Hawaii Real Estate Market

We live in the beautiful state of Hawaii, and love almost everything about it. But there are trade-offs and one of them is the cost of living. The cost of real estate in Hawaii is high, but there are some places on the mainland which have similar prices, like San Francisco and New York. The Hawaii real estate market varies greatly depending on which island you’re considering. Oahu has the most expensive median home prices, but it has the most job opportunities and pay is generally higher there.

Most of the homes on Hawaii would be considered quite different from homes on the mainland. They are mostly wooden and have an island style to them. The yards are much smaller than in other states, but there’s no need for heaters and the grass stays green all year. Many homes have fruit trees,  including mango, papaya, banana, etc. There are a few neighborhoods near the ocean, and anything with an ocean view will be more expensive.

In order to learn more about the Hawaii real estate market, you should use the information on www.zillow.com. Zillow is well known for providing extensive real estate information, including estimated home values, plus what the sale price was for homes in the area you’re considering. They can provide estimated rental prices and what you can expect to pay in taxes.

This post is brought to you by zillow.com

Appliance Junk Removal

Have you seen the program on A&E called Hoarders? On each episode they show two different households where one of the people living there is a hoarder. Hoarders can range from someone who go around the neighborhood and picks up stuff from the curb to someone who never throws anything away, including the trash and garbage. Those are extremes, but both lead to the same thing, a house full of stuff that will eventually need to be disposed of.

I know you’re probably not a hoarder, but most of us do have houses full of things we’ve accumulated over the years, and have not gotten rid of it all for various reasons. Maybe we’re keeping it for a garage sale, or we think our children will want it when they move out someday in the future. The problem is that it takes valuable space that you could be using for something better, like a play room for the children, or a crafts room.

If the problem gets too large, or you just don’t have the time or energy to get rid of junk you no longer need, you can log onto www.1800gotjunk.com. They specialize in Appliance Removal Chicago area. So if you have a garage full of old appliances or have some computers you want to recycle, give them a call. They will take your items to a landfill if they can’t recycle it or find a local charity that can use it.

This post is brought you by http://www.1800gotjunk.com/.

Skillet Bacon Jam

My family loves bacon! We would always buy it at the grocery and have it for breakfast on the weekends and whenever day we can cook in the morning. I was given a free sample of Skillet Bacon Jam. It’s crushed bacon with spices already added. I tried it with bread alone, with spam and rice and I think it would be great too as a spice to add that bacon flavor in any dish. If you get this product, I’m sure you will have a lot of ideas to add it to your menu. After all, bacon is one of the most versatile food on the planet.  The Skillet Bacon Jam is so convenient to use whenever you feel that bacon craving.

To buy it, you can go to http://www.skilletstreetfood.com/.  There are also free recipes that you can find there.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Cruise to Alaska

It’s been so hot recently. Summer is definitely here and is not going away anytime soon. This could be a record setting summer full of 100 degree days in the Midwest and Northeast US. On days like this, I think how nice it would be to go to Alaska and enjoy the cooler temperatures. But how would you get to Alaska? Some might drive, but that would be a very long trip through Canada. I’ve heard it’s a beautiful drive, but who has the time? Another option would be to fly. That’s quick, but then you would have to rent a car to get around seeing glaciers or trying great Alaskan seafood.

I think the ideal way to see Alaska would be on a cruise ship. Every desire would be pampered to, including room service and all the Alaskan seafood you can eat. Cruises are consistently rated the best vacation experience by travelers because they can relax and let the staff take care of everything.

One of the best website devoted to Alaska cruises is Cruisevacationcenter.com offer a full range of cruises with many dates and cruise lengths to choose from. They have a toll-free number to talk to a customer support representative. They include excellent Alaskan seafood and breathtaking views of glaciers and mountains. So stop sitting under an air conditioner and get out and enjoy your summer in cool, beautiful Alaska.

This post is brought to you by Cruisevacationcenter.com. Thank you. I would love to see Alaska and we'll definitely consider Cruise Vacation Center.

Stay in Touch With TracFone

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

These days everyone has a cell phone. Kids are getting cell phones at earlier ages than ever before. Some people have even replaced their landline home phone with a cell phone, and that trend is growing. Cell phones have become part of our culture, and now we wonder how we ever got through life without them.

 There are many styles and features of cell phones. Some are flip phones, and some have keyboards to make texting easier. Many have cameras and can take videos. But one of the drawbacks of cell phones is the cost of the monthly plan we have with a carrier. I know friends and family who spend over $100 per month on their cell phone plans. 

There’s another option that will save you money, and it’s called TracFone. TracFone offers so many features including pre-paid phones and plans to those who don’t want to be bothered with monthly cell phone bills. You can pay as you go online or with cards available at thousands of retail stores across the country. You can also get one year service cards or receive double minutes for the life of your TracFone. To keep costs minimal, you can choose monthly plans with 200 minutes for under $30.00, and as low as $9.99 for 50 minutes. Here is a video with real TracFone customers.

For those of you who have family or friends in other countries, you can call over 60 countries internationally for the same price as any other call. With the International Neighbors program, you can provide family and friends in Mexico or Canada a local phone number in those countries to reach you at your TracFone in the U.S. So, if you want to simplify your cell phone expenses, check out the TracFone.

Cute items

I found these items at Zulily. I would love to have them for RC. I need a time out chair for her but maybe if the chair is this cute, she would want to sit down and don't mind being on time out. Zulily is something that I learned from other bloggers and I'm glad that I have found it. I already ordered twice from them and I will definitely still order in the coming days.









How about the last picture. It is a potty chair and rocking chair in one. Your little one can put his/her books on the side, read while going potty and the toilet paper is on the other side. Pretty smart but again I don't know if my daughter would want to be rocked while going potty. Zulily has so much cute stuff, especially clothing for babies and toddlers.

Summer at Hiltons of Branson

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Each summer Branson has many great events, including Family Fishing Weekend and Fourth of July celebrations. You can visit Hiltons of Branson Site for the complete calendar of events. When you’re not watching live theatre, you can go to Silver Dollar City. It is a great Ozarks-themed amusement park with fantastic rides, shows, and exhibits the whole family will enjoy. I haven’t been to Silver Dollar City yet but I will definitely put it on my list the next time we visit Missouri.

A great place to stay is at the Hiltons of Branson, which are the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and the Hilton Branson Convention Center.  They are both great hotels which provide excellent service to guests and have outstanding amenities.  Both are located close to Branson attractions, including over 50 live performance theatres, Table Rock Lake, Shepard of the Hills, and many others.

While we were in Branson, we visited Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum and went to Jim Stafford’s theatre where we had front row seats to a fantastic live music show by Jim and his family.  Ripley’s Museum has many wax figures which look very real and the exhibits cover many interesting subjects.  On our next trip to Branson we’ll be sure to see Silver Dollar City and see another show at one of the many music theatres. The photos above were from Ripley’s and Wax Museum.

At this time, Hiltons of Branson is offering the Branson Best Value Vacation package which includes the room, tickets to a Kung Fu show, passes to Silver Dollar City and gift cards for a restaurant and shopping. They are a kid-friendly hotel and their packages includes children's tickets too. Everyone in the family will have a great time. For more information, you can visit the Hiltons of Branson website.