Housing Markets

Have you noticed that housing markets are better in certain parts of the country?  I don’t know about homes for sale in raleigh nc, but I have heard about housing markets in my area.  The higher demand for houses is a seller’s dream, however, an abundance of houses on the market is a buyer’s dream because it means lower prices.  Our son and future daughter-in-law are thinking about buying a house to live in after they’re married because it’s more cost effective than renting.  They’re planning on getting married in June, so they may be making a decision within the next month or two.  We’ll wait and see.

 

Printing

What is web to print storefront? It’s a customizable group of software tools made to enhance all areas of a printing business.  Now for me at home, all I need is a good printer which we happen to have.  At work, I have my desk computer which is fairly new but doesn’t print 100% of the time, resulting in me putting in multiple work orders on it throughout the past few months.  It’s important to me to have a printer that is reliable so at least my home printer fits the bill, so to speak.

Watches Make Nice Gifts

Have you ever given a watch for a special gift to someone extra-special?  There are all kinds of prices from top-of-the-line TAG Heuer watches to lower priced brands.   If you ever do give a watch for a gift, find out if they prefer silver, gold, or silver & gold.  Find out what special features they like and what their favorite watch styles look like.  Then your gift will be one they will enjoy for years.

Help for Those We Care About

Do you have a friend or family member who is in need of drug rehab treatment centers?  We work with a ministry where we go to church that helps people going through rehab.  The minister who teaches the classes uses a 12-step Bible based program which is very effective in helping people.  It’s a blessing to be able to work with this ministry and see the humility and honesty of some of the people who are trying to straighten out their lives.

Retirement Annuities

I don’t know much about annuities, but I know there’s information available online at sites such as AnnuityAdvantage.com – Home Page.  There are two main types of annuities, immediate and deferred.  There is an advantage to tax deffered annuities because interest can be made on the money not being paid in taxes.  Taxes are paid when the interest is withdrawn.  Check online for more information.

Identity Theft

There are a lot of safeguards against identity theft that people can take nowadays.  There are things such as an identity stronghold rfid leather wallet, for example, that are available for added security.   Here are some tips for safeguarding your identity:

  • Don’t keep your social security number in your wallet or purse
  • Check your credit report yearly
  • Make sure you mail bills in a post office collection box instead of an unsecured location
  • Shred all credit card offers, ATM receipts, charge slips, anything with your signature, insurance forms, physician’s statements, check and bank statements
  • Use one credit card for online shopping and use it only for that purpose so that it’s easy to check for fraudulent charges.  Do not use a debit card.
  • Use a firewall program on your computer and update your virus protection software on a regular basis
  • Don’t give out personal information over the phone unless you’ve initiated the call

Peeps

Here’s a couple of interesting facts about Peeps.  Way back in 1953, it took 27 hours to create one Peeps chick.  Today, it only takes six minutes.  Quite a difference!  Also, there have been enough Peeps produced to circle the earth twice.  That’s a lot!  Peeps were nearly always in our kids’ Easter baskets as they were growing up, in various colors from year to year.  I think my favorite color has been yellow.   What’s your favorite color?

Workshops

Some people have workshops in their backyards or garages.  One of our neighbors has a workshop in their garage.  I don’t know if he has hydraulic power workholding or what types of machines he has, but I do know he works in it a lot and sometimes his son is out there with him.  I have no idea what he makes in his workshop but he does seem to enjoy being out there.  Maybe just puttering around in the garage is therapeutic for him and he doesn’t always have to be making something.

Dog Beds

We have several friends who have dogs.  A couple of the dogs are getting up in years, and I wonder if they could use orthopedic dog beds.   Our dog that we had for years and years just slept in a regular dog bed and did fine, but some dogs who have arthritis and other ailments might be more comfortable on a special bed.

Low-Fat Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

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.We really like La Madeleine’s Tomato Basil Soup.  There’s one problem, though, it’s absolutely loaded with fat!   We found a compromise…a great tasting soup that’s low in fat with only 3 1/2 grams of fat per serving.  Recently, I tried La Madeleine’s lower-fat version of their soup, but I like Progresso’s soup better.  We like Progresso’s Creamy Tomato Basil Soup so much, in fact, that we buy several cans at a time.

* Note:  I haven’t received anything from Progresso.  This is strictly my opinion.