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The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter
Feature Article - Finding the Right Apartment on a Tight
Budget
What's happening on the discussion boards?
Guest Article - 10 Ways To Boost Your Creativity
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It's a boy!
Had my ultrasound yesterday, and gender was pretty clear. This will be my parents' first grandson, fifth grandchild, so it's pretty exciting. Boys don't seem to happen much in my family.
This week's feature article was inspired by what we're doing right now... yes, apartment hunting. Living in Southern California means coping with a tight budget, as housing is outrageous here, nearly the most expensive in the country. Looking for a new place to live isn't fun, especially with a toddler in tow, but it has to be done now.
Have you started Christmas shopping yet? I haven't. Of course, getting ready to move gives me the perfect excuse. Why would I want to have a bunch of presents to add to the chore of packing for a move? But it's going to mean some fast shopping later. I love online shopping for family members whose gifts I'd have to ship anyhow. No need to stand in line at the post office; just get it sent up to them and pay the company to ship. No lines, minimal inconvenience.
Don't forget, you can contribute your articles or tips anytime for consideration. Just use the contact form.
Jewels to Remember - Fine Jewelry Christmas Gifts for all budgets
One of the aspects of being a stay at home parent is that money is often tight. People often wonder how you get by on a single income - and so do you. Housing is probably your greatest monthly expense, and if you rent, it is important to get the best apartment you can for your money. Even if you work at home, you may not have the money to get the apartment you'd like to have, despite the extra income. Then again, many work at home parents do very well financially.
The easy way to find apartments these days is to search online. You can check sites such as Realtor.com (yes, they show rentals), type "your city name apartments" into Google and find quite a few apartment available for rent.
Those are excellent places to start, but do not finish there. The places that advertise the most have to make up their costs somewhere and that somewhere is your rent.
Still, these ads can get you moving in the right direction. Sure, the advertised complex costs a bit too much, but sometimes the one right next door doesn't advertise very much - and costs less per month. So print out that list of addresses and take a look around the area for more apartment complexes.
Location is always important. It doesn't matter that you aren't buying the place, you don't want your spouse to have an excessive drive to work, especially at today's high gas prices. Try to balance the cost of the apartment with the cost of driving places.
Think about which amenities you must have, and what you could live without. A swimming pool in the complex is nice in the summer, but its upkeep is a part of your rent. Laundry rooms on site, on the other hand, mean you don't have to drive to get the laundry done.
Finally, be prepared to look at quite a few complexes before making a decision. New complexes look beautiful, but they can be expensive. On the other hand, older ones may have just been remodeled inside. So long as the maintenance is kept up, old or new complexes can each be quite comfortable.
Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with the Kids, a resource that knows that there's more to staying home with your family than just business. For more stay at home tips, visit the site at http://www.homewiththekids.com/ and subscribe to the free newsletter.
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Creativity is your birthright – but can often be hidden in the everyday. To facilitate your personal development and self growth, here are some creativity tips you can use to resurrect, refresh and enhance your creative faculties.
1. Look after yourself.
Sleep well/Eat well/meditate/do what you enjoy and do it more often (if it is life enhancing!). Creativity is reduced when your senses are dulled.
2. Do something different.
We do so much on auto - the route we take to work, newspaper we read, TV programmes we routinely watch. Vary one element of your regular routine for a while. If feasible, take a different route to work, read a different newspaper (especially one you would never read!).
3. Be curious about your world around you.
It always amazes me when people don*t see what*s around them. See the area you live/work in as a tourist would. How would you explore it if you were a tourist?
4. Read a book on something you previously had no interest in.
...and see if you can create interest whilst reading it. It is my belief that no topic is boring or uninteresting if it is enthusiastically and creatively presented. You know what you like - or you like what you know?
5. Do something childlike once in a while.
...and you don*t have to have the children there as an *excuse* to do it. Sit and play on swings/draw/paint *silly* pictures - have fun. Children are incredibly creative and as adults we could learn a lot about how they view the world.
6. Create/prepare quiet time for yourself every day.
Not to do anything (unless it relaxes you), but just to clear and refresh
your mind. We are human beings, not doings. There are times when our crowded
schedule and minds don*t allow space and time for the creative to be welcomed
in.
Einstein liked to go sailing in the afternoons after working in the morning.
Okay, most of us don*t have this opportunity, but you get the point.
7. Ask *what if* questions.
Just for fun and see where the answers take you. What if that building could talk, what would it say, what stories would it tell?
8. We often make assumptions.
...about the people we work with (especially if we don*t like them!) Try treating someone you don*t particularly like at work as if you liked them (yeah I know................:.) What would you say, how would you act towards them?
9. Write and storyboard your life.
...as if it were a script you had to sell to a film company.
10. Talk to people you routinely ignore or dismiss.
Imagine their lives from their point of view, they often have viewpoints
which you may never have considered before
and .............................. carry a small notebook with you to jot
down new ideas / sensations / feelings as they come to mind.
Do one, some or all of these and you’ll soon notice a rise in your creativity,
personal development and self growth.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Julie Plenty is a Personal and Business Coach, who helps writers, artists and photographers prosper in their business by helping them build a strong personal foundation, because they ARE their business. For more self growth and personal development articles, and to sign up for her Life Design newsletter, visit: http://www.self-help-personal-development.com
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