It wasn't that long ago that I lived in the moment, never thinking much about the future, but having a family definitely changes everything. I didn't even have health insurance, life insurance, burial insurance or a will! Nothing! I didn't even think about it. Of course, I still don't like thinking about death, but I want to make sure my children are taken care of if, God forbid, anything were to happen.
While looking around online, I came across affordable burial insurance rates that caught my attention. We definitely want insurance we can not only afford, but something that's right for our entire family. While searching, we even found the perfect life insurance for children, which we've come to realize is just as important as our own due to Liam's current health issues. I worry about my parents and their lack of insurance, too, so we've been researching insurance for seniors also. We thankfully found some amazing plans at affordable prices.
I know it isn't a fun subject to talk about, but you shouldn't take it lightly either. If not for yourself, think about your family members. Believe me, you can afford life insurance, even if you are on a budget! Take a look around, do your research, and find the right plans for your family.
10.5.11
8.5.11
Mother's Day Happiness
I don't think I've mentioned this, but many new things have begun springing into action at our house. First, our garden is finally in bloom, with a few ripe strawberries and flowers! Secondly, the boys seem to be growing just as quickly as the weeds in our garden. Lastly, it is the season for kittens. Yes, I said kittens.
Around Christmas, two little kittens showed up in our neighborhood and were quickly adopted by anyone who laid eyes on them. They loved playing with the boys and also loved that I fed them occasionally. Josiah named the black kitten Cleo (from Clifford, though I always think of the old psychic network commercials with Miss Cleo) and the orange kitty Jackson (I have no idea where that came from, especially since Jackson is a girl).
As time passed by, the little kitties grew and grew...and grew. So much that I knew Cleo was pregnant. Oh no, I thought. What would my husband think? He is not a cat person and doesn't even like us bring pets inside for a few minutes. What would happen? While he was at work, Cleo pawed at the back door about 5 weeks ago and was meowing up a storm. I knew it was time for the kittens to arrive.
We put together a little bed with a box and blankets just in time for the first kitten to come into this world. Josiah was utterly transfixed. This is how babies are born? I could tell the gears were really turning as he watched all the babies being born. All 4 kittens were born small, but healthy and Cleo was one happy, purring Mama.
On Friday, Jackson shows up after disappearing for about a week and she's about to pop! Yep, for some reason our home has become the kitty hospital of the neighborhood. How exactly this happened, I'll never know. Jackson gave birth to 3 big kittens, one is black with orange stripes, something I've never seen before.
So, how has my husband responded to all of the kittens? Amazingly, he has helped me feed them, change towels, and keep them happy. Cleo's kittens are almost big enough to be adopted and we already have 2 placed in great homes and one will stay with us! Having the little kittens has been an amazing feeling, not only for the new Mamas, Cleo and Jackson, but for this Mama. Seeing them so happy, purring and taking care of their little ones reminds me how lucky we all are to have our little ones safe and sound.
On this Mother's Day I am so happy and grateful for my little family and all of our newly adopted kitties. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mamas out there! May you be loved, blessed, and enjoy a wonderful day with your children.
Around Christmas, two little kittens showed up in our neighborhood and were quickly adopted by anyone who laid eyes on them. They loved playing with the boys and also loved that I fed them occasionally. Josiah named the black kitten Cleo (from Clifford, though I always think of the old psychic network commercials with Miss Cleo) and the orange kitty Jackson (I have no idea where that came from, especially since Jackson is a girl).
As time passed by, the little kitties grew and grew...and grew. So much that I knew Cleo was pregnant. Oh no, I thought. What would my husband think? He is not a cat person and doesn't even like us bring pets inside for a few minutes. What would happen? While he was at work, Cleo pawed at the back door about 5 weeks ago and was meowing up a storm. I knew it was time for the kittens to arrive.
We put together a little bed with a box and blankets just in time for the first kitten to come into this world. Josiah was utterly transfixed. This is how babies are born? I could tell the gears were really turning as he watched all the babies being born. All 4 kittens were born small, but healthy and Cleo was one happy, purring Mama.
On Friday, Jackson shows up after disappearing for about a week and she's about to pop! Yep, for some reason our home has become the kitty hospital of the neighborhood. How exactly this happened, I'll never know. Jackson gave birth to 3 big kittens, one is black with orange stripes, something I've never seen before.
So, how has my husband responded to all of the kittens? Amazingly, he has helped me feed them, change towels, and keep them happy. Cleo's kittens are almost big enough to be adopted and we already have 2 placed in great homes and one will stay with us! Having the little kittens has been an amazing feeling, not only for the new Mamas, Cleo and Jackson, but for this Mama. Seeing them so happy, purring and taking care of their little ones reminds me how lucky we all are to have our little ones safe and sound.
On this Mother's Day I am so happy and grateful for my little family and all of our newly adopted kitties. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mamas out there! May you be loved, blessed, and enjoy a wonderful day with your children.
Happy Mother's Day!
6.5.11
Cardpool: Buy, Sell & Trade Gift Cards At Awesome Prices
Many of us are given gift cards all the time as presents, but how often have you gotten a gift card to a store or restaurant you NEVER go to? UGH! I know I have and it used to be frustrating until I found Cardpool, a gift card exchange website! Not only can you exchange your gift cards, they will you can sell them for up to 92% of retail price and buy them. Why should you buy your gift cards at Cardpool? Because they sell discount gift cards, which means you can purchase them for up to 25% off retail price. So, you never have to purchase gift cards at retail price again! That is certainly right up my alley, as I'm always looking for sales!
In addition to the many store and restaurant gift cards, Cardpool also sells itunes gift cards! My nephew always wants these for holidays and now I can get them at a great price, which means more credits for him!
First, sign up for Ebates if you haven't already. You will get $5 just for signing up. Then, use Ebates when purchasing items with your gift cards to receive a cashback! Next, search for coupon codes and free shipping deals when using your gift cards to maximize savings! The options are limitless!
5.5.11
Successfully Promote Your Business With Go Promos & Amsterdam Printing
A few months ago, I attended my first parenting conference. It was my first look into how to promote my blog and business, which was something I knew nothing about. Looking around at all of the booths and talking to people, I realized just how important it is to give out promotional items, from pens to stress balls, to help spread the word about your brand.
GoPromos.com has been helping people promote their businesses for over 40 years now, so they know a thing or two about what you should use as promotional items to make your business a success. They offer a variety of products, which can be personalized to advertise your business. From apparel to calendars to pens and keychains, GoPromos.com has anything you could possibly need for your promotional needs.
Another great website I've come across is Amsterdam Printing, a business known for their laser engraved promotional pens and personalized calendars. You can easily spread the word about your business with the services they offer. These are the two websites where I'll be purchasing my promotional items for my next expo or conference! Click here for more promotional tools. Next time I'll be prepared and you can easily be, too.
GoPromos.com has been helping people promote their businesses for over 40 years now, so they know a thing or two about what you should use as promotional items to make your business a success. They offer a variety of products, which can be personalized to advertise your business. From apparel to calendars to pens and keychains, GoPromos.com has anything you could possibly need for your promotional needs.
Another great website I've come across is Amsterdam Printing, a business known for their laser engraved promotional pens and personalized calendars. You can easily spread the word about your business with the services they offer. These are the two websites where I'll be purchasing my promotional items for my next expo or conference! Click here for more promotional tools. Next time I'll be prepared and you can easily be, too.
4.5.11
Get Real with POM Wonderful's Sweepstakes & Giveaway
It's definitely time to "Get Real" with POM Wonderful's 100% Real Pomegranate Juice! Delicious and very nutritious! Here's the video:
To celebrate the movie, POM is hosting the Greatest Sweepstakes Ever Held! You can enter now for a chance to WIN a Red Carpet Home Screening Party with Morgan Spurlock and 35 of your closest friends along with a Sony 3-D HDTV, a 3 year lease on a POM Mini Cooper and more! The third prize, for "The Greatest Date Night Ever" will be given to 100 winners! That means 102 possibilities for you to win!
Win It
In celebration of the movie and the sweepstakes, POM Wonderful is Giving Away 3 POM 16 ounce Bottle Coupons to One Lucky CTM Winner!How To Enter
- Leave A Comment Below Telling Me Which Prize You'd Love To Win From Greatest Sweepstakes Ever Held!
**Remember to include your email address if it is NOT visible in your profile so I will know how to contact you! The initial entry is mandatory! Be sure to answer that question before earning extra entries listed below! Each bullet is worth one extra entry unless specified. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry you earn and include your email address is at least one entry.
Additional Entries
Additional Entries
- Enter the Greatest Sweepstakes Ever Held sponsored by POM (3 entries)
- Comment Below About One Of the Companies Mentioned In The Above Video with Morgan Spurlock!
- Tweet (up to 2x daily) by clicking the Tweet button below: (leave url to tweet):
- Enter The Same Giveaway At Our Sister Site, "Deal"irious Diva (2 Entries)
Get Ready For Summer With Become.com
I'm constantly searching for products, gifts, and articles using a search engine. The problem is that I have to personally weed through all of the websites that pop up and actually aren't even related to the items I am looking for. It's annoying and definitely takes too much time.
With Summer coming, we have many beach trips and activities planned so, it's time to shop! I've really wanted to buy the family bikes and have had my eye on a Micargi Beach Cruiser. On Become.com, I can not only compare prices, but many items have product reviews, so you can see what others think about the product to see if it's really something you'd like to get. This is a great feature, as I'm always looking to see what others think about items before I purchase!
We spend so much time outside during the nice warm months and I'm always looking for sales on outdoor activities for us. Lacrosse has gotten to be very big in our area and I've been thinking about purchasing a lacrosse rebounder. I'm positive this will keep the kids occupied for hours each week. As someone who loves lacrosse, I'll have to make use of it, too, of course!
This summer also marks the beginning of my son's baseball career. He starts t-ball and I couldn't be more excited. He has his uniform and now we need some baseball cleats to match. I'm glad to finally find some a great prices. I can't wait to see him running around the field in his outfit.
As a Stay-At-Home-Mom, my time is valuable and there are only a few spare moments in my day. I want to go online, find what I'm looking for, and go back to being with my kids. Now that I've found Become.com, life is easier, searching is much faster, and I can find the perfect Summertime items we need! What more could I really ask for?
3.5.11
How To Improve Marketing For Your Website
I genuinely found this interesting and had to share this with you guys. Have you ever wondered how google, Amazon.com, or even Netflix always recommend/suggest some type of product or movie they know you'd like? Google is always popping up with ads that have to do with something I've read in my email, but is usually inaccurate when trying to match my interests. For example, I look in my Spam and an ad for yummy Spam pops up. Ummm, no thanks.
Websites use programs to find subjects they believe pertain to website visitors, but, as I mentioned, some just aren't very accurate. Then, I read about Selloscope, a new and improved way to help improve marketing for your business website.
Why is Selloscope good for your business?
When you are selling products, product recommendations are an excellent way to not only make a sale, but to also upgrade a sale. Many of these programs are just too expensive for bloggers and smaller businesses to afford, but Selloscope offers a free 30-day trial and packages starting at only $10 a month. That's more than affordable for smaller businesses like mine. Lastly, Selloscope is easy to use, starting with tutorials and never leaves you wondering if you did something correctly. I, for one, don't know about computer programs or other websites work, but I do like what they do to help my blogs succeed.
I know many of the businesses I've worked with before could definitely benefit from Selloscope and with their affordable prices and free 30-day trial, why not give it a go?
You can also find Selloscope on Facebook and Twitter. Give them a follow if you like what you see!
Websites use programs to find subjects they believe pertain to website visitors, but, as I mentioned, some just aren't very accurate. Then, I read about Selloscope, a new and improved way to help improve marketing for your business website.
Why is Selloscope good for your business?
When you are selling products, product recommendations are an excellent way to not only make a sale, but to also upgrade a sale. Many of these programs are just too expensive for bloggers and smaller businesses to afford, but Selloscope offers a free 30-day trial and packages starting at only $10 a month. That's more than affordable for smaller businesses like mine. Lastly, Selloscope is easy to use, starting with tutorials and never leaves you wondering if you did something correctly. I, for one, don't know about computer programs or other websites work, but I do like what they do to help my blogs succeed.
I know many of the businesses I've worked with before could definitely benefit from Selloscope and with their affordable prices and free 30-day trial, why not give it a go?
You can also find Selloscope on Facebook and Twitter. Give them a follow if you like what you see!
Need New Scrubs For Work?
My mom-in-law is a nurse so, she is always wearing scrubs, not because she just got off of work, but because she says they are so comfortable. I've seen scrubs at a few places and they just don't seem like good quality and some are pretty expensive. Since I wanted to buy something she'd use, I took to the internet!
Of course uniforms for nurses are required for many nursing jobs so, I thought scrubs would be a useful present for her. With a selection of uniforms, lab coats, skirts, and dresses, there is a never-ending variety of styles and work-appropriate scrubs.
My favorites are the medical scrub tops. I never knew there were so many styles and colors available. Some of them are actually dressy and I could see myself wearing them. My mom-in-law always tells me how hard it is to find quality scrubs so, when I found this website I was very excited. Take a look and see for yourself. Several of the tops start at only $11.82, which is a great price.
Of course uniforms for nurses are required for many nursing jobs so, I thought scrubs would be a useful present for her. With a selection of uniforms, lab coats, skirts, and dresses, there is a never-ending variety of styles and work-appropriate scrubs.
2.5.11
Graduation Day Memories & Tiny Prints
The last graduation I went to was for my sister-in-law, as she graduated and became a teacher. I was well over 8 months pregnant with my first son and waddled around campus like a penguin for all to see. It was an exciting day for all of us and, even though I was huge, I don't remember anything but happiness and excitement for her. Although, after walking about 3 miles that day, I was praying for any signs of labor. (He arrived a month later... a week late. LOL!)
Graduation day is cherished by not only ourselves for our accomplishments, but by our families, too. Some of us thought the day would never come! I know I started to doubt I'd see the day. One thing is for certain, graduation day is a day we will remember for the rest of our lives. It's hard for me to even imagine my little boys graduating one day. I know I'll be one proud Mama!
Tiny Prints provides stylish, modern and unique graduation stationery including graduation announcements, graduation invitations,and thank you cards for teens. When graduation season has come and gone Tiny Prints will still be here to fill all your stationery needs with their exclusive designs from the nation's top designers. You'll find summer party invitations, personalized greeting cards, thank you cards, business cards, and even custom wedding invitations. Come try the easy card personalization, powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality for yourself! With Tiny Prints by your side commemorating every holiday and momentous occasion is a cinch!
We love Tiny Prints and use them for all occasions so, check them out. I know you'll love them!
Kymaro Cardi Wrap Review
As a Mama, I'm always looking for ways to look great and save time. Kymaro offers a variety of products for women to help them look great without the effort or spending a great amount of money. That's why I was so excited to review the Cardi Wrap by Kymaro!
What is the Kymaro Cardi Wrap?
For a versatile, practical, and comfy top that makes a statement, look no further than the Cardi Wrap by Kymaro. This single multifunctional wrap can be twisted, tossed, tucked and slung to create 50 different figure-flattering styles and is an indispensable wardrobe addition. Drape the Cardi Wrap elegantly to accentuate your best features and camouflage imperfections. Want to have slimmer hips or hide a pesky muffin top? The Cardi Wrap by Kymaro easily solves these flaws. No matter what your body type weight fluctuations, Cardi Wrap is always a perfect fit.
The Kymaro Cardi Wrap is available in seven colors and two sizes and comes with a Style Book illustrating how it can be worn in a limitless number of ways. The fashionable possibilities are endless. The Cardi Warp is made from light-weight fabric and is machine washable. Find it in blue, black, red, gray, pink, purple and tan for $49.99.
My Thoughts
I love multi-functional items like this so, I couldn't wait to try all the different styles offered by the Cardi Wrap. I chose to review the blue color CardiWrap by Kymaro because it's such a pretty color. I thought it would be great as a wrap for going out at night during cool spring and summer nights, but would also be fitting for wintertime!
The fabric is very soft, just as I was told it would be. I received the booklet showing how to do the different styles along with an accessory kit. The kit includes 3 bangles, a flower, and a bow brooch to help keep your Cardi Wrap style in place and to brighten your outfit up a bit! I have to admit some of the styles were a bit more difficult than I thought they would be. Yes, many were very simple, but there are more advanced styles that the book just couldn't convey accurately. A dvd would have been perfect to illustrate for those of us who are a bit lacking in figuring these things out.
I always get cold when we are at a restaurant, theater, or even just going for a walk on the beach so, I really think the Cardi Wrap is a wonderful accessory and definitely can add to an outfit. The great thing about the Cardi Wrap is that it folds up very small so, when you are traveling, it won't take up much room in the suitcase. I am definitely taking this to the beach with me this summer.
Handling ($9.95)! It also comes with the free accessory kit and style booklet.
This review was written for Kymaro Cardi Wrap in conjunction with The Family Review Network. The item was received for review purposes and no other compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.
What is the Kymaro Cardi Wrap?
For a versatile, practical, and comfy top that makes a statement, look no further than the Cardi Wrap by Kymaro. This single multifunctional wrap can be twisted, tossed, tucked and slung to create 50 different figure-flattering styles and is an indispensable wardrobe addition. Drape the Cardi Wrap elegantly to accentuate your best features and camouflage imperfections. Want to have slimmer hips or hide a pesky muffin top? The Cardi Wrap by Kymaro easily solves these flaws. No matter what your body type weight fluctuations, Cardi Wrap is always a perfect fit.
The Kymaro Cardi Wrap is available in seven colors and two sizes and comes with a Style Book illustrating how it can be worn in a limitless number of ways. The fashionable possibilities are endless. The Cardi Warp is made from light-weight fabric and is machine washable. Find it in blue, black, red, gray, pink, purple and tan for $49.99.
My Thoughts
I love multi-functional items like this so, I couldn't wait to try all the different styles offered by the Cardi Wrap. I chose to review the blue color CardiWrap by Kymaro because it's such a pretty color. I thought it would be great as a wrap for going out at night during cool spring and summer nights, but would also be fitting for wintertime!
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| Free Accessory Kit |
I always get cold when we are at a restaurant, theater, or even just going for a walk on the beach so, I really think the Cardi Wrap is a wonderful accessory and definitely can add to an outfit. The great thing about the Cardi Wrap is that it folds up very small so, when you are traveling, it won't take up much room in the suitcase. I am definitely taking this to the beach with me this summer.
Buy It
They are available for $39.99 + Shipping andHandling ($9.95)! It also comes with the free accessory kit and style booklet.
This review was written for Kymaro Cardi Wrap in conjunction with The Family Review Network. The item was received for review purposes and no other compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.
