Why did I find such things in my sweet, little house when I came home? We have a dog. A beagle. A loud, food-centric, pain-in-the-keister, loving creature named Bebe. She’s mostly a pretty alright dog. But, man, if she gets bored – watch out. My husband and I both work full time, so she’s on her own (aside from Seamus the cat, who’s very special in his own right) for much of the day. I considered hiring someone to come entertain her, but that’s a bit out of our budget right now. So here are a handful of ways I’m going to try to keep her busy and mischief-free while we are away.

Try a Kong.

You can fill these bad boys with treats for your pooch. They’re a bit tricky to get out, so your dog will stay busy for quite a while working on it. One of my dog’s favorite goodies is a peanut butter kong (called a PBK in our house). This keeps her happy for about ten minutes, but stuff some hard treats inside for longer lasting enjoyment.

Open your curtains.

I do this every day. We are lucky enough to have a big picture window that faces the street. Both the dog and cat enjoy keeping tabs on the goings on around the neighborhood. I have made a point, however, to CLOSE the blinds over our dining table; as I pulled into the driveway one evening, I saw our little Beebs sitting on the table, looking out at me. Not cool.

Turn on your radio or TV.

The Beebs doesn’t care much for TV, but Seamus enjoys watching other animals on Animal Planet. He’s especially into “Big Cat Diaries.” Or, try pet-specific DVDs! Yes, they exist! I bet Seamus would love a virtual aquarium. It sure beats cleaning a tank, or letting Seamus play with real fish…

Get some toys.

There are all sorts of toys available for pets. Some are specifically designed for them to use on their own, so you can scoot off to work and rest assured that your furry friends are enjoying solo play time.

Treats!

Try hiding some treats around the house. Our Bebe will hunt for (literally) hours for a missing piece of kibble. Just make sure you hide them in places that won’t get damaged in the search. Try putting some in the toy box or on a kitchen chair.

Get your pet a pal.

This option isn’t for everyone. My husband wanted a second dog. I almost caved in, but then I remembered that I’m the one that does all the walking, bathing, etc. I think we’re cool with the two pets we currently have. But, if you have the time and patience (and money), a playmate could be a good solution for you. Check out all the cool adoption centers and make sure you find a pet that is a good match for your current animal(s) and your lifestyle.

Hire a professional.

Okay, it doesn’t have to be a real professional – just someone who is responsible and will care for your furry friend. There are many ways to find a caretaker for your pet. Try sittercity.com to find a local pet sitter with experience and references. Or, if you want to keep it on the cheap, see if one of the older neighborhood kids wants the job. Make sure to check with the parents and know how to handle a mishap.

Michigan’s economy is growing, second fastest in the nation.  There are not many states where you can live, raise a family and build a business as easily and comfortably as you can in Michigan.  Below are just 10 reasons why Michigan is a Land of Opportunity.

Cost of Living

Compared to other states and cities in the region, Michigan’s cost of living remains more affordable, all amenities included. A recent report by Demographia found that Detroit has the most affordable homes among 325 cities around the world! Housing is 383% more expensive in Boston than Lansing, and Chicago is 65% overall more expensive than Kalamazoo.

Entrepreneurial Environment

No other state in the nation provides the breadth and depth of entrepreneurial support to budding high growth companies like Michigan.  The state provides volumes of support for entrepreneurs, at many levels.  Economic organizations like the MEDC, SPARK, Automation Alley, Startup Zoo and TECH Town actively engage individuals, fostering the businesses of tomorrow.

Access to Capital

Michigan is the first state in the nation to be approved for federal small-business funding!  On January 14, 2010, Michigan won approval of approximately $79.1 million in federal capital funding to support our state’s cutting-edge Capital Access, Michigan Collateral Support and Michigan Loan Participation programs, part of the Michigan Business Growth Fund (MBGF) efforts.

Travel

Whether it’s winter or summer; spring or fall; indoors or outdoors; or rural or metropolitan, Michigan offers a million things to see, taste, smell, hear and experience. Michigan is home to vineyards, historic communities, microbreweries, urban oases, nationally celebrated restaurants and the largest freshwater coast in the world. Plus, with more than 100,000 votes from the public, Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was named the “most Beautiful Place in America” on ABC’s Good Morning America.

Education

From kindergarten to college, Michigan’s educational system continually produces students that are ready to take on the world. In addition to the state’s 119 colleges and universities and 308 vocational and technical schools, Michigan has a strong K-12 system. Michigan ranks third in the number of engineering degrees awarded annually – with more than 6,500.

Job Growth

“The economic pain that has been felt in the state is obvious – and hard for an outsider to comprehend in its depth. It is clearly reflected in the state’s psyche. But equally apparent is the determination to plow on and overcome by finding new ways to create jobs and growth,” says Xconomy.  Michigan economic developers and state officials continue to focus on how they can keep tearing down walls and building bridges with community efforts aimed at growing Michigan’s economy.  In 2011 Newsweek/The Daily Beast ranked the state No. 1 in job growth.  Currently, several employers project expanding workforces in 2012, including Chrysler, Gentex and Quicken Loans.

R&D/Technology Corridor

This state has one of the largest concentrations of R&D, engineers, research universities and  talent. Michigan boasts an integrated IT network ripe for startups currently forming with the guidance and assistance of other established IT companies.

Resurgence of Manufacturing

As President Obama said January 27: “Michigan is all about making stuff. If there’s anybody that can teach us about manufacturing, it’s the great state of Michigan.”  Michigan is redefining manufacturing in the 21^st century, by implementing production efficiencies, and making domestic manufacturing competitive globally.

Arts and Culture

Michigan’s amazing quality of life extends far past our woods and our waters.  Michigan boasts some of the nation’s most important institutions and cultural resources. The Detroit Institute of Arts, among the nation’s premiere art collections, is home to the world-famous Diego Rivera “Detroit Industry” fresco cycle. Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park is the top tourist attraction in West Michigan. Michigan also offers renowned places to study art, including Interlochen Center for the Arts near Traverse City and Detroit’s College for Creative Studies.

Spirit of Michigan

Michiganders exude a welcoming, energetic, and creative spirit.  Nowhere else can you have as much of a say and impact on where you live.  The welcoming Michigan attitude can also be seen in our Global Michigan initiative.  Global Michigan is a program geared to finding new ways to encourage more highly educated immigrants and former Michiganders with advanced degrees to come to Michigan to work and live.

What’s Up on Wall Street?

After the positive unemployment report, it would have been nearly impossible for stocks not to rally on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped a massive 157 points (1.23 percent) to close the week up 1.59 percent. The Nasdaq Composite skyrocketed 45.98 points (1.61 percent) to have a five-day change of 3.16 percent. Also noteworthy: the Nasdaq Composite is up 11.54 percent in the new year thus far. The S&P 500 climbed 19.36 points (1.46 percent) and closed the week up 2.17 percent

The Veterans Jobs Corp Initiative proposes to award $320 million in grants to fire departments that hire and train post-9/11 veterans and $166 million in grants to communities that hire new veterans for law enforcement jobs.

Congress has already appropriated that money, but President Obama is pursuing another $4 billion to expand this program to increase the amount of first responders.  Even though Congress rejected a similar proposal in 2011, he’s hoping for a better reception to the idea this year. In addition, the president is seeking $1 billion to create jobs for veterans at state and federal public parks where they can hold tourism and maintenance positions. The administration is also proposing to expand training programs for approximately 10,000 veterans interested in entrepreneurship.

While both Democrats and Republicans are committed to making sure veterans have new opportunities when they come home, they must also continue to tackle the problem of a rising deficit. It will be interesting to see if there’s a lukewarm reaction to these proposals given current economic circumstances.

Zing will be sure to keep an eye on this story and share updates as they develop.

Here are the top eight websites that can give you advice and information to help you make an educated decision when buying your new home.

Zing! – Well, of course we think we’re a great resource for anyone thinking about buying a home! We like to help people get educated before they decide to make such an important decision. So, if you’re thinking about buying, check out our articles ranging from making an offer on a home, tips for the home buying process, to preparing for your mortgage closing.

HUD.gov – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has several resources for people thinking about buying a home, including information about Fair Housing, predatory lending, RESPA and your rights as the borrower.

City-Data.com – Are you looking for demographics, crime date, cost of living, and other data about the neighborhood you’re interested in? By just entering the zip code of the home you’re interested in buying, City-Data will dig for the most recent demographics to give you a better idea of things such as the average household income, average household values, etc.

Family Watchdog – This site allows you to see where registered sexual offenders live and work around you and your family. They update their site, at least once daily. If you end up living in a home near a sexual offender, you can prepare yourself and your family better. For instance, some tips they include are reminding your kids about not talking to or accepting anything from strangers, calling 911 if a stranger approaches them, or using the buddy system when kids play outside.

Quizzle – By creating a free account with them, you get a free credit report, free credit score, budget planner, credit improvement tools, home value estimator and home loan recommendations. Also, you don’t need to provide a Social Security number to create an account, unlike other similar sites.

PicketReport – Do you want to learn about the lifestyle of the neighborhood? Want to know more about the safety of the area? You want to know how good the schools are? Just enter an address or zip code, and PicketReport will give you detailed info about the lifestyle segments for that area, crime rates, nearby amenities and school ratings.

Zillow – Not only can you look for homes for sale, but you can also look at commonly asked questions by home buyers and advice from real estate professionals. Keep in mind that if you’re looking for homes using Zillow or other similar sites, some homes may show as available when in reality they may be under contract or have several offers on them. So, it’s always good to check with your agent about the status of a listing.

Trulia.com – Similar to Zillow, Trulia offers a search for homes for sale as well as a Q&A, blogs and home buying guides ranging from how to afford a down payment to what is a pre-approval and why you need it.

If you’re looking to buy a home, or have recently bought one, what other sites have you found helpful?

What a difference a year makes.

Last January the U.S. economy added 110,000 jobs. This year, the Labor Department reports show that 243,000 jobs were added in January.

One surprising fact about the current employment spurt is that the increase of jobs in January is even higher than the increase in November (160,000) and December (200,000) of last year – a time when companies nationwide go on seasonal hiring sprees to accommodate millions of holiday shoppers. This means that the hiring numbers are not skewed, and many jobless Americans have now found work!

Since October of last year, American employers have increased their hiring for the fifth month in a row.  This has lead to the lowest unemployment rate (8.3 percent) since early 2009.

“This is an optimistic jobs report, especially in light of very poor jobs reports for almost three years,” said Brian Hamilton, CEO of the financial information company Sageworks.

Also, in line with the current American hiring spurt, Quicken Loans is hiring 300 technology gurus now, as well as 500 paid interns this summer

To view the employment graph from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and read the full article about the rise in American employment, head over to CNN Money.

Another week of helping my little friend with his ABCs and numbers.

Another week of loud voices. Very loud voices.

Another week of reading books.

Another week of asking my little friend to “please sit down.”

Another week of him telling me great bits of info such as “WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO BE A FIREMAN CAUSE THEY GET THE HOLE AND THE FIRE AND THE PERSON INTO THE HOLE AND THEY SAVE THEM.”

Another week of me saying things like, “Good job. Now please sit down (yes, I said that many times). And please, let’s watch that indoor voice. Mr. Clay doesn’t like loud noises in the morning.

Another week of him saying things like “WHY DON’T YOU LIKE LOUD NOISES?”

Another week of giving him an A+. He is really into getting an A+.

Another week of him saying things like “I SHOWED MY MAMA MY A+ FROM LAST WEEK. AND MY GRANDMA. SHE WAS HAPPY. I WANT AN A+ AGAIN!”

Another week of me saying things like, “Well, if you work hard, you’ll get an A+.”

Another week of him saying things like “DID I GET AN A+ FOR THAT? DID I GET AN A+ FOR THAT? DID I GET AN A+ FOR THAT?

Another week of me saying, “Yes, you got an A+.”

Another week at Chrysler Elementary.

Another good week.

Yup.

The unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent. This is the lowest unemployment rate since February 2009.

Clearly, this news is nothing short of positive, that more and more people are getting jobs.

Employers added 243,000 jobs in January – a whopping 40,000 more people hired than in December (203,000).

Hiring was way stronger than most predicted. Economists forecasted 130,000 jobs would be added in January and that the unemployment rate would inch up to 8.6 percent.  As a result, many economists and investors called it a “nice surprise,” “fantastic,” and “a touchdown!” Obviously, economists and investors are sharing the same sentiments I have.

Personally, I would call it “a deep three from downtown,” “amazing,” and “sensational.” When I say “sensational,” it only seems fitting to use a French accent for some reason. Don’t ask me why.

Private business added 257,000 jobs in January, continuing its trend of increasing hires each month since March 2010.  On the other side of the coin, government jobs have been hit pretty hard and cut 14,000 jobs in January.

Employers have steadily hired more employees for the past four months, which clearly points at a positive trend happening here. I’m not saying that each month going forward will have more and more jobs – I’m just saying it is a very optimistic trend that can’t go unnoticed.

Combine the trend with the fact that 143,000 jobs were added to the economy in January 2011, and I think we can say that we’re taking small steps in the right direction.

This is all fine and dandy until you take a look at how many jobs are needed to fully recover from the financial crisis. To hit those levels, 5.6 million more jobs need to be added to the economy. If we keep this pace up and add around 250,000 jobs a month (an overly optimistic projection), we would need 22 years to hit that number.

Also, of the 12.8 million Americans who remain unemployed, 42.9 percent have been unemployed for six months or more. That’s pretty alarming to think about.

Nevertheless, and I didn’t mean to rain on the parade with that, this is extremely positive news to digest today.

Or, should I say, the importance of NOT choosing a bad one.

The Detroit News recommends:

Check qualifications: Ask if the preparer is affiliated with a professional organization and attends continuing education classes.

Also ask if the preparer has passed the IRS competency tests to be listed as a Registered Tax Return Preparer.

Ultimately, the IRS will have a searchable database of registered tax preparers, but it isn’t yet available.

Check disciplinary record: Check to see if the preparer has a questionable history with the Better Business Bureau. Also check for any disciplinary actions and licensure status through the state board of accountancy for CPAs, the state bar associations for attorneys and the IRS Office of Enrollment for enrolled agents.

Ask about fees: Stay away from preparers who base their fee on a percentage of your refund or those who claim they can obtain larger refunds than other preparers.

Always make sure any refund due is sent to you or deposited into an account in your name.

“Under no circumstances should all or part of your refund be directly deposited into a preparer’s bank account,” the IRS said.

I mentioned this article is worth a read because  I truly value great advice when it comes to taxes. I once had a friend whose family lost their home, of several decades, due to problems with the IRS.

The IRS does not play around, and you shouldn’t play around either, when it comes to your income tax.

Read the full article here.

Gym available to Quicken Loans Team Members

As a team member of one of the top 10 Best Companies to Work For, according to FORTUNE magazine, I have become so accustomed to the ping pong table, courtesy scooters, multiple gyms, and tickets to numerous sporting events my amazing company offers, that it’s humbling when workers from different companies go on envious rants questioning “why can’t our company be more like Quicken Loans?”

Fortunately, my envious friends are in luck. Quicken Loans is hiring 300 technology gurus right now, and 500 paid interns this summer.

There are many other companies that also have unique perks. Luckily for you, I have narrowed down these spoils of association to the top five companies with the best perks.

Loadspring Solutions

Perk – Paid Travels Abroad

It’s no surprise that Loadspring Solutions is a leader in project management software as the company’s website clearly says, “We wake up each morning to make your job simpler and a heck of a lot more efficient.”

I’m sure it’s a lot easier to make others’ jobs more efficient when you can come to work everyday knowing you can take advantage of your company’s $5,000 and extra week off for any employee who travels outside the country!  This may in fact be both the best company perk ever, and a leading reason why the company has grown at an average rate of 75 percent annually over the last six years.

MillerCoors LLC

Perk – Company Pub

When one of my closest childhood friends recently moved away from Michigan to Milwaukee to work for MillerCoors, I initially wondered if his passion for 22-ounce MGDs played a role in directing his current career path.

Nonetheless, after informing me of how working at MillerCoors coincides with both his undergraduate and graduate degrees, he then informed me that the onsite company pubs in Milwaukee and Chicago encourage employees to test the 13 varieties of “company products” after hours!  Free of charge!  After I regained consciousness (lost from the excitement of the news) I responded with the only appropriate reply, “stay thirsty my friend!”

S.C. Johnson

Perk – Concierge service

Wisconsin sure knows how to treat its employees, as S.C. Johnson is the second company from the Badger state to make the best perks list.

Located in Racine, S.C. Johnson is a privately held manufacturer of household cleaning supplies that are sold in over 110 countries.  With estimated sales of $7.5 billion, it’s easy to understand how the consumer chemicals giant can afford to provide its 12,000 employees with a concierge service that will complete employee chores such as returning overdue library books as well as picking up your dry cleaning.

Intuit

Perk – $350 for Gym expenses

Intuit is not only a heaven send for small businesses seeking financial or tax preparation software, the company is also very helpful to employees seeking a healthier lifestyle.

One of the best perks for employees at Intuit is the $350 cash incentive to join a gym.  While most gym memberships amount to around $360 per year, Intuit employees will only have to pay $10 to join the gym of their choice for an entire year!

For employees who would rather exercise for free on the company’s corporate campus, they can indulge in Latin-style dance, Pilates, or Zumba for exercise and head back to their desks without using a drop of gas for their travel.

J.M. Smucker

Perk – Paid Tuition

For J.M. Smucker employees, there has never been a better time to get a second degree.  Literally!

The Ohio-based manufacturer of fruit spreads offers employees 100 percent reimbursement for college tuition costs!  Yes, you read the previous sentence correctly, 100 percent reimbursement for all tuition costs!

Smucker employees will have no shortage of college choices as Ohio has:

• 13 state universities
• 46 liberal arts colleges and universities
• 2 free-standing state-assisted medical schools
• 8 technical colleges
• 24 independent non-profit colleges

Being a part of the American workforce allows many people to enjoy numerous privileges such as caring for family, paying bills on time, and even home ownership.

With companies such as Quicken Loans, S.C. Johnson, and Smucker leading the way in employee perks, it’s no surprise why American workers, such as myself, take so much pride in the companies they work for.