1. Remember to start paying for Christmas a year in advance with deductions to a Christmas account instead of waiting until December to charge it all. 2. Remember credit cards represent debt, not money. Each time you use one it is like taking out a loan at the bank! 3. Remember that access to buy and ability to afford are not the same. Credit gives us access, money gives us ability. 4. Remember not to give in order to get.  5. Remember not to confuse giving with buying. The most appreciated gifts are ones involving an investment of time and talent, not just our treasure. 6. Remember that it is not necessary to match the value of every gift you give with every gift you receive.  7. Remember to pay off Christmas charges quickly. Paying off Christmas debt with minimum payments will prompt ... 12/24/2007

I spent the last day before my birthday (I'm NOT telling which one, except it was another Jack Benny birthday) at Disneyland in Anaheim, near Los Angeles. It was a deja vu experience, having been there with our two daughters about 20 years ago (and returning with the older one and her boyfriend). The really cool thing is that we had FREE tickets plus got to eat at Club 33 (the private dining room with there is a waiting list for membership of almost 14 years - many members are corporations, and they often give out tickets to deserving employees). Disneyland is really an amazing place, and a true testiment to the dreams of a man who many feel was the most visionary in the film industry. Somehow I feel a fondness for Disneyland, as it was the original (and never having been to Disney Worl... 11/10/2007

The New England Patriots came from behind today to beat the previously unbeaten Indianapolis Colts.  For those of you that don't know, The Patriots and Colts have developed a rivalry that is unparalleled in professional sports.  Both teams have great players, great coaches, and great team leaders.  In this blog, I'm choosing to highlight what makes the Patriots the most feared team year in and year out.3 Reasons Why the Pats are so successful 1. LeadershipTom Brady is the greatest leader in sports, today.  His team responds to him like no other team responds to their leader.  They would literally break their necks, before letting something happen to him.  Why Tom is such a great leader Poise- Tom Brady is ALWAYS composed.  No matter if his team is up 14 or down 40, he has the same focus... 11/04/2007

I'm currently in charge of developing a commercial marketing plan for the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? franchise that I manage in Anaheim, CA.  I actually have set aside time right now to draft my outline.  But blogging seems much more fun.  So, I thought I'd make myself feel better, and try to get some ideas for marketing for realtors.  And who better to ask then realtors?1-800-GOT-JUNK? works with realtors on a daily basis.  Real Estate Agents use us at all different phases of the transaction process.  Realtors love us because we are reliable, on-time, employ friendly, customer focused employees, and most importantly, we do ALL the labor and cleanup.  Most realtors that use us are not even on the job site when we complete our work.  We are sensitive to your busy schedule, and we even provide same ... 10/31/2007

In the last year over 100 mortgage lenders have gone out of business due to the "mortgage meltdown" as most of you might now it is getting much more difficult to qualify for mortgages in Anaheim. The reason it is difficult to qualify for your Anaheim mortgage is because guidelines have changed drastically. Even reverse mortgages in Anaheim are getting harder to qualify for, leaving many looking for a honest mortgage company in Anaheim.Since many mortgage brokers in Anaheim are going out of business, and others are not able to get you qualified, you need to call a reputable company to help you with your home mortgage in Anaheim. We here at America One Mortgage Group are a national company headquartered out of Southern California. We have offices in many states and fund millions of dollar... 10/22/2007

Today was a wonderful experience in Anaheim, CA more specifically in Disneyland  for thousands of walkers! It was the return of  the CHOC Walk  5K Walk in the Park ~ Children's Hospital of Orange County, aka CHOC (as most of us in SoCal know it). Fifteen thousand entrants participated in raising more than ONE-MILLION, SIX-HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS!  That's right over $1,600,000 for Children's Hospital of Orange County. Our family and friends gathered our team "Katie's Crew"to join in the fun and fund raising. In our family we know first-hand the great work that's an every day event at CHOC. Our family member Katie (now six) is one of those kids treated this year at CHOC for cancer. In 2006 alone, over 200,000 young patients were treated at this remarkable facility. I can also tell you fr... 10/21/2007

Here is the Home Inventory for Irvine. Each week we take a snapshot of the market. This Altos Research Real-time Market Profile(TM) is the most up-to date market information available. The Profile shows you not only pricing and market numbers, but also trends in those numbers.    THIS WEEKThe median single family home price in IRVINE this week is $979450.Inventory has been decreasing lately but the Market Action Index is falling also. With days-on-market  climbing, these are relatively negative implications for the market.PRICEThe market appears to be hovering around this plateau. Look for a persistent change in the Market Action Index before we see prices deviate from these levels.SUPPLY AND DEMANDLocal conditions are currently quite strongly in the Buyer's Market zone (below 30). The ... 10/17/2007

Southern California Home & Garden Show Anaheim Convention Center Everything… and the kitchen sink! You’ll find it all at the 2007 Southern California Home & Garden Show, the largest and longest-running show in the western United States. We are California’s biggest & best show since 1954, and we’re celebrating in style – with your favorite home & garden personalities, this year’s homes and gardens and special features you can only find at the Southern California Home & Garden Show! Dates & Hours: Saturday, August 18 10:00 am-9:00 pmSunday, August 19 10:00 am-6:00 pmMonday, August 20 2:00 pm-8:00 pmTuesday, August 21 2:00 pm-8:00 pmWednesday, August 22 2:00 pm-8:00 pmThursday, August 23 2:00 pm-8:00 pmFriday, August 24 12:00 pm-9:00 pmSaturday, August 25 10:00 am-9:00 pmSunday, August 26 ... 08/20/2007

I had posted quite a few pictures from my recent Disney trip to Anaheim recently.  Granted, some of them were pertty lame, but a lot of them were only as lame as some of Brad Andersohn's lame Disney / Anaheim photos.  Clearly someone flagged the lot of them and removed them for some reason.Maybe they were too big.Maybe Donald Duck did it.  He always had it out for Mickey Mouse.Here's one of the offendending photos now. This is my motivational coach.If you know where the rest of the photos went, drop me a note.  08/01/2007

Anaheim California celebrates the 2007 Stanley Cup Champions the Mighty Ducks! The USPS honors the 2007 Stanley Cup Champions the Anaheim Ducks by issuing a Stanley Cup postmark on two pictorial commemorative envelopes.Envelopes are available beginning today June 18th, 2007. You can find these these collectible envelopes at the  the Sunkist Station the USPS Post Office at 2320 E. Lincoln Avenue.  The Sunkist Station has officially been designated (for a limited time) the "Stanley Cup Station". In addition to the collectible envelopes the USPS has created a special postmark graphic of the Stanley Cup. This postmark will be affixed free of charge at the Sunkist Station until July 6th. If you're a Duck fan, not since Walt Disney brought the world famous Disneyland to the orange groves of t... 06/19/2007

Downtown Disney  is located in the center of the Disney California Resort adjacent to the original Disneyland and the more recent California Adventure.  It's a great  place to begin your adventure in the Magic Kingdom.  There are three hotels that are adjacent to Downtown Disney - The Original Disneyland Hotel, the opulent, mission-style Disney's Grand Californian and Paradise Pier Hotel.  There are three ways to get to the main gates of the two theme parks.  You can walk, ride the aerial tram, or take the ground trams.  All are great ways to begin, but I recommend either of the trams so you can save your  feet for walking the two theme parks.  There are lots of things to see and do during the day in Downtown Disney.  So, if you're taking a break from the theme parks you can grab a bite... 06/16/2007

Memorial Day Fireworks in Anaheim Angels StadiumDon't miss this opportunity to support our local team and see an amazing fireworks show this Memorial Day. I just grabbed 8 tickets at the box office for left field. The Angels are in first place in the American League West, and the Seattle Mariners are always a great team to beat. Go Angels!!  05/24/2007

Downtown Disney is a great place for dining as well as night time excitement. My two favorite places are ESPN Zone and House of Blues. Downtown Disney is located just outside the theme park less then half a mile.  You will need to pay for parking but it is free to go to into the resort. Some of the newest theatres run by AMC are also there.    ESPN Zone  Inside ESPN Zone bar  Downtown Disney @ night, very cool  in the daylight  House of Blues   05/20/2007

Disney vs. The City of Anaheim?Has anyone been keeping up on the fight over a piece of land in the resort area of Anaheim? Several members of the city council are trying to make Disney look like the bad guy because there is a recent plan to put low income housing right in the middle of the Anaheim resort area (I think they want to make it into a trailer park). The Mayor, Curt Pringle, is on the side of Disney because he realizes the importance of creating an upscale image in the new downtown Anaheim area. That resort area is only 5% of the land mass of the city of Anaheim but it produces 50% of the revenue for the city. Why are some of the city council members trying to put up low income housing in the middle of a resort area? There is a recent petition going around so that Anaheim resi... 05/16/2007