If you are like many savvy shoppers, you are great at finding bargains for the things you need online and so you have decided to place an order that way. This is a convenient method for many shoppers to find the items they need. Not only is it a good way to find hard to find items from retailers that may not be accessible in local shopping areas, but it saves a lot of time, money and energy to shop online.

Retailers encourage people to try their online shopping method by offering lots of incentives, like discount coupons and free shipping. From shopping for clothing and accessories to finding outstanding bargains on office supplies, health and wellness needs, pet supplies or even grocery shopping; ordering online has become the very best way to shop nowadays.

Now that youve made the decision to shop for the items you need online, you are getting ready to place an order with a secure method. As you get to the shipping and handling section, you may be surprised to see that there are many different shipping options available to you, each costing differently based on the type of shipping method available for this purchase. What to choose? This can be a daunting experience, especially if you are ordering items that are for a specific date or occasion. So you must think carefully to determine the best type of shipping you will want to choose to meet your needs.

Generally, if you are shopping online you may be doing so to save money. Indeed, shopping online is the best way to do this. However, you will want to be careful that you dont get socked with expensive shipping and handling fees. If you are ordering ahead of time and or you are not in a hurry to receive the items you are buying, then best way to save money is by selecting standard shipping as the method of delivery. Standard delivery is the least expensive of the shipping rates as it is generally handled by the US Postal System in the US and the Canadian Post in Canada. If you choose this method, how can you be sure when you will receive the package(s)? Here are some ideas to help you determine when you will receive package sent by standard shipping.

In the US, postal service standard shipping generally takes between 7 to 10 business days for in-stock items. Thats weekdays, not including weekends or holidays. The exception to this is when shipping to Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico as that will take an additional 2-3 business days for arrival. If you are ordering from a country outside the United States, you may need to allow for up to 14 business days for items to get through the US customs office. The shipping cost will be additional as well. If you are in a hurry for the items, you may want to use an alternative shipping method to expedite the shipment.

In the Canada, if you are ordering from a Canadian vendor, you can expect that shipments will arrive via Canadian post standard shipping within 2 to 4 business days. Thats actually pretty fast when considering the rate that the US offers. The exception to this is when ordering from a US company or those located in other countries. You may have to allow for as many as three weeks for packages to pass through Canadian customs and you can expect that the cross border shipping cost will be more as you will be responsible for taxes, duties and the rate of exchange.

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Vines Selections for the NORTHEAST

ENGLISH IVY - From Massachusetts southward this plant, called Hedera Helix in scientific circles, is found as a ground cover 8 inches tall and as a vine climbing up into trees and on walls 50 feet or more. It will grow in any good soil in sun or partial shade; its broad leaves are a good green throughout the year.

WINTERCREEPER - A vine and ground cover for the sun, Euonymus Fortuni is also found from Massachusetts southward. It is an interesting plant and will grow in any garden soil, reaching up into a tree 50 feet or more or spreading on the ground forming a foot-high carpet.

BEARBERRY - Best for dry sandy soils, this is an extremely hardy plant with broad leaves. It grows from 6 to 12 inches tall and prefers a location in the full sun. It is listed as Arctostaphylos Uvaursi

CREEPING JUNIPER - In front of evergreen shrubs, in rockeries, on steep banks Juniperus horizontalis (and its varieties) is wonderfully effective, its needles forming an interesting textural contrast to other plantings. Always dependable, it is extremely hardy and will thrive in sun or shade, sometimes growing 18 inches tall.

TAMARIX JUNIPER - Especially useful under city conditions this needled evergreen to 2 feet tall may be used similarly to creeping juniper. Listed as Juniperus Sabina tamaricifolia, it grows well in poor soil in either sun or shade.

DWARF HOLLY GRAPE - In foundation plantings, particularly beneath low windows, Mahonia repens deserves to be more widely used. It will live from Massachusetts southward. It is a broad leaved plant to 10 inches high and prefers a good loam in an area which is shaded part of the day.

CANBY PACHISTIMA - This hardy little plant to 12 inches high can be grown in Massachusetts and southward with simple plant care in an acid soil in either sun or shade. It is called Pachistima Canbyi botanically. Its foliage turns an interesting bronze in fall, remaining that way all winter. Just like passion vines it is especially effective planted in front of rhododendrons and other broad leaved evergreens.

JAPANESE PACHYSANDRA - The best ground cover for shaded situations, Pachysandra terminalis makes a coarse-textured carpet beneath trees, along the edge of a woodland garden and in foundation plantings. It grows to 6 inches high and likes a good loamy soil.

WINELEAF CINQUEFOIL - This extremely hardy plant called Potentilla tridentata is happiest in rocky soils where it can have full-day sun. Its broad leaves are quite interesting and it grows from 2 to 12 inches tall.

COMMON PERIWINKLE - Because it likes sun or shade and will thrive in any type soil, this is the all-purpose ground cover. It grows 6 inches tall and produces pale blue flowers in spring when daffodils are in bloom. Some nurserymen list it as running-myrtle; its scientific name is Vinca minor.

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I never thought my affiliate marketing mentor program was going to see the results that it has. The results are just amazing and I am super excited to see what the new year brings my mentor program and everyone that is in it, including me.

First, I want to touch on Bryan for a second. Bryan, has been noticed because of one of his sites by the famous Gary V. from Wine Library TV and his brother. What’s even cooler is they are all following each other on Twitter. When Bryan told me about this when it all went down I was super excited for him.

Networking with other people in the same field as you are in can show you some of the best results for your business. With Bryan now being followed by Gary V and his brother I feel that Bryan is on his way to having some great success in this new year, success he never thought he could get.

Greg, who is my latest student in my free affiliate marketing mentor program has been great to work with. Greg’s background online has been in mostly the buying and selling of domains, which is something I never really looked into until now. It almost seems that I am learning more from Greg then he has from me.

Networking is all about sharing idea’s back and forth, and since I have started talking with Greg I have been able to increase the value of my affiliate sites just by implementing certain aspects of buying domain names that Greg has told me about. So now Greg is making more money in affiliate marketing and I am making more money with the value of my sites.

So by being able to get domains that are going to be worth more down the road, my net worth is going to also increase. Well, maybe not my net worth but my online portfolio will that’s for sure . I am not saying the other domains I have are all junk, there not. I always bought domain names for SEO value before. Now I am buying domains for SEO and Resale Value. Two birds with one stone type of thing.

Since there has been some very good results so far, my 2009 goal is going to be to try and find away to bring everyone who is in my mentor program together so we can all work with each other and all grow our online businesses the right way.

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