December 26th to the 30th! Enter Today! Winter is here and it is time to shed those shut in blues! Enter to win this necklace from the Blessed Elements Blog and start jazzing up those winter outfits! Didn’t get that perfect jewelry accessory for a gift? Then go enter the give away to get your very own Oooo [Read more…]

Now that all the big holidays for the year are behind us. It is time for the age old question, Did you get what you wanted? I can say yes, I have my friends and family, some good holiday memories, some happy kids and some great tech gifts.But I am sure as we did many of you received gift cards to your favorite stores. So now its your turn to shop for you!

But what is the best way to get exactly what you want and not spend more then that gift card for $20?
Coupons ! Of course. With sales and coupons that little gift card can be stretched to its maximum value. I would suggest first figuring out what you would like to get. Maybe a new movie or CD? Your best [Read more…]

If you have made the decision to enter into freelance or contract work, you are probably aware of the
many advantages that come with moving away from the nine-to-five lifestyle. For one thing, you have
the flexibility to set your own schedule so that you can do as much work as you like whenever you like.
Further, you have the ability to take a vacation any time, even on a whim. And of course, the pay is
much better than your average salary. But there are also drawbacks to entering the world of freelance
work. Your paychecks aren’t regular, you receive no benefits, and you have to hustle for work if you
want to survive. Like any job, there are pluses and minuses, to be sure. But there are also laws in place
that could affect freelance workers (both positively and negatively) and it pays to know what they are if
you want to make a go of your independent operating status.

It would be impossible to list all the laws that could potentially affect freelancers, but there are a few
basic legal tenets you need to understand. The first and most important concerns contracts. You are
a contract worker. This means that without a contract, you have no recourse should an employer
decide not to pay you for work. Luckily, you don’t need to see a lawyer to draft these important
documents; most companies will issue you a simple purchase order, which serves as proof that they are
contractually obligated to pay you for your services. However, if you want a contract that is skewed in
favor of your interests, you can certainly have a standard form drawn up (although some companies
may not accept it). From there, the onus is on you to keep immaculate records in case you should find
yourself in court suing for [Read more…]

One of the hardest things most parents will ever have to do is get in the passenger seat of a vehicle
while their teenage drivers are behind the wheel. It’s not only fairly disconcerting to put your life in
the hands of your child, but a license to drive is a sure sign that your kids are growing up, which can be
a little depressing. Of course, there’s also the fact that the moment your teens are out of sight, all the
lessons they learned will go out the window as the overpowering freedom of transportation (or peer
pressure) causes them to act in an irresponsible manner. And unless these antics result in an accident,
you’ll be none the wiser. Yikes – that’s a big ball of worry you’re carrying around. All you can really do
(short of making them wait until they move out) is do your best to prepare them for driving, even before
they get behind a wheel.

So where should you start? In all honesty, your preparations for this momentous day will start when
your children are first born. Teaching your kids to act responsibly, follow the rules, and respect
authority from a young age is the best thing you can do to ensure that they see driving as a privilege, not
a right, that they respect the rules of the road, and that they understand the consequences of a failure
to comply with the law. You can also take steps to get them familiar with automobiles.

When your kids enter their teenage years and the date of their licensure looms, it’s time to step it up
a notch and focus your efforts on helping them [Read more…]