Is
Your Kid Safe In CyberSpace?
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They’re on it every day. They communicate with their
friends. They play games, download software, and even talk to
strangers… sometimes without knowing any better.
Children are an integral part of our online community. One
day the Internet will play as central a role in our
children’s lives as the television or telephone does today.
There are lots of opportunities for kids online. Learning
opportunities, entertainment, and personal growth are all
available to those who "surf."
But do you know the risks they put you and themselves into
when they sign online? The challenge for parents is to educate
themselves and their children about how to use the internet
safely. Here are three easy steps and simple resources to make
you and your kids "net-wise!"
Take advantage of filtering tools available on most web
services and browsers, such as AOL, Prodigy, etc. Three of
the most popular tools include CyberPatrol, NetNanny, and
SurfWatch. Like the rest of the world, the internet may
contain material that is inappropriate for children. One way
to control what your child can see and do online is go to GetNetWise.org.
There you can locate "tools for families"
to help filter out the wrong sites.
Have a talk with your children about online safety.
Request a free Safe Surfin’ video at SafeSurfn.com.
Developed in partnership with the National School Boards
Association, this video features online safety tips for kids
from some of the younger generation’s favorite
celebrities.
Learn about your kid’s online world. Do what
responsible parents should do: pay attention to your
children when they go online. The more involved you are with
your children’s online activities, the easier it will be
to set limits and give direction. Clearly, there’s no
substitute for parents simply getting involved.
As parents, you should get to know your children’s online
friends and their favorite online areas, just as you know
their physical neighborhood friends, where they go, and what
they watch on television.
7 Tips To
Save Up To $200
A Month On Groceries…
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Want to save some real money? According to the American
Express spending index, U.S. households spend an average
$3,240 for groceries each year! As you can see, food expenses
represent a substantial percentage of household budgets. So
here are a few suggestions for saving hundreds on your monthly
grocery bill…
Shop for 2 weeks at a time. This will lessen impulse
shopping and help stick to your budget. Plan your meals,
make a list, and buy accordingly.
Never go food shopping when you’re hungry because
you’ll end up buying food that looks tempting.
Stay away from "prepared" foods and avoid the
outer isles where these products are featured. You may be
paying up to 50% more for those "prepared" meals.
Using coupons can lower your grocery bill by as much as
25%. The best coupons are located in your Sunday paper.
Buy store brands whenever possible. The fancy
"brand" names often make the very same food
products for the store brands and the only thing you’re
paying for is fancy packaging. Buying store brands can also
cut your grocery bill by as much as 25%. And that’s big!
Buy extra meat when it’s on sale and store it in your
freezer.
Don’t buy toiletries and household cleaners at the
grocery store, because they charge between 10% and 15% more
than the large discount stores and the "dollar"
stores.
Simple Fire Safety Tips
Save Lives!
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A house fire at any time can put the lives of you and your
family in jeopardy. Yet, fire experts say you can dramatically
reduce the deadly effects of a potential fire with just a few
safety tips. Here’s how to make sure you’re prepared in
the event disaster does strike:
Make sure your house number is visible from the street so
emergency vehicles can find you. Consider using oversized
reflective or illuminated numbers at the curb, preferably
next to your mail box.
Install smoke detectors in places where they will
activate in time for you to save yourself and family. This
is usually within a foot of the ceiling. Make sure they are
tested monthly by pressing the "test"
button, and replace batteries at least once a year.
Don’t rely on the alarm to make an intermittent
"beep" to change batteries.
Create a fire escape plan with an emergency route for
each family member’s bedroom. If bedrooms are on the 2nd
floor, purchase a simple chain ladder for escape from
windows. Arrange for a safe family meeting place outside the
home in the event fire strikes. This way, you’ll know
instantly which family members are accounted for.
Place an adequately sized fire extinguisher near
the kitchen area of your home. Also place one at the
opposite end of the home. Most homes use undersized
extinguishers. Even if a small fire breaks out, you’ll
want all the suppression you can get.
Remove all weeds, tree branches, leaves and litter away
from the perimeter of your home. Put a screen on your
fireplace and keep it closed at all times. It’s best to
sleep with your bedroom door closed to give yourself more
time to escape in case of a fire. And teach your children
what to do if their clothes catch fire: Stop, Drop, and
Roll.
Real Estate Question Corner…
Question: What
is your "Maximum Home Value Audit," and how does it
differ from what other agents will offer me?
Answer: If you’re thinking of
selling your home in the next year, you need to know about my
exclusive "Maximum Home Value Audit."
My audit is much more than a simple home valuation you’ll
get from another agent. It’s a complete top-to-bottom
analysis not just of the value of your home, but EVERY
aspect of your home affecting it successful sale.
It’s designed to specifically maximize the money you’ll
get selling your home and in a time frame that meets YOUR
agenda. And there’s absolutely no obligation for you to list
your home with me or any other agent. My audit will show you
how to…
Learn not just area values, but total market value so you
know how to price your home for top dollar…
Avoid the "7 Costly Mistakes" when selling your
home. I’ll give you a free report revealing all of them…
How to dress your home so it shows the best and commands
a higher price and faster sale …
My analysis will take only about 45 minutes of your
time…time I promise will be well worth it. It’s a special
Free service I provide to my clients and close friends. To
schedule your Home Audit at a time convenient to you,
please call my direct line at 815-394-1823.
A
Secret Shutterbug
Technique
As
you can imagine, professional photographers keep a
lot of extra film on hand, and
so do a lot of amateur photo buffs.
But
did you know that color print film can go bad
quickly? If
not used, the film’s color can deteriorate.
To
prevent film deterioration, simply store your film
in the freezer.
The freezing will prevent the film
deterioration and produce an excellent color.
When ready to use the film, let it fully
warm up to room temperature before you load it
into your camera.
Easy
Energy Saving Tip!
If
you have Venetian or other horizontal blinds in
your home, did you know that the direction of the
blinds can directly affect the heat and energy
loss?
Believe
it or not, there is a right way and a wrong way to
slant the blinds during the colder months.
During
cold months, the horizontal blind’s slats should
be slanted from the indoors to the outdoors (up).
Plus, make sure your horizontal blinds are
fully lowered so they touch the windowsill.
Slanting the blinds this way will trap the
cool air between the window and the blinds and
will your room cooler.
Do
just the opposite for warm months.
Slant the blinds from the outdoors to the
indoors (down).
Amazing
Facts!
ü
Most
lipstick contains fish scales.
ü
The
first product to have a bar code was Wrigley’s
Gum!
ü
The
average person laughs 13 times a day.
ü
Baby
Robins eat 13 feet of worms each day!
ü
You’ll
blink 10,000,000 times in a year.
ü
Fingernails
grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.
ü
Chewing
gum while peeling onions will prevent you from
crying!
ü
166,875,000,000
pieces of mail are delivered each year in the U.S.
(so
that’s how so many get lost!!)
ü
Every
human has a distinct tongue print.
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A
Thought For The Month…
“What
life means to us is determined not so much by what
life brings us as by the attitude we bring to life;
not so much by what happens to us as by our reaction
to what happens.”
Lewis
Dunning
Are
Two Really Better
Than One?“How
was your golf game dear?” asked Jack’s wife.
“Well,
I was hitting it pretty well, but my eyesight’s
gotten so bad that I couldn’t see where the ball
went.” “You’re
seventy-five-years-old,” admonished his wife,
“why don’t you take your brother Scott along?”
“He’s
eighty five and doesn’t even play golf,”
protested Jack.
“But
he’s got perfect eyesight and can tell you where
the ball went,” his wife pointed out.
So
the next day Jack teed-off with Scott watching.
Jack swung and the ball disappeared down the
fairway.
“Did
you see it?” asked Jack.
“Yep,”
answered Scott.
“Well,
where is it?,” yelled Jack peering off into the
distance.
“I
forgot! |
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