Well, I like to take a look at the business section in the paper each day.  I also read a few business blogs as well.  What can I say - businesses and investing are some of my passions and I try to keep up on what is going on around the world in these areas.

So, today when I was looking at the paper they had their annual report on the top franchise opportunities and fastest growing franchises.  There were some companies that I was really familiar with, but others that I had never even heard of.

I thought it would be neat to see how Starbucks did compared to other companies.  It was nowhere to be found.  I thought that was a little strange so I looked into it a little further.  After completing my research I found out that you cannot buy a Starbucks franchise - so it looks like my dreams of owning one have gone out the window.

Well, I am going to keep looking down the list - it is sure interesting to see how much money some of the stores that you normally visit each week make.

Last night the family and I made a trip to the library like we do each week to find some books to read.  We usually get a bunch of story books for us to read to the kids, but this week, our son wanted to pick out one book by himself.  Considering he really can’t read yet, I was unsure of what to expect, but we happily let him try it out.

So we let him go look for a book.  About ten minutes had passed and he returned with a book about homemade dog food.  Strangely this was appropriate as we have a puppy at home.

After we returned home and put the kids to bed, I decided to take a look at what was in the book he brought home.  Inside there were recipes on how to make dog food and dog treats.  They looked pretty easy and we decided to let them try making some tomorrow - not only will the dog love it, but it will teach the kids cooking skills as well.  We’ll just have to make sure neither of the kids try to lick the spoon - I don’t want them eating dog food.

For me, I need some fun in my life each day to get by.  Sometimes if I have a bad day, or need to forget what happened during my day, I sit down an play some fun games, and I forget about those things.

Depending on my mood and the day I have had, I pick different types of games to play.  For example, on a day when I come home angry, I find myself playing some fun action games to blow some steam off.  Usually after an hour or so of playing the games, I calm down, and can get on with my evening.

On good days, I treat myself to fun puzzle games - they get me to think and develop my brain.  I especially like the ones where I need to figure something out like a puzzle, or word based games.

My personal philosophy on games is much like the old "An Apple a day keeps the doctor away" saying.  I say: "Some fun each day, makes life better in every way."

I have been an addict to video games for a large part of my life.  This addiction started when my parents wouldn’t let us play many games as children - and it just made it worse.

Now, as an adult, I struggle with video games on a daily basis.  It comes down to a choice - either do something productive, or waste my day playing video games.  Thankfully, I have found a solution to my problem: crossword puzzles.

Anytime I feel like playing a game, I do a few free online crossword puzzles instead.  They challenge my brain while at the same time, I learn interesting facts and trivia.  After doing a couple of puzzles, my need to play a video game is gone, and I can get on with my life.

I have also been trying to make my own puzzles using a free crossword puzzle maker I found online.  I have been submitting my creations to a forum I frequent, and the feedback I have had so far has been great.

So, if you are like me, addicted to video games, try the distraction that works for me: crossword puzzles.

I have been creating jewelry for three years.  It all started out as a hobby and the pieces were nothing too fancy.  Very soon after I started, I was told that I had quite a talent and I started getting a lot of interest in my pieces.

Since then, the hobby grew into a business and for the past year it has been my sole source of income.  I have now decided to take it to the next level and start manufacturing pieces with diamonds.

Looking into buying wholesale diamonds was a new experience for me.  I have to admit though that my Houston diamond hunt was a lot of fun.  The San Antonio diamond hunt was even more fun.

I have created eight pieces now, with loose diamonds and they have all turned out very well.  Three have been sold and I expect them to go almost as fast as I can create them.

The people that work at home are a different group of people.  They have different desires and wants compared to the average person.  One thing that can set them apart from others is the love of office furniture.

Now, most people don’t love office furniture.  But for me, I love my desk, and my mesh office chair.  Without them, I would not be able to work in comfort - rather my job would be more of a struggle.  In some respects, the furniture that I have help shape my experience at work.

If my home office furniture was run down, I would not feel any pride in what I do.  I also would be ashamed to have clients over - the furniture offers a first impression of your workplace.  If your furniture is professional looking at well taken care of, your clients will feel confidence in doing business with you.

So, I can admit that I love my office furniture.  It shapes my experiences while I am working, shapes the experiences of my clients, and presents the image I want for my business.  Without it, my business would not be as successful.

I have always been a writer at heart.  Also, for those of you who know me, I do like helping people.  So, one day over lunch, one of my friends suggested that I could put my two passions together and make a book out of it.

All I needed was a topic.  That actually came to me when I was at a friend’s wedding.  I was talking to the Best Man after his speech and he mentioned that he had some real problems writing his speech.

So with that, I started writing a book oh how to write wedding toasts and speeches.  Now I did have to do quite a bit of research before I could write a good book about it.

I came up with some great tips to creating outlines for wedding speeches.  In fact, I came up with a way to create a speech in less than ten minutes - but you’ll have to get the book to find out how.

I also included some sample wedding toasts to give the reader an idea of what they should be writing.  I suppose in a pinch that they could use the samples and customize them to their situation.

So I have just about finished my draft.  I am going to let some of my friends proof read the book before I sell it.  If this one goes well, I can see myself writing books for a living - and that wouldn’t be bad at all.

Quite often, when you are overwhelmed with debt and bills, there doesn’t seem like there is any light at the end of the tunnel.  Don’t lose hope, there are many options at your disposal.

Taking advantage of a debt negotiation program can reduce the stress in your life, and your monthly payments.  What they do is give you credit and bill consolidation help which consists of reducing your debt and your monthly payments.  It also eliminates your many payments into just a single payment - making it a little simpler each month to get your debt eliminated.

If bills are not really your problem, but your credit cards are, you can take advantage of credit card negotiation services.  It is very much the same process as above, you will have one easy payment per month with the goal of being debt free in less than three years.

There is also a "last ditch effort" if none of the above methods will work for you, or you are just too far in debt, you can also go bankrupt.  I suggest that it should be used as the last method - as it destroys your credit score and can impair your ability to get credit for a number of years.  On the other hand, if you have no other options, it is better to go bankrupt as opposed to going to jail.

Be sure to consult with a professional before you make any of the above decisions - they will be able to give you an answer tailored to you and your situation.

I never thought I would be one to even think about it, but I am
considering having plastic surgery. I always thought that I would be one
to grow old gracefully, but now that the wrinkles are starting to set in,
I am not so graceful about it.

For someone like me, cosmetic plastic surgery is a really big step and is
definitely not one I would take very lightly. I would need to do a lot of
research as well as get opinions of those that I am close to.

The thing that scares me the most is facial plastic surgery. I would be so
scared that something would go wrong because your face is one place that
you can never cover up. I am sure that I will go through with the
procedure, as many of my friends have done it and they are all fine, but I
am still worried about it.

I know at my age (29 if you wanted to know) I am constantly hounded by life insurance agents.  They want to sell me a policy and love to come by each year to sell me more.  I find it kind of funny that at my age you are betting against your own life - if you die, someone "wins" your insurance policy - it is kind of weird if you ask me…

So, if it makes sense to bet on your death, you should probably bet on your bad health.  Now, this seems kind of weird, but a Long Term Care Insurance blog I was reading recently stated that over 70% can expect to need extended health care in our lifetime.  The catch is most of us will need the care when we are retired and have only our savings to sustain us - which at the prices they charge for the extended care, most of us will be in trouble.

I mean big financial trouble.  Consider on the low side, with minimal home care, you can expect to spend over $25,000 per year in today’s dollars - it doesn’t take too long to spend that money you have been saving all your life.  People are also living longer, so once you do need the extended care, most people can expect to need it for many years - putting you under more financial duress.

Based on the statistics I shared above, it is a pretty safe bet that you will need some extended care and you should protect your finances.  You can purchase a Long Term Care Insurance policy that will pay for your extended health care, releasing the financial burden from your finances and family.

Just be sure to take a look at your options sooner as opposed to later - once you need the long term care it will be too late.