5 Sunny Real Estate Markets To Watch in 2011

Here are five markets to watch in the coming year. Given that they were among the hardest hit, they could see quicker recoveries that also build steam in the next couple of years. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/12/28/investopedia49306.DTL#ixzz19juJdWLg

Ideas For Your Home and Health

Olives Can Help Cure Nausea
Whenever you have that unpleaseant nauseated feeling, reach for olives, any variety will work. The compounds in these little Mediterranean favorites help ward off nausea by decreasing the amount of saliva in the mouth, which is what triggers the queasiness in the first place. Just eat three to five olives as soon as you experience nausea, and you should feel relief in minutes.

Make Fruits and Veggies Last Longer
Moisture in the fridge can make produce wilt and spoil. To prevent this from happening, just line your vegetable bins with paper towels. They will absorb the moisture that makes the produce rot.

Speedy Shoveling
To make shoveling easier in wet and icy snow, just rub both sides of your shovel with a light coating of petroleum jelly before using it. Wet and icy snow will slide right off and make the job a whole lot easier!

Wrinkle-Proof Your Pants/Trousers
After you take your pants out of the dryer, immediately hang them by the bottom seams. The weight of the pants will stretch out most wrinkles in no time. That way they will only require little or no ironing.

Smooth a Zipper
Have a stubborn zipper that won't glide easily? Rub some lip balm on the teeth of the zipper and then zip open and closed a few times to lubricate the zipper. Now you have a smooth working zipper!

Stop Your Glasses From Spotting
Soapy film in the dishwasher can make cloudy spots on glasses. So here is an easy solution to get rid of them. Place one cup white vinegar in a bowl and position on the bottom rack of your dishwasher. Run through the full cycle. The acid in the vinegar will cut through any soapy scum and make the glasses sparkle.

Banish Cooking Odors
If you are cooking something like sauerkraut or fish and you want to avoid the odor throughout the house, then try this trick. Fill a bowl with vinegar and sit in or near the kitchen. It will attract the odors so they won't permeate the entire house.

Freshen Your Fridge
Most of us use baking soda for this one but it doesn't always work. So try this trick instead. Use those wet coffee grounds that you would normally toss out by putting them in a bowl and placing them in the fridge. They will absorb offending odors just as well if not better than baking soda and will keep working until they're totally dried out.

Scent Any Room Easily
Place a few drops of your favorite essential oil on the top of your light bulbs. When the bulb is on and heats up, it will emit the pleasant smell throughout the room.

For The Love of Grandchildren

For most people, the birth of their child is the greatest joy in life. It is a blissful, heavenly event full of unconditional love and endearment. It is also a life changing event, as it creates the role of parents and grandparents in its wake. As a parent, you can’t imagine that kind of love being any greater. But, when you assume the dual role of a parent and a grandparent, you find out just how much that love really intensifies. It is a deep and gratifying love beyond any other that one can experience. The role of a parent can be much harder than the role of a grandparent, but both are unique with their own rewarding experiences. I have been very fortunate to experience both of these roles in my life and I would not trade them for anything. They truly are the greatest joys and roles in my life.

Grandchildren are fun to spoil, within reason. They are also fun to teach, to read and sing to, play with, experience nature with and help learn about life's lessons and experiences too. Grandchildren seem to have more patience with their grandparents, perhaps because they see us as being old. They know how to tug at our heart strings and in ways they don’t even realize they are doing it. I am overcome by emotion and amazement with their actions, their likes, dislikes and characteristics. For example: When I see a smile or facial expression on my grandchild that is identical to that of their parent as a child. Or like how they can adopt a hobby or special liking for something that their grandparent had as a child, and without ever even knowing about it. Or like how they look at you for the answers and guidance that only a grandparent’s love can give them. Grandchildren have dancing eyes and sunshine smiles that make us happy every time we see them.

To me all children are a joy, but grandchildren provide us with the joy and unexpected gift of life transformed. It is a blessed transformation which creates a legacy, and all for the love of grandchildren.

Thank you to my grandchildren....Deion, Alexis and Gemini

Tips to Help Save Money and Make Your Life Easier

You can save time and money and make your life easier with these helpful websites and general life tips:

• If you are looking for a specific item and you want to save time by finding out who is cheaper, ebay.com or Amazon.com, then go to: Q-Compare.com. It is a dual search engine so it will check both out for you.
  


• Want to remove stains from your summer whites? Then go to: Web.Extension.Illinois.edu/stain/index.cfm Here you will find step by step instruction for removing hundereds of stains from all types of fabrics.
  
  


• Planning on traveling by air this summer? Check out this site for airline coupon codes for travel booking sites: RetailMeNot.com/coupons/airlines
  
  


• Do you hate waiting until the movie trailers or ads are over before your DVD movie starts? Well here is a tip that may help. If the DVD blocks you from using the fast forward button, then as soon as the trailers start, press the stop button twice, then press play. In most cases, this will take you right to your movie.
  
  


• Sleeping less makes you hungry, while sleeping at least 7 to 8 hours a night can help you lose weight. A report from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, states that people who only get four hours of sleep eat 22% more calories the next day than they do after sleeping eight hours.
  
  


• To save time and money at the grocery store, go to: MyGroceryDeals.com before you leave to see exactly what's on sale and where in local stores. All you have to do is enter the zip code.
  
  


• If you have a rusty kitchen utensil that you don't want to get rid of, then try this trick to remove the rust. Grab an onion and move the utensil in and out of it a few times. The sulfenic acid within the onion breaks down the rust so it flakes away, leaving your utensil rust free.
  


• No time or money for those expensive teeth whiteners? Then try this trick to get similar results. Brush your teeth with a mixture of baking soda and a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. Most stain removing toothpastes are formulated with hydrogen peroxide.
  
  


• Cut your ironing time in half by placing a piece of aluminum foil shiny side up under the garment your're ironing. The heat will reflect upward so you can iron both sides simultaneously.
  
  


• Do you keep a box of baking soda in your refrigerator to keep it fresh? Well here's a tip to save space and still soak up odors...soak a cottonball in vanilla extract and place in your refrigerator. It will take up less space and still remove odors.
  


• To listen to a downloadable audio book for free go to: TheMoth.org/podcast
  


• To find free events and classes all summer go to: PublicLibraries.com
  


• Free Faxing at: faxzero.com
  


• Free online appointment scheduling software for your small business at: genbook.com
  
  


• Free Food Diary to track everything about your food consumption at: MedHelp.org/land/fooddiary
  


• Free online language courses from the world's largest language learning community at: livemocha.com

• Free download for Spyware, Adware, Malware, Trojans and more with this safe and very effective program at: superantispyware.com

Yummy 4th of July Dessert

Now here's a yummy dessert for the 4th of July celebration!

Red, White & Blueberry S'Mores

You will need:

Graham Cracker(s)

Milk Chocolate Bar(s)

Marshmallow(s)

Strawberries

Blueberries

Arrange 1/2 of milk chocolate bar on 1 graham cracker square. Set bluberries atop chocolate and melt (place in frying pan on the grate of the grill over low hear or flames until chocolate melts), being careful not to lose blueberries in transport. Roast 1 marshmallow on a metal skewer over heat away from flames. Once chocolate has melted, remove graham cracker from heat; lightly tap blueberries to secure. Top with 2-3 strawberry slices and marshmallow. Graham cracker square topped with chocolate, topped with blueberries, topped with roasted marshmallow and finally topped with strawberries. This serves 1 so repeat individually as needed to serve more.

Tip - You can roast marshmallows and melt ingredients in a microwave on high for 7-10 seconds for faster s'mores

Source: Woman's World Magazine

Mother's Day Celebrated

The origin of Mother’s Day dates back many, many years ago to the annual spring festival of the Greek's dedication to Rhea, the mother of many deities, to the offerings of ancient Romans made to their mothers of gods and to the Christians honoring Mary, mother of Jesus.

In the United States Mother’s Day started more than 150 years ago by an Appalachian homemaker. There were many other events by other mother's such as Anna Jarvis that occured thereafter also. However, in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday.

May 9, 1914 - "Now, Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the said Joint Resolution, do hereby direct the government officials to display the United States flag on all government buildings and do invite the people of the United States to display the flag at their homes or other suitable places on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country."

Later it was decided that Mother's Day would be celebrated on the second Sunday of May, although many countries celebrate it on differents days at different times throughout the year. In some countries the celebration lasts for two days. The occasion is now celebrated not so much with flags as with flowers, gifts, cards, hugs, thank you's and other tokens of affection.

To this day Mother's Day continues to be one of the most commercially successful U.S. occasions. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is the most popular day of the year to dine out at a restaurant in the United States. It is the day when you acknowledge your mother's contribution in your life, her love and you pay a tribute to her, often with cards, flowers and gifts. The traditional flowers for Mother's Day are white carnations, as they are said to typify the virtues of motherhood. Mother's Day also complements Father's Day the celebration honoring fathers.

A mother is the truest friend. A mother's love is unconditional and she always understands what her child did not say.

*An old Irish Proverb says... A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.

"Happy Mother's Day" to all the wonderful and loving mother's of the world!

Victorian Architecture

Victorian architecture the style that emerged from the period between 1830 and 1910, under the reign of Queen Victoria, has always been my favorite style of home. Victorian homes are really elaborate pieces of art and full of history from the era of a long period of peace. As you approach a Victorian home, you can clearly see the detailed art work and intricate design all around it. A fine and timeless craftsmanship. When you stand inside a Victorian home, you can almost feel its strong history, wealth and the serenity of the era. The style is about romance, grace, beauty and excess rather than practicality, so they don't fit the needs of the modern family of today. Victorian homes are wonderfully large and ornate with wrap around porches, lots of color, beauty and a elegant combination of style. However, the rooms and closets within them are usually small, which doesn't make them very practical by today's standards. Although they are no longer in fashion, you can still find many of these wonderful pieces of art around the country, usually in historic communities. Many owners of these fine pieces of architecture have updated them and still use them as their primary homes. Others have turned them into a comfy and cozy Bed and Breakfast, conversational Tea Rooms, Museums or elegant Restaurants. Since I am in real estate, I enjoy and appreciate many different styles of homes and architectural designs but my first love is Victorian Architecture.

White Chocolate Strawberry Parfaits

Now here is a "Light" dessert that tastes heavenly!

It's made of lucious layers of white chocolate mousse, juicy strawberries and yummy vanilla wafers. These decadent treats are only 198 calories and only 3 grams of fat.

To serve 4, you will need:

1/2 cup low-sugar strawberry preserves

1 1/4 cups of sliced fresh strawberries

1 pkg. (1 oz.) of sugar-free, fat free white chocolate instant pudding mix

1 1/4 cups (1%) low-fat milk

1 1/4 cups thawed frozen fat-free whipped topping from 8 oz. cont.

24 mini vanilla wafer cookies from 12 oz. pkg.

A few whole strawberries, optional

In microwave-safe bowl, microwave preserves on High in 15-second intervals until melted. Add sliced strawberries; toss to coat. In separate bowl, whisk pudding mix and milk until blended, 1 minute; let stand until thickened, 3-5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup topping. In each of 4 (8oz.) dessert glasses, layer 1/3 cup pudding mixture., 2 Tbs. sliced strawberry mixture, 6 cookies and 1/4 cup pudding mixture. Top with remaining sliced strawberry mixture. Cover; refrigerate 4 hours. Just before serving, top with remaining topping. If desired, garnish with whole strawberries. Delicious!

Porsche 918 Spyder Concept

Who would have ever thought that Porsche would embrace the green concept? As a long time huge fan of the Porsche, I was excited to see this new 2011 Porsche 918 Spyder Concept was green and still a supercar! Porsche says that, when driven accordingly, the plug-in hybrid 918 Spyder Concept gets an outstanding 78 mpg, with an emissions level of just 70 grams of C02 per kilometer. Great mileage, fast and beautiful! I don't think it has gone into production yet, so a price hasn't been firmly established. You can bet it won't be cheap though. Check out these links on this awesome fast supercar!

http://autos.yahoo.com/auto-shows/geneva_auto_show_2010/1320/Porsche-918-Spyder-Concept

http://www.automobilemag.com/green/news/1003_2011_porsche_918_spyder_hybrid_concept/index.html

More Ideas For Your Home

We can all use some helpful hints to make our lives easier around the house and I wanted to share a few that I have tried.

Unstick a Rusty Screw
A screw and a nut that have rusted into place can be difficult to remove but here is way that might make it a bit easier. Soak a soft cloth with cola and wrap it around the rusty pair. Leave it on for a couple of hours. It is the phosohoric acid in the cola that will wear away the rust allowing them to come apart easily.

Fast Way to Find Something Small
So you have dropped your contact lens or small earring on the carpet and can't find it. Now here is an easy solution to finding those tiny missing items. Cover the end of a vacuum hose attachment with a cut-off piece of pantyhose and secure it with a few rubber bands. Then hold the hose about an inch above the carpet and run it over the area. The suction will pull up the missing item, but won't let it go into the tube. It will be right there on the pantyhose for you to retrieve.

Good Way to Clean a Lampshade
Instead of using a cloth that can leave streaks behind, try using a lint roller. Just lightly run the lint roller up and down the outside of the shade. The sticky surface will pick up all the dirt and prevent it from floating to other surfaces.

Keep a Shower Curtain Clean
One of the best ways to keep a shower curtain clean is to rub it with the juice of one lemon. Lemon's natual disinfectant stops mildew growth and eliminates odors too!

Lift Floor Gunk Naturally
Just add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to a bucket of water and use your favorite mop on the floor. The vinegar will cut through grease buildup and gunk to restore your tiles' sparkle. (If you have marble tile do not use this vinegar solution)

Helpful Ways to Find Things You Lose

We all get busy with so many things in our everyday lives. Many times we misplace the items that we need or use the most. There are several ways that we can increase the odds of finding items that we have lost or misplaced. There are easy no cost ways to prevent losing items or finding them and there are low cost gizmos available to help us out. Try a few of these:

Keys - If you tend lose or misplace your keys (we have all done this at least once) then perhaps a Key Finder would work for you. They contain a transmitter and receiver that send out a beacon directing you straight to its location. So check out the KeyRinger device at KeyRinger.com. It costs a small fee. You attach the locating device to your keys, and when they are lost, all you have to do is press a button on the locater, and your keys will beep and flash from up to 300 feet away. Another one to try is FindOneFindAll.com. You can also use these to find other objects like your remote!

Cellphone - How many times have you lost your cellphone around the house, garage or yard? If you don't have another phone handy to call it and hear it ring, then go to WheresMyCellphone.com or PhoneMyPhone.com and enter your cell number and your phone will ring! Then you can follow the sound right to its nearby location. Here is another helpful hint...Put your contact information on your cellphone wallpaper along with the words "Please return this phone to... just in case you leave it in a public place like a restaurant.

Car - How many times have you lost your car in a parking lot because you forgot where you parked? Well now there is a little gizmo available to help you with that issue too. Check out the C-Car Finding Keychain at: X-tremeGeek.com. It costs about $4 and uses a compass to lock in your car's location and then direct you back to your car. How about a free method to help you find your car...With your cellphone, take a picture of your car and any other identifiable landmarks or parking aisle numbers. When it is time to go to your car, then look at the picture you took on your cellphone and your car is found!

Wallet - Experts say that the best way to ensure your wallet is returned when lost, is to make sure you have a lot of family pictures in your wallet. Apparently wallets with baby photos are returned to their owners 88% of the time and those with family photos returned 50% of the time but those without any photos, were only returned 15% of the time. So make sure you have a cute baby photo in your wallet to increase the odds of it being returned if lost!
You can also use one of the locating devices mentioned here for your wallet.

Lost your Mind - You are so busy that sometimes you feel like you lost your mind and you can't remember what you are suppose to do next? Well don't fret because there is something available to help you find that too! Now you can set a reminder for yourself with the help of a free service at: textmemos.com. Register for a free account and then set your schedule of reminders for the day, month or year. You will receive a text message reminding you of what to do next and you will never forget an important occasion or feel like you lost your mind. You can even have your remindes emailed to you or posted on your Twitter account. You can also send your reminder messages to a friend. If you have a Yahoo Calendar or Google Calendar you can do the same thing with those.

Get the Help You Need Without Spending a Lot of Money or Leaving Home!

Now you can get the important help you need for your small matters without leaving home or spending a lot of money! There are so many helpful websites with free or low cost advice from professionals who are willing to share their expertise and assist in a pinch. For Example: Do you have a quick legal question but don't know any lawyers? Do you have a question about depression but don't want to see a therapist? Not sure if you need a mechanic for a car problem?

Well you don't have to waste a lot of time hunting for answers or spend a lot of money. You can get the answers you need at home online. Just take a look at some of these great websites!

Get a Lawyer's response without the big fee!

You can get free legal advice at: FreeAdvice.com or LawGuru.com. You can send an email and get a response within a few minutes or up to a day. If you need an even more detailed answer you can go to WorldLawDirect.com and have an attorney contact you within 24 hours for just $9.95.

Talk to a therapist without leaving home!

If you don't want to see a therapist face to face to get an answer or advice on a problem, then go to Psychology.com or eTherapistsOnline.com and converse over email or instant messaging. For a half hour session fees are only around $30.

Get assistance from a mechanic!

Having car trouble and just want to ask a question or two without a big fee? Go to 2CarPros.com and get an answer from a certified auto mechanic. Response time could take awhile since it is free but if you want to make a small donation you could get a response quicker...say within 24 hrs. You can also go to JustAnswer.com and list how much you are willing to pay for their advice and you will get a quick response many times within minutes, from a certified mechanic.

Need one on one tutoring without the big fee?

Do you or your child have a math problem or reading problem and need some homework help? Many cities offer free online tutoring to any child or person that has a public library card. Ask your local library if they participate or look on your local library's website. If they do, then enter your public library card number for immediate help. Some that do are: Clark County Library, San Jose public library, Ohio public library, Alabama public library and Burbank Central library. You can also download for free the best selling audio digital titles to your mp3 player, pc or PDA with your public library card and PIN.

Want a virtual doctor house call?

Do you have a symptom that you need help with or not sure if you should see a doctor? Go to FreeMD.com. Tell the virtual doctor what your symptoms are or what you need help with. You will also have to give the doctor a little medical history and will be asked a few quesions. The doctor will provide you with a possible diagnosis and treatment, based on your answers to the questions and medical history. If the virtual doctor thinks you need to visit a doctor's office, the virtual doctor will tell you that too.

Not sure if your pet needs to see a vet?

Sometimes it is difficult to tell if your pet needs to see the vet. You may not want to make that trip for the office consultation for $40 or more. Now you can get advice online by going to AskAVetQuestion.com. A board certified vet will give you up-to-the-minute advice for just $5. Just type in your question or pet's symptoms and you will get a response within a few minutes or up to a few hours. You can also get same day online consultations and personalized diagnosis at OnlineVetClinic.com for just $4.95!