Miwa Fiore

Don’t break the bank this holiday season!

With the unpredictability of today’s economy, now is not the time to go overboard on holiday gifts! Here a few sweet yet inexpensive gifts that will bring back the true meaning of the holidays... without killing your budget!!

1. Framed Photos: This is my personal favorite because it’s easy, yet very sentimental and the people who receive these really appreciate the gesture. If you caught a great moment with friends or family members show them off in frames that will suit their tastes~ You can get prints from websites like kodakgallery.com (they will ship to many local retailers like CVS) or bring your electronic files to Target or CVS to print there. Then you find inexpensive frames from places like Marshalls, TJMaxx, or Michaels (they even have pre-cut mat-board there!).

2. SWEETS: NEVER underestimate the power of the sweet tooth! This is an especially good treat for co-workers and neighbors because its a budget friendly sweet way to say you were thinking about them this season. You can find crazy deals on break and bake cookies (I live by these) at Publix or Target around the holidays. I just bought 3 packs for $6.00! You can find colorful tins or boxes at Target or even just festive plates to wrap up some goodies for those people on your list... just be careful for the ones on diets this year- you may want to do chocolate dipped fruit which is really easy as well!

3. Spirits: If you have friends on your list (as I do) that love nothing more than a bottle of wine and good conversation this is a really easy one to plan for. I actually buy wine year round when I can find a good value- NOT the normally cheep stuff. I aim to spend around $5-$8.00 and have had great luck at World Market and liquor stores- there’s one in five points that has a $5 rack all the time and they will advise you on the best picks! Then to make it festive, whenever I see wine boxes or bags on sale I snag those too... I found great buys at Michaels, Homegoods, Tuesday Morning, and Target (after season ends sales here) and always $3.00 or less. I keep these on hand at all times as well as tissue paper for any occasion that is cause for celebration!

4. Books: REALLY think hard here though... don’t go out and buy your niece the “how to survive college guide”, however, if you know someone’s interests well enough this can be a fantastic pick. For example, I have a friend who is a personal trainer and for her birthday I found the latest book from whoever and she absolutely loved it! This can be a $10-$15 gift that hits a home-run as long as you don’t get careless- I’ve seen cookbooks work especially well or travel guides. Also consider instructional language books like Spanish for friends traveling to Costa Rica... I think you get the point.

5. Scarves: Ok, this one is obviously geared more towards the ladies, but I think you will find that this makes a lovely gift for the women in your lives and you can find great prices on them nearly year round. I have found some beautiful pieces at Steinmart, Michaels, TJMaxx, and Banana Republic (on sale) all for under $20. Plus, they’ll usually have a gift box for them. This is a great accessory because you don’t have to know a person’s size and it isn’t age specific. You can find fun pink sparkly ones for the younger gals or maybe more neutral colors for someone that will wear it for work. Either way, it’s an accessory that someone can get a lot of use out of and again- not break the bank giving it!

6. Dry Mixes: If and only IF you have a great cookie recipe or something of the like (obviously I don’t because I have no idea what you would call these pre-made mixes) should you attempt this. Basically, what you do (I hear) is place all the dry ingredients for the recipe in layers in a glass jar and then attach a card with the recipe for adding the wet ingredients and baking. You might also be able to do something like beans and rice, but don’t count on me for that one... You can find the jars in some grocery stores and definitely Michaels. I’ve seen plenty of these for sale in stores already made, but I think if you have a large group to give to this would be a great choice. You can add ribbon to the jar to spice it up and voila!

7. Plants: I know what some of you are thinking... bor-ring! Well, you would be surprised at how many people would love to add to their collection or start one. The obvious for this time of year is of course the poinsettia, but don’t neglect other, equally pleasant house plants because the season will last for only so long. I really don’t know anything about plants, but if you go to Ace and ask them what is hard to kill I’m sure they’ll point you in the right direction... You can find coupons for Ace in the Mint magazines as well. And remember, ribbon will be your friend this year... you can turn nearly any normal gift in to a seasonal gift with the right accessorizing!

Well, that’s all I have for now, but I will be sure to add on if I can think of other ways to keep you out of the red this season... Enjoy!

There are a ton of wonderful things to do in Jacksonville if you have friends or family members coming to the area... My husband and I had guests this weekend and here are a few of the things we did to entertain- Mostly some great EATS!!

CRUISERS GRILL- Jacksonville Beach: If you haven't been to this local favorite in Jacksonville Beach- It is a MUST! They have a limited menu, but everything is wonderful! Some of my favorites are the burgers (trust me, your don't make burgers this good and if you do- I want your number!), fries (YES, you want the ranch to dip), spicy fried catfish sandwich, fried mushrooms and chicken bites. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on their menu- even their sweet tea is great and they always leave you with a tootsie-pop for desert : ) Perfect for picking up when you want some inexpensive eats that stick to your ribs!

http://www.cruisersgrill.com/index.html

CUMMER MUSEUM OF ART & GARDENS- Riverside: Located on the St. Johns in Riverside, this is a great place to start your Saturday (opens at 10:00am). I like the Cummer because it is fairly small for a museum and easy to get around in. There is a small cafe and gift shop as well as a kids room with some really neat interactive things that you and your kids can enjoy. They also offer classes at the museum- visit their website for details:

http://www.cummer.org/

THE BRICK RESTAURANT- Avondale: Who knew that the Brick had such a WONDERFUL brunch! We've been several times for dinner or drinks and have never been disappointed, but their brunch was something worth the drive in to town! We enjoyed different variations of eggs benedict, crispy home fries, and grits to die for! We also had a lovely fruit side and the service was excellent. I LOVE brunch and this one gets an A+ in my book- Great portions too... I didn't see their brunch menu on the website, but here it is anyway:

http://thebrickrestaurant.com/main2mod2.swf

BARBARA JEAN'S- Ponte Vedra: This is an especially fun restaurant to take your friends that aren't too familiar with our fabulous southern foods. They have a large menu and a variety of offerings from crab cakes and clam chowder to full turkey dinners (my personal favorite) and don't forget the bread basket YUM! Located on the Intracoastal Waterway, you can't beat the views from this Ponte Vedra deck...

http://www.barbara-jeans.com/location.pvb.phtml

THAI ROOM- Jacksonville Beach: We LOVE the Thai Room... The atmosphere is low key, but intimate and the food is amazing. Our favorites Drunken Noodles (spicy- 2 peppers is all I can handle and I love spice. Don't worry they'll ask how many you want), pineapple fried rice (very simple, but delicious), fried vegetarian spring rolls, vegetable soup, The Amazing, and the crispy duck are all good. They also have a nice lunch menu with smaller portions if you get the craving mid-day!

http://www.thai-room.com/thai-room.htm

What else is going on in Jacksonville Beach that is BUDGET FRIENDLY?? FREE-$5

5. Get a little culture... at the J.Johnson Gallery!The J.Johnson Gallery has about four shows a year (closed for summer) and they are 100% free to tour. The paintings themselves aren't at all budget friendly, but it is worth taking a look! They are open Monday-Saturday and Wesley Grissom is the person to ask for if you stop in. She is so knowledgeable about the works their and their openings (also free) are fantastic! Just ask to be placed on the mailing list to get your invitations to their events. http://www.jjohnsongallery.com/

6. Gone Fishing?Check out the new Jacksonville Beach Pier... For those of us that remember the old one, sorry, there's no restaurant here (I was obsessed with their fish sandwiches and fries as a kid- don't forget the orange sodas either!). It's still worth taking a visit these days though. It's located at 503 North 1st Street and open from 6:00am-10:00pm. It's $4 to fish off the pier and only $1 to go out as a spectator! (Children under 6 are FREE)

7. Blast from the Past... Okay, I can't say that I've actually been to the Beaches Museum & Historical Center, but it seems like the sort of thing you could drag your in-laws to when they come to visit- Just kidding : ) I never realized that you can just go check it out as an individual. It's open to the public from 10:00am-4:30pm Tuesday through Saturday. There's FREE parking and admission is only $5 for adults, children 6-17 $3, Seniors $4 and children under 5 are FREE. They also offer tons of different packages for group tours. SO, get your Bunko group together and head on over! (I'll check it out too and let you know how it goes) http://www.beachesareahistoricalsociety.com/visit.html

8. CITY OF JACKSONVILLE BEACH: For FREE events hosted by the city and open to the public you can either check out the city website at www.JacksonvilleBeach.org OR you can call their hot-line (904) 247-6100 and then press 3 to play a recording of the events. The city hosts events from April-November and there is a fairly diverse schedule of activities to get involved in!

Well, that's all I have for today, but I know there's more out there and I will keep you posted! Please bring us your ideas for budget friendly entertainment as well- I'd love to hear from you!

I've lived in Jacksonville Beach since 1983 and I think we have a LOT to be grateful for in our community. For those of you have have never explored our area or for all of us that already live hear, I just wanted to go through a few of the wonderful ways to enjoy Jax Beach!

Budget friendly things to do: FREE-$5

1. Go for a bike ride:I know this is a no brainer, but I have recently become addicted to riding my bike around the beach and with gas prices this option is definitely worth considering! I made a small investment in a wire basket for the front (around $20 at the BIKE SHOP by CHIZU on 3rd street- ask for Freddy he's the best) that is removable for trips to the grocery store, carrying the dog, or picking up dinner. This, along with a hat and an ipod, has made my cycling adventures all the more entertaining! Not to mention that I can burn a calorie or two this way : )

2. Been to the library lately? Okay, I have to admit that I don't love the Jacksonville Beach library (located on 3rd street in Neptune Beach). Last time I was there it was not a pleasant experience- I won't go in to details, but let it suffice to say that I will not be headed back there any time soon.I DO love to go to the library, however, and discovered that for a nominal fee ($30/Year for non St. Johns County residents) you can go to the Ponte Vedra Library (off Solano Road near Winn Dixie). It is clean, fairly new, has computers and even a quite room. I have found a pretty good selection of audio books there as well as a really neat online service for downloading audio and e-books... There is a link to this service in their website http://www.sjcpls.org/

3. Check out the new park AND get a workout in! There is a great little park now in Jacksonville Beach right off of South Beach Parkway. Even if you don't have kids it's worth checking out. They have a tennis court, basketball courts, a track, and my personal favorite- workout stations. You can walk around the track to each station and get a full body workout for FREE! It's a perfect place to meet up with your work out buddies or even bring your four legged friends (on the leash).

4. Speaking of DOGS...If you are fortunate enough to have one of these furry friends, consider returning some of the love and taking them to the Dog Park in Jacksonville Beach (off of Fairway Lane next to Wingate Park and the Police Station). Suge is our black lab and she LOVES the dog park. It is so much fun to see her get to play with all the other little pooches and it is totally FREE. They make it easier for newcomers by providing a list of friendly rules to follow in order to keep the doggie peace (Link to rules below) I have read through it thoroughly and it helps to make it a better experience for all involved. They even provide you with poopie bags in case you forget yours at home. It is a must for dog lovers out at the beach! http://www.jacksonvillebeach.org/DocumentView.asp?DID=15

These are just a few folks... more to follow! Let me know if you have found some great budget friendly ways to enjoy our area as well! I'd love to hear from you!

I don't even like to use the words Doom and Gloom these days. We all know that the real estate market has been overwhelming lately, but I would like to be a positive voice in the REALTOR community. There are many reasons to be gratful about being in the real estate profession and I want to remind everyone of just a few so that when you start looking through the "Help Wanted" ads you'll reconsider!

1. There were plenty of people who didn't have any business when the market was red hot:I don't say this to be discouraging- at all. I just want to shed some light on the fact that even when homes were flying like hot cakes there were still many of those nay sayers that hung around the coffee pot complaining that nothing was selling... if you've been around for a few years you know exactly who I'm talking about! With that being said, there will be good times and not so good times in our industry, but the creme will rise to the top and if you are willing to stick it out you WILL find success- even in this market.

2. Have you looked at what you'd have to do at other jobs??Well, I have and let me tell you it ain't pretty. I went through a mini-crisis last year when my pipeline dried up and started doing quite a bit of research and I have yet to find any jobs in which you can make your own ours, have unlimited earning potential, prospect to nearly anyone, work part time while making a full time income, continually meet new people and learn new things, be considered a professional without having a bachelors degree, and the list just goes on. Look, you could go wait tables, but you'd STILL have someone telling you where to be and when! So, how bad is it REALLY?

3. The competition is fading fast:Thank you to all of the REALTORS out there that chose to do something else! Do NOT get me wrong- I truly wish everyone success in our business that wants to be in it, but let's face it, this is not for everyone. I think that those who have moved on after the market peeked were never really in it to win it in the first place. If they considered that their cue to pack it in then great- I completely understand, but I am thrilled that the competition keeps falling away as the rest of us dig our heels in and prepare to reap the benefits!

4. Okay I don't remember the days when...the MLS was printed out on carbon paper. However, I have heard about them from every REALTOR that has been in the business for over twenty years and guess what- I think we have it GOOD! We are so fortunate to have all the technology you could ever want, or not want, at our fingertips. How hard is it really to e-mail clients with listings or to create impressive flyers with a few clicks of the mouse. With texting, blogging, web-sites, and all the other jazzy means of getting the word out that YOU ARE IN BUSINESS... it could be worse!!

I know these are just a few reasons to keep that cardboard box you've been saving for the move... under your desk as a foot rest, but let me hear from you! I think it's more important that EVER to keep it positive and refuse to buy in to the moans and groans of the day. I'm not saying that things couldn't be better out there, but they could absolutely be WORSE! SO, let's help each-other keep our chins up and above water. ENCOURAGE a fellow associate TODAY!