• Photo by Amani Hassan
    Sure, it's fun to watch the fireworks in your hometown with friends and family, but let's face it, you've probably done that almost every year of your life. So why not try something new this 4th of July -- like a last-minute beach getaway?

    "There are plenty of last-minute deals for the 4th of July, especially if you're flexible about location and travel times," says Lindsay Sakraida, the features director atdealnews.com. For one, Hotels.com is offering 30% off of a bunch of hotels this 4th of July, and then FatWallet.com is giving 4% cash-back on top of that. And a lot of hotels in Myrtle Beach and Orlando are offering big discounts, says Sakraida. Furthermore, if you're considering a last-minute cruise, "look to Carnival options first -- lately the cruise line has had a higher number of budget-friendly options than any other carrier, so you'll increase your chances of getting a good price," she says.

    And those deals are just the beginning. That's why Bundle.com

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  • By Jane Larkworthy, W Magazine

    Eight sunscreens you can trust under the sun.


    More from W:

    • Kim Kardashian's Shocking W Photo Shoot
    • Photos: Lady Gaga, Before the Fame
    • Celebrity Trainers Reveal Their Biggest Problem Areas
    • Photos: Brad and Angelina's W photo shoot

    Read More »

  • The Forgotten Cookie

    By | Author Blog Posts – Wed, Jun 27, 2012 9:23 AM EDT

    In today's day and age, peanut butter cookies are oft forgotten. I'd say the big reason is that a solid 99% of kids are allergic to peanuts today. Kidding, of course - but peanuts seem to be an extremely prevalent (and sometimes severe) food allergy today. Some kids in my school are so allergic that if they are in the mere presence of the legume they will react negatively.

    That's my theory as to why peanut butter cookies (almost) never show up on cookie platters or trays. However, in a sort of reverse-hipster way, I liked peanut butter cookies AFTER they most of their popularity.

    Here's a dandy recipe for them that I found handwritten on a piece of paper in my room. Yes, I added chocolate chips (why not?) and no, I don't do that criss-cross fork thing...Effort is hard. Also, these are healthier than most cookies. Protein from peanuts...And whole wheat flour! You really can't tell.

    2 sticks butter
    2 cups brown sugar
    1/2 cup white sugar
    1 cup peanut butter (I used Read More »

  • Nevada, Illinois, Washington, Tennessee, South Dakota and Oregon - six US states will receive $181 federal grant for the federal government to set up their health insurance exchanges. With this grant, the total value for the federal grant allocated to US states for setting up state health insurance exchanges, has reached $1.1 billion over the last two years. Till now 34 US states have received federal grant money from the US government for setting up insurance exchanges.

    While five of the six states - Tennessee, Oregon, Nevada, and Illinois & South Dakota have received Level 1 exchange establishment grant, Washington has received a Level II establishment grant. Washington is the second US state to have received the Level II grant, which is awarded to states that have shown progress in setting up health insurance exchanges. While the Level 1 establishment grant is applicable for 1 year, states that are awarded Level II establishment grant are applicable to receive federal funding for

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  • We are currently taking orders for my new book: My Boyfriend the Squire. You can order at:
    http://sbpra.com/TracyKauffman/

    About the book:

    Lucinda is on her way to see her brother in Italy, when she is transported back in time to the Middle Ages. She is mistaken for a young princess named Grace. King Charlemagne has done something to the princess and his wife, Countess Hildegarde. The Countess prays for deliverance of her and her daughter. Lucinda is brought back to help the countess, since she is the spitting image of Princess Grace.

    She meets a young squire training for his knighthood and falls for him. He helps her in her quest to free the king's hold on Countess Hildegarde and the princess. Lucinda returns back to the present day to meet Chad, a friend of her brother's. She thinks that he is Chadwick, but discovers he is one of Chadwick's ancestors. They fall in love, but then tragedy strikes. Can Lucinda and Chad's love stay strong through trials of her brother's death?

    Read More »

  • Salespeople and entrepreneurs alike frequently settle for small sales when in fact their sales could have been more frequent and larger in scale. Why does this happen and how may it be avoided?

    People buy from those they know, like and trust. Paying attention to details upfront establishes the quality of your relationships. A level of trust develops that ultimately determines your outcome.

    Let's first take a look at some of the details normally overlooked. Instead of allowing the day to fade away without being productive, maintain a prioritized list of tasks to be completed each and every working day. Included in the list should be time allotted to work on completing your bigger projects. These minute tasks leading to the completion of your big projects may be regarded as your daily business vitamins.

    As you become established, requests begin to pour in for partnering on a variety of levels. With your prioritized list in mind, only commit to those with whom you know well

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  • What is the image you have when you think about waves and a sale? I picture a speedboat out on the ocean with little wave streams following the flow. The imagery for me relates to business due to the fact that we now build followings online. So the question becomes do our connections follow our lead as if we were the speedboat? Following our lead refers to being attracted to what we have to say as well as what we have to offer. And if not, what is being missed?

    You would know if your lead is being followed online by the responses you receive and the increase in numbers following you. Are you checking steadily for the number of responses for each venue such as blog or video, and whether the interest is going up or down? Also, what is your actual feedback being received saying? Do some of your postings receive rave testimonials or unusually high Re-tweets or re-postings?

    It's interesting that Facebook named the statistics found on our pages for blog postings, video views, and

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  • New Thing

    By | Author Blog Posts – Tue, Jun 26, 2012 6:09 PM EDT

    "Watch for the new thing..."


    photo

    "Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already-you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there." (Isaiah 43:19)

    So what now? Ever have that feeling? This is one of the last of way too many boxes that I've taped and opened to prepare for filling. With each one I've had that same thought - "So what now?" The emptiness of the boxes reminds me of the unknown we face each time we make a transition. I'm writing this as I spend the last few hours as pastor of Sand Hill United Methodist Church. Next week when I write I'll be the pastor of Cross Lanes United Methodist Church.

    The unknown in our transitions can illicit a variety of responses, everything from fear to excitement. It's easy for transitions to evoke our fear, and with it our prejudices, hurt, paralysis, and even anger. When we stare into the empty box and see only emptiness our fear can cause us to hurt our selves and others and

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  • Avoid this mistake to keep your rates low. Avoid this mistake to keep your rates low. Whether you're hitting the road on a holiday weekend or logging miles commuting to and from work, be sure to pay close attention to the posted speed limit signs. Otherwise, a rear view mirror filled with flashing red and blue headlights could lead to more than having to dig out your license and registration.

    Get handed a ticket for speeding, and you won't just have to shell out a few hundred dollars for fines and court costs. According to data compiled by Coverhound.com, a speeding ticket can be devastating to your car insurance rates, and the effects can linger for several years after the incident.

    Coverhound's data says that a driver with a clean driving history -- no accidents, claims or moving violations for at least five years -- that gets nabbed for speeding will pay dearly. In addition to the fines and fees associated with the ticket, speeding tickets drove up the rates of Coverhound's clients by a whopping 40.23% the first year following the ticket.

    And those steep rates

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  • Hello DACED Friends,

    Our next General membership meeting will be tomorrow. We'll be doing a recap of the State convention for everyone who was not able to attend. Covering most everything from caucuses to workshops to the election of our new State Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa.

    I look forward to all of us sharing what we learned and experienced at the convention about the future direction our party here in Texas is headed in. The challenges we face such as voter turnout, raising money, growing our base, and recruiting qualified candidates. Our discussion should be very informative and inspiring, because I believe we can put into practice what we learned at the convention here in our small part of North Texas.
    Since the last time we all met, we have lost one of our most active members. Mr. Carl Johnson died of a heart attack on May 31st Carl was a DCDP Precinct Chair, and a invaluable member of the DACED family. He was active in countless local, as well as statewide campaigns.

    Read More »

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