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Even in this down economy, there are opportunities out there for you to be able to invest in a safe way. An investment does not have to be the purchase of a home or thousands of dollars in high risk stocks. There are small ways that everyone with a few dollars in their pocket can get involved in a simple way to grow your money.

Rebuilding of America (ROA) is an affordable investment opportunity that costs just $20 to join, plus a processing fee of $5. Your investment is out into Jumbo Certificates of Deposit, which happen to be fully insured by the FDIC. Then, ROA then “leverages the CDs to purchase, rehabilitate, modernize or finish foreclosed income producing properties all throughout the USA.”

ROA’s operates using the interest on the CD’ and then distributes the profits from their projects to the investors annually. Because the original investments are never actually used for the projects (just the interest, remember?), they are safe and are returned to the investors after the five-year term of the CD. It’s a unique investment project for those of us in the ranks of the middle class, or for those learning how to invest. Most other investment projects require a much higher minimum investment, while the idea behind ROA is that $20 is a amount that most anyone can afford – thus keeping the project attainable to a majority of people.

Jim Jameson, CEO of Rebuilding of America, says something I find very telling about the ROA project: “If Obama and McCain can raise millions of dollars at $5 per person to buy ads and run their campaigns, I figured we can use the same power of the masses to really make a change in our economy.”

The projects that ROA will tackle with the interest earned from the CDs will be reviving things like a housing project for senior citizens that was 60% complete when the construction company went bankrupt, a low-income housing project that was devastated when Hurricane Katrina hit, and other localized projects that revive communities, provide jobs, and stimulate true change for the people they benefit.

I think this is an exciting take on true grass-roots efforts and an inspiring example of everyday people working to be the ones who actually change our nation.

We have been making this in our family for about 30 years and as Christmas gets closer, I start digging out recipes like this one. It really lends itself to the season.

Cake:
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup dark rum (80 proof)
Glaze:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark rum (80 proof)

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease and flour 10″ tube or 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool.

Invert cake on serving plate. Prick top. Drizzle and smooth glaze evenly over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze. Repeat until glaze is used up.

FOR GLAZE: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil’ 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove heat and stir in rum.

I’m here in Florida this particular Thanksgiving, but whenever I make it back up north for Thanksgiving, I’m surrounded by family. I have my mom and sister here, but nothing like my huge family up north.

I’m thinking about Thanksgiving today, because my family here is celebrating today, Saturday. The family tradition of someone being very ill each Thanksgiving played out as usual this year and so we simply moved the festivities to today. I can smell the onions and celery parboiling in the rich broth that I will use for the herbed dressing. The free-range, organic turkey is in the oven and making the entire house smell amazing. I could go on and on.

One thing that is different about Thanksgiving up there is that during hunting season, family gatherings inevitably turn to conversation about hunting. Various family members own a lot of wilderness land and take game hunting seriously. I have always benefitted from the meat they fill my freezer with after a good season. I miss that part of living closer to the bulk of my family

So, in my own wandering way Thanksgiving makes me think about my family and their penchant for hunting and hunting stories (the one that got away, the most points, etc.). Well, not so much my dad as my uncles and numerous cousins. But that is beside the point.

Now that I have linked Thanksgiving with hunting season, let me also link Black Friday to hunting. The Nikon Black Friday Promo is their Ultimate Hunter’s Package brought to you by Nikon Sport Optics, NikonProGear.com and Lee and Tiffany Lakosky (of the Outdoor Channel’s “Getting’ Close”):
-ProStaff 3-9×40 Riflescope with BDC Reticle
-ProStaff Laser Rangefinder
-Silent Technology Rangefinder Case
-Mastering a Long-range shot with BDC DVD
-$50 NikonProGear Gift Card

When you buy the package together, you end up saving $144.90. Hurry, though, this pricing will only last through Cyber Monday on December 1.

Isn’t it a breath of fresh air to see a Black Friday promo that is not focused on toys or televisions?

Like this is any surprise? 

Here are some stats from the National Center for Health Statistics:

• 12,792 divorces in January-February 2006
• 14,079 divorces in January-February 2007
• 15,301 divorces in January-February 2008

Florida is a “no fault” state. You can file for divorce for any reason you like. You can wake up one morning, as one attorney explained to me, roll over and decide you do not like your husband’s hair. That is reason enough for Florida!

Initially, a no fault divorce was designed to protect battered wives. They abusive husbands could not refuse them a divorce and hold them in a marriage. Good for them, sincerely. However, for the rest of us it means if you have an impulsive spouse (as I did), there is no recourse. If they file, you have to legally reply or the courts will simply grant them everything they ask for in the filing. Sad, but true.

So, of course the divorce rate in Florida is going up. It’s cheaper and easier than getting married. There is no mandatory time for a legal separation, like in Virginia and other states. File those papers, hash it out, sign and go.

..but, there is more than a grain of truth here.

Black Friday is typically when brick and mortar stores like to pull out their popular merchandise and price it all at prices that will make you want to wake up and be banging on their doors at 3 a.m. Internet stores, though, tend to wait for the following Monday, which has fondly been called Cyber Monday for the past several years.

Charter Communications is celebrating both black friday and Cyber Monday with a surprisingly cool deal on their Ultimate Bundle. Aside from Charter’s deals on 1 Service ($25), and 2 Service ($75), and 3 Service ($150) packages, you can buy Charter’s Ultimate Bundle and get $250 gift card. Plus, you will be automatically entered into a drawing to win one of 45 X Box 360 game consoles.

The Ultimate Service Bundle is the way to go, since for only $165.97 you get high speed internet, unlimited home phone calling, digital home TV, Charter HD, Sports View, Digital View, HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Encore, Showtime, and the Movie Channel. Not only is this a great price per service, that $250 gift card covers about a month and a half of your service – so it’s like getting that month and a half for free.

You get to choose your gift card and they have a ton of stores to choose from, including Best Buy, KB Toys, Applebee’s, Chili’s, Kohl’s, Shell gasoline and more.

I was on the fence before about getting up and doing any shopping on Black Friday. In fact, even after going through the ads in the paper this morning, I was unsure if it was really worth it. I only saw a handful of things I thought might be worth my time and money.

Somehow, though I ended up with a list of 7 stores I want to try and go to. Some are actually only back-up plans if items I want at other stores are not available. I’m most intimidated about Toys R Us. I went last year and the line was long, the crowds cranky, and the 2nd line to get into the electronics section was hideous. Last year I was not interested in the electronics, but this year I want to try and buy some games for the Nintendo DS I just ordered for my daughter on Amazon. The DS is being sold in bundles at all the stores tomorrow and includes games that look pathetically worthless. The pink DS I want is the same price everywhere, so I just decided on Amazon since I had over $35 in gift certificates that needed to be used there.

I’m not sure you will find me anywhere at 4 a.m. I might get up and go around 8, though. I do not enjoy the pushing crowds or the fist-fights. My dad says he called his local Wal-Mart and since they are open 24-hours, they are not closing and re-opening the store for Black Friday. They are letting people inside and will simply have the Door Buster items on the floor in shrink wrap. At 5 a.m. they will cut the shrink wrap. Anyone else see the problem there? I would not want to be within 100 yards of that mess.

I’m happy with my recent career change, but I have to admit that sometimes I miss my old industry. Although I worked as the director for the art department for my old company; that company was a manufacturer and I absolutely loved the science and technology surrounding the business. These days, you’ll actually find me reading a magazine on plastics or architecture before I’ll pick up a book on graphic design. I love the prospect of new information – the learning process and the feeling of acquiring new knowledge.

My latest informational passion is architecture, as evidenced by my mention of preferred reading material above. It started when I was still married and we had grand plans to build our dream home. I started getting interested in design and construction trends, the move to green materials, and how the industry was compensating for the shortage of some raw materials and their accompanying price hikes.

I started seeing a trend in metal roofs. They last longer, they look cool, and the ideas is that it is sustainable. I saw that the trend had moved also to a point of design – the decorative touches you see around the house. Perforated metal is turning up as lighting covers, ceiling and wall panels, balcony guards, and more. It’s modern looking, clean, easy to maintain, and long lasting. Sheet Metal Stamping can provide a plethora of cool ornamental patterns.

Of course, that is just the decorative use for stamped metal products. More traditionally you see the product in appliances (think your dryer drum), automotive equipment (grilles and guards), medical equipment, and more. I’m endlessly fascinated that a product that has so many industrial type uses has trended toward something that’s in high demand for decorating your home.

In the past, I have allowed my daughter to choose one fairly expensive Christmas gift and then supplemented with a generous handful of lesser gifts. Sine I buy throughout the year, she ends up with dozens of things each Christmas, many of them quite nice. I just happen to be able to buy more by taking advantage of fantastic sales throughout the year.

I was going to pass on a a high-end gift this year and stick with the styling head I have been talking about, as well as some Hannah Montana t-shirts, makeup kits, a PC video game, and assorted princess items. Oh, and a computer with a flat panel monitor that a teacher at school gave me to give my daughter.

However, Gigi reminded me that she has wanted a Nintendo DS for the last year now. It’s not prohibitively expensive, but in light of the economics of our times and my dogged determination to save for a house, I have to think twice before just running out to buy one. The console retails for around $130 and each game is about another $30. How long will it be relevant before I need to chuck the whole kit and caboodle for the next great thing?

Any comments? I would love to hear from any of you who think the DS is worth it.

I have been hearing a LOT of cool things about Sears lately. There is a lengthy discussion going on right now on one of my mailing lists about how Sears goes the extra mile for their employees who get called up as reservists for active duty. Not only do they hold their jobs for them, they supplement income and maintain benefits. I cannot think of many businesses that put their money where their mouths are and really PROVE they care about their military employees.

And now I am reading about another program Sears has called the Heroes at Home Wish Registry. You can donate money to the program and Sears will take all of the money collected and distribute it equally between all of the registered families in the form of Sears gift cards. The program benefits those in the military and their families. It’s a wonderful, selfless program and it puts the focus back on the HEROES who are out there right now fighting to ensure that our nation stays free. I thin it is unfortunate that the recent election overshadowed news of our soldiers and I’m thrilled to see a program like this put the focus back where it belongs.

I’d like to encourage all of my readers to go now and donate to the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry. When you look at the family wish lists, you’ll see that most of the families just need help buying warm coats and other clothing for their kids. It’s an honor to be able to help them fulfill that.

I know there are people out there who are close to impossible to buy gifts for. So, with that in mind, I am going to feature some of the cute t-shirt designs I have on hand. You can order them on an array of shits, hats, even boxers and things. If you happen to like one of my designs and want it on a different item, let me know and I will set that up for you and adjust it for minimal price mark-up – so you will get what you want and at a great price, too.

Here is my sexy, cute cupcake design…

I don’t need much for myself for Christmas. In fact, I am thrilled to no end with the simple paper ornaments my daughter makes for me at school. I look forward to the crafts made with glitter and pasta. I have all I need in my life and the Christmas gifts that warm my heart are things like a night of quiet in the house or a nice foot rub.

On the other hand, my daughter has a lengthy wish list for Santa. In fact, she has several – pasted up all over the house. She has gone through toy catalogs and sales flyers and cut out pictures of the things she wants.

There are toys on there, but there are also a lot of things that show me she is growing older. She wants a makeup case and nail sets and perfume. She wants gadgets to bead her hair and lots of jewelry and hair accessories. MEGA brands makes a lot of the girly things my daughter wants. They are mostly known around my house for their block sets and building kits. My daughter has a Cinderella’s Ballroom set and the mickey mouse magic Clubhouse, in fact. This year, though, her little fingers bookmarked the pages on the MEGA website for the B’Chic Manicure Salon and the Hannah Montana Make Your Own Fashion Accessories.

I actually really love the MEGA brands site. They have all those great Rose Art kits. I can always find a ton of stocking stuffers and gifts for Gigi’s school friends that I feel great about. Plus, they are affordable.

And so, this year my wish list to Santa is all about the things I want to be able to give to my daughter. Watching her open her gifts gives me all the joy I need. Well, that and a quiet evening alone afterwards. I like to look at Gigi and tell her that, like the song, “All I Want for Christmas is You.”

So, I opened up the Kmart ad this morning that went out ot those who get the Sunday paper. We don’t get the Sunday paper, though, so it just came in the mail yesterday. Kmart has several different models of Barbie styling heads on sale for $9.99.

The pictures shows a plain looking Barbie head and one with a princess crown, etc. The text near the picture says that the assortment may vary from store to store. Neither head had hands showing, which seems to be a *must* for my daughter. I can just envision the 25 layers of nail polish she will apply in the first 24-hours.

So, it came down to me showing Gigi the various models online, so she can see the differences. She was the most enthusiastic about the Cloe Bratz torso model – although I understand that is not technically a Barbie head. Still, it IS in the back on my van as I type this, so it felt good to know I chose right.

Still, those $10 heads are appealing to the wallet. Wow, that last sentence sure came out sounding creepy.

The refrigerator in the kitchen is making clanking noises. And, it is not staying cool as well without running all day and all night. It’s time to look into the face of big-ticking shopping and admit that I need a new one.

I’m a Kenmore fan. Specifically, I like the dishwashers and refrigerators made for Kenmore by Whirlpool. So, Sears is my natural first stop. Lucky for me, Sears is having a lot of their impressive season sales NOW, before the traditional Black Friday shopping frenzy. Their Sears Pre-Thanksgiving Sale suits me in more than one way – I can get a good deal now, when I need it AND I can avoid the panic-driven frenzy of Black Friday. Well, I’m not sure I will be avoiding Black Friday, but it is not the best day to shop for something as important as a refrigerator.

Here is an example of what I can look forward to: a 15% cash back after mail-in rebate on all appliances over $499. That means if I spend $1000 on a new refrigerator, I can expect to get $150 cash back. That rocks, if I must say.

I could go on to tell you all about my plans to pick up a snazzy side-by-side with filtered water lines and a stainless steel design. However, I am working with limited space in the kitchen due to the cabinets that I do not at this time have the money to remodel. So, I’ll be going after a modest Kenmore, like the one pictured here. The 18.2 cu. ft. model is going to come to only $424.99 after the rebate. It makes me wonder why I waited this long to get a new fridge, especially since I have known for a while that my old was not particularly energy efficient.

I am a recent convert to the tradition of standing in line at insane pre-daylight hours on the day after Thanksgiving looking for “door-buster” sale prices. My family was always into it, but I was more interested in the extra sleep after turkey day.

Since my daughter has been born, I have been more interested in the Black Friday sales. Why? Well, toys and electronics tend to be the two shopping categories where you can find the honestly good deals on the day after Thanksgiving. I have stood in line at toy stores the last couple of years to buy items that already happened to b on my daughter’s wish list, so that I could snag the items at the best price of the season.

I’m already looking at the Black Friday ads that one can find all over the internet and trying to plan whether or not I will bother to get op at the crack of dawn on the day after Thanksgiving, and if so – which stores and in what order.

My daughter wants a Barbie styling head. I have been looking around and most of them retail for between $30 and $45, depending on the style. I found a Bratz styling head at Toys R Us that showed a $14.99 clearance price and even though the full price scanned, the manager honored the sign for me. A Bratz doll is not my first choice, since up until now I have been firm in not letting Gigi have Bratz – but, the price was right. However, it looks like if I want to get up early on Black Friday, I will be able to get a Barbie Island Princess styling head slash karaoke machine for $14.99. I might just have to make a switch.

And so, I leave you now. I need to get back to browsing Black Friday ads.