Holiday shopping is in full swing everywhere you go. Whether it is at the store, online or over the phone, people are purchasing like crazy. This means the identity thieves are also in gear.

They are trying to hack into your information as you purchase, connect with your bank, or even chat with your friends on social media.

This time of year people may not be as careful as they would other times. It is a hectic time, you may be in a hurry to get that quick last minute sale and just not pay attention to whether or not it is secure. You may forget to log out of a site, or not even be aware of what the thieves are possible of.

Below you will find some tips on making sure you can be as secure as possible throughout the holiday season and beyond.

Everyone should be aware by now of phishing emails, or scam emails. These can claim to be from anywhere, such as a shopping site, Paypal, etc. They can send you information on how to apply for an instant credit card, or they can claim that there has been a problem with your account or card and ask you to enter your information so they can check on the situation.

You may also get phone calls that basically do the same thing. They claim they are calling from your credit card account and that there may be a problem. They say they think your information has been stolen and they want to confirm your social security number, birth date or address. NEVER give these people any information, whether online or on the phone. If you suspect a problem hang up and call the place yourself and question the incident. If you see an email you can usually alert the source with a copy of the phishing email and let them know there may be a problem.

Online shopping can be tricky if you aren’t aware of how to do it. Be sure you are on the right website. Check that it is secure by looking at the url and looking for the https (s means secure) instead of just http. There should also be a lock symbol on the left.

These days people don’t scan over their statements like they used to. Everything is done on line and most people don’t get paper statements anymore. Whether you get a paper one or not, be sure to check them out. Read through every transaction and look for anything strange or out of place. Don’t overlook the small amounts under $2, as this is how many thieves steal your money…a little at a time. If you don’t know where the charge is from, check it out.

When you scan your card, whether it be at a store, an ATM or even Redbox, check for skimmers. These are small devices that thieves attach to the reader that instantly steals your card’s information.

Be wary of doing online purchases at a public spot such as a coffee shop. Public WiFi is hardly secure enough for these transactions and thieves will have your info before you know it.

Make sure you have protection with your credit cards so that you know what to do in case of an emergency. If you detect a problem, have the company freeze your card or report it immediately so action can be taken.

Filed under: Lifestyle by Michelle Gushard
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If you grew up with Super Mario, you may be one of those super fans who has every item ever made. You can find practically everything with Super Mario on it these days, and there are many different games and spin off games that have to do with Mario, Luigi and the gang.

Nintendo and Romain Jerome, an exquisite watch maker, have teamed up to bring you a special item for Super Mario Bros. 30^th anniversary. The game, which was introduced in 1985, is what began the journey for most of todays biggest gamers.

Introducing the limited edition Super Mario watch. This amazing timepiece is one of only 85 that will be made. The face of the watch features, of course, Mario, created from hand painted enamel. The case is constructed out of black titanium. Other icons on the watch include a mushroom and some background scenery.

That said, the price of the watch is said to be between $15,130 and 18,950.  Prices may be different throughout the world and through different dealers, but chances are you won’t find a much cheaper price. I guess you have to be a super fan and a major collector to get in on this celebratory item. The one thing you can count on is the fact that this watch, when cared for correctly, can last generations to come.

The watch was announced just last week, and there have been teasers on Facebook throughout the week hinting about the surprise.

If classic video games are really your thing, you can also find previously offered watches themed around Space Invaders, Pac Man and Tetris.

So I guess the real question is…are you really the number one Super Mario fan or not?

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The holiday season should be a time of celebrating, friends, family and relaxing. But for many people, just the thought of the travel madness and stress makes holidays a dreadful time of year. Here are some super ways to avoid some of the problems and ease through the holidays stress-free.

The first thing you want to do is plan ahead. Do not wait for the last minute and have to deal with the thousands of other procrastinators, rising prices on gas and airfare, and general crankiness from everyone who didn’t plan ahead. The sooner you can make reservations the better. Grab the lowest prices you can, book flights and hotels way ahead of time, and steer clear of the last minute price gouge.

If you are planning to drive, try to do so several days early to avoid more expensive gas prices and much more crowded highways.

When at all possible, try to book through an airport that has plenty of different airlines, as they will all be competing for your business. This may work out to your advantage.

If there is more than one airport in your area, check out the smaller, less busy one. Most people will go for the most popular, larger airport. You can also get deals by flying on off days, like Monday or Tuesday. Check prices on the discount airlines as well, such as Spirit and Frontier, but be sure to check for fees beforehand, as the baggage fees can be a killer.

When you are ready to book, be sure to shop around. Off peak days are generally cheaper, but you may find an awesome special that you didn’t know existed. Traveling ON the actually holiday is cheaper and way less crowded, if that is an option for you.

When searching for a hotel, use a site like Tingo.com. These booking sites are a big help, and Tingo refunds you the difference if your rate goes down after you book. This can come in handy.

If you have been saving up your frequent flyer or hotel rewards, now is the perfect time to cash them in. Loyalty perks such as upgrades, amenities and much more can be a great gift to yourself for the holidays. You might even get baggage fees waived and super-fast security checks!

Save money while traveling by trying to bring your favorite items with you so you can avoid having to purchase them while away, possibly at a much higher price.

Keep connected with your friends via social sites and you may score a special deal. Sometimes these surprises are not advertised, and word of mouth may be your only way of finding them.

Whatever your mode of travel or destination may be, make it a safe, happy and stress-free one.

Filed under: Lifestyle by Michelle Gushard
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Everyone loves the holidays. You get to visit family and friends, and sometimes it is just comforting to come back home. On the other hand, suppose you all live in the same town and just want something a little different for the holidays? There are some super places to check out this year for a memorable time.

Orlando, Florida is always a fun destination whether you are with a large family or just the two of you. During the holidays it gets even better. Head to Disney to see the beautiful autumn decorations and join in the festivities. Cinderella’s palace will take on a winter theme and become icy, and Epcot will welcome you to the holidays around the world. If you choose to wait until right after Thanksgiving, you can enjoy the park mostly to yourselves as this is the quietest, least crowded time of the year at the famed parks.

Plymouth, Massachusetts is always great for a visit but even better during the Thanksgiving holidays. Plenty of holiday events are held here each year and you can enjoy many re-enactments. Have dinner with the Pilgrims or step on board the Mayflower replica. As the home of the first permanent European settlement north of Virginia, Plymouth welcomes visitors in style.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is another historical city that loves to celebrate. Visitors can see the annual parade, full of marching bands and balloons of their own. Tour the museums, check out the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, and don’t miss the Philadelphia Art Museum, where Sylvester Stallone made Rocky famous.

Children will love the Macy’s building light display and concert…which is played on a beautiful pipe organ. Over 100,000 LED lights will sparkle in the shapes of reindeer, ballerinas and snowflakes. It’s a wonderful time for the whole family.

San Diego, California hosts a yearly Mother Goose Parade, which is quite big for the west coast. Over 100 unique and brightly colored floats will make their way past spectators, as well as helium balloons, marching bands, clowns and plenty of other entertainment.

When parade and festivity time is over, take the kids to the San Diego Zoo for some up close animal viewing, or to Sea World for some aquatic adventure. The weather will still be quite pleasant, so you can take a hike on one of many trails, or take a stroll on the beach.

Nashville, Tennessee is a great spot for music lovers any time of year, but during the holidays they hold their Holiday Harmony celebration. The Grand Ole Opry puts on a fantastic show, but moves out of its usual venue to let the world renowned Radio City Rockettes take its stage for the famous Christmas Spectacular. Jellystone Park has a spectacular dancing lights display, and you can also take a holiday light tour on the Holly Trolley. There is plenty of food to be found as well at plenty of venues around the city, and other holiday festivals and events as well.

Wherever you plan on spending your holidays, you are sure to find some exciting events for the whole family to enjoy and continue making those memories.

Filed under: Lifestyle by Michelle Gushard
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If you plan to take a flight somewhere on Thanksgiving, you can expect the airports to be more hectic than they were last year. There is a 3% increase expected in passengers traveling, up to 25.3 million this year. That’s the most in eight years. These figures are a projected estimate from Airlines for America.

These estimates are taking in the fact that the fares are lower this year, and more people may be taking advantage of this to take a flight for Thanksgiving.

There may be as many as 65,000 more passengers every day filling up the airports starting November 20th, and ending December 1st. This will bring totals between 1.4 million and 2.7 million people a day heading off on a flight.

They listed the busiest travel days in order, as Sunday, November 29^th, Monday, November 30^th, and Wednesday, November 25^th.

Airlines are expected to be using bigger planes and extra routes to handle the extra loads expected.

The cost of fuel has plummeted 36% in the last year, and the airlines have been able to use that decrease to pass on to their ticket prices, even lowering some prices.

The Department of Transportation listed fares for the beginning of the year were 1.7% higher than the same period last year. But the airfare for the fall months was 3.6% cheaper than the fall of 2014, or around $248. Fares were 8.1% cheaper than in the fall of 2013.

If you plan to fly during this time, expect the airport to be super busy. Be ready for longer lines, extra waiting times, and unfortunately, delays or cancellations. Over the past three years 15 to 20 percent of flights have sadly been under a delay or cancellation.

Try to head out a day earlier or return a day later if at all possible to try and avoid some of the congestion that will be expected at the airports. Whatever your travel plans, do whatever it takes to arrive safely and have a wonderful holiday season.

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Just in time for the holiday season, Martha gives us a lesson on perfect picture taking. Checkout how Martha gets the best photos so you can assure that you will have the best memories possible from your holiday celebrations.

Most people know Martha as a wonderful chef, awesome gardener, and crafter deluxe. But many do not realize that photography is actually her favorite of all of her hobbies.

She recently posted pictures on her personal Instragram account, and is currently taking photos for a gardening book she will be releasing this spring.  Here are a few of her best tips for photo taking.

1. All cameras have different options and function differently. Use the right tool for the job, so to speak. If you are taking an up close detailed picture, you obviously do not need your super telephoto lens camera that takes pictures from long distances.
2. Try to get your subject, whether it be a person or animal, to look directly into your camera. That’s where the subject’s personality lies.
3. She uploads her pictures onto the computer daily and adds them to whatever album she is working on. This is a good habit for so many of us to try to get into. Most of us will admit to being guilty of having hundreds of photos on their camera at one time, and are not even sure what they are going to do with them. They then get uploaded onto a laptop or PC and just forgotten. She also never re-uses memory sticks.
4. Martha is very big on sharing. She believes you should share all your pictures! Her personal fave for sharing is Fathead, which allows your pictures to be turned into images you can apply to objects. For instance she decorated 20 vintage Thonet chairs in her dining room with gardening photos. She claims everyone thinks the chairs are hand painted. She also applied a pictured of her with her Mother onto a purse. What ideas can you think of to do with your favorite photos?
5. Martha states that shiny hair photographs well. She also says that women should go easy on the makeup because the more natural you look in reality, the more natural you will look on film.

Try a few of Martha’s tips this season and see what memorable gems you turn up with.

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Surf Air, which started doing business in 2013, may be the new way to fly for many west coast travelers. This innovative airline offers unlimited flights to passengers for a monthly fee. For $1,750 a month (plus the $1,000 signup fee) you can fly to your heart’s content.

Surf Air is the first airline of its kind in the nation. The company is based in LA, but offers passengers unlimited flights out of Hawthorne, Burbank, Sana Barbara, Lake Tahoe, San Carlos, and on weekends you can even fly to Las Vegas.

Members who sign up will experience their business or leisure travel without the long lines or security checks you can expect at a commercial airport, and hopefully at a much lower price than full-fare flights.

Members arrive at the free parking lot where they are met by a concierge. They will then be quickly escorted on board, minus the extra baggage fees, frustrating lines and never ending check points.

You can reserve your flight from your smartphone up to three minutes before the plane departs. Seating is always perfect as every seat is both a window seat and an aisle seat.

Surf Air stays away from the overcrowded popular airports and gets you in and out quickly by using smaller low-traffic airports such as Hawthorne, which is just six-minutes from LAX.

Surf Air was coined as one of Americas most promising companies of 2015. Quick easy boarding, no hidden fees of any kind, and free snacks and beverages are just a few of the reasons why. The terminals are smaller, private and offer complimentary parking and free Wi-Fi.

The airline offers up to 90 daily flights in up to 12 destinations, and you can book unlimited flights.

Currently Surf Air is an awesome alternative for Californians who travel frequently. Otherwise, it is not very beneficial to travelers. But the idea is catching on and Surf Air is hoping to spread out to the Northeast and other areas in the future.

Since Surf Air’s first flight, the company has signed up 1,400 members, and has over 600 on the waiting list. Of the current members about one-third of them are techies, the rest are lawyers, real estate agents, sales reps and some entertainment people as well.

If you dislike the crowds, lines and general craziness of commercial flying, this could be for you. However, if you aren’t really into small enclosed places and feel claustrophobic on a normal plane, then you probably won’t like Surf Air. The planes are small with little room to move around, but those who travel a lot enjoy the much quicker hassle free experience.

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Los Angeles is bursting with plenty of music in the summer that will satisfy all kinds of music lovers. Here are some festivities you won’t want to miss.

The Farmers Market has Friday night concerts throughout the summer. Fresh foods from the market are available, along with a fun family atmosphere.

California Plaza offers music, dance and theater on weekend evenings. These free performing arts shows are multicultural and very entertaining.

The Ford Theatres JAM sessions are an interactive presentation where participants of all ages are invited to dance, sing and play along with the professional artists. They travel throughout many communities in the Los Angeles area.

The Pershing Square Summer Concert Series is held at the public park by the same name. Come on Wednesday for a lunchtime concert, check out some Salsa on Thursdays. Friday nights are dedicated to films, and Saturdays are full of rock and pop music.

Hollywood and Highland is where you will find the Wine & Jazz Summer Series. Hear some of the top jazz performers, while helping a good cause. Though the event is free, there is wine tasting and appetizers available with a fee to help support Project Angel Food. The wonderful people at Project Angel Food deliver over 10,000 meals every week to those affected by life-threatening illnesses. It is a great cause, and for only $10 you add your support and also enjoy some great wine and appetizers, along with awesome jazz music. The concerts are held on Tuesday nights.

The Santa Monica Pier hosts Twilight Concerts. Thursday nights are when the Pier comes alive with rock, indie pop, reggae, R&B, and 80s music. There is plenty of food and excitement along the pier as well.

The Levitt Pavilion has shows throughout the week during the summer. From Grammy winning performers to Jazz, Americana to Blues, Latin music and even Children’s music, you can hear a wide range of music at the Pavilion.

Summer music at the Hammer Museum portrays plenty of live acts in the outdoor courtyard. KCRW DJs keep the place hopping, along with jazz performers and plenty of special guests.

The Getty Center courtyard is where you will find Saturdays Off the 405, a popular summer series. Not only can you gaze at the breathtaking views of the city, but enjoy a drink and some music while you relax. DJs will open and close the night, and awesome performers will keep you entertained in between.

KCRW Summer Nights is when the local public radio station, KCRW, leaves their studio and travels around LA hosting free outdoor music events. Some of the venues they appear at are One Colorado, Chinatown, and Grand Park. You can find pretty much any type of music you like at one of the concerts.

Don’t let summer pass you by wishing you had accomplished more. Head to one of the many outdoor free events and enjoy the sounds of summer.

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