This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was watching a news report that showed approx 31% of kids in America that are between the age of 8-11 currently have a cell phone. The percentage was 85% among teenagers having a cell phone. It would seem that almost everyone that you come in contact has a cell phone and the primary use of the cell phone has evolved into a multi-faceted device where phone calls are taking a back seat to texting and surfing the internet. That is why companies like Boost Mobile good fit for parents who are looking to equip their students with a mobile communication link without the hassle of contracts and excessive fees. Parents can simply Re-Boost the cell phone either online, in person, or over the phone. This allows complete control of what you are spending on the phone. Originally this type of pre-paid cell phone package had limitations on the type of phones that were available. Now you can get the new Blackberry curve as one of the phones and simply pay on a month to month basis.
A really nice feature is the plans start at $50 per month inclusive of all the taxes and fees with unlimited calls, text, web, and email. This should give any student the ability to communicate with their friends and give the parents piece of mind that their child can text or call should they need anything. With the explosion of social networks like Facebook you and your kids can update their profiles on the go unlimited times for only small monthly fee. Boost Mobile offers other popular phones in addition to the Blackberry like the Motorola i Series of phones. So if you are looking to update your phone or get one for your child without all the contracts and hassle then check out Boost Mobile.

It’s not uncommon for men to forget about a birthday, anniversary, or some other day that is special for her. Luckily men don’t have to run out and pick up a gift each time one of these days appear on the calendar. Whipping out the credit card and shopping online is always just one click away. I’m not sure how men survive the days before shopping online was popular. Now men can go online and buy shoes, make up, or any other fashion accessories; that he thinks will make her happy. Who is “her”? Well that could actually be a lot of people in a man’s life. Mostly we would assume it’s a girlfriend or wife, but her could also mean a mother, a daughter, or the boss lady at work. All of these women would be worthy candidates for a gift and there are no shortages of women’s gifts online. Some online shopping websites only sell gifts for women. Just remember your gift doesn’t have to carry an expensive price tag for it to serve it’s purposes. A simple bottle of women’s perfume or a gift card to her favorite restaurant is enough to score some major brownie points. It’s the thought and the fact you didn’t forget, that she will remember most about her special day and not the actual gift you bought her online.

If you never tried to shop online before, you really are missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures. If you don’t have a credit card and that’s the reason you have avoided online shopping, you may want to try it again, because many places offer alternative ways to pay. You may be able to do a check over the phone or some other new method which allows fast purchasing power for those that don’t have or unwilling to use a credit card online.

This is a sponsored guest post written by Memphis Travel on behalf of Memphis CVB. Post powered by Sponzai.

More than just the home of the blues and barbeque, Memphis gives you plenty of ways to play around, with fun things to do no matter who you are or what you like. Of course, if you’re into Elvis, rock-and-roll and mouth-watering ribs, you’ve got to check out Graceland, Sun Studios, and the Rendezvous. But Memphis has much more to offer than this holy trinity of southern culture, with enough to see, do and eat to make it the perfect location for your next long weekend getaway.

The families out there (or the wild at heart) should be sure to check out the Memphis Zoo, one of only four U.S. zoos with giant pandas. Recently ranked the #1 zoo in the U.S. by TripAdvisor.com, the Memphis Zoo lets you get up close and personal with the animal kingdom. And with the recent addition the Northwest Passage, home to Polar bears in a see-through underwater exhibit, and the zoo’s newest section, Teton Trek, kids and adults alike are certain to have a blast.

Don’t let your midtown experience stop at the zoo; the Cooper-Young and Overton Square neighborhoods are just down the street. Ask a local Memphian where to find a tasty bite to eat, great local music and ice cold beer, and they will probably direct you here. Speaking of beer … the environmentally conscious visitor can enjoy a locally brewed beer by Ghost River Brewing or walk through the natural landscape and educational facilities at the Lichterman Nature Center.

Memphis has museums for just about everything. From the Civil Rights Museum, Cotton Museum and Fire Museum in downtown to the Brooks Museum, Children’s Museum of Memphis and the Pink Palace Museum further east, the number of places to have fun while you learn are as bountiful as the barbeque restaurants. Families, friends, sports fans, history buffs, self-proclaimed food critics – Memphis has everything you need to keep everyone happy.

So when you visit Memphis, stay a few extra days. Even the locals don’t run out of things to do. And to make it easy, memphistravel.com is launching a new travel guide to help you plan your next vacation. Simply choose from a list of interests and you’ll be given a sample itinerary with lots of great ideas. You can also register for a chance to win one of twelve trip packages that include tours, gift certificates to Memphis’ favorite restaurants, hotel stays and more. Go to itinerary.memphistravel.com to get started.

You can count Microsoft as yet another victim to the growing contraction in our country. Earlier in the year they had plans to let go 5000 people which tells a frightening story. If they are not selling software, then people are not buying computers for their home nor or companies upgrading their current systems. The makers of Windows OS, Microsoft Money ,and many of today’s most popular productivity software is feeling the pinch of companies and consumers not spending their dollars to upgrade their computers or software. They depend on us and businesses to constantly upgrade their software in order to provide revenue for development and growth. Consumers have been voting with their pocket books and more cautious about what they are spending money today.  Well guess what. With the current climate, we are all getting used to using what we have. That means old cars, old homes, old clothes etc. Perhaps we have hit a max in all segments where we say, “OK, I have all I need to get by.” They have a decent cell phone that works and a decent tv etc that are all good, so why spend money to upgrade? I have all I need and I am content with what I have it the Mantra of old personal finance books. Well guess what. That is where we are now. Again, its ok what we are going through. Its painful though.

You will find over 50 different items and ideas to choose from when you start shopping for kitchen products to add to your kitchen. The look of stainless steel seems to be big today but the look of a dark wood spice rack or wine rack can add flavor and character to any kitchen.

These 3 products alone can spice up any kitchen and you will start to welcome guests in your kitchen more frequently; when you have these nice wooden products that can enhance any kitchen. Anyone that loves to spend time in the kitchen will love the looks of these products; while getting the benefits of their uses. I believe everyone can find something where you can find herbs and uses that will fit-in nicely to their kitchen space.

I know our household could use a good cutting board and I saw several I would like to have for my kitchen. I’m just not sure which one to get with so many great selections and you will probably have this problem too. I think the products that are now available in granite is the motivation we need to remodel our kitchens, so we can display these items proudly. With so many simple ideas that can add a splash of color to your kitchen you can make the area where many families spend much of their time. Impress your guests at your next get together and add something new to your kitchen and show off your herbs and spice collection with a new stainless steel rack.

In this ever changing market of real estate do you wonder what your house value is today. Interest on Friday had dipped down to 4.99% which is a good sign for buyers and sellers. When you are going to put your house on the market is always a good idea to get a few sources on the value of your home. Your buyers will be looking online, so you need to be fair in your asking price, but still able to get a return on equity. You can receive house support in financial terms to help get the price on the market while helping you look at the long term value of your home.

You can search online to find updated information daily and pull information for 70+ million homes. Some of the resources online now offer zip code views to help understand what the overall neighborhood looks like. This is a great feature if your buying into a neighborhood, and want to see what is nearby. All you need to do is put in your address and zip code and it will produce a range of house values. The you can zoom in on the neighborhood. This way you can make sure your prospective neighbor is not raising livestock. Some of the sites are even offering great tips and forums to help people connect and share ideas and thoughts.

I, like everyone else in the world, uses a credit card when ever needed for purchases that may take a while to pay off. I have 3 and they are all 0% balance transfer cards with the same on purchases.  I find these through the mail and really had no idea that a website existed to point out where the best deals are.  You can find rates and answers to the Prepaid Visa cards which are a great tool to help you manage your debt. If you own a business, then this site is great because they have business credit cards too. I found offers on mileage plans, double miles, no limit on miles, no annual fee for the first year. Perhaps the point is obvious, but why pay hundreds in interest payments when there are credit cards out there now who want your business? I see no need, plus you may earn some bonus miles along the way. Finally, there is a great resources page. Here I found links to credit help sites and a Life Event Management Center. How great that this site wants you save money on interest and then help you get help so that one can get control of there credit. I applaud them for this!

I really like watching the videos from the past and especially those that were made in the 1980′s. All of my favorite bands and artists look great back then and that’s not the case now. Many of those bands and singers were known as the hair bands because of the outrageous hair styles. I am sure that many of them were not to concerned with hair loss during those days but seeing them now some of them do not have that full head of hair. The guys that had the long hair back then, have gone to a much shorter look today. The people that were in shape and looked strong in the 80′s would probably be better off taking some weight loss products now. It seems like all of the women that we adored in videos from the 80′s decade are overweight now. It’s natural for our bodies to change and adding a few pounds on the waist line happens to everyone; I’m just surprised that so many changed their look. I guess when the money stops rolling in from the concert tours, the rockers of yesterday do have to get a hair cut and adapt to modern times.

Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne changed a lot from the way they use to look in those music videos. The mall queen known as Tiffany isn’t really that attractive today and she was a school boy fantasy in the 1980′s. I think we all know how Michael Jackson has changed and he went from being black to a white man today. Well that isn’t totally true, but you know what I mean. His sister Janet aged well but she added some extra weight too. Her famous Super Bowl performance changed the way the game is delayed now, but I think most still find a chunky Janet Jackson attractive. Is there anyone from that era of music that comes to mind when you think about them changing? I really like watching the videos of yesterday and they do bring back a lot of memories. I just wished a few of my idols would have took better care of their self and looked the way they did in the 1980′s.

With uncertainty in the economy, seniors are looking to non traditional sources of money for their retirement years. A growing number of seniors are turning to the novel life settlement market for cash. While many don’t know life settlements are available, they offer large and readily accessible sums of money from unwanted or unneeded life insurance policies.

Life insurance policies are usually purchased to provide much needed financial security in the event of someone’s death. When a life insurance policy is no longer needed many people mistakenly assume the policy has little or no value. In years past policy owners had two options for their unwanted life insurance. First, they could stop paying premiums, which then allowed the policy to lapse. In this scenario, the policy owner gets nothing. Secondly, some life insurance allows for the policy to be returned to the insurance carrier for the “cash surrender value”. Unfortunately, the cash surrender value is often only a nominal amount of the policy’s death benefit.

Life settlements offer a third and more attractive option. A life settlement occurs when someone sells their existing life insurance policy for an immediate lump sum payment. The seller benefits by getting instant money which is often 200%-500% more than the cash surrender value offered by the insurance carrier. While the buyer, often a financial institution such as a bank or investment fund, pays the ongoing premiums and receives the death benefit when the policy matures. Unfortunately, many seniors don’t realize that life insurance policies can be bought and sold by their owner, like any other asset.

The life insurance settlement process is relatively straightforward and easy. Contacting a life settlement broker for a free analysis and consultation is the first step. These licensed professionals can provide an estimated value for a life insurance policy on the secondary market. After completing an application and collecting some documentation, the policy will be offered to a number of prospective buyers for consideration. From there, the policy seller simply chooses the most attractive offer and collects the life settlement proceeds.

Sylvester Stallone has played many roles. He’s been in some really good movies. Perhaps you know him best as John Rambo or Rocky Balboa. I know those are the first two characters I identify him as. Just what exactly is the best Sylvester Stallone Movie?

They are many to choose from. You have Capone (1975), Rocky (1976), Paradise Alley (1976), Rocky II (1978), Rocky III (1982), First Blood (1982), Staying Alive (1983), Rhinestone (1984), Rocky IV (1985), Rambo: First Blood Part 2 (1985), Cobra (1986), Over the Top (1986), Rambo III (1988), Lock Up (1989), Tango and Cash (1989), Rocky V (1990), Oscar (1991), Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992), Cliffhanger (1993), Demolition Man (1993), The Specialist (1994), Assassins (1995), Cop Land (1997), Antz (1998), Get Carter (2000), Spy Kids 3D Game Over (2003).

He’s been in some really good movies. I didn’t even list all his movies, cause he’s be in over 60 of them. I think personally my favorite would have to be Rocky II. I loved the part where they were trying to get him to be a spokes person for different products and he just couldn’t do it. You could just see him talking about itchy scalp and you can knock it out with Product Y.It wasn’t just the USA against the USSR, but it was during a time that was the peak of the Cold War. There was a lot of tension from the two super powers during this film. The USSR was even upset over the movie, cause of the alleged steroid doping that Dolph Lundgrens Character was using during training. The Soviets felt that was a message of accusing them of giving their athletes steroids.

Of coarse you can’t go wrong with the first Rocky Picture either. The first one’s always the best. Also, no doubt First Blood was one of the best pictures of all time. I guess the only question now remains, who would win? If Rocky Balboa and John Rambo got in a tangle? Hey, it could happen.