My recent relocation from the 24 degree weather of Boston, MA to the sunshine and beaches of Southern California got me to thinking about the differences and the similarities of the holiday season for people around the country.In Boston right now, we’re celebrating the Patriots win and getting ready for a cold Turkey Day.In Southern California, we may not have had as much luck considering the Chargers loss, but we’re also getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner followed by a stroll along the Pacific Ocean.Whatever your location, there are several truths to the holiday season.The truth of the matter is that most people tend to put on some extra pounds starting with Halloween and continuing through the New Year.And every year, many of us go through the same thought process.You may have found yourself saying:”This year is going to be different.”"I’m going to eat less. I won’t have 2 desserts.”"I’m going to start exercising before the holidays.”"I’m going to stick to my New Year’s resolution(s).”To help you out this holiday season, we’ve put together a list of the 5 biggest health and fitness mistakes people everywhere are making and what you can do to make sure you don’t fall into a weight gain trap.Here are the Top 5 Health and Fitness Mistakes You May Be Making…Health and Fitness Mistake #1Not Having or Not Changing Your Cardio Exercise ProgramMany people hit plateaus in the quest for better fitness. Sometimes it’s a weightlifting plateau and sometimes it is a cardiovascular fitness plateau.Remember, your heart is a muscle, too – the most important one.If you aren’t working it at all or if you keep doing the same cardio routine over and over again, then your heart is never challenged in a good way.To make sure that you are training your cardiovascular system correctly, you’ll want to cross train by employing several different cardiovascular activities.Here are a few to get you started during the holiday season:* Walking – Take a walk with family members before and/or after your holiday meals. It’s a great way to burn a few extra calories and will warm your body up a bit (especially those of you in Boston and the colder climates).* Cross Training – If you’re at the gym, test out a machine you don’t normally use.If you’ve been using the treadmill forever, the muscles you can see (your legs) and the muscles you can’t see (your heart) are probably getting comfortable.Switching exercise machines will keep those muscles guessing and can even make the time seem to go by faster.Health and Fitness Mistake #2Only Doing CardioCardiovascular activity will help your heart get stronger and help you to burn some fat and carbohydrate calories, but a faster and more efficient way to get to your health and weight loss goals is to couple your cardio with a weight lifting routine.Weight lifting will help to build some lean muscle throughout your body.Having a little more muscle on your frame will help you burn more calories throughout the day.Health and Fitness Mistake #3Eating the Wrong Foods…And Too Much of ThemIt’s hard enough to eat the right foods in the right amounts throughout the year.During the holidays, offices and kitchens are often bombarded with sweet and sugary treats. It can be almost impossible to resist.That’s why so many people put on anywhere from 5 – 20 extra pounds during the holiday season.If you’re concerned about gaining weight during the holidays, these 2 tricks will help.1) Increase or maintain your water and fruit intake -Once you are at a holiday dinner party it may be tougher to resist the food temptations.Before you leave the house be sure to drink a glass of water and/or have a piece of fruit. This will help quench at least part of your appetite and leave a little less room in your stomach for that extra cupcake.2) Bring healthy treats to the office -If there is only one choice, then that’s the one you’ll make.By having a selection, it will be easier to make some heart healthy, lower calorie choices.Having fruit salad rather than a bowl of chocolates is a great way to stick to a sound nutritional plan.Health and Fitness Mistake #4Concentrating on Muscles One at a TimeLong gone are the days of working the biceps only.Split routines (a staple of bodybuilding) are being replaced by various total-body workout strategies.Not only do you burn more calories, but you can get more done in less time.Health and Fitness Mistake #5Not Asking for Help When You Need ItWith so much information available in magazines and yes, on the internet, it can be difficult to know what information to trust.Too often we keep plugging away, too proud to ask for guidance or assistance.If you’ve been stuck in the holiday cycle of gaining weight and losing weight, only to gain more weight, then lose it again, and you’re ready for change, then don’t be afraid to ask for guidance from a certified health and fitness professional.The Manhattan Beach Personal Trainer Team has over 10 years of experience in creating effective fat loss and weight loss programs.We’ve successfully helped hundreds of clients through the holiday season and are ready to help you.Schedule your complimentary consultation here.I’m looking forward to speaking with you soon.
The main disadvantage to trying to acquire tax lien properties is the long wait that goes into a tax lien investment before a deed can be obtained. Some states have a redemption period as long as 4 years (the time allowed for the owner to pay off the lien). And, after the redemption period there is often a significant wait time for the deed to actually be issued by the county and a quiet title action performed (this is necessary before you can sell the property with title insurance).Also, you’ll find that over the course of the redemption period, most tax lien properties will indeed redeem (pay you off), leaving you with a decent interest rate but no properties.I’m about to show you a way to get tax lien properties now, without doing any bidding, waiting, or investing your own funds to buy tax liens.Several years ago, while attempting to obtain tax lien properties myself, I noticed that 95% of the properties redeemed, and that using all my available cash I could only purchase 10-20 liens each sale. This meant that I only stood to get on property at the most from the sale. In fact, I never got any properties, all my liens paid off.At the same time, because there were hundreds of liens sold at the sale, indeed there were a couple dozen properties that were lost each year. The problem was, there was simply no way to know which tax lien properties would go all the way to deed, so you just had to get lucky with whatever liens you purchased.One day I was going over the final results of a tax lien sale that occurred the year before (there was a one-year redemption period which had just ended), and I was looking at all the lucky buyers that had acquired a property or two. There were actually some nice properties on the list that could have been redeemed for less than $10,000 that were worth over $100,000.It had been several months since the redemption period ended, and I thought to myself “I wish I had been on this owner’s doorstep right before the redemption period so I could have warned them – I could have at least given them some money for the property so they walked away with something!”.Then it hit me – why don’t I look at all the tax lien properties from this year’s sale, that could still be redeemed for the next few months, and start approaching all the owners who were about to lose their properties!I did just that. I looked up which liens had sold the year before, and crossed out all the ones that had paid off in the meantime. This gave me a short list of all the owners who were about to lose their property. The original tax lien properties list before the sale was over 10,000 properties. Of those, about 1100 sold at the sale and by the time I got the list 800 of them had paid off. So I had a prime list of 300 properties to really focus on over the next month.The results shocked me. Here’s what I found:Most of the properties were free and clear. I later realized that if a property had a mortgage, it was likely one of the 800 that paid off already because mortgage lenders redeem properties to save their own interest.
Far fewer of the owners were owner-occupants compared to mortgage foreclosures. Of those who did occupy the property, most had been given the property through an inheritance or other means. To this day I’ve never seen someone who spent 30 years paying off a mortgage and then allowed the property to fall victim to unpaid taxes.
Many of the property owners were deceased. I soon learned how to get deeds from the heirs and get instant title to the property. Most states have a “small estates” provision that will allow you to get good title to the property without a long, drawn-out probate. Since almost nobody outside the legal profession knows how to do this, you’ll have a tremendous advantage.
All the properties that “fall through the cracks” end up at a tax sale eventually. Maybe someone was given a property they didn’t want. Maybe someone was sick of paying for repairs and taxes and just gave up being a long-distance landlord. Maybe family members moved into the house and were supposed to pay the taxes but didn’t. For whatever reason, tax lien properties are the most interesting source of pre-foreclosures you’ll ever find – and the profits can be immense.Best of all, you can get involved with little risk by either making a token payment for the deed to the property (in the case of someone who tells you they’re letting it go), or by getting the property under contract and flipping to another investor.Incidentally, investors trying to get their hands on tax lien properties through tax lien auctions are excellent people to assign contracts to – they are proven cash buyers who buy sight unseen, and you can get them a property now with no bidding or waiting, at a bargain price! What could be better?
I’ve made my living completely online since 2007. Hence, I receive a lot of questions from others who want to know how they can do the same. Following is one, which inquired me to write this article on “how to make money online” along with my answer. Query any successful online entrepreneur, and I’m willing to bet dollars to doughnuts they’ll tell you much of the same thing.Question from an Unhappy Full-Timer Who Wants to Quit Her Job and Make a Living OnlineI can’t tell you how happy I am I found your site. You are doing exactly what I want to do and you make it simple to understand. Because of circumstances I work 60-70 hours a week at a job I hate. What would be the best something small I can start with so I can cut back on my overtime and work my way out of my job. You offer so much wonderful information I don’t know where to start. Thank You, L-One Way to Make Money Online — FreeIn answer to her specific question about what small thing she should start with, my answer would be affiliate marketing simply because you can, in essence, make money online for free — as in, you don’t need to spend anything to start making money.With that being said, following are some concrete steps you should take if you want to learn how to make money online. This advice applies to any type of online business you want to start because the foundational steps for success as an online entrepreneur are the same.5 Easy Steps to Get You On Your Way to Making Money Online – No Matter What Type of Business You Want to StartI. DECIDE Many who want to strike out on their own fail to get started because they talk themselves out of it by putting roadblocks in the way. For example, they may say, I need to get a website before I start, learn how to update a blog before I start, get my logo designed before I start, do (you fill in the blank).All this is is fear – and many fail to get real with themselves and recognize it because they think they’re doing something, i.e. waiting to get a website done, etc.The bottom line is, if you want to start making money online, don’t wait for the timing to be perfect or to get “x” done, etc. The reason is the timing will never be perfect and you’ll never finish all you want to do before you start.You just need to start. Once you do, the excitement and momentum will usually keep you going – getting all those things done that you thought you needed BEFORE you started.II. STOP “OPPORTUNITY SHOPPING” A pro — and con — of making money online is that there are one thousand and one ways to do it. I know this from personal experience, as I earn money online in several ways, i.e. as an affiliate marketer; writing and self-publishing my own line of eBooks; and as a freelance (SEO) writer for online businesses.But you have to settle on a business idea – and stick with it. If you keep flitting from opportunity to opportunity, you’ll ever make any real money online because you’ll always be starting over.III. LEARN SEO In case you don’t know, SEO stands for search engine optimization. And if you do business online, you need to know it because SEO is all about getting eyeballs to your site/blog/online presence. Without website traffic, you can’t make sales.And FYI, you don’t have to become an “SEO expert;” knowing the fundamentals – and staying on top of them – is all you need to be successful. Once you start working your online business, you’ll naturally learn more because you’ll be reading what others are doing and trying out different things..IV. PUT TOGETHER A MARKETING PLAN Once you get the fundamentals of search engine optimization under your belt, then you need to create a marketing plan. With so many ways to market online, it’s critical that you have a defined plan that you can afford to stick to – and work consistently (this is key to marketing – online and off).V. MAKE TIME TO KEEP LEARNING Making money online is a process of trial and error. You’re going to try some things that work brilliantly, and others will be a complete flop. But you have to keep at it. If you stay focused in your efforts (e.g. not flitting from one business to the next); track your efforts; and make time to continuously learn what the “big boys” do to make so much money, eventually you will hit upon something that works.
Whether you’re in the market for a major interior overhaul or you’re simply looking to give your home a quick and easy update, chances are you’ve spent some time online hunting for ideas and inspiration. That said, it can be pretty deflating to stumble upon a look you love only to discover the price to achieve it is well above your budget.
Fortunately, there are some killer home decorating blogs that show you how to refresh, revive, and fall in love with your home anew without breaking the bank. For a home that looks far more expensive than it costs to create, check out the following blogs for all of the interior inspiration and DIY tutorials you’ll ever need.
Welcome back to the week 5 update for the One Room Challenge. Check out the blog posts and updates for week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 if you missed them. It’s crunch time now and I’ll be honest… I don’t know that this project will be completely wrapped up for the reveal date. The great thing is the reveal and hitting a deadline is not the only goal of reason for this challenge. Ultimately having a fully functional and hopefully beautiful bathroom is where we want to end up even it things are a bit delayed.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.
When we left off last time the countertops had been templated, the trim was freshly painted and the hardware had been ordered. The hardware took about 1 week to arrive. We chose the Menlo Park 4″ pull from Schlub in chrome because I think the pull has the perfect mix of square and some rounded elements that make it a great transitional hardware option. We went with all pulls for the drawers and doors since the knob option in that line weren’t our favorite.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
The quartz countertops are now installed and things can be put back together. Rectangle, undercount sinks were also purchased through the fabricator. The Marble look quartz from Pental and it is gorgeous with the warm gray veins running throughout. For the edge went for a flat polish eased edge for a clean, simple look.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
Two days after the quartz countertops were installed the tile installer came back to finish up tiling the niches, installing the tile base and grout everything.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
The electoral is being relocated for the new lights. There are some drywall and painting touch ups to do and plumbing fixtures to be hooked up. Plus adding all the finishing touches ???? All those little things like towel hooks, curtain rod, and accessories will bring this whole thing together.
It’s been too long since I’ve updated and even longer since this work has been started. This is me sharing remodel updates, mostly for myself (but also for my nagging family members). I’m sharing photos of the progress that has been made while also document the craziness that has gone on. This is just the beginning of the remodel.
Prior to moving in I had 3-4 weeks where my apartment lease overlapped with the possession of my townhome. This allowed me, with the amazing help of my family, to paint, tear-out carpet and somewhat put back together the upstairs portion of my place so that I could have a clean room to put a bed. At least one that wasn’t completely torn apart. One area that felt more livable that the rest. If you haven’t seen or don’t remember these are the before photos from when I took possession. To list it out here are the main things that I was tacking during those week prior to me moving in.
Phase 1 Remodel Projects
ripping out baseboard, carpet and tack strips upstairs and preparing for new hard surface flooring. (this flooring will go throughout minus the stairs and bathrooms/laundry)
installing flooring upstairs (one of my installers did this)
mostly gutting the master bathroom
installing a new tub and rough in plumbing for the master and powder bath
ordering and installing a rift white oak vanity for the master
Painting (and priming where needed) the ceilings and walls of the bedrooms. Caulking and painting the crown molding in the master
replacing and upgrading the baseboard heater in the master and patch the drywall
painting the hallway and down through the stairwell
adding skirt board to the stairs
installing new carpet and pad on the stairs (my carpet installer from work did this)
removing upper cabinets on the fridge side in the kitchen
partially demoing the wall diving the kitchen (prepare to move switches, outlets, heater and thermostat)
removing drywall on wall next to bar in dining area
painting the downstairs powder bath and removing vanity to prepare for a new floating vanity
Those were the main projects that took place and then I moved in the day after Thanksgiving. Getting rid of the original, nasty cat carpet and new flooring made a huge difference to the upstairs. Also neutralizing and lightening the paint made things feel so much more fresh. I still have no baseboards but I’ll get on that one day! For now here are some photos that I snapped along the way.
It’s been a while since been posting on here but I have some new updates and projects that I have been working on. Last summer into fall I was house hunting while knowing the lease on my apartment would be expiring end of the 2019. It felt a little crazy but was a fun process for me. After a bunch of searching I found and closed on a new home!
I was lucky enough to have a few weeks of overlap with my apartment (I ended up moving out 1 month early) so I was able to get started on projects and updates prior to moving in. I’ll share more about those in the coming weeks (there are still so many unfinished things!) but for now I think it’s best to start with some before photos. Also, follow along on Instagram where I post current project updates more often. The pictures show it in the state I bought it in. It’s a great first place to me and was functional as-is but as you might expect I’m here to make things my own by doing updates that I will enjoy while living here and that will also add value and functionality to the space down the line when I sell… or maybe even keep it as a rental. My dog, Nova, has been enjoying the space as well ???? There are a couple of things to miss about my Bothell apartment but I am very ready to have my own place and space.
In 2017 the guest bathroom was remodeled. You can see more photos and read about that here. Almost everything came out and all new things went back in. From emails and comments people have been asking for sources so I have rounded up what I could in this post to share paint colors, products and links that I could find for the bathroom.
Bathroom Sources and Details:
Wall color: BM Balboa Mist
Trim and door color: BM Chantilly Lace
Floor Tile: Pental Mark Chrome 12×24 matte
Shower tile: Jeffrey Court Weather Gray 4×12 gloss subway
Niche tile: Daltile clio mosaic
Bathtub: Maax Rubix tub
Cabinet: Spencer Cabinets – painted BM Cape May Cobblestone
Countertop: Pental Quartz Misterio polished 3cm
Cabinet hardware: Schaub Menlo Park Pull in chrome
Faucets: Hansgrohe Metris single handle in chrome
Shower trims: Kohler slide bar kit, wall mount supply and Hansgrohe tub spout in chrome
Mirrors: Homegoods
Towel Hooks: Delta Tolva robe hook in chrome