere on the globe!

 register libertyreserve at their website : www.libertyreserve.com
 

These are great for Indonesian people because it's partnership with many bangking in Indonesia. it's support Android, blackberry, and Iphone apps for use. for more information go directly to the site in here : http://ipaymu.com/

By Adam Dachis Wish lists are the obvious way to let people know what you want for the holidays and where to get it, but they come with a few problems. If you share a list via email, gift-givers have to constantly communicate who's getting what to avoid duplicating each other, and if you have a public wish list (like on Amazon), the recipient can see when someone has bought a gift, ruining the surprise. Here's how you can put together a wish list using Google Docs that your loved ones can use to track the gifts they get you, you can add new items to your wish list at any time, but you'll never see what people are getting you. We'll walk through two methods using Google Docs. The first is the easy way. The second is the awesome way. (We prefer the awesome way.) If you'd rather watch than read, the video above will walk you through both options. The Easy Way The easiest way to put together your super secret wish list is to simply create a spreadsheet in Google Docs. Just make one with the following fields: The name of the item you want A link to where you can purchase that item (if applicable) The cost of the item An empty field that your friends or family members can use to add their name if they decide to purchase the item Once you've created this list and added everything you want, just share the spreadsheet with everyone who might want to know what to get you this holiday. Once you do, set someone else as the owner of the spreadsheet. This will allow you to remove yourself as the owner and have no access to your own document, keeping all activity a secret until you start unwrapping your presents. The Awesome Way The above method is very simple, but there is a much more useful and awesome method you can employ without doing much more work. Instead of creating a spreadsheet, create a form in Google Docs. You can make the form with the same fields listed above and remove yourself as an owner in the same way. Here's how: Log into Google docs and click the create button. Choose "Form" from the drop-down menu. By default you'll have two text fields already created for you in the form. Create two more using the "Add Item" button. Now that you have four text fields, give them the names listed in the previous section (item name, link, price, and who bought it). Save the form and click the link at the bottom of the page to access it. Add all your items one at a time using the form. Go back to the form editing page and click on the "See responses" button. You'll have two options. You want to choose the one that lets you view as a spreadsheet, not as a summary. On the spreadsheet, click the "Share" button to share it with all your friends and family members. Set one person as the owner of the spreadsheet, then remove yourself so you don't have access. What's great about this method is that even though you can no longer access the spreadsheet, you can still access the form. If you find a new item you want to add to your wish list, you can use the form to add it but won't see any of the activity from your friends and family on the actual results spreadsheet. That's all there is to it. It'll take you just a few minutes and make it much easier for your family to buy you what you want this holiday.

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The Dollar Stretcher presents
Ask The Computer Lady
Volume 14 Issue #49
December 8, 2011
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Registered: Library of Congress, Washington DC - ISSN: 1525-6332
Written by Elizabeth Boston, http://askTCL.com
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In This Issue...
1. Introduction
2. Unblocking Email Pictures
3. Emailing Photos with Gmail
4. How to Delete Hotmail Folders
5. Kindle Library Books
6. Your Comments




Dear Reader,
Welcome to this issue of Ask The Computer Lady!
I picked up my new reading glasses this morning. What a difference!
Not only can I see the screen better, but I have been working all
afternoon and my eyes don't ache! Yay!
Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? If there is a scented
candle lover on your list, get the my favorite candle at:
http://www.eboston.scent-team.com
Please tell others about "The Computer Lady". Whether this is
your first PC or you started on a XT we all can learn new things.
So forward a copy of the newsletter to a friend. They'll be glad
you did. After all, it's FREE!
To subscribe to this newsletter visit
http://www.stretcher.com/subscribe/subscribeTCL.cfm
Please Help Me get 10,000 fans on Facebook. Like my page at:
http://www.facebook.com/askthecomputerlady
Have a great week,
Elizabeth

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Ask The Computer Lady
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(2)
Dear Computer Lady,
Everyone of my e-mails comes through with a yellow line above the
message portion. I have to remove in order to see everything on it.

How can I get rid of this?
I am using Windows Mail. We have Windows Vista on our computer.
My computer geek says to go to message and then junk mail and then
put message or sender on safe sender's list but that doesn't work.
Any suggestions??
Margaret
Dear Margaret,
You can turn off the blocking of pictures in HTML messages, but
before you do, you should make sure that you have a good antivirus
program installed and updated. Allowing all pictures in your email
to be automatically opened, will leave you a little more at risk
for a virus infection.
In Windows Mail, just follow these directions:
1. Open Windows Mail.
2. Click on "Tools" in the menu bar, then click on "Options".
3. Click on the "Security" tab.
4. About halfway down the Security page, there is a section that
says, "Download Images". Click to remove the check mark in front of,
"Block images and other external content in HTML messages".
5. Click the "OK" button at the bottom of the window to save your
changes and close the window.
If you are using Windows Live Mail, it is a little different:
1. Open Windows Live Mail.
2. Click on the tab to the left of the "Home" tab.
3. In the drop-down menu, point to "Options" and then click on
"Safety Options".
4. In the, Safety Options, dialog box, click on the "Security" tab.
5. In the "Download Images" section of the page, click to remove the
check mark in front of "Block images and other external content in
HTML email".
6. Click the "OK" button at the bottom of the window to save your
changes and close the window.
Elizabeth
You can read this article online, view & leave comments at:
http://wp.me/pwwRq-1a6
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Whisper 32 Replacement: http://wp.me/pwwRq-FN
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(3)
Dear Computer Lady,
Love your site and would love your newsletter. Question: How do I
make gmail my default mail server in irfranview. I do not use
outlook express.
Thanks for your time, Flo
Dear Flo,
Thanks for your email. I added you to my weekly email list.
Unfortunately, you can't add Gmail as your default email server in
Irfanview, because Gmail is web based email, and you are not using
an actual email program.
There is, however, a way you can work around this problem.
You can set up Outlook Express to work with your Gmail account.
Gmail has some great, step by step directions for this at:
https://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=77659
Once you have set up Gmail to work with Outlook Express, when you
want to send a picture from Irfanview, your computer will use
Outlook Express to send the picture through your Gmail account.
Hope this helps,
Elizabeth
You can read this article online, view & leave comments at:
http://wp.me/pwwRq-1a0
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The Handy Garage Sale Kit - For a Less Stressful Garage Sale! www.easyfilesolutions.com/AIDLink.php?BID=12677&AID=35590 Time Saving preprinted price stickers - simply peel & stick. Fun & Colorful arrows - Create signs that stand out in a crowd! FishTales Fishing Logs?A Great Gift for Your Favorite Fisherman! www.fishtaleslog.com/AIDLink.php?BID=11319&AID=33264 ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ (4) Dear Computer Lady, How to remove a "folder" from the Hotmail site? To the left of the hotmail site I can add new folders, but nowhere allows me to remove old folders. Can you help me with this? Thank You, Constance Dear Constance, Hotmail has a set of folders that can't be removed. Those folders are the Inbox, Junk, Drafts, Sent and Deleted folders. These folders will always be there, and you don't have the ability to delete them. If you create more folders, however, they can be deleted, just follow these directions: 1. Go to your Hotmail account and log in so that you have your list of folders on the left. 2. With your cursor, point to the word, "Folders" and a small gear will appear just to the right of "Folders". 3. Click on the gear, then click "Manage Folders. 4. A list of your folders will appear. Folders that can be deleted will have a small box to the left of the folder name. 5. Click to place a check mark in front of the folder you want to remove, then click the word, "Delete" at the top of the folder list. Elizabeth You can read this article online, view & leave comments at: http://wp.me/pwwRq-1aa ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Survive a PC Disaster with Carbonite Online Backup! Free trial to get you started-no credit card required. http://www.jdoqocy.com/email-3030483-10544266 ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ (5) Dear Computer Lady, I'm not really familiar with Kindle or Nook, but I'm seriously thinking about getting a Kindle Touch. Can you help me with some questions? I have heard that local libraries have "free downloads" to Kindles (and possibly some other readers), but if I download a book at my library, do I have it for only 2 weeks like I would if I checked out a "normal book"? Thanks, Sherry Dear Sherry, I did a little research on Amazon's website and found that questions about loan duration need to be asked at your local library. The Maine state library has a lending period of either 7 or 14 days, the choice appears to be yours. Once the lending period is over, the book remains on your Kindle until you delete it, but you will not be able to open it. It does appear that you can check out the same book again if you did not finish it in the time you had it checked out. I would suggest you check with your local library to see what their ebook lending program is like. Elizabeth You can read this article online, view & leave comments at: http://wp.me/pwwRq-19K ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Protect your computer from Viruses! Download a 30 day free trial of AVG at: http://tinyurl.com/2olst7 AVG has kept my computer virus free for 10 years! ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ (6) COMMENTS THIS WEEK: ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Posted By: George In Response to: Comment: When I receive e-mails with pictures that do not open I have found that if I forward the e-mail the pictures open. George Posted By: Judi By Email Comment: Hi, I enjoy your Newsletter very much. I received an IPad last year, I attended a class on e-readers. It was during this class that I was told that Kindles was not compatible with The Library in our city. (The Nook was.) I read later in the year that now they were. I don't know if this is something that is a problem every where or just our city. But, if you plan to check out ebooks from the library, it might pay to check into this. Thank you again for this handy newsletter. You can send me your comments by signing my Facebook Page. Just go to: www.facebook.com/askthecomputerlady ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Big Fish Games A New Game Every Day Free Trial Downloads http://tinyurl.com/bfgames ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Elizabeth Boston owns a computer repair business in North Berwick, Maine. To schedule an appointment, call 676-9561. If you have a computing question for this column, send it in an e-mail to computerlady@maine.rr.com. ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Subscription Instructions Please tell others about "The Computer Lady". Whether this is your first PC or you started on a XT we all can learn new things. So forward a copy of the newsletter to a friend. They'll be glad you did. After all, it's FREE! To subscribe to this newsletter visit <http://www.stretcher.com/menu/subscrib4.cfm> or send mailto:subscribe-ds-tcl@hub.thedollarstretcher.com To unsubscribe from The COMPUTERLADY use our web site <www.stretcher.com/menu/subscrib4.cfm> or send mailto:delete-ds-tcl@hub.thedollarstretcher.com ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ Elizabeth Boston owns a computer sales, service, and consulting business in North Berwick, Maine. If you have any computing questions, you can contact Elizabeth via e-mail at computerlady@maine.rr.com If you have a problem subscribing or unsubscribing send an email to admin@stretcher.com and a real live human being will try to solve the problem. SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION is available by mailto:marketing@stretcher.com Publisher: The Dollar Stretcher, Inc. PO Box 14160 Bradenton FL 34210 gary@stretcher.com 941-761-7805 voice 941-761-8301 fax leave-4135216-4202314.cb293e35ef83fe6b570e502b24746c6b@hub.thedollarstretcher.com 2001-18
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by Brian Hawkins | posted: November 24, 2011

For this week’s  Quick Blogging Tip Thursday, I’ll offer a few blog commenting tips that will help you with blogging success; after all, that’s what we do here. Thanks to you, we get a lot of blog comments. Unfortunately, we have to delete many blog comments either because they did not read our comment policy or the commenter just doesn’t understand blogging etiquette. The following blog commenting tips are for the group of blog commenters (newbie bloggers) that want to improve their blog commenting success.

1. Add Value: Post a comment that adds to the quality of the discussion. Do NOT leave a lame comment like, “Nice post, I enjoyed it“.
2. GET AN AVATAR! You can register free at Gravatar.com that will show an avatar on most blogs. This Avatar is simply an image that is displayed along with your comment on blogs that have this feature enabled. This avatar/image doesn’t have to be your headshot; it can be anything you like. The plain default or blank avatar with comments screams either comment spam or newbie and sends a red flag to every blog admin.
   
3. Stay On Topic: This one should be easy but a lot of bloggers fail at it. You should actually READ THE BLOG POST! Pretty simple right? You would think so.
4. Interact And Engage: Interact with the other commenters. If you have a relevant comment, suggestion or answer for another comment already posted, hit the reply button by that blogger’s name and reply directly to the comment in question. This interaction will build online relationships and your blogging success.
5. Be Respectful: If you find an error or disagree with the blog post author or another comment, please show some respect. Addressing the issue is fine but personal and/or professional attacks will not be tolerated on this blog and will ruin your reputation on blogs that let the comment stay.
6. Brand Your Name: Using Keywords is important and that is why we use CommentLuv Premium which includes KeywordLuv BUT branding your name is also important. Ana Hoffman wrote a post for Yaro Starak that really shows the importance of branding your name.
7. Comment Policy: Find and read the blog’s Comment Policy if they have one. The quickest way to get your blog comment deleted is to ignore the blog’s policies.
8. Don’t Suck-Up: You don’t always have to agree with everything and tell the blog post author how great he/she is. We know we’re great {joking} but you should always be honest. If you disagree or have a different opinion, then say so – just be respectful (Refer to Blog Commenting Tips #5).
9. No Deceptive Tactics: When you list your blog/website URL on the comment form and ‘trick‘ our CommentLuv into displaying another blog URL you are using cheap deceptive blog tactics and risk getting banned. This is a common blog commenting tactic used by blog spammers selling SEO backlinks and blog traffic via blog commenting (See Blog Commenting Tips #10).
10. NEVER EVER Buy Blog Comments: Out of the other blog commenting tips, this may be the most important, “Never Ever buy links or traffic from blog commenting“. These low-life blog commenting sites will ruin your blog and your reputation as a blogger.

Posted by latief on Nov 8, 2011 in Blogging Tips 

In general, blogs now make up an intimate world in themselves. As is with any civilized institution, the process of blogging has involved networks and interactions. Therefore, following proper blog etiquette is an undeniable courtesy.
Appreciation is always welcome and if your niche colleagues link with your blog, you need to show this appreciation with the proper gesture. Send in Thank you emails to bloggers who link with your blog but do it with the right flair.
You need to realize what these incoming links do for you to understand the priority level that you need to award these appreciation emails. These links benefit you in three major ways.

Popular Search engine rank boost

Blogs need to influence the target audience but without first being found high on search lists, you cannot expect the magic to begin. There is literally a no-rank void where many blogs are abandoned and all due to their incompetent SEO practices. Thanks to the bloggers who linked to our jupiter images and photos.com discount coupon sites, our blog escaped the black hole, and is not even close to it.
Incoming links to your blog suggests that you already have quality information that even interests other established blog owners. Therefore, when popular search engines crawl your blog posts they will take this fact in to account while deciding on your blog’s rank.

Reader boost

The links spell out that you already have a base of readers. The fact that these readers are actually knowledgeable colleagues, just adds to your blogging potential. The added bonus is that these links will bring in further visitors who are already interested in the niche and therefore, are more likely to convert to subscribers.

Establishing blog as a web brand

Your blog is your offering to the niche audience. As is with any product, the brand name is the stir that gives the extra boost to the sales. Similarly, roping in subscribers for your blog requires you to build up an image that has an impact in the niche.
Incoming links from established blogs can be ego boosts to your blog brand image. Undoubtedly, you can exert this image to your target audience in the same vein.
The common factor in all these advantage points is the necessity of incoming links to your blog. There are many ways that you can start contacts with other blogs to network a deal with them. However, what matters is the follow up gesture that ensures that you consistently be a part of the deal.
After all, there are hordes of niche blogs coming up every day and yet not all of them get a chance to inculcate established blogs as incoming links to their posts.
Therefore, the first step of action is to find out about the bloggers who are linking to your blog. It is not that hard and if you have a submission system where comments and guest posts go via your permission, it means you already know the bloggers that put in guest posts and comment links with your posts.

Some steps to track your incoming link bloggers

Metrics for your blog- You need metrics to track just about every line of progress with your blog process. However, these metrics can come especially handy in finding about the bloggers who appreciate your posts enough to associate their blog links with it. Try Google Analytics, Mint, Sitemeter, or any of the upcoming blog metrics available in the market.

Search engine blog search

The blog search option provided by the popular search engines is an awesome way to track not only the bloggers who link with you but also the suitable blogs that you would want to link with, too. This is a real-time tracking method. However, if you want to focus on a more laid-back approach to tracking, just type in the code link:http://www.yourblog.com. You can type the code in popular search sites such as Google or Yahoo and track all your incoming blog links.
The ultimate task in this endeavor is to draft the right words in the email, which will express your appreciation to the support of these bloggers. Keep it to the point but genial. A semi-formal tone is safest if you are writing for the first time.
It is important that you check out their blogs to include some points of similar interest in your mail. This gesture conveys your credibility as a blogger as well as your interest in the linking relationship. You can also consider blog comments but that should not be an alternative rather make it an addition to the appreciation email.
As a passionate blogger, Jane enjoys writing on topics that include blogging tips and online discounts such as jupiter images coupon codes and photos.com promotion code. One of her current projects involves the development of a coupon blog that makes available all kinds of discounts coupons, from jupiter images and photos.com to saving deals for Travel and Transportation.

by Joe Sirianni

» See more articles by Joe Sirianni

 

Here’s a list of the game titles (see our Android game reviews on a few):

1. Real Football 2010
2. Asphalt 5
3. Assassin’s Creed
4. Dungeon Hunter
5. Gangstar: West Coast Hustle
6. Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X.
7. Hero of Sparta
8. Let’s Golf!
9. Modern Combat: Sandstorm
10. N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance
11. UNO
12. and coming soon, the game of the blockbuster movie, James Cameron’s Avatar

Screenshots of some of the HD Games:

Today's retailers have uncovered the science behind shopping. Your favorite mall stores actually hire such retail researchers as Paco Underhill, author of "Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping."
Underhill has tracked hundreds of thousands of shoppers to study how they shop. "There is nothing random about how a store is arranged and designed. It is carefully calculated to appeal to you in every possible way," he says.
 The 'magic' of the display
We can learn a lesson in Underhill's book from a story told by a retailer about a tempting display of T-shirts.
"We buy them in Sri Lanka for $3 each. Then we bring them over here and sew in washing instructions, which are in French and English. Notice we don't say the shirts are made in France. But you can infer that if you like. Then ... we fold them just right on a tasteful tabletop display, and on the wall behind it we hang a huge, gorgeous photograph of a beautiful woman in an exotic locale wearing the shirt."

By Alan Henry How to Ditch Your Junk Food-Filled Pantry and Reboot Your Diet If your goal for the holidays or new year is a healthier you, those cabinets full of sugary snacks and salty, over-processed junk food are your first serious roadblock. It's time to throw out your junk food in a dramatic blaze of glory so you'll stick to your convictions. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you clean out the pantry once and for all, replace that junk food with healthy alternatives that will still fulfill your cravings, and jump start your path to a healthier diet you'll actually stick to. Photo remixed from originals by gerry and Glory Foods. Be Courageous: You're About to Make Some Difficult Choices Before we get started, the first thing you'll need to do is summon as much courage as possible. To make change like this stick requires doing it in a dramatic way so you won't be tempted to just slip into your old habits, and educating yourself so you have healthy options that hit the same places on your palate that are served by the otherwise awful food you may have in your fridge or pantry. To help with the process, we invited our favorite nutritionists to share their suggestions. Seattle-based nutritionist and Registered Dietitian Andy Bellatti, and Boston-based nutritionist and wellness counselor Alannah DiBona both have a lot of experience helping individuals get their diets on the right track for their individual health and well being, and offered their suggestions for this piece. Out with the Bad: Throw Out the Junk, Over-Processed, Unhealthy Food That's Holding Your Health Hostage The first thing we need to do is give you a fresh start. Head into the kitchen, and get a large trash bag. Open up all of the kitchen cabinets, and get ready to throw out (or donate, if the food is non-perishable and your local community pantry or soup kitchen is accepting donations!) your awful food. Here's your plan of attack. Photo by Javier Aroche. First Pass: Throw Out All of Your Obviously Terrible Food Candy, chips, cookies, soda, sugar-laden fruit juice—all of it. Don't worry, we'll head to the grocery store in just a little while, so you won't have to live without snacks for too long. Second Pass: Learn How To Read a Nutrition Label, and Use them to Decide What to Keep If you don't often read the labels on the food you buy and eat, start now, and use them to help you decide what to keep and what to throw out. Take a look at the USDA's dietary guidelines and the FDA's recommended daily intake of calories, fats, vitamins, and sodium to find out how much of what you should be eating. Alannah DiBona has some specific tips on how to read nutrition labels: Read the ingredient listing: Ingredients are listed in order of decreasing volume. Whatever the product contains the most of will appear first on the list of ingredients, and so on in decreasing order. If you see fat, sugar or salt listed front and center, you can safely assume that the food in question isn't going to be among the healthier options for you! Refer to the nutrition facts: First, check out the serving size. Note the size of a single serving and how many servings are in a package. Then look into total calories per serving. Think about the serving size and how many servings you're actually consuming. If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients, including the Percent Daily Value (% DV). Limit everything listed between Total Fat and Sodium. Most people require no more than 56-78 grams of fat per day. This includes no more than 16 grams of saturated fat, less than two grams of trans fat,a nd less than 300 mg of cholesterol (for a 2,000 calorie diet – this is why knowing your personal set of numbers is important). Get enough of everything listed between Dietary Fiber and vitamins. Make sure you get 100 percent of the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients you need each day. Percent Daily Value: The %DV section tells you the percent of each nutrient in a single serving, in terms of the daily recommended amount. As a guide, if you want to consume less of a nutrient (such as saturated fat, cholesterol, or sodium), choose foods with a lower % DV (5% of less is low). If you want to consume more of a nutrient (such as fiber), seek foods with a higher %DV (20% or more is high). In general, as you think about the amount of calories in a food per serving, remember that for a 2,000-calorie diet: 40 calories per serving is considered low; 100 calories per serving is considered moderate; and 400 calories or more per serving is considered high. As you familiarize yourself with the nutrition labels, start tossing the foods that seem okay at first blush, but that you know aren't good for you based on their ingredients and nutrition facts. Those frozen "light" Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls? The sodium content in there—regardless of the "light" label—is out of control. The same applies to a lot of frozen foods, so keep an eye out. Approach the foods you used to think of as okay for you with a new eye, flip them over, and decide based on the label. Odds are you'll be surprised. Third Pass: Decide on the Difficult Things Now it's time to start thinking about everything that's left. This is where you consider the difficult foods that you really want to keep but you know probably aren't at all good for you. We're not there with you, so we can't force you to throw it out, but we will give you this advice: you'll be more likely to stick with the food choices you're about to make when you get to the grocery store if you don't have your old staples to fall back on. Photo by Sean MacEntee. It's easy to throw out chips, soda, and candy. It's difficult however to toss out the frozen pizzas you rely on for a quick snack when you're hungry in the afternoon, or those microwave burritos that aren't really bad for you, but they aren't good either. Don't try to convince yourself that you can keep bad food if you change your habits either, like keeping the jug of ranch dressing in your fridge if you promise yourself you really will only use a tablespoon per serving. We all know you won't—breaking habits isn't that easy. When I tackled this job myself, I found myself with a large trash bag full of food that I probably should never have picked up anyway - a lot of it was pretty old, since I try to eat well anyway. Since I have a relatively small apartment and kitchen, there wasn't much to throw out. That said, that bag was pretty heavy. I enjoy salty and savory snacks, so I had to toss out two or three different varieties of salty snack mix, tortilla chips, cured meat in the fridge, corn-syrup laden dipping sauces and condiments, and frozen dinners that may be quick to microwave, but have incredible sodium and fat content. If you're about tackle this yourself, don't worry—my pantry was as empty as yours. Stop, Think, and Plan Before You Go Re-Stock the Pantry Now that the junk is in the trash and your cabinets are bare, it's time to think about alternatives. You might think to put the planning before tossing, but we put them in this order to force you to go to the grocery store with after coming up with healthy alternatives. As you make your shopping list, replace the foods you normally would buy with healthy options you'll enjoy. Think about are the types of flavors that you like, and look for healthy alternatives that hit those notes. Like I mentioned, I tend to enjoy salty and savory snacks, so I was eager to find better foods that hit the same flavor profile. If you give up your beloved bag of potato chips for tortilla chips or popcorn, you're more likely to stick with your healthy diet change than if you toss out a bag of Cheetos and hope you'll learn to love dried apricots. Here are some suggestions to get your list started. Photo by Ollie Crafoord. Savory Foods: If snack mixes, beef jerky, and potato chips dominate your snack cabinet, Alannah has some suggestions: Pick up some turkey jerky over beef jerky, or at least check out the sodium content on the beef jerky you're used to buying to see if there's anything a little healthier. Mixed nuts are always a good snack if they're eaten in moderation. Try unroasted and unsalted, if you enjoy them. Air-popped popcorn is always a great alternative to chips, and you can season and salt it yourself. Tortilla chips and salsa or cut vegetables and hummus are also great savory alternatives to keep in the fridge or pantry. If you love dipping sauces, Andy Bellatti also suggests hummus, but also reminds us that guacamole and pesto are also tasty, savory alternatives. Sweet Foods: For those of us with a sweet tooth, getting rid of the candy, chocolates, or baked, processed sweets that you may have lying around your house can be difficult. Trade in Little Debbie and Tastycake for Greek Yogurt with honey, berries, or bananas. Try fruits that are naturally sweet, like figs, raisins, and dates, or develop a love for dark chocolate. Andy Bellatti suggests that if soft serve is your weakness, this trick may be for you: "freeze a few cups of sliced bananas (after this trick, I think you'll have sliced bananas in your freezer all the time) and then process them in a food processor for a few minutes (you may need a small amount of water depending on how powerful your food processor is). The end result is soft-serve 'banana ice cream.' You can dress this up by adding cinnamon, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and a spoonful of peanut or almond butter into the food processor before processing for a really great frozen treat." Lifehacker's own Jason Chen suggests putting some seedless grapes in the freezer for a day, then break them out as a sweet snack that can satisfy your ice cream craving. Sour and Bitter Foods: If sour treats tickle your palate, there's a really easy fix for you: citrus fruits and fruit juices. Try some plain yogurt to get a little tangy bite into your mornings. Alannah suggests adding a side of citrus fruit like oranges or kiwis to round out a breakfast or snack. Grapefruit is also a great option, and a favorite of dieters everywhere. You can also try low-fat cheeses like feta or a nice brie with the rind on to hit the spot. If bitter is more your style, make sure to add some dark chocolate to your shopping list (baking chocolate really hits the bitter notes well.) Bitter food lovers can also munch on some raw zucchini, maybe with a yogurt based dip like tzatziki. As for broad alternatives, Andy Bellatti suggests that you try to get as many whole grains in your diet as possible, and make sure that those whole grains are the first ingredient on the label, or high-fiber breads that are 100% whole grains with 4 or 5 grams per slice, or whole wheat pasta. If you love toast and sandwiches, high-fiber bread is a great way to avoid white flour and bread laden with corn syrup as a major ingredient while you get fiber in your diet at the same time. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but they're all great suggestions. The key here is to find healthier alternatives to foods that you already love and try them on for size. If some of the foods you have or had in your pantry have healthier options, check them out when you get to the store—just make sure to read the label to make sure they're actually healthy and not just marketed as such. Photo by Lori Stone. Find a Personal Motivator To Help You Commit Andy Bellatti suggested that you tie your healthy eating goals to some personal motivator. For example, you're concerned about the environment or social good, he proposes: "Take on changes that are positive for your health and also socially conscious. For example – resolve to do more of your shopping at a farmers market. If you eat meat, look into purchasing meat that is raised in more sustainable ways, fed a healthier diet (i.e.: grass-fed beef vs. corn-fed beef, eggs from pasture-raised chickens), and treated more humanely. All of these changes provide benefits for human health as well as local economies, animal welfare, and the environmental landscape." Alannah DiBona agrees, and also notes that if you've been on the diet roller coaster before, you should stop and consider your reasons before you go any further. "How many times have you done this before? What's different this time? Why do you want to make the change? These are important questions to consider, otherwise you may be setting yourself up for failure. This is an important commitment to your quality of life, so don't fear trying something new, or taking a new approach." Alternatively, use something close and personal to motivate you, like a family member or friend who's ill, or the desire to spend more time with your family and friends. Personally, I'm going through a very similar experience, and not to diminish the causes of social good and environmental protection, I also rather selfishly want to minimize my risk factors for illnesses that run in my family. The key here is whatever you choose to do, make sure you have a motivating force behind it that makes you stick to your guns when the going gets rough and you're tempted to buy a box of Oatmeal Creme Pies from the convenience store. Finally, share that motivator with friends and solicit their support. Recruit your family, friends, or colleagues to join in with you, or find online communities that will offer some support, like previously mentioned Daily Challenge or Fitocracy. Photo by Amy. Head to the Grocery Store Armed with Knowledge and Alternatives Now you're ready to go shopping. First, relax. Up to this point we've put a lot of emphasis on making sure you have healthy options to turn to in favor of junk food, and that you have the knowledge to make smart decisions. Compose yourself and resist the urge to go off and make choices you'll regret when you get home. Don't go off, buy all the right things, come home with bags of kale chips (which are delicious, by the way), granola, and other healthy foods, only to discover the that after a week, the thrill has passed. Here are a couple of rules to follow while you're in the store: Photo by Brianna. Don't obsess over the small things. Be smart and use your judgement, sure, but don't pick up something you've clearly never heard of just because the label looks good. That's a quick path to buying food that you "have to be in the mood for," which is code for "sits at the back of the pantry until its expiration date." Moderation is key. Don't deprive yourself too much. You won't be able to find super-healthy alternatives to some of the staples in your diet, and that's okay. Look for healthier options or versions, but don't buy something you'll hate just because it's better for you. You won't use it, and you'll eventually give up and go back to what you prefer. The same applies for foods that you know aren't great for you but you'd hate to give up. There's no faster way to make you want an unhealthy food than forcing yourself to give it up forever. Find an alternative, or buy smaller packages so you can treat yourself. Just make sure those occasions are really treats and not the norm. Use technology to help you. Use a grocery planner app like previously mentioned GroceryIQ or another app we love ZipList to manage your grocery lists. Try a collaboration tool like Springpad or Evernote to keep your grocery list and share it with others in your household so they can see and help you shop. Finally, get familiar with a food tracking tool like Calorie Counter, another app we like, HotCal, or recently highlighted FoodTrackerPro to help you count calories, manage your food intake, and make sure you're sticking to your healthy eating goals. If you catch yourself putting something in your cart because you "feel like you have to," take it back out and look for something that's a better fit for you, both for your taste buds and your health. Repeat the process until you feel good about what you're buying. One great suggestion Andy made was to arm yourself with a cookbook and some new, healthy recipes you want to try. This accomplishes two tasks: First, it cultivates a love of healthy food that will stay with you and help you stick to your rebooted diet. Second, it gets you away from processed foods. You won't find food dyes, artificial sweeteners, and industrial cooking oils in most cookbooks, and the more you cook for yourself and try new, healthier ingredients and recipes, the less you'll rely on foods that come with those things cooked in. Stick to Your Guns Once you've stocked your kitchen and pantry shelves with healthy options, the hard part begins: making sure you don't let it all fall apart. First of all, you will make mistakes, and you will fall off the rails now and again. That's fine. Accept your mistakes, accept that you're allowed to reward yourself with empty calories now and again, or go out to eat and enjoy a big fancy meal, and move on. The real challenge will be to make sure those mistakes and rewards are infrequent. Photo by v smoothe. Alannah suggests talking to a dietitian or nutritionist (like herself and Andy) or even with your doctor when you start down this path. Even a short session can produce a lot of information about what's best for your lifestyle, preferences, and tastes. Best of all, many health insurance providers will cover a visit or two, just to help you get on the right track. Use your support network to help you as well. Share the healthy substitutions that have worked for you, and ask for their suggestions and opinions. Your family and friends can help—or at least present an audience you don't want to disappoint. Not everyone can afford to clean out their pantry and buy all new groceries, so if you're budget conscious, consider saving this until the next time your cabinets are looking a bit bare and you need to go to the grocery store to stock up anyway. If you're planning a healthier 2012, now is a great time to start thinking about these kinds of changes. I've just started down this road myself. I'm in the process of finding healthy alternatives to the snacks that I love and discovering new recipes to try and snacks to enjoy. It's not a perfect science, and unlike those reality shows where someone swoops into your home, empties your kitchen, and takes you shopping to replace it all, you won't magically be a healthier person at the end of the episode. Even so, that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a shot. You only have your health and well-being to gain. Photo by DC Central Kitchen.