Angie's Texas Real Estate Listings, Dallas

I saw this in the Good Housekeeping website.  This diet promises a lot:  turning back the clock and the scale at the same time is no small feat.  I am not sure I can keep up with the food prep on all of this, but I like to see recipe ideas when I’m trying to eat healthier.  I re-started my jazzercise routine yesterday, and am feeling sore and lazy.  Can I make it today?  It’s sooooo cold outside….

Moving is excellent exercise:  all of that heavy lifting, running from room to room.  I don’t want to do it again anytime soon (hubby, kids and I are in house #7, which explains my realtor’s license).  Maybe I should offer my clients free help with the packing and unpacking for their new home, just to keep those muscles moving?  : )

Browse these, and make note for your next grocery list:

Day 1
Breakfast

• 1 Oat and Almond Breakfast Bar
• 6 oz. fat-free plain yogurt or 4 oz. low-fat cottage cheese
• 15 red or purple grapes or 1/2 small grapefruit
• Coffee or tea

Lunch

• 1 serving Black Bean Soup
• Salad: 2 c. salad greens, 1/4 avocado, and 1 segmented small tangerine. Toss with 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Triscuits

Snack

• 4-5 deli-thin slices (about 1.5 oz.) ham spread with 2 tsp. honey mustard, rolled in a lettuce leaf

Dinner

• 1 serving Chard-Wrapped Salmon
• Asian Rice: 3/4 c. cooked brown rice, 1/2 green onion, chopped, 1/2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce, and 1/4 tsp. Asian sesame oil
• 17 steamed baby carrots

Extra

• 5 oz. red wine or 1 oz. baked whole-grain chips and 1/3 c. salsa

Day 2
Breakfast

• Savory breakfast sandwich: Split 1 whole wheat English muffin. Top each side with 2 Tbsp. grated light Jarlsberg cheese, and toast until cheese melts. Layer 1 oz. extra-lean deli ham between halves
• 1 small tangerine
• Coffee or tea

Lunch

• 1 (5-oz.) can Bumble Bee Easy Peel Sensations Seasoned Tuna Medley (any flavor)
• 1 whole wheat pita bread
• 1/2 c. prepared tabbouleh salad (such as Cedar’s)

Snack

• 1 hard-cooked egg with 1 Triscuit or one 100-calorie pack pistachios (about 30)

Dinner

• 1 serving Whole Wheat Rotini with Walnut Pesto

Extra

• 5 oz. red wine or Berries in Red Wine

Day 3
Breakfast

• 1 c. Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal (or 150-calorie portion of another whole-grain cereal), 1 c. fat-free milk, 1/3 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tsp. ground flaxseeds
• Coffee or tea

Lunch

• 1 serving Spinach and Strawberry Salad
• 1 part-skim mozzarella string cheese
• 4 Ak-Mak crackers

Snack

• Starbucks Grande Cappuccino or Tall Latte made with fat-free milk (no whip) or 1 mini bag Jolly Time Healthy Pop

Dinner

• 1 serving Walnut-Crusted Chicken Cutlets
• 1 c. Simply Potatoes Mashed Sweet Potatoes heated in microwave
• 1 c. green beans, steamed and seasoned with freshly ground black pepper

Extra

• 5 oz. red wine or 1 pkg. World of Grains Cookies

Day 4
Breakfast

• • Banana-Peanut Butter Smoothie
  • 1 slice whole wheat cinnamon-raisin bread, toasted, spread with 1 tsp. light butter
  • Coffee or tea

   

  Lunch

  • 1 Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers Rotini & Zesty Marinara Sauce (sprinkled with 2 tsp. Parmesan cheese)
  • 1 small apple

  Snack

• 1 Mini Babybel Light cheese and 1/2 c. red or purple grapes

• Dinner

  • 1 serving Spring Vegetable Risotto with Shrimp

  Extra

  • 5 oz. red wine or 1 tin Sweet Riot Cocoa Nibs

   

  Day 5
  Breakfast

  • Cheesy Cinnamon Toast: 1 slice whole wheat cinnamon-raisin bread, toasted and spread with 2 Tbsp. part-skim ricotta. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts. Drizzle with 1 tsp. honey
  • 1 small banana
  • Coffee or tea

  Lunch

  • 1 Kashi Pocket Bread Sandwich (any variety)
  • 8 oz. fat-free milk
  • 8 baby carrots

  Snack

  • 50 steamed edamame (green soybeans) in the pod or 1 stalk of celery spread with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter

  Dinner

  • 1 serving Stuffed Tomatoes with Lean Ground Beef
  • 3/4 c. steamed Swiss chard, mixed with 1 tsp. golden raisins
  • 1 whole wheat pita bread

  Extra

  • 5 oz. red wine or 1 serving Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Blackberry Sauce

   

  Day 6
  Breakfast

  • Honeyed Fruit Parfait to Go: Divide and layer into large paper cup 1 c. assorted chopped, mixed fresh fruit (your choice), 8 oz. fat-free, plain yogurt, and 1 Tbsp. chopped nuts or ground flax or wheat germ. Drizzle with 1 tsp. honey
  • Coffee or tea

   

  Lunch

  • Greek Salad Pita: Spread 1/4 c. hummus inside 1 whole wheat pita. Add 1/2 c. baby salad greens, 2 tomato slices, and 2 Tbsp. feta cheese. Sprinkle with red wine vinegar
  • 1 small banana

  Snack

  • 1 pkg. South Beach Living Dark Chocolate-Covered Soynuts or 1 Mini Babybel Light cheese with 2 Triscuits

  Dinner

  • 1 serving Turkey Cutlets with Mixed Berry Sauce
  • 1 c. Minute Ready-to-Serve Brown & Wild Rice
  • 1 c. steamed broccoli sprinkled with 2 tsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  Extra

  • 5 oz. red wine or 1/2 c. light ice cream (about 100 calories) topped with 1/4 c. raspberries and 2 tsp. mini semisweet chocolate chips

   

  Day 7
  Breakfast

  • 1 serving Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs
  • 1/2 whole wheat English muffin, toasted and spread with 1 tsp. light butter
  • 1/2 c. cubed cantaloupe
  • Coffee or tea

  Lunch

  • Soup & Sandwich: Open-Faced Jarlsberg Sandwich with Greens plus 1 c. Campbell’s Select Harvest Savory White Bean with Roasted Ham soup

  Snack

  • 10 medium strawberries, sliced, with 1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar, topped with 2 Tbsp. part-skim ricotta

  Dinner

  • 1 serving Southwestern Chicken Salad
  • 1 oz. baked whole-grain tortilla chips
  • 1 orange

  Extra

  • 5 oz. red wine or Starbucks Tall Tazo Green Tea Latte (hot or iced)

   

  Note: All calorie-free beverages are allowed – especially coffee and tea. All meals and snacks are interchangeable within categories, so you can sub one breakfast for another, for example, or swap two snacks. We’ve also included our favorite healthy convenience foods to make the meal plan simpler.

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By Tami Luhby, senior writerDecember 28, 2009: 8:37 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Most troubled homeowners view President Obama’s foreclosure rescue plan as a way out of their financial troubles.

But many don’t realize that entering a trial mortgage modification can actually hurt their credit.

CNNMoney recently received a flood of e-mails from readers complaining about the impact of trial modifications on their credit reports.

To be sure, many people who apply for the president’s plan are already delinquent in their mortgage payments, which wrecks their credit backgrounds. And obtaining a trial modification should affect borrowers’ scores because it shows they cannot meet their original obligation, experts said.

But being in a months-long trial period may only add to the pain.

Jason Axelrod learned that the hard way.

Axelrod, a municipal employee who lives outside Chicago, entered a trial mortgage modification program this spring.

He had not fallen behind in his mortgage, but he was finding it harder to make ends meet after his overtime was cut and his property taxes skyrocketed. Told it would not hurt his coveted 750 score, Axelrod secured a $565 reduction in his monthly payments.

Eight months later, Axelrod is still stuck in the trial modification, trying to satisfy his loan servicer’s endless requests for documents.

And to his horror, his credit score has plummeted to 644.

“It’s completely destroyed my credit,” said Axelrod. “If I had known it would affect my score, I would have never entered the program.”

Representatives at JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500), which services Axelrod’s loan, are instructed to tell applicants that entering a modification could impact their credit histories, a bank spokeswoman said.

Despite his weakened credit score, there is at least some good news for Axelrod: After being contacted by CNNMoney.com, JPMorgan Chase said his permanent modification had been approved.

Credit reporting guidelines

Under the president’s plan, troubled borrowers can have their monthly mortgage payments reduced to 31% of their pre-tax income.

Homeowners are first put in a trial modification for several months to prove they can handle the new commitment and to give the bank time to collect the necessary income and hardship verification documents.

0:00 /2:06A rare case of mortgage reduction

During this period, industry guidelines call for loan servicing companies to report borrowers to the credit bureaus according to their status before they entered the modification – either current or the number of days delinquent.

However, borrowers’ accounts are also designated with a code indicating they are in a partial payment plan.

The coding alone can impact credit scores, which measure a consumer’s financial health and range from 300 to 850 under the FICO system. The severity depends on how many payments the borrower missed before entering the program. Those who were current in their mortgages could see their scores fall up to 100 points, according to the Treasury Department.

Just what banks are reporting to the credit bureaus remains a matter of some debate. Some servicers have been inconsistent in following the guidelines, according to a Treasury official. Also, they don’t always report that their current borrowers have entered modification plans.

Some 24,000 trial modifications were given to those still current with their payments, as of early September. A total of 366,000 trial modifications were in effect at that time. The total number has since risen to just under 700,000, as of the end of November.

JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500) and Citigroup (C, Fortune 500), which are among the nation’s largest servicers, declined to be interviewed for this article. A Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) spokeswoman said the bank follows industry guidelines.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, an industry group, servicers are required to report all information about their clients, including whether they are in modification plans. For seriously delinquent borrowers, this may improve their status somewhat since they will start making payments again.

“If you are in the trial period, over that three month period, you are going to improve your situation in most cases,” said Vicki Vidal, the group’s associate vice president for government affairs.

Once borrowers receive a permanent modification, their payment status is listed as current. However, the delinquency remains on their credit reports for up to seven years.

On top of that, the longer homeowners are listed as delinquent, the greater the impact on their credit score. That’s one reason why servicers should be quicker to convert borrowers from trial modifications to permanent adjustments, said Jan Jones, a housing counselor in Alaska.

Financial institutions have come under fire in recent weeks for dragging their feet in evaluating borrowers for permanent adjustments.

“What’s making people upset is the length of time lenders are taking to consider these workout plans,” said Jones, who works for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Alaska.

Axelrod is already feeling the impact of his lower credit score. He ordered a new car this summer, believing it would come with a lower monthly payment. It arrived in mid-December.

But because of his newly blemished credit background, his two credit unions turned him down for a car loan. His dealership told him the best he could get is a 12% rate, a hefty hike from the 4.7% he was paying before.

“This is the biggest nightmare,” he said. “My credit is completely useless.”

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Last week, I was sitting in a Starbuck’s having a Gingerbread Latte (more on that later), with my eyes glazed over in a heated round of Bejeweled Blitz on my iPhone (MUST beat friend…), and oblivious to the world.  I was waiting on a client to sign an amendment, who was delayed at work.  This was well after dark.

I was jolted into reality when I realized that a voice I’d been hearing (off in the distance?) was actually talking to me.  Refocused, I stammered a confused “Huh?” as the man continued with, “…Yeah, they’ll all be wanting to move to the “GOOD” school district, heh heh heh…”  He pointed at my name tag, nodded, and boldly proclaimed that things would be a-changing in the next year.  With a knowing smile, he took his change and confidently walked out the door.

OK, my family has moved a lot.  We’ve owned seven houses, six of which were in Texas, and five of which were in Collin County.  We’ve lived in three different ISDs, and attended three different schools, not to mention Mother’s Day Out at four different places.  One of the schools our kids attended was private, which means parents from all over the metroples.  I never doubted that I had a broad exposure to our local education, from all of these different parents in all of these various schools and ISDs.  While everyone has their own opinion, I always felt that I had a pretty good pulse on the whole “school district” concept. 

It was not the comment that surprised me as much as the unspoken assumption that everyone must share the sentiment, especially a realtor.  Am I alone here in thinking that Plano ISD is an excellent one, wherever the line is which divides the high school boundaries? 

I am curious to hear what other realtors think about the impact of this change on property values and opinions.  Post comments if you would like to share your thoughts.

For more details and to see the new map, click on the following web link:

http://www.pisd.edu/feeder.realignment.committee/December_2009_Board_Feeder_Approved.pdf

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Growing up, we always had a fresh Christmas tree.  It smelled wonderfully, and was worth the effort of watering and cleaning up needles (we had vinyl flooring in the room with the tree, with an exterior door). 

As newlyweds, my husband and I got over the enchantment with the scent of a fresh tree after shelling out so much money for a live tree;  what was left of our enthusiasm dissipated with the clean-up of our carpeted living room.

For those of you who still enjoy the live tree this time of year, and are ready to dismantle it (is anyone ever really ready for that?), there are recycling programs with a payoff!  How about free mulch in exchange for your used tree?  Much better than filling the sanitation workers’ trucks!

Here are the details:

From December 28-January 15, bring proof of a Dallas address and get free mulch for your garden (be sure to bring your own containers and shovels).

Be sure to remove all tinsel, ornaments, stands, lights and nails from the tree before bringing to the recycling center.

Tree recycling and mulch are available from 9 am to 4 pm at:

McCommas Bluff Landfill

5100 Youngblood Road (Monday-Saturday)

Flag Pole Hill

Northwest Highway at Buckner Blvd. (Monday-Sunday)

Fair Oaks Transfer Station

7677 Fair Oaks Ave. (Monday-Saturday)

Southwest (Oak Cliff) Transfer Station

4610 S. Westmoreland Road (Monday-Saturday)

Northwest (Bachman) Transfer Station

9500 Harry Hines Blvd. (Monday-Saturday)

For more information, call 3-1-1.

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OK, it’s not headline real-estate, but by far the most useful new thing I’ve learned today.  Whenever I open a banana, I pull the stem back.  If I don’t have a knife to make a horizontal incision at the base of the stem, the top gets squished, the split happens below the stem, and you have to pry the opening big enough to get the banana out.  It RARELY opens as it would if I were a tv star in a commercial, you know.  : )

Here is the link:

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2009/07/15/banana1-pdsm.jpg

Thank you, monkeyboy, wherever you are, for this helpful tip!

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I just read an enlightening article on the Wall Street Journal’s website.  I would encourage everyone to be knowledgable on credit card tactics and how they may change prior to the Credit Card Act.  Here is a link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703438404574597860806674746.html

I’m in my 40s, and was raised by parents and grandparents with Depression-era roots.  We had a credit card, but I do not remember them using it often.  Since we did not have today’s technology array, it was HIGHLY unlikely that we were going to be plunking down $1000 on anything.  The TV my parents had when I grew up outlasted my childhood.  I have no memory of replacing appliances in the house: they lasted.  Clothing and groceries were planned trips, with cash in hand.  Even without ATMs, a weekly trip to the bank for cash covered us (and we did not have as much traffic either).

Today, credit cards are more of a necessity than a back-up form of paying for things.  Would you carry cash to buy a new computer?  Credit card statements provide proof that payment was made. We pay the balance every month because interest rates are crippling.

As a realtor, however, my livelihood depends on the good credit of my clients.  I cringe when I hear young people say “Credit Card X gave me $5000″, as if it were a gift from a friend rather than a loan shark. These teens are being mailed applications without being taught about how the interest will pile up.  By the time they are adults, their first home may be delayed due to mounting credit card debt and student loans.

Adults have big wants, too, and often even bigger debt problems.

Yes, there are emergencies which can wipe a family out for years.  But, when you hear about closings not happening because the buyer went out and bought a house-full of furniture on credit just before closing day, you realize that not everyone knows how credit and credit cards work.

I am by no means a credit expert, that is where the mortgage lenders advise clients.  However, it does no harm to point out facts as outlined in the WSJ article. 

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The clock is a-tickin’…. you’d best be making reservations now before the big night is here!

If you need some ideas, here are a few:

New Year’s Eve Bash at Firewheel Golf of Garland

December 31st  7pm until 1am
$100 single, $150 couple
Branding Iron at Firewheel

Dinner, Dancing, Drinks, Casino Games and Fireworks

To make Reservations please call the
Branding Iron at 972-205-3958

For the chic and stylish, try the GhostBar at the W in Dallas.  General admission is $100 per person, and they have a celebrity guest host:  Jesse Metcalf, aka the famed “Desperate Housewives” lawn boy.  Ooo la la…

Additional celeb hosts DJ DRE and “prankster” DJ WISHFM

If you are a vodka-lover, this is your night:  for every bottle of CIROC Vodka purchased at your table you get a raffle ticket (for one of two Sony flatscreen TV’s). Also, one complimentary bottle of champagne on every table.

Event NEW YEARS EVE 2010 @ GHOSTBAR DALLAS
Type Dallas New Years Eve
When Thursday, December 31, 2009
9:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Location GhostBar Dallas Dallas TX , 2440 Victory Park Lane Suite 330, Dallas TX

A favorite classic treat for my husband and I was to go to AdLibs.  Now that we’re “old” (you know: 40-something parents), we haven’t been in years.  When we last drove passed their old location downtown, we thought it was gone.  Good news:  the troupe is hosting a New Year’s Eve party!  I’ve never been so happy to be wrong!

Hosted at MOUTH (Ad-Libs sister venue), 2626 Main Street.  Dallas, TX 75226.  This may be where our crew hangs their hats that night!

10:00 PM PACKAGE ($75 per person includes)

• The Show
• Open Bar (beer, wine & soft drinks)
• Split-Bottle of Champagne
• Party Favors
• Admission For Two (2) Pass To An Ad-Libs Show In 2010
• Dinner (Pasta Buffet: Succulent chicken fettuccini, zesty chicken horenzo farfalle, veggie primavera. Served with a garden salad, dinner rolls and cheese cake for dessert)
• Show Will End Just In Time To Ring In The New Year!

Reservations can be made by calling (214) 754-7050. Cash and credit cards accepted.

“Ad-Libs has been performing in Dallas since 1986.  The show is all improv.  The comedy’s subject matter comes directly from the audience, creating interactive entertainment that allows the crowd to become part of the show and feed on the frenzied Mardi Gras atmosphere.  The comedy is quick, clean and unforgettable.”

www.Ad-Libs.com

For the young grunge group (or the 40-somethings who once were), check out Trees for NYE.  They have the Toadies this year, along with The Boom Boom Box and Dove Hunter.  Show starts at 8:00 pm.  Tickets are $45 per person.

What looks like a HUGE party this year is the Palladium Ballroom’s annual bash.

This is an expanded version of its previous sold-out NYE venues, with three levels of entertainment.  Reading from their ad:

“ESCAPE THE NIGHTCLUB, ESCAPE THE HOTEL For four years now, New Years Eve has been the most exciting party for Dallas NYE revelers, and this year just got a lot bigger! Due to sellout crowds with a line around the block for people waiting to buy a ticket, we’ve doubled our previous capacity for the Palladium Ballroom.

We are able to feature entertainment on 3 separate floors, each with their own unique design and decor. It’s like 3 different parties for 1 ticket price.”

No lie:  they are advertising 3 rooms/20 DJs/5000 people.  Definitely not for the claustrophobic.  $30 per person.  They have a whole entourage of entertainers.  It would take up the whole blog, so go to their website for more details:  http://www.clubzone.com/events/Dallas/139330/Glow-2010-Beyond-at-Palladium-Ballroom

A lush-looking celebration is in the plans with “Bonamour International Presents
RIO CARNIVAL New Year’s Eve “

Location
603 Munger Ave at Market Street
Dallas, TX 75201
(Located in the West End Historic District)
This party will feature a casino, live entertainment, Brazilian cuisine, and a complimentary buffet.  This event is described as “all-inclusive” (I’m wish they were including the beach with that offer) for $125 per person. 

This blog runneth over.  I may post more events that catch my eye in the next week.  Meanwhile, celebrate safe and happy!

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We are fortunate to have a lot of fun parks for our children to explore. They can work out a lot of mischief-creating energy dangling from monkey bars and digging in the sand!

My favorite happens to be Founder’s Park in Wylie: it’s a big pirate ship with lots of sprawling sections. There are age-appropriate areas for all of our kids, and even a little stage (which my young diva has graced more than a few times with her own princess-themed productions).  There are so many sets of monkey bars that my oldest child used to make an obstacle course out of them (tough enough to make every dad out there drop their chins in the wood chips!).  He rounded out his finale with the last set, too high and too far to reach, which required a propelled leap forward and a firm grip.  Darn if he didn’t “stick it” after about ten tries (my own palms were blistering in sympathy).

I love Celebration Park is special in its own right, since it has both a super-cool spray area AND the sprawling playset in age-appropriate levels (even color-coordinated).  I highly recommend that parents wear clothes they don’t mind getting wet, because you will want to join in the spray-fun in these hot TX summers!  There is not a lot of shade to relieve you here, so your best option is lots of sunscreen and running through the spray with the kids! 

Not to be missed is Plano’s Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. This park has lose-yourself winding nature trails and creeks, a biofilter (my children love climbing the huge rocks and pretending they’re in some prehistoric crater), plenty of pavilions, nice restrooms, and an amazing playstructure. One of my favorite kids’ birthday parties (I didn’t host it, but was thoroughly entertained by the kind family who did) was held there on a rainy day, actually. There was plenty of cover for the adults (and food), and the kids didn’t mind the sprinkles. Parting party favors were little flower pots which the kids were able to decorate and fill with soil and rooted trimmings of a vine which the birthday child’s parents had in over-supply in their yard. How exciting!

What is your favorite?  There are so many to choose from.  I have to put Founder’s Park first on my list because I personally would rather have sand in the car (vacuum-able) than water (mold-able) at the end of the day. Also, it’s a bit harder for the ice cream man to circle close to Founder’s Park!  Arbor Hills doesn’t leave my kids drenched or sandy, but (since we live in Wylie) the drive can be long for us.  Proximity wins for us!

Check out what our Parks and Recreation departments have to offer in Allen, Anna, Fairview, Frisco, Lucas, McKinney, Murphy, Plano, Sachse, and Wylie.

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If there is anything I love about my computer, it’s being able to research and price compare before making any big purchases. 

This article may provide some guidance before buying this holiday season:

Consumer Electronics and Engineering Product Standouts
December 11, 2009  by Rachel Rothman

While we don’t like to play favorites, there were definitely a few standout products and services that passed through our lab in the past year. All of these cool products make excellent gifts for your friends and family.

Need a gift for a parent, relative, or friend who isn’t the most tech-savvy person on the planet? Look no further than one of our 2009 Very Innovative Products Award Winners — Eye-Fi cards ($50-150).  These Wi-Fi enabled SD cards automatically wirelessly upload photos and videos to a computer or photo-sharing site. 

Both lab and kid-tested, the active game Cosmic Keep Away by Hasbro takes Monkey-in- the-Middle or Keep Away to the next level. The ball, which has a built-in speaker, introduces the game and recognizes each player by sensing the colored tags they’re wearing (included with the game). The activity then begins with the ball recognizing who’s holding it and when it’s intercepted. During the Keep Away game the ball counts down how many successful passes each team has completed until one team wins with 20.  The toy really got the kids on our test panel moving and parents loved the way it promoted teamwork.

The comfy Audio Technica ATH-CKI ($60) in-ear headphones were a favorite with everyone who tried them. Designed especially for women, they come in six pretty colors (green, orange, pink, purple, white and yellow) and three earpiece sizes.

One of our more recent projects was scoping out the best toys for 2009. While many wowed our children, there was definitely one stand-out winner, Saucer Scramble by Mattel for kids 5+.  The base unit spins and shoots small, flying, plastic discs into the air. Players scramble around catching the discs in flexible plastic catchers. With its fun sound effects, this game is addictive and kids quickly learned how to keep it going by reloading the base when the discs ran out.

When the holidays are over make a keepsake for your family – a personalized photobook.  The one we created and ordered from Shutterfly was our top pick for its great image quality and because it made customization quick and simple. It offered a plethora of design options and over 100 page layouts for anywhere from one to 16 pics per page.

Photo Credit: Good Housekeeping

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