Lunchables Field Trip Giveaway

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Lunchables. All opinions are 100% mine.

Think back to when you were a student? What were some of the most memorable days of school? For me it was the field trips. Getting out of the four walls of the classroom to experience hands on activities at a museum, camp, in the woods, or at the zoo, made a lasting impression on me.

Now, that I am teaching my own children, field trips are still some of my favorite days of school. Some weeks field trips in the backyard or off our property are the main component of the kids' education. Field trips let students see the real life of the information they read about in books. It lets them experience things they would not be able to from home or in a classroom while expanding their knowledge and comprehension of classroom subjects.

In an effort to be sure that more students get to experience field trips Lunchables has begun a contest: Field Trips For All. Anyone, over the age of six,can nominate a classroom (grades 1-8) for this contest. Pick a class you feel could benefit from a field trip. Then tell Lunchables where they want to go and why. Pretty simple. Do you have any classes in mind?

Happy Birthday Ebates!

Ebates is eleven years old. To celebrate they are offering us 11% back on lots of our favorite stores. 11% rebates are offered for Old Navy, Macy's, Barnes and Noble, Leap Frog, and Snapfish just to name a few. Happy Birthday Ebates, and thanks for the savings!

“Not in My Yard” Blog: The Gloves Come Off as Havahart® Launches New Nuisance Animal Control Blog

This is a sponsored guest post written by Theresa Flavin on behalf of Havahart. Post powered by Sponzai.

 Ahh, spring: The season of new life, new beginnings and, for many, utter frustration as a host of furry critters help themselves to our tender springtime blooms. It’s a near-universal problem for home gardeners, so Havahart® (http://www.havahart.com) has launched the new Not in My Yard blog (http://www.notinmyyard.com), where you can contribute posts, interact with other gardeners and get expert advice on taking your yard back from hungry wildlife.

Not in My Yard blog focuses on total yard protection through trapping and repelling animals humanely but effectively with Havahart products. Do you have a helpful or interesting experience protecting your yard and garden from the onslaught of hungry raiders? Submit it to Not in My Yard blog and let others know what worked. Top contributors are listed on the blog, so the more guest posts you submit, the better chance you have of seeing your name in lights. Chances are, there will be other Not in My Yard blog regulars with pest control problems similar to yours -- and even other gardeners from your region. You can choose to show only their posts so you don’t miss the tips most relevant to your situation.

If posting on blogs isn’t your thing, Not in My Yard blog is the perfect place to learn about total yard protection. Expert and guest bloggers discuss controlling wild (and not-so-wild) animals of all types, including chipmunks, deer, dogs, feral cats, groundhogs, rabbits, raccoons, rodents, skunks and squirrels. You’ll learn about live trapping and using non-toxic, organic repellents to keep wildlife from viewing your yard as a trendy neighborhood eatery. You’ll enjoy interesting -- and frequently humorous -- stories about wildlife in other gardeners’ yards. And perhaps most importantly, you’ll see you’re not alone in your fight to protect your landscaping or garden.

 Not in My Yard blog also features the live Havahart Twitter feed with helpful tips and promotional discounts on total yard protection products. You can subscribe to the RSS feed or submit your e-mail address for live updates whenever a new post is added to the blog.

 “We’re excited to launch Not in My Yard blog,” said Havahart marketing associate Theresa Flavin. “This is the blog for everyone who has ever watched their tulips become rabbit food, lost their hostas to deer or wished the neighborhood skunks would find a different path to walk every night. We enjoy hearing the lively, fun and informative stories submitted by home gardeners just as much as the Not in My Yard blog readers do!”

Want to become an active part of Not in My Yard blog? Visit http://www.notinmyyard.com and join the conversation. Learn more about Havahart’s humane traps and repellents at http://www.havahart.com. And this spring, watch what Havahart total yard protection products can do to keep your home and garden beautiful.

If you've got to shop.....

I don't particularly enjoy shopping, but I do enjoy getting great deals and today there were plenty to be found in Huntington WV today!

My new favorite store is Global Liquidators. Here are some of the fantastic deals I found there today:
Kraft Mild Cheddar Cheese 7ounce packages - 4/$1
Arizona Teas =- $0.25
Case of Fruitables juice boxes - $3

Aldi in Huntington also had some great marked down items today.
Whole Milk Gallons - $1.29
2 Pound Carrots - $0.49

I got a couple of decent deals at CVS, but was most thankful that they took my ECB's that expired two days ago. (This is what happens when I am too busy and not on my normal grocery schedule!) And to top it all off I had to make a quick stop at Wal-mart (29th street for you locals,) and happened upon $7 Levis in my husband's and son's size. I can almost never find my husband's size on clearance, so this was a very pleasant surprise!

No, shopping is not my favorite activity, but it needs to be done. Shopping and finding great deals like these makes me happy!

My Approach to Busyness

This week has flown by. There has been somewhere to go almost everyday, and the household, garden, and animal chores list is piling up. It has been busy. Today, I glimpsed at the calendar for next week, and then I had a mini panic attack.

It isn't that there is anything surprising on the calendar. I knew all these things were coming, but somehow seeing them on paper, all in a short block, of time induced panic. Starting tomorrow we have to go somewhere or someone is coming here everyday until Wednesday the 19th! 

There is a lot that I need to get ready for these events, and a pressing list of chores here that need done. Oh and I am working 25 hours too, and there is that little issue of finishing up homeschool for the year. Quite honestly, it is a little overwhelming.

I like to be busy. I used to say I'd rather be busy than be bored, but really I'm not sure the last time I was bored. So, can I honestly say that anymore? But busy is good, and there are ways I can cope with it without getting overwhelmed.

First, I have to stop. Yes, perhaps that is counter intuitive, but the best way for me to deal with feeling overwhelmed is to halt activity, even if it is only for a couple minutes. I need to stop doing long enough that I can start thinking.  Actually, that is exactly why I am writing this post.

For the moment, I am ignoring  the fact that dinner is not started, the clothes line is completely full of dry clothes, and that I really need to go get groceries. Although, it may be true that all those things need done, what I need the most right now is a little quiet and a plan.

Now, that I've said a quick prayer, taken a few deep breaths, and used writing as a tool to keep my focus, it is time to make a plan. Yes, there is a lot to do, but it is not more than I can get done. I just need a good plan of attack.

Even though all the events are on the calendar, I start with a fresh piece of notebook paper. It gives me more room to write and brainstorm than the calendar I use. On one side I list the days with the events for the week. On the other side I make a brainstorming list of the things that come to mind as I write the events. For example Tuesday we have a group picnic to go to. I am helping to organize it. On my brainstorming list I wrote that I need to order the chicken, check the paper supplies, and bring the bike that a friend left here and I keep forgetting to bring to her.

The brainstorm list keeps growing as I write and think. Then when it is all on paper I try to plug the "to dos" into the days to make sure everything gets done in a timely manner. The final step is to hang the piece of paper on the refrigerator. It is a needed visual reminder to myself to stay on task. It also is a reminder to the family that this week is busy, here is the plan.

Aaaahh I feel better all ready. The next few weeks are looking a little full, but it is ok. I will stop. I will make a plan. It will get done, and we will enjoy the blessings of family, friends, and farm in these next few busy weeks. Now, I better go cook dinner.

Fazoli's Coupons

Print these coupons and save some dough at Fazolis.

Free Kindle Apps

Ever since Amazon came out with the Kindle, I've been looking at it with a touch of envy in my eye. Reading is something the whole family enjoys, and we can hardly keep the eleven year old in books. He reads them as fast as he gets them.

We are frequent patrons of our library. We check out bags of books including books for school, reference books, and pleasure reading. Since the Kindle came out, I've dreamed of how easy it would be to just download a bunch of books to the Kindle to meet our reading needs. But alas, the library is free, and though there are many free books available for the Kindle, the Kindle itself is not free. While on this quest to pay off our debt, I could not justify the Kindle cost.

So, I am so thrilled that Amazon is now offering Free Kindle Reading Apps. There are free Kindle Apps for your Blackberry, PC, Mac, iPhone and iPad. I installed the PC app this AM. In a matter of minutes six free books were downloaded to our home computer. We now have Alice in Wonderland,  Edison, His Life and Adventures, and four other classics.

While not quite as convenient as the Kindle itself, I think the PC app is going to be a wonderful thing for us. Reference books can be purchased and stored digitally, instead of on my overstuffed bookshelf. Books needed for school can be had with a couple of clicks, and when the eleven year old is whining that he has read all his books, I will be sending him to search through the free Kindle book collections.

Yes, this is going to be good!

Cheap Groceries in Huntington, WV

I'm not sure if it is the increased activity because of the nice weather, or maybe the kids are going through growth spurts, simultaneously, but they are going through a ton of food lately. Keeping the cupboards stocked and sticking to the grocery budget has been challenging.

I am all about cheap groceries. I shop at Aldi and use coupons to keep our grocery budget under control. Recently a new store opened up near me, Global Liquidators. It is located at Big Seven Mile and Route 2 in the old IGA store building. The store reminds me of Big Lots only it isn't quite as big, and the prices are even cheaper. Here are some of my favorite finds there:

Starbucks Whole Bean Coffee - 12 oz. $2
Cereal - $1.50 per box
Cereal - just out of date $0.75 per box
Trader Joes Whole Wheat Flour - 5 lbs. $1.50
Frozen Vegetables - 16 oz. 8 for $1

All the food, except the aisle designated "just out of date," is in date. Some of the boxes are damaged though. They have more than food too. There are health and beauty items, and other household goods. Currently they also have a selection of landscaping items, including fruit trees. As with any other discount store or sale, you need to know your prices. There are some outstanding prices at the store, but some prices are not much different than what I would pay at Aldi.

The store opened a few weeks ago, and in that time my husband and I have become frequent shoppers. I love finding a store (especially one close to me) with cheap cheap prices.



On a side topic:
In searching for a web page for this store, I found that they have a clothing outlet on 4th Ave. To all my local readers,  Has anyone stopped there? How is it?