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Articles by Nicki Escudero
Memories of Mom #47: Baby Teeth
I went to the dentist yesterday, a place where I'm always reminded of my mom. That's because she and I have something very unique and interesting in common - we both have/had baby teeth well into adulthood. In the same place, too! Both bottom premolars. My mom lost her two baby teeth when she was pregnant with my brother. She kept them while she was pregnant with me, but when she was 29, she lost them.
Memories of Mom #46: Favorite Birthday Gift
My mom’s birthday is Sunday, August 10, and in honor of her birthday, I’ll share her favorite birthday spot with you: For Nails Only in Scottsdale, AZ. My mom’s most-requested birthday gift was for a gift certificate that covered the cost of a Deluxe Spa Pedicure ($40). The service includes a callus removal, an aromatic sugar scrub, a 10-minute massage with hot stones and polish application.
How to create a compost pile at home Original
You can create your own compost at home, just by using woody materials and dry leaves, as well as food scraps that would otherwise go in the trash. Making your own compost at home can help you save money instead of purchasing it, and it can also help you reduce your environmental footprint. According to the USDA, food scraps and yard waste make up around 30% of our waste.
Ways to decrease energy use at home Original
When you’re buying the following products, look for a blue ENERGY STAR label. This indicates the product has met the federal government’s standards to be labeled as more energy-efficient compared to products that don’t have the label.
Memories of Mom #45: Alanis Morissette
I recently was able to see one of the best-selling musicians in the world, Alanis Morissette, at the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, Spain. This was a huge deal to me, because her album “Jagged Little Pill” was released when I was in middle school and became the top-selling album of that year and remains one of the most popular albums that was released in my lifetime. This was my first time seeing Alanis live — what a treat! I couldn’t help but cry, because my mom loved Alanis Morissette.
At the next summer barbecue, use these tips to make it more sustainably minded Original
It’s not just wasted food that contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions and landfill waste. Plastic packaging, contaminated recyclables and missed recycling opportunities can all impact the planet. At your next summer barbecue, use these tips to make your event more sustainably minded. You may inspire friends and family to do the same when they host, which can create a positive ripple effect in your community and beyond.
3 ways to ensure trash items are actually recycled
You want to keep more stuff out of the landfill. Unfortunately, some of what gets tossed in the recycling bin isn’t recyclable at all. According to the World Economic Forum, 59% of people in the U.S. are “wish-cyclers,” people who think more items can be recycled than actually can be. When we toss non-recyclable items in the recycling bin, they can contaminate the whole load, and render everything in it as trash, instead.
Memories of Mom #41: Flan
Nicki Escudero · Follow Just now -- My dad’s birthday is this month, and it reminds me of something my mom used to do every year for his birthday: make a ton of mini-flan desserts for him. Flan is one of my dad’s favorites, so this was the ritual. Just like the photo above, every year in March, the oven would get filled with my mom’s desserts. They filled the house with a warm aroma that evoked love.
Memories of Mom #40: Blue Man Group
Nicki Escudero · Follow 2 min read · -- When I was a college student, over one of my breaks, I joined my parents and their friends to go to a trip north to Las Vegas. Vegas was just a few hours away by car, so we went to Nevada often as a family for summer trips. This was an interesting trip for me, because I went dancing at a nightclub and had my purse stolen while I was there.
Memories of Mom #37: Realty World
Nicki Escudero · Follow 2 min read · -- My mom was a real estate agent. She had a criminal justice degree from Arizona State University and thought about being a lawyer. My mom was an incredibly tough person who never backed down from — and would win — most arguments. She was also one of the smartest people I knew, a straight A student who passed down a love of learning to me. I have no doubt she would have been an excellent lawyer. Instead of going the law school route, she went into real estate.
Memories of Mom #36: Halloween Decorations
Nicki Escudero · Follow 2 min read · -- Walking around my neighborhood, I love seeing all the Halloween decorations outside in neighbors’ yards. People in the Alexandria, VA, suburbs really go all out! It reminds me of my mom’s love for decorating. For Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Halloween, our house was always one of the most festive on the block.
Memories of Mom #33: Italy
This week, I learned my mom and dad traveled around Italy together. I went to Italy myself for the first time for a couple weeks, so it was neat to learn this about my mom, too. My dad told me that they traveled the country by car and visited many of the same places I did, including Rome, Florence and Venice.
The Flamingo Hotel
The start of summer reminds me of summer vacation trips my family took every summer while I was growing up. We would drive around 4 hours northwest of Scottsdale, AZ, to go to Laughlin, NV. We'd always stay at The Flamingo hotel, which changed its name to the Aquarius many years ago. During the weekend, my brother's and my parents would gamble, and they'd give us cash to spend in the arcade. I was obsessed with this flashing light game, where a light would go around in a circle.
Memories of Mom #30: Book on Astrology
Growing up, I felt like we had our own mini-library within our home. I would often go the bookshelf that held dozens of my parents’ books, and there was one that I constantly returned to: a book on astrology that was my mom’s. My mom often mentioned star signs, which I’m sure is what got me interested in them, as well. She was a Leo (along with my brother), I’m a Virgo, and my dad is a Pisces. Many times, my mom compared me to her mom, my grandma, who was also a Virgo.
Memories of Mom #29: Rainbow Bridge
I’ve talked about my mom’s deep love for animals many times. Her affection for dogs is pretty unmatched, and she instilled responsible practices in my brother and I for taking care of pets. It’s no wonder all the childhood dogs we had growing up lived well into their mid-teens. Those ones above are Candy and Cookie. Cookie was a rescue dog from the Phoenix shelter. She had behavioral issues, so we took her to obedience training.
Memories of Mom #28: Ann M. Martin
Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies. I’m in a book club today and love writing reviews of books I read on Goodreads. When I was younger, my favorite gift to get was always a gift certificate to Bookstar, which was a bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ. I’d make my way to “The Baby-Sitters Club” section and spend my money on books from the series. I bought as many as I could and was an avid reader of the series throughout elementary and middle school.
5 Simple Strategies You Can Use To Maximize Your Blog's ROI
Why do so many businesses invest in blogs? The answer is simple. Sales. If you consistently publish useful articles for your target audience, your blog will drive traffic to your website, and help convert that traffic into leads so can turn those leads into sales. If you’ve decided to start a business blog, here are the 5 things you need to be doing so you’re not wasting time and money.
How to Improve Your Freelance Productivity and Focus
One of the best aspects of a full-time freelance lifestyle can also be one of the most challenging: the ability to set your own schedule. Without a boss in the office to check up that you’re doing your work, it’s up to freelancers to motivate themselves to meet their deadlines and be productive. Otherwise, waiting until the last minute or rushing to complete projects can result in sloppy, error-filled work. Proper time management can even impact your mental well-being.
How to Build a Brand Community Through Content Marketing
Customers aren’t enough for business success today. The brands with the highest amounts of loyal customers have tribes. These are the customers who are deeply invested in a brand. They’ll fight for them, sing their praises to their networks and go back to those brands for news, updates and the latest products and services. It’s easy to see brand community play out in the sports world. Fans of a team engage with other fans (or opponents) on sites like Twitter and Reddit.
Best Credit Union Student Loans of 2021
There are lots of student loan options out there, like federal student loans, personal loans for bad credit and credit union student loans. A student loan credit union option may be a good choice for students who need to take out a private loan, but don’t want to lend with a traditional bank. Credit unions are nonprofit lenders, so a credit union education loan might provide better rates than a private loan from a national lender.
Better Content Center | ClearVoice
Marketing: Methods & Message Creating: Ideas & Craft Teamlancing: Talent & Collaboration Subscribe to the Better Content Center Wise up with our ClearVoice blog and resources. Enjoy articles, interviews, studies, tutorials and more to keep your content fresh. More Recent Articles
6 Government Regulations Small Business Owners Need to Know
Opening and maintaining a business requires more than setting up shop and promoting your product. To operate legally, you need to follow business regulations. While some regulations apply to nearly every business, others are more pertinent to specific industries. In general, government regulation of business covers the following areas: Employment Taxes Advertising Labor Environment Privacy Health and Safety Let’s go through these common business regulations and how they impact your company.
Click on Pittsburgh Parent for local ghost stories!
The air is finally crisp and the leaves are beginning to turn - soon they will be the bright colors of fall. It is a great time to get outside for autumn family activities – doing social distancing and wearing a mask! Check out “A very special election coming" for ideas and activities to teach kids of every age about elections, a long list of ways for your family to welcome fall and some relevant questions with answers for the parents of teens.
How to Qualify for the Best High-Limit Business Credit Cards
High-limit business credit cards can give you increased purchasing power so you can get what your business needs now and pay for it later. Business credit cards with high limits allow you to make purchases and withdraw cash, and you’ll pay an interest charge if you don’t pay back the full balance when it’s due.
Cheesy Roasted Broccoli & Chickpea Kale Salad
If you’ve never tried crispy CHEESY roasted broccoli, you’re in for a treat. Especially when it’s paired with crispy roasted chickpeas, citrus-massaged kale (yeah, we said it), and our 5-minute SMOKY Chipotle Dressing! Friends, let us show you how easy this 30-minute dish is! The first step is to roast the broccoli and chickpeas on a large baking sheet.
Best Credit Cards for Churches
Separating personal and church expenses is essential for those who work for church organizations. According to the Internal Revenue Service’s Income Tax Regulation 1.501, individuals associated with a church are not permitted to profit from it. To help organize your church’s daily expenses, credit cards are a convenient way to ensure purchases strictly for the church can be accessed in one account to avoid any overlap with personal costs.
State Statutes of Limitation for Credit Card Debt
If you’ve accumulated debt on a credit card and are in danger of being pursued by debt collectors, you need to be aware of the statute of limitations on credit card debt. Knowing this information can protect you if you’re sued by debt collectors. It also helps prevent yourself from inadvertently giving collectors a longer time to sue you. To help you navigate the difficulties of managing the statute of limitations on credit card debt, we’ve compiled everything you need to know below.
Best Chase Cash Back Cards
Cash back cards can be valuable moneymakers for responsible credit users and with Chase cash back cards you have a unique opportunity to score bonuses and rewards as you make purchases. Chase also offers protection perks like extended warranties for purchases that can benefit cardholders. Plus, the Chase cash back cards mentioned in this guide come with zero annual fees, which is one less thing to keep track of. Learn why you might want a Chase cash back card and options available in this guide.
How to Qualify for a Business Credit Card
Separating your personal and business expenses, even if your business is still in the beginning stages, is helpful. You can stay organized, avoid mistakes on your taxes and maximize the expense refunds you get on your taxes. One way to do this is with a small business credit card. These work like personal credit cards, in that they charge interest for balances not paid back in full each billing cycle.
What to Know About Credit Card Debt
Carrying credit card debt is not good debt. While some forms of debt — like a mortgage or student loans — can improve your quality of life and advance your career, credit card debt has zero advantages. It’s extra money you have to pay for spending more than you have. When you have too much credit card debt, it can lead to financial and legal problems. Credit card debt also tends to have higher interest rates compared to other types of debt and loans.
What are Prepaid Cards?
Walk into a grocery or convenience store, and you might see what look like credit cards available for purchase. These are prepaid cards. Many come with specific amounts of money printed on them, or you might be able to load a card with whatever amount you want. You pay the merchant a fee to get the card, and then you can use it yourself or give it as a gift instead of handing over cash. But the question remains, how do prepaid cards work, and why would someone want to use one? What is a prepaid card?
10 Content Promotion Tactics And The Best Places To Promote Your Blog Posts
There are two rules for content marketers. This article is all about the second rule. However, before we dive into that, let’s quickly touch on rule number 1. Rule number 1 for content marketers is to create useful content. But how do you know if your content is useful? It’s simple. Ask yourself this question: When my intended audience reads my content, does my content solve their problem or help them accomplish a task? If the answer is yes, your content is useful, and you nailed rule number 1.
The Fastest Ways to Raise Your Credit Score
Your credit score is a three-digit number that can have a meaningful impact on your future. Your credit scores can affect where you live, what types of loans you can take out, what credit cards you qualify for and even what kind of job you can get. Having good to excellent credit scores is important to qualify for the best in these types of categories and more.
Merchant Services 101: Everything You Need to Know
If you are a business owner, determining how you will accept payment is important. Cash-only payment preferences are decreasing every year; according to USA Today, the number of consumers who used cash for purchases $20 decreased from 46% to 37% from 2015 to 2019.To accommodate cash, debit, mobile, credit card and other forms of payments, you’ll need to think about merchant services. To learn more about merchant services, how they work and what to look for in providers you can follow this guide.
Dealing with Debt Collectors
Debt collectors are companies that are sold or assigned unpaid debts from places where people owe money, like banks, hospitals and car dealerships. The debt collector then pursues the person who owes the debt. Having debt is stressful enough. Being pursued by debt collectors potentially adds even more stress to manage. Here’s a gameplan for how to deal with debt collectors. Why do debt collectors contact you?
How to Find Your Credit Card Security Code
If you’ve ever shopped online before or had to make a debit or credit card payment by mail or by phone, you probably remember being asked for your debit or credit card security code. This three-digit or four-digit number is on every debit and credit card and helps protect cardholders by providing an extra layer of security. In this article, learn what exactly a credit card security code is and where to find it on your credit card(s). What is a credit card security code?
Can You Get a Business Credit Card Without a Business?
A business credit card can be a great asset to have when you want to separate your business expenses from your personal expenses. If you make any type of money on your own, whether you have an Etsy store side hustle or are a solopreneur, you may be thinking about getting a business credit card to stay organized. Business credit cards also may provide business-specific rewards, like extra points for spending on business-related purchases like online advertising or office equipment.
How to Do a Balance Transfer with Discover
This page includes information about Discover products that are not currently available on Next Advisor and may be out of date. If you want to lower your credit card balance interest rate and get a 0% intro APR rate period to catch up on payments, Discover card balance transfer offers might be the right solution for you. Discover offers can help you move your balance and avoid interest for an extended period of time. Here’s how to complete a balance transfer with Discover.
Business Credit Cards vs Personal Credit Cards
If you’re a new business owner and don’t have a dedicated credit card for your business, you may be wondering about the advantages of a business credit card versus personal cards. Business credit cards function like personal credit cards, but they offer unique benefits that may earn you rewards on the businesses expenses you’re already paying. In other cases, you may not want to get a business card, even when you’re using another credit card for your business.
Are Business Credit Card Rewards Taxable?
One of the key financial concerns for business owners is taxes. To stay legal while operating, business owners and their accountants must accurately report and pay taxes on their income. According to the IRS, taxable income includes constructively received income, employee compensation, fringe benefits, business and investment income, royalties and the sale or exchange of virtual currencies. Winnings, like prizes from contests or money won from gambling, are also taxable income.
How to Check Your Business Credit Report
Personal credit reports reflect your level of financial responsibility, including your ability to make payments on time, your credit utilization and the amount of credit card accounts you have open. Business credit reports, on the other hand, reflect on the financial responsibility of the business and indicate how likely you would be to pay back a business loan. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 27% of businesses surveyed were not able to get the funding they need.
How to Maximize Your Cash Back on Amazon
If you shop at Whole Foods or Amazon, you may have heard about Amazon’s cash back cards. When you choose a credit card from Amazon, 5% cash back on purchases made at Whole Foods Market and on Amazon.com is one of your rewards, plus other perks. But is it the best card for you, or is there a better card out there for your Amazon purchases? Here’s how to maximize your cash back earnings on Amazon and beyond. What do the Amazon cards offer?
Apple Pay Guide - NextAdvisor
Open, tap, pay, you’re done. That’s how easy it is to pay with a mobile wallet right from your smartphone. According to eMarketer, the number of mobile payment users in the United States is expected to increase to 67.2 million in 2020. Apple Pay is a major player in the mobile payments industry, accounting for about 5% of global card transactions in 2020 and on pace to handle 10% by 2025. Ready to take the leap and try your hand at spending through Apple Pay?
Samsung Pay Guide - NextAdvisor
Make purchases without having to take out a credit card with Samsung Pay, the most widely accepted form of mobile payments, as Samsung claims. Samsung Pay is a mobile wallet app that enables you to make purchases simply by placing your Samsung device on a near field communication (NFC) reader or payment terminal with magnetic secure transmission (MST) technology. You can also store card information through Samsung Pay to make online purchases and in-app purchases from your phone.
Google Pay Guide - NextAdvisor
If you’re a Google user and enjoy the brand, you might be interested in Google Pay, Google’s mobile wallet product. Google Pay is a safe and secure way to make purchases online or from a smartphone. Your card information is stored in the free Google Pay app, so you don’t have to access card information every time you make a payment like Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. All it takes is a few clicks to complete transactions. To learn more about how to use Google Pay, read on. How does Google Pay work?
How to Upgrade Credit Cards with the Same Issuer
Chances are good the issuer you got your credit card from also has additional options that might be looking better now. Maybe the types of credit card rewards you’re after have changed, like you want a travel card rather than the cash back card you have. Or maybe you’ve built up your credit score with a secured credit card, and now you’re ready to apply for an unsecured credit card with a higher line of credit.
Guide to Paying Your Mortgage with a Credit Card
Your home loan is probably one of your biggest bills. With the cash back, points or miles you can earn with rewards credit cards, you might be wondering if you can pay mortgage with credit card so you can rack up perks in the process. Even if you have the funds now to pay off your mortgage without needing to charge it to credit, you may want to use a credit card anyway to make your purchase go toward travel points, cash back or another reward.
Guide to Credit Card APRs
Whenever you apply for a credit card, you’re likely to see the term “APR” — which stands for annual percentage rate — in the term details for the card. This acronym can have a big impact on your finances. Some cards, like 0% intro interest credit cards, come with 0% APR periods for an exact amount of time that can help you get time to pay off what you owe.
7 Best Microsoft Alternatives for Small Businesses
As a small business owner, you likely need a software suite that will help you create text documents, spreadsheets and presentations. However, are you wondering, “Is there an alternative to Microsoft Office?” Whether you’re looking for a Microsoft Office alternative—a free option—or prefer a Microsoft alternative for your Mac, we’ve rounded up 7 software options to help your business with its publishing and communication needs.
Credit Card-Processing Companies Small Business Owners Should Consider
As a small business owner, you need to accept plastic forms of payment to serve your customers. According to a 2018 payment study by Total System Services, 80% of U.S. consumers prefer using debit or credit cards over cash for purchases. Knowing the high demand for these forms of payment, you may be wondering which credit card-processing company is best for your small business.
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