5 Great Themes to Try in Your Bathroom
Interior designers have to stay up to date with modern design trends so they know what materials to recommend to their clients. If you want to go through bathroom remodeling in the near future, it would be wise to speak to one of these designers to figure out where your options lie. Before you do that though, you could start brainstorming a few ideas for your bathroom so your remodelers know what overall look you want for your space. Here are a few of the most popular themes you might employ in your bathing sanctuary.
Beach Theme
Since a lot of twenty-somethings love to go to the ocean on vacation, you may want to use a fun beach theme in your bathroom. This is not to be confused with a nautical theme, which may involve boats, lighthouses, and colors like red and navy blue. Most designers will agree that a beach theme is more about the sand, seashells, and soft colors of the ocean. You can use pale shades of blue with earth tones and beach related tile work to bring the vibrancy of the ocean right into your home. Feel free to go to a local beachwear store to get inspiration for your bathroom.
Geometry Theme
Most college students run when they see the word "geometry" thinking that a math lesson is coming soon. No worries people – that is not what this is all about. In this case, you will use simple shapes to fill your bathroom. You may have polka-dots on the walls, squares on the shower curtain, stripes on the mats, or anything else you want. You can create your own color scheme and fit all of the shapes into that. If you ever want to change something out, you could easily add new shapes into the mix without a total overhaul.
Asian Theme
Some homeowners aim to create the feeling of an Asian spa in their bathrooms. You could do the same during your bathroom remodeling to establish peace and tranquility in the bathroom. Animals like pandas, dragons, and cranes are popular in Asian artwork, as are the colors gold, red, white, and black. Keep the lines in your bathroom very geometric, and you should have an Asian feeling in there in no time.
Monochromatic Theme
If you like subtlety, you might think about working with a monochromatic theme. That means that you will use different shades of the same color throughout the bathroom to create a cohesive, simple look that is easy to enhance in the future. Your designer can recommend different materials that play into your color palette, and then you can figure out a way to tie all of them together. This makes bathroom remodeling as easy as it can be.
Country Theme
This may be my southern upbringing talking, but a country theme could be a lot of fun to try. You could use some of your tattoo artist salary to buy cowhide, cowboy hats, boots, spurs, and anything else you want. If you don't want to go quite so country, you could focus on using aged wood like the materials you may find in an old barn. This is a slightly unconventional approach to bathroom remodeling that could make your space one-of-a-kind. You just have to be willing to think outside of the box a little bit.
Your bathroom remodeling can be inspired by just about anything. Whether you find countertops that you love or a piece of art your bathroom can't be without, you can get ideas for your theme from anything around you. All you have to do is find the right people to help you see your vision come to life.
Pay vs. Pleasure – What Should Determine Your Career?
Most young people have a hard time choosing a career because they are stuck between two options: 1) Getting a career they love. 2) Getting a career that pays well. I'm in this predicament myself because I really don't like writing. Nevertheless, I can make a lot of money at it, so I don't want to give up on the job. If you have been debating what to do for your future, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself before making a final decision. Here are a few to keep in mind so you end up in the right career:
Are You Naturally Talented at Something?
If you have a natural talent at something, chances are you're going to make good money at it. This could cause a problem if you are talented in something you don't like to do, but you need to keep it in mind. When you know what you're doing, work comes easily to you. That means that you are going to be more productive with your work and potentially make more money because of it. If you can get your talents to line up with your likings, that would be ideal. Otherwise, you may just have to roll with the punches and do something you don't like to do.
Could You Live on a Small Budget?
My husband and I live a fairly lavish lifestyle, at least for people our age. We live in a three bedroom house that is less than five years old, and we drive cars that come out of the factory at $100,000+. (We buy them used – no worries) Long story short, we don't really have the discipline or will to live on a small budget. For us to live the lives we want to lead, we have to have a decent amount of money coming in every month. You have to figure out if you would honestly be willing to make sacrifices to do what you love. If you can't, then you might want to accept the fact that you're going to dislike your job.
Do You Have Big Plans for the Future?
If the job that you love does not pay very well, you may not be able to save much money for the future. My husband and I want to build our own house, pay off our cars in cash, start a huge business, and move overseas – none of which we could do with a limited income. If you have big dreams for your future, you may not be able to fulfill them with a job as a medical administrative assistant. You have to figure out what your salary is going to logically help you achieve, and then you'll have to decide if that is enough to keep you happy in life. Only you can determine what is right for you.
Is There a Compromise?
Money isn't everything, but neither is happiness. The fact is that you need money to be happy, and you need to be happy to make money. The only way to truly be a success is to find a compromise between what you love and what will make you money in the end. You might be able to work in a sector of your profession that deals with what you love, or you might be able to do what you love as a hobby, not a career. You just have to think about how to get the best of both worlds, and then you can lead the life you want.
Ever Thought about Court Reporting?
I have written a lot of articles about court reporting recently, and I actually think it is a great opportunity for 20 somethings looking for a job. You don't have to go through extensive training to become a court reporter. All you have to do is type really really really really really really really really really really really really quickly. Like 225 words a minute. If you think you can handle that, you may make a great living out of being a court reporter. You just have to make sure you know what this career entails before you get too involved. Here is an overview of the job so you can figure out if you want to be a part of it.
Court Reporter Job Description
The work of a court reporter is pretty simple. All you have to do is type words as you hear them in court. There may be some other elements that go along with this though, so you need to make sure you know everything that is going on before you jump into the career. Here are some job duties you may come across as a court reporter:
- Listen to the events in a courtroom
- Learn the names of court participants
- Set up recording devices
- Transcribe words from recorded videos
- Use shorthand
- Present minutes from court cases
- Type notes from court
- Organize paperwork
Court Reporter Jobs
There are many employers you can work under as a court reporter. Those employers will have different job expectations, but they will all need the same basic work in the end. Possible work places include:
- Law enforcement offices
- Correctional facilities
- Court rooms
- Government offices
- Work at home
- Private practice
- Law offices
- Companies
There are several areas of the criminal justice system that you can work in as well, including:
- Civil court
- Family court
- Divorce court
- Criminal justice
- Small claims court
- Legal services
- Government
- Criminal court
Figure out what you want to do as a court reporter, and then you can find an employer that will help you fulfill your goals.
Court Reporter Education
As I said before, you don' have to get an education from Ashford University online or a similar university to work as a court reporter. Having a degree may improve your chances of finding work though, so you might as well give it a go. Here are some degree programs to keep in mind:
- Associate of Arts in English
- Associate of Arts in Journalism
- Associate of Science in Criminal Justice
- Associate of Science in Paralegal Studies
- Bachelor of Science in Journalism
- Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
- Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Arts in Criminology
- Bachelor of Arts in English
- Bachelor of Arts in Paralegal Studies
Court Reporter Pay Scale
Now comes the fun part – money. You know you're interested in how much you can make as a court reporter, and you should be. The results aren't half bad. Check out the charts below to find out how much you can earn in this profession.
Salary by Experience
- Less than 1 year of experience: $35,000 - $65,000 per year
- 1-4 years of experience: $24,311 - $61,042 per year
- 5-9 years of experience: $30,563 - $92,130 per year
- 10-19 years of experience: $31,262 - $107,235 per year
- 20+ years of experience: $24,511 - $92,279 per year
Salary by Company Size
- 1-9 staff members: $23,901 - $97,313 per year
- 10-49 staff members: $23,270 - $83,141 per year
- 50-199 staff members: $45,201 - $85,459 per year
- 200-599 staff members: $39,996 - $90,000 per year
Tips for Getting the Right Car Insurance
Car insurance is not cheap. America takes safe and responsible driving seriously, and that is reflected in the high premiums you have to pay for an insurance policy. If you have problems on your driving record or you are under the age of 25, you can expect to pay even more for your car insurance than the already high prices in the country. Since you will have to pay a decent portion of your LVN salary towards your insurance, you might as well make sure you know what to get. Here is a look at how you can make sure you are getting the right coverage to fit your needs and your budget.
State Minimums
In order to legally drive a car, you have to have the minimum amount of liability coverage that your state requires. For example, let's assume you drive a car in California. Your insurance policy would need to contain a $15,000 bodily injury policy for one person, $30,000 bodily injury coverage for more than one person, and $5,000 property damage for any accident where the driver is at fault. You can always get more coverage than that, but those are the minimums that you will have to keep in mind. Here is a chart that shows the minimum liability requirements in different states so you know what you will have to get:
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Quote Comparisons
If you start looking into the right amount of insurance for your needs, you may want to compare quotes from insurance companies so you can see what you might be expected to pay for your coverage. You may be able to get a better deal at one company than another because they are more understanding of your situation. This is especially important to do if you have to seek out a new insurance provider because some carriers will cancel policies altogether if they find out you have something wrong with your driving record. You have to make sure you find a company you can trust to cover you in these difficult times.
Financed Vehicles
You may need more than liability insurance if you have a car that is financed. Most finance companies will require that you to have full coverage on the vehicle, just as a way to protect their investment as you drive it around your home town. You can still get a minimal amount of coverage until your rates go back down, but you will just have to wait for that time to happen. Talk to an insurance agent you can trust and see what sort of options you have. Then you will be able to make sure you get the right policy for your car, your state, and your life.
Building a Versatile Wardrobe
Most 20-somethings are in the process of weeding out their high school/college student wardrobe and transitioning into a professional wardrobe for the corporate world. This is not exactly easy to do when you're living on a small budget, but it is something that you will have to do over time. The key to making this transition a success is to have a versatile wardrobe that you can rearrange to make tons of different outfits with. The more flexible the clothes are, the more options you will get for your money. Here are some tips that should help you pick out articles of clothing that will pair together well so you can have a multi-functioning wardrobe to rely on.
Buy Staple Pieces
A staple piece is an article of clothing that every wardrobe needs to have. For women, an example of a staple piece would be a three piece suit set: skirt, trousers, and jacket. This set gives you the option to wear the skirt, pants, or jacket on its own, and it gives you the chance to wear the jacket with either bottom. That is five outfits that can spawn from one simple set of clothing. If you can buy staple pieces like that, they should be able to last you for a long time, especially if you buy them in neutral colors. You only need a small grouping of staples to make a wardrobe versatile and unique.
Focus on Solid Colors
There is nothing wrong with having a really nice printed top, but that is not going to be very versatile. You need to start with a set of solid color items, and then you can add in print after you have a foundation. This mainly applies to shirts and jackets because printed pants aren't exactly professional. Just try to pick colors that look good on your skin and that flow together well. That way you can buy accessories to go with several shirts in your wardrobe.
Have Fun with Accessories
The accessory department is the area where you can really take your outfits to another level. Accessories can make your versatile wardrobe look fresh every time, not recycled. That is a problem that a lot of people run into because they wear the same basic pieces every week. If you are going to do that, you at least need to dress them up a little differently. Find jewelry, belts, and shoes that can really pump up the volume in your wardrobe. Then you won't be disappointed by the versatility.
Invest in Good Clothing
You may not have a lot of money to work with right now, but you really need to invest in some good quality pieces that will last a long time. If you buy the cheap stuff, you are just going to have to replace it a year down the road. You should be able to get at least five years of use out of an outfit, assuming your body does not change much over that period of time. This is one area that I would highly recommend shelling out some cash. It will have a major impact on your professional life.
Conclusion
Building a versatile wardrobe is all a matter of finding pieces that are going to work for multiple situations. If you can only see one use for an article of clothing, you may want to hold off on buying it. Even dresses can be converted into work wear with the addition of a sweater or jacket. These are the things you need to think about as you start investing in pieces. With the right eye for versatility, you should be able to have a wardrobe that fully functions the way you need it to.
Getting Financed for Your First Car
When you finally reach adulthood and you get out in the real world, you will eventually come to a point where you want a new car. Most late teens and twenty-somethings don't have enough money put away to buy a car outright, so they have to get financing for their first vehicle. Due to the rockiness of the economy, the process of getting financed is a lot harder now than it used to be. You have to work extra hard to secure the funding that you need for your vehicle. Seeing that I've financed nearly a dozen cars over the past four years, I figured I would shed some light on the process to help you get through it. Here are some tips you can use to get your first car.
Know What You Can Afford
Before you even start looking for a car to finance, you really need to know what your budget is going to be. Think about your medical administrative assistant salary and how much of it you have left over every month. Most financial advisers say that your car payment should not exceed 20% of your monthly income. If you have a lot of bills though, you may have even 
less than that. Figure out what sort of payment you are comfortable being around because that will determine the kinds of cars you look for. You don't want to fall in love with something out of your price range.
Search for a Good Car
Most people assume that their first car has to be a piece of crap, but that is not the case. In fact, you may have an easier time getting financed for a newer car because it will be more reliable than an old hunk of junk. Banks would rather back cars that they know will run for a while, as opposed to vehicles that could break down at any minute. Use AutoTrader or eBay to find a car in your area that you like, and then call the dealership to ask questions about it. That way you avoid going to the dealership right away.
Ask about Financing
Before you fill out an application for your car, you need to talk to someone in the financing department to make sure you could qualify for the vehicle. 99.9% of dealerships will tell you to just "fill out an application and see what happens," but you don't have to do that. If you talk to someone in finance about your credit and income situation, you can at least get a general idea as to whether or not you have a shot at getting the car. This will help you avoid filling out credit applications for no reason. Every app you fill out will put a mark on your credit. Do this too often, and you could reduce what may already be a low credit score It is in your best interest to find out everything ahead of time so you know whether or not you should apply for a vehicle.
Get a Cosigner
In most cases, you will need a cosigner to get financed for your first vehicle. This person should be someone with good credit and a steady income. A cosigner is basically a person who puts his or her credit on the line to back your loan. Banks often request a person like this to be on the financing papers because they want to make sure that they get their money. Ask your family members if they are willing to go on a loan with you, just so you have a backup if necessary. Hopefully everything will work out so you can soon have a new car.
Bills vs. Thrills – How to Budget Effectively
When you're young, the idea of keeping a "budget" is downright preposterous. "I know how much money I have. It's all up here…" (points to eyebrow, which is supposed to represent the brain). If you only think with your eyebrows when it comes to your finances, you are never going to be able to have the things you want in life. You can't use your money effectively without a budget, so you might as well start earning how to create one of those darn things early on. The sooner you understand how to budget correctly the sooner you will be on your way to a positive financial experience. Here are some tips to help you use your money in the best way possible.
Pay the Bills First
A lot of people get side tracked with the idea that they will "eventually" pay their bills. "I can party now because I'll just pay my bills next week. There's a grace period on them." You cannot think like that. The moment you start prioritize fun over responsibility, you will inevitably send yourself into debt. Most companies charge late fees for late payments, so you will end up paying more money for the same bills for no reason at all. Why not save the hassle and just get your bills covered early on? Then you can find a way to use your leftover money whenever you know you are set for the month.
Paying your bills first will also give you peace of mind in case something unexpected comes up. My husband and I always seem to have a problem with a car or an illness come up that prevents us from working or spending money the way we want to. We just spent $1,400 last week getting our new car fixed because the Keyless Go system wasn't working on it. $300 for a new key, $400 for a new shifter, $157 for a new serpentine belt, and the list continued from there. You have to leave room in the budget for those unexpected expenses, and the only way to do that is to pay the bills right at the beginning. Then you can use the rest of the month to cover your unwanted costs.
Assess Your Spending Habits
You probably spend more money eating out, getting gas, and going shopping than you realize. When you really start to analyze your spending habits, you will start to see where all your money is going. For instance, my husband and I go to Chick-Fil-A every single morning that they are open and get a meal that costs roughly $14. That may not be a terrible price to pay for breakfast, but it adds up to about $350 a month just for one meal. We make enough to support that kind of eating, but we still have to keep stuff like that in mind at all times. Take a thorough look at what you normally spend your money on, and you may be surprised by what you find.
Keep a Record
You can't assume that you just know what is going through your account. You have to keep a record of your money in some way. My husband and I try to have a few hundred dollars in our account at all times just as a cushion, and then we check it online multiple times in the day. My mother in law uses a check book to monitor her account, which helps her see exactly what she has to spend at all times. Figure out a solution like this that will work for you, and you will have a lot easier time monitoring your money in the future.
Reasons to Start College Right after High School
Are you a high school student debating whether to take a year off before you go to college? If so, you may not be doing yourself as much of a favor as you think. A lot of people say that taking a year or more off from school allows a student to rejuvenate himself or herself before going to a university, but the negatives of this time off may outweigh the positives. Before you give up on going to college when you graduate, you need to strongly consider the consequences of your decisions. Here are a few reasons why you may want to start your paralegal training right after you get out of high school.
Fresh Information
Do you think that incoming students are called freshmen just because they smell nicer than the sweaty juniors and seniors that roam the halls? Nope. They're called that because they have information from high school fresh in their minds. If you get into college right after high school, you will still have a pretty good memory about important facts from your core courses. Those facts will come in handy in a university setting. I jumped straight into Calc 2 whenever I entered my freshman year in college, and I was so happy that I had my Calc 1 knowledge still in place when I got there. If I had to do that now (four years later), I would be completely lost. I would probably have to take lower level math classes over just to refresh my mind. If you want to stroll straight through your courses, you need to take them back to back.
By the way, I made up the whole freshman = fresh knowledge thing. It just made a cool transition in the article, and it drove my point home. Don't sue me for screwing up the etymology, okay? 
Faster Career
The faster you can get a job, the faster you can start making money in whatever it is you want to do in life. That means that you need to do whatever you can to get out in the workforce quickly. If you dilly dally with your education, you run the risk of eating up vital work time. That's going to bite you in the ass later on. Consider the year you take off now as a year extra of work that you'll have to do in the future, when you are old, frail, and probably growing hair out of your ears. Is that really what you want? I didn't think so.
Strong Motivation
When you start college right after high school, you have a stronger drive to get through your work. You're used to pushing yourself already, and you're willing to do whatever it takes to continue pushing until you get your degree. If you take a year off, you may not want to come back to school. Then what are you going to do? Think about the first day of school after summer break. It sucks, right? Now magnify that by four because you'll have 12 months off, not 3. Imagine the suckage that would come from that! To avoid working at the snow cone stand for the rest of your life, you need to get in college as soon as possible and start a real career, driven to succeed no matter what.
I know the thought of college is scary and intimidating, but it is something you have to face like one of the big boys. You're an adult now. It is time to take on the challenge that life is presenting you with. I think you can handle it. Now you just have to convince yourself of that.
Cheap but Romantic Valentine’s Day Date Ideas
Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and I think it gets a little more hype than it really should. I'm not saying that you shouldn't enjoy V-Day with your special someone, but I think that you should be able to do that without spending $100 on a fancy dinner that you probably won't eat more than two bites of. Who says that great Valentine's Day dates have to cost a fortune? Not I. My husband and I have incredibly romantic dates every year, and we barely spend any money along the way. If you are worried about how your minimum wage job is going to possibly pay for a five star dinner, you need to start thinking outside of the box. Here are a few cheap and romantic date ideas for you to use on Valentine's Day.
Picnics
My husband is actually my high school sweetheart – the only man I have ever dated. Instead of going to prom our senior year, we went out to the mountains and had a special picnic, all by ourselves. I still remember that day as if it were yesterday, even if it was five years ago. Why not try something like that this Valentine's Day? I realize that some parts of the country may be too cold for picnics at this time of the year, but southerners have no excuse. If you have decent weather to work with right now, grab an old blanket and some sandwiches to have a Valentine's Day picnic. I guarantee it will be more romantic than you expect it to be.
Movie Rentals
Going out to the movies on V-Day can cost a fortune, but movie rentals are always cheap. You can go to Hastings, Blockbuster, or even a local Redbox and snag some sort of movie to watch with the one you love. If you want to make it really romantic, you could make sure there is a good spot in the house to snuggle – the couch, the bed, the giant bean bag chair of doom…whatever the case may be. Nuke some popcorn and get ready for the cuddle time.
Bubble Baths
If you are in the sexual part of your relationship, you may think about preparing a nice bubble bath for your partner. Put some rose petals on top and get some bath salt to make the water fragrant and relaxing. If the bathtub is big enough, you could enjoy the experience with your partner, or you could sit on the edge to rub his or her feet. This could obviously lead to some not-so-innocent experiences, so make sure you have protection for that too. The easiest way to kill a romantic mood is with a pregnancy scare.
Breakfast Food for Dinner
Who says you have to eat Italian food and steaks to have a romantic dinner? What about a simple breakfast meal at dinner time? You could get creative and make the pancakes into hearts or something, or you could just make foods that would naturally draw you and your partner together. My husband and I do this all the time, and I must say it is a nice change of pace. You don't have to fall into a predictable state to have a good time. You just have to find a way to make cheap food into something special.
If you take the time to really think about the date you set up for Valentine's Day, you should be able to come up with a plan that is cheap and romantic at the same time. All it takes is a little creativity and luck on your side.
Pros and Cons of Getting Married Young
I got married when I was 18 years old, without much of any knowledge of what life would be like as an adult. I lived a pretty sheltered life as a child, and I ended up marrying the very first man I dated. No lie. While some people thought I may have gone through all of this a little too quickly, I wouldn't take back a single experience I got from it. Nevertheless, I learned the good and bad of being married young firsthand, so I thought it may be nice to share my experience with other people looking to jump into this kind of commitment at a young age. Listed below are the pros and cons of getting married young that I had to learn the hard way.
The Pros of Getting Married at a Young Age
The biggest advantage that comes with marriage is the fact that you always have someone to talk to. This is true at any age. Marriage provides a constant support system for you to fall back on, and it gives you someone to share the details of your life with. Some people date compulsively because they do not like the idea of being alone for the rest of their lives. When you're married, you never have to worry about that.
There are some financial benefits that come along with marriage – tax breaks, cheap insurance, etc. More importantly though, you get the benefit of not having to search for someone to be with. The dating process can be exciting and fun at first, but it loses its spark over time. Then you are left worried about looking like a slut or a perv because you have dated a lot of people in your life. With marriage, you don't have to look around anymore.
The Cons of Getting Married at a Young Age
Marriage comes with a lot of pressure, more than most people can handle. You no longer have the ability to just "break up" if you don't like your spouse. You have to work out your problems, no matter how hard they may be at the time. This causes a lot of young people to cheat on their spouses because they think that life with someone else is going to be easier than the life they currently lead. This is not the case though. Every marriage is going to involve stress, and that is something you have to prepare for at any age. The sooner you know that, the better off you will be.
Another problem with being married is that you will no longer have the chance to party whenever you want to. This is one of the biggest problems I had because I wanted to be a social butterfly and flirt with everyone that came my way. As a wife though, I couldn't do that. It is something I eventually got over, but you have to plan for that if you want to get married. You can still go out, but you won't be able to play the field. Only you can determine if that is a good idea for you.
Conclusion
A lot of young couples do not make it through marriage because they can't handle the pressure. Those that can get to enjoy the benefit of having a true companion with them at all times. My husband and I got married when we were 18, and we're still together four years later. He's my best friend, and I literally can't see my life without him. Not everyone is as lucky as we are. Before you rush into marriage at a young age, make sure you are ready for it. There is nothing wrong with waiting until you get out of Saint Leo University. If you think things out thoroughly enough, you should be able to come up with the right solution for your life.