Celebrate America’s Birthday With Fireworks – Part 2

America is about to turn another year older, and we all know what that means. Fireworks!!! To help you celebrate in style, we’ve put together a comprehensive list schedule of fireworks spectaculars. Listed below are the events taking place on July 4^th and 5^th. See our previous blog post for events scheduled on July 3^rd.

28^th Annual Fireworks Extravaganza on Lake Grapevine
July 4
9:30 p.m.
Grapevine Lake

Find your spot and stake a claim near Lake Grapevine. The fireworks spectacular can be viewed from any lakeside location, as well as several other spots throughout Grapevine.

City of Bedford 4^th Fest Island Adventure 2010
July 4th
12 noon to 11 p.m.
Bedford Boys Ranch
2801 Forest Ridge Road

Activities include a full day of family fun: free concert, InflataFUN Zone, festival-style culinary delights and a fireworks extravaganza when the sun goes down.

2010 Flower Mound Independence Day Celebration
Fireworks Show is July 4th at 7 p.m.
Bakersfield Park

1201 Duncan Lane 

There will be a parade in the morning, Splashtacular in the afternoon and fireworks show at night. All three events will take place at different venues.

Fireworks Celebration – Lancaster/Desoto
July 4th
Lancaster Community Park
There will be live entertainment, family-friends activities and fireworks. Entertainment starts at 6 p.m. and fireworks begin at dusk.

McKinney Red, White & Boom
July 4^th
Historic Downtown McKinney

Experience a full day of hometown fun with lots of activities for the entire family.
Hometown Parade  — 1:30 p.m.
Family activities and food — 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Live music on Center Stage — 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fireworks — 9:45 p.m.

Red, White & Lewisville
July 4
9:30pm

The fireworks show will start shortly after dark – roughly 9:30 p.m.  The best viewing opportunities for the fireworks show will be on the south side of Vista Ridge Mall and along the 121 Bypass.  For more information, call 972.219.3401.
 

Fireworks at Fair Park
Monday, July 5^th

Details are not yet available. This event was originally cancelled last week for budgetary reasons, but two companies stepped in to make it possible. Information should be available soon at the link above.

Celebrate America’s Birthday With Fireworks Around the Metroplex

America is about to turn another year older, and we all know what that means. Fireworks!!! To help you celebrate in style, we’ve put together a comprehensive list schedule of fireworks spectaculars. Listed below are the events taking place on Saturday, July 3^rd only. See our next blog post for events scheduled on July 4^th and 5^th.

Kaboom Town 2010
Saturday, July 3 p.m.
5 p.m. to Midnight
Addison Circle Park

Kaboom Town is rated one of the top places to watch fireworks in the country by the American Pyrotechnics Association, USA Today, Travel + Leisure and The Wall Street Journal. You can see the fireworks from just about anywhere in Addison. The 30-minute fireworks show is choreographed to music simulcast live on 100.3 JACK FM.

9th Annual Frisco Freedom Fest
Saturday, July 3
Simpson Plaza at City Hall
6101 Frisco Square Blvd.

Festivities include Party in the Plaza, Children’s Expo, Taste of Frisco, and more, ending with a 20-minute fireworks show at night.

Liberty by the Lake – The Colony
Saturday, July 3rd

Enjoy an entire day of fun and family friendly activities on the shores of Lake Lewisville, ending with a fireworks extravaganza at 9:30 p.m. The prime viewing area will be Stewart Creek Park.

Fireworks on Main - Rowlett
Saturday, July 3rd
6 pm – 10 pm
Fireworks at dusk

Enjoy live music, food, children's activities and more!

Festive Fourth - Farmers Branch
Saturday, July 3rd
Farmers Branch Historical Park
2540 Farmers Branch Lane

Gates open at 6:30 p.m., and a concert by "Emerald City" begins at 8 p.m. The celebration closes with a traditional Independence Day fireworks show after dark.

Light Up Arlington
Saturday, July 3rd
6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Enjoy a night filled with live music, great food and children’s activities, topped off with a fireworks show.

Family Fourth Fireworks Show – North Richland Hills
Saturday, July 3rd
9:30 p.m. 

The 20-minute show will patriotic pyrotechnics and music simulcast live KDKR Radio 91.3 FM

Protecting Your Privacy on Facebook

If you are a Facebook user, you may be aware of some recent changes that affect your privacy settings. Some are changes that will offer better protection. Others could open your wall contents to people you don’t want seeing that information.

Login Protection
There are two new features that should make it harder for hijackers to login in to your account and post phony messages on your page. One will notify you when your account is accessed from a computer or mobile device you haven’t used before. For example, if you use a friend’s computer to access your account and you’ve never used that computer before to access Facebook, Facebook will send you an e-mail alert. But, you have to set that alert. Go to the Account link in the top right corner, then click on Account Settings, scroll down to Account Security and click on Change. Select the Yes button and click Submit. You can also sign up to get text alerts on your cell phone. When you login with new devices, you’ll be asked to name them for future reference.

Facebook has also built a new system to block suspicious logins before they happen. When it appears that someone is trying to access your account from an unusual device, that person will have to answer security verification questions to prove his or her identity as the real account owner. The questions will range from identifying the name of a friend in a photo, entering a birth date and others.

Privacy Settings
Recent changes to the Facebook user agreement make it easier for third party developers to access information on your wall. If you want only want your friends to see your wall, you have to manually change your privacy settings. There’s one setting that actually shows your name, your profile picture and some of your Facebook friends to anyone who searches your name on a public search engine like Google. To disable this ability, click Account in the top right corner, then click Privacy Settings. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to Applications and Websites and click on Edit Your User Settings. Scroll down to Public Search, click Edit Settings and uncheck the box that enables a public search. You can also limit the personal information other applications can access on your page when your friends use them. This includes status updates, notes, birthday, your bio, etc. To change these setting, click Info Accessible to Your Friends once you are in Privacy Settings.

It’s a good practice to go into your Facebook Account Settings and Privacy Settings every so often to be sure your information is only accessible to the people you choose. For more detailed information on how your Facebook information is shared, click here.

Also, be sure to check out our Facebook page here.

Beware of Scams – both Online and In Person

Identity theft continues to make headlines, but you don’t hear much about other Internet scams. Unfortunately, they are just as prevalent as identity theft. Here are some scams you should be aware of so you can better protect yourself.

Odd Jobs
A lot of people are out of work these days. Many of them are willing to do just about any odd job to put food on the table, and scammers are taking advantage of them. A popular scam happening involves a solicitation – online, by e-mail or even in person – to do a one-time job for a good wage. When the job is completed, the worker gets paid by a cashier’s check, but the amount is higher than agreed upon. The recipient of the check is asked to send the rest of the money somewhere else. Usually the check is fraudulent. When it gets returned for insufficient funds, the person who did the job is out the money they should have earned, as well as the excess money, which comes directly out of their account.

Use caution when accepting odd jobs. Ask to be paid in cash whenever possible and never agree to pay other people. Try to find another phone number for that company and call them to see if the offer is valid.

Social Media
Facebook and other social media sites are a new scam target. Scammers will hack into someone’s account, pose as them and ask their friends to borrow money for an emergency. It’s easy to fall prey to this, because people actually think it’s their friend asking for money. If this happens to you, always contact that person by phone or through their personal e-mail address to confirm the request really came from them.

Vacation Rentals/Entertainment Tickets
This has become particularly popular through Craigslist. Sellers advertise deep discounts on condos or vacation houses they don’t really own or they try to sell invalid passes to Six Flags or Sea World. If someone has a season pass to sell, check with the entertainment venue to see if they require photos on their passes. If the answer is yes (and it is at least with Six Flags), that’s a sure sign someone is trying to scam you. On vacation rentals, you may try Googling the address to see if it’s ever been rented before. You might also type the address into whitepages.com and see if you can find a phone number associated with that address. Call there to see if the owners are really renting the place.

The harder you make it for people to scam you, the faster they will move on to someone else. Use common sense. If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

 

Keep a Handle on Your Electric Bill This Summer

Summer in Texas usually means high electric bills, and this record heat we’re having surely isn’t helping keep costs down. Here are some tips to help you keep a handle on your electric bill this summer.

Thermostat
The temperature at which you keep your home is one of the biggest culprits of higher electric bills. Energy companies typically recommend setting the thermostat at 78 degrees when people are home. Every degree below that will result in an increase to your cooling bill of about 5 percent to 7 percent.

If you currently keep your thermostat at 75 degrees, raising it to 78 degrees could save you up to 21 percent. For many people that’s at least $100 per month.

At times of the day when everyone is at work or school, set the thermostat to 81 or 82 degrees for even greater savings.

Use a programmable thermostat whenever possible and avoid adjusting your pre-set temperatures between cycles whenever possible.

Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans cost about a penny an hour to operate and can help the room feel cooler when your thermostat is set higher. Turn them on when people are in the room and turn them off when the room is empty for maximum efficiency.

Solar Screens
Solar screens on your windows help reflect the sun, which keeps the heat out of your home. Put them on the east and west windows for maximum savings. Solar screens can also be costly, so do your homework before making an investment.

Electric Company
Switching electric companies can definitely save you money. If you are not under a lengthy contract, go to powertochoose.org and see which companies provide electricity in your area. See which company has the cheapest rate per Kilowatt hours (kWh) and contact that company to see how long it takes for the switch to become effective.

If your family is using at least 1,000 kWh of energy each month and you’re paying 10 cents per KWh, switching to a provider charging 8.2 cents per kWh will save you a minimum of $18 per month.

Before switching to another provider, be sure to review their pricing for energy usage below 1,000 kWh. Most charge more and the prices vary considerably. If your family isn’t using at least 1,000 kWh in the summer, switching could actually cost you money.

Insulation
A well insulated home is one of the best ways to reduce cooling costs, because it blocks the flow of warm air. According to Reliant Energy, a house without sufficient insulation can lose up to 40 percent of heated or cooled air. Adding more insulation in your attic may help make your house cooler this summer and keep the air conditioning from coming on quite so often.

What Affects Your Home Appraisal?

 Home appraisals can often be confusing for home owners. Most people believe if they keep their home in good condition and make improvements that add value, they’ll automatically get a high appraisal. It doesn’t always happen that way.

The style, age and condition of your home are obviously the most significant factors. Hardwood floors, brick exteriors and concrete foundations all tend to raise the value of a house in good condition. Appraisers will also look at factors like the amount of storage in your house, how many bedrooms and bathrooms there are, the flexibility of the floor plan, square footage, garages, patios, pools and normal wear and tear. The appraiser will look at the inside and the outside of the home and consider what you have to offer a potential buyer when determining the value of the home. Most of these are in your control. Several other factors are not.

Location
For example, are the houses in your neighborhood relatively maintained or run down? The prettier the neighborhood, the better chance you have at a higher appraisal. Is the neighborhood older or in an area of new development? What’s in walking distance to your home? Are there good schools close by? An appraiser will also select two house of similar size in the neighborhood and compare them to yours.

Housing Market
The sale price of other homes in the neighborhood can be significant to your appraisal. When houses are selling low, that will lower the value of your appraisal. When houses are selling high, that will most likely raise your appraised value.

There also are different types of appraisals, depending on who is conducting them. Be sure to tell your appraiser why you need the appraisal. Are you looking to sell, protesting property taxes or trying to refinance your mortgage? This will help the appraiser make the best estimate.

Choosing an Appraiser
Appraisals cost several hundred dollars. To avoid doing it over, it’s important to choose a good appraiser the first time around. Ask for referrals from friends, especially if you have friends who are real estate agents. They understand the importance of an appraisal and are most likely very selective about the appraisers they refer.

An appraisal can make or break the sale or refinance of your home. Don’t be afraid to point out the things in your home that you think will get you the best result.

Rewards for Good Grades

It’s always nice when the kids bring home good reports cards. It’s even nicer when local companies reward those good grades. Here are a few local companies who reward your children for outstanding academic performance.

Family Video
Family Video will give free movie and video game rentals to students for getting good grades on their final report cards. All students, Kindergarten through college, are rewarded with one FREE overnight rental for each final grade of “A” earned in any core course. Core courses include any math, language, reading, history, geography, science and spelling classes. FREE rentals include all movies in the store over 30 days and all Video Games.

Chuck E. Cheese
Children will receive up to 15 tokens when they present their final report card at Chuck E. Cheese with any food purchase.

Block Buster
Students in Kindergarten through 12^th grade with at least a B average will receive a FREE rental of a non-new release when they bring their report card to a Blockbuster store within 30 days of receiving it. Certain conditions apply, so click here for complete details.

Krispy Kreme

Children will receive a free donut for each A on their report cards, only at Krispy Kreme stores.

Chick-Fil-A
Chick-Fil-A has a reputation for supporting education initiatives, but the decision on how to support it is up to the manager at each individual restaurant. Check with your local restaurant to see if they reward good grades.

There most likely are others business in your town which offer rewards for report cards. Don’t be shy. Ask around and take advantage of the discounts and freebies your children have earned.

Kids Bowl Free This Summer

Filling your kids’ summer schedules can be pretty challenging, especially if you’re on a budget. If FREE is the right price for your budget, you may want to check out KidsBowlFree.com. There are several bowling alleys in the area offering two free games of bowling per kid, every day this summer. There really are only three conditions: 
 

· Kids must be 15 and under

· You must pay standard shoe rental, per person, unless you own your own shoes

· You must comply with the hours of the bowling center you choose.

"We used this all last summer. It was so fun and the kids loved it," said Amy Anderson. "We would go and each play our two games a couple of times a week. It was so worth it."

Once you register your kids for the free games, your older family members are eligible to purchase a family pass. For just $24.95, four adults (anyone 16 and older) also get two free games of bowling every day during the summer. If you actually used the passes every day, it would equate to $697 of free bowling. You can put any four people on your pass – parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, babysitters, etc. However, the same four people must play on that pass all summer long.

“Our family is so big that I got two family passes last year so we could all bowl. The older kids really loved it,” said Anderson.

Right now,for a limited, you’ll get a $25 gift certificate to Restaurant.com. That basically makes your pass free. And, when you refer your friends to KidsBowlFree.com, your name will be entered in a drawing for a free family trip to Disney World. This is a huge bargain, all for the cost of renting bowling shoes. And, it gets your entire family up and moving.

To register your kids for the free games, go to KidsBowlFree.com, pick a bowling center and fill out the online form. You will receive a confirmation e-mail that you must respond to before you are subscribed. Your passes will be e-mailed to you every Sunday, or you can print them from your account on KidsBowlFree.com.

If you plan to use the passes at least once a week, consider searching online for an inexpensive pair of bowling shoes. The cost to rent shoes averages $4 to $5 per person. Bowlingball.com currently has shoes on clearance as low as $17.39. It might not be economical to buy kids’ shoes since they grow out of them quickly, but adult shoes at that price would pay for themselves in about four visits to the bowling alley.

You really can’t go wrong with this deal from KidsBowlFree.com.