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Losing weight and improving one's finances are almost always at the top of most people's lists of New Year's resolutions. It makes sense to look out for your physical and financial health so you can enjoy life to the fullest. Following through on your resolutions is usually the tough part — it takes changes in certain behaviors, discipline and time to experience and maintain the results. This is as true for financial planning as it is for losing weight.
If improving your finances is one of your New Year's resolutions, here are five steps you can take starting Jan. 1:
Immediately Pay Down Holiday Bills and Credit Cards.
Many people splurge on holiday gifts, parties and travel in December, but the bills will come due in January. Resolve to pay down those debts quickly to avoid large interest charges on your credit cards.
Set a goal to pay off the total amount on one card within a few months, if not sooner. If you or your spouse expects a bonus check from your employer in early 2018, use at least some amount from this check to pay down debt. Finally, start by paying off the credit card with the smallest balance. Even though this card may not have the highest interest rate, paying off the total amount on one card will provide the motivation to keep paying off the others.
Build an Emergency Fund.
Everyone should have at least three to six months of their living expenses set aside in a cash savings account. This number should be higher when you are retired, such as one to three years of spending needs, and should be coordinated with your overall investment mix. In order to accomplish this goal when you are working, set up an automatic draft from your paycheck into a separate savings account. This account can be used for emergency car and household expenses and will help avoid piling up new credit card debt on top of the existing debt from the holidays.
I personally use an online bank for my savings account. Online financial institutions often pay higher interest rates on cash and CDs than traditional brick-and-mortar institutions. Here's another tip: Consider using different banks for your savings account and your checking account. It's a little less tempting to access your savings account when the spending impulse strikes if it's not at the same place as your checking account.
Increase 401(k) Retirement Plan Contributions.
The amount each person can contribute to a 401(k) retirement plan is increasing by $500 in 2018, to $18,500 for individuals under age 50 and $24,500 for people 50 and older. Everyone who is working should resolve to save an extra $500 for retirement this coming year.
If you are getting a raise going into 2018, increase your 401(k) savings rate by the amount of your raise if you are not funding your 401(k) to the maximum already. This is a discipline I have followed since receiving my first paycheck at age 22 — I kept increasing my 401(k) savings rate each year until I was able to reach the savings limit, and I've never looked back.
Let's say you are getting a $5,000 raise in 2018. If you save this amount annually over the next 10 years, and at an average annual investment return of 5%, your retirement savings can be over $60,000 higher. That could buy you a shiny new car in retirement.
Rebalance Existing 401(k) and Retirement Account Investments.
In addition to adding to your retirement account, review your existing investments in January to ensure a reasonable mix of stocks and bonds. With equity markets at all-time highs, the percentage of your funds in stocks may now be higher than you planned. Over time, an investment account that is overweight in stocks can grow substantially, but during a recession or stock market downturn your balance can suffer, too.
If retirement is right around the corner for you, it's especially important to consider the amount of stocks or stock mutual funds you are comfortable owning. Finally, while you are logged into your retirement accounts, check to see that your beneficiary designations are correct and up to date.
Review Home and Car Insurance Policies.
Over the last five years, the consumer price index for auto insurance has gone up over 20%, compared with the overall CPI of 4.5% during this period. Many insurance companies raise auto and home insurance premiums each year, and even small increases can add up over time.
I recommend sitting down with your insurance agent every three years to make certain you are taking advantage of any discounts available, and that you have proper coverage, given changing asset values. Managing risks and protecting your assets is an important part of financial planning. Also, review the deductible amount on each of your auto and home policies. This move can significantly lower premiums now. If you have an adequate emergency fund built up, you should be able to cover a higher deductible in the event of a loss.
It's time to make New Year's resolutions stick. Look out for your personal and financial well-being this coming year. You'll find that making small progress will empower you, and motivate you to reach your goals. And the following year you may just resolve to keep your 2018 resolutions going!
While retirement may not be on your mind currently as an entrepreneur, the sooner you start planning for this milestone, the better. Before anything else, you need to consider the ways that you will be able to save for your retirement while also keeping your business running today. So, what tips or tricks can you employ to ensure that you will be financially able to retire when ready?
A. Set Up a Roth IRA
You may not have a company 401(k), but you should take advantage of the long-term benefits of a Roth IRA, which will grow and compound over time (tax free) and be removed (again, tax free) when you are at retirement age. - Jeff Epstein, Ambassador
A. Opt for a Solo 401(k)
If you are a business with no full-time employees (other than you and your spouse), you are eligible for a Solo 401(k), also known as the self-employed 401(k). The benefit to this is that you can contribute up to $50,000 of business income pre-tax ($100,000 if you set up a plan for yourself and your spouse). In 2016, I was able to cut my tax bill by $19,500 thanks to this benefit. - Bryan Kesler, CPA Exam Guide
A. Invest in Technology
Put 10 percent of your annual income into the top performing technology stocks. The compound return rate will give you millions after 20 years, especially if you increase your salary or income over the years. - Duran Inci, Optimum7
A. Buy Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is a unique investment opportunity, but make sure you don't put in money that you can't afford to lose. It's risky and volatile, but the payoffs can be great. For example, bitcoin is now trading over $7,000, and a couple years ago it was around $200. But bitcoin isn't the only one seeing huge returns. Take a look at Ethereum and ICOs as well. - Jared Atchison, WPForms
A. Get a Pro to Help With the Details
Protect yourself from noisy amateurs with a clear game plan. There are thousands of strategies within the retirement plan space that allow generous benefits to be tastefully tilted to the entrepreneur or key executives, while providing an excellent employee benefit. Look for a specialist and have a 20-minute chat; you'll be surprised at the huge tax perks along the road to building wealth. - Krzysztof 'Kris' Garlewicz, ProsperiFi, LLC
A. Include It in the Budget
Make it a budget line item. Many people don't add it in as a critical need along with their monthly short-term costs. But it's just as important, if not more. Putting it in the budget will mean you will have less to spend at Starbucks, the movies or the mall, but it will mean that you have a retirement fund when you need it most. - Andrew O'Connor, American Addiction Centers
A. Create a Monthly Recurring Income Stream
Monthly recurring income streams are great because they allow you to generate passive income and live a retired lifestyle without being solely dependent on the fluctuations of the market. You can set up monthly income streams by investing in rental properties, utilizing Airbnb or creating a SaaS business. - Syed Balkhi, OptinMonster
A. Save 10 Percent of All Your Earnings
Make this a standard about your approach to saving. Take 10 percent of your finances and place it into savings accounts or low-risk investments. This applies whether you are an entrepreneur or not. The effects are cumulative. As your wealth grows, real estate becomes a very worthy investment. - Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now
A. Use an App to Regularly Contribute Small Amounts
There are apps that let you save and invest for retirement where you take small amounts and incrementally add and buy into mutual funds that help build that retirement account, from even a little. Doing so can lead to larger amounts that grow even when you think it won't amount to much. - Zach Binder, Bell + Ivy
A. Follow Einstein's Theory
Albert Einstein is believed to have said that compound interest is "the most powerful force in the universe." If you start young, that compound interest can work harder than any human ever could. I recommend
Retirement savings tips: 401(k) vs IRA
As the end of the year approaches and investors begin to take stock of their savings, one consideration they may want to take into account is how they should allocate money across 401(k) and IRA plans.
In a traditional, employer-sponsored 401(k) plan, employees can contribute tax-deferred money that is generally matched by a company up to a certain percentage. Traditional IRAs are accounts individuals set up independently, where earnings grow tax-free until they are withdrawn in retirement. For a Roth IRA, contributions are taxed first and then withdrawn tax-free, and a Rollover IRA allows individuals to transfer money over from employer-sponsored plans.
Here are some tips to help you navigate the retirement planning process.
Contribution levels
The maximum amount an individual can contribute to a 401(k) plan is significantly higher than what is allowed for an IRA. Beginning next year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will increase the contribution threshold for 401(k) plans by another $500 to $18,500 per year. The maximum allowable, cumulative contribution per year across both traditional and Roth IRA plans is $5,500 or $6,500 for those ages 50 and older.
"Most of the time people work for an employer and obviously the easiest way to invest is to make it automatic … [that's also] typically the most advantageous," David Hays, president of Comprehensive Financial Consultants, told FOX Business.
IRAs can be useful for a variety of purposes, however, including higher education expenses for yourself or your children or a down payment for a first-time homebuyer. If funds are withdrawn for these purposes when an investor is under the age of 59.5, they can generally be exempt from the 10% distribution penalty.
401(k) plans don't provide those options, but Hays said the plans do offer loans for up to 50% of the vested account balance, or $50,000, whichever is less. Not all plans include this allowance.
Investment options and fees
While a traditional 401(k) usually offers limited investment options, IRA choices tend to be limitless, offering investors more flexibility to curate a unique portfolio.
In terms of fees, Hays said IRAs, which tend to be more on the retail side, sometimes comes with higher fees. With 401(k) plans, big companies can offer really low, competitive fees.
For a 401(k), if you are no longer working with an employer, you can generally withdraw funds if you are age 59.5 or older. In some cases, you only need to be over the age of 55. If you withdraw early, you will pay income taxes and a 10% penalty.
On the other hand, you can rollover your 401(k) savings into an IRA plan, should you choose to continue stashing cash away.
For IRA plans, the age 59.5 rule applies, and early withdrawal would also result in a 10% penalty on top of income taxes.
There is a wealth of ways to invest your money, but let's face it: you probably don't have endless time to figure them all out. And with time at a premium, using energy to keep abreast of the ins and outs of your investment portfolio can seem impossible. Although Singaporeans are on average earning more each year, the global market hasn't been as successful recently — and that's enough to give anyone pause before approaching today's complex investment landscape.
One way to get to grips with the investment climate is to take advantage of a smart investment tool, which can help to identify investment opportunities. Standard Chartered Bank now offers Personalized Investment Ideas (PII), the latest tool to give investors the info they need to grow their wealth. Thanks to technological advancements like this, you can invest wisely, and without giving up your valuable time.
When it comes to your investments, you have three potential options:
Taking risks with your money is not only daunting, but can keep you up at night if you're not confident in your choices. Which investment is right for you? There is such a huge range of investment opportunities available that opting for a select few that compliment your needs can seem difficult.
Know this: There are times to invest aggressively and times to invest conservatively. If you're just starting to build your portfolio, conventional wisdom tells you to take lots of risks since you have plenty of time for the market to right itself in the event of a downturn. If you are approaching retirement, however, now's the time to stay safe with your investments and ensure you have plenty of funds to sufficiently support you later in life.
When all is said and done, investing money is not only about accumulating wealth. Your investment is where your heart is — whether that is making a better life for your family, establishing a solid future, or funding a business idea. That's when holding your stocks could be your safest bet, but only if you feel confident in where your money is invested.
The global market is anything but predictable, so be aware of the current climate. Uncertain times can produce huge gains and huge losses, but without an intimate knowledge of where the market is headed, a fork in your investment road can be dangerous.
Although it is a passive investment strategy, holding can still produce gains in the long run — but that only works if time is on your side. With a 2016 average annual growth rate of 5.5% in South Asia, the market is showing positive numbers, but holding for too long could prevent you from significantly growing your portfolio.
Knowing when to let go of your investments can be tough, but there are signs out there that will alert you when it's time. Big life changes can impact your investment goals, and your perfectly balanced portfolio can be thrown out of whack in an instant — perhaps by a marriage, retirement, or the birth of a child.
Knowing when to let go of your investments is just as important as knowing when to buy. Treat your portfolio like a living, breathing organism: when one part gets too big, it's time to reallocate to avoid an uneven balance.
You may also need to sell to create liquidity. Perhaps there's a property you'd like to invest in, or a business venture that is too good to miss. Whatever the case, selling your investments isn't always a bad choice — but it must be done at the right time, in the right way, and with a vast breadth of market knowledge behind it.
Technology is working to make investing smarter, easier, and more profitable.
Technology-driven solutions can be the roadmap you need to know when to buy, sell, or hold — and exactly how to go about it. Software that offers bespoke solutions for each individual is essential.
The benefit of having smart investment tool crunch numbers for you, as well as a team of real people with real investment knowledge keeping an eye on things puts you in a strong position to make the decisions that work best for you. The market can change quickly, and your investment software should adapt just as fast, ensuring you're well equipped to grow your wealth effectively.
How will I know when it's the right tie to retire? Is there a barometer that experts rely on to know when it's the right time to go?--B.K.
I don't know of any generally recognized gauge or barometer for calling it a career, but I can tell you that the decision to retire definitely isn't just about reaching a certain age. I recently took personal finance guru Suze Orman to task for suggesting as much when she recently asserted in no uncertain terms that "70 is the new retirement age -- not a month or year before."
She's right that many people may need to stay on the job longer these days to accumulate a large enough nest egg to support them in retirement. But to say that 70 -- or any single age, for that matter -- is the right age to retire? That's far too simplistic. The decision to retire involves too many subjective factors that can vary significantly from person to person to be boiled down a single number.
So how can you tell when it's the right time for you, given your specific situation, to make the transition from the work-a-day world to post-career life?
One place to start is by assessing whether you're financially capable of leaving the workforce. One major question: Do you have enough saved so that draws from your nest egg plus income from guaranteed income sources like Social Security, pensions and annuities will allow you to maintain an acceptable standard of living throughout a retirement that could last 30 or more years?
It's difficult to answer that question with absolute certainty because of a variety of uncertainties, including how long you might live, the rate of return your investments will earn, what your expenses will be during your post-career life. And, indeed, research shows that many people don't have an accurate sense of whether they're on track to a secure retirement. Still, without too much effort you can come up with a pretty decent estimate of whether you've got the financial resources necessary to pull the trigger.
Start by doing a retirement budget so you'll have a realistic idea of the amount of income you'll need to cover your expenses once the paychecks stop. You can do a budget the old-school way with paper and pencil, but I think you'll find it a lot easier to use an online tool like BlackRock's Retirement Expense Worksheet, which lists more than four dozen different expenses, including both essential living costs (housing costs, transportation, food, health care, taxes, etc.) and discretionary expenditures (travel and entertainment, charitable donations, dining out, etc.). You won't be able to predict your costs down to the penny, but you can update and refine your estimate annually after retiring.
Once you have a decent handle on expenses, you can plug that figure, along with such information as your age, current retirement savings balance, the amount you'll collect from Social Security any other guaranteed income sources, into a good retirement income calculator that uses Monte Carlo analysis to estimate the probability that your resources will be able to generate the income you'll need for the rest of your life.
Again, we're dealing with approximations here; no tool can predict the future. But if after going through this sort of analysis you find that your chances of being able to generate the income you'll need are uncomfortably low -- say, less than 80% or so -- then you may want to postpone retirement until they improve or find other ways of tilting the odds in your favor, such as downsizing, taking out a reverse mortgage or paring your discretionary expenses.
As you're going through this financial review, you'll also want to take a look at your retirement investments. The single most important thing you want to do is ensure you're properly balancing risk and reward. During your career you have plenty of time to rebound from severe market setbacks, so you can afford to tilt your portfolio mix heavily toward stocks to generate higher long-term returns. In retirement, however, the combination of big losses plus withdrawals from your portfolio can increase the risk you'll outlive your nest egg.
So as you near and enter retirement, you'll likely want to scale back your stock holdings to prevent a market downturn from decimating your nest egg.
Just as there's no single retirement age that's right for everyone, neither is there a stocks-bonds mix that suits retirees and near-retirees. But you can get a decent idea of how to divvy up your portfolio between stocks, bonds and cash by completing this risk tolerance-asset allocation questionnaire.
But deciding the appropriate time to retire isn't just a numbers game. To make a smooth transition into retirement, you also want to consider how you actually want to live and whether you're socially and emotionally prepared to leave the work-a-day world. Do you have activities that will keep you occupied -- and better yet, make your time in retirement fulfilling and meaningful -- now that you won't have the structure of a job to plan your days? Do you have a solid network of friends and family to help you stay socially connected? Will you spend most of your time close to home or do you plan to travel? Do you expect to seek part-time or occasional work for pay or volunteer?
These are the sorts of issues I put under the general heading of lifestyle planning, and it's better that you look into them before you leave your job than after. That's especially true if you're thinking of working in retirement, as finding a job you'll enjoy and that pays an acceptable wage may be more challenging than you think.
It would be nice if after going through the process I've described, you could be sure to arrive at firm yea or nay on retiring. But things aren't always so clear. For example, you may find that you've got all the resources you need to call it a career, but you enjoy working too much to give it up now, which is fine. Conversely, you could come up short on financial readiness but because you feel you're simply unable to go on with your job you figure you're better off retiring anyway, even if that means scaling back your retirement vision.
And sometimes you may not have much of a choice. Almost half of retirees left their jobs earlier than they planned, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute's 2017 Retirement Confidence Survey, often due to health problems, being laid off by their employer or because they had to take care of a spouse or other family member. Faced with such a situation, one person could decide to try to find work, any work, and postpone retirement. Another person may decide to retire and fashion the best post-career life as possible, given the circumstances. There's no one correct response.
Ultimately, deciding when to retire is really about deciding how you want to spend whatever time you have left in this life. So while I recommend that you weigh the issues I've raised above, recognize that neither I nor anyone else can know what the right decision is for you. This is a call you'll have to make as best you can give the circumstances you face.
CHRISTMAS is approaching fast and the all too familiar feeling of pressure on our wallets is coming around quick.
The last thing you want at Christmas is the burden of how you're going to pay for your loved ones Christmas presents or how you'll afford the turkey.
There are certain things you ought to try to avoid when you pay for Christmas to make sure you don't start a new year with bad debt hanging over you.
It sounds obvious but before you start spending, if you're going to have to borrow make a conscious effort to spend less.
This doesn't mean people will think you're Scrooge; you just need to be savvy.
By making tweaks to how you pay for things, you'll save yourself money and avoid the 2018 Christmas hangover.
Hannah Maundrell, Editor in Chief of money.co.uk revealed the best and worst ways to pay for Christmas.
Store cards: Not to be confused with loyalty cards, store cards are often flogged at the till with the promise of 10% off your next shop and the chance to pay later.
Store cards can come with some benefits like discounts or invites to events, however if you're using them as a form of borrowing they are a big no.
If you haven't saved enough for Christmas and plan to use store cards to pay for your shopping, it's one of the most expensive ways of borrowing.
You'll end up paying much more for your goods in the long run so try to avoid store cards at all costs.
Unauthorized overdraft: Unless you have a pre-arranged interest free overdraft avoids using them as much as possible.
Going into an unauthorized overdraft, or over your limit could cost you dearly.
There are lots of different fees you could be charged including daily fees which can be anywhere between £1 and £8 a day (with a monthly cap).
This is not a cost-effective form of borrowing and you could wind up paying double for your goods if you can't pay back your overdraft quick enough.
High interest credit cards: If you're using a credit card that charges you monthly interest – stop.
If you already owe money on the card you could use a 0% balance transfer credit card to move that sum into an account that doesn't accrue interest for a certain number of months.
This would give you the chance to pay it off without the amount continuously rising.
Using a credit card that charges you interest should only be used if you're disciplined enough to pay the full amount off at the end of the month.
Money you've saved: Ideally we'd have all saved enough to pay for Christmas entirely upfront.
If you have been squirreling away this is great, you won't need to borrow, however if you're disciplined you could still consider using a credit card to pay for your purchases to get section 75 protection.
Section 75 protection means your credit card provider is equally liable if things go wrong meaning they can help you get your money back if your goods cost over £100.
0% purchases cards: These credit cards let you borrow interest free for a certain number of months which is great if you haven't saved enough and they can help you spread the cost of Christmas.
You still need to keep up with your monthly payments and make sure you can pay off the card in full before the end of the interest free period.
If you take one out make a note in your diary to make sure you're all paid up before the interest kicks in.
Rewards credit cards: If you have the money to pay for Christmas upfront but want the reassurance of Section 75 protection then a rewards credit card could be a good choice.
These cards offer you different benefits depending which you go for like supermarket or Avios points or even cash back.
They are only a good choice if you know you will be able to pay off your balance in full at the end of each month.
1 Investment to Rule Them All
A friend once asked me, "How do I start investing if I don't have much money?"
That is a legitimate question, especially for students just out of college or working adults who have just entered the corporate world.
To answer my friend's question, I jogged back my memory to recall out how I first started investing. I, too, didn't have much money when I started my investing journey.
I remember all I had was the monthly allowance given to me during National Service, which I had squirrelled away diligently.
With the money I had, I invested in books on personal finance and stock market investing. I remember the first book I bought was Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. I also went for an investment course to help bring down the steep learning curve (I had no accounting or finance background from school).
Essentially, what I did was to invest in myself. By investing in myself and not on a broker's hot tip, I accumulated the knowledge needed to navigate the stock market.
Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors the world has seen, mentioned in an interview recently that the best investment you can make is one that "you can't beat" and that is investing in yourself.
He said:
"Ultimately, there's one investment that supersedes all others: Invest in yourself. Nobody can take away what you've got in yourself, and everybody has potential they haven't used yet."
By investing in ourselves first, we will have a proper foundation on which to build our stock portfolio. Without such knowledge, we might lose money from our investments without us knowing why.
Even after we have amassed the knowledge needed to invest in stocks, we should never stop learning.
In Tamil, there's a saying that goes, "Known is a drop, unknown is an ocean". There's always something new to learn about investing every day since the stock market is very fluid.
When it comes to preparing for retirement, 50 can be a pivotal age. At that age, most people are just 10 to 15 years away from leaving the workforce, and time is relatively limited to save for retirement.
But with a decade or more of work still remaining, you have enough time to make changes to your retirement savings strategy to ensure you reach your savings goals.
"Add up all of your life savings—your 401(k), your investments, the money under the mattress—and then divide that by 25. Could you live on that amount comfortably for one year?" asks David Rae, a certified financial planner and founder of DRM Wealth Management. "If the answer is yes, then you may be on track for retirement. If its no, it's time to sit down with a fiduciary financial planner to figure out what else you can do to secure your financial future."
Rae's formula of dividing by 25 is based on the assumption that people will withdraw about 4% per year from their retirement funds to live on after leaving the workforce.
With that in mind, here's a look at what retirement and personal finance experts say you should do at age 50 to maximize the likelihood of achieving your retirement savings goals.
1. Maximize Current Retirement Contributions
Maximizing your current retirement contributions is a common tip offered by advisers. It's one of the easiest steps to take to help increase the amount of money you're saving.
You can max out contributions to both personal IRAs and company-sponsored 401(k) plans.
"Starting at age 50 you're eligible to increase your 401(k) contributions by an additional $6,000 per year, and can increase contributions to IRAs or Roth IRAs by an additional $1,000 per year," says Matt Hylland, a registered investment adviser at Hylland Capital Management. "At age 55 you're eligible to save an additional $1,000 per year in a health savings account, which is a great retirement savings vehicle."
2. Consider Limiting Your Tax Exposure
There are fewer tax breaks on the horizon as you get closer to retirement, says Wayne Fisher of Fisher Financial Tax & Insurance Solutions.
If you're saving money in a government-recommended retirement plan such as a traditional IRA, 401(k), or 403(b), you'll eventually have to pay taxes on that money—and the tax rate may be much higher than you expect.
"Per David Walker, the former US Comptroller General, we're heading to a future where we'll have to double federal taxes or cut federal spending by 60%, which makes tax-free look pretty good, right?" says Fisher.
3. Carefully Evaluate Asset Allocation
As you reach age 50 and beyond, many advisers say it's time to start reducing the risk in your investment portfolio to protect it from market declines.
"Depending on your risk tolerance, you may want to look at adding bonds, annuities, CDs, or other safer options," says Hylland. "As you go through your fifties, the chance of your portfolio having time to recover following a major decline will decrease. By having safe investments, you can ensure that your equity investments have time to grow and recover if needed."
4. Drop Unnecessary Insurance
Many people purchase insurance coverage when their children are young or if their spouse depends upon their income.
But if your children are financially independent and no one else relies on your income, consider dropping unnecessary coverage, says Ryan McPherson, a managing member of Intelligent Worth.
"There's little need to pay for policies that have outlived their purpose," says McPherson. "Saved premium dollars can be directed toward retirement savings or paying down debt."
5. Evaluate Your Health Care Coverage
Part of keeping your retirement plan on track involves preparing for big expenditures such as health care. In fact, health care can be one of the most expensive parts of retirement, says Mark Painter, founder of EverGuide Financial Group.
"Make sure you have your health care covered, both in terms of health insurance and also potentially long-term care," says Painter. "You want to spend your money enjoying retirement and not simply paying medical expenses. It will be a lot cheaper to look at coverage at age 50 than when you are 65 or 70."
6. Create a Get-Out-of-Debt Plan
Debt and retirement don't mix. Start developing an action plan now to eliminate credit card bills and other expenses weighing you down.
"Come up with a plan now, while you have plenty of time to execute it to get out of debt," says Hylland. "Maybe you're an empty nester and can downsize your home and mortgage, or consolidate credit card debt and pay it off, or get rid of a car with a long and expensive loan. Create a plan today to get your debt eliminated as soon as possible."
No matter your age, you still have time to create an effective retirement savings plan. Find out if you're financially prepared for retirement and put these tips into action.
Human beings are intelligent people, capable of making good decisions, weighing all options and making a rational and well thought out conclusion. However, sometimes it feels like we act irrationally without even realizing we are doing it. In some cases, our brains are hard wired or pre-dispositioned to behave in a certain way if our conscious mind does not take over and think rationally.
Luckily, because of our conscious mind, we can override our natural evolutionary desire to act irrationally in certain instances. Here are 5 biases and fallacies that make us terrible with money and how we can overcome them.
1. Recency bias
Recency bias occurs when we base on current or future behavior or outcome on what has happened in the recent past. Put differently, whatever is happening now, will also happen tomorrow and the day after. Recency bias occurs because of our flawed and selective memory. Most people's memories are not as good as they think and much of what we do remember may be distorted based on what we focused on and our emotions at the time.
Common examples of recency bias include: house prices have been going up each month for the past 2 years, so they are bound to continue going up. This stock/mutual fund has reported a gain each day this quarter, so it must be a promising investment. I have kept a steady full time job with the same company for the last 3 years; therefore I don't anticipate this will change in the future.
Why It Is Dangerous
Recency bias is dangerous because it assumes future investment performance is based on past performance and puts a disproportionate amount of weight on this assumption. Some ways of you can minimize recency bias include:
2. Sunk cost fallacy
Sunk cost is any cost that has been paid already and can never be recovered, no matter what the future outcome or business decision. It is a past cost that is not affected by a future decision. Sunk cost can also be the loss of time or non-monetary resources. The point is that they are not and will never be recoverable. Examples of sunk cost include: you paid $500 to get your 15 year old car fixed last week. Two weeks later, you discovered another problem that will cost you $2,000, but you have already decided last week to keep the car. The $500 would be considered a sunk cost whether you actually decide to go with your original decision to keep the car or decide to get rid of it. Another way example would be overeating at a buffet in order to get your 'money's worth'. Regardless of how much you eat, will not change the outcome of how much you pay.
How to Overcome Sunk Costs
Overcoming the sunk cost fallacy can be difficult because we place more pain in our losses than we do pleasures in our wins. This can cause use to continue make even more bad decisions in hopes of recouping our losses. Continually putting money into a dying business or investment is another example of the sunk cost fallacy. Here are a few tips to overcoming the sunk cost fallacy:
3. Gambler's fallacy
The gambler's fallacy is the mistaken belief that if something happens more frequent than normal during a period, it will happen less frequently in the future. Gambler's fallacy is opposite to the recency bias. If things are going too good, surely they are bound to go bad soon. Alternatively, if things are going poorly, surely they are bound to turn around soon. Gambler's fallacy is what keeps people continually losing money in the slot machines or buying lottery tickets, because surely there can only be so much bad luck that at some point, good luck will come.
Why Is It Dangerous
Gambler's fallacy is dangerous because it gives little regard to probability or distorts how probability works in the mind of the person that is hoping for the desired outcome. For example, when you flip a coin, there is a 50/50 chance it will be heads or tails. If you flipped the coin 7 times and it always came up as heads, the 8th flip would still have a 50/50 chance of showing heads or tails. Assuming this probability would be skewed towards tails would be incorrect; the probability would still be 50/50.
Some ways to reduce gambler's fallacy include:
4. Buyer's remorse
Buyer's remorse is the sense of regret after having made a purchase. It is frequently associated with making an expensive purchase. It may stem from fear of making the wrong choice, guilt over extravagance, or a suspicion of having been overly influenced by the seller. We have all experienced buyer's remorse at some point in our lives and it is not a good feeling. Some practical ways to avoid buyer's remorse include:
5. Confirmation bias
Confirmation bias occurs when we favor information which confirms our pre-existing beliefs and biases. Confirmation bias narrows our understanding and perspective because we fail to read, listen to or understand differing views. Examples of confirmation bias include: watching a particular news channel that only align with your political views. Reading financial information from bloggers or companies that agree with our views on spending, saving and investing.
Confirmation bias is not inherently bad, but reading and listening to information that we already agree with does not increase our learning or expand our perspective. Ways to reduce confirmation bias include:
Growing up during the last major recession means that today's millennial college entrepreneurs are already in the savings mindset. They've learned how to live with less than previous generations, which has made them much more conscious of how much things cost. Unlike other generations, they're looking to offset the cost of things like tuition, housing, food, entertainment, and healthcare expenses.
Knowing where they are going and what they want means that millennials are also empowered to say no to paying too much or relying on credit too often. That's why this new breed of young entrepreneurs is constantly on the lookout for money-saving tips.
Growing up with technology has also enabled these entrepreneurs to do price comparisons online and access deals and discounts for everything from appetizers to phone cases.
However, there may be some unfamiliar money-saving tips that can help millennials. The millennial wants to save money in areas that aren't essential to launching their burgeoning startups but can further their frugal ways.
Separate Your Business and Personal Expenses
As a startup owner, especially while you are at college, may be challenging to determine what a business expense is and what a personal one is. It becomes particularly sticky given the fact that you might be running your new business from your dorm or apartment.
However, it's important to keep good records that separate these expenses and account for them in distinct ways. For tax purposes, keeping good records can deliver additional savings in the form of deductions while lowering your risk of being audited.
Software like QuickBooks allows you and helps you to set up separate records for your business and personal accounts. QuickBooks can also be set-up to track the "what if" category. The What-if category is, "what if a portion of my dorm room can apply to tax credit?" These are the money spending categories you'll check on when tax time comes. Boom! You track it, you'll know what questions to ask and it helps you understand how to separate and track various types of expenses.
Because you're always on the go, it also helps to use an expense-tracking app like Expensify. This app manages every type of expense you have, makes it easy to divide up expenses, and even integrates with QuickBooks.
Reduce Expenses through Comparison Shopping
As a millennial you already do online comparisons. Would you eat at a restaurant without checking on yelp or some other verification site? Probably not. Go to a movie without reviewing? Never. For a movie, you check the review; the movie has your 5 star rating. Next steps, you click over and get the ticket — hop on maps if you haven't been to this venue (which you also checked out) and you're outta here.
You may not have realized how savvy you are to the many ways you can undertake cost-cutting and tracking exercises. As millennials you are connected in such a way as to get the word out online where the savings can be found in any business sector. Use this same process for your dorm room entrepreneur system.
Your search now includes ways to reduce utilities, internet, TV services, and more that previously seemed impossibly challenging. Many of these service providers didn't have competition before, so you were locked into paying what they felt like charging.
With the advent of cable-cutting companies, you can now negotiate. You can also seek out comparison shopping websites designed to save you a bundle with convenient connections to reduced internet services. There are numerous deals out there, and having a platform like this can help you locate and leverage them quickly. Like that movie. Boom, 60 seconds, not hours.
Establish Credit to Build a Good Score
Your business may need to tap into funding to grow and expand. Investors may not be as interested in you, or you may not need much in the way of capital. This is where credit can help, even if you've previously avoided it. Some use of credit can not only provide necessary capital, but it also offers a way to establish the credit score you need to get access to more credit later on.
When it comes to accessing business credit, both your business and personal credit scores are checked. With little to no experience with credit, it's important to educate yourself before making any decisions about what kinds of credit to apply for and how to use it. After all, you don't want to do anything that ruins this%2
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December 2017
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Not much left to go! I'm trying to finish in the next week or so. I'll keep you all posted.
Cover art should be quick once the editing is done. It'll probably take me longer to find a good pdf converter than anything. It's so hard to get a good one that switches to 6x9 and embeds fonts.
expect it on lulu within 2 weeks!

subset: commoncrawl


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Apple Bans Music Apps From iPhoneApple, Application, iPhone, iPod March 20th, 2008
Although app developers may be able to build such applications and might even be able to get it past Apple and get it in the AppStore, Apple is not letting developers access any functionality of iTunes.
That means if Amazon built an application that would let you purchase music through the Amazon store right off of your phone you wouldn't be able to sync those songs back to iTunes.
So unless some creative developer comes up with some way of letting users get songs purchased on the iPhone back to their computers it may be a useless effort.
I really hope that Apple, in time, opens up the SDK a little bit more and allows developers to be a little bit more creative and do some of the things that developers would love to be able to do. Its easier for Apple to release the SDK with less functionality and add some later than it would be for them to release it with tons of functionality and limit it later on.
3 Thoughts On "Apple Bans Music Apps From iPhone"
March 20th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Just curios do you need an app to visit Amazon when you can access direct to Amazon to purchase a song with an iPhone or iPod Touch.
March 20th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
currently you don't actually download the music from the amazon website, you need to use a downloader application to get the music. But even if you could get the music downloaded directly from the website the iPhone and iPod Touch don't have the ability to "download" files for use later. Apple would have to let developers put music files in the same place as iTunes does and allow developers to make entries in the list that the iPod app uses to find music on the phone.
March 20th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
You make a good point here:
Its easier for Apple to release the SDK with less functionality and add some later than it would be for them to release it with tons of functionality and limit it later on.
but another way to look at it is this is how Apple works – release a product and continue to improve it with updates and new functions. Look at the iPods first ones hard drive only and one size then the mini then flash based and color screens then video on the full size then video on the nano. You really think they where unable to have color earlier or video on the nano at the same time as the full size? Of course but but adding functionality over time adds value to the products and of course sales. By waiting on some features Apple is able to build demand, the same with the SDK by limiting certain Apps now they can open those Apps later and people will see it as added functionality of the iPhone or iPod Touch since most use the end product and not the SDK.


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"Paradise House is a Single Story Detached Property that Sleeps up to 10 people at any one time! This is a five star rated villa with Pool that was completely refurbished in 2009.
Paradise house is situated on Indian Creek, Kissimmee, Florida which is only 2.5 miles from Disney, 20 minutes from the International Airport, 10 minutes from International Drive, and approximately 20 to 30 minuets from Universal Studios and Sea World!
This unique property features 5 bedrooms and 4 Bathrooms which have been professionally designed, furnished and upgraded in all aspects.
The kitchen contains all necessary utensils needed. We have added a games room with pool-table, air hockey, Football table and electronic darts. Plasma TV in Living area, playstation, Free Wifi internet access, unlimited free calls to USA and CANADA are also included.
Villa Features:
Amenities – Air Conditioning, Washer, Dryer, Linens Provided, Off Street Parking, Beds, King Bed, Queen Bed, Twin/Single Bed, Crib.
Entertainment – Cable/Satellite TV, DVD, Video Game Console, Video Games, CD Player, Private Hot Tub, Private Pool, Pool Table, Foosball, Air Hockey.
Kitchen – Full Kitchen, Refrigerator, Dishwasher, Microwave, Ice Maker,Coffee Maker.
Outdoor Features – Lanai,Secluded Pool.
Communications – Telephone, Free Long Distance: USA & CANADA only, WiFi (Wireless Internet)
Suitability – Handicapped Accessible (may have limitations), Wheelchair Accessible (may have limitations), Chiled Friendly, Minimum Age Limit for Renters: 25 YEARS, Smoking Not Permited. NO Pets Allowed.
Activities (on site and nearby) – Golf, Tennis, Theme Parks (Amusement Parks), Shopping, Restaurants, Miniature golf."


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Just when you assumed Big Brother had delivered its last Annihilation Week twist, it's time for another shocker.
As revealed on Bit on the Side, Emma Willis will be entering the Big Brother house during Friday's (July 15) live episode to deliver some bad news.
Viewers are voting to save Hughie Maughan, Ryan Ruckledge, Evelyn Ellis, Sam Giffen, Jason Burrill, Jayne Connery, Alex Cannon, Jackson Blyton or Laura Carter - but they won't have the final say on who goes!
Once inside the house on Friday, Emma will reveal which three housemates garnered the lowest number of votes.
The six contestants saved by the public (and immunity winner Andy West) will be asked to decide which one of their three less-popular housemates to send home!
It's been a hellish few days in the Big Brother house as the Annihilation Week played out in stunning fashion.
Annihilation kicked off on Monday (July 11) with housemates themselves choosing to evict Chelsea Singh and continued on Wednesday (July 13) when Jason Burrill sent Lateysha Grace packing from the Big Brother house (after pocketing £20,000 for himself).
We're now in the home stretch of civilian Big Brother, with Channel 5 setting its grand finale for Tuesday, July 26 and the launch of Celebrity Big Brother for Thursday, July 28.
Big Brother's Eviction Massacre will air at 9pm on Channel 5 on Friday.


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The most popular TV event of the year – the Super Bowl – is just days away. But this yearly spectacle isn't just about the game; it's about the commercials too. In fact, last year's Super Bowl featured more than 46 minutes of commercials, the second largest amount ever, according to Kantar Media.
For viewers tuning into the big game to watch the advertisements, a second screen, such as a tablet, can enhance the Super Bowl-watching experience. With a second screen, viewers can tweet about their favorite commercials, visit an advertiser's Facebook page, or engage other spectators on GetGlue in game day conversation.
During this year's game, big brands are using interactive commercials to get audiences involved. For example, Star Trek fans can download an app to unlock exclusive Star Trek Into Darkness movie content and enter a contest during the movie's Super Bowl commercial. Coca Cola fans will be able to vote for how they want the company's commercial to end.
Hulu has even created a new Super Bowl AdZone where fans will be able to watch the commercials on a second screen laptop, tablet or smartphone in real time and then re-watch, vote for and share their favorite commercials on social networks. After the game, Hulu will announce the best commercials chosen by viewers.
This year, complement the Super Bowl game- and commercial-watching experience with a second screen.


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Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
Compliant tubes attain a complex three-dimensional geometry when the external pressure exceeds the internal pressure and the tube is partially collapsed. A new technique for remote measurement of dynamic surfaces was applied to classical experiments with collapsible tubes. This work presents measurements of the threedimensional structure of the tube as well as pressure and flow measurements during static loading and during steady-state fluid flow. Results are shown for two tubes of the same material and internal diameter but with different wall thicknesses. The measured tube laws compare well with previously published data and suggest the possible existence of a similarity tube law. The steady flow measurements did not compare well with the one-dimensional theoretical predictions.
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"She will die if you love her not" – William Shakespeare [Much Ado About Nothing]
I have a theory. I believe that love, deep deep love, has incomparable healing qualities.
Love healed my uncle
The last time I came to Australia prior to moving here, was to say good-bye to my uncle. He had a brain tumour and it was caught late. He'd undergone radiotherapy but it wasn't to be cured. My Grandad rang mum saying "Come now, this is it". We received the call at 10am and by 1pm we were at Heathrow ready to fly out to Perth. We landed at midnight local time where Grandad collected us from the airport.
I have the most fond and bittersweet memories of Grandad at airports. When he'd greet us, with Grandma, we'd all be full of joy, tears would flow and the hugs were full of gratitude. We were all thankful to be together again. The other times it would be to depart, still more tears, but these were full of question – When will we see each other again?
I don't remember if there were any tears when we landed on this occasion. It was different. Grandma was at home and it was just mum and me who had flown out rather than the whole family.
We drove straight to Uncle Cam's house. He was curled up in a hospital bed that had been installed in the house. He slept like an infant, defenceless. There he lay with his partner asleep beside him. My tall athletic uncle was so thin, scars sprawled across his head and his remaining hair appeared like a duckling's feathers sprouting for the first time. Given it was late, someone went into the bedroom ahead of us and gently woke the sleeping pair. As they rubbed their eyes, becoming accustomed to the light, we filtered in. Cam couldn't even hold himself to sit upright for the weakness that had overtaken his once strong body. Someone rearranged pillows and then moved Cam so he was perpendicular.
Sitting upright wasn't the only thing that Cam couldn't do. He couldn't walk, shower or get food, among many other basic actions. His speech was slurred and hard to understand.
That night when we arrived and he leant against the supporting pillows his beautiful blue eyes, the colour of the ocean, fixated on my mum. Growing up mum, one of five, was the only girl. She and Cameron were the closest in age and behaved like twins. All four of her brothers never address her by her name, just 'sis'; the only girl, their sis. The way Cam starred at his sis was magical. He was foggy, too tired to speak, but he knew. He couldn't figure out exactly who I was but he recognised me enough to know that I was something to do with mum and occasionally looked at me but his gaze was impossible to distract.
I stayed for 10 days and then flew home alone to go back to school. By day five of my stay Uncle Cam was walking around, showering unassisted and cracking jokes like he would have before the terminal illness took its toll. That day he lay in a hammock outside, swaddled in cushions and blankets, with a beer and a packet of snowballs. He smoked a joint and laughed unapologetically. His dog had had a litter of puppies, which he cuddles and loved. The whole day was beyond idyllic!
It was incomprehensible that in five days his condition had changed so dramatically! The only way I can understand this rapid improvement is that love is a phenomenal medicine. The love my uncle felt because of his sis travelling over 9000 miles to be with him. That kind of love transcends biological and medical comprehension.
Uncle Cam lived another 3 months after mum's visit when the doctors had given him 48 hours the day we flew out.
My own healing experience
Now, I am by no means comparing what I've been through this year health wise to cancer, but I observed a similar sequence of events when I turned a corner with my energy. While I was in London my energy was still volatile. In fact I had some devastatingly bad days.
I would often get tired in the afternoon but I almost collapsed first thing in the morning when just going or breakfast with my dad. Mum had to drive me home, as I was hysterical and in tears, frustrated with my lack of strength. I couldn't keep up with my niece and nephews in fact the three-year-old twins were walking faster than me. I lost vision and had no feeling in my left arm after climbing the stairs. I had to cancel on my friends for a humble get together. I was taken in a wheel chair through the 3 airports I encounters both to and from Australia.
It wasn't all doom and gloom though. My friends were so kind and generous with their time, they all travelled to visit me so that I didn't have to go far from my Mum's house (I was scared to go far in case I crashed I'd need to get to bed quickly). I went to my friend's son's 1st birthday party and my friend's dad's 60th. At both occasions I was able to sneak off for a nap mid event, and re-join everyone after. Being out scared me, but being at people's homes where I feel comfortable was perfect.
When I stayed at my sister's house the kids let me go for sleeps even outside of their napping schedule. My sister went above and beyond to cater for my new diet and even calmed me mid panic attack. She already has to look after 4 little people who rely on her, and she still found the time, energy and compassion to care for me so wonderfully.
Dad was a bit out of his depths with my foodstuff but he spent time with me, listening to me brainstorm about my new way of life. He only gently teased me when I ordered decaf coffee!
My mum bought heaps of vegan and gluten free delights for me to have at home. She cuddled me on the couch, gave me rides and let me drive her car. More than that, she loved my like only a Mummy can.
Almost as soon as I got back to Sydney something shifted. I remember as soon as I recovered from the jet lag I was walking with more purpose than I had in months. I can recall walking, fast, my legs appeared strong. I literally looked down at them marvelling. I put my hands on my thighs stunned by their power. It had been 18 weeks since I'd walked like that. It felt so amazing for my legs to actually do what they were made to do! Most importantly, I felt increasingly more positive having been with the special people in my life that love me deeply. Love and a positive attitude are a powerful combination.
After months of replacement therapy, months of lying on the couch, months of a new diet and little to no signs of improvement. Finally, I've turned a corner and am constantly progressing.
It's amazing what a little love can do.


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The seasonal attraction Stitch's Great Escape will return to operation this Summer at the Magic Kingdom, meanwhile, the Stitch meet and greet will relocate to Tomorrowland from Main Street.
The Stitch's Great Escape attraction will be open daily from May 27th until August 19th, 2017 from 10am-6pm before closing again for the Fall.
The Stitch meet and greet experience at the Magic Kingdom is also moving, relocating from Town Square to Tomorrowland on May 21st. Stitch will ow be located outside of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.
I don't know about you, but there are times when planning a Disney vacation can be overwhelming! There are so many options, where to stay, when to go, is this the best price. So, I want to introduce you all to Cindy Minor and the team at Small World Big Fun. They will help you plan your Disney vacation for FREE. Contact them today!


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Danger management station
The MM8000 danger management station provides a powerful solution for the centralized alarm management, supervision and control of a wide range of safety and security systems. It supports specifically fire safety, intrusion detection, access control, video surveillance and building automation installations. Third-party systems can be connected via standard interfaces (e.g. OPC or Modbus).
Safety: User guidance in case of an emergency guarantees that the right measures are taken.
Security: The operator will have access to exactly what was defined. Not less, not more.
Flexibility: The system can be built and configured to best fit an actual situation: MM8000 can be used with brand new installations, as well as to enhance or extend existing systems.
Reliability: The MM8000 is based on the concept of autonomous subsystems and distributed control. Furthermore, redundant configurations can be implemented.
Scalability: MM8000 will easily grow with company needs if support for more subsystems, more disciplines and more stations is needed.
Openness: Third-party subsystem integration using OPC and Modbus (via NK).
Optional OPC DA Server (MK8000) and RESTful Web services as interfaces to third-party systems.
Mobile device support: MM8000 Alarms app for smartphones and tablets (Android and iOS) that lets an operator view and handle events of a connected MM8000 management station. Search for MM8000 Alarms available at the Google Play Store and the Apple® App StoreTM.
Complete overview of the actual state of technical installations in a building at any time.
Homogeneous and intuitive operation of the different subsystems.
Comprehensive guidance and support of the operator in case of an alarm.
Logging of all activities and powerful reporting possibilities.
Comfortable navigation through the system via graphical maps or object trees.
Advanced graphics including AutoCAD.
Automatic and/or manual alarm dispatching via e-mail, SMS and pagers.
Scheduler application for time-based actions.
Configurable interactions between different subsystems.
System security based on Microsoft Windows (combined login).
VMware® / Windows Hyper-V virtual machine support.


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Articles tagged as: Interstate 74
October 17, 2017
Cable Safety Barrier Planned For Interstate 74
The Indiana Department of Transportation says the $2 million project will begin as early as December and should be complete by next summer.Read More
Hoosiers "in the know" are getting their answers from the show that does the talking: "Indiana Week In Review." You may tune in for the news, but you'll stay for the no-holds-barred debate and discussion. A look at issues facing...Read More


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3 Church Lane Unit N, Valley Cottage, NY
$ Click for current price
1 BEDROOMS | 1 (1 full ) BATHROOMS | 754 SQUARE FEET
- Follow This Home!
- Valley Cottage Homes for Sale
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- Market Insider Information
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Presented By:
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Office: 845-639-0300
Licensed In: NY
Property Description
Walk right in – there are NO Steps at this wonderful lower-level end unit. Bright and open kitchen with updated appliances kitchen leads to dining area with walkout to large deck. New windows and hardwood floors under carpeting. Updated bath has oversized walk-in shower with easy to clean tiles. HOA includes water & heat so you can stay extra warm this winter! Then take advantage of the community basketball & tennis courts and pool once spring and summer come. Cozy courtyard setting and only a few short steps from parking. Single-level living at its best!
Keller Williams Hudson Valley Realty works with sellers, buyers, developers and investors throughout the Hudson Valley. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. �2007 Keller Williams Hudson Valley Realty.�Equal Housing Opportunity.


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Your Mother-in-Law and His Ex
Are They Too Close for Comfort?
Does your mother-in-law stay in touch with the ex? This, despite the problems and issues she's caused for you and your partner? If so, you may feel betrayed by your mother-in-law or find her talk of "the good old days" off-putting. Not to mention their friendship, which is yet another reminder that the ex is lurking in the background. Continue reading "Your Mother-in-Law and His Ex: Inside the April 2018 Issue"


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I scrubbed it and painted it blue.
I then cut a couple of cardboard cake boards to fit. Found some pretty scrap book paper and decoupaged them on my "shelves".
|I tried to keep the string away from him but he still managed to get it in his mouth!
Have a great day!


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Home > About TOSHIBA > CSR > ESG Performance > Social > Social Contribution Activities > Ashita Award for CSR Excellence
Ashita Award for CSR Excellence
Activities for social contributions, that we do globally, undergo evaluation for 9 criteria, including purpose, employee participation, originality, continuity, effects on society, and cooperation with outside organizations. Every December, the activities that produce particularly noteworthy results receive an award for excellence in social contribution (Toshiba's "Ashita" Award) with a commendation from corporate CEO.
In accordance with the yearly awards ceremony, informative exchange meetings are hosted by the award-winning offices and the Group companies. Here we exchange opinions on promoting more effective activities for social contribution.
- Number of activities applied
- Number of Activities by Category
- Number of Activities by Region
- Award-winning activities
Number of activities applied
Number of Activities by Category
Number of Activities by Region
Award-winning activities
- 13th Winners
- 12th Winners
- 11th Winners
- 10th Winners
- 9th Winners
- 8th Winners
- 7th Winners
- 6th Winners
- 5th Winners
- 4th Winners
- 3rd Winners
- 2nd Winners
- 1st Winners
13th Winners(April, 2016 to March, 2017)
View the details for the 13th Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Japan Semiconductor Corporation Oita Operations
|Eco Study Session
|Toshiba Memory Corporation Yokkaichi Operations
|Teaching children about the environment in collaboration with local government organizations
|Hangzhou Toshiba Group companies
|Physically Disabled People's Artwork Exhibition and Spot Sale
|Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation:Mr.Kenichiro Fujino
|Tokyo Fire Department Emergency Support Volunteer
12th Winners(April, 2015 to March, 2016)
View the details for the 12th Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Toshiba Elevator And Building Systems Corporation
|Elevator confinement rescue training
|Himeji Operations – Semiconductor
|Donation and the discharge meeting of endangered species "Golden venus chub"
|Toshiba International Corporation
|Rebuilding Together Houston
|Himeji Operations – Semiconductor:Mr.Akihiro Tanaka
|The driver of a volunteer bus
11th Winners(April, 2014 to March, 2015)
View the details for the 11th Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Support Turtle Sanctuary
|Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation
|Conserving rare flora for biodiversity
|Toshiba Multimedia Devices Co., Ltd.
|Supporting bread sale of the Bread Studio Alice
|Toshiba Oita Operations : Mr.Hiroshi Nasu
|Pick-up activities for dialysis patients, disabled persons, elderly people and so on
10th Winners(April, 2013 to March, 2014)
View the details for the 10th Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Toshiba India Private Limited
|A collaborative activity geared toward self-sustaining communities in rural areas
|Toshiba HA Manufacturing (Nanhai) Co., Ltd.
|Campaign for protecting the environment
|Kaga Toshiba Electronics Corporation
|Forest development activities
|Chubu and Shizuoka Toshiba Group employees
|Donating Toshiba products to social welfare facilities
|Toshiba Solutions Corporation / Koichi Maruoka
|Building friendship between Mongolia and Japan
|Toshiba Consumer Marketing Corporation / Mamoru Sumita
|Emergency treatment activities in mountaineering
|Toshiba Tec Solution Services Corporation / Yumiko Hashimoto
|Smile Tohoku Project
9th Winners(April, 2012 to March, 2013)
View the details for the 9th Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Toshiba With Corporation
|Support for Intellectually Disabled People with Work and to Become Independent
|Toshiba Power Systems Company
|Geothermal Power Reducing Carbon Emissions and Coexisting with the Community
|Toshiba Information Equipment (Philippines), Inc.
|Banaue Rice Terraces Rehabilitation
|Toshiba Digital Products & Services Company Group
|'Donate Clothes to Africa'
|Toshiba Kansai Branch
|Inviting Children from Orphanages to the Fireworks Festival
|Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. / Ms. Colleen M Smith
|Power To The People-Off Grid Solar Installation-Rural Nicaragua
|Toshiba Sign language Club
|Diversity Promotion by Sign Language Instructions
|Toshiba Semiconductor Service & Support Co.,Ltd. / Ms. Yoko Okubo
|Support for Guide Dog Association through Charity Concerts
8th Winners(April, 2011 to March, 2012)
View the details for the 8th Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Chusonji Temple Golden Hall LED Lighting Project(Toshiba Lighting and Technology)
|Support for Recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake: Promotion of Tourism by Conversion to LED Lighting
|TPSC (India)
|Donation of Plumbing Supplies and Study Materials to Primary Schools in Rural Agricultural Areas
|Toshiba Television Central Europe Sp. z o.o.
|Collection of Electrical and Electronic Products from Employees
|Nishishiba Electric Co., Ltd.
|"Donation of Love Blood Drive" and Other Contributions to Local and Neighboring Communities
|Toshiba Home Technology Corporation
|Volunteer Replacement of Fluorescent Lights and General Cleaning at a Home for Elderly People Requiring Special Care
|Toshiba Fuchu Complex / Kiyoshi Suzuki
|Volunteer Activity in Areas Affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake
7th Winners(April, 2010 to March, 2011)
View the details for the 7th Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Japan Emergency Solar System ("Jessy") team/Toshiba Consumer Marketing
|Tohoku Disaster Relief
|Inan Electric
|"Education" Vocational Learning for Rural Elementary and Middle School Students
|Toshiba Storage Device (Thailand)
|"Conservation" Thai Forest Development (Part of Efforts to Plant 1.5 Million Trees)
|Toshiba Information Equipment (Philippines)
|"Health/Medical Care" Community Medical Outreach
|Toshiba Science Museum
|"Special Award" Toshiba Science Museum, a Proud Corporate Citizen for 50 Years
6th Winners(April, 2009 to March, 2010)
View the details for the 6th Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Toshiba General Hospital
|Healthier Communities
|Pink Ribbon Campaign Promotion Team (Toshiba Medical Systems, others)
|Raising Breast Cancer Awareness
|TEC Engineering
|Educational Support at Special-needs Schools
|Toshiba Lighting and Technology
|Environmental Education Focused on Lighting
|Toshiba Plant Systems and Services
|Supporting the Solar Lantern Project
|Westinghouse Electric
|Volunteer Projects on a Day of Caring
|Toshiba America Information Systems and Toshiba America Business Solutions
|Habitat for Humanity
|Toshiba Lighting Products (France)
|Life Lessons through Martial Arts
|Toshiba Storage Device (Philippines)
|Christmas Orphanage Outreach
|Toshiba Vietnam Consumer Products
|Disaster Relief and Financial Assistance
5th Winners(August, 2008 to March, 2009)
View the details for the 5th Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Kyushu Branch
|Ongoing Company Bazaars
|Chubu Branch
|Supporting an After-school Daycare Center
|Kawamata Seiki
|Stimulating Children's Interest in Science and Technology
|Toshiba Solutions Group
|Community Environmental Forum
|Toshiba Security Guard Corporation / Tokio Ito
|Encouraging Healthy, Conscientious Youth through Kendo Instruction
|Toshiba America Consumer Products
|Holiday Presents for Disadvantaged Children
|Toshiba Electromex
|Voluntary Community Renovation
|Toshiba Electronics Europe
|A Cheerful Christmas for Deserving Children
|Toshiba Embedded Software (India)
|Supporting a Christmas Event for Children with Disabilities
|Toshiba Consumer Products (Thailand)
|Coral Restoration Project
4th Winners(August, 2007 to July, 2008)
View the details for the 4th Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Himeji Operations
|Toshiba Dreams and Ideas Science Competition
|Keihin Operations
|Supporting Disabled Community Members
|Toshiba Carrier
|Forest Conservation in Shizuoka
|Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems
|Promoting Children's Elevator and Escalator Safety
|Toshiba Alpine Club, Mie Branch
|Supporting Student Hikes, Conservation, and Rescuing
|Toshiba Building / Katsuko Tanabe
|Outreach Concerts
|Software Engineering Center / Ryu Nakazato
|Swimming Assistance for Mentally Challenged Children
|Minani Plus Volunteer Nature Club
|Conservation at Forests Under Toshiba Care
|Westinghouse Electric
|Community Service by New Employees
|Toshiba Business Solutions New York
|Making a Difference for At-risk Youth
|Toshiba Europe
|Helping Disabled Members at a Vocational Center Relax
|Toshiba TEC U.K. Imaging Systems
|Charity Fundraising
|Toshiba Information Equipment (Philippines)
|Christmas Sharing with Special Children
|Hangzhi Machinery and Electronics
|West Lake Litter Removal
3rd Winners(August, 2006 to July, 2007)
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Corporate R&D Center
|Volunteering Leadership for Komukai Toshiba Boys and Girls Inventors' Club
|Komukai Operations
|100% Participation in 70th Anniversary CSR Initiatives
|Ome Complex
|Planting at a Forest Managed by Toshiba in Mitake
|Toshiba Denzai Marketing
|Donation and Installation of Security Lights in Noheji
|TEC Engineering
|"Kids' ISO" Environmental Education Internal Support, External Promotion
|Iwate Toshiba Electronics(present; Japan Semiconductor)
|Voluntary Community Clean-up
|Toshiba Building / Takakazu Chikusa
|Play-and-Learn Workshops for Disabled Children
|Toshiba Denzai Marketing / Hiroshi Kajiwara
|Mentoring High School Volunteers
|Toshiba Micro Electronics Center / Minoru Namekata
|White Blood Cell Donation
|Westinghouse Electric
|Christmas Angel Tree Project for Disadvantaged Children
|Toshiba America Electronic Components
|Christmas Gifts for Underprivileged Families
|Toshiba Information Systems U.K.
|Charity Drives on Casual Fridays
|Harison Engineering Korea
|Outreach for Orphans and Seniors Living Alone
|Thai Toshiba Electric Industries
|Ongoing Temple Orphanage Support
|Toshiba Group Companies in Thailand
|Community Energy Awareness Camp
|Toshiba Lighting (Fuzhou)
|Donations Supporting a Local Elementary School
2nd Winners(August, 2005 to July, 2006)
View the details for the 2nd Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Oita Operations(present; Japan Semiconductor)
|Year-End Charity Initiatives
|Toshiba Service and Engineering
|Home Appliance Disassembly Workshops
|Corporate R&D Center
|Raising Public Awareness of Environmental Initiatives
|Mie Factory, Mie Chapter of the Toshiba Labor Union
|Nursing Home Volunteering
|Kitashiba Electric
|Community Firefighting
|"Connecting with local areas" is a Toshiba LSI Package Solutions volunteer group
|Friendly Exchanges between Children and Special-needs Seniors
|Total Environmental and Recycling Management, Mie Office
|Offering Employment to Vocational Aid Centers
|Toshiba Electric Appliances
|Voluntary Community Clean-up by All Employees
|Tomoshibi Kai
|Orphanage Outreach
|Activities Committee of Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.
|ACT Committee Support of OC Social Services
|Toshiba America Information Systems
|Volunteer Fair
|Toshiba Research Europe
|Charity Sporting Events
|Toshiba Consumer Products Indonesia
|Children's Learning Opportunities
|Toshiba Group Companies in Thailand
|Mangrove Forest Conservation
|Hangzhi Machinery & Electronics
|Strengthening Community Ties, Joining Citizen Patrols
|Toshiba Elevator (Shenyang)
|Ongoing Support for Toshiba Elevator Hope Elementary Schools
1st Winners(August, 2004 to July, 2005)
View the details for the 1st Ashita Award winners
|Commended departments
|Information about activities
|Mie Operations and Local Group Companies
|Voluntary Recycling and ¥1 Donation for Fundraising
|Fuchu Complex
|100% Participation in "Heartful 65" Activities at Toshiba Fuchu
|Hokkaido Branch
|Voluntary Snow Removal for Seniors
|Fukaya Operations
|Toshiba Summer Festival, a 40th Anniversary Community Gala
|Toshiba TEC Corporation
|Employee-funded Disaster Relief
|Kaga Toshiba Electronics
|Semiannual Fundraising for the Community
|Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporaton Kanuma Operations
|¥130 Company Bazaar
|Toshiba Medical Systems
|Painting Exhibition
|Toshiba Electromex
|Community Service Program
|Volunteers of Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc.
|Ocean Institute and Underprivileged Student Support
|Toshiba Information Systems (UK) Plymouth Operations
|TPO Charity Fundraising
|Toshiba Electronics Malaysia
|Gotong Royong, the Spirit of Mutual Effort
|Toshiba Group Companies in Thailand
|"Brings Good Things to Life" Art Contest and Exhibition
|Toshiba Dalian and Toshiba Copying Machine (Shenzhen)
|Building and Supplying "Toshiba Hope Elementary Schools"
|Changzhou Toshiba Transformer
|Factory Tours for Elementary School Children


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Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Attitude Matters
As I was driving home a few days ago I found myself following a car with a slogan emblazoned across the back window in large, red letters. It said 'Don't Care!'
In today's world, it's easy to understand why people might feel this way. Every day we are bombarded with negativity via the television and newspapers – stories of war and natural disasters; threats of economic collapse and acts of terrorism.
Reports claim that more and more people are suffering from stress related illnesses. With untold numbers of businesses folding like an origami class, the only ones making a killing seem to be the Pharmaceutical companies, through the sales of the medications specifically designed to combat depression and anxiety disorders. So many people are just giving up. What's the point? All I'm doing is beating my head against the wall - making myself more stressed and anxious. Why bother?
But the 'Don't Care' Attitude, rather than making things easier, only contributes to the downhill slide.
In fact it actually helps to smooth the way and make things happen even faster.
I confess that I have never been a fan of those so called 'Self Help' books. The ones with Titles like 'You Are a Winner' and 'You Can Do It'. But in fact the philosophy contained in these books is for real.
Practise Positivity!
Now I know that even those two words can invoke a very adverse reaction. We've all met that perpetually sunny soul who breezes into the darkest moment of your life sprouting messages of The Silver Lining in Every Cloud, and how this traumatic event in your life is only going to make you a better person etc etc.
Yet a positive attitude is one of the most basic survival tools.
Last year my husband was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. For twelve months he had been assured that his symptoms were caused by a hernia pressing on his bowel. The diagnosis was changed to read 'bowel cancer' after the bowel actually ruptured.
For fifteen months he wore a Colostomy bag, suffered through 30-weeks of Chemotherapy, weekly blood tests, and seemingly endless visits to Dr's and Specialists.
He is currently recovering from the surgery to restore normal bowel function. It's been a long, hard road, fraught with obstacles. His Stoma was prolapsed, which meant that the bags didn't adhere properly to his skin and there were numerous embarrassing accidents. Because we are self employed, he had to come back to work as soon as possible after the first surgery, and didn't even have the luxury of hiding away at home. His much anticipated reconstructive surgery was postponed, not once, but three times, and each time hit him a little harder. Yet each time he managed to rise above the disappointment and maintain his optimistic outlook.
Right from the start he stated firmly that he would 'beat this thing' (the cancer), and he has.
They have it right, the authors of those Motivational Books. Whatever the question - the answer is to foster a positive attitude. You don't have to be the bubbling, eternal-ray-of-sunshine with a never ending supply of intended-to-be uplifting clichés. You just have to take down the Don't Care slogans and replace them with 'I Can and I Will'.
Posted by Lyn Murphy at 9:01 PM
1 comment:
- Jennette Green said...
This is so true! My husband and I have faced a very hard year as well, and attitude definitely does matter. You have to believe that you will get through it, and that things will be better on the other side.
I have short patience with those people who say that you're "learning something" through the experience, and you'll grow through it. While this may be true, it certainly doesn't help the person going through the crisis. People going through a crisis need prayer, empathy and support. Those things help both the giver and the receiver to grow and to overcome obstacles.
I am so glad your husband is doing better! And what a great blog post!
- August 18, 2010 at 6:49 AM
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- scotchoakburnAsked on July 28, 2014 at 07:05 PM
I have set up sub users for our account. When I set it up the user receives an email advising which folders are shared but nothing about logging in. We tried using their email address and trying to reset password but it says they don't exist and tries to create a guest login to the system.
When I set them up it says an invitation was sent. I deleted them and tried again in case I had something wrong, but can't see any extra steps or anything else to do.
How do they get a password and log in?
- scotchoakburnAnswered on July 28, 2014 at 07:15 PM
I have solved it - it looks like that user had created an account a long time ago. We created an account for them again and here was an old form in there. Shared to them again and all OK.
- JotForm SupportBDAVIDAnswered on July 28, 2014 at 08:08 PM
Glad to know you figured it out, if you have another question, please open a new thread, we will be glad to assist you.


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Hotel Grillo
: Assemini :
- Ngày đến
- Đêm
- Ngày đi
- Phòng
- Người lớn
- Trẻ em
|Loại phòng
|Junior Suite
Vui lòng chọn ngày lưu trú ở trên để xem giá tốt cùng nhiều loại phòng hơn.
|Standard Triple Room
|Standard Double Room
|Standard Twin Room
|Family Room
Tiện nghi khách sạn
Property Location
When you stay at Hotel Grillo in Assemini, you'll be convenient to Church of San Giovanni. This 4-star hotel is within the vicinity of Church of San Platano and Church of San Simone.
Make yourself at home in one of the 84 individually furnished guestrooms, featuring minibars and LED televisions. Rooms have private balconies. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature deep soaking bathtubs and rainfall showerheads.
Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities
Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities, including a health club, an outdoor pool, and a sauna. This hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and wedding services. Guests can catch a ride to nearby destinations on the area shuttle (surcharge).
Enjoy a meal at a restaurant or in a coffee shop/café. Or stay in and take advantage of the hotel's room service (during limited hours). Thirsty? Quench your thirst at a bar/lounge, a poolside bar, or a swim-up bar.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a business center, a computer station, and express check-in. Event facilities at this hotel consist of a conference center and conference space. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge at scheduled times, and free valet parking is available onsite.
Know Before You Go
- Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation.
- This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply). Guests must contact the property with arrival details 48 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.
- The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Crib (infant bed) fee: EUR 10.00 per day
- Rollaway bed fee: EUR 35 per day
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.


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Sigma Nu (Sig Nu) – Virginia Beta Chapter
President: Kumeil Hosain (firstname.lastname@example.com)
- Date Founded at University of Virginia: 1871
- Philanthropy: Xanadu Benefiting the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Philanthropy Chair: Kevin Wershaw (email@example.com)
- Alumni Chair: Walker Maxey (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Established in 1871, the Virginia Beta chapter of the Sigma Nu Fraternity has a rich history. Founded on the values of love, honor and truth, brothers of Sigma Nu have shown their commitment to UVA and the greater Charlottesville community through community service, extracurricular activities, and academic excellence. Our brotherhood is a diverse group of young men from all over the world, with many different interests and activities. Sigma Nu pushes each member to develop their mind, heart, and character. We are bonded on the common mission of developing lifelong friendships and service to the fraternity.
New house renovations have been completed in December 2017 including new hardwood floors, painted walls, and new furniture. We expect a great year to come for the chapter.


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Deadline: 15/12/2017
Beirut Art Residency | Open Call
Fostering dialogue between artists through a shared live/work space.
Description of residency program
BAR is a live-work space for artists looking to develop projects in a stimulating environment. The goal of the program is to facilitate collaboration between international as well as local artists. During their time, residents are encouraged to diverge from their usual practice and experiment with new ideas with the comfort of knowing that they are not expected to produce finished work at the culminating Open Studio event. The BAR team hold weekly meetings with artists to help them locate materials, connect with local art figures and generally find their bearings in this multifaceted city.
Duration of residency
Dates 2018
Jan - Feb
Mar - Apr
May - June
Nov - Dec
Disciplines, work equipment and assistance
Beirut Art Residency is a nonprofit, artist-run interdisciplinary space welcoming residents from all artistic backgrounds. Our artist-in-residence program is a prime stepping-stone for emerging artists embarking on their career and established artists exploring new disciplines. The residency seeks to foster cross-cultural relations between participants and the local artistic community in Beirut. This is achieved through organized screenings, workshops, open panel discussions and performances with art professionals from the Middle East and around the world.
Artists can chose between individual bedrooms or shared rooms.
Studio/ workspace
The studio includes a large shared studio space along with an individual studio space.
Fees and support
Our support includes lodging, studio space, cleaning service, and exhibition set-up.
Expectations towards the artist
The residency culminates with an Open Studio exhibition showcasing the artists works-in-progress.
Application information
Applications are open to all artists/writers/curators. The deadline is December 15th.
Beirut Art Residency | Open Call
Application deadline
Residency starts
Residency ends
More information
Posted by:
Beirut Art Residency


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It looks like just another street in Adams Morgan, packed with a lot of restaurants. 18th Street and Columbia Road NW has one of the widest variety of international cuisine all on one street. From West African, to Arabic and Korean food are all in a walking distance away from each other. Most foreign food restaurants are Americanized in some way, so finding the ones that provide food closest to home is difficult. Adams Morgan restaurants are one everyone should. Of course what is an American dining experience without a fast food place and a Chinese food, they are also present. But if you are looking for a place to indulge your taste-buds 18th Street and Columbia is the place to be. Here are some of the places to try.
Johnny Pistolas
A Mexican Taqueria Bar, that provides an atmosphere for everyone. Young people hanging out by the bar and families sitting by the tables. The main food is tacos and there are no fajitas or enchiladas. "Try the chicken taquitos," says Chef Tino. But if you want all that Pistolas has to offer, "Come to brunch on the weekend it is off the hook," says Reginald Chandler. Large groups can order taco trays that will have different kinds of tacos. Or else stop by on Tuesdays for taco nights, which are $2 throughout the evening. And what is a Mexican restaurant without Tequila, Tequila and more Tequila. This coming Cinco De Mayo there will be a live DJ and Salsa Dancers.
2333 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 817-3255
Julia Empanadas
Chilean Empanadas are the main attracting at Julia's Empanadas. The tiny shop smells like a bakery. The staffed pastry is baked or fried. Filled with anything from rice, black beans, chopped beef and chicken. The Chilean style beef is filled with ground and chopped beef, hard-boiled eggs, calamata olive, raisins and onions. Try a crowd favorite of Jamaican Style filled with ground and chopped beef, onion, potatoes, green peppers and curry. There are vegetarian options and fruit empanadas. There are homemade soups served.
2452 18th Street, NW, Washington D.C. 20009 202-328-6232
When people think of Korean food they think Kimchi but this restaurant offers Korean street food. This is not the street's of Seoul but you can find, Pork belly and bibimbap. There is a hangover soup for those who need it. Korean barbecue including bulgogi and kalbi are present. What Bul promises it has that no one else has is O-Dari is crispy fried squid legs. Lightly battered and seasoned with wasabi aloli on the side for spice.
2431 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 733-3921
Bukom Café
When you walk into Bukom Café get ready to wash your hands and eat, since most African foods are best eaten with hands. For a treat on West African cuisine try some fufu (pounded cassava mixed with plantain) with Nkatikwan (peanut soup). Fried plantains, wache (rice and beans) goes best with tomatoes sauce. For a little more spice try pepper soup. Kenkey and fried fish with hot sauce. For dessert try a meat pie, a dough filled with vegetables and ground meat. There is a live ban on the weekends.
2442 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 265-4600
Shawarama Spot
For a taste of Middle Eastern food try a Shawarma Platter. The meat, which is placed on a spit, is constantly being grilled. The meat chicken, beef and lamb is the main item on the menu. It can be served with a sandwich, on a salad or a plater with assorted vegetables.
2418 18th Street, NW, Washington D.C. 20009 202-332-1111
Want some Guinness and other Irish beers . A great place to be on game day. It is not hard to miss, the building is painted in green and yellow. The daily specials is what you come for.
2450 18th St. NW Washington, DC 20009 202-588-7405


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20 years after the release of the original, Sony is bringing back the AIBO, their robotic dog.
Straight out of an episode of Black Mirror, this thing can express a range of emotions, learn to love its owner. It even has two OLED for eyes. There's obviously wifi and cloud support as with any device released in the last three years.


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time to move?!
well, it's almost that time....
time for E to look at new apartments :)
last fall we discussed moving closer to downtown tampa.
both of us have always lived in small towns/country hills, and wanted to experience something new.
plus, when i officially move in, there are many more job opportunities for me there.
the area we're looking at is a historic neighborhood, a minutes walk from the center of downtown and right on the bay. it's so adorable, with all of the bungalows and sidewalks and palm trees. get this--i've never lived in a place with sidewalks! how crazy is that?
E meets with the apartment people tomorrow to take a tour. we have 3 choices, so cross your fingers for us that one of them works out! it's a matter of space and move-in dates...but we should know within the next week or two if it's official.
i can't wait to finally get a couch too! can you believe we still don't have one? i don't know how Eric has survived the past year without it, but within the next few months, we'll finally have a place to relax together--and can invite company over :) yay for new future friends!
although we've already mapped out the design ideas, we've only committed to pillows, curtains and some furniture. i can't wait to have some fun with rugs, wall decor and little knicknacks.
in the meantime, i'm loving this room right now. it's actually a design model for the walls by mur company. i've been swooning for days :)
how was everyone's weekend?