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.
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!!
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.
Some may not understand or have time for thiscouponing 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 :)
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 :)
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
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 .
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 :)
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 :)
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.
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..........
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!!
