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If you've just bought a house, you may be able to relate to a fascinating essay in Maya Angelou's book, Even the Stars Look Lonesome.

When Ms. Angelou moved into a designer house in California, she says, nothing worked. Her pictures didn't look right on the walls. Cakes fell in the oven and curtains fell off the rods.

The house, she concluded, hated her. And it wasn't much consolation to realize the house hated her husband, too.

What I want to know is, how could she tell?

Let's face it, most houses hate their new owners. They have adapted to the rhythm of one family and resent being sold.

Like most cats that you rescue from the pound, your house probably believes, "If I'd waited awhile, a better owner would have come along. So I'm going to make this one's life miserable."

When you move

Those who are trained in modern research methods will be skeptical, but there's plenty of evidence. Everyone knows what happens when you move into a new house.

"You'll see a lot of repair services in the first six months," I was warned. "When a house hasn't changed hands in five years or more, lots of little things will happen when you move in."

Now, you'll notice this doesn't happen when you rent a house or apartment. Some friends of mine rented a house while they saved to buy their own property.

For two years, the refrigerator purred and the air conditioner hummed contentedly. The plumbing flowed silently and the insect life remained hidden. Encouraged ("see, a house isn't so bad after all!") they took the plunge and bought their own home.

I'd like to say they're doing great but in fact they've dropped out of sight. They can't take phone calls any more. "Sorry, we can't tie up this line. We're holding the phone open till we hear from the handyman..." Or the pest control guy, or the electrician. They considered Call Waiting but were afraid to jinx the only object in the house that seemed to be working.

If you seem particularly gullible, (e.g., the house senses that you're new to this game), your appliances may join the fun. I am absolutely positive the once-faithful refrigerator sent out a message: "How about this, guys. Let's really confuse everybody. I'll put out a leak, send the water over to the sink, and they'll think it's a big pipe in the wall. After they've poked a few holes they'll realize it's time to wake up that sleeping repairman!"

And one day my security system kept getting an "Open Door" signal even when the door was firmly locked. The tech found nothing wrong and it never happened again.

My lawn service person knew how to work the system: Let Them Know Who's Boss. After he cut back the hedges and pulled some over-aggressive vines, the bushes stopped sulking and started putting out nice flowers. They knew what would happen if they didn't.

Making Peace with the House

Soon you've emptied your bank account to create a peace offering -- a new floor or a paint job or a screen door."Every so often," I'm told, "you even get thirty days with no service calls. But after six months or so, the house gets bored and it'll start all over again."

One thing is certain. In your house's "Lose the Owner" contest, there's one simple rule. Whoever costs the most, wins.

For serious advice about moving, download Making the Big Move.

The Arizona Inn is just the place that you are looking for if you seeking for neat and well-cared for lawns and trees combined with lush gardens and a serene view. Apart from that, this inn is also filled with fragrances of roses and oranges as well as eye-catching fountains. There is no doubt on the exquisiteness of the Arizona Inn, having won numerous hotel awards in addition to being a host to many of Arizonas best wedding receptions. In fact, its prestige extends to being named one of the top 50 small hotels in the US based on the Zagat survey. In this venue, you can definitely plan for a romantic wedding reception as their reception halls are uniquely designed with French doors, antiques and high-beamed ceilings. This is the reason why your wedding reception at the Arizona Inn will be an event that will never be forgotten.

If you are seeking for a good city venue for a wedding reception in Arizona, then you should consider the Sheraton Crescent Hotel in Phoenix. This hotel offers attractive well-designed interiors with outstanding services as well as 342 rooms and suites available for your wedding guests. Apart from that, the proximity of this venue to the city and the airport makes it convenient for guests from out of town. Furthermore, this venue is also splendid for guests who may want to access shopping locations within the city. For the wedding reception, the Crescent Ballroom in this hotel has a capacity of up to 1000 guests while the Phoenix Garden and Patio is suited for outdoor wedding parties for up to 500 guests.

For couples seeking a location with a splendid backdrop, then the Amara Creekside Resort would be a perfect choice. Surrounded by creations of Mother Nature with stone hills and pines amidst sunny and bright weather, the Amara Creekside Resort is suited for a wedding reception of romance and beauty. Apart from having a comprehensive list of menu items to choose from, the Amara caters to indoor wedding receptions in their Meditation Room, as well as picturesque outdoor weddings in the Oak Creek Courtyard.

Arizona is indeed a place that is full of beautiful and romantic wedding reception sites complete with full services on wedding planning. Beautiful locations require advanced bookings as they will always be in great demand. Therefore, it is essential to start your explorations now, in order to get the best wedding reception location to create the wedding of your dreams!

"At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year." -Thomas Tusser

OK. Thanksgiving was wonderful, visiting with family and sharingfun stories and adventures; laughing around the dining roomtable, enjoying favorite stuffing and pies; watching parades andfootball games; and counting your many blessings.

It is now time to turn our attention to the many preparations for Christmas. Coming from a Christian perspective, I can speak for the anticipation which we all feel to celebrate the birth of the Christ-child. It brings us wonder each and every year, and the time and energy we put into its celebration never wanes. As I watch my Jewish friends prepare for Hanukkah, I sense, too, the joy with which they prepare celebrations with loved ones.

The gift of sacrificial love is the true essence of Christmas.

Teaching your children to give generously and to give cheerfullymodels the life of Christ. Our God, who created each one of uswith more love than we can imagine, desires this same outpouringof love to others, and it is at Christmas that we likewise shareour love through gift-giving and through acts of generosity andhospitality. We are buoyed by the "Christmas spirit" because itis through giving--rather than receiving--that we receive themost joy. Pausing to think about others, about their needs anddesires, and extending yourselves to their benefit, brings deepinner satisfaction not found any other way.

Have you made your list of those people with whom you want toshare the Christmas spirit?

Consider giving small, inexpensive gifts to a large list, rather than more extravagant gifts to a very few loved ones.

When Ithink of the model of giving I want to pattern for my own family, I cannot exclude from the list those folks who cross my path on a daily basis--in one way or another--who may or may not have yet reached into close friendship with me. And so I am always thoughtful for small yet kind ways in which I might extend generosity.

Extend your circle of concern.

Think not only of what members of your own family would appreciate at Christmas. Think of cousins and aunts and uncles, and of closest friends. And don't stop there. Extend your circle. Think of your mail carrier, pet groomer, your pediatrician's office staff, the folks at your gym, your neighbors, friends of your children, office workers at youor your spouse's place of work, your manicurist, thelandscaper....think through the flow of your typical week andthose people who enter your life on a regular basis. If they areserving you in some capacity, isn't it kind to remember them now?

Many people refrain from practicing generosity to those outsidetheir small circle of concern because of the lack of money withwhich to do so. But inexpensive gifts can be handmade for pennies if we will only stretch our imaginations and put our hands--and those of our children--to good use.

Look to nature and to materials right outside your front door

Free for the asking and the picking: a fresh bouquet of greens--evergreens, magnolia leaves, and berries, tied with a gorgeoussilk ribbon--would be cherished by any receiver.

Tiny bird nest ornaments fashioned from Spanish moss, filled with speckled beans and a silk butterfly, and with a wooden clothespin glued from underneath, make delightful gifts for children and adults alike. My own tree is filled with them.

Collect pinecones and make an arrangement with them. Yourthoughtfulness will be appreciated and it will have cost nothingmore than a walk in the woods.

Homemade candies or cookies wrapped in inexpensive cellophanebags look elegant tied with ribbon and make perfect gifts forvirtually anyone on your list.

Miniature baskets filled with one tiny, simple gift, are perfect for your children's friends.

Remember: children love exaggeration; anything diminutive (or enormous!) appeals to their sense of wonder.

Homemade "snow globes" make our list every single year

Simply use a baby food or other small jar and fill it with water and a small bit of glycerin (found at your local drug store) and white glitter; add a few plastic toys--Legos, Barbie doll shoes, jacks and balls, plastic bugs--and then squeeze a think line of silicone sealant around the lid before screwing it on to prevent leakage.

Homemade glycerin soaps filled with tiny plastic toys areadorable

They'll delight your children as well, for they'll have created happy memories making them with you for all of their friends.

Consider making homemade wrapping paper or handmade gift tags.

I buy inexpensive tags at office supply stores by the hundreds.They cost about a penny apiece. I also use twine instead ofexpensive ribbon. One bolt lasts several years and costs a couple of dollars.

And mail those out-of-state gifts early to avoid long lines atthe post office as well as the extra expense of priority mail.

Model a generous life...at Christmas and throughout the year.Give faithfully and give cheerfully. You will be blessedbeyond measure.

So why should you invest in foreclosures? In the long-term, its for lifestyle and financial freedom.

I do not define success in terms of winning or losing, but rather by whether I am challenging myself to be the best that I can be. One of the reasons I left my 9-5 corporate job, besides getting laid off, was because I wanted MY OWN lifestyle. I wanted to create my own lifestyle for me, my family, and my friends. I wanted to become a champion, the best at what I did. I believe that anything I set my mind to, I would be successful at that endeavor.

However, my biggest problem in working for a company where I was not the boss, the president, or the owner, was that I could not set my own schedule. I would not be able to go skiing when I wanted, play golf, or travel when I wanted. I was a terrible employee because I wanted to do things when I wanted to do them. And today I dont want to be accountable to anybody, except myself and my family, and the people that are counting on me to create real estate transactions.

Dont get me wrong. I was pleasant at my jobs, and I showed up, and I produced revenue. But the reason that I think I was a terrible employee was that I only wanted to work just 2 to 3 weeks a year. To me, a JOB means Just Over Broke and my time was not my own time, it was my boss time.

When I first started in the real estate investing business I had to ask my wife to give me a chance to make this work. I had a severance package, so I had three months to move forward. When we cashed the first check of $8,000, I took $4,000 and took my wife to Paris, a place she always dreamed of going. That helped tremendously in my pursuit of this business.

Now that I have established my business I take off one week for every six weeks of work. This gives me five to eight weeks of vacation per year depending on how my deals are going. I use this time to connect with my family, vacation, work on other projects, and just go out and enjoy life because isnt that what it's all about? If you're working so hard that you're not enjoying life then you need, in my opinion, to rethink your priorities.

My 15-yr-old son Nick and I go to hockey games, football games and other things that a 15-year-old and his dad can do together. My 6 year old daughter Chloe and I go skiing in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where we live and we do it 10-15 times a year. We go camping, take motor home trips, fly to Maui to go to the beach and much more. This is truly a life that I am designing.

My belief is we should constantly have to better ourselves, to acquire new skills, to refuse to be bogged down with the feeling of failure, inadequacy, or that L word--loser. In my opinion, the losers of the world are those that never try. I would rather work with somebody who has tried 10 different businesses and failed than somebody who has worked 30 years successfully for one company and achieved moderate success.

When are you finally a financial success? Only you can answer that question for yourself and your family but to me the answer is when you can totally financially support yourself without having to show up for work. When you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, with whomever you want, anywhere you want, anytime you want to do it, as much as you want to do it, then you have reached financial success. That is the time that passive income is really working for you and your dreams are becoming a reality.

Today, everything from Gameboys to Sony Playstation to Xbox machines are now common in most homes. Though affordable, should our children be able to buy anything they want? This is a question I get from most parents. But what parents fail to understand is, when they try to keep up with what their neighbors have, it puts a major strain on the family's finances. Our children are now copying our ways by trying to keep up with us!

We need to be sure to keep our finances in order and show our children good fiscal responsibility. Money is a precious resource that we work hard for and should not be taken lightly. The average person has a revolving credit debt of over $8500 and bankruptcies are on the rise. What we do as family money managers goes a long way in teaching our children how to manage their own money matters.

Financial mismanagement inside families is a growing problem that can be devastating to children. Losing a home to foreclosure, having to move because of bad debts, learning to do without many of the luxuries they had before can lead to depression, lack of self-confidence, and unresolved feelings toward their parents for putting them into that position.

What is even more painful for children, is how parents isolate them from the reasons why things happened. Children need to understand that it is not their fault and that the parents made the mistakes. Parents must sit their children down and explain how mismanaging finances can put families in financial peril. If children are left to wonder, they will experience the same mistakes when they become adults.

This can be avoided at all costs if parents take the time to learn basic financial management skills. Here are some things you should be doing right now to keep your children from having to go out into life without an understanding of what it takes to financially succeed in this world.

1- Get kids involved in your life!

Show them what you are buying, what things cost in real value terms, and why you need them. Explain the differences between wants and needs and how to manage their money the right way.

2-Get your children involved in making small financial decisions.

This is a good way to show them what can happen if they make the wrong choices in life and what the consequences will be.

3- Make them aware of what money can and cannot do.

Money can make people do strange things. It has been written that it is the root of all evil but it can help those in need. A good example of this is the work that charities do. Money in itself is not bad. Only what people do with it that can turn bad.

4- Get your children involved with your shopping.

Have your children start cutting out coupons and filing them away for you. Use this as a time to teach math and language skills (especially if they are young), and allow them to help you shop by retrieving items on your list. Giving children responsibilities teaches them discipline, which is sorely lackingin our youth.

5- Don't just say no when they ask for something.

Explain to them the reasons behind why they cannot have the item, whether for financial, or other reasons, and show them alternatives that will give them confidence to make proper decisions later in life.

Children are a lot smarter than we give them credit for and they understand things better if you involve them. Don't talk down to them. Let them have a say in their lives. You will see that, we as parents, can change our destructive financial habits, and give our children something they need right now... the financial wisdom to carry throughout their lives.