According to the Better Business Bureau, fake companies often target the unemployed, asking for personal or financial information that hackers can use to break into a person’s bank account or to steal an identity.
“Before posting your resume to a career site or inquiring about a job, make sure you know with whom you are dealing,” said Edward Johnson, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau. “Many job scammers are having candidates set up direct deposit accounts as part of the application process and making it seem as though it’s naturally part of the process to get an interview—when it’s absolutely not.”

 Alison Doyle, job search expert for About.com, offers the following tips when applying for a job online:

• Don’t give out your Social Security number, bank account number or driver’s license number
• Don’t apply for a job if the company tries to charge you money as part of the application process (in the form of training materials, application fees or background checks)
• Don’t oblige if the company asks you to recruit other job applicants — this is likely a trick to ensnare more people into the scam
• Do set up a separate email address for your job search, so your personal email isn’t at risk of being hacked by scammers
• Do keep a list of all the jobs that you apply to (so you can make sure you aren’t contacted by a fake company that claims you submitted an application)
• Do avoid submitting your resume through third-party career sites. It’s better to apply directly through the company’s website, which is less likely to be a target of scammers.

In addition, the Better Business Bureau suggests you keep a very close eye out for the following red flags:

• Employer emails full of grammatical and spelling errors
• Employer email addresses from providers like Gmail or Hotmail instead of a corporate domain contact
• Emails claiming to be from job posting websites stating there’s a ‘problem’ with a job hunter’s account
• An employer asks for extensive personal information such as social security or bank account numbers or scans of driver’s license and passport
• An employer offers the opportunity to become rich without leaving home
• An employer asks for money upfront
• The salary and benefits offered seem too-good-to-be-true and don’t match the job seeker’s skills
• The job requires the employee to wire money through Western Union or MoneyGram.

Searching online continues to be a great option when looking for employment. With a single click you have access to a world of job openings that meet your credentials. Just remember while searching online – practice patience, caution and follow your gut feeling. If ever in doubt, search the company name plus ‘scam’ or check out the business’s accreditation at the Better Business Bureau.

Reference Source:  “Score a Job – Not a Scam: BBB Advises Job Hunters to be on the Lookout for the Growing Number of Phony Job Postings.” Better Business Bureau. 8 August 2011. <http://dc-easternpa.bbb.org>.

D.I.Y Custom Drink Coasters:

Supplies Needed (I got everything at Michaels except the ceramic tiles):

• White Ceramic Tiles (Home Depot, I got 6 for $1.01)
• Mod Podge
• Foam Brush
• Cork tiles
• Glue (I chose Gorilla Glue – should be strong enough to hold cork onto bottom of ceramic tile)
• Clear Acrylic Coat Spray Sealer
• Paper (any kind you’d like to decorate the coaster with! Consider printing out family pictures for mom)
• Ruler
• X-acto knife

Step 1:
Cut out the first paper you’re going to use into a 4″x4″ square. This allows for a slight white border around the paper. (NOTE: I cut one piece into a 4″x4″ square, then cut out shapes from a second piece of paper with an X-acto knife. See below for instructions on layering paper).

Step 2:
Using the foam brush, cover the ceramic tile with a thin layer of Mod Podge

Step 3:
Place the 4″x4″ paper in the center of the ceramic tile. Push down on the paper to make sure no glue bubbles form underneath, then allow mod podge to dry (5-10 minutes)

Step 4:
Using the foam brush, cover the entire ceramic tile and cut paper with another layer of Mod Podge to seal the paper to the tile. Then let the Mod Podge dry (10-15 minutes).

Step 5:
Repeat Step 4 at least 2-3 more times. You want to build up the layers of Mod Podge to ensure a thick seal is created.

 Step 6:
Cut out a 4″x4″ square of cork (I used an X-acto knife and ruler)

 Step 7:
(Follow the instructions for the glue you choose to bond the cork to the tile) Place glue on the cork (I spread the glue with another foam brush), then place the cork on the bottom of the tile, in the center. Press the cork and tile together for 60 seconds then let the glue dry. Depending on the glue you chose this can take minutes up to 2 hours.

Step 8:
Once the glue has dried, take the coaster outside and spray even strokes of clear acrylic sealant over the entire tile. Allow to dry, then repeat this step 2-3 more times.

Step 9:
That’s it! Gather your coasters and either put them in a box to be wrapped or find some pretty ribbon to tie around the coasters and present the gift to mom.

NOTE ON LAYERING PAPER:
I decided to cut out different shapes/designs and layer multiple pieces of paper for an extra customized look. I’ve found the best way to avoid bubbles is to choose one piece of paper to be the 4″x4″ base (Follow steps 1-3 above). Then, when you place the first layer of Mod Podge over the tile and paper, place the second layer of paper(s) you cut out on top of the Mod Podge before it dries. Push down on all edges to avoid bubbles forming. Once the glue dries you then follow step 4 – finish. At first I tried using double sided tape to hold the cut out paper onto the 4″x4″ but I found that created many air bubbles. It’s easiest to just glue both sheets together! 

Living in the Washington D.C. area means there are TONS of ways to celebrate. Check out some of the specials and events I’ve found below, let me know how you plan to celebrate in the comments!

• Dogfish Head Ale House (6220 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA) -  Dogfish Head offers the perfect combination for family fun and those looking for exceptional beers. There will be face painting and pinatas at 4:00pm. Find special beers including World Wide Stout, light and dark ales infused with hot peppers. And it wouldn’t be Cinco De Mayo without specialty margaritas/spirit drinks - enjoy watermelon margaritas & tequila sunrises, plus many more! Then, from 9:00pm to close enjoy live music by Will Walters.
• Sign of the Whale (1825 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036) – If you’re looking to get an early start to the day, head over to Sign of the Whale for a FREE Breakfast buffet starting at 11:00am. Then enjoy their drink specials – $3 Coronas, $4 Jose Cuervo Shots, $4 Margaritas and $5 Loaded Coronas until 8 pm! From their website – ‘Email Jayne at thewhaledc@gmail.com to get on the VIP list and get $3 drinks from 11am – 2pm- Drinks include Rail mixed drinks, Bud, Bud Light, Shock Top, Corona, Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas!’
• Mellow Mushroom (2436 18th St. NW, Washington, DC) – I’ll start off by saying if you don’t make it to Mellow for Cinco De Mayo, you need to take a trip out there for any other occasion. Hands down this is my favorite pizza/calzone/craft beer spot! For Cinco De Mayo, stop by at 10:00pm and for only $5 see Nayas, a rock en espanol group that mixes rock with ska and bass-heavy reggae.
• Cinco De Mayo Festival 2012 Washington D.C. - This annual event is located on Sylvan Stage on the National Mall near the Washington Monument at 15th St. and Independence Ave. The closest Metro station is Smithsonian. Come out from Noon – 6:00pm to enjoy live music and dance, children’s arts and crafts workshops, food, games and activities for the entire family. The Festival is free and open to all - held rain or shine.
• On The Border (various locations) – Join On The Border for ’30 Days of Cinco’. Head over to http://www.iloveontheborder.com/for daily deals as they count down to Cinco!
• Uncle Julio’s (Fairfax Corner) – Found on the Events at Fairfax Corner website ‘Join Uncle Julio’s as they celebrate Cinco De Mayo! Enjoy food and drink specials, live music, and more outside!’ More details to come so check back at their website before Saturday! http://www.fairfaxcorner.com/events.cfm?id=6

I wanted to get an idea of what kind of impact my current (not Earth Week inspired) habits actually have on our planet – I recycle at home and do everything I can online and on my iPhone to reduce paper waste. I’d say I’m doing pretty well.

Well, to find out if this is “pretty well” I went to http://www.earthday.org/ and took their footprint calculator quiz (http://www.earthday.org/footprint-calculator). Here are my results:

I feel really good knowing if everyone lived like me we’d need 4.4 planet Earths to provide enough resources…how is this possible?! I clicked on the link in the bottom right box ‘explore scenarios’ to get ideas on ways I can make a difference and decrease my very heavy footprint on Earth.

Pretty shocking to see how minimal change to my daily routine can drastically help our planet. I can easily do numbers 1, 2, 5 and 6; I’m renting right now so I don’t think I have much choice in numbers 3 & 4. This was definitely an eye opener. I thought I was doing my part by recycling and trying to reduce the amount of paper waste I receive but there’s so much more I never thought to consider.

I never thought my actions could make much of an impact (good or bad); I’m only one person after all. But clearly we all play a huge part in protecting our planet and even the smallest ‘green’ choices make a huge difference!

I’m interested to see what other people’s results are from the footprint quiz. Let’s hope for Earth’s sake I’m the only heavy footprint requiring multiple planets worth of resources…yikes!  Head over to http://www.earthday.org/footprint-calculator and share your results in the comments below!

In any case, check out my list of freebies and offers (links to coupons included) – and let me know if I’m missing any deals! 

I’ve listed which offers are available NOW through tax day, and which ones you’ll have to wait until the 17th to enjoy :)

Get these deals now!

• Chevys Fresh Mex – Friday, April 13th after 3:00pm stop in to get FREE taquitos. Get the coupon here.
• Seattle’s Best Coffee - Giving away 100,000 free 10-cup samples by mail as a Tax Day treat through their Facebook page.
• Office Depot – Get the coupon here to have up to 5 pounds of documents shredded. Plus, get 25 black and white, single side copies.
• Bruegger’s Bagels – April 13 – 17 get a baker’s dozen of bagels and two tubs of cream cheese for only $10.40. Get the coupon from their Facebook page here.

Get these deals Tuesday, April 17th!

• Panda Express – Try a single serving of their new Shanghai Angus Steak FREE
• Arby’s – FREE value size curly fries with coupon found on their Facebook page
• MaggieMoo’s Ice Cream & Treatery – Offering yogurt “yobate” day – try a free scoop of their new yogurt flavors from 4:00pm – 7:00pm. Check here for participating locations.
• Cinnabon – Promoting ‘Tax Day Bites’; Get two free bites from 6:00 – 8:00pm at participating locations.
• P.F. Changs – Enjoy 15% off all dine-in and takeout orders.
• Boston Market – Buy 1 individual meal & fountain drink, get a second FREE with this coupon.

The school that brings in the most deposits will receive:

•  A pizza party for all depositors during the promotion
• Bragging rights (duh!)
• and a PIG TROPHY!

Second and third place winners will receive:

• A plaque
• An ice cream party for all depositors during the promotion

Last year’s winner saved a total of $86,890.44! Do you think you can beat that? Be sure to check here each week for your schools totals!

 Do you have any tips you’d like to share with fellow savers? Here’s what Jess from Stonewall High School does to fatten up her savings account:

 “I have always thought it’s important to save money. While it’s hard to not always spend it on clothes and food, I have found ways to budget myself. In honor of Financial Literacy Month I will share some of my ways to save!

 Having an extra students savings account is very important! This is where I put aside money for my future, like college or a new car one day. I try to put at least 40% of each paycheck into there so it can keep growing. On the side I also have a regular savings account. I use this account to save for things I want short term, such as clothes or things for the summer! I’ll usually put 10-15% of my paycheck in here, and then I’ll budget out the rest for what I can spend during the week.

 Finding a way to save that works for you is extremely important and key to having a prosperous, comfortable future!

Good luck and Feed Your Pig!”

May the branch the brings home the most bacon win!

Without fail, each year around this time I decide everything in my apartment is a mess and it needs to be reorganized. But the problem is, I try to reorganize everything all at once..which if you’re anything like me this means very little to no organizing actually takes place. SO, it’s a new year, a new spring, I’ve decided I’ll focus on only one specific area of my apartment to reorganize. 

I’ll be taking on my home office/studio area.  I even narrowed it down from there to really make sure something gets done and will focus on my biggest need first - some kind of system for storing my art supplies. Right now my ‘system’ is a series of plastic drawers stuffed to the brim with paints, paint brushes, paper, pens, pencils, etc. I’m not looking to spend a lot of money, and I want something that puts my supplies front and center.  If I can get some of my items up and mounted on the wall that will allow the plastic bins to serve an organized, functional purpose AND I won’t forget about all the supplies I have. The two items I’ll purchase first that will instantly create less clutter are a wall mounted magazine rack and peg board.

I’m a big fan of creating mixed media art which in turn means I have drawers full of every type of paper you could image. I’m like the wall of paper at Michaels Craft Stores – which is actually what gave me the idea to use a wall mounted magazine rack! It’s so frustrating looking through my drawers deciding I don’t have the paper I need, going out and buying new paper, only to find some I already had later on buried at the bottom of a drawer! I need to get them out of drawers and in the open, so a magazine rack will become my wall of paper rack! I’ve found a few options that are reasonably priced:

• Amazon – I really like the angle of this wall mount system and at only $20.99 a piece I could buy two 3 tier wall mount magazine racks to create 6 slots for a great price!
• Container Store – Since I have so much paper, I’m thinking this 12 Pocket Mesh Wall Rack might be more practical. Plus, as of today it’s on sale for $44.99! (Regularly $59)
• Make Your Own! – I was on Etsy earlier today and saw someone made a 3 tier wall rack out of fabric! This opens up a whole world of possibilities..decisions, decisions.

Next up is the peg board. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve had a hard time finding where to buy a pegboard on-line. I’ve found a couple resources, but if you’ve ordered one/bought one in a store before, let me know where!

• Wall Control – http://www.wallcontrol.com
• Home Depot – I found a few pegboard options here, but think I’m going to have to make a trip to an actual store to find what I need.

I’ve seen many creative uses for pegboards lately, I really like the idea of hanging baskets to hold supplies. I’m absolutely an out-of-sight, out-of-mind person when it comes to my art supplies so this would solve that problem. I’m going to IKEA this weekend to check out their plastic bins and get an idea of what sizes and shapes I’ll be hanging on my pegboard.

Do you have an organizing system that’s worked for you? Share below in the comments what you’ve found most successful!

I want to be healthy, but in order to be successful I need to be honest about what will work long-term. I know going on a strict diet isn’t going to last – I start to panic, working harder to sneak food or avoid it altogether instead of actually focusing on eating healthy. Instead, I’ve decided to work on portion control. For example, I love Italian but my idea of a serving of baked ziti is one that fills an entire dinner plate. The ACTUAL serving size should look like…only about 1/4 of my plate should be filled with ziti. I feel like I’m starving if I only eat that amount! I think it’s safe to say my plate is in terrible shape.

I’m keeping track of my progress this month and I’ll be sharing pictures of my success (or failures) along the way. I found tons of helpful resources at http://www.eatright.org/nnm/ on how to cut my portions and still feel satisfied. Below I’ve outlined my favorite tips from their site:

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables – Something I’ve found helpful is if you have a side salad with dinner, use one plate for all of your food. This instantly creates less room for the main dish.
• Enjoy your food but eat less – ‘Avoid oversized portions. Use a smaller plate, bowl and glass.’ I’m heading out to Target this weekend to get a new, smaller plate collection. This way I won’t be tempted with the empty space on the larger plate.
• Power up with breakfast – I used to NEVER eat breakfast – as long as I had Starbucks I was good to go. Well, eating breakfast is apparently more important than I thought. You are essentially ‘breaking the fast.’ You’ve just slept for 7-8 hours without food, think of going that long during the day, you’d feel terrible!
• Smart snacking for adults and teens – ‘Keep portion control in mind. Have a single-serve container of yogurt or put a small serving of nuts in a bowl. Eating directly from a multiple-serving package can lead to overeating.’ Baggies or Tupperware are your friend!

The first item I tackled was my credit card debt. Since I’m not immune to an effective sales pitch, I fell victim to the classic store credit card savings deal. My weakness was “The Limited”. What can I say; I ‘needed’ to update my work wardrobe and had to start buying Christmas gifts for my family and friends. I felt like signing up for the new card would allow me to do both, worry free! However, it quickly became evident I was living WAY outside my means.

Like many store branded cards, the interest rate was astronomical—24.99% APR!—which made things even worse! When the first bill came I nearly blacked out. Making the minimum payment, I would spend a whopping $373 in interest alone and be plagued with 2 years of payments. Think of all the clothes I could’ve bought with the interest payment alone!

 I knew I had to get rid of my Limited card payment and started looking for a magical ‘make my payment disappear’ solution—the infamous balance transfer. Since I already have Apple’s Visa Platinum Credit Card, I checked there first. I realized that because I have decent credit I pay just 5.74% APR* (a rate that’s way better than The Limited store card). So, I checked out Apple’s balance transfer options and it turns out that balance transfers are super easy. And the best part…I completed my transfer during Apple’s 0% APR balance transfer** promotion. Basically as long as I transferred a balance to a new or existing Apple Visa Platinum or Platinum Rewards Credit Card by April 30^th, I’ll pay 0% interest for SIX MONTHS. I just have to make sure I pay off my Balance Transfer amount within those 6 months, otherwise I’ll be paying the interest I avoided during the promotion.

 Now, I no longer have a crazy high-interest store card AND I’m saving even more by paying off my Apple card with NO interest. This means the only extra fee I’ll have to pay is Apple’s 3% balance transfer fee, after that the amount I see on my bill is the true cost of the items I purchased.

Doing a balance transfer might not be the best solution for everyone, but for my situation it was the right choice to make. If you find yourself swimming in high-rate credit card debt, I suggest you do a little research to determine what’s best for you. If you think it’s Apple’s 0% balance transfer, check it out HERE.

 It’s still hard to believe this small, simple move made such a huge difference and immediately allowed me to save more. Hopefully this will help get your wheels churning and give you some ideas on how to take control of your finances too. I’ll continue to shop at The Limited (I love their clothes,) but I’ll be sure to learn more about interest rates and my credit score before signing up for another store branded credit card. (Stay tuned for a follow up post on how store cards affect your credit score).

Have a great day!

Now for all the fun disclosure stuff

*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Rates are based on an evaluation of applicant credit. Your actual APR will be disclosed at the time of credit approval. Not all applicants will qualify for the lowest rate. VISA Credit Card rates apply to cash advances, balance transfers, and outstanding balances on purchases.**APR = Annual Percentage Rate as of 02/01/12 only available on transfers to a variable rate Visa® Platinum or Platinum Rewards credit card balance transfer. The 0% balance transfer APR offer is available 02/01/12 – 04/30/12 on balance transfers only. A 3% balance transfer fee (not to exceed $300 per balance transfer) during the promotional period applies. Balance transfer rates adjust to a variable APR (5.74%–18.00%) after the promotion period based on an evaluation of applicant credit — not all applicants will qualify for the lowest rate. The 0% APR will apply for six (6) months for every balance transfer completed within the promotional period from the first qualifying balance transfer. New and existing Apple Cardholders are eligible for the special 0% balance transfer rate and the APR for purchases and cash advances will be disclosed at the time of credit approval.

 While we shouldn’t reserve expressing our feelings to a single day, let’s take advantage of it and express away! I recently found a ton of DIY (Do It Yourself) Valentine projects online. So, I’m opting for original, homemade gifts this year—avoiding the over-priced flowers/candy/jewelry and expressing my love in a creative, heartfelt and inexpensive way. 

 Below are a few really cute project ideas I found. I’ll let you know which ones I end up making. If you decide to tackle your own DIY Valentine surprise, let me know how it turned out! Side note for the boys…make a homemade card this year. This will instantly be the most amazing, thoughtful gift your significant other will ever receive.

 Are you doing anything for Valentine’s Day? If so, let us know in the comments what you’re planning!

 PS…If you’re currently ‘relationship-challenged’, nix the pity party and get together with your friends and family. Celebrate the intent of Valentine’s Day and express how much you care for those close to you. EVERYONE likes to know someone cares about them.

 Get Crafty. Share The Love.

• Valentine’s Day Candles: These look so easy to make!

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/valentines-day-ideas/easy-valentines-day-craft-ideas#slide-4

• Valentine Scrabble Gram: This one comes with a free printable – aka – you don’t have to really make anything, just cut out the squares and send!

http://ohhappyday.com/2012/02/valentine-scrabble-gram-free-printable/

• Origami heart garland: These are super cute and the instructions are given as a diagram or a video – very helpful!

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2012/01/make-striped-origami-heart-garland.html

• 8 Valentine’s Day Cards: Click through the slideshow of cards to make your own card, or, combine a few ideas and make a true original!

http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/holidays/valentines-day-recipes/valentines-day-cards