Vayama.com is not the first website to offer international flights, but they are the easiest and most user-friendly site I have seen thus far. Vayama is not a web aggregator like SideStep or Kayak, they are an online travel agency certified to sell travel in California. Based in Mountain View, this startup is really making headway in the online travel space, as crowded as it may seem.

Booking travel through the site is easy using their interactive travel map or you can type in your search criteria directly, easily adding in up to 4 segments for a multi-trip itinerary. On their “Deals” page you can search for available specials, but as their site is still in beta, they offer a limited selection of departure airports represented by the major US hubs. In addition, Vayama allows you to easily search for Business and First class tickets and research visa requirements.

The holiday shopping season has officially begun. Here are some gift ideas suitable for the office – all under $50.

	BlueAnt X3 Micro Bluetooth Headset – $38 at Amazon Comes with a USB, Wall, and Car Charger
	Nike + iPod Sport Kit – $29 at Apple Help your co-workers start their New Year’s resolution early
	$50 iTunes Gift Card – $45 at Costco Everyone has an iPod these days, get them a gift card and save some cash in the process
	TAO 1.5 inch Digital Photo Keychain – $50 at Sharper Image 8 MB of memory stores up to 31 photos right on your key ring
	A Special Stocking for Fido – $6 – $15 at Old Navy The perfect gift for any pet-lover
	Lucky Bamboo in Glass Vase – $35 at RedEnvelope Not only is Bamboo an Asian sign of fortune, it’s also environmentally-friendly
	SanDisk Cruzer Titanium 2.0 GB USB Flash Drive – $30 at Best Buy This functional thumb drive is also sleek and stylish
	Leather Travel Wallet and Matching Pen – $38 at eBags.com A great gift for a frequent traveler

Thanksgiving is over and you had a great time with family and friends, but how are you going to share all those pics you took? Attaching multiple photos in an email is archaic and will probably end up in your recipients spam box or not delivered at all because the file size was too large. Try Google’s Picasa web albums instead.

Sign up and Get Started

1. To sign up for Picasa go to http://picasaweb.google.com
2. Sign in to your Google account
3. If you don’t have a Google account, click “Create a new Google Account” – it is not required that you sign up for a Google Gmail account to use Picasa
4. Follow the steps to get started

Upload Photos and Create Albums using Picasa Web

1. Click “+Upload Photos” from the right hand side
2. Create a new album or add to existing album
3. Fill in all the blanks and follow the instructions to create an album

You can also download Picasa software for your computer and store all your photos there. If you do this then you don’t have to manually add each photo one by one using the “browse” then “upload” feature. They offer 2 versions – one for a PC and the other for a Mac. The Mac software allows you to seamlessly upload iPhoto pictures into Picasa.

Share your album

1. Click on the album to enter it
2. On the left hand side there are a list of options – Upload photos, Embed Slideshow, Link to this Album, Delete Album
3. Select “Link to this Album”
4. Copy the text in “Paste link in email or IM”
5. Place the link in your email and send

For advanced users you can click on the “Embed Slideshow” link and place the photo album within your HTML webpage or blog as I have done below. Or, send the link to your web developer for placement on your company’s Intranet.

With the holidays upon us junk mail is at it’s peak circulation and leaves us all vulnerable to identity theft. I get dozens of credit card offers, local circulars, and product newsletters each week – both at home and at work. I found a website called ProQuo that aims to put the consumer back in control of their information. I signed up a few weeks ago for their beta and, to be honest, haven’t seen much of a difference as yet. However, I’m keeping at it because they say it takes between 4 weeks and 3 months to see a drastic reduction, especially for snail mail publications.

The service is free and they will make money by allowing consumers to opt-in to specific offers in addition to opting-out. This is the best site I have seen thus far to offer centralization of opt-out notices. It has a clean interface and is very user-friendly. The only downside is that many of the marketing companies still require written notice for name removal, so it can be time consuming to write letters to the 5 or so companies who haven’t made it to the internet age. I guess that’s how they get you though – make it so difficult to unsubscribe and people will just leave it be. To combat this, ProQuo has developed templates for the letters, but it can still be time consuming. Try it yourself and let me know how it goes.

As Administrative Assistants take on more responsibility, being a Notary Public can be a huge convenience for your company and the additional earning opportunities can be great.

What is a Notary Public? A Notary Public is a state appointed official who administers oaths and serves as an impartial witness when important documents are signed.

The process for becoming a Notary Public varies by state and/or jurisdiction, but typically includes the following steps:

• Application. Applicants provide name, address and other contact information, and answer questions as to age, residency, previous Notary commissions held and background during the screening process.
• Fee. An application or commissioning fee is due to the commissioning authority.
• Oath. Applicants then take an oath of office. The oath may be incorporated into the application or filed with a county clerk or other local official after the commission is issued and within a specified period of time.

Additional steps may be required, such as taking an educational course, passing an examination or obtaining a Notary bond. For the specific requirements to obtain a Notary commission in your state, you can visit the National Notary Association.

Talk to your manager to determine if there is a need for Notary services in your organization. Many companies will pay for the training, supplies, insurance and any other fees associated with your commission. In addition, it is an excellent highlight on your resume.

If you are interested in becoming a Notary Public, the best resource for information is the National Notary Association where you will always find the most up-to-date list of requirements.

This post was brought to you by our first Guest Blogger, Maurene.