The Sharper Image MIDI Silent Air Purifier

I love this one because it really is incredibly quiet when in use. It’s a great buy for an average size room. $299.95

Specs – Three air cleaning speeds, 10 watt power usage, 5.5 lbs, plugs in with 6 ft. cord.

Alen 350

This purifier is a good value for smaller rooms. It removes nearly all allergens and is pretty quiet.

Specs – Uses true HEPA filter, annual replacement filters are apprx. $70, lifetime warranty included.

IQAir Health Pro

This one is pretty pricey but for someone with severe allergies it’s your best bet. Can purify a room up to 900 sq. ft!

Specs – Users HyperHEPA filter, has a filter change alert, and comes with a 5 year warranty.

For the ‘New Mom‘, the new Philips digital picture frame, would be heaven sent. Make sure to load images onto the frame before gifting to give it that extra WOW!

For the more ‘Fashionable Mom’, a Philip Stein watch would be a marvelous choice. The sleek design alone will have your Mother thanking you endlessly.

For the ‘Hip Mom’, the 2007 Entertainment Book will be exactly what she’s looking for. The new Entertainment book offers discounts at tons of hip, new restaurants.

For the ‘Gardening Mom’, this lovely Garden tool set from Wrapables.com will help her welcome those ‘May Flowers’.

And lastly, for the ‘Distant Mom’ – a subscription to Vonage will help her keep in touch with all her loved ones for the low price of $24.99 month. Warning: May not be suitable for everyone!

Baby monitors do more than just relay goo-goos and cries from baby’s room to other parts of the house. They offer a piece of mind and a sense of security in letting you know if everything is ok in the crib. The two biggest issues to look out for are static interference and accidental eavesdropping. Here are our thoughts on three monitors

If you’re anything like me, you’re in desperate need of a Savings account. Scouring the internet has brought me to ING Direct. ING Direct has the ‘Orange Savings Account’. This account earns a 4.5% annual percentage yield (much more attractive than what your local Bank of America has to offer).

But here’s the real WOW factor:

No minimum deposit required.

No service fees

The ability to transfer cash in and out of your account; all done on their website INGdirect.com.

So what are you waiting, start your account with as little as $1.

Right now American Express is offering a 0% APR for up to 15 months, with low balance transfer rates up 4.99% fixed APR. And also, earn up to double points at over 125 participating retailers.

Doesn’t this sound too good to be true? Yes, but the best part is – it is true!

Suze Orman’s book targeted for 20 something’s is a true gem! It teaches you just about everything you need to know about finance, and writes it in plain English.

This book highlights financial phenomenon’s such as:

- What is a 401K and why it’s important to you?

- How to get yourself out of credit card debt.

- Practical Money Management tactics.

- An introduction to investing.

So if you’re looking into remaining Young and Fabulous, I highly recommend this book. And if you’re too ‘broke’ to go out and buy the book – consider a trip to your local Barnes & Noble, and take a seat.

Like many graduates in America, you’re dealing with this horrible bill called the ‘Student Loan’.

Before you consider consolidating your student loans, please take the following into account:

Are your loans eligible for consolidation?

First off, you need at least $5k of student loan debt to qualify.

Secondly, here is a list of loans that will qualify: Stafford, Parent PLUS, Graduate PLUS, Perkins, consolidation loans, Supplemental Loans for Students, Health Professions Student Loans, Loans for Disadvantaged Students, Nursing Student Loans, and Health Education Assistance Loans.

When can I consolidate?

If you’re a student, you may consolidate during the grace period’ or while in periods of repayment, deferment, or forbearance.

If it is a Parent PLUS loan, you can do so any time after the money has been dispersed.

What is the Interest Rate?

The actual interest rate of your loan will vary by the weighted average of your loans to be consolidated, but keep in mind the maximum percentage is 8.25%.

Check out the following Student Loan Debt consolidation companies for more information:

NextStudent

Sallie Mae

Nelnet Education Planning & Financing

Onto the story – this friend of mine has always been a fan of the older, more mature type so it was only natural that her friend set up her with someone 11 years her senior. They went to Ruth Chris’ steak house (if you haven’t tried, it’s an absolute must), they were having an engaging conversation and somewhere in midst of all this he asks, ‘If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your FICO score?’ With that said, you can only imagine how quickly that date ended.

So when did it become socially acceptable to ask a woman this question? It’s no wonder he’s still single!

If you’re at all interested in figuring out your FICO score, please visit the following sites for your free credit report:

www.FreeCreditReport.com

www.CreditReport.com

www.Free3in1CreditReport.com

Or if you just want to know what FICO means, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_score

Growing up, I hated using coupons. I felt like my time was too precious, to only save $.50. But now with increases in my daily necessities such as Gas, Coffee Bean (the nerve!), and yes, cigarettes (shame on me!) I’ll take whatever savings I can get my hands on.

So where do you go to find these coupons?

Your Sunday newspaper: AKA Pot of Gold. Just recently, I found a 40% off coupon at Michael’s. No, that’s not a type-o, it was 40% off!

Online: check out sites like FatWallet.com, where other coupon worshippers share their latest and greatest coupon deals, CouponMountain.com, who provides personalized email coupon alerts and CoolSavings, where you’ll print coupons online for in-store use.

Product packages: It only makes sense that manufacturers reward their loyal customers with coupons. Most stores will allow you to use the coupon at time of purchase, so make sure you look for those specially marked packages.

Now if only, I can find a coupon for Free Manolo Blahniks’. Life would be perfect.

So you want to know how to score a great travel deal? One word for you – flexibility. This is key. It’s often that hotel rooms will sit empty, flights are only half full, and cruise ships have room onboard. To fill up these empty seats, rooms, etc. travel companies slash prices hoping to lure eager last-minute travelers. That translates into a discount of up to 70% if you can book at least 7 days in advance.

Now to get the best deal, like we said, you definitely have to be flexible. This means flying out on a Saturday instead of a Friday or at 11pm instead of 11am. You might also have to fly out of Burbank instead of LAX. Here are some tips on how to snatch up good deals –

Use sites like Priceline.com, Hotwire.com, and Airfarewatchdog.com. Airfarewatchdog.com is a great one because they immediately post significant airfare changes, sometimes hours before they get to the larger travel search sites. Typically, airlines change flight prices at 10am, 12:30pm, and 8pm on weekdays. On weekends, once a day at 5pm. The larger travel sites, ie. Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, etc., usually post these changes at 1pm. As a result, seats sell out before you have a chance to purchase them. This marks a clear difference between the larger sites and ones like Airfarewatchdog.com who post the deals much earlier.

Finally, be sure to check out travel search sites like Sidestep.com, Smartertravel.com, and Airgorilla.com that check hundreds of travel sites for the best deals. Keep in mind that if you absolutely have to fly out on a certain date, it is always best to book at least 3 weeks in advance. Happy travel deal hunting!