For the first time, in many…many years, I’m going to have a LAWN for the Spring and Summer months. I’ve always kind of wanted to give Bella some grass to play on and I’m finally able to do it. The problem is, I’m going to be standing on just a green lawn with no real decoration. I could always throw up some kind of a flag to add to the decor, every other house in the neighborhood seems to have one. The big thing that I’ve always wanted to have is a bird bath. I know it sounds kind of cheesy but I’m easily amused by anything that’s not only cute but critter friendly (well…WANTED critters, down here are a lot of skunks). Another thing that I want to load up on is planters, there are some pretty nice ones out there and there’s a lot of yard to cover in flowers and what not. I can’t wait for spring.

Growing up, I wasn’t really into the typical board games that most kids enjoyed. I never really played Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land, Memory and other games like that. I always found myself to be drawn to games where you have to think a little. I was taught how to play Chess, Checkers and of course Backgammon.

I haven’t really played Backgammon in quite some time. So while doing some surfing around the ‘net I was surprised when I came across a website for Online Backgammon. This site is using a rather original approach to promote their game software. Most places will just throw a banner ad up and leave it at that. they’ve gone as far as creating a Backgammon Master named Jean Claude, an animated tiger.

Jean Claude, the animated tiger, is part of a 5 part animated series “Life According to Jean Claude”. In this series he’ll teach you how to succeed in everything from playing backgammon to chopping onions. He teaches you how to fulfill your dreams and make important life choices. When I first read this I kind of thought this was a hoax but after watching the clip, I have to say that he’s a really amusing guy. I think I’ll wind up tunning in for the rest of the series.

If you’re at all interested in seeing what I’m talking about, head here and view the clip for yourself. If you’re at all interested in learning how to play backgammon there’s a 3-in-1 free software located on backgammonmasters.com as well.

The most important part of running a business is making sure you advertise. You can’t exactly bring in any clients if absolutely no one knows about you. When it comes to the internet it can easily be done by purchasing banner space on random websites that rank with a PR7+ or you can just plug your name wherever you possibly can. The more traditional route would be to post flyer’s and run advertisements in the local news paper. The most effective one is, of course, business cards. It’s hard to find a site online where you can design decent cards for your business. I’ve gone through quite a few companies before and there really isn’t anything better than finding the perfect company to order your cards from.

After doing some research on their site, it’s safe to say that my next batch of cards will be purchased from 123print.com. They offer high quality backgrounds, excellent text options and they even offer magnetic cards. For companies just starting out, or whom don’t have an excellent grasp of Photo Shop – they offer something called “Image Builders” to create a logo for your business. It’s really nothing more than one-stop-shopping for business cards, address labels, letterheads and even post cards. I’d recommend them to anyone looking to get their name out there. Their prices are extremely reasonable as well. You get 100 cards for less than $4. Of course, based on how frequently I hand cards out, I’d purchase the 1,000 cards for $34. This is about $20 cheaper than the company I’m currently getting my cards printed with.

Anyone looking to gain a little exposure, or if you’re someone who thinks ahead and instead of having to write all of your information down during a car accident, you can just hand them a business card. It makes life a lot easier no matter what you use them for, I’d recommend 123print.com to anyone. Even if you only base your purchase with them on their prices alone, you’ve still made an excellent choice.

This is a sponsored post.

Before I was lucky enough to own a cellphone, I basically lived on Phone Cards whenever I was calling someone out of state. At the time there wasn’t any Long Distance on the phone and it cost way too much to keep in touch with friends and family around the US. I’ve used basically every one there is to use. None of them really gave me what I was looking for. The minutes all ran out too quick and if you were stuck somewhere with no calling card, and not even a quarter – you’re basically screwed.

It’s important to have an emergency phone card, especially if you’re a student…they have quite a few international student phone cards. The cool thing about companies like Pingo.com is they have no hidden fee’s, the best competitive rates and when you sign up for their company you get like $5 in free calls, instantly. I say it’s worth it the next time you’re worried about being stuck somewhere without a cellphone. It’s a nice idea to keep a calling card on you for emergencies.

Are you planning on taking a vacation this summer? A second honey-moon, a trip with your friends/family just for fun, or do you just like to travel whenever you get the chance so you can experience different cultures? I’ve come across a site called that offers you all of the resources you need for travel if you live in the UK. One of the top destinations listed is Cyprus Holidays.

Thanks to its position in the Mediterranean, Cyprus has been pretty popular for the last 9000 years. Romans, Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Assyrians, Egyptians and Byzantines have all ruled here at one point! Now it’s your turn to sample the delights: ancient vineyards, castles, monasteries and, best of all, hot Mediterranean sun! Even in winter, Cyprus is the one holiday destination where you can go skiing in the mountains in the morning and sunbathing on a beach in the afternoon. How perfect is that?

DialAFlight is one of the UK’s top travel companies offering cheap flights, hotels, car hire, city breaks holidays, and travel insurance to help you to create the perfect all-inclusive trip to any worldwide destination. Because they’ve been in business for more than 25 years, they’re able to secure the best travel industry rates available. They pride themselves on their experienced sales staff who are all well-traveled and committed to creating your perfect trip – at bargain prices. Browse their holiday options or call them for more information on flights, holidays, car hire or hotels for your dream vacation.

I came across a site today that I believe can be of help to many people. If you happen to live in Pennsylvania and are dealing with depression, you should consider looking through a database Philadelphia Psychologists that I found online. This site doesn’t just focus on Pennsylvania though, the listings include Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and even Washington. If you live in or around these area’s you should seriously consider looking through the database.

Every day there are more and more people falling victim to depression, it’s good to know that there’s actually something that can be done about it from the privacy of your own home. It’s hard to ask someone the name of a good psychologist, let alone even getting to the point of bringing it up. It’s nice to find a site where you can get all the information you need with out the embarrassment.

Their site is very easy to read, as well as navigate. They’ve built a solid database of dependable professionals to help you get through your toughest of times, it’s worth checking it out.

It’s been exactly one week since the boyfriends mom bought her new car. In order for her to get this car she had to get herself a loan. She went through the same company she got the loan for her house from so since she had good credit with them she was almost instantly approved and is now the proud owner of a brand new van.

I’m not a big fan of the idea of taking out a loan, but when desperate times call for desperate measures than I guess you have no choice in the matter. I believe the loan ratio at this point is 1:3 at this point considering the country runs on credit. The thing I don’t quite like the idea of are bad credit loans. When you have bad credit, the only loan you’re most likely going to get is a secured loan. A secured loan is defined as:

A secured loan is a loan in which the borrower pledges some asset (e.g. a car or home) as collateral for the loan. The loan is thus secured against the collateral ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù in the event that the borrower misses a few payments, the lender takes possession of the asset used as collateral and may sell it to regain the amount originally lent to the borrower.

This means you can lose your HOME, or even your CAR if you mess up on your payments. Is putting your home at risk really worth the price of the loan?

Another option really isn’t based on your credit score, so I don’t quite understand it…it’s called an unsecured loans. An unsecured loan is defined as:

Unsecured loans are loans that are not guaranteed with any asset, so that the risk of repossession does not exist. Though the lender can still take legal action in order to recover the money, such a legal process would be significantly longer and more expensive than with secured loans. Typical unsecured loans are credit card debt, bank overdrafts, and personal loans.

When they talk about it this way, an unsecured loan is basically every time you overdraw your bank account. All you have to pay back is everything you took out, without interest…at least that’s what they want you to believe. With ALL of the banks I’ve dealt with, there was a $20-$50 overdraft FEE. Say happen to be late on a deposit and go -$1 over with a withdrawal, you’re charged $30. So instead of paying back the $1 you need to get your account to $0.00, you have to pay the bank $31 in order to make things right again. These over draft payments are what contributes to your credit score, at least that’s what I was told.

Your credit score, most times, isn’t even based on an actual credit card most of the time. It’s based on your cycled billing payments. Take your cell phone bill for example. Figure you pay around $70 a month for your cell phone, this would include any fee’s or taxes you have to pay on it (obviously). If you never miss a payment and never are late on one, you’re considered to have “good credit” with the company. This helps your credit score and the rest goes from there. I’m now basing it on Wiki (best site in the world), but according to them, this is the makeup of a credit score.

So basically, no matter what you do in life financially will contribute to your credit score, I guess you have no choice in the matter but to be an upstanding financial citizen if you plan on borrowing money from anyone.