Purchase of an adult entre required. Only one coupon per table.

Don’t be put off by the name. The Christmas Tree shops sell an amalgamation of dry goods — everything from drapes and furniture to hard-to-resist knick-knacks and gadgets. I can spend hours wandering around, being entertained, and if I exercise a lot of willpower — not buy anything.

There are stores in Taylor and Utica. In today’s circular, which you can locate online, there is an offer of $10 off the first $50 you spend if you share your email with the company.

Still, if you don’t have a job, finding one is a real challenge. Here, courtesy of  CareerCast.com, is a list of 20 occupations that don’t require a college degree. Initial pay for some of them isn’t great, but others are very lucrative right from the start. And if you can get hired to do any of these jobs, there is plenty of potential to earn more.

Here is the list:

1. DENTAL HYGIENIST
Average Starting Salary: $45,000
Income Growth: 109 percent
Employment Growth: 37.70 percent

2. ONLINE ADVERTISING MANAGER
Average Starting Salary: $40,000
Income Growth: 255 percent
Employment Growth: 25.00 percent

3. WEB DEVELOPER
Average Starting Salary: $43,000
Income Growth: 179 percent
Employment Growth: 21.70 percent

4. MEDICAL SECRETARY
Average Starting Salary: $21,000
Income Growth: 114 percent
Employment Growth: 41.30 percent

5. PARALEGAL ASSISTANT
Average Starting Salary: $29,000
Income Growth: 159 percent
Employment Growth: 18.30 percent

6. STENOGRAPHER/COURT REPORTER
Average Starting Salary: $26,000
Income Growth: 250 percent
Employment Growth: 14.10 percent

7. HEATING/REFRIGERATION MECHANIC
Average Starting Salary: $26,000
Income Growth: 158 percent
Employment Growth: 33.70 percent

8. SURVEYOR
Average Starting Salary: $31,000
Income Growth: 190 percent
Employment Growth: 25.40 percent

9. EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Average Starting Salary: $29,000
Income Growth: 131 percent
Employment Growth: 12.60 percent

10. INSURANCE AGENT
Average Starting Salary: $26,000
Income Growth: 342 percent
Employment Growth: 21.90 percent

11. INDUSTRIAL MACHINE REPAIRER
Average Starting Salary: $30,000
Income Growth: 127 percent
Employment Growth: 21.60 percent

12. COSMETOLOGIST
Average Starting Salary: $16,000
Income Growth: 163 percent
Employment Growth: 15.70 percent

13. HAIR STYLIST
Average Starting Salary: $16,000
Income Growth: 163 percent
Employment Growth: 15.70 percent

14. TAX EXAMINER/COLLECTOR
Average Starting Salary: $30,000
Income Growth: 207 percent
Employment Growth: 7.30 percent

15. SALES REPRESENTATIVE (WHOLESALE)
Average Starting Salary: $27,000
Income Growth: 304 percent
Employment Growth: 15.60 percent

16. CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY OPERATOR
Average Starting Salary: $26,000
Income Growth: 173 percent
Employment Growth: 23.50 percent

17. ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN
Average Starting Salary: $34,000
Income Growth: 138 percent
Employment Growth: 1.90 percent

18. ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTER
Average Starting Salary: $30,000
Income Growth: 140 percent
Employment Growth: 3.20 percent

19. TEACHER’S AIDE
Average Starting Salary: $17,000
Income Growth: 112 percent
Employment Growth: 14.80 percent

20. SEWAGE PLANT OPERATOR
Average Starting Salary: $25,000
Income Growth: 156 percent
Employment Growth: 11.60 percent

Note: “Income Growth” pertains to the percentage of increase from beginning earnings to top level; “Employment Growth” refers to the projected increase in number of jobs through 2020 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For more information, or to read CareerCast.com’s full report,  go to 20 Great Jobs Without a College Degree,

Consumer Reports tested 18 sunscreens. The product that got the highest score overall was No-Ad with Aloe & Vitamin E SPF 45.  it was coincidentally also the cheapest — at 59 cents per ounce. You may be able to find it even cheaper if you look.

Walgreen’s Continuous Spray Sport SPF 50 was the runner-up, but it costs twice as much.

The report, along with details about new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling rules, are available online at ConsumerReports.org. The test reflected new FDA labeling rules that says sunscreens claiming broad-spectrum protection, against both UVB and UVA rays, must pass the new “critical wavelength” test. Consumer Reports tested sunscreens on people—before and after immersion in freshwater—and on clear plastic plates to check for critical wavelength.

Seven sunscreens rated very good against UVA rays, rated excellent against UVB rays even after water immersion for 80 minutes, and met the FDA’s broad-spectrum labeling requirement. Two sunscreens, Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Sunblock Sport SPF 45 and Banana Boat Kids Tear-Free Sting-Free SPF 50+, failed the wavelength test.

In return, it estimates the amount of taxes you are paying, including federal, state and local.

Only basic information is required to use the free Total Tax Insights calculator. At a minimum, visitors to the website input the county or city in which they live, their marital status, their federal “adjusted gross income” and their number of dependents. Based upon the information provided by the user the Total Tax Insights calculator estimates what that taxpayer is paying on an annual basis for approximately 20 different taxes and provides a pie chart that shows the percentage of their total tax bill by category. A user’s privacy is protected because the Total Tax Insights calculator does not require individuals to identify themselves in any way and the data is erased when a user leaves the website.

Although the average American may pay more than 20 different taxes during the course of the year, an AICPA poll showed that a majority (54 percent) estimated they pay less than 10 different taxes. The poll also showed that two-thirds (67 percent) of those surveyed said they could not accurately estimate the percentage of income they paid last year in all taxes to federal, state and local governments.

To give the calculator a try, go to http://www.totaltaxinsights.org/.

The tour includes three LEED Platinum certified homes, two “deep green” homes, and a net-zero home. The homes will be open to the public during Mission Zero Fest on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Homes open for tours during Mission Zero Fest include:
723 Spring St.: Ann Arbor’s first LEED Platinum home. The house includes geothermal heating and cooling and 8.6kW solar array, both of which help this home achieve near net-zero energy usage.
215 W. Summit St.: A tired, run-down 1910 Victorian evolved into a beautiful historic home that’s ready for the next century with a “deep-energy” retrofit. This home is pending LEED Platinum certification.
217 S. Seventh St.: America’s oldest net-zero home has been featured as one of USA Today’s seven Best Green Homes of 2010.
1303 Brooks St.: Michigan’s second LEED Platinum certified whole-house remodel employing Not So Big House-inspired design strategies to make the home live much larger than its footprint.
1005 Brooks St.: This striking contemporary home, which has been featured in Dwell Magazine, pays respect to the sun with its unique siting and orientation and passive solar design features.
512 Hiscock St: This home has been radically transformed to nearly its original 1917 appearance on the outside, but with the many energy-saving renovations on the inside to make it ready to take on the next 100 years.

View photos of the Mission Zero Fest tour homes.

These homes are within walking distance of the main festival area in the 700 block of Fountain Street in Ann Arbor. Mission Zero Fest takes place in the Water Hill neighborhood, located just northwest of downtown Ann Arbor.

Along with home tours, Mission Zero Fest has a jam-packed agenda that promises to offer real solutions for saving money and living a more purposeful life. This event is is part sustainability symposium, part environmental exhibition, part green home tour, and part neighborhood block party. While speakers and workshops exhibit the how and why of sustainability, organizations will exhibit an array of green products and services for living a healthier, more comfortable life with a lighter footprint. With a wonderful mix of local food vendors and a stellar musical line-up of nationally and locally known acts, Mission Zero Fest will be a party for the whole family.

Mission Zero Festival is FREE. It is being organized by a collective of regional green organizations, which include Ecology Center, Meadowlark Energy, Clean Energy Coalition, Architectural Resource, Ann Arbor 350, USGBC, GreenovationTV, Recycle.com, Urban Ashes, Meadowlark Builders, and Clean Water Action.

(The photo here is a Lincoln MKZ. Thanks, Ford)

The question is: Do hybrid vehicles really save drivers enough money on fuel to justify their higher initial cost when compared to comparable non-hybrids?

These researchers argue that basic hybrids are better equipped than most base model gas vehicles and many comparisons don’t take that into account.

Fueleconomy.gov has launched a comparison tool that looks at manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) and fuel cost for hybrids and non-hybrids with comparable styles and trim levels. This new tool lets you compare the MSRP, fuel savings, and payback period for a selection of hybrid vehicles with those of comparable non-hybrid vehicles.

Here’s a table from this tool. It shows a  selection of hybrid vehicles paired with a comparably equipped non-hybrid vehicle from the same manufacturer. MSRP difference is derived from manufacturers’ comparably equipped MSRP as shown in the manufacturers’ online comparison tools. Annual fuel savings and years to payback are based on 15,000 annual miles, a driving mix of 55 percent city and 45 percent highway, and a national average fuel price of $3.75 per gallon.

The calculator comes with some caveats. MSRPs are not actual sales prices, and there are other vehicle costs to consider that vary among consumers, such as insurance, maintenance, and resale value. Also, not all customers will want the options that are built into many of the hybrids listed in the calculator. The figures are calculated based on a driving mix of 55 percent city and 45 percent highway, and a national average fuel price of $3.75 per gallon.

Included in the new lineup are the “Mongoose Daiquiri,” “Kiss My Aztec,” “Manhattan,” “Tickled Pink,” “La Fresca Margarita,” “The Fizz,” “Coconut Mint Lemonade,” and “Elliot’s Pepper.” Each cocktail will be made to order from premium liquors, hand squeezed juices and fresh fruit garnishes.

You can also taste the fruits of Bar Louie’s new partnership with Jimmy Stafford, lead guitarist and founding member of the Grammy award winning band Train. It will be the first business to offer his cabernet sauvignon, “Save Me San Francisco California 37,” named after the highway the rock band takes on its way to the wine country, and also the title of their latest album.  Bar Louie will be the only bar to carry this wine from May 15 through the end of November.

Bar Louis has also added local and craft beer options. The bar has seven great Detroit Metro locations in Ann Arbor, Flint, Clinton Township, Livonia, Novi, Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills.

Key to Safe Teen Driving offers participants a condensed version of race course Mid-Ohio School’s Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program. Up to 120 students at each event will receive classroom instruction and practice in wet braking and emergency lane change maneuvers under the guidance of Mid-Ohio instructors. Students also will drive the Honda Civic Skid Car, which simulates driving in slick conditions.

The closest classes are in Toledo, Ohio (June 26 and 27) and Ann Arbor (June 28 and 29). Go to this event calendar to sign up. Do it quickly because these classes fill up fast.

Past participants have raved about this experience — not only because they learned a lot, but also because it was a hugely fun. Watch what they have to say:

The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget has released its summer teen employment forecast for 2012.In all, 287,400 teens between the ages of 16 and 19 are expected to be seeking work. Of these, 211,500 will find jobs while 75,900 won’t be successful. That is a projected unemployment rate of 26.4 percent — about 2 percentage points better than last year when the teen unemployment rate was 28.6 percent.

Here are some suggestions for places to look:

• The state suggests looking for opportunities on Michigan Works. Teens from families that don’t have a lot of money may qualify for this state- and privately funded program.
• The Detroit News points out that the Huron-Clinton Metro Parks are hiring hundreds of seasonal workers.
• Simply Hired is an aggregator of job ads. Put in your zip code and search within an appropriate range from 5 miles up. You can also limit your search to part time or seasonal.
• Think about places are that only open in the summer — or just very busy during the warm months. Put on nice clothes and show up with your resume. You never know the answer until you ask.
• Try this free online resource for entrepreneurial teens.