Good Gifts for New Grads

Do you know someone who has recently graduated from college? If you haven't gotten them a graduation gift yet then it's probably because you aren't quite sure what to get them. You probably want to get a nice gift but you don't want to spend a lot of money.

Just a few ideas for good (but affordable) gifts for new college graduates include:

• A vacation opportunity. You may not be able to afford to send your grad on a trip. However, you could give her a little break from life by offering a stay in your own home for free.


• College diploma frames. Show your graduate how proud you are of his accomplishments by getting him a frame for his new diploma.


• Cash. College graduates are strapped for cash. Even if you can only give them a little bit, they'll be glad to get it. Gift cards for things like music and clothing are another great option.

The people in your life don't graduate every day. Don't overlook the importance of this by failing to get them a gift for their graduation. A simple and affordable gift can still say a lot about your pride for them.

Budding Chefs Should Get Into Cooking Contests

People who are interested in attending cooking schools should do one big thing to prepare: enter cooking contests. Cooking contests are great preparation for chef schools for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, cooking contests are great because they teach students about competition in the cooking industry. Culinary schools and jobs in the cooking industry are highly competitive so that's an important thing to learn. The judges at these contests will provide feedback on the entries which helps to prepare students for the critiques that they'll be getting from their instructors in culinary school.

Secondly, cooking contests are a great way to win prizes for your efforts as a chef. In some cases, these are cash prizes and scholarships which can help students to offset the cost of attending a private cooking school. In other cases, these awards are simply things to add to a resume which can increase the likelihood of getting accepted into culinary school.

Finally, cooking contests are good because they give budding chefs the chance to practice their skills. Practice makes perfect when it comes to cooking. This puts these students ahead of their classmates when school starts. For all of these reasons, cooking contests are a great idea for students interested in chef schools.

Summer Horseback Riding Lessons

This afternoon I rode my horse for the first time in several months. I admittedly wasn't very good about keeping up on my riding practice over the winter, and it has taken me some time to get back on the horse, so to speak.

But this afternoon I finally did get a ride in. It wasn't a very long ride, because both of us were a bit out of shape. But it was a ride! Since I won't be starting my graduate school program until fall or maybe even later, I think I will take some riding lessons this summer and work on improving my riding skills a bit.

While I was riding, the owner of the barn walked over to chat with me. It's actually a private property with three horses on it — one is his, another is mine, and the third is a horse whose owner never rides or visits. So the barn owner says he likes to see me riding, since there's not a lot of it going on there.

We also talked about the property next door to him. He actually owns both pieces of property, and is trying to sell the other one — but I think he's asking too much for it, far more than the neighborhood justifies. As much as I love that property and would love to own horse property, I don't have to have mortgage training to know that no lender is going to approve a loan for a house that costs significantly more than it appraises for.

Oh well — someday I'm sure we will find the perfect horse property at a price we can afford. In the meantime I've got more than enough to keep me occupied, what with my riding lessons and all!