Category: Money matters

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Women in the movies

Tonight’s evening news revealed a surprising study with regards to women in the movies. The study overall showed that women still  have very few speaking parts compared to men. Men account for 67% of speaking parts according to this study. Women have very little leading roles.

The study accounts this data to the majority of film directors still being of the male gender. Naturally, these men lean more toward hiring male actors than female actors. I am kind of appalled but at the same time not fully surprised. It is very sad also that women who purchase more movie tickets in a year then men, according to the same study, view these movies and basically are subjected to their own equality.

That study also found that women are pealing off their clothes 1/3 more than their male counterparts. Again, it is women who are viewing these movies more than men. Something is wrong with this picture. Maybe in another 100 years women will finally have the upper hand or should I say lead?

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New neice

My sisters youngest daughter has had a beautiful baby girl and to get the perfect gift for this newest member of our family I have decided to go all out and get her some unique baby blankets for the baby. A new baby brings out the very best in most people and I am one of those who love the new babies. In this family it is my job to get the newest babies wonderful gifts and baby stuff they can keep their whole lives.

The baby blankets I have selected are such a wonderful gift and I will be very happy to send all of my family members who want to find the unique baby blankets that I have found. I will send them to Vision Bedding, they have a great web site with some very nice baby gifts including the unique baby blankets I have found for Keshia.

Vision Bedding has a great web site with a very nice selection of very nice baby items including the wonderful baby blankets I selected. The price was the top thing on the list of things that amazed me about this web site, they matched or even beat the local baby shops and that is amazing in my mind.

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Fix it up

Over the last few years the furniture in my home has become very out dated and stale, to help remedy this situation I had begun looking for some Modern Furniture to replace my old stuff. The main thing I want this new furniture to do is help liven up my living room and the dining room. The very best selection that I have found so far is the modern furniture located at Modern Line Furniture.

Modern Line Furniture has a grand selection and their pris so far has beat any of the local furniture stores I have checked out. I was really looking at the very unique leather sectional sofas, I think a nice leather sectional sofa would light up my living room and would go very nicely with the dining room table I have picked out. I really like the clean look of the modern furniture found on the web site for Modern Line Furniture and it will fit so very nicely in my home and it will be a very lovely addition to my home.

I can not wait to see how this new modern furniture looks in my home, I think I will throw a party when it get delivered just to show off my new modern furniture.

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Store Brand TV Dinners

Tonight I tried one of the store brand television dinners.  It was absolutely terrible!  Originally, the only reason it was purchased  was because I grabbed it out of the frozen section by accident.  The box I meant to grab and the  box I did grabbed looked a lot alike.  Usually, I would have caught my error as I was checking out but this time they slipped right by me.

I was thoroughly disappointed and will never make that mistake again!  The worst part of the dinners was the meat in the meal.  It was definitely not genuine meat and was very fatty and chewy.  In other words gross!  The name brand dinners may not be real meat but at least they taste like it and have the consistency of genuine meat.  Next time I will look more carefully at what I grab because it was a terrible experience!

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March Madness

It is time for the month of craziness to begin, March Madness is the time of year that I truly love. College basketball is a passion to me and many others as well. I love the brackets that we fill out every year, and this year we have added a new game to our yearly brackets.

A free bingo card is something that we have been talking about for a long time now. Take a look at our bingo card and I think that you can see how it works, I can not wait for the March Madness basketball tournament to get here for our fun to begin.

I think we will have a lot of fun with this new way to play at our March Madness party. I know that girls do not know as much as they guys, but I have won the bracket for the last three years and I plan on winning the bingo game this year as well. Come on guys ante up and lets get the game under way.

Of course I know more because I had three older brothers who taught me the best way to win at everything I do. I want to thank my brothers for teaching me to play to win.

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Diffusers

I love the new Expressions look. I can take the wrappers off of the spray bottles and leave them out, and you can’t really tell right away that it is a spray can. The different user looks really good sitting on the table as opposed to a plug in stuck in the wall. The Starlit Evening fragrance is my favorite for now, but I have so many to try yet.

I am going back to Walmart next week when I do the grocery shopping and see what others I can try. One of the best parts is that it helps significantly with the smell of the dogs when they come in from the outdoors. I am always trying to get rid of the dog smell in the house and this makes it much easier.

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Foreign Cars

SAAB is one of the best foreign cars ever made. Comparable with Volkswagen on safety, they are the Cadillac of Europe. Affordable, luxurious and great on gas mileage, the SAAB is an amazing family vehicle as well.

All vehicles, no matter what make or model, require some type of regular maintenance or repair from time to time. For your OEM Saab Parts, you will want to use a reputable dealer like eEuroparts. They have everything that you will possible need to do maintenance on your Saab. Most maintenance in relatively easy to do, as well as minor repair. A simple tool kit and a little time is all you need to do it.

Here are a few tips for tuning up your Saab. First, you will need buy, spark plugs, wires, oil, oil filter, drain pan, air filter, and a fuel filter. This is just for a basic tune up without all the fuss or extra equipment. A deep socket is needed to pull the spark plugs, so you might want to pick one up. It is always best to do your tune up in the morning before you have driven it anywhere. You don’t want to do a tune up on a hot motor.

If you plug wires are fine and don’t need replacing, make sure to grasp the end of the wire as close down around the plug as possible, so you do not damage the wire. Replace each plug individually and replace the wire or put it back on so that you do not mix up the wires. Once this is done you can jack your car up and loosen the plug bolt on the bottom of the oil pan and allow it to drain out into a plastic oil drain pan. While this drains, remove the oil filter. Most of them will come off with a good twist, but occasionally you might need and oil filter wrench. Replace the old oil filter with the new one and you are good to go. Tighten up the plug bolt on the oil pan, before you put the new oil into the motor.

There are clips on the side of the air filter box that are relatively easy to remove. If they are stubborn, a flat head screw driver can help. Replace your air filter and then find and replace your fuel filter. Again this can be done with a simple screw driver. Check the fluid level in your radiator and make sure you aren’t in need of more antifreeze. If you have no leaks, you shouldn’t need any.

You can change the distributor cap and rotor as well if you choose, but they do not need regular replacement like plugs and oil. If you do decide to, make sure that you take the wires off of the old one and put them on the new one one at a time, so you have them in the right placement. The same with the rotor, but it only goes on one way so it shouldn’t be a problem. You have just done your first tuneup on your Saab and can now be proud of your accomplishment.

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Remodeling Is Costly

Just because someone owns their own home, doesn’t mean they have credit cards. Many people get rid of their credit cards after they pay down their debt, only to find out that they might need them again to do renovations or remodeling on their home. Now they have to go back and apply for a card that will suit their needs. If they weren’t happy with the cards they had before, researching the new cards that are available now is the smart thing to do.

Once you make the decision to apply for a credit card, you need to know your credit score. Free credit score.com can help you with that in just a short amount of time. The best credit cards to apply for, are the ones that are compatible with your lifestyle. For instance, if you don’t travel a lot, you wont need a frequent flyer miles card.

Rewards cards are really great for people who make large purchases. If you are remodeling or renovating your home, you will be making large purchases and the rewards would be worth you having one of these cards, especially if you are going to be doing a DIY renovation/remodel. Since DIY typically takes longer then having a professional come in, your purchases will not be all at once.

However, if you have decided that you don’t have to time for a DIY job, and are going to hire someone to do it, then you might want a low interest rate or balance transfer card. Don’t get stuck with too many cards. If you have a lot of credit cards, you can end up in a lot of debt if you are not careful. Using a balance transfer card can help you consolidate all of your debt to one low rate card, but you have to read the fine print.

Of course there are other ways to pay for your renovation. You can use the home’s equity to pay for the upkeep, take a personal loan or just use cash. This however, can create a lot of paperwork in the case of the first two and who honestly has that much cash on hand to use. You can use online tools to keep track of your budget or an online debt reduction calculator to test out your finances first and see if what you have planned is feasible. Make sure to research fully before committing yourself to whatever card you apply for.

Take your time with finding a credit card and if the rewards are worth it. That renovation may wait a little longer if you need it to. Also, don’t over extend yourself. Be sure that you can afford to do that remodel before you begin it. The last thing you want is to get halfway through it and run out of cash and credit to do it. Then you will be stuck in home that is only half finished. You don’t have to have the most expensive items to have your home look good. Moderation is always a good thing when working with a budget.

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Renovations DIY

When you decide to renovate your home, it is a big decision and there are a lot of ramifications. First you have to decide what part of your home you are going to renovate and measure the dimensions of the rooms, doors and windows. DIY renovations take a bit longer then your typical pro job, so it is usually best to do it in sections if you are doing the entire house. Begin with one end of the house and move through as each project is finished. In this way you are not living with a massive mess and most projects can be finished within a weekend.

Funding your renovation is very important as well. You want to make sure that you have all of the funds you need before you start ordering you supplies. At this point you know what you want, have everything picked out and priced. Allow for a little extra just in case you forgot something. Tools are really important, whether it be hand tools or a good budget calculator online, they are imperative to have. It’s always good to have your credit card to back you up just in case. The best credit cards have rewards for large purchases and you can use those to your advantage.

Everyone knows that places like Home Depot and Lowes are the the place to go for all your DIY needs. They have great programs to teach you how to do the work yourself, with professional results. Any questions you have can be easily answered by the personnel at either location. They are trained well to make sure they have the right answers.

If you are going do a kitchen, a DIY renovation may take a little longer, but don’t get discouraged. If you plan it out right, you can have it done in a short amount of time. You only have to make sure that you have all of your supplies on hand and ready to go. Cabinets, stove, sink, refrigerator etc…all need to be there when you START the job. Having  a check list of everything as well as knowing exactly what order you need to do your work is paramount.

Some jobs require permits. If you have the knowledge base and can prove it, you can get the permit yourself, although sometimes a professional is needed. Major electrical, plumbing and additions are a definite permit job. Particularly additions. Because certain electrical and/or plumbing is required for additions, you will need permits. Some you can obtain yourself and some have to be done through a licensed contractor. Your research for whatever job you need done will tell you that. Talk to the local permit office to see what you need.

Enjoy the work. From the designing phase to the actual work. Working with your hands can bring a certain satisfaction unlike no other. When guests come to your home, you can have the added pleasure of telling them that you did the work yourself. Your hard work will pay off.

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More Thoughts On Gardening

So you want to build a pond in your garden? There is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. First you have to pick the area in your yard that you want to build it. In order to do that, you have to know where all of the underground utility pipes are located. Whether it is water, electrical or cable, you don’t want to hit any of them when you start digging. You utility companies will be happy to come out and mark the locations to prevent any mishaps.

Next you want to decide how large you want the pond and make sure it is not near a lot of trees. The leaves will clog it up and make a lot of extra work for you. An average pond is two to three feet deep, unless you plan to put Koi in it, then it will need to be three to four feet deep. Even if you decide against the Koi, it is always best to make sure you have running water to keep the mosquito population down. A simple pond pump will help ensure that the water is always moving. A few gold fish wouldn’t hurt either, as they will eat the mosquito larvae.

Now comes the time to go get your supplies. You can buy either a preformed or flexible liner for your pond. A flexible one allows you to determine the shape and size and are relatively easy to work with. You can build your pond with common garden tools, there is really no need to have heavy machinery, unless it is going to be a really large pond. You will also need sand to spread around before you put down your liner. This prevents tears from happening due to rocks and roots. Just spread it evenly and as thick as you can to be safe.

Make sure you get the rocks you need to line around the outside and to build a waterfall should you decide you want one. Most hardware store will deliver them, so you shouldn’t need a truck. Don’t forget your water plants and decorative plants for around the pond either.

Not everyone has a yard or the space to build a pond. However, do not be discouraged, because you can still have a water garden by using a sealed decorative container. Just put rocks on the bottom and choose what water plants you would like to have. Once again, you will have to do something to prevent mosquito’s, even if it is only a small water garden. They will breed in any standing water. Either the water has to move, or you need gold fish or something to kill the larvae.

A pond can bring a lot of joy to you and your family. They are very calming and soothing to sit next to after a hard day at work. Especially those with the gentle sounds of water flowing over rocks. It is amazing how relaxed you will be when you can enjoy it at the end of the day.