Ideal-Living Magazine Ideal Living explores where to live and how to live happy and healthy

Be Green, Stay Fit and Save Money with a Vacation to a Pedestrian-Friendly City It’s no surprise that walking is good for you, on a variety of levels. For one thing, it burns calories and helps to maintain a healthy weight. It gets your heart rate up, lowers your blood pressure, decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease, and strengthens your ... Read More »

There are more than 650 of them in the United States-and there’s one in the state where you live. Together, they hold more than $35 billion in combined assets. Each year, they give more than $2.6 billion, collectively, in local grants. The most curious fact: You may have no idea they exist. They’re community foundations, tax-exempt charitable organizations that are ... Read More »

Gone are the days of the McMansion, where bigger always meant better and square footage was automatically equated with luxury. Nowadays, it’s about smart growth rather than sprawl: making the most of what you’ve got, while still living well. Homes that employ innovative use of space, energy-efficient appliances and green building materials, located in communities with walking trails and a ... Read More »

Rumor has it that the real estate market may finally be hitting bottom. What with low interest rates, developers who need to shed excess inventory and the wide variety of homes from which to choose, there couldn’t be a better time to move south-if you can afford it, that is. The good news? From Florida to Virginia, from the mountains ... Read More »

Gone are the days of the McMansions. In the current economy, bigger doesn’t necessarily equal better. Smaller homes are making a comeback, but discerning buyers haven’t sacrificed quality for quantity. What today’s best-selling homes may lack in square footage, they make up for in amenities, value and green accoutrements. Lindsay Fletcher, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Wilmington-Cape Fear ... Read More »

It’s no surprise that walking is good for you, on a variety of levels. For one thing, it burns calories and helps to maintain a healthy weight. It gets your heart rate up, lowers your blood pressure, decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease and strengthens your body. Beyond the purely physical benefits, walking is a great stress relief; it provides ... Read More »

In Wilmington, NC, where Ideal Living’s publisher, RPI Media, is based, you’ll find the Community Foundation of Southeastern North Carolina (CFSENC), a 21-year-old organization that has served five counties in the area since 1987. To date, CFSENC’s aggregate grants have exceeded $9,000,000, and the organization has expanded its reach each year... so it came as no surprise that when RPI Media’s CEO, Michael Hackeling, wanted to provide multiple nonprofit organizations within his local community with increased marketing power, he turned to CFSENC to spearhead the pilot project. Read More »

After a lengthy and hotly contested campaign—at 21 months, the longest in U.S. history--November 5, 2008 has finally dawned. The presidential election is over, and we all know who won. Turnout was near record levels even before Election Day: By Monday, 24.4 million early or absentee voters had already cast their ballot. Read More »

With gas prices still on the rise, the housing market in a state of flux, and the word “recession” on the tip of pundits’ tongues, isn’t it nice to finally get some news that’s good for your pocketbook? North Carolina residents, take heart. Until December 31, 2010, you’re eligible for a Personal Renewable Energy Tax Credit that can yield as much as $10,500. Read More »

The Boomer generation has put its stamp on everything it touches, from music to clothing to retirement—and aging is no different. This generation, whose hallmarks are ingenuity and individuality, refuses to go gently into that good night. Read More »

Ladies and gentlemen, they just might. Baby Boomers’ innovation, experience, expertise, and vast network of contacts may be the order of the day when it comes to breathing some life into our faltering national finances. How, you ask? Why, through the wonders of entrepreneurship, of course. Read More »

In the not-so-distant future, electric, hydrogen or biodiesel cars may take the place of the petroleum-powered machines that we’ve been cruising around in for so long. Read More »

Believe it or not, there’s good news to be had in the world of real estate—markets that are still holding strong and even growing, sellers who are offering an ever-widening net of incentives to tempt buyers, and an increasing number of savvy potential homeowners who are seeing the glut of properties on the market as an opportunity to purchase their dream house. Read More »

With gas prices still on the rise, the housing market in a state of flux, and the word ‘recession’ on the tip of pundits’ tongues, isn’t it nice to finally get some news that’s good for your pocketbook? North Carolina residents, take heart. Until December 31, 2010, you’re eligible for a Personal Renewable Energy Tax Credit that can yield as much as $10,500. Read More »

It’s no secret that lots of folks are watching their wallets more closely than they were this time last year. The good news: While clipping coupons from the Sunday paper is certainly effective, it’s far from the only way to save some dough. In fact, your best bets for maximizing every penny may be no further away than your keyboard. Read More »