How to Maintain a Clean and Healthy Pet-friendly Lifestyle

(ARA) – For anyone that owns a pet, you know that they are part of the family. But even though they bring lots of joy, they can also cause a bit of strife. They make messes, shed an astounding amount of fur, can be expensive and simply make life a bit more hectic.

“Like with any relationship, there are pros and cons. And because they are amazing creatures that give an incredible amount of love, they are worth the time, energy and expense that it takes to care for them,” comments Charlotte Reed, pet expert and author of “The Miss Fido Manners Complete Book of Dog Etiquette.” As an owner of three dogs, three cats and one parrot, she knows both the joys and stress that pets can cause.

“The modern pet owner considers pets one of their children, but they need to be socially responsible as well. There are some things that should to be considered in order for your pet to be a positive part of your life without taking it over. Pet etiquette or rather petiquette, is about understanding that good behavior has to be practiced at both ends of the leash.”

* It is good manners to have a clean pet?

One of the first issues that many pet owners have with their pets is that they can be very messy. They spill food, ravage furniture, and leave fur everywhere and can be smelly. But just because you have a pet doesn’t mean you should let your house go.
“My cats love to curl up by my printer and computer because they give off heat. The hair sticks to the static and collects fast. For fast cleanups, seek out vacuums that are known to be tough on pet hair.”

The vacuum Reed recommends for pet owners is the Dyson DC16 Animal handheld vacuum. Specially designed for pet hair pickup with a motorized brush bar and twice the suction power of other handhelds, Reed says “it’s great for quick cleanups for an upcoming date, family dinner or any unexpected visitors. I even use it in my car.”

To eliminate odors, Reed advises to wash or groom your dogs monthly. If you find it difficult to give your cat a bath, brush your pet at least once a week to remove loose hair and debris from the feline coat. Additionally, scoop feline litter boxes daily. And for dogs, she says to train them to use one area outdoors so that waste is confined — that area should be cleaned regularly. For senior, ill or toy dogs that use indoor potty areas, she recommends changing their papers daily. Also, cleaning pet beds and toys regularly — at least once a month — also contribute to a healthier pet and tidier home.

* Traveling with furry friends can be fun.

More people travel with their pets than ever before, whether it’s in the car to run errands or on a plane for a vacation. All pets can be excellent travel companions with the right expectations and planning.

“Always call ahead to where you are staying to verify their pet policy. Bring plenty of food, supplies and toys so that your pet feels comfortable. Try to keep your pet on his regular food and exercise schedule to eliminate stress for both of you. And make sure that your pet practices its best obedience,” says Reed.

Keep cleanup items like an odor eliminator and stain remover on hand in case there is an accident in the car or at your hotel. Be prepared to replace or repair any items destroyed by your pet.

If your pet is well-behaved, only ask a close family member or friend, if you can bring your pet along for a visit. If your host declines, do not be offended. Find a professional pet sitter or kennel by contacting your veterinarian, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, Pet Sitter International or the American Boarding Kennel Association. Confirm that the animal professional is bonded and insured and has at least three references.

* You can love your pet, but keep a balanced life.

You might love your little critter, but not everyone wants to hear every detail about your pet, especially a date. Practicing petiquette is an important part of the modern pet owner’s life. Balance is important to understand and implement at work and at home.

For example, one picture of your pet on your desk or in your wallet is perfectly fine. But make sure that your office doesn’t become a shrine to your furry companion. Not everyone shares your enthusiasm and subtlety is a virtue every pet owner must have.

Besides keeping your home clean, it’s important to keep your clothes clean as well. “There’s no need to go to work looking like your cat or dog slept on your clothes all night. A quick swoop with a vacuum or sticky roller should do the trick,” adds Reed.

For more pet tips, please visit www.missfidomanners.com. And for more information about the Dyson DC16 Animal, please visit http://www.dyson.com . Charlotte’s book, “The Miss Fido Manners Complete Book of Dog Etiquette,” is available everywhere books are sold.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How to Create a Pet-friendly Bath That You’ll Both Enjoy

(ARA) – Dogs and cats and turtles, oh my! With more than 377 million pets in the United States, Americans are becoming increasingly enamored with their “fur kids.” According to a recent consumer survey, 47 percent of American pet owners bathe their pets in their home bathtub or shower and 31 percent bathe their pets monthly, while 21 percent bathe them weekly.

“While most pet owners bathe their pets in their tub or shower, our research also showed that among those who don’t, more than 40 percent have considered bathing their household pets in these spots,” says Jack Suvak, Moen’s director of marketing research.

With this flurry of furry activity, if you are one of the many American pet owners that utilizes your personal bathing space for yourself as well as your precious pet, it’s a good idea to make a few simple updates to your bath to make it Fido-friendly.

Splish Splash, Pets in the Bath
First, take preventative measures. Make sure your bathing surface is non-skid by applying tread strips or a bath mat to the bottom of the tub. Protect your plumbing from fur and hair clogs by installing a simple drain screen.

Next, think about installing a handheld showerhead. New Inspire multi-setting handheld showerheads from Moen offer a superior showering experience for pets and pet owners alike. Available in three-, five- and seven-setting models, Inspire’s spray selector makes it easy to move from one setting to another, even when hands are wet or soapy. Best of all, Inspire handheld showerheads are easy to install and available at Lowe’s stores nationwide — offering fast set-up for Fido’s bath.

Don’t know what to do with all of your pet supplies? Adding a shower bench with storage to your bathroom is not only convenient for storing your pet shampoo, brushes and treats for easy access, but it’ll also be easier on your back when washing your pet.

After bathing Fido, does he try to jump out of the tub before drying off? Installing a curved shower rod may be the answer to keep you and your bathroom dry while allowing Fido to shake off in the shower. The line of Curved Shower Rods from Inspirations by Moen are heavy-duty, fixed- or adjustable-length rods feature a graceful curve that provides up to seven and a half additional inches of showering space. Easy to install and available in today’s most popular finishes, you and your pet will feel like you’re in an oversized, luxury shower.

Once you have the bathing process down, get some dry ideas. Keep two sets of towels handy — one for you and one for your pet. Specialty pet drying towels absorb up to 10 times their weight in water, keeping your dog, and the surfaces in your bathroom, dry. For a more high-tech option for animals with thick coats, consider using a pet dryer. Pet dryers offer a sensible alternative to standard hairdryers that can damage animals’ coats or cause burns, using less heat and more air volume to quickly and safely dry your pet.

By setting up your bathroom and shower to keep both man and man’s best friend clean, you will both be fetching in no time.

For more information on Moen’s line of Inspire showerheads or other Moen products, visit www.moen.com or call (800) BUY-MOEN.

(ARA) – One out of every four gifts purchased this year will be an electronic item, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. With all those tech toys flying off the shelves, consumers will need all the help they can to get the most out of their technology.“Whether you are just getting familiar with your new digital gadgets or dusting off old ones, choosing the right memory card or other upgrade option is one of the most important considerations to ensure the best performance,” says Tony Gomez of PNY Technologies.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your tech toy, be it a digital camera, cell phone or other device:

* Digital Picture Frames – Digital picture frames make a great solution for sharing and displaying your favorite holiday, vacation, family or other photos. However, most frames have little or no internal memory, so you can only view your pictures from an SD memory card (or other compatible media), otherwise you’re stuck staring at a blank screen. With an extra SD Memory Card, you can keep one in your camera to take more great photos and leave one in the frame so your favorites are always there for your viewing pleasure.

* Cell or Smart Phone – Today’s cell phones are more advanced than ever, and now let you capture, store and play pictures, video, music, games and more. By adding a MicroSD memory card, you can store more information, and with the proper adapters can use that same storage card in other SD-compatible devices, or even on your USB-port equipped PC.

“A 2GB, 4-In-1 Mobile Media Kit from PNY is an excellent upgrade option that allows you to capture and transport your favorite content on multiple devices using the same memory card,” Gomez adds. With the kit, you can choose a single memory device to work with virtually all digital cameras, mobile phones, PDAs, MP3 players, laptops, smart phones or any device that supports an SD card or USB drive. The 4-In-1 Mobile Media Kit contains a MicroSD card and three adapters, converting the MicroSD to a MiniSD card, standard SD card, or a USB drive.

* Point and Shoot Digital Camera – Even many of today’s basic digital cameras shoot high-resolution photos at 10 mega pixels and beyond, and also can take video at up to 30 frames per second. The result is great-looking images and videos you can treasure for years to come. These picture and movie files can get quite large, however, and quickly fill-up older, lower-density memory cards. A Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) Memory Card provides photo enthusiasts and other mobile device users the speed and capacity needed to capture the high volume of files to store and share.

* Laptop Computer – While notebook PCs have become more affordable than ever, entry-level models often have small storage capacities or slow performance. Add some memory and a new USB Flash Drive to complement your new laptop. Flash drives are portable, reusable storage devices make a great solution to transport and share digital pictures, music, documents, and more. A USB flash drive provides the ultimate mobile storage solution for anyone on the go. It can be carried in a pocket, a backpack or briefcase. To access files, simply plug the USB drive into virtually any PC or MAC without the need for bulky cables or adapters. The drive performs in a variety of climates, weather conditions and temperature extremes. Plus, some drives are even enhanced for Windows ReadyBoost to boost system performance if you’re running Windows Vista.

* Desktop Computer – If your old PC is due for a tune-up, or perhaps your new PC does not have the capacity to take advantage of the latest features in Windows Vista Home Premium, a simple memory upgrade can improve overall system performance. If you would like to have a better overall visual experience, view and edit photos, appreciate the features of Vista Aero, or perhaps play the latest DirectX 10 games, consider upgrading your graphics card.

* Digital SLR Camera – Digital SLR cameras are now available to aspiring and professional photographers alike. However, with their often-higher resolutions and ability to shoot multiple frames per second, these cameras put higher demands on the memory cards that store your photos. A 4GB CompactFlash card is a high-performance, flash memory card that improves click-to-click speed and write time, so you never miss out on the action.

For more tech tips or to purchase the right memory solution for your hardware, please visit http://www.pny.com  .

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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EDITOR’S NOTE:For Flash Media Devices, 1 megabyte = 1 million bytes; 1 gigabyte = 1 billion bytes. Actual useable capacity may vary. Some of the listed capacity is used for formatting and other functions, and thus is not available for data storage

(ARA) – When the time comes to make a significant purchase, whether it be a new TV, video game, pair of shoes or a new appliance, most shoppers do a bit of homework before swiping the credit card.Before the days of the Internet, doing your “shopping homework” consisted of hitting three or four major retailers to find the best price for the product. Nowadays, the Internet has evolved into a phenomenal resource for finding the perfect gift for your loved ones or yourself. Products are not only much easier to obtain online but can be purchased at significantly discounted rates.

Here are some suggestions for shopping online that are sure to find you the best deal without spending hours surfing the net.

* When making major purchases, know the product before you buy it. While you can often find the best deals online, when buying an expensive item such as a plasma TV or digital camera, check out product reviews before you make your purchase. Consider dropping by your local Best Buy or Circuit City to have a sales associate talk you through your options. You will find some of the best product information from a sales associate; however the best deals when it’s time to make the actual purchase can be found online.

* Use online coupon sites to uncover additional savings from your favorite merchants. Online coupon sites are a fabulous addition to online shopping. These sites offer coupon deals that you may not find in-store or even on the Web site of a particular merchant. For example, CouponCabin.com is updated throughout the day and provides deals from over 900 online merchants.

* Use shopping comparison sites when you have a final product in mind and want to search multiple merchants. Once a specific item has been identified and you want to know which retailer offers the best price, a shopping comparison site is the way to go. These sites find the lowest price on a particular product by searching hundreds of online merchants. A new web site, http://www.CheapUncle.com , recently launched that merges comparison shopping and online couponing, giving consumers the best possible price.

* You can still save money even after an online purchase is final. Most of the major online retailers have a customer protection policy. This policy enables you to ask for a refund of the price difference if the price drops soon after your purchase an item. Some online merchants will even beat a competitor’s price if you find a better deal soon after your purchase.

* If you’re still stumped on what to get for your family, friend or significant other, let them decide with a gift card. Gift cards are a convenient option and now Web sites like http://www.Cardways.com allow shoppers the ability to upload photos and add a personal message on the gift card, making it a little more personal and less generic.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Cary, NC — The Itsy Bitsy Baby Spa, a new center for the well-being of moms, dads, and babies from early pregnancy through the toddler years, is opening its doors to the Triangle Community with a mission to raise the bar in healthy parenting. Through a wide selection of programs, workshops and resources, the new Itsy Bitsy Baby Spa aims to help parents bond with and nurture their children, get fit and allow them to embrace the natural process of parenting. The goal is that parents, babies and toddlers alike will leave feeling peaceful, happy and re-energized. Programs provided at the baby spa include Infant Massage, Mommy and Baby Yoga, Mommy and Toddler Yoga, Mommy and Baby Belly Dance, Prenatal Yoga and Pilates, Belly Dance, Prenatal Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding Support Group, Baby Sign Language, Sing and Sign Playtime, and many more.

The baby spa, designed as a supportive, therapeutic, and luxurious environment, is staffed with certified, credentialed experts and offers a variety of hand-picked natural products for a mother’s prenatal and postnatal care, as well as for the care of her baby. The spa also features a gift store offering unique baby gifts and custom gift packages.

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

(ARA) – Whether it is roses for a special birthday, daisies for Mother’s Day or carnations just because, people receive special bouquets of flowers for many reasons. But how do you care for your beautiful flower arrangement to keep it fresh and enjoy it longer?

Dr. Bridget Behe, also known as the Flower Doctor, is a professor in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University and hosts “Ask Bridget”, a question and answer section on the Web site www.FlowrMD.com. Behe offers her top five tricks of the trade on how to prolong the life of your beautiful blooms.

Food for Thought
Commercial flower food/preservative solution is a must. Carefully follow the mixing instructions on the packet.

Water Wonder
It is best to use warm water in the vase with your fresh-cut stems. If the water feels too hot or cold for you, then it’s not the right temperature for the flowers either. Warm water is taken up by stems faster and the warmth makes it easier to dissolve the flower food/preservative.

Leaf ‘em Out
If any leaves from the stems fall below the water line, remove them. Leaves in the water will promote bacterial growth that may limit the water uptake by the flowers.

Under the Knife
Before placing flowers into water, re-cut stems by removing one to two inches with a sharp knife or scissors. Be careful not to crush the stems.

Climate Control
Keep fresh flowers out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources and drafts such as air vents or fans.

Still have questions on how to keep your fresh flowers from withering away too soon? Log on to www.FlowrMD.com for more information or to e-mail a question to the Flower Doctor.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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SIDEBAR:

Bouquets of flowers are often delivered in a traditional long white box adorned with a bow. Once they’re out of the box there are many stylish ways to arrange your new beautiful blooms.

“Many flower recipients may need a little reminder on how to arrange and keep their flowers long-lasting for days to come,” says Jill Slater, flower designer for the Flower Promotion Organization. “To make this experience simple and enjoyable, we offer design and care and handling advice every day of the year.”

Slater suggests logging on to www.flowerpossibilities.com for flower arrangement recipes and www.flowrmd.com for care and handling.

Love Bubble

Materials:
* 8-inch bubble bowl
* Two dozen roses of your favorite color(s)
* 10 stems Queen Anne’s Lace or filler of choice
* Floral or cellophane tape
* Floral clippers and floral food/preservative

Directions:
1. Fill the container full of warm water that has been treated with flower food/preservative.
2. To hold the flowers in place, make a grid over the top of the bubble bowl tape. The grid is created by placing four lines of tape over the top of the bowl, and four additional lines of tape in the opposite direction.
3. Fill the bowl with rose blooms by cutting each stem to approximately 8-to-9 inches in length. Insert the stems into the tape grid.
4. Cut the Queen Anne’s Lace (or other filler) slightly shorter than the roses and rim the roses with the filler.

Domed Roses

Materials:
* Six to 12 roses
* Five to seven stems camellia or lemon leaves (or other leaves of choice)
* Two bricks floral foam
* One coffee can – small or large depending on number of roses
* Floral clippers, knife, flower food/preservative

Directions:
1. Soak floral foam for at least 30 minutes in warm water that has been treated with flower food/preservative
2. Cut floral foam to fit interior of coffee can. This piece should fill the can three-quarters full.
3. Cut and insert another section of floral foam to fill the rest of the can. This piece should rise about 3-inches above the rim of the can. With a sharp knife, shave the top piece of floral foam into a dome shape. Fill the can with water.
4. Cut the first rose to approximately 4-inches in length and insert it about 1-inch into the center, top of the floral foam.
5. Cut 3 or 4 more roses slightly shorter than the center rose and insert them closely around the center rose. You will begin to see the dome shape of the centerpiece.
6. Cut other roses slightly shorter than the first several roses and keep inserting them into the foam until all of the floral foam is filled. Remember to maintain the dome shape.
7. Cut camellia or lemon leaves to 4-inch lengths; insert them around the rim of the can and in between the roses where space provides. Use the leaves of the roses as extra filler foliage, if necessary

APEX, N.C. — Creative Gifting, a business that specializes in unique, creative gift designs, has been named to Rave Reviews Magazine Top 100 List. The Top 100 list was created by Rave Reviews Magazine from a nationwide survey of business owners in the gourmet/gift basket industry.

“For Creative Gifting to be named to Rave Reviews Magazine’s Top 100 List is very reaffirming of our work,” said Debra Simonette, owner of Creative Gifting. “To be selected due to our growth over the past seven years makes this award to be even more significant.”

In 2005, Creative Gifting was recognized by Gift Basket Review as one of the Top 100 Gift Basket Businesses in America.

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

(ARA) – Money can be a complicated aspect of marriage, especially when it comes to merging finances. Finding a system that works for both individuals can help couples achieve financial harmony.

“Figuring out a fair and comfortable way to share responsibilities and expenses can be challenging,” says Sam Goller, award-winning author of “Yes, You Can… Achieve Financial Harmony” and contributor to YesYouCanOnline.info. “But it’s essential for a healthy relationship. Couples should look at their monetary values and beliefs and work together to decide what type of system allows them to achieve their dreams
as a couple.”

Talking about finances can be difficult for many people. Jim Stowers, co-author of the new book “Yes, You Can… Reach Your Goals and Achieve Your Dreams,” recommends asking questions to begin a dialogue.

“Asking questions is a good way to toss the conversational ball into the other person’s lap,” says Stowers. “It not only helps you learn their point of view, but also what they believe and the direction their thinking is taking.”

Goller suggests couples ask themselves the following five questions to help facilitate a discussion about spending and saving as a couple.

1. How many bank accounts will we have?
2. Who will pay the bills?
3. Are we getting our money’s worth for what we buy?
4. What are our money histories — what did our parents teach us about money?
5. What dreams do we have as a couple? What do we need to do financially to accomplish these dreams?

A couple’s answers to these questions will help define a financial system that provides a foundation on which the relationship can grow. Goller offers three options for couples looking to merge their finances:

The Joint Account — Whether checking or savings, this type of account allows couples to combine all of their financial resources. This option can make life easier for some couples by centralizing the household finances. However, if one person is in charge of managing the account, the other person can feel left out of the financial picture. It also requires that both partners diligently share when they use funds out of the account.

Separate Accounts — Some couples prefer the autonomy of separate accounts. With this system both people are responsible for maintaining their own account, which may include paying some of the bills. If couples choose this option, Goller cautions that individuals may need to work harder to be equally involved in the financial relationship.

“Just because you have separate accounts, doesn’t mean your financial decisions have separate consequences,” says Goller. “You still need to meet on a regular basis and discuss how you are using your money to achieve your common goals.”

A Combination of Accounts — A combination of joint and separate accounts is another viable alternative. This option allows both partners to contribute while maintaining their autonomy. Couples often determine a percentage of income that will be put in both the joint and separate accounts. Individual accounts can be used for personal purchases. The joint account can contain funds for bills and joint purchases. With a clear definition of who’s paying which bills couples can work together to bring financial balance and emotional harmony to the relationship.

“Regardless of the financial style a couple chooses, communicating about finances is key,“ says Goller. “The more you discuss how and why you each spend money, the deeper and stronger your relationship will grow.”

For more information on merging finances as a couple and achieving financial harmony, please visit http://www.YesYouCanOnline.info  

(ARA) – Homeowners refinance for a variety of reasons including to take cash out of their home equity to make home improvements, to consolidate debt, and to move from an adjustable-rate mortgage to a predictable, fixed-rate mortgage. Depending on the current interest rate, many homeowners who refinance may save money on their monthly mortgage payment, or even adjust their mortgage to shorten the term (on the length) of the loan.

As more and more consumers head online to shop for a variety of products and services, shopping online to refinance a mortgage has become commonplace. The ease and convenience of gathering information and applying for a refinance at any time of day or night is perhaps the biggest reason time-crunched Americans have been flocking to the Web.

“Refinancing online often makes the process much more simple and certainly more convenient,” says Frank Destra, managing director and senior vice president of national sales for Internet lender, Ditech. “The convenience of shopping for a mortgage directly from your home or office, on your own time, is one of the primary reasons there has been an increased demand for online lenders. Many people conduct all of their financial transactions online already, so ‘why not get your mortgage online too?’ seems to be a much more common attitude.”

Another benefit of refinancing online is that many mortgage lenders’ Web sites have a wealth of free educational information available to help you learn about the overall refinancing process. You will find articles and tools that may help you decide if refinancing might be a good option. For example, Ditech has a refinance calculator that can help determine how many months you will need to live in your home to recoup the cost of refinancing.

So what are some of the refinancing options you might want to consider before you boot up the computer? Consider this:

* A fixed-rate mortgage has an interest rate that stays the same throughout the entire life of the loan, so your monthly mortgage payment of principal and interest will not rise in the future. Refinancing from an adjustable-rate mortgage into a fixed-rate mortgage may provide you with peace of mind knowing that your new interest rate will not reset to a higher rate.

* Roll-down refinancing allows you to include the refinancing fees in the mortgage, so you will not have to pay costs up front.

* Cash-out refinancing allows homeowners with enough equity in their home to take out cash when they refinance to pay for other expenses such as a wedding, college or a home remodeling project, or possibly even to invest.

* A 15-year or 20-year fixed-rate mortgage will shorten the life of your loan, and may allow you to get a lower mortgage rate, but your monthly mortgage payment will be higher than with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.

* Refinancing with a traditional 30-year mortgage, will help reduce the monthly mortgage payment by extending the term of your current loan.

As you consider refinancing your home, be sure to check out the convenient and competitive options that may be available to you from online mortgage lenders. Your next mortgage may be only a click away.

To learn more about refinancing, visit www.ditech.com or call Ditech at (800) 715-3483.

(ARA) – Investing in a vacation property is an investment in memories. It promotes relaxation and spending quality time with friends and family. But with all the options available, there are a lot of things that should be considered before making a final decision.

“Choosing the right vacation property is complex,” comments Steve Greer, CEO at The LUSSO Collection, an organization that specializes in luxury vacation residences. “It’s not as simple as buying a second home or participating in a shared-usage program. People need to take a close look at their expectations and all the cost considerations, so years down the road they are happy with their choice.”

Second-home ownership is one option. This could include buying a home by the slopes, a villa on the beach, or a penthouse in the city. Club membership is another option. This is a situation in which a group of people share the use of a collection of properties. Here’s how both of these options compare:

Second Home — Vacation homes are permanent destinations that work well for those who know they enjoy one area, want to return time and time again and might need to stay for an extended period of time.

* Positive
Owning the home gives the person the freedom to decorate, organize and change the home to fit their needs.

* Negative
Home maintenance often takes a lot of time and can be costly. If you live away from your vacation home for most of the year, you will need to hire someone to clean and care for the yard. When you are at the property, this maintenance can take time away from more preferred activities. And with any home ownership, there is bound to be unanticipated problems and expenses.

“Owning a second home is an option that seems to make sense in the beginning, but if you investigate the restrictions and maintenance costs associated with this ownership, many people think twice,” comments Greer.

Destination Clubs — Destination clubs consist of members who join a country club type of organization to utilize a portfolio of properties that the club owns.

* Positive
The clubs work well for people who enjoy the privacy, space and conveniences a home offers, but don’t want to be tied down to just one location. Additionally, members don’t have to worry about maintenance because the organization takes care of each property. Certain destination clubs also provide vacation planning and on-site concierge services that you would normally find at a luxury hotel.

* Negative
Decor and amenities are determined by the club. Although this freedom is forfeited, this could also be viewed as a positive depending on what you value. Some people prefer not to spend their own time on these items and find comfort in knowing the organization is consistently keeping the properties in top shape.

Chris Cowan of Dallas, Texas, has experienced the hassles of second-home ownership and decided to become a member of the LUSSO Collection. “My wife and I have owned mountain houses, ranches, and still have a lake house. LUSSO is such a relief. They eliminate the maintenance, staffing, and upkeep hassles,” comments Cowan.

With a single-tier membership structure and a members-to-residence ratio of 5.5-to-1, LUSSO is a choice that makes sense for a lot of people. Residences are fully equipped with all needed items including a Lincoln Navigator, golf clubs, a gourmet kitchen stocked with pre-arrival groceries and amenities for all travelers regardless of age.

With an economic structure that is similar to a country club, members pay a fully refundable deposit (currently $425,000) and annual dues for unlimited access to the club’s portfolio of residences and services. Properties are in locations such as Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Aspen, Colo.; Manhattan; Hawaii; the Bahamas and other choice destinations. For more information, visit www.lussocollection.com, or call (866) GO LUSSO.