Meet Your Neighbors

Do you know your neighbors? If you answered no to this question, what's holding you back? Meeting those around you is both a rewarding and possibly life saving thing you can do.

Making friends with your neighbors or people in your complex can reward you with life-long friendships for both you and your children. It also fosters a sense of community and togetherness.

It can also be an important safety step to keep you and your family safe from danger or burglary.  By becoming friendly with your neighbors you are erecting one more defense against crime, since you will have a few people looking out for both you can your home.  Talking to your neighbors and others in your complex, and asking them to look out for suspicious behavior can save both you and them from theft or harm.

Can't think of a way to meet those around you? Try going door to door and introducing yourself, or go door to door and invite them to a small party at your place. It doesn't have to be a big deal just some wine and cheese and good company. If you aren't that bold, then hold a garage sale/ yard sale to get rid of some of your of belongings and have a reason to talk to your neighbors. You could also volunteer around with your complex and see if they have any activities that can get you out there. There are other places like the pool and other common areas that you can introduce yourself to people and make new friends.

Do you know some of your neighbors but not all? Get your complex to throw a block party and invite everyone. This is a fun and low key event that will draw in a lot of people and make a fun social atmosphere.

Just by being open and friendly you can meet your neighbors around you and become a little safer in the long run.

So what are you waiting for? The summer is the perfect time to make new friends and meet your neighbors.

Summer Reading Suggestions

Are you looking for a good pool or beach read this summer? Here’s a few suggestions that will help with your search.

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett- Three women — a white socialite and two black maids — work on a tell-all book about black domestic servants in 1960s Mississippi.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin- In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering.

The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins- A girl fights for survival on live TV. This trilogy will grab you and not let go.

Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling- If you haven’t read these books, you might live under a rock since they are a best seller and an icon of a generation. With the last movie out in theatres nows the perfect time to read what you saw.

Bossypants, by Tina Fey-  A memoir from the former Saturday Night Live star and creator of "30 Rock." It’s Tina Fey so you know it will be funny.

Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell- Why some people succeed — it has to do with luck and opportunities as well as talent. Very interesting nonfiction book filled with anecdotes and random facts.

Now You See Her, by James Patterson- A successful lawyer and loving mother, Nina Bloom would do anything to protect the life she's built in New York--including lying to everyone, even her daughter, about her past. But when an innocent man is framed for murder, she knows that she can't let him pay for the real killer's crimes. 

The Southern Vampire Series, series True Blood was based off, Charlaine Harris- This is a vampire series, but it is so much more then what they show on TV. Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse lives in Bon Temps and deals with being the interest of multiple vampires.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon- is a murder mystery of sorts--one told by an autistic version of Adrian Mole. Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is mathematically gifted and socially hopeless, raised in a working-class home by parents who can barely cope with their child's quirks. He takes everything that he sees (or is told) at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behavior of his elders and peers. This book is so good! You can read it in a day and it will make you smile.

The Dragon Series by Katie Macalister- Romance novels filled with lots of snark, humor, and romance. They are all easy and fun reads good for a day relaxing in the sun or curled up on the couch, but be warned you will have the urge to laugh out loud.

The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning- Is amazing paranormal series, set up around Mac who travels to Dublin to find her sisters murderer. It’s a fast paced series that will have you reading the books one after the other!

I suggest going to Borders before they close and getting some of these books at discounted prices! Enjoy your reading!

Road Trip Tips

Road trips are a summer tradition for many people, but the price of gas is going up at an alarming rate, so how do you balance your need to get in the car and drive, with your wallet? Here are some road trip tips to help with gas, planning and road tripping.

Gas-Saving Tips

• ·         Drive 55 on the highway- It's a good constant speed, and AAA estimates that driving slower can boost mileage by 5%.
• ·         Avoid stopping and starting- Accelerating from a standstill requires more fuel then gently letting up on the gas pedal and coasting for a few seconds before accelerating. It can also help to look ahead and let up on the gas pedal when you see a red light, coasting will help with constant breaking.
• ·         Use cruise control- it helps control your speed and keep you at a constant saving more gas.
• ·         Watch when you fill your tank- overfilling your tank is both dangerous to your car and to your wallet. When you overfill your tank you can mess up your car's engine and gas can slosh around in the tank and escape, leaving you with less gas then you paid for. Click the gas cap 3 times to ensure that it is on tightly and gas won't escape. Every year 147 million gallons of fuel vaporizes from tanks in the US.
• ·         Drive when its cooler outside- this one might be hard as it is never very cool in the summer down in the south, but it does help if you leave early in the morning or once the sun sets at night. According to AAA, cooler, denser air can increase power and mileage.
• ·         Use AC instead of windows- at least in newer cars, air conditioners in newer cars are more efficient, since they cause less drag on the engine then driving with the windows down.
• ·         Pack light- the lighter your possessions the better your mileage will be. Keep your suitcases and gear in the car too, as objects on the roof create more drag and kill your mileage.

Planning

• ·         It's best to have a plan of action before hitting the road. Chart where you want to go and look up directions online from multiple websites before getting in the car.
• ·         Don't always trust your GPS- You want to think that it will always give you the correct route, but sometimes the maps and routes on your machine are out of date, which will cause you to get lost or add miles to your trip.
• ·         If you have kids think about activities for them- nothing is worse than getting in the car and having the kids saying "are we there yet?" every 3 minutes. Make sure you have something for them to read or play with. Highway games are fun like the Alphabet game. You can also find cheap road trip bingo cards at Wal-Mart and toy stores.
• ·         If you are bringing a pet make sure you have them taken care of- you will need to consider a doggie seat belt or training your dog to handle road trips. Many small outing will prepare them for being in a car for hours. Make sure you make time to stop and let your pet walk around outside.

Other tips

• ·         Have all of your documents with you- license and car registration are all good to have just in case you do get pulled over.
• ·         Pull off if you get tired- you don't want to cause an accident, it's better to pull off at a rest stop and rest for a few hours then falling asleep at the wheel and getting into an accident.
• ·         Join AAA- It's worth the money to have peace of mind that if you do get stuck somewhere with a car issue that you won't be stranded.
• ·         Learn to read a map- don't always rely on gps. It's better to know how to read a map. It's not hard to learn.
• ·         Pay attention- It's easy to let your mind wander when you have locked into cruise control, but be aware of your surroundings and the traffic around you. Also keep track of the change in speed limits, you don't want to get a ticket.
• ·         Learn to change a tire- Even if you have AAA, it is good to know how to do it just in case.
• ·         Stock your car with essentials- Extra oil, jumper cables, flares, coolant, spare tire, water, ect.