Stuff I really like a whole lot and would absolutely recommend that you check out.

• Missy and Erica United: Missy and I are supporters of Minnesotans United For All Families, the campaign that’s fighting the freedom-limiting, anti-marriage constitutional amendment that’s on the ballot in Minnesota in November 2012. Your support of us and this cause is appreciated. Follow the link to donate and help us reach our goal of $1000.
• Neti Pot: Your nose will be clear like you’ve never known. I don’t have huge allergy problems, but I’ve heard of chronic allergy medicine users getting off the drugs all together. Also great for frequent travelers.
• Apple products: Drink the Kool-aid.
• Glassy Eyes: Stop here before buying your glasses online to find out a) why you absolutely should buy your glasses online instead of in a store or from your eye doctor and b) what the best online glasses shops and current deals are.
• EyeBuyDirect: I order my glasses online from them. Code IFITN4IGW9 gets you 15% off your order (and I get $5 credit). I found them through Glassy Eyes.
• Rdio: An online music streaming service. I had to really think hard about how I consume music. I don’t have a huge collection nor am I especially adventuresome in actively seeking out new music. Rdio gives me just enough social features, presented in a good looking and useful way, to keep up with what my trusted music-head friends are listening to. I especially like their queue feature that lets you line up things to listen to. I also make heavy use of their Sync to Mobile feature so I can work through my queue and have my favorites on my phone when I have a weak data signal and no wifi.
• Umbria Pizza: They have several locations in the Twin Cities area. My fave of theirs is the mac and cheese pizza, followed closely by the thai shrimp pizza.
• SXSW Interactive: This is the tech conference of the year. I like the strong integration with SXSW Film (in theory, as I haven’t actually attended any Film events) and the broad array of topics that are covered. It’s not just for code jockeys and PR flaks (though there are plenty of those). It’s also a chance for me to see lots of online friends in one place.
• Machine Methods: Patrick Rhone is technology consultant that you really should call if you have a question or a problem. He’ll be the friendliest guy you’ve ever worked with. No job’s too big. No job’s too small. Need a website? Need to set up your home office? Need strategy help? Patrick can do all of that and more. You can access him locally in the Twin Cities but he will help you wherever you are.
• Dynamic Edge: A pair of my college buddies run this full-service IT services firm based in Ann Arbor, MI. They do everything from web design to tech support to business consulting to custom software development. They’ve worked extremely hard to provide excellent products and services and to make DE a fun and rewarding place to work. Contact them for your business needs in southeast Michigan or in the Nashville area.
• Dropbox: Dropbox is online (aka “in the cloud”) storage space. You get 2 GB for free and you can upgrade for a monthly or annual fee. I store my most precious documents here in addition to my physical hard drive backup. You can access it and up/download your files from anywhere you have web access. But here’s the real genius of Dropbox: You can install a Dropbox client on your computer (Mac or PC); it lives as folder and it automatically syncs the contents. For example, I keep my budget spreadsheet in Dropbox and a shortcut to the file (which is in the Dropbox “folder”) in the Dock on my MacBook, so I just click to access the file from the dock, and when I save it it’s automatically saved to Dropbox.
• Bikram yoga: Not just “hot yoga.” A specific practice of yoga performed in a hot, humid room. The most unique physical challenge I’ve ever experienced. If I could only do one exercise for the rest of my life, bikram yoga is it. Detoxifying, energizing, calming, strengthening, centering, challenging.
• Queercents: The best site for queer folks and their money. Plenty of practical personal finance advice as well as discussion of lgbt-specific products, concerns, and considerations. I met Queercents founder Nina Smith at BlogHer in ’07. She’s super awesome.
• BlogHer. THE online community for women. Hands down. Founded by three amazingly smart, sassy, savvy women. I went to the second BlogHer conference in ’06 and again in ’07. Besides their awesome content and community, truthfully, I’m blown away that when I run into founders Jory, Elisa, and Lisa at various tech conferences, all of them recognize my face at least, even though I’m far from an active BlogHer participant. They’re that good.
• Twin Cities Women’s Choir: One of my top three favorite things about living in the Twin Cities. It was not until I joined the TCWC in the fall of 2006 that I really felt at home here. Amazing community of women. Singing in a choir is a wonderful expression of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
• Minnesota Fringe Festival: Another one of my top three favorite things about living in the Twin Cities. It’s a performing arts extravaganza! I love being exposed to art forms and artists that I may not otherwise come across. There is an awful lot of theatre to be consumed in the Twin Cities at any given time. The Fringe highlights all these wonderful independent groups that exist beyond the big shiny flashy obvious ones.
• Sibbotery Pottery: Wheel thrown pottery created in Austin, TX by my friend Cheryl Hardy. In our home we have a set of her serving bowls, a tea light holder, and a pair of mugs she custom made for our friends’ New Orleans wedding.

More specifically, stuff I use in the making of my websites.

• Emtwo Web Studios: My friend Mel and her husband Sean run this shop. They’ve done design work that I’m terribly pleased with and rescued my site from a Movable Type installation/hosting situation gone to hell.
• Dreamhost: I host all my websites on Dreamhost. Never had a problem. Affordable. Entertaining monthly newsletter. Piece of cake. I really like that they make it dead simple to integrate your account with Google Apps.
• Namecheap: I purchase all my non-specialty domains from Namecheap.
• Text Link Ads: I’m not living off the money I earn from TLA, but it helps cover the domain and hosting bills. Did you even notice I had text link ads on this site?