For those of you who have waited to see if the Dash would be a good bet, I think you will be very happy with it and will find that it’s the best value in the line-up in terms of price and features.

Read the full Phil & Teds Dash Review

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The tried and true Maclaren Techno has been a mainstay for many parents both in the US and abroad for over a decade. It had been about four years since I did my last review of the Techno and even though the stroller looks the same, there are numerous upgrades and improvements which make it easier to use and more functional. I am a big fan of umbrella strollers and find that many parents who purchase fancy heavy strollers at the outset usually end up relegating those strollers to the basement or attic in favor of a lighter more compact stroller by the time their child is one to 18 months. My advice is to just go with it from the beginning.

Thanks to the folks at Maclaren and Strollers.com for sending us the latest Techno to test and review!

See the updated Maclaren Techno Review.

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Everything started off fine, but we soon noticed that these neighbors were using our swing set and backyard as if it were their own. Our swing set is not very fancy, and it cannot take weight from more than a child or two at a time. I had to ask the husband not to hang off it one of the first times he was out there. One a few occasions, they sent over their kids to use the swing set with someone else such as their grandparents or a babysitter (who also hung off the monkey bars until I came out and asked her not to). They also left some toys in our sandbox and came over and used the swing set one night while we were eating with guests on our deck (who commented that it was very awkward). We also saw their kids bike through our yard on several occasions, which is something we don’t even let our own children do. And these are people we don’t even have any real social relationship with.

I was initially reluctant to say anything because I did not want to make things awkward or come across as unfriendly. And while I worried about people getting hurt, I hate the litigious nature of our society and did not want to hide behind the liability angle. Then, last Sunday, our neighbors held a big party for friends with children, and we came home to find unsupervised kids playing and biking in our back yard. Several kids were on the swing, and some were way too big for it. They were climbing on top and creating a very notable bend. We watched for a while from our window and most of the time no adults were supervising them. This was the breaking point for me. I went over and made a somewhat regrettable scene in the middle of their dinner party. I was angry because I felt they were being completely disrespectful of our property and our space. It’s one thing to invite a neighbor to use your things; it’s another for them to extend that invitation to others without your permission.

So now things are, as predicted, a bit awkward. When cooler heads prevailed, I told them I was happy for our kids to play together on the swing set, but I’d appreciate it if they wouldn’t use it without us there—so now the boundaries have been set. I also told them I don’t care if people run through our yard, but I would prefer that they keep their bikes in their own yard or driveway. The odd thing is, they don’t seem to feel as if they did anything wrong, which I just can’t understand. But, I guess that’s how we got into this in the first place.

So my question to you all is, what is the protocol when one neighbor has a swing set and the other does not? When you extend an invitation, do you need to set limits? Should the neighbor without the swing set ask each time? I’d be curious to hear people’s own stories and suggestions about how they have dealt with this issue.

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Consider Dell and Hyundai, companies at two ends of the reputation spectrum. Dell once earned its reputation for well-priced computers and exemplary customer service—but times have changed. Talk to someone (such as myself) who has had a recent issue with a Dell computer, and you’ll learn that Dell’s customer service is now horrible—an endless loop of tiered and outsourced service reps who pass your problem around like a hot potato. I would never buy a Dell computer again, especially for my business, but Dell is still benefiting from its outdated reputation as a great service company.

Hyundai, meanwhile, continues to struggle to overwrite its reputation as a maker of cheap cars. About 10 years ago, Hyundai started its rebirth by offering 10-year warranties to inspire consumer confidence. At a time when Korean cars were the joke of the car industry, Hyundai poured money into R&D and worked to design cars that people actually want to drive. The company’s newest cars are packed with technology and safety features well beyond comparable models at the same price point, and Hyundai has won numerous quality awards from J.D. Power and Associates. This formula is very noticeable in the Hyundai Genesis, which at $30,000 has features and a design that compares favorably to cars from BMW and Mercedes that cost almost twice as much. Nevertheless, many people don’t consider a Hyundai because of the company’s reputation. And, although car quality has improved dramatically, depreciation rates remain poor, reflecting past performance. This factor does hurt the cars’ marketability.

The moral here is to do your homework. In today’s fast-paced marketplace, companies change rapidly both for better and for worse. Don’t buy a product based on reputation alone. And if you’re running a company, keep in mind that customers have long memories.

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If they won’t budge, ask to speak with the cancellation department and tell them you want to cancel your service. These are the folks who are empowered to make a last ditch effort to keep you. Case in point, when I recently switched to Verzion’s new FOIS service, the retention department at RCN called me and offered a package that was 50% of what I was currently paying. You may have to go all the way with the bluff, however you can always pick a cancellation date a few weeks out and then call and change your mind. They will be more than happy to keep you as a customer, so you have nothing to lose.

See More Tips & Tricks Like This

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Yapta is a very cool new website tracks fluctuations in airline ticket prices, similar to a stock ticker and notifies you when a ticket you have already purchased or are interested in buying drops in price, so you can get the best deal. If you have already purchased a ticket, Yapta will tell you how to contact the airline to for a refund or will make the request automatically. I saved $80 the first time I tried it. It couldn’t have been easier, I got an e-mail telling me the price had dropped and they also sent me Jet Blue’s phone number and told me what to say. The price went back up the next day.

See More Travel Tips & Deals

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If you are frustrated by all the junk mail that you receive and just throw away, here is a two step remedy which will help reduce your unwanted mail and spare a few trees. The two biggest sources of junk mail are from catalogs and credit card pre-approvals.


Credit Card Opt-Out   www.optoutprescreen.com
Run by the credit card industry, this service will reduce the pre-approvals you receive by about 80% after a few months. It’s mandatory for the large issuers to purchase this list.

DMA’s Mail Preference Service   www.dmachoice.org/MPS
All large catalog mailers must update their records against this opt-out list every few months and add you to their do not mail list if your name is included. Remember to do this for each person living at your address. Registration lasts five years.

You can see more tips like this at the Bobby’s Best Tips and Tricks Page

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A lot of people initially scoff at the title of the book ie “Are you sure it’s not the four day work week?” Yes, Tim does claim to run his business only working four hours a week, but it’s taken him a long time to get there and this is not the central theme of the book. The Four Hour Work Week is really a philosophical look at how we mange and balance our personal and professional. There are so many topics covered in this book that I will just try to highlight what stood out for me the most.

Tim debunks the traditional notion of working tirelessly for years with the goal to stockpile savings to be enjoyed during retirement, rather than living in the moment. He calls this the philosophy of the “Old Rich”, who are also very tied to a geography and are “asset heavy.” Conversely, the “New Rich” as he coins them, have adopted the “live now” mantra and are more likely to seek a balance between high cash flow and a flexible work schedule, whether they are working for themselves or an employer.

· Tim strongly advocates not putting off our goals and dreams by forcing ourselves to find a find a way to make them happen in the short term. One of the ways he suggests to do this is through mini retirements (3-6 months extended overseas vacations) every few years. I agree with his notion that Americans are often too insular; travel helps broaden our perspective and accelerate learning. I know it sounds impossible, but getting away is easier than you may think and he details specifically how to do it.

Sounds great, right? So how do we actually accomplish this? Here are some of the tactics covered in the book:

· Take advantage of technologies to free yourself from the office. Studies have shown that remote workers are more productive than their office chained counterparts and the tools now exist to give you secure access to your office work environment from virtually anywhere in the world. Many companies are actively seeking to send employees home to work and Tim has great tips for how to approach this topic with your boss and make it a reality.

· Reduce and batch communications. Given all the tools we have to communicate with these days, Tim argues that we are often over communicating and not forcing people to get to the point. He strongly encourages “batching” the time we devote to meetings, e-mail, and voicemail so that we can be more productive when we work. He also has great strategies for conditioning others to communicate with you around your schedule.

· Focus on what matters, outsource the rest. The 80/20 rule has been proven mathematically, i.e. 20% of what we do creates 80% of the value. For example, 20% of our customers create 80% of our sales, 20% of our clients create 80% of our problems. Conversely, 80% of our time is wasted on activities that only account for 20% of the desired outcomes. The moral here is to make sure you constantly step back and see where you are focusing your time. If it’s a low value activity, it can be put off or even outsourced to virtual temp-workers. By really focusing on the 80/20 rule, most people can dramatically increase their productivity and results while reducing the time required. Working smart and working hard are not one in the same.

See what the buzz is about and pick up a copy of the The Four Hour Work Week. It could have a profound impact on the way you chose to live your life. I know it did for me.

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