We looked at whole house water filtration units but currently these products are out of our price range and based on the product demonstrations we saw required some monthly maintenance. As a result, for our shower we decided to try the Sprite Shower Filter. These filters cost about $25 and need to have their filter cartridges replaced every 6 months. The filter cartridge costs about $10.

Source: http://www.spritewater.com/

You can read more about the Sprite Shower Filtration technology on the Sprite Shower Filters website. Also, if it helps the particular model we bought was made in the United States.

We recently welcomed a new resident to our home – a George Nelson creation. For those that do know George Nelson – no further explanation is required. For others, George Nelson is considered as one of the founders of American Modernism. According to Wikipedia, George Nelson was without any doubt one of the most articulate and one of the most eloquent voices on design and architecture in the U.S.A. of the 20th century.

So what did we get? The Herman Miller Platform Bench.

The beauty of the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University program is that he’s created an easy way for everyone, regardless of age or income, to reach a point in their life where finances don’t control emotions and help in changing a family legacy. The way or baby steps are broken down into 7 stages that are achievable through a simple desire to live well. As Dave Ramsey frequently says, “Live like no one else, so that you can live like no one else”.

From the Dave Ramsey website, the 7 stages are:

Baby Step 1

$1,000 to start an Emergency Fund

An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can’t plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car transmission, and the list goes on and on. It’s not a matter of if these events will happen; it’s simply a matter of when they will happen.

Baby Step 2

Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball

List your debts, excluding the house, in order. The smallest balance should be your number one priority. Don’t worry about interest rates unless two debts have similar payoffs. If that’s the case, then list the higher interest rate debt first.

Baby Step 3

3 to 6 months of expenses in savings

Once you complete the first two baby steps, you will have built serious momentum. But don’t start throwing all your “extra” money into investments quite yet. It’s time to build your full emergency fund.

Baby Step 4

Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement

When you reach this step, you’ll have no payments—except the house—and a fully funded emergency fund. Now it’s time to get serious about building wealth.

Baby Step 5

College funding for children

By this point, you should have already started Baby Step 4—investing 15% of your income—before saving for college. Whether you are saving for you or your child to go to college, you need to start now.

Baby Step 6

Pay off home early

Now it’s time to begin chunking all of your extra money toward the mortgage. You are getting closer to realizing the dream of a life with no house payments.

Baby Step 7

Build wealth and give!

It’s time to build wealth and give like never before. Leave an inheritance for future generations, and bless others now with your excess. It’s really the only way to live!

We highly recommend attending one of the courses that are offered as part of the Financial Peace University program or reading his book titled The Total Money Makeover. However, as good as the book is, the discussions, stories and encouragement from others in the financial peace class makes the financial peace journey much more enjoyable.

As our friend likes to say, “The joy is in the journey, not the destination”.

As always, standard disclaimer applies as costs vary based on your location, project requirements,  permits and other fees.

Funded by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Pennsylvania Home Heating Equipment Rebate Program offers rebates to Pennsylvania residents in existing single-family homes to encourage energy efficient product purchases and save energy throughout the state.

Visit the Pennsylvania Home Heating Equipment Rebate Program for more information and to reserve a rebate.

Join us at the Borough Green where we will launch our clean up of the Central Business District up and down Lansdowne and Baltimore Avenues. Businesses and volunteers will remove trash, sweep the sidewalks and generally beautify our homes. Help spruce up the downtown business area just before folks come to visit us for the Town-wide Yard Sale on May 8th and the Farmers Market starting on May 29th.

Gloves, bags for trash and recycling, brooms and other necessities will be provided so just bring yourself and your friends and family for this great community day!

Rain date is Sunday, April 18.
Location: Borough Green, Southeast corner of Lansdowne & Baltimore Avenues
Date: Saturday, April 17, 2010
Time: 9:30am-1:00pm EDT

More information is available at the Lansdowne Borough website.

A sleek container and free of toxic chemicals, CleanWell should be part of every traveler’s bag.

Unlike traditional hand sanitizer’s, CleanWell is:

• Alcohol free
• Safe for kids
• Leaves hands soft
• Fresh citrus scent
• Safe for sensitive skin
• Easy-to-use spray
• Never tested on animals
• CleanWell is all natural and non-toxic. It is made from rapidly renewable botanical sources and is part of a sustainable solution

Read more about the company and their products at the CleanWell site.

Consumer Reports has a great set of Frequently Asked Questions related to the program.