Squidoo Clean up Month and New Lenses

March is clean up week on Squidoo. The Squid Team is encouraging everyone to go through their older, lower ranked lenses and clean them up to what they have learned on how to write better lenses.

Plus, just like another social network that I know of, the Squid Team will be on the look out a little more so for spam take and substandard lenses. I believe my lenses are safe. But I have to admit that out of my 250 plus lenses, more than half of these can be fixed up or broken up into smaller lenses. I tend to overdo and overkill, not knowing when to stop. This even applies to my latest lenses. Well, some dogs are hard to train!

I have cleaned up several lenses, but these below had major overhauls and probably took more time to clean up then it was to write the first time around. In addition, the last two are new lenses, which I also cleaned up. You will see some long lenses here. I am not good at using the KISS System.

All comments, bookmarking, sharing and giving thumbs up are welcome on these lenses. One of my goals this year is to get a LOTD. Only you can make this happen. (Note: If you are not a Squidoo member, you can still comment and give a thumbs up.)

Gifts for All Occasions
The print on demand shop, Zazzle has been an addiction for me since 2009. Living in the snow belt of Wisconsin where the weather can be harsh, can warp the mind! That is why my designs look a little twisted. I started my Zazzle site when we were having a record-breaking snowfall for the winter of 2008-2009. I envisioned this snowflake with a wicked face. It is how I felt about the weather. Read more and find some great custom gifts on Sandyspider Gifts Zazzle Showcase

What is Internet Addiction Disorder?
Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is excessive computer use that interferes with daily life. It becomes a compulsive behavior that completely dominates the addict's life. Internet addicts make the Internet a priority more important than family, relationships, health and work. Just like gambling, excessive gaming, a growing sexual addiction or compulsive shopping. Read more, take the addiction test and add your links to this page on
Are You an Internet Addict?

Chocolate Gift Ideas
This is a collection of my Chocoholics Unite! product line on Zazzle and Sandy Mertens on Amazon. Additonal chocolate on Zazzle is found in Chocolate with Sandyspider. Anyone who appreciates the taste of this luxurious treat, will enjoy seeing these creamy, rich, mouth watering products. But be careful! The major side effect of viewing this Zazzle shop is weight gain. Share some love and give the gift of chocolate found in this article Chocoholics Unite Gallery of Gifts

These are the two newer lenses but have already been cleaned up since first published.

Bi-Winning, Rock Star and Tiger Blood Apparel
The online print on demand world of Zazzle and CafePress has gone wild with Charlie Sheen inspired quotes. Amazon and other shopping sites have gotten in on the bandwagon. He was fired from "Two and a Half Men". It is sad to say goodbye to this show that first aired in 2002. Nevertheless, no one can take Sheen's place. See some wild Charlie Sheen t-shirts from his own quotes and some of mine on Inspired Charlie Sheen T-Shirts

For the Love of Green
Green is a nice tranquil color, but reference to green does not always mean the color green. When we think of green, we see money, emeralds, living green, hippies, using recyclable bags, St Patrick's Day, green beer, green animals and feeling at peace. See all the green products on
Green Gifts and Articles

If you are a Squidoo Member,these and any of my other lenses can be nominated by you for a Purple Star and LOTD. If you are not a member you are still welcome to add you comment in the guestbook and give it a like up. Squidoo is free, fun and a wonderful place to write. If interested you can
Join Here!

Travel Seattle, Super Bowl, Chocolate and Toys

My latest lenses on Seattle, The Super Bow Champions, Zazzle Gifts and My Little Pony, are featured below. To read more, go to the links to the articles.

Everyone can leave a comment on these Squidoo lenses. Squidoo is the best place to promote your business, shops and more. Free to join here!

Planning on a Seattle family vacation?
Seattle has electrifying energy. A big city filled with life. Easy to sightsee on foot and by monorail to see many of the main attractions that this city has to offer. Be prepared for walking up and down steep hills. Read more on things to do in Seattle here Seattle Attractions

The Green Bay Packers Won the Super Bowl
National Football Conference (NFC) champions Green Bay Packers defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on February 6, 2011 for the Super Bowl championship. Read more on this great victory on Super Bowl Champions XLV

The Amour of Chocolate and Hearts
Being a chocoholic, I admit on eating too much of this delightful, sinfully, delicious candy. I am in heaven with chocolate truffles. Give me a box of chocolates in a heart shaped box and I will love you forever. Read more on this yummy lens on Chocolate and Hearts

My Little Pony is a Great Toy for the Imagination
My Little Pony was one of my daughter's favorite toys when she was little. She was a collector of every single one out there. Then there were the Little Pony accessories. She would often get together with her best friend from day care, both ready to play an adventure with their little ponies. See more of these colorful ponies on My Little Pony for Girls

National Chocolate Day Oct. 28th

Today is National Chocolate Day, Oct 28th. Chocolate was introduced to the Western world in the 16th century following the arrival of Spanish explorers. During that time, chocolate was used not only as a food, but also as a currency. All I know is that it is the sweetest thing on earth.

Find chocolate gifts on Sandyspider Gifts: Chocolate
Here are a couple samples of chocolate, plus raspberries (they always go good with chocolate.

by Sandyspider

To celebrate this delicious day, here are a few articles from Squidoo and Hubpages with chocolate. Please click on the links to read more on the articles.

Confessions of a Chocoholic
I am a chocoholic. I love chocolate. At times it is my best friend. Some times it is my only friend. I can eat it at any part of the day. There have been times when I have eaten an entire 16 oz. bag of chocolate, a small box of candy or a giant size bar of chocolate in one sitting. This hasn't happen in a long time. But the cravings for chocolate are always there. "My name is Sandy and I'm a chocoholic!"

Chocoholics Unite! Zazzle Gallery
No better way to say it than with chocolate. This is for all chocoholics. Chocolate interacts with brain chemistry. It is natures feel good drug. Men, but mostly women crave it. Some of us just can't get enough of it.

Chocolate comes in many different varieties. To name a few: there is solid milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and even chocolate truffles.

Rich Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Rich, creamy, mouth watering, sinfully delightful, chocolate raspberry cheesecake. A pleasure for a chocoholic's taste buds. Slowly savor this guilt ridden desirable dessert of ecstasy. Blend together raspberries, chocolate and cream cheese for pure delight.

Unique Chocolate Gifts for Her
Give her the gift of chocolate. Chocolate can be candy, jewelry, vases, movies, recipes, spa treatments, bedding, liquor and chocolate shower gels with just the right scent to heighten the mood.

She would love a chocolate truffle mousepad, cocoa mug or truffle shoes These gifts are pleasantly soothing with no calories. Unless you add the cocoa to the mug.Be sure to check out the chocolate diamond ring.

Christmas Candy Recipes
I have been cooking since I was a little girl. I love to cook and create my own recipes. Or take a recipe and improve on it. I learned from my mother, who learned from her mother and so on.

The one thing I love about Christmas time is the candy. Oh I love candy! After all, isn't that one of the major food groups?

I have many candy recipes that have came from my grandmother and great grandmother. The fudge recipes are before the marshmallow fluff days of making candy. They are more sweat than the recipes of today. This is not diet food! Oh...we loved our sugar.

Enjoy these delicious treats.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Everyone loves oatmeal cookies. Some people add raisins, which is the typical ingredient in these cookies. But being a chocoholic, I prefer chocolate chips. Recently, I made these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies on the insistent from my husband. Actually, he asked for oatmeal cookies. After I had added all the ingredients, I happened to stumble upon a bag of chocolate chips.

Sunshine Cheesecake
The days of the plain old cheesecake are gone. My favorite is cherry cheesecake. But I like to try different recipes. Cheesecake can be made in a variety of favors and styles. The Sunshine Cheesecake is made with whole cranberry sauce in other recipes. Of course it is a personal preference. Often my recipes will come from my head and only written down when someone will ask me how to make it. There are many recipes which have been handed down in my family. I have made this cheesecake recipe a few times with my own twist of cherries. Taste great with dollops of whipped cream. My family loves it.

Black Forest Coffee Recipe and More
Remember the day when you ordered a cup of coffee and that is just what it was. Fresh ground brewed coffee or if you weren’t so lucky, instant coffee. Not that the taste of instant coffee is bad, but it doesn’t compare to home brewed coffee. Enjoy this coffee recipe with a touch of chocolate.

Antioxidants of Chocolate
Dark chocolate has four times as much antioxidant as compared to black tea. Dark chocolate may be higher than a cup of green tea, approximately 42 mg to 50 mg of catechins. Studies have found that dark chocolate had 53.5 mg of catechins (a polyphenolic antioxidant plant metabolite) per 100 gm.