diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/database.py b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/database.py
index c1ffd95..98dd8d6 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/database.py
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/database.py
@@ -3,6 +3,38 @@
 mixins.
 '''
 
-from flask.ext.sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy
+from .extensions import db
 
-db = SQLAlchemy()
+class CRUDMixin(object):
+    __table_args__ = {'extend_existing': True}
+
+    id = db.Column(db.Integer, primary_key=True)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get_by_id(cls, id):
+        if any(
+            (isinstance(id, basestring) and id.isdigit(),
+             isinstance(id, (int, float))),
+        ):
+            return cls.query.get(int(id))
+        return None
+
+    @classmethod
+    def create(cls, **kwargs):
+        instance = cls(**kwargs)
+        return instance.save()
+
+    def update(self, commit=True, **kwargs):
+        for attr, value in kwargs.iteritems():
+            setattr(self, attr, value)
+        return commit and self.save() or self
+
+    def save(self, commit=True):
+        db.session.add(self)
+        if commit:
+            db.session.commit()
+        return self
+
+    def delete(self, commit=True):
+        db.session.delete(self)
+        return commit and db.session.commit()
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/extensions.py b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/extensions.py
index 73c41bd..ec381fd 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/extensions.py
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/extensions.py
@@ -6,3 +6,6 @@ bcrypt = Bcrypt()
 
 from flask.ext.login import LoginManager
 login_manager = LoginManager()
+
+from flask.ext.sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy
+db = SQLAlchemy()
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/public/views.py b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/public/views.py
index 875920e..ea55b96 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/public/views.py
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/public/views.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 from flask import (Blueprint, request, render_template, flash, url_for,
                     redirect, session)
 from flask.ext.login import login_user, login_required, logout_user
-from sqlalchemy.exc import IntegrityError
 
 from {{cookiecutter.repo_name}}.extensions import login_manager
 from {{cookiecutter.repo_name}}.user.models import User
@@ -16,10 +15,7 @@ blueprint = Blueprint('public', __name__, static_folder="../static")
 
 @login_manager.user_loader
 def load_user(id):
-    try:
-        return User.query.get(int(id))
-    except Exception:
-        return None
+    return User.get_by_id(int(id))
 
 
 @blueprint.route("/", methods=["GET", "POST"])
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/templates/_layouts/nav.html b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/templates/_layouts/nav.html
index fb797a9..9e37955 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/templates/_layouts/nav.html
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/templates/_layouts/nav.html
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
   <!-- Collect the nav links, forms, and other content for toggling -->
   <div class="collapse navbar-collapse navbar-ex1-collapse">
     <ul class="nav navbar-nav">
-      <li class="active"><a href="{{ url_for('public.home') }}">Home</a></li>
+      <li><a href="{{ url_for('public.home') }}">Home</a></li>
       <li><a href="{{ url_for('public.about') }}">About</a></li>
     </ul>
     {% if current_user.is_authenticated() %}
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/user/models.py b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/user/models.py
index 4fabbb6..930200e 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/user/models.py
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/user/models.py
@@ -3,14 +3,13 @@ import datetime as dt
 
 from flask.ext.login import UserMixin
 
-from {{cookiecutter.repo_name}}.database import db
+from {{cookiecutter.repo_name}}.database import db, CRUDMixin
 from {{cookiecutter.repo_name}}.extensions import bcrypt
 
 
-class User(UserMixin, db.Model):
+class User(UserMixin, CRUDMixin,  db.Model):
 
     __tablename__ = 'users'
-    id = db.Column(db.Integer, primary_key=True)
     username = db.Column(db.String(80), unique=True, nullable=False)
     email = db.Column(db.String(80), unique=True, nullable=False)
     password_hash = db.Column(db.String, nullable=False)
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/user/views.py b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/user/views.py
index fed81e7..9d6fd2e 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/user/views.py
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/user/views.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 from flask import Blueprint, render_template
 from flask.ext.login import login_required