Designing Web Success

Where did orchids originate? One may as well ask where man
originated, for like man, the ubiquitous orchid is found on
nearly every continent in nearly every climate. Also like man,
the orchid has a myriad varieties and forms - so many that one
botanist has stated, “There is no such thing as a typical
orchid.”

There are over 30,000 varieties of orchid not including manmade
hybrids. Most people think of orchids as tropical plants, but
there are mentions of orchids in Chinese writings as early as
500 B.C. In the Western world, the Greek botanist Theophrastus
mentioned Orchis in manuscripts around 300 B.C. An Aztec herbal
dating from the 1600s mentions vanilla, a type of orchid. From
Egypt to the Americas, from the South Seas to the mountains of
Switzerland, there are native varieties of orchids that grow in
the woods, the rain forests, the mountains and even the seashore.

The modern day history of orchid cultivation, however, begins in
the 1880s when William Cattley of England received a shipment of
ornamental plants from the Brazilian jungles. The plants were
packed in bulbs of another plant for protection, and out of
curiosity, Cattley placed one of those plants into his glass
house (what we now call a greenhouse). That plant was the
Cattleya labiata orchid - the plant that most people think of as
the ‘orchid’.

Some of the most enchanting members of the orchid family are far
less showy. The delicate lady slipper and brightly colored
Calypso fairy slipper are found in the Northern woods from New
England through Canada, and the Thai spider (bulbophyllum
medusae) with its mane of ‘hair’ grows in the lowlands of
Thailand. To learn more about orchids and other plants please
visit www.orchidgeeks.com

With college student credit card that today, most parents contend that it is okay to let college students obtain their very own credit card. Not only because they want to let their kids manage their finances alone but also because having credit cards or a credit history for that matter is extremely important.

With the advent of credit cards, most people would always be looking into someone’s credit history before they can approve anything.

They even insist that without a credit history, people tend to become a total outcast in the society, someone who is not worthy to enjoy anything and everything without a credit history. That is why most college students would struggle just to get one.

But what makes the college student credit card different from the other credit card? Why is it that it is highly classified as “student credit card,” and not just any credit cards for that matter?

Basically, college student credit cards do not make such big difference as compared to the other types of credit cards. However, because it is a student credit card, the benefits stated therein are completely focused on providing the student’s their basic needs.

Moreover, college student credit card are entitled to lower interest rates especially for students who have good grades. They can negotiate their interest rates for a lower rate provided that they pay their balance dues on time and that they maintain good grades.

On the other hand, student’s credit cards are actually secured credit cards. But the difference that sets the students credit card apart from the other credit cards is that their parents can set the credit limit.

Also, parents can let their child’s credit card to hook up with them so that they can keep track on their child’s credit transactions.

Another thing that sets the college student credit card apart from the other credit cards is that the student credit cards are mainly focused on and quoted for students only considering the fact that they have limited credit history.

Normally, college student credit cards have no annual fees and have credit limits that are only set to $500. And according to some surveys of financial institutions, the average student credit card annual percentage rate is 17.66% for purchases and 19.67% for cash advances.

So, even if student credit cards are different from the other credit cards because of its considerable interest rates, it is still a credit card. Thus, students must really be responsible in handling them; otherwise, they are bound to suffer bad credit history in the end.

www.credit-card-magazine.com

So you decided on Orlando Florida for your family vacation this year.

Before you decide where to stay think about what it is like in Orlando. It is usually very warm, even in the winter. Your kids are going to be exhausted from a long day of playing at the theme parks. Before you start searching the internet for a great deal think about what you really want for your family vacation.

Your typical hotel rooms has:

● Two beds side by side
● One very small bathroom
● A TV and possibly a chair or two
● Maybe a balcony

This may be fine for a business traveler or a single person. But do you really want to squeeze your family of four in to the tiniest space even for a vacation.

Just imagine, waiting to use the bathroom, crying and carrying on because they are thirsty or hungry, no where to site except your messed up bed. Here’s something even better, most parents don’t think about. Your bed is about 3 feet away from the kid’s bed. Forget Mom and Dad having alone time.

You need a town house rental.

As the day at Disney World comes to an end and you all make your way into the hotel room, too small to really feel comfortable, you wish you had done a little more research.

Surly there has to be something out there that’s bigger for your family, but not out the roof on prices. Surly there is somewhere out there that can make your vacation better rather than making it worse.

And there is. It’s a town house rental.

Unlike your typical hotel that can only provide so much room for a family, town house rentals are large and like vacationing in a home away from home.

This is what you can expect in a town house

● A living room with enough space to sit with the entire family. Sit on a comfortable piece of furniture and relax.

● A kitchen and dining room. You have a refrigerator when you can store drinks for the kids and yourself. Snack, breakfast items and more so no more complaining and making Dad run out to get something out of a vending machine.

● Two or more bedrooms, depending on how much space you need, you can get a two bedroom two bath and up. This gives you privacy and the ability to get ready to go for the day at the same time.

● Patio or back porch, sit and relax outside in the beautiful Florida sunshine on your very own patio. You can even have breakfast out there.

Town house rentals are the way to go when visiting the sunshine state of Florida and Orlando boasts many town house rental companies right near Disney World, close to Kissimmee, in Davenport.

A close city, Davenport allows you as the tourist to not fall into the infamous tourist trap where tacky trinket shops are one after another and food prices are more expensive than anywhere else.

Not only will you be escaping the small and cramped hotel room if you book a town house, you will escape the fast-paced tourist mode and feel like you really are on vacation instead of simply seeing the sights.

Of course even when booking a vacation town house, there are things to look for and be aware of, for example.

● Find a town house rental in a resort like setting. Don’t choose a town house rental in a neighborhood or community with residents and vacationers. These types of town house rentals do not have amenities you may look for, like a pool that is clean and maintained daily.

● Volleyball, basketball, tennis, game room, billiards and shopping are some thing you will find in a resort setting town house rental but not in a rental neighborhood.

● Choose a town house rental that has on site property management. Some of these places with out management make you check in across town and then when you get to your unit the key may not work. You have to return to the office to find someone to help.

● Choose a town house rental with on site housekeeping and maintenance. What if you need more towels or your have a maintenance issue; big or small you will want someone to help you.

Booking a town house is easy and reservations are guaranteed.

The area of town houses will allow you to become a Floridian while you are visiting Orlando, Florida.

You won’t be clumped in with the typical hotel-staying tourist, you won’t get conned into spending more on gas, food, and souvenirs and you won’t miss out on anything!

Town house rentals have just what hotels have and more, all at a reasonable price that makes leaving the hotel route so worth it.

Town House Rentals save you!

Not only do town house rentals in Davenport save you from the tourist trap, they also have cheap discounts and deals that you will not want to pass up! Their low cost make it almost silly to not come to Disney World for vacation.

But now that you know that you should skip the hotel and treat your family to a town house rental, how do you go about finding them? It’s easy! There are many ways to find town house rentals in Kissimmee, Davenport and other areas of Central Florida.

You can call, you can write, but one of the best ways to get information is to search the Internet. Type in booking dates, desired places to stay such as town house rentals and many sights will pop up and guide you through the reservation process.

You will be able to choose where you want to stay, how much space you need, and how close you want to be to all the attractions Central Florida has to offer.

Don’t give up if you search and there are no prices that look good to you. Continue in your hunt and you will find the deals, specials, and discounts offered by so many town house rental places!

They are hidden treasures among the Kissimmee and Davenport areas

They are hidden treasures among the Kissimmee and Davenport areas and though some tourists know about them, certainly not all.

There places have excellent prices and are looking to fill their houses and want you to enjoy Central Florida at it’s finest with Disney close by and other attractions not far from your doorstep either.

Sea World, Universal Studios, and downtown Orlando are not but a car ride away and all apart of the Orlando experience.

Town house rentals are not only great for summer vacations; they are great for family reunions, get-away weekends with friends, or holiday celebrations.

A whole group of houses can be booked for many families that want the comfort of their own space, but the ease of being near their loved ones. This makes for a great gathering because the kitchens can be used to cook big meals, and though you may not all sleep in the same house, one can hold many people for a party or dinner together with the entire family.

Get-away weekends with friends whether it’s with the kids for a quick trip to Disney World, or without the kids for some time away to spend with adults, town house rentals are the way to go. Instead of feeling so uncomfortable in a hotel, with nowhere to socialize or sit and relax, book a town house rental and have just enough room for a cozy, yet relaxing setting.

Holiday celebrations are an excellent way to spend time in Orlando

Holiday celebrations are an excellent way to spend time in Orlando, Florida as well. With Walt Disney World and the many other attractions that make up the Central Florida area, there is always something happening, something to see, and something to be apart of. With enough space and comfort in a town house rental, you can easily enjoy holidays in a home away from home.

Buy a Christmas tree and decorate it, have an inside Easter egg hunt or cook a Thanksgiving feast. None of these luxuries could even be considered when in a hotel room, but a town house rental will allow for a family holiday to feel as though it is spent at home while being so close to Orlando attractions and family fun.

If the kids get hungry before dinner, there are snacks in the kitchen and if they need time to read or take a nap, they have their own room to escape to.

The town house is cool when you enter it from the great AC and the space it provides your family is just enough - close enough to bond on family vacation, but big enough for space needed from one another as well.

And you think to yourself how much better this vacation is compared to the ones in the past when you were all smooshed into one or even two rooms for the week or two that you were vacationing. Town house rentals will make your vacation that much better. Search for the discounts today and visit Florida the town house rental way!

Art McCarty
Orlando florida lodging expert
www.islandhideaway.net

Las Vegas Holiday Cakes, Wedding Cakes and French Pastries

Bring in the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day with the
Gourmet Cake Factory French Pastries. Enjoy the holidays with
these wonderful desserts to choose from. when you are catering a
Las Vegas holiday party or Las Vegas Wedding, make sure to
contact The Gourmet Cake Factory for the best french pastries,
birthday cakes, holiday cakes, holiday pastries, wedding cakes,
and more. For your receptions and parties we can accomodate
large parties, banquets and receptions from our Las Vegas
bakery. You can choose from a wide assortment of fillings,
flavors, sugarfree cakes, and french pastries. In our holiday
cakes, you can get ginger bread houses, log cakes, santa cakes,
yule log cakes, christmas tree cakes, and more.

French Pastries - Holiday Pastries

fruit tarts mango orange bars walnut coconut tarts almond
tiramisu slices almond pear tart raspberry napoleon traditional
napoleon swans opera coffee eclairs raspberry mouse cream puffs
chocolate mousse almond raspberry tarts baileys cream puffs

Las Vegas Cakes

Las Vegas wedding cakes Las Vegas birthday cakes Las Vegas
bridal shower cakes Las Vegas baby shower cakes Las Vegas
holiday cakes Las Vegas adult cakes Las Vegas Christmas cakes

Cake Fillings

Bavarian Cream Praline Fudge filling Fresh Fruits Chocolate
Ganache Chocolate Mousse While Chocolate Mousse Raspberry Mouse
Cream Cheese Cannolis filling Mocha Filling Pear Mousseline
Pineapple Charlotte

Cake Flavors

white cake spice cake mable cake cheese cake chocolate cake
banana cake sour cherry cake raspberry cake blueberry cake
strawberry short cake carrot cake lemon cake zest orange cake

For more information and cake photos, visit our website at
http://www.tgcf.com

Shopping addiction is a disorder that our culture has largely
seen fit to smile upon. Feelings of emptiness, low self-esteem,
insecurity, boredom, loneliness–or the pursuit of ideal
image–can lead people to shopping addictions. But managing
these feelings and mood states by becoming a shopaholic can have
extremely serious consequences and significantly erode quality
of life.

As with most other addictive, impulse control, or compulsive
disorders, there is a wide range of effective treatment options
for shopaholics: drug treatment, individual, group, and couples
therapy, counseling for compulsive buying, Debtors Anonymous,
and Simplicity Circles can all be effective. The choice of what
form or forms of treatment to use with a particular person is a
complex decision that goes well beyond the scope of this
overview. For further information about making treatment
decisions, consult my own writings, the For Therapists page of
my website, www.stoppingovershopping.com, as well as the
bibliographic references at the end of each chapter in I Shop,
Therefore I Am: Compulsive Buying and the Search for Self.

Psychotropic medications, including antidepressants, mood
stabilizers, and opiod antagonists have been used to treat
shopping addictions, with varying effectiveness. For further
details, see McElroy and Goldsmith-Chapter 10 of I Shop,
Therefore I Am-and my own treatment chapter in Addiction: A
Practical Handbook.

Individual therapy for shopaholics runs the gamut from
traditional psychodynamic psychotherapy, with an almost
exclusive focus on the underlying dynamics within a historical
context, to a very strict focus on the here and now of the
problem, with little attention to underlying dynamics. Most
people suffering from a shopping addiction need the addition of
other specific tools for changing the behavior, including a
shopping diary and a spending plan. Some people will need to
participate in Debtors Anonymous or group therapy for
shopaholics, and/or have counseling specifically geared toward
shopping addiction. This is particularly likely if the
individual therapist has little experience with the tools of
shopping addiction counseling. For further information about
individual treatment, please consult the Psychodynamic Theory
and Technique section of I Shop, Therefore I Am, or see the
individual therapy section of my previously cited treatment
chapter.

Group therapy for shopaholics has been reported since the late
1980s. At least five different forms of group therapy have been
utilized with this population. My own group treatment model is
an amalgam of three things: useful techniques from existing
models; didactic and experiential material used in group
treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder; and material I’ve
found effective in my clinical practice. For information about
the Stopping Overshopping group treatment program, please visit
the website, www.stoppingovershopping.com.

Couples therapy for shopaholics is an extremely important
treatment modality, because couples act as a financial unit and
generally blend income as well as spending. Money issues are an
intrinsic part of marriage and are often a source of intense and
pervasive friction that can seep into other aspects of the
relationship. Couples therapy is indicated when the shopping
addiction can’t be dealt with adequately on an individual basis.
Olivia Mellan, the country’s foremost expert in this area,
discusses the treatment in Chapter 15, “Overcoming Overspending
in Couples”, of I Shop, Therefore I Am.

Counseling for shopaholics targets the specific problem and
creates an action plan to stop the behavior. Targeted counseling
for this problem alters the negative actions of compulsive
shopping and concurrently works toward healing the underlying
emotions, although less emphasis is placed on exploring the
emotional significance of the shopping addiction than in
traditional individual psychotherapy. The major premise of
counseling for shopaholics is the idea that insight alone will
not stop the behavior. All stages in the shopping addiction
cycle must be identified: the triggers, the feelings, the
dysfunctional thoughts, the behaviors, the consequences of the
behavior, as well as the meaning of the shopping addiction.
Creating and using a spending plan is a cornerstone of shopping
addiction counseling. More information about shopping addiction
counseling can be found in Karen McCall’s chapter “Financial
Recovery Counseling”, as well as in my treatment chapter in I
Shop, Therefore I Am.

Debtors Anonymous (D.A.) can be a powerful tool in recovery from
shopping addiction, especially for shopaholics who have problems
with debt. D.A. sees debting as a disease similar to alcoholism
that can be cured with solvency, which means abstinence from any
new debt. Since individuals are trying to control their lives
with addictive debting, D.A. offers a regimented program of
surrender and recovery, a program with a spiritual emphasis.
Individual debtors work through the steps of the program with a
sponsor, a more experienced member of the group, using newly
acquired tools in conjunction with the steps. How Debtors
Anonymous and psychotherapy can work synergistically is the
topic of Kellen and Levine’s chapter of I Shop, Therefore I Am.

Simplicity circles can be a helpful support to shopaholics,
although the shopping addiction problems are not dealt with as
directly as in the various therapies for shopping addiction or
Debtors Anonymous. What simplicity circles do have to offer is a
forum: a place to gather with others to discuss personal
transformation and the satisfactions of living a simpler life.
The caring atmosphere and the discussion of how to create a more
fulfilling life is a healthy way to meet some of the principal
needs that a shopaholic seeks to meet in shopping. In Chapter 20
of my book, Cecile Andrews discusses simplicity circles and the
shopaholic.

Shopping addiction treatment is still very much in a formative
stage. Society, advertising, and the media all conspire against
the cultivation of true wealth, which cannot be quantified in a
financial balance sheet but must instead be felt and sensed:
self-esteem, family, friendships, a sense of community, health,
education, creative pursuits, communion with nature. It is inner
poverty, both emotional and spiritual, that is at the core of
most shopping addictions. The acquisition of truth wealth is
crucial to recovery.

It’s fun to buy stocking stuffers for teen girls. I always use
this time of year as an opportunity to give them the little
treats they want and/or need throughout the year but that I
don’t want to spend the extra money for. Here are some items our
teenage daughters will find in their Christmas stockings this
year:

$5 Starbucks card AA batteries for portable CD player/MP3 player
Matching knit camisole/panties Fun fashionable socks Small hoop
earrings Chocolates and hard candies

I try to find them things that they can use but will also not
necessarily expect in their stockings. Listen for clues for what
to get when you’re out shopping with them. They really make it
quite easy! Here are some other ideas:

Movie tickets Fast food gift certificates Perfume/body spray Lip
gloss Nail polish/manicure set Disposable camera/film CD
cleaner/scratch remover Journal/pen Small inspirational book
Tear-off calendar Car or room air freshener

If you are confused about terms like “search engine optimization” or having a “search engine friendly” site, then listen up! I am here to help.

Depending on how long you have had, or considered having, a website online, you have heard terms thrown around like the above or even worse, acronyms! SEO comes to mind.

Really there is not that much to fear even if you have no idea right now what is really meant by having a search engine friendly site.

Here is what search engines like to have in their results when people type in keywords:

1. A site with lots of content.

2. A site with UNIQUE content (Original - meaning you wrote it or you paid someone to write it for you.)

3. Sites that are well organized link-wise (meaning simple navigation from the main page of your site to every other page of your site.)

4. Sites that have links pointing to them from other popular, relevant sites. (sites that are similar in content to yours but that are not in direct competition with yours in content)

5. Sites that change regularly (not static but always growing with new content on a regular basis)

6. Sites they can read. (search engine robots cannot read javascript for instance and therefore you get no credit for whatever content is in that application on your site)

7. Tightly themed sites. It is easier for an engine to rank your site properly (where you want it to be) if you are not all over the map in content.

Exception: Portal sites or directories. But this is an item for another article all together

What About The Complicated Stuff?

There really isn’t anything complicated about what the search engines want. But if you have stumbled into a search engine forum you were likely blown away with comments and tips that were completely over your head.

There is a difference between basic, standard optimization and the stuff they talk about in those forums. While visting SEO forums is good to keep up on new things as you go along, many people get confused and the forums are the breeding grounds for confusion when you are a beginner.

Try to learn advanced SEO from noted experts in the field rather than taking anything in chats or forums as gospel. A lot more people THINK they know what they are doing than actually do.

Remember that anything someone is willing to give away for free which, if it works, could be worth tens of thousands of dollars in high rankings resulting in high sales, is probably something that is old hat and not effective anymore.

But for now, you have a lot of work to do on the basics. The advanced stuff can come later. Relative to the advanced SEO, getting the basics right is the most powerful move you can make because you are going from zero to moving up in rankings by, many times, tens of thousands of spaces in a relatively short time.

Advanced SEO focuses on moving your site from high rankings slightly higher rankings.

Keywords

Your content is the most important thing about a website. It must be friendly to the search engines meaning no special java script or other stuff. Just good old fashioned HTML. You will do fine with PHP, SHTML, and other things, but for the purpose of this article, HTML is the way most people construct their sites.

You should use a good density of your main keyword phrase for each page of your site within the content. If you are going after a high ranking for the phrase “dog leashes” you need to have that phrase in the title of the page and throughout the content.

Programs that are great for analyzing your site and giving feedback on how to improve your rankings don’t come any more highly recommended that Internet Business Promoter from Axandra.

More Info: http://www.Axandra.com/go.to/jdh358

Nice thing about the software above is that it teaches you search engine optimization while it works on your site. So having it is like having a course on optimization while your site is altered for the best placement in the search engines at the same time.

The main recommendation I have for people starting to deal with optimizing their sites for the engines is to take things one at a time and get the basics down before you start messing with advanced strategies.

And when you start down that road, information you pay for is usually more accurate and more valuable than hanging around in forums. High rankings are worth a LOT of money and people don’t work hard to become experts just to give that information away.

Good luck and get to work!

Jack Humphrey is the CEO of http://WebFoxMedia.com, an online marketing consulting firm that focuses on publicity, traffic generation and website development for small to large companies.

Salicylic acid is a term that has been around for many years in the skin care industry, and if you happen to be new to buying skincare products that contain this treatment medicine, then it’s a good idea to know what it is, and how it helps in aiding in your skin’s health.

Like any product on the market today, it’s always best to be educated on what you’re using, and obtain as much information on how to prevent any future skin reactions or problems.

Normally the products with salicylic ingredients that are sold over the counter in retail stores are safe, but it becomes un-safe when individuals use these items with a combination of other chemicals that may react together and cause skin irritation.

This is why it’s so important to read the bottles instructions and make sure that if there is anything on that container that you don’t understand, you should contact a medical doctor to get more facts. This would definitely apply when you notice your first symptoms of acne breakouts, or excess blackheads and whiteheads, and you want to find out what is best for your condition!

Health Benefits Of Beta Hydroxy Acids, Also Know As Salicylic Acids

If you’re reading labels and you notice beta hydroxy acid and Salicylic acid in the same context, it’s because they are one of the same. We won’t get into the technical explanation of the ingredients; all you need to know is this medicine is derived and naturally occurs in select plant species.

The benefit of this acidic component is that it easily penetrates deep into your hairs follicle opening, and helps un-plug the build up of your skins natural production of oil. It is medically proven to help decrease inflammation of newly formed blemishes, whiteheads, and also your stubborn blackheads!

In plain English, Beta-Hydroxy (Salicylic Acid) gets deep into the skins pores and exfoliates your dead skin cells, and this helps clear out the trapped oil to prevent bacteria from feasting on this excess skin and oil, which eventually develops into your red irritated infections.

When Using Acidic Topical Solutions, You Should Be Aware Of The Many Cautions!

As mentioned earlier, you must be knowledgeable about the chemicals that you’re using! The reason this is so important is that you may not notice at first what level of Salicylic Acid concentration is safe to use on your particular condition. If you happen to obtain a higher percentage of solution than the average over-the-counter brands, then you may risk severe irritation and burning of your skin if not used properly.

Other precautions you should take when using this medicine, is try to avoid using at the same time a combination of alcohol based cleansers, and other medicinal solutions such as benzoyl peroxide, and soaps that easily dry your face and contains ingredients that exfoliates as well.

If you have been diagnosed with Rosacea, it’s extremely important to consult your Dermatologist, because this product may have reverse effects on treating this select skin disease, and may cause more damage than good! However, if you’re diagnosed with regular to severe acne, and not Rosacea, used properly, this beneficial medication can aid in breaking down dead skin-cells, blackheads, and whiteheads, and help you achieve a softer looking and clearer face.

Remember to educate yourself on the Acid concentrations of the products you purchase, and also find out what you can and cannot use in combination in your blemish fighting efforts, and in the long-term treatment process you will eventually get on the right path to an acne free life!

About the author: William is the owner and the author of “1st In Acne Skin Care Products” available at www.1st-in-acne-skin-care-products.com A great source for Acne Treatments! Find articles and information on acne treatment, and a number of select online skincare companies offering adult acne products, facial cleansers, and blackhead removal items, all in one convenient location.

In today’s world, people can barely count on their fingers the number of different financial accounts that they have: loans for school, emergency funds, investment funds, mortgage - the list could go on and on. With so many accounts to put your money in, it can be hard to know exactly what to do.

The good news is that there is a simple principle for maximizing the power of your money across all your financial accounts and it amounts to moving your money out of low-interest accounts and itno high-interest accounts.

The first step is to make a list of all your accounts along with their interest rates (either positive or negative).

Hypothetically, let’s say that you’ve got a total of $6,000 in credit card debt at 15% interest. You’ve also got a $125,000 mortgage at 6.5% interest. Other accounts might include a savings account with $25,000 making 3% interest, and a retirement account with $40,000 making 10% interest. Most people probably have more than four accounts. In fact, if you are like the average American, it is more likely that you have upwards of 10-15 accounts.

Ok. So we have four accounts. The question that we need to ask is whether our money is being used in the best way across these accounts? In other words, are we currently maximizing the power of our money? It turns out that we are not.

The main reason is that there is too much money wrapped up in the low-interest saving account. What you need to do is move the money out of your savings account and put it into those accounts with the highest interest rates (both positive and negative). In this case, the highest interest rates are the credit cards.

Once we’ve paid the credit card accounts, we’d still have $19,000 left in savings: still far too much for such a low-interest account. In its current state, the money in the savings account is not being used effectively. The next step is to look for the account with the next highest interest rates. This account turns out to be your retirement account at 10% interest. Don’t be tempted here to pay down your mortgage! You’ll be losing out on tax benefits plus close to 3.5% interest per year.

Once you’ve maxed out your retirement contributions, go onto the account with the next highest interst rate, and so on until you’ve distributed your money into the accounts with the highest interest rates.

You can always maximize the power of your money by letting it flow into accounts with the highest interest rates. By using this simple principle, you can maximize the power of your money in today’s modern economy.

Quentin James writes articles on investing for The Common Sense Investor. He’s recently written several articles on how to prioritize the use of money:

When to Invest Rather than Pay off your Mortgage Early
http://csinvestor.com/investing-guide/invest-or-mortgage

Prioritizing Your Retirement Investments http://csinvestor.com/investing-guide/retirement/prioritize

Been shopping for a new camping tent? Wonder what 3-season or 4-season means? Confused about what a family tent or convertible tent classification means? Let’s try to cut through all the marketing lingo and get down to what you should really look for when you see camping tent ratings or classifications.

When you get right down to it, you should think of a camping tent as either 3-season or 4-season. So what’s in a name?

Generally speaking your average 3-season tent is built to hold up well in light to moderate weather conditions. They are built to be comfortable in Spring, Summer and Fall in most any location, hence the name 3-season.

Three-season tents are generally more affordable than 4-season. You will find a vast range of 3-season tent quality from the cheap units found in big retail stores to expensive models found in specialty camping stores.

The downside of 3-season tents? These tents do not hold up well in high winds, torrential rain and heavy snowfall. 3-season tents are generally not the tent of choice for backcountry expeditions through Alaska in January.

The best 3-season tents generally come with a waterproof rain fly and a breathable canopy. Ideally you want to find a three season tent with a waterproof floor. The rugged “bathtub” floor is generally reserved for the more expensive four season tent (but not always).

Four season tents are great for just about any weather condition that you may encounter, assuming its winter. The 4-season rating really should be classified as 1-season. Why? Because a quality 4-season tent performs great in winter conditions but may suffer from over-insulation in the summer months.

Structurally 4-season tents generally have at least four aluminum poles for strength (the more the better) to withstand sleet and snow. They are aerodynamic in design and typically they are dark colored in order to absorb heat. And they are generally much lighter.

The roof lines on four season tents are fully defined and very strong so water and snow cannot collect on top of the tent. Most four season tents can be utilized free standing in the event there is no place to pound stakes into the ground such as on the side of a mountain or in frozen terrain.

Four season tents have a fully encompassing rainfly to combat the elements. They also have excellent waterproof floors that are called “bathtubs” as they come up to about six inches on the side of the tent. Additionaly the seams are very hardy and strong throughout the tent.

The downside to the 4-season tent? Price. You can end up paying a hefty sum for the technology built in to keep you protected.

Also, as I alluded to above, if you are camping in the middle of summer you will want air movement through your tent to keep things cooler. 4-season tents are generally made to inhibit the elements from cutting through the camping tent, which is great in the winter and not so great in balmy summer.

So where does a family tent fit into these ratings? A family tent is simply a 3-season tent.

What’s going on with a convertible 3-4 season tent? This kind of tent generally has some sort of built in airflow ventilator. I would not take this type tent into the backcountry where survival was important. If the ventilator malfunctioned and it would not close, you could become an unhappy camper pretty fast.

Bottom line: The 3-season tent is the recommended choice for the majority of campers. It is the most cost effective tent and will allow the user to camp in a variety of conditions up to, but not including, severe winter weather conditions.

If you camp from Spring, Summer and Fall, a 3-season camping tent will fill your needs. If you camp where severe winter weather is possible then you should be getting a 4-season camping tent.

A father of two daughters, Chris loves the outdoors and counts camping, skiing and bicycling as his favorite pursuits. Chris is the owner of http://www.camping-tent-guide.com, a website for camping tent information, camping tips and outdoor adventure discussion.