It's Restaurant Week! Whether you decide to try a lunch or dinner. There hundreds of restaurants on the list to try. Try a new place that you never considered before.

Lunch menu is $20.12 and dinner menu is $35.12 per person. Please note: Gratuity and beverages are not included in the price.

Indulge this week from 1/9 to 1/13/2012

Participating restaurants are in Washington DC, Alexandria, Falls Church, McLean, Arlington, Vienna and a few other locations. My recommendations to try: McCormick & Schmick's - F St., Oya & CoCo. Sala and Lounge. They all are simply divine and delicious.

To make your reservations, go to www.restaurantweekmetrodc.org.

Become a fan of 365 Things To Do in Washington DC and post your experience and photos of your meals and stay up to date with area events.

It’s almost my two year anniversary as an ActiveRain member. Over 180 blog posts, 700 days on ActiveRain researching different topics, blogging, informing consumers and networking with other realtors. So as I am thinking at my desk, I wanted to know the numbers: how many times has my posts been viewed and comments on the most.

Here are my top five blog posts with the most comments since I've been on ActiveRain below:

• Why I like SMS better than email? - To view, click here
• I am looking for fans for Facebook! - To view, click here
• Why a Facebook Business Page, do you ask? - To view, click here
• 500 pts. to your profile instantly (Read my 10 best blog posts) - To view, click here
• What should my next 2 blog topics be about for agents and consumers? - To view, click here

I personal favorites on ActiveRain that I have written and re-posted:

• Send SMS (text message) via by email instead!? REALLY, you can do it!
• Are you a "slug" or know someone who does?
• The ActiveRain Point System
• Newlyweds say “I DO” to FHA Bridal Registry Gift Funds
• Attn: Active Military & DOD employees - READ THIS: It could save you 15% on your cell phone bill!
• QR-Code Readers
• Condos For Sale in Woodbridge, VA  <--- This has been viewed over 1,500 times

Don’t let the “bed bugs” bite, a common household threat!

Let’s get rid of these squatters who don’t pay rent or mortgage, electricity or water bill. I like to call them bed vampires because they are usually in the bed and they feed off your blood. It is important to understand where to find them, how to prevent them and get rid of them. Read the highlighted items below that I thought were the best items to keep in mind.

How to spot a Bed Bug

You know you've spotted a bed bug if what you see is: reddish brown, 4-5 mm in length & 1.5-3 mm wide, relatively flat, covered in small hairs making their bodies appear to be striped and wingless

Evidence of Bed Bugs

Identifying Bites - Bed bug bites are usually flat welts or raised, red bumps that are rather itchy. However, only 30% of people who are bitten have a reaction to the bite. So if you don’t notice any reactions to a bite, that doesn’t necessarily eliminate the possibility of bed bugs.

Tiny Black Spots - Keep an eye out for tiny black spots that are smaller than a poppy seed. If it sticks to the surface and smears when wiped with a wet towel, it could be bed bug droppings. This signals that you may have bed bugs around.

Blood Stains -And if you notice small blood stains on your sheets when you wake up, you may have rolled over a bed bug that was paying a visit from its hiding spot. Ugh.

Scent - Bed bugs can smell like raspberries. That’s right. Raspberries. However others have described their odor smelling like raw beef or moldy shoes in places that are infested.

Eggs - Bed bugs can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime. These eggs are pearly white, 1mm in length, and are very difficult to spot with the human eye.

Minimize Hiding Spots
Now that you know how they get in, take precautions in case they try to come back. Here are a few ways you can minimize potential bed bug hiding spots:

Caulk cracks along molding and baseboards.

Seal up holes in areas where pipes or wires go through the wall.

Source: RidBedBugs.com

Reduce bedroom clutter, especially near the bed.

Defend Yourself
There are products already available that are designed to guard you from bed bugs.

• Bed Bug Barrier Tape. Barrier tape has a slippery surface that bed bugs can’t crawl up when placed vertically. By sticking it on bed legs and headboards, you can stop them from interrupting your night of sleep.

• Portable Luggage Heater. Portable heating units are a simple, safe way to make sure you don’t bring bed bugs home from vacation.

• Dry Vapor Steam Cleaners. Steam kills bed bugs and their eggs on contact, which makes dry vapor steamers perfect for the household cleansing of mattresses, bed frames, pillows, box springs, chairs, headboards, and wall boards.

• Bed Bug Traps. Bed bug interceptors can catch the critters when they try to climb up your bed posts. They can also give clues as to which direction they’re coming from.

I recommend Good Night spray.

The question that I have is this an obession, over kill or a good business practice about all of my anal organization habits with my emails. I am obsessed with my Gmail account.

So it’s Wednesday morning and you have 50 emails to read at the office what do you do. I would recommend you create a filter for certain emails.

For example: You have a new client but don’t want to miss their email so create a filter for them to automatically go into a folder of choice. I create a folder name with the following title: $ - Buyer - Jane Smith then create a filter or rule (Outlook term) for my client with her email address: janesmith@email.com. So every email that comes in with her email address will automatically be sent to that folder and when there is new mail from my client I will know because there will be a number with all the unread emails displayed. Create filters for the people that email you most.

Examples of email filters:

• Loan Officer Emails
• Office Emails: Receptionist, Payroll, Principal Broker or agents in your office
• Social Networking Emails: Facebook, Linkedin,  Twitter, Meetup
• Buyer Clients Emails
• Seller Clients Emails

You can also send certain emails to your cell phone as well. See my article on SMS messages.

How to create an email filter in Gmail:
Sign into your Gmail account
Copy and paste this link to go to your labels: https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#settings/labels
Create a Folder(s) (Note: Labels are the same as folders)
Click on Create new label
Type Label Name: $ - Buyer - Jane Smith

At the top of the page, click on create a filter:
Type the email address: janesmith@email.comin HAS THE WORDS fill and perform a test search to see if any messages already have been sent to your email address.

Select the following:
Skip the Inbox, Star It, Apply the label: $ - Buyer - Jane Smith and Click on Create Filter

YOU ARE DONE! Now when Jane Smith emails you it will go directly to her folder without going to the inbox.

For a small fee, I can help you get your email organized and show you step by step how to keep it organized in the future, give me a call 703.474.1754

"WATCH" the How-To video on email filters with Gmail below:

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cXQ2ox0mN

Password to view the video is: email

Post your questions in the comments section below

Oktoberfest 2011 in the DC, Maryland and Virginia Area. It’s that time again to experience the enriched German beers, food and music.

District of Columbia

Biergarten Haus Oktoberfest (Washington, DC)
Website

Maryland

Blob's Park Oktoberfest (Jessup, MD) 9/17 to 10/29
Website

Oktoberfest at Fort Meade (Fort Meade, MD) 9/22 to 9/25
Website

Das Best Oktoberfest (National Harbor, MD) 9/24 to 9/25
Website

Germantown Oktoberfest (Germantown, MD) 10/1
Website

Oktoberfest at Capitol City Brewing Company (Arlington, VA) 10/8
Website

Oktoberfest at the Kentlands (Gaithersburg, VA) 10/9
Website

Frederick Oktoberfest (Frederick, MD) 10/1 to 10/2
Website

Virginia

Lovettsville's Oktoberfest (Lovettsville, VA) 9/23 to 9/25
Website

Oktoberfest at Henderson Hall (Arlington, VA) 9/30 to 10/1
Website

Fort Belvoir Oktoberfest (Fort Belvoir, VA) 10/1 to 10/4
Website

Oktoberfest Reston (Reston, VA) 10/7 to 10/9
Website