House Flipping

Guest post from: Steve Delaney

I’ve grown up listening to my grandfather talk about how when he was down on his luck he would pick himself up by his bootstraps and try again. Thanks Grandpa for the guidance that you provided all those years ago, because now, that is exactly what I’m going to do. After my company closed its doors, I thought that my world would crumble around me. However, thanks to my Dad teaching me how to be a saver, I’ve now got a small fund to start out on my own. With my expertise being in the construction industry, there were not very many places that I could turn to for employment. Instead, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. I’ve done a lot of research lately on flipping houses and with my knowledge of construction and the small amount of funds that I’ve managed to stock away; I think that I’ll be able to turn a profit easily. However, being in the construction industry, I am also very aware of the theft problems surrounding new and renovated properties. To protect my new investment, I did a search for home security SYSTEMS indiana and found a company that could install a security system in my newly purchased home. Now that I have the peace of mind that a security system is in my new house, I can focus on making the necessary renovations so that I can resale the house for a profit.

My 5 Monday!!! - Fave things of 2011!

Wow it has been a long time!!! I hope I actually still have people that read my actual posts!! Well I thought it was about time to do some year in review posts so what better way to start than with "My 5 Monday"!! This week I will be discussing my 5 favorite discoveries of 2011. These may be brand new things from this year, or they could be a few years old, but I just recently discovered them! Enjoy!!

1. iPhone 4S

This is the first iPhone I have ever owned. I have had ATT for as long as I can remember, but I just now got the iPhone. I figured if I was going to wait as long as I did to get it, I might as well get the newest one right? Let me just say, I LOVE it. I seriously discover something new just about every day. There really is an app for everything!! You want to reward me for walking into stores Shopkick app? Alright I will accept! You want to provide me with basically a free GPS system, Mapquest app? I will accept!! Oh and don't even get me started on my addiction to Words with Friends (which is actually Scrabble with a diff name!). Siri is pretty cool too. She answers most of my questions and the ones she doesn't now the answer to, she apologizes. I actually ask her random things every now and then just to see what she says :). I love you iPhone!!

2. The Big Bang Theory

Yes I am aware this show has been on for, I believe, five seasons now. However, I just started watching it recently (gotta love syndication!!). It is becoming my new favorite show though!! It takes a lot to knock out Friends, but this one may be coming close to it (actually nothing really beats Friends, but this one isn't far behind). I don't know what the heck they are talking about a good amount of time, but somehow it still entertains me greatly. This show actually makes me laugh out loud. Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, and their friends that dress like they are from "That 70's Show", are just too funny!! If you have yet to see it, I HIGHLY recommend it!!!

3. Social Network

I am aware that this movie came out last year. I also am aware that it was nominated for multiple Oscars. Still, I was hesitant to believe that a movie about Facebook could actually entertain me. I was wrong. It started out slow, but once Justin Timberlake entered the scene, it got a lot better (as do most things). Like "The Big Bang Theory", I don't know what the heck they are saying sometimes, but that doesn't seem to stop me from watching it and being intrigued. Pretty cool to see how Facebook actually got started too! Once again, I recommend watching!!

4. The Voice

Watch out American Idol, The Voice is right in your rear view mirror! This show first caught my interest with the previews and the fact that they had FOUR current, popular singers as judges. I mean American Idol got better this season, but Steven Tyler is a little dated isn't he?? The Voice judges consist of Adam Levine from Maroon 5, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilara, and Blake Shelton. All pretty big names in their respectable genres. Add in the fact that everyone can sing pretty darn well and you have an amazing show! Of course the concept of the show is for the judges to pick their teams based on voice alone and not on looks. Looks and personality can of course play a part in the later rounds, but they were originally picked on their voices, and all the contestants this year were great. Javier Colon was the winner of this season (who you can check out below...AMAZING!!!). The show will be back for a second season this winter, premiering after the Super Bowl. Can't get a better lead in than that now can you??

5. Detroit Tigers

    

So I am obsessed with the Detroit Tigers, and this season they did not disappoint. They started out a little slow, but had a fantastic second half. They made it to the playoffs, beat the Yankees in the first round before getting knocked out in a tooth and nail fight by the Texas Rangers. MY Tiger, Justin Verlander, had an amazing season himself, which included a no hitter. He ended the season by winning both the Cy Young award and the AL MVP. He will also be gracing the cover of MLB 2K12 next year, which I will be buying for that reason alone. Looking forward to next season!!!

So there you have it, my completely random list of favorite things from 2011. What were some of your favorite things of the year, be it new things from 2011, or things you just discovered in 2011? Let me know in the comments, that way I will know people actually read this thing still!!!

My Crazy Life

Guest post written by my buddy Fidel Hernandez

When I moved last month it was such a relief to find clear tv bundle packages. Moving is so tough to begin with that it was just so nice to be able to get multiple home services from one company. I didn’t want to move, but my family needed more space, so I was left without a choice. I was not looking forward to all the extra work a move would entail. Life has become so fast-paced since having kids that sometimes I feel like everything is spinning out of control. If I’m not cooking and cleaning, I’m dropping the kids off at school, or taking one to a play date. I really underestimated how hard it was going to be to be a stay at home mom. I figured my life would become much less complicated, but boy, was I wrong! The kids and my husband are just so demanding that I forget to do important things all the time. It is really helpful to have my cable and internet consolidated into one monthly bill. Not only is it easier to send one payment, it’s much easier to track my money when I only have to send one payment.

Heaven is For Real- Review

I have recently been trying to read more books, and heard many of my co-workers talking about the book "Heaven is For Real" and had to check it out for myself!! "Heaven is For Real" is the true story of a four year old boy's trip to heaven. While on a family vacation, little Colton had become sick with what his parents thought was the flu. Doctor's at one hospital can't say what it IS, but they do rule out appendicitis. After a couple days of Colton not getting better, his parents decide to check him out of the hospital and take him to a different one to get a second opinion. There he is diagnosed with a ruptured appendix. A week later after having surgery, Colton is headed out of the hospital and is in the elevator when his doctor yells for his parents to stop. Colton's white blood count is up and it is found that he has three more abscesses which require more surgery. A few days later, the doctor tells the family there is nothing more he can do and refers them to a children's hospital, the only problem is there is a snow storm and the family is unable to leave. Somehow the next day Colton is recovering amazingly well and is soon discharged home for good. The hospital staff are without words. A few months later while riding in the car with his family, Colton starts talking about his trip to heaven. He tells his parents that he visited heaven while the doctor was working on him and could see his family praying for him. Throughout the next several months he begins to tell them more of his trip. He talks about meeting his great grandpa who had died 23 years before Colton was even born and also of the sister that his mother had miscarried. His family is speechless since they had never talked to Colton about either of these people, yet he knows many details about them. He also talks about Jesus, God's throne, the battle of good and evil, and what heaven is really like. He tells his dad that "nobody is old in heaven". While looking at various pictures of Jesus, he is able to tell his family what is wrong with each one of them.

Now for my opinion of the book. Let me start by saying that this book was written by Colton's father based on what Colton has told him. Yes, Colton's dad is a pastor. Therefore there are several passages from the bible that go along with what Colton has described to his father. It is also considered a true story. Obviously there are going to be people that think it isn't true, but I guess the only people that truly know are Colton and his family. If you are not a believer, then this is not the book for you. However, if you do believe there is a heaven, you will LOVE this book. It makes you feel good to know that when you leave this world, you will be reunited with loved ones and that they really are in a better place. I really enjoyed it myself! Highly recommended!!

I received this book in exchange for my HONEST opinion. I was not required to give a positive review, but I actually did enjoy it immensely! 

The Social Network- Review

So I have been HORRIBLE at watching movies lately. When I first joined Netflix I would watch a movie every weekend, so it was worth it for me to keep my subscription. The last two movies I have rented from there I have kept for almost 2 months EACH. So I basically could've bought the darn movies for cheaper than I paid to rent them. Oh well. I did finally get around to watching "The Social Network" though. I think I may be the last person in the country to see it, but I finally did. I'd have to say, I liked it pretty well too. It was actually one of those movies that while I was watching it I thought "yea I guess this is pretty good", but then after it was over and I thought about it more I thought "Wow that really was a great movie, I will definitely have to watch it again". Have you ever seen any movies like that?? I actually feel a little smarter after watching it too. It's kind of like that show "The Big Bang Theory", in the sense that I don't actually have a clue what they are talking about half the time, but if I can make it through it without getting too lost I give myself credit. Unlike "Jersey Shore", where I actually feel stupider after sitting through an entire eppy.

So for those of you who haven't seen it (if there actually IS anyone that fits that description), "The Social Network" is about the creation of Facebook. After breaking up with his girlfriend, Mark Zuckerberg decides to create a website called facemash.com.. In order to do this he hacks into various universities online facebooks to get the pics of the female students from. The site is all about comparing to female students and clicking on the one that is "hotter". Well after getting 22,000 hits in two hours, the network crashes and Mark is almost suspended from Harvard. He then is approached by three guys who want him to work on their site, a place where Harvard students could make their own page which contains their names, pics, relationship status, info, etc. Well Mark decides to expand on this idea all on his own and ends up creating "The Facebook". "The Facebook" is at first only open to Harvard students, but ends up expanding to other schools gradually. I should add of course that Mark founded this site with his best friend, Eduardo, who put up the money for the site to get going. Mark and Eduardo end up meeting with Sean Parker (the creator of Napster) and he becomes a partner too (much to Eduardo's chargin). Well eventually, the "The" is dropped and Facebook is up to one million members. Poor Eduardo ends up getting cut out of the ownership and Mark ends up getting sued by the guys that originally wanted to create the Harvard site and Eduardo. I won't spoil the entire movie, so I won't post how it ends.

It was a pretty great movie. Jesse Eisenberg does a great job and his sarcasm is pretty amusing. Andrew Garfield plays Eduardo, who is pretty amazing also. Sean Parker is played by Justin Timberlake, which actually made me hate JT for a while, but I guess that is just because he did an amazing job also. Great acting all around, I can DEFINITELY see why this movie and its cast were nominated for Oscars. If you actually haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it! Check out the clips below, one is the trailer, and the other is the confrontation between Mark and Eduardo.

Up next: Book review of "Heaven is For Real"!!! Check back soon!!

Sorry :(

So sorry for the lack of updates lately!!!! There will be some coming soon I promise!!

Renting College Textbooks= BEST IDEA EVER!!!!

Well I am sure many of my blog readers have either been through college, are currently in college, or will be having children attending college in the near future. For those of us who have been through the lovely higher education experience, we all know of the extremely high cost of textbooks. Now luckily I had scholarships that covered the cost of all or almost all of my books, but not everyone does. I do remember going to the student book store and having them ring up all the prices of my books and being extremely glad that I didn't have to pay out of pocket for them. I always wished I could just rent the text books and return them when I was done with them. I kept the books that were related to my major, but I sure as heck didn't need to keep my algebra book, so I went and sold that baby right back as soon as the semester was over. Of course I didn't get nearly what I paid for it, but got a pretty decent amount. The books that they were giving me a decent amount for I just kept though. The book below would be one of those:

The list price is almost $150 and when I went to have them buy it back (in mint condition!), they were offering me $15. Seriously?!?! Are you kidding me! You are giving me 10% back of a perfectly good book. Um no thanks. So now six years after being out of college I am still stuck with this stupid book.

I really wish I had known about CampusBookRentals.com when I was in school. This is a website that allows you to rent books for either a semester, quarter, or summer (you can also enter the exact number of days you would need the book and they will give you a custom price). For example, I entered the name of the lovely book shown above and learned that I could have rented it for the semester (130 days), for $18.41!!!! Seriously?!?!  That is 88% off the list price! Oh and did I mention that shipping is free BOTH ways! For those of us that like to highlight important points, that is allowed in these rented books also. How can you beat these prices...seriously?!

When I decide I want to pursue a different career and return to college, you can bet I will be renting my books from Campus Book Rentals. No more paying absurd amounts of money for books I won't use when I am done with the class. Oh and as an added bonus, they donate a portion of their proceeds to Operation Smile. For those who don't know, Operation Smile performs surgery on children who have a cleft lip, who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it. So you are saving yourself a boatload of money and helping kids at the same time. How can you beat that?!

I was contacted to do this review, but would definitely use this site personally!