Smaller homes are becoming more popular due to the housing bust of the previous decade. There are lots of reasons smaller homes are popular; lower utility costs, more bang for your buck, and less up-keep. Another benefit to smaller homes, besides the price point, is that renovating can cost less than purchasing a larger or nicer home to begin with.

An open floor plan refers to a home with a central room, also called a “great room,” that integrates the main living spaces—the kitchen, dining room, and living room—into one open room. Homes with open floor plans often have exposed beams or posts because the great room lacks the walls and ceilings to hide them.

I’ll be investigating long term care options. I don’t intend to get sick as I turn 50, but at the same time who knows what the next 10 years may bring. Which brings me to the subject of Long Term Care.

In another life, I was most definitely an architect. I love analyzing, gawking at, and dreaming of different architectural styles. Recently, I’ve noticed a trend in commercial properties, whether it be a retail location or multi-unit apartment complex; an urban industrial look and feel to the facade. Brick accents, metal-like paneling, and bold, dark contrasting colors seem to be a running theme in new and redesigned units.

With gas prices teetering on $5.00 a gallon here in California, I’m so glad I’ve gotten into the habit of bicycling. Of course, our temperate weather helps as it encourages me to bike all year long.

“Oh, she’s just had a run of bad luck. That’s why she’s having financial troubles,” I recently heard someone say about someone I know very well.

I kept my mouth shut, but it made me realize there really isn’t such a thing as bad luck, at least not when it comes to repeat-behavior and financial habits. Instead, it’s an excuse for not taking control of the financial situation and making some much needed changes.