Coupons In The Mail

So, I'm on the journey to fill my coupon binder with as many usable coupons as possible. Not the Extreme Couponing way, you know 40 - 100+ of the same coupons all with the identical expiration date. Now, don't get me wrong having multiple coupons for one item is not a bad thing! I just coupon on a smaller scale and in a way that is comfortable for me. I would like to one day build a decent sized stockpile that would be useful for my family, the realistic way. Check your store coupon policies!!

Getting back to the reason for this post, coupons in the mail. There are many sources out there for receiving coupons besides the Sunday paper. I have come to realize that many internet printed coupons are of higher value than those found in the Sunday paper. Various magazines also include high value coupons. The magazines that I will link in this post are only the ones I receive or have received in the past. I'm only listing those I have knowledge of. Believe me there are plenty more magazines out there of which include coupons. Please, if you know of any I may have missed feel free to include the names and or links in the comment section.

As, I mention above printable coupons often have a higher value than those in the Sunday paper. Maybe not always but most of the time! I really wish I would have gained the knowledge that printable coupons can be mailed to you a few months back. Smh, I must say I used most of my ink printing coupons than school related materials.  I recently found out that coupons can be mailed to your home. Not, all coupons can be mailed to you. However, I suggest you try before printing each coupon unless you need it asap. Don't know what to do to get your coupons printed? Don't fret, I gotcha back ;) Proceed as if you are about to print the coupon (clicking the print your coupon or get my coupon button), when you get to the pop up screen that reads "Your coupons are waiting!", stroll down to the bottom of the page, click help on the right bottom corner, a mailer form should pop up allowing you to enter your name and mailing address. If the form does not pop up, you may see a strip on the bottom that states "Mail my coupon", if so click on the bottom in the right corner that reads "Click here". After clicking the button the mailer form should pop up.

Below is a current list of home mailers, printable coupons that can be mailed to you, clubs to join that send out coupons, and magazines that include coupons. I signed up for each before creating the link.

Printables:

Johnson's Baby Oil Coupon - $1 off

Coffee-Mate - place your vote telling who needs a taste lift the most and get a $1/2. If you share 5 times you can up your coupon to $1.50/2!!

Purina Dog/Cat Treats

Ball Park Flamed Grilled Burgers - These are so yummy, coupon is $2/1!

YoCrunch Yogurt and Motts Applesauce - $1/1

Carefree Pantiliner - Click on special offers, enter your name & email addy, hit submit, and print screen pops up.

Pro Plan® Wet Entrees - Buy 2 Get 2 FREE - Technically a coupon for 4 FREE cans of cat food

FREE Nestle Fun Size Bag WYB 4 Tombstone Pizza’s

Carnation Breakfast Essentials WYB any 1 box of SKINNY COW™ Chocolate Candy - $2

Miracle Gro Plant Feeding Starter Kit - $5 off coupon

Minute Maid coupons - $1/2

Fresh Pomegranates - stroll to the bottom of the page, coupon is for .50 off 

Sunbelt Bakery - $1/1

Jet-Puffed Marshmallows - .25 off any - coupon seems to print, then a picture will pop up, at the bottom of the screen will be the help button.

Luigi's Real Italian Ice - .35/1

Pup-Peroni - $1/1

Carmex - $1/1

Stouffer's Mac & Cheese - $1/1

Listerine - $1/1

Dove's Men Deodorant -  $1/1

Bear Naked - $1/1

ChapStick Sports Ready - .55/1

Trident - $1/3

Lighthouse Foods - .55/1

Cesar Canine Cuisine - BOGO & 1 FREE wyb 3

Uncle Ben's Rice - $1/3

STP - $1/1

Children's Advil - $1.50/1

Burt Bee's Gud - $1/1

Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough - $1.25/2

Lactaid or Tucks item

Downy Wrinkle Releaser - $1/1

Eckrich - .55/1 (1lb pkg)

Morton Salt - .50/1

Mucinex - $1/1

Visine coupons: w/ hydroblend - $3/1, any Visine $1/1, Visine - A $2/1

Clean & Clear - $1/1

Purina® Friskies® Plus - BOGO FREE

Alpo - $1/8

So Delicious Dairy Products

Garnier Moisturizer

Peace Cereal

Rembrandt

Scharffen Chocolate

Sally Hansen's Hair Remover

Rudi's Organic Bread

RevitaLens Contact Solution

Skinny Cow - $1/1

Centrum Flavor Burst - $2/1


Home Mailers that contain coupons:

Publix Baby Club - Send coupons for FREE items. Must be a resident of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, or Tennessee to join.

 Home Made Simple Mailer

P & G Mailer - You get to choose coupons that your interested in to be mailed with your sampler box. P&G sample boxes and coupons are offered on a quarterly basis. The ordering periods are  January 1 - March 31, April 1 - June 30, July 1 - September 30, and October 1 - December 31.




Magazines that contains coupons: This one is hard. There are lots of FREE booklets and magazines that you can pick up in the store. I will list those as well.

Publix FamilyStyle Magazine - Sign up on the Publix website and this magazine will be mailed to you.

Diabetes and You - FREE publication that can be picked up in Walgreens Pharmacy section. There aren't many coupons in this publication. However, the ones that are included usually make items FREE or close to it.

Diabetes booklet in the pharmacy section of Rite Aid.

Publix and Walgreens both have coupon booklets located in the front of the store.

If there is a Harvey's in your area make sure you are signed up to receive their key mail. I called just yesterday to find out how often their coupon booklets are mailed out. Random rewards key holders receive a coupon booklet one a year. You can also scan your rewards key at the kiosk inside the store. You will use various coupons to use during your shopping trip that day as well as a few post dated manufacturer coupons.


There are some magazine that include coupons but are not FREE. If you sign up for freebies and samples you probably have came across FREE magazine subscriptions, a few contain coupons.

All You - This magazines contains coupons and coupon codes. I received a wonderful deal from Ebay. I got a 15 or 18 issue subscription for only $7.50.

Family Fun - This magazine contains coupons, crafts, recipes and great articles on family living. It's wonderful if you have small children or work with them.

I hope this post has helped you begin to fill your coupon binders, boxes, envelopes, and most importantly your mailboxes with coupons. There are other magazines that contain coupons but this post is long over due! Stay tuned I will be doing updates with more information and links as I have time and find them.

National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day

It's been forever since I have written a blog post! School and life has taken over and barely leaves me time for anything else. There are tons of new things happening in my life and I plan to share them all (most anyway).  I recently joined a Word of Mouth group called Green Moms Meet. Green Moms Meet is an online resource that empowers moms to come together in an informal setting and talk about the latest on raising healthy families and living green (taken from the Green Moms Meet site). I was selected to be a Mom Ambassador and Moms Meet Blogger. I'm extremely honored to be selected to be a part of this wonderful group and blog all about it.

My first blogging invite was National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day! Yep, you guessed it today is National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day. So, I went to eat lunch with my son and his class. Today, was a little different. I have eaten lunch in the school's cafeteria many times before due to my student teaching this semester. Today, my son's extra generous teacher treated those students who made the honor roll to an ice cream treat in their classroom. So I wasn't able to talk to the lunch staff. Mrs. Gowen informed those receiving the treat before leaving the classroom, that they were to pick up their lunch trays and line up to go back into the classroom. The remaining students sat at their assigned lunch table and ate lunch as usual. At first, I felt sorry for those students that didn't get to go. Knowing what was going on in the classroom while they sat in the lunch room. Then, I realized this act would actually make them work harder to make it onto the honor roll next 9 weeks. My son was one of the students that received the treat, my big boy made the A honor roll!!! Math 95, Reading 95, and ELA 97 I'm such a proud mommy :)

Unfortunately, I didn't have my memory card in my camera but I did get a few pictures. I will up load them once I get my camera cord. For lunch students had: Roasted chicken, Baked sweet potato fries, cabbage, pear, juice and milk. Most students seemed to enjoy their lunch. I noticed almost all of the students ate their chicken, a few ate their cabbage, and they all seemed to be taken away by the sweet potato fries. I couldn't get my son to eat lunch from the cafeteria today, he brought his lunch. I was able to ask him a couple of questions once he got home about the food in the lunchroom.

His favorite breakfast items are the Super donuts and sausages. His favorites use to be corn or frosted flakes and blueberry muffins. Super donuts and sausages are his favorite because he loves their taste. Kelin's favorite lunch items are grapes, oranges, salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, and pizza. These lunch items are his favorites because they all taste really good. Students are allowed to purchase extra items occasionally. I asked "How do you choose what you eat in the cafeteria as far as extras?" He replied that he purchase the items that tastes the best to him. Carrots are his favorite vegetable served at school. When asked what item he's served at school he would like for me to make, he replied "uncrustables because they look like a pie." He aslo would like the school to serve more mixed fruit, carrots, and celery because they are healthy snacks. Kelin said he doesn't always eat everything on his tray, but sometimes he cleans it! Sometimes he is full after lunch and sometimes he's still hungry. Items served that he doesn't like are the normandy blend or sloppy joe because he doesn't like the way it tastes.

Milk and fruit juice is served everyday. I was told the lunch staff always wants the students to get juice, when asked if he gets a juice everyday he said yes. Apple juice is his favorite juice and pineapple is the one he likes the least because it tastes nasty. Kelin drinks some of his milk everyday and sometimes drinks it all. The school serves three types of milk: regular, chocolate, and strawberry milk. Regular milk is his favorite while he doesn't really care for the strawberry milk because it's too sweet. He would like for the lunch staff to serve shrimp, crackers, brownies and more pizza. I asked if he felt like he had enough time to eat his lunch. Kelin thinks the students need more time to eat lunch. They only have enough time to eat a little bit of their food before staff calls for students wanting to purchase extras. After purchasing extras, students feel rushed to finish eating.

The opinions within this post are those of my son and myself. He is just one of the many students served at our local elementary school. Being that I didn't get to talk to an actual member of the kitchen staff I will state what differences I have seen so far. This year our Elementary school cafeteria has made lots of changes. I have noticed that they are serving fresh fruit now, opposed to fruit cocktail that was served at breakfast and lunch. The menu now consists of more items from the food groups. I feel like the new menu plan will introduce a lot of children to healthy eating and will encourage students to try foods they have never tried before. Overall, I enjoyed my lunch visit with my son and his class.

Ebay Love :)

Good Morning Everyone! I'm up early and extremely excited this morning :) I just checked on my 18 month subscription for All*You magazine I purchased on Ebay for only $7.50 (Great Lick)!! When my information popped up it showed I paid $20. I use a prepaid card for online purchases and only put $20 on the card. I also made three other transactions purchasing coupon inserts. A total of 15 to be exact :) Yep, I would say I was on a roll! I was given a code to activate my subscription which was done through a school fundraiser. I kind of felt bad, because the seller must have paid the remainder. But, hey I got my All*You subscription I have been wanting for so long. Although, I would have gotten my $25 back in one or two issues, that's the price for a regular subscription. I just didn't want to pay it lol! I also noticed that the subscriptions seem to have more coupons than the store bought magazines. I purchased the June issue and felt like it didn't have as many coupons in it as I was use to when I had a previous subscription. I don't know I maybe wrong it just seems that way. The page with all the coupons listed was not included inside of my June issue. But, I don't believe I had the same amount as the subscription magazine listed on the cover. I did however purchase the Summer special edition, that magazine alone made up for any and everything I was missing :)

Do any of you purchase or have a subscription to All*You? How long have you had it? What do you like best about it? Did you know their website offer free samples every day? They do visit All*You Daily Samples :) Do you coupon? Where do you get your coupons from? Leave me a comment below please. I would love to hear from a few followers.

~Bella~

Jimmy Dean's® Pancake & Sausage on a Stick

One of the best on the go breakfast items are Jimmy Dean's Pancake and Sausage on a Stick. These are a favorite of both my son and I!! I must pick up a box every month when I go grocery shopping. I grew up on Jimmy Dean products, it was always my favorite brand. As a young child my favorite was their sausage patties and sausage biscuits. Every summer my cousins and I piled in my Grandmothers house and our parents stocked her freezer with Jimmy Dean goodness. Having this history with Jimmy Dean, the first time I saw the Pancakes and Sausage on a Stick I just knew they would be delicious. I like the fact that they are microwaveable, you can grab them and go, and the pancake doesn't get soggy when you cook them. My son and nephew likes to eat them just as they are,  but I like to dip mine in syrup. In my opinion the pancake kind of has a maple syrup taste to it. Each Pancake and Sausage on a Stick is individually wrapped. So once the box is almost empty you can neatly stack them in a tray or corner of your freezer to save space. Anyone that has not tried Jimmy Dean's Pancake and Sausage on a stick is definitely missing out!!

There are actually three different varieties of the Pancakes and Sausage on a Stick. There is the original of course, blueberry, and chocolate chip. At this point, I have not tried the chocolate chip flavor. My cousin stated that her two boys, ages two and twelve both love the chocolate chip flavor and the thought of having chocolate for breakfast. Jimmy Dean's Pancakes and Sausage on a Stick comes in full size with a stick or the mini without a stick. We love them both in my home :)

Hmmm....

Want something healthier? Try Jimmy D's® Griddle Sticks made with turkey sausage. I have not tried this product yet so I can't vouch for it's taste. But, be on the look out because I do plan to purchase all turkey one month (bacon, sausage and burgers). I'm collecting coupons for the journey now and so that review should be up in a month or so. If any of you have tried the Jimmy D's® Griddle Sticks or any of the other turkey items please leave me a comment and let me know your opinions. I have a lot of friends and family that have made the switch especially with the bacon.

Please leave comments and let me know your thoughts on the products in this review. If you have also reviewed these items please by all means, leave a link below so I can check out your post. If you would like to use part of this post in a post on your blog, I ask that you please link back giving proper credit. The opinions stated above are mine solely and have not be swayed in any way.

Thanks for reading :)

~Bella~

No Dumpster Diving In My Area :(

Some may not understand or have time for this couponing thing but Coupon Diva says it best "You aint been broke enough"

I am totally sad, disappointed, let down, and just can't believe there is no way possible for me to get extra coupons in my area like everyone else can in theirs. I have called all of the surrounding recycling centers and I can't go dumpster diving :( This is my third attempt at couponing. It's very time consuming and very easy for you to get burned out. But, if you stick with it and find a system (way that works well for you) the outcome will be very rewarding!! You must be a very organized person and have the "know how skills"  in order to stick with it and be a successful couponer. I have always used coupons but not to this extent. During my first attempt, I had a lot going on with my health and in life over all. My second attempt, was during the time when I had my second set of surgeries and I seemed to just get burned out. However, during my second attempt I heard about dumpster diving. I called City Hall and spoke with our Town Manager. I was granted permission to go to the recycling center and pick up coupon inserts. I did go but there weren't any up to date coupons. I was even told they would start sending the cardboad and paper somewhere else. I  continued couponing for a while getting the bulk of my coupons from coupon trains through various trading groups. After, a while I gave up again. Now, I realized I just wasn't organized enough. I was saving money (not a lot), I had a binder (never bought the other supplies), and a steady supply of coupons coming in. I just felt it was too time consuming with every thing else I had going.

Sorry so fuzzy

I began school in January and needed a way to save money. So, I did what I knew best, COUPONING!! This time I know more because I have read various books, blogs, and watched thousands of Youtube videos. Most importantly, I know that Extreme Couponing is just a t.v. show and I understand why (read a few coupon policies). During my shopping trip last month, I saved a total of $146.09! What they say is true, I had the itch. I wanted to save more. I had already purchased all of the items to put my binder together just never did it,  because I wanted all the fancy sleeve sizes and all I had was the 9 pocket. After that shopping trip, they were good enough for me. So all I needed to do was fill them up.

The first place I called was the the Recycling Center here in town. They have already began sending the paper off some where else. Next, I called the center in Kingsland since I am there all the time and was told they use new bins that don't have the sliding doors, so I wouldn't be able to get in. The office workers in the Waycross, GA Recycling Center was very rude!! Yes, I may be asking to look through recycled paper for coupons but that doesn't give you the right to talk to me in a rude tone, none of the others did!!! I believe I will be calling back on Wednesday, one of the days she said the workers are on site, and talking to the town manager. When, I got permission from the town manager in my area he was very nice, polite and helpful. Next, I decided to go over to Florida as I am right on the state line. I skipped over Hilliard because there isn't a recycling center there. I called the center in Callahan and was told they don't allow dumpster diving because their bins are rusted, so people climbing or leaning over the openings are a liability. So my next step was to call the stores, that's another way the big timers talk about getting coupons. I called a few stores in my town and just as I suspected the delievery people take the inserts with them!! At this moment, I'm lost for ideas. I refuse to purchase 6 to 10 papers to get extra coupons. I don't need that many any way. I would however, like to start a nice stockpile. I currently purchase one Sunday paper at $2.00 if I get it here in Folkston or $1.50 if we get it in Hilliard. I don't get a Sunday paper each week, but I do purchase one the first Sunday of each month when they seem to have the most inserts. I always check the coupon preview for the current week for two reasons. 1) To see how many coupons I can use and 2) To check the number of inserts that will be in that weeks paper. Some weeks there want be inserts at all. If there are three inserts for a week thats other than the first weekend of a month, I will definitely purchase a Sunday paper. Another reason I check the coupon preview is because I keep a running Weekly Insert Wishlist and Coupon Wishlist to swap with other coupon swappers.  I list the week the paper was published and the name of the insert and then just copy and paste what ever I need from the list. Doing this makes it easy to swap coupons with others, I send them my list and they send me theirs. I also purchase two Waycross Journal-Heralds on Saturday's for .50 each. I have only been purchasing the Waycross paper for a month and each week it has had one redplum insert.

Because of the problems I encountered, I purchased a few sets of inserts from ebay. I also joined a few coupon groups on yahoo. I will keep you all updated and let you know how it works out. Until next time.....Thanks for listening to me vent and for reading :)

~Bella~

Share Your Blog 2!

I haven't made a post about any of the blog swaps I have been in lately. Yep, I'm still doing those fabulous blog swaps on Swap-bot. So far, I have done three in the past month or two. After completing my last blog swap on April 18th, I decided to create a blog group - Blogaholics. My hopes for this group is for members to gain exposure for their blogs as well as find topics to post about. Maybe this group will help me blog more consistently. No more going two years without a post! 

The swap I'm about to do reviews for is titled: Share Your Blog 2! This post is so overdue, sorry guys! The deal is we are required to write a review about our five partners blogs using 100 words or more. Ugh.....yeah I can do that, I always have a lot to say :)

First up: Swap-bot user: Mag                Blog: Maggiemark

I was drawn in by her post Beautiful Surprises. There are gorgeous pictures of samples she has received from this company called Vanity Trove Beautiful Surprises. Unfortunately, I can't receive these boxes in the United States they are only available in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The boxes are sure worth the $25 a month to a someone like me that loves the pampering type items. However, I probably could just put together my own box an be just as happy. The next item that grabbed my attention on her blog was a post titled Normal No More. Listed within this post are 10 ways to expand your perspective on life. Mag is challenging herself to broaden her horizons and look at life differently. Mag feels if these are done she will make a life worth living, a life she will love, and not a life she will regret. She is using her blog as a platform to document her thoughts, words and feelings. This is a blog that I will keep my eye on being that I too am trying to create a life I can be proud of. Interested In Mag's blog? Visit her, leave a comment, and maybe follow her at: Maggiemark

Second: Swap-bot user: Bandeau              Blog: FireLight Gleam's Blog

This blog talks about and reveals some of Bandeau's work of art. I must say I was very impressed with her work and how detailed it is. I would love to have her draw a piece for me to hang inside of my dream house one day. Maybe a Shera / Wonderwoman type character ;) My I mean, her name would be MiMi because that's what my son calls me. She would be a homemaker by day with a Catwoman type personae by night! Hey - a girl can dream can't she... I'm would love to see Bandeau's art work displayed in a comic book fashion. I bet it would be so popular. She also talks about crosplaying, which I had to look up. She shares another talent she has by displaying pictures of stuffies she make to go along with the characters she is portraying. There are a few recipes posted and that is a definite plus for me! This picture was also displayed in a post. For some reason it reminds me of the movie "Indian in the cupboard."
 Do I need to repeat again that Bandeau is talented. If you would like to check out her work for yourself click on the link that follows, don't forget to leave a comment, and maybe follow her too: FireLight Gleam's Blog!

My third review is for Swap-bot user: Lefroggy         Blog: Lefroggy
The first thing that grabs your attention on this blog is the gorgeous colors!!! I love colors and flowers so I was instantly drawn in to read something. Next would be the beautiful pictures. She doesn't just post pictures but words and stories about them. I hate it when I'm looking at only pictures, it always leave me wondering where was the picture taken, why was it taken, and/or if there is a meaning behind it.

This picture is from a post titled Comic. Lefroggy drew this picture for a friend that is working on a comic book or strip. Hopefully, there will be a link to view the comic or even purchase when the two are done. Lefroggy states she will be drawing the pictures for the comic. I love the detail in this picture it's so life like. Kind of like a 3d cartoon. There is a post - Brave within this blog that really touched me. In this post Lefroggy talks about her hopes and expectations for her daughter. I really loved it because I feel the same way about my son. Every mother wants the best for their child but the most important thing we can do is allow them to be themselves without judgement. As that child's mother we should be proud of them no matter what, offer advice, accept their mistakes and hope they learn from them, and be there for that child no matter what. If you would like to read a few posts from Lefroggy you may view her blog here: Lefroggy .

The fourth blog I visited was by Swap-bot user: Diem  Blog: Incoherent ramblings of a distracted artist

Diem is another artist and her blog is full of beautiful artwork!!! Man, you would think that these three I have viewed so far would have a display in an art museum or something. I'm so jealous ;) Diem takes her sketchbook with her the majority of the times and the pictures she create are awesome. This was a sketch of a street performer and look she even captured the crowd. This is from Some images from my "out and about" sketchbook if you wanted to take a look at more. There are lots of other sketches just as good! I must admit what really took my breathe was the video of her first animation. I would like to congratulate Diem on her success!! I have seen the process it takes to create a clay animation and you did a great job. If anyone is interested in viewing the video check out the post A Hard Rains gonna Fall which is also the title of the video. To check out more fantastic work from this artist visit: Incoherent ramblings of a distracted artist remember to leave comments and possibly follow :)

My last Swap-bot partner was: Basykes             Blog: Airy Periflage

Basykes uses this blog as a journal and blogs about her daily life, which is very exciting. I lead a very busy life but exciting.....no! This blog is updated almost everyday. Some of the pictures included are so breath taking like this one for instance 

 I soo want this!!! You all know PURPLE is my favorite color in any shade and on any object. I could see this in my dream house w/o the little blue objects hanging from it of course. The next beautiful picture was a chair from Linde Lane where they attended a party. I have to find a place like this near I love the nice setting, the atmosphere seems calm, and the food looks delicious. If your interested in viewing more pictures and reading more about Linde Lane view Basykes post Five Stars out of Five . Another post I liked was Somai . It is a very heartfelt story about sponsoring kids less fortunate. Baskyes talks about the child that she's a correspondence sponsor for. But what's so touching is the story that was told in the newspaper that she has written about at the beginning of the post. This makes me sad because when I was 18 I began sponsoring two kids through the WorldVision. I listened to my friends as they told me my money was not going to the children. So I stopped because I really didn't know for sure what the deal was. I really enjoyed receiving the letters and the gifts they sent during holidays. The gifts wasn't much but it was the thought that counted. To see the wonderful miracle that was the outcome of a sponsorship head over to Airy Persiflage and read the post Somai .

Well, I really enjoyed reading all of my partners blogs. I will definitely be revisiting all of them again :)

Good Night!

~Bella~

The Baby-sitter's Club by Ann M. Martin

This week, I checked out one of the infamous Baby-sitter's Club movies from my local library. It brought back so many wonderful memories of reading the books when I was younger. Hence, I have added another item to my Bucket list and my DayZero account. Yep, you guessed it! I'm going to read the entire collection all over again and blog about each book. My first step was to check to see what information I could find on the net. Oh my was there a lot!!!

The Baby-sitter's Club has their own page within Scholastic :) This made my job super easy!! My second step was to find a list of all of the books in the series. Not, only did I find a list but it was printable. A printable list will make this process so much easier. The list is five pages long!! Why? because there were multiple series, I'm not sure if I ever read any of the others or not. A few of the titles sounded familiar. I'm not sure if I will read anything other than the original series. The other series of the Baby-sitter's Club are: The Baby-sitter's Club Super Specials (12), Baby- sitter's Club Friends Forever (12), Baby-sitter's Club Friends Forever Super Specials (2), The Baby-sitter's Club Mysteries (36), The Baby-sitter's Club Mysteries Super (4), Baby-sitter's Little Sister (76), Baby-sitter's Little Sister Specials (6), as well as seven other don't miss titles. Just incase you haven't guessed and are wondering what the numbers are beside the series title, it's the number of books in that series.

Old vs. New

As, stated I'm not sure if I will read all of the other series or not. My goal is to read all 131 books in the initial Baby-sitter's Club series. I have placed a hold on the very first book in the series: "Kristy's Great Idea". My local library has it and it's available, so my book will be waiting for me Tuesday when I get there :) I think I will get the prequel - wait is that what you just read? Yes, there's a newer version of the old classics that now include technology, new up to date wording - no more thong but flip flops instead, the book characters have cell phones, and no more walkmans. These new books made their entrance back in April of 2010. To finish what I was stating I want to read the prequel version to see how much has changed in the books. Maybe I could post about the differences in the two books. The "NEW" Baby-sitter's Club has a totally different website from the original. I decided to print a book list from the new series as well.

First Book In New Collection

~Bella~

Spring Semester Over - Break Time



online class

Well, the dreaded first semester is over!!! I can say I did it! I stayed and completed the first of four semesters. Yep, it feels good to check this semester off my list :) This Spring semester was my hardest and it's finally over. I met some amazing people and truly learned a lot. I have created tons of lesson plans and I'm excited about putting them to use. I have a new outlook on young children because I have a better understanding about them. I think what I loved best about all of the classes was the fact they taught the development of children in a lot of different areas, why children react the way they do, the best ways to nurture a child, ways you could help change a child's feelings about themselves, and some great ways to help children learn certain subjects. I especially loved learning about genetics and biological features in my Child's Growth and Development class. I noticed there were more things that I"m interested in than I thought. I never really thought about genetics until it came up in our lessons. It"s a very interesting topic. I also found out that I have strong feelings toward literacy in young children. The thought has even crossed my mind about becoming a reading teacher. At the beginning of the semester my instructor stated that only a few of us would make it to the end of the semester. I thought to my self why would a teacher say a thing like that. Why? Because it was the truth!!

Almost every chair in my Creative Activities class was full. My last day in class there were only 8 of us. We all talked about how we couldn't believe everyone dropped the class or dropped all together. But, hey you never know something beyond their means could have forced them to withdraw. My Math and Science class was always small to start with. On the first day there were 6 of us, on the last day of class there was only 5. A classmate of mine stated in one of her online class there was a crowd in the discussion forums at the beginning of the semester. Later there was only two, but after week 5 she was the only one in the forums. I told her I was very proud of her for continuing her lessons. She could have quit because no one was there with her or the teacher could have dropped the class for lack of students. Like I said in my last post we have some wonderful instructors watching over us. They really want us to make it! Things like this motivates me even more to complete my program.  I took my last final exam yesterday. My final grades are not in right now. Last glance I took, I still had two B's and two A's. Whatever, my final grades are I will be totally proud of them as well as myself because I stood through the trails of going back to college. I would like to say that all of my hardship is over. I'm only going to plan for success, hope for the best, and deal with the worst if it tries to visit me!

Online class

Summer semester begins May 21, 2012 and I'm so excited. I will be at school until 6:00 pm. Yes, I have some very long days ahead of me!! The great part is I only have class on Mondays and Wednesdays. I can do my homework during my three hour break, blog, write letters, do coupon stuff, whatever my heart chooses. I know I will definitely put more effort into doing my work as soon as I can. I really got burned out quick during the past semester and pushed my work off to the last minute. There were times when I didn't even want to look at the computer. I realize now that if I get all of my work out of the way I can really get some rest. Next semester I am aiming to have all A's!! But, until Summer semester begins I'M FREE and I'm going to get me some well deserved rest :)

 Through out the semester I completed some assignments that made me define why I choose this career field and made me relive fond childhood memories. I will be posting a few of those assignments I feel they are worth sharing. They may also give you a better feel of the type of person I am as well. Well, until next time..........

A New Beginning - School Girl Swag

Well, I'm like totally late with this post. But, I figured better late then never :) January 5, 2012, I decided I wanted to make the first step in taking my life back. I walked into my college building nervous because I have tried so many times before to go to college but was never able to complete it. The devil (for those that are not of faith you have to over look my expressions) always seemed to try to take my joy when it came to college. This time was no different! I am currently taking Early Childhood Care and Education. I'm a full-time student taking four classes two on campus, and two online. The two classes I take on campus are what they call hybrid classes. I go to campus to receive instruction but turn all of my work in online. Everything was going great, so I thought!!! I just felt since it had been 6 years since my last try at a college education, I needed to get use to all of the work. Yes, my work load is crazy!! Within the first three weeks my laptop shutdown on me. I didn't have the money to repair it and I was so upset I really didn't know what else to do EXCEPT what I was use to WITHDRAW!!

I admit I did a lot of crying, praying, and asking for guidance. I have been through so much with my surgeries, waiting forever for disability, I was just at a cross road. I broke my ankle last year May 16, 2011, two days before my sons big TOYOTA® party. I was proud of myself because I didn't go into a big downward spiral like I usually do being back on crutches. But, I did think over and over here it is just barely a full year after my 3rd foot surgery and I'm back in a cast and on crutches!! I canceled Ke's party but looking back I feel I could have still had it. Everything and a lot of people was ready but I did it based upon how I felt. You know when you can't walk and all your doing is sitting around bored you have a lot of time to think about things. My thoughts over the past few years have been deeper than ever. I began to think that maybe I needed to get out of the house and move around some. I have arthritis and that can be crippling but there are so many restrictions on me because of my feet on what I can and can't do. I just knew I had to get out of the house. My mom (she's a nurse) and my physical therapist both said the same thing I was thinking. Maybe sitting in the house and lack of physical activity is beginning to weaken my bones. So I recked my mind and that's when I KNEW, I had to go back to school. I didn't tell any one about this decision until the last minute because this was something I was determined to do and this time I was more determined than ever to finish. I didn't want to hear any discouraging words others may have had. I felt like in order for me to create a better life in all aspects I had to get out of the house and earn a DEGREE!!

When my laptop shutdown on me I was devastated, heartbroken, I just didn't know what to do. All I knew was that I needed to complete this task. Complete it all the way to the end not just partially. One dark Monday, I walked into that school ready to withdraw. I used the excuse that my computer was down and I wouldn't be able to keep up. Right before I took the paper to my instructor to sign dropping me from my classes the thought of leaving began to sink in. I went to the restroom and tried to get myself together. My mind was going in a thousand different directions. I thought I would be able to drop with no problem but I began to think about how happy I was when I enrolled. I started to feel like I was doing what I always did and quit. I began to pray and ask God to show me the way. Once, I gathered myself I walked to the classroom and spoke with my instructor. God does in deed work miracles!!! I already knew that from past experiences. Long story short my instructor said she would work with me until I could get a new computer. God sent two of his angels to truely watch over me :)

A few weeks before midterm I was blessed enough to purchase a new laptop and a began to catch up on the work I was behind on. My grades as of today are two A's and two B's. This is truly the hardest semester because I have so many classes.  Summer semester I will only have two classes, Fall semester I will have two classes, and next Spring semester (my graduating semester, yay!!) I will be doing my internship. If I can make it through these next two weeks I have demolished that obsticle that was holding me back. I believe now more than ever that prayer is the key and faith unlocks the door! But, my determination to make it and be successful also keeps me going strong!!

My 101 things in 1,001 Days **Day Zero Project!**

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to give you all an update on what's been going on. I have a couple of posts I need to complete but time hasn't be in excess lately. So I will make them whenever I can. As you can see I have finished the revamp!! I hope you all like the new look. I may make a few more changes, but for now I'm satisfied with my baby :) So here's what been going on with me:

  

Day Zero Project: This is my first shot working towards 101 things in 1,001 days and I am totally siked about it!!! I recently updated my Bucket list last month. I've been working on my Bucket List since 2008 so it's quite long. I try to set realistic goals that I can actually reach within my life time. Completing the Day Zero Project was on my Bucket List. I was so happy when I came across a swap for it on Swap-bot. This swap gave me a chance to mark an item off my Bucket List, while completing 101 or even more goals at the same time. At this present moment in time, I have only completed four items off my 101 things in 1,001 days list. I love the site features at www.dayzeroproject.com. You can create a to do list, someday list, and a done list. This helps you see everything all at once and with the left over items you don't get to during your 1,001 days, you can just use them to start a new list when your days are up.

The first item I completed was Start a Day Zero Project! I completed my list of 101 things on Feb 27, 2012 so my end date will be Nov 25, 2014. Creating my list was harder than I thought. I tried to make sure that all of the items I listed could be completed or at least started before my end date.

The second second item I completed was trying out the binder method for school. I watched a few videos on Youtube that talked about combining all of your class folders and work into one big binder, instead of carrying a binder for each class. This helped me so much!!! I am taking four classes this semester. I have a zipper binder to hold all of my items. For each class I purchased a folder that would fit inside of a binder, inside of each folder I have tabbed dividers to help separate my work. Each class folder is separated using double pocket dividers. Inside the pocket divider I have my syllabus on one side and my assignment sheet for that class on the other. I take two classes at the college and two online. Although, all of my folders and paper work for all classes are inside of my binder, I only take the two books I need to school. My pencils, pens, highlighters, erasers, and flash drive are all inside a zip pocket of my binder. By me cutting out those bulky binders I was taking and placing everything in one binder, I now have more space. I no longer have to lug and pull that large, heavy rolling book bag around. I am able to use a back pack that I carry on my back. I keep my wallet, cell phone, and keys inside another zipper section on my back pack, my lunch also sits in a zipper section of my back pack as well. So my hands are always free unless I'm carrying my laptop or presentation materials. I plan to either upload pictures or do a Youtube video to show off my binder. I LOVE IT!!!! I'm definitely going to stick with using this method :)

The third item completed was watching "Breakfast at Tiffany's". I completed this goal last week. I'm a huge movie buff and check out movies at the library almost every week. I started checking out movies at the library about a year ago. It's FREE and they have some really great ones that I would have never watched. The librarians that I have come in contact with are wonderful. They are always giving suggestions on other movies I should watch as well. The down side to this is, I really didn't like this movie. I felt like Holly was trying to relive her childhood. She was too carefree and really didn't have any boundaries, she just did whatever. This is just my opinion and I'm sure there are some out there that feels differently.

  

Fourth item completed on my 101 things in 1,001 days list was creating a flickr account. I finally did it and even uploaded some pictures, only 3 but it's a start lol! Believe me there's more to come!!!


I have a couple of things in progress right now and hope to have them finished soon. My in progress items: Read the Bible (Old and New Testaments); Watch 26 movies I've never seen starting with each letter of the Alphabet; Complete My Diploma Program;Get My CDA License; and Get A Degree!

Welp, that's my status on my 101 in 1,001 Day Zero Project. I will continue to keep you all updated on my list as well as my Bucket List items. Thanks for reading!

~Bella~

REVAMP COMING SOON!!!!

Hello, Followers I'm back!!! I know it's been years since I have made a blog post. But, I am going to revamp the blog and get it started again. Hopefully, I can make at least 3 to 4 posts a week. I'm now in school full-time and we have lots of work, but I think I can swing it. I'm in a few swaps on Swap-bot that I just have to blog about!!! I just wanted to make it known that there will be new changes made to my blog. This first two already have been made the name was "Train Mama" and is now "In The Mind Of LilCountryBelle". The second obviously had to be the web address it is now:  http://lilcountrybelle.blogspot.com/ please save it. I promise this blog is going to get very interesting!!! Next, will be the appearance. I noticed a lot of the pictures I had up is no longer available so they must be replaced. I should have all of the replacements completed by the end of this weekend and ready to start blogging Sunday or Monday :)

~Bella~