$120 Paypal #giveaway

Contestchest.com is offering one lucky reader a prize of $120! Who couldn't use an extra $120? I know that would make a nice dent in my groceries for the week! You have to enter to win. They have Contests for people in United States. You can also find contests to enter. So get busy and enter to win!






This contest and prize is run by Contestchest.com.  My UnEntitled Life can not be held liable for their contest or their prize.

Traditions and Easter gifts from the bunny

The Easter egg hunt is on!

Thinking ahead here for the first time in a long time. Do you do Easter gifts for your children? Do you put them in their basket or do you leave it out of them. I usually get small toys and candy to put in their basket. They do not think there is some magical bunny that leaves them baskets. I try to get the toys and candy on sale as well. It's hard to fund the Easter bunny some times.

Yes, I am a Christian and I do give Easter Baskets. It's a tradition my family enjoys and because I enjoyed it so much as a child I am doing it with my children too. Aren't traditions wonderful things? I love making cookies at Christmas with my kids. We also make a big cake for Easter and they love that too. Traditions are what you make them into with your family. Traditions mean so much to children. It's a way for them to look forward and know what is coming and anticipate it.

Easter Gift Baskets are a wonderful way to celebrate Easter with your children. We have an Easter egg hunt and a big family dinner. Traditions are something to be anticipated by you and your children. It adds meaning to the mundane things of day to day life. Do you have a favorite tradition that you do with your children or family?

This is a sponsored post however all views and opinions are my own.

Awaken Book review

I had the lovely opportunity to review this book for this tour. I have to say it's like nothing any book I've ever read before. It was sweet, romantic, heartwrenching, but yet exciting book. I have to say that Sarah writes about strong characters going through trials and tribulations and somehow managing to find love...even on the other side. I know what you're thinking, I'm not into scify. I'm into romance. Yeah, that's what I thought too. Then I read this book and couldn't put it down and can't wait for the next one to come out! Get your copy today!!

Awaken
(The Patronus)

Awaken (The Patronus)
Lucy Donovan was supposed to have a weekend of fun in the sun, celebrating
her upcoming graduation from college. In a split second, everything
changed. A drunk driver ended Lucy’s mortal life.

Lucy opens her eyes to a world she never imagined possible and a new
destiny: as a Patronus, a guardian of spirits. Adjusting to her new role
and abilities while negotiating this confusing realm will test her limits
and push her further than she ever dreamed she would go. From wayward
spirits who don’t want her help to soul stealing vampires, and even a
stuck-up British royal, Lucy must brave them all to save one spirit she
can’t bear to lose.

Further complicating her confusing life is an inexplicable yet growing
connection she feels to a member of her team, Max, whose mysterious
behavior leaves her both confused and intrigued.

Waking up dead was just the beginning of her problems. Lucy’s death is
about to become the greatest adventure of her life.



Buy it - Kindle,
Paperback, Nook,
and Smashwords







Author Sarah M Ross is working with Promotional Book Tours to bring
you an incredible Prize pack. She is offering up



For 25 entries in the contest sign
up for her newsletter to learn about new books coming out and contests.



Go HERE to sign up for the newsletter

Fill out the form to enter to win





a Rafflecopter giveaway





Follow the Tour!

Feb 20 - Mandie http://ereadingonthecheap.com



Feb 21 - Adelina http://matterofcents.net



Feb 22 - Celeste http://organicmommytoday.com



Feb 23 - Anne http://www.upstateramblings.com



Feb 24 - Jessica http://www.crossroadreviews.com



Feb 25 - Jen - http://www.craftylife.net



Feb 26 - Lisa http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com



Feb 27 - Christine http://more4momsbuck.com



Feb 28 - Shawnna http://www.cutthemcoupons.com



Feb 29 - Dina www.myunentitledlife.blogspot.com



Mar 1 - Laura http://daybydayinourworld.com/



Mar 2 - Emily http://emilysfrugaltips.com/



Mar 3 - Linette http://kidsfunreviewed.com



Mar 4 - Michelle http://moneysavvymichelle.com



Mar 5 - Laura www.wheelndealmama.com



Mar 6 - Cecile http://www.theshoppingduck.com



Mar 7 - Paedra http://identitydiscovery.blogspot.com



Mar 8 - Mandie http://mommyreadstoomuch.com



Mar 9 - Felissa http://twolittlecavaliers.com



Mar 10- Theresa http://www.mymommysworld.com



Mar 11 - Olivia http://www.blog.thisnthatwitholivia.com



Mar 12 - Amber http://www.jadelouisedesigns.com



Mar 13 - Dawn http://www.alifeunscripted.net



Mar 14 - Susan http://www.susiebhomemaker.com/



Mar 15 - Karen http://practicalfrugality.blogspot.com



Mar 16 - Heather http://savingfor6.blogspot.com/



Mar 17 - Jessica http://sewcraftable.blogspot.com



Mar 18 - Stephanie http://beautybrite.com



Mar 19- Jessie http://momvantage.net



Mar 20 - Dawn http://www.slopswap.com



Mar 21- Kathy http://www.beentheredonethat.com/



Mar 22 - Melissa http://mychaoticramblings.info



Mar 23 - Terri http://www.terrislittlehaven.com



Mar 24 - Digna http://autumnbluesreviews.blogspot.com/



Mar 25 - Krista http://www.heavenlysavings.net



Mar 26 Brandy http://giveawayblogdom.com



Mar 27 - Mandie http://takingtimeformommy.com



Mar 28 - Erin http://www.forhimandmyfamily.blogspot.com/

Are payday loans right for you?

Payday loans are being used frequently as a way to keep families afloat. Is this a good way for a struggling family to make it until the next pay period? Each family has to decide this on their own. It is my opinion that it is always best to pay cash, if you can.

I know for many families who struggle they can not always do this and need to stretch their budget until the next payday. If you need it to feed your family then please let those babies eat. Just be aware that the loans you get from the payday places tend to have very high interest rates and could possibly make it harder for you to pay it off. If you use it only as an emergency, only happens once in a while type thing, and it gets you by then please do.

Try to not make it a habit of using payday loans to pull yourself out of the hole. It does tend to make getting out of debt harder. Pay cash and live within your means if you can. Be frugal, live simply, teach honesty and honor integrity. That's always the smartest way to live and to handle your money.


This is a sponsored post for a payday company. All honest opinions and views are my own.

You heard it here first!

BeeSavy Getting National Attention on Fox Business

If you follow this blog regularly, you know I've been telling you about an innovative new cash back site called BeeSavy for a few months now. Well, it looks like the mainstream media is catching on as BeeSavy was just featured in an article on Fox Business. You can read the Fox article here. And remember, you heard it here first!

If you’re not using BeeSavy yet for all of your online shopping, you’re missing out on valuable cash back. Even better, BeeSavy is the only cash back site that lets you actually earn money every time your friends shop online! Start earning money today by signing up at BeeSavy.com. And remember to refer your friends before they refer you!
==============================================

Can you help us fight childhood hunger?

A group of bloggers have banded together to try to do something to help fight the hunger in our country. Please click on the banner above and see what you can win in our flash giveaways and what you can do to help! Get involved and let's fight hunger. Buy some inexpensive food with a coupon and donate it to a food bank! Volunteer at the food bank or a soup kitchen! What other things could we do?

Hip Fusion Designs One to win and one to give! #giveaway

I have been following Hip Fusion Designs for a long time now and absolutely am in love with all of the jewelry. It's beautifully hand made and each item is amazing! Here's some tidbits you need to know about Hip Fusion Designs:

Wearable Art
ultra-cool & hip handcrafted metal clay and dichroic glass jewelry Get hip with my handcrafted jewelry, all pieces incorporating my fused metal clay and dichroic glass elements, and all created with my attention to every single detail and tip-top quality...guaranteed. Every piece is a work of wearable art. I’m here to help you create your very own wearable art collection that captures your individual personality.

I reached out the Neida, the artist behind Hip Fusion Designs, and asked her if I could do a review for her. She let me pick out what I would like to try. I chose the gorgeous Sweetheart Silver Necklace shown below. I absolutely love it! It really suits my style and I can wear it with so many outfits. It lays lightly around my neck and doesn't bother me at all like other necklaces. I'm excited to wear it on my Blissdom trip this week and show it off!

I actually wore it when I got my hair done this past week. In the spirit of Mission Giveaway Neida has offered one to win and one to give! Yay for mission spirit.  Neida has offered to give one lucky reader a $50 Gift Certificate to Hip Fusions Designs! So pick out your favorite item and get prepared ready to WIN! :)You can find Hip Fusion Designs on Facebook. Giveaway starts 2/22 and ends 3/2 at 12:01 EST. Be patient and wait for the rafflecopter to load and then you can enter below! Good Luck!

BeeSavy Heat up your Valentines Day Winner!

BeeSavy Heat Up Your Valentine’s Day Winner Announced!

Congratulations to Cathy from Surrey, British Columbia! She was the winner of the Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet in our Heat Up Your Valentine’s Day Giveaway. We will be announcing our next giveaway very soon right here so please check back often!

If you’re not using BeeSavy yet for all of your online shopping, you’re missing out on valuable cash back. Even better, BeeSavy is the only cash back site that lets you actually earn money every time your friends shop online! Start earning money today by signing up at BeeSavy.com.

Making the best of an antique table

Guest post written by Korin White

I love finding things and refurbishing them to look new and interesting. They make some really awesome weekend projects and pieces of furniture that I treasure that much more than things that I just bought and didn't do anything to to personalize it.

I was online trying to get a few Remodeling ideas for my home. I want to take that DIY aesthetic to the rest of my home, but I'm not a professional remodeler. So, I think that I'm going to hire someone to handle my kitchen. I'm not quite up to that task.

I got the idea that I had a place for the perfect refurbished side table and tracked down some great tutorials on how to fix up some wooden tables. I'm a little less experienced with stuff like that and have barely even sanded wood before. So, I'm definitely having to seek outside help for this before I paint this in the design that I'd like. I'm thinking a chevron design for the table top and have a few different shades in mind for it!

This is a sponsored post for a home improvement company. 

My 26 year old house needs a lot of work!

In the last few years we have been working hard on updating my house. I love most everything about it. But updating it sure does make me love it more. This past week we were focusing on the cabinets. After 26 years of being used they had lots of scratches on them. They were driving me crazy. We went to a big name home supply store and looked around. The salesperson made it sound like the only thing we could do was resurface, paint, or replace.

I found it hard to believe that those were our only choices. So, we went to the stain aisle. Found this product: 

My dh gave our cabinets a good cleaning. Then we wiped this product on, rubbed it in, and wiped it off. My cabinets look as good as new. I'm a happy home owner! So relieved to only spend $12 instead of who knows how much to replace those cabinets. Now we are looking at granite for our countertops and getting new sinks and faucets.

Once you've lived in a home for a long time things start to bug you. We've slowly fixed many things. We have put on siding so we don't have to paint. Put down laminate hard wood floors (large dog who would ruin hard wood), painted the entire bottom floor of the house. We are loving our home again. I can't wait to get new countertops and sinks. But that will take a while as we are saving up to pay cash. No credit used here...no sir! Enjoy your home. You will be there for so long and it takes so little to make it more livable for you. Even if you just change the color of the paint in your room you can make your home a space you truly love!

Birthday bash #giveaway! Lots of $ and prizes!

Birthday Bash Giveaway Celebration

4 Little Monsters and Me's littlest monster is turning two and we are celebrating with a Birthday Bash Giveaway! I love giveaways! Who doesn’t? If you love a birthday celebration and then what better way to celebrate with amazing friends and fabulous presents!

Enter to win more than $900 in prizes including a cash prize of $75!

The Birthday Bash Celebration is hosted by 4 Little Monsters and Me and Izzy B.
Co-hosting and helping us celebrate with a $75 cash prize are following blogs;
Cute Ecakes, Susan Heim On Parenting, CEO Of Me Inc., Freetail Therapy, Libby Lane Press, The Krazy Coupon Queen, Keenly Kristin, A Little Simplicity & Little Bit Of Wonderful, Couponers Living Free, The Kids Are Grown, Now What?, Adventures In Coupons, Tailor Made Momma, Miami Mommy Savings, Divas With A Purpose, Adventures of Frugal Mom, JadeLouise Designs, Savings is Free, Always Searching for Savings and My Unentitled Life.

The following sponsors are helping us celebrate by generously offering THESE fabulous prizes.
Project Pomona, Libby Lane Press, Preppy Personals, Advocare, Rosie's Jordan Essentials, MaRk.A.LiCiOuS, Baby Lulu Boutique, Crafty Moms 'R' Us, Making Mama's Milk, Amerigali Bowtique, Melanie's Sugar Shack, A Squeaky Foot, Sweetly Smocked, Little Dimples, Stephanies Wonderland, Rilla Rose Designs, Glorious Memory, TaDa Designs, EPB Designs, Baby Abee Children's Boutique, Bits Of Joy, Perfectly Posh, My Belle Boutique, Andrea's Clips & More, Lil' Chelsea Bun, Wickless Scent Sprinkles, Flop N' Socks, Carlas Baby Cakes, The Fancy Bee, Diaper Diva Creations, Izzy B Samples, Heather, Independent Scentsy Consultant ,Jerica Rossi Intials Inc. and Imagine That.

You must enter to win with the Rafflecopter below! There are several ways that you can earn entries, to qualify be sure to read the directions carefully! View prize images and details HERE.

My pool story!

We put a pool in at my house when I was a senior in high school. I so wished I had it earlier. My mom had it installed in November so that it was ready for the next summer. The reasoning behind that is that pools and pool supplies are less expensive when you have it done at an off time of the year. Off season is the best time to buy most things.

That next summer I loved diving into my crystal clear pool when I woke up first thing in the morning. We had a lovely blue tile that went around the pool and reflected on the water. Our pool accessories were purchased at this time as well. We got the sand filter, net, ladders, steps, handrail, chemicals and the vacuum. For my next pool I want the tile again and a vacuum that does it's job without my help! lol I love that the new vacuums will do this now.

We were busy working on our yard this past weekend. Getting our garden ready so that we can till it up. As we were deciding how big our garden then we were discussing whether or not we could put a pool in. When my kids were small and we were looking at houses I never dreamed I'd be wanting a pool. While my kids were little I had fears of them going under in a pool so I wouldn't allow the houses we were looking at to have pools. Now that they are all school age I'm ready for a pool and it's something we are looking into. What about your house? Pool or no pool?


This is a sponsored post for a supplier of pool accessories. All stories and opinions are my own.

Where can you find round ottomans, a boat ramp and skis all at the same store??

At become.com they have it all. What do they have? Well, they do comparison shopping and research all in one. It does the work for you. Just type in what you are looking for and it will bring it up with ones like it and the price ranges. You will "compare, shop and save big" every time with Become.com.

I decided to look some things up. So I looked up fancy round ottoman. I'm constantly redoing rooms in my house and I had been wanting one of these. They have a large selection to choose from. I love that they have some that are able to be used as storage space. Different sizes, colors and shapes to choose from are all at this site.

Then I did it from a more masculine point of view. I looked up things my dh would be interested in.
What did I find out? I found out that my dh interests are wide and varied! He loves all things outdoors. So I did a search on magma? boat ramp and what did I find? I found out that there are all kinds of products for him to use on our lake that is less than 2 miles from our house. He is constantly out there kayaking, biking, swimming etc. 


Then I looked to see if they had rossignol super haul 2 pair wheelie ski snowboard bag 2008 and they did! Ok I'll confess that the only skiing we can do here is water skiing. We actually did get snow yesterday but it was so warm it didn't stick. Last year we had so much snow we could have used ski's for about 2 hours on some mornings before it would melt. It's a bit too warm here for snow skis but I know he would love to have snow skis. 


This is a sponsored post for blog advertising company on behalf of become.com.

#fanjamSG 2Amazon gift cards and Toysrus gift cards up for grabs!

Shawn Gallaway and #fanjamSG Twitter Party

March 2nd at 9pm EST

We are so excited for our #fanjamSG Twitter Party!

Join us on March 2nd @ 9pm EST to learn more about Shawn Gallaway and WIN some great prizes!

TWO $25 Amazon gift cards and more!

$10 Toys r Us gift card & $10 Amazon gift card

Sponsored by:

Christi Ann Hendrix & Kristin Hale of It's Free At Last

Who is Shawn Gallaway? Visit his website here

Healing through the arts, Healing through the heartShawn Gallaway is a visual artist, singer songwriter, author, ceremonial healer, workshop facilitator, energy worker and Certified Lifeline Practitioner. He has traveled through out the world sharing his healing message

• Shawn also had the high honor of being present for the showing of his I Choose Love music video during the presentation of a Freedom Award by the Civil Right’s Museum in Memphis TN to his Holiness the Dalai Lama. Shawn has recently shared the stage with authors Gregg Braden, Bruce Lipton, Robert Holden, Darren Weissman, T. Harv Ecker
• He also shared the stage with rock and pop masters Orleans, Jimi Jamison, Dave Jenkins, Allan Parsons and Robbie Dupree.
• He is also a screenwriter who is currently producing the film, The Choice
• Shawn Gallaway is an accomplished singer songwriter with four CD’s and two DVD’s to his credit to date

Fan Jam 2012 and Shawn Gallaway #fanjamSG Twitter party details

When: March 2nd, Who: You and your friends! Time: 9pm EST

Hashtag: #fanjamSG

Customized Tweetgrid: Go here

Or use Tweetchat : http://tweetchat.com/room/fanjamSG

Party Hosts: @momblogsociety4444444444, @pamelamaynard

Special Guests: @ichooselovecdShawn Gallaway! and @gigidelugo of Tropic Heat Studios

Panelist: @kenziesKozies, @jewellzz_70 @PowerbyMomBlog & @KatrinaMoody

Sponsors: @itsfreeatlast @essexretail11

Visit Shawn on FB: http://www.facebook.com/ichooselove

Be sure to RSVP by emailing pam@mbsmembers.com with #fanjamSG in the subject line and your twitter handle in the body of the email.

Then sign up on the linky below!

Be sure to use your TWITTER link in the URL. Put your Twitter handle @yourshere in the name section!

MomBlogSociety

PeerIndex44

--AUTHORITY 39

--ACTIVITY 43

--AUDIENCE 64

parenting and children, pets, nashville, pilates, mums

Awaken Book Tour and $100 worth of prizes giveaway

 

Awaken
(The Patronus)

Awaken (The Patronus)
Lucy Donovan was supposed to have a weekend of fun in the sun, celebrating
her upcoming graduation from college. In a split second, everything
changed. A drunk driver ended Lucy’s mortal life.

Lucy opens her eyes to a world she never imagined possible and a new
destiny: as a Patronus, a guardian of spirits. Adjusting to her new role
and abilities while negotiating this confusing realm will test her limits
and push her further than she ever dreamed she would go. From wayward
spirits who don’t want her help to soul stealing vampires, and even a
stuck-up British royal, Lucy must brave them all to save one spirit she
can’t bear to lose.

Further complicating her confusing life is an inexplicable yet growing
connection she feels to a member of her team, Max, whose mysterious
behavior leaves her both confused and intrigued.

Waking up dead was just the beginning of her problems. Lucy’s death is
about to become the greatest adventure of her life.



Buy it - Kindle,
Paperback, Nook,
and Smashwords







Author Sarah M Ross is working with Promotional Book Tours to bring
you an incredible Prize pack. She is offering up






For 25 entries in the contest sign up for her newsletter to learn about new books coming out and contests.



Go HERE to sign up for the newsletter

Fill out the form to enter to win





a Rafflecopter giveaway





Follow the Tour!

Feb 20 - Mandie http://ereadingonthecheap.com



Feb 21 - Adelina http://matterofcents.net



Feb 22 - Celeste http://organicmommytoday.com



Feb 23 - Anne http://www.upstateramblings.com



Feb 24 - Jessica http://www.crossroadreviews.com



Feb 25 - Jen - http://www.craftylife.net



Feb 26 - Lisa http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com



Feb 27 - Christine http://more4momsbuck.com



Feb 28 - Shawnna http://www.cutthemcoupons.com



Feb 29 - Dina www.myunentitledlife.blogspot.com



Mar 1 - Laura http://daybydayinourworld.com/



Mar 2 - Emily http://emilysfrugaltips.com/



Mar 3 - Linette http://kidsfunreviewed.com



Mar 4 - Michelle http://moneysavvymichelle.com



Mar 5 - Laura www.wheelndealmama.com



Mar 6 - Cecile http://www.theshoppingduck.com



Mar 7 - Paedra http://identitydiscovery.blogspot.com



Mar 8 - Mandie http://mommyreadstoomuch.com



Mar 9 - Felissa http://twolittlecavaliers.com



Mar 10- Theresa http://www.mymommysworld.com



Mar 11 - Olivia http://www.blog.thisnthatwitholivia.com



Mar 12 - Amber http://www.jadelouisedesigns.com



Mar 13 - Dawn http://www.alifeunscripted.net



Mar 14 - Susan http://www.susiebhomemaker.com/



Mar 15 - Karen http://practicalfrugality.blogspot.com



Mar 16 - Heather http://savingfor6.blogspot.com/



Mar 17 - Jessica http://sewcraftable.blogspot.com



Mar 18 - Stephanie http://beautybrite.com



Mar 19- Jessie http://momvantage.net



Mar 20 - Dawn http://www.slopswap.com



Mar 21- Kathy http://www.beentheredonethat.com/



Mar 22 - Melissa http://mychaoticramblings.info



Mar 23 - Terri http://www.terrislittlehaven.com



Mar 24 - Digna http://autumnbluesreviews.blogspot.com/



Mar 25 - Krista http://www.heavenlysavings.net



Mar 26 Brandy http://giveawayblogdom.com



Mar 27 - Mandie http://takingtimeformommy.com



Mar 28 - Erin http://www.forhimandmyfamily.blogspot.com/

Do something to give a Bright Future to a deserving child!

Bright Future International is going to give $1 for every new like their facebook page gets. What a great way to raise money for a very deserving organization. They get money and those of us that don't have a lot of money to spare can still feel like we are helping contribute to a worthy cause. Make sure you visit their facebook page so you can get your $1 donated!

The story that touched my heart was the Kenya story. I have family living in Nairobi right now and they know the trials that goes on in that country. Heshima Kenya told a story of a sweet young girl fleeing Ethiopia with her baby. She moved into a Safe House and now has hope that she will have a good life. By liking their facebook page they are then provided with everything that they need. Such as: food, shelter, education, medical help and clothes for herself and her baby. I don't know of a more deserving cause. Thank you Bright Future International for taking care of those in need. Can't you do a small part by liking their page to get that $1 donated! If you can do more to donate that would be great. They work with Hiv/Aids patients as well. Any donation of $15 gets the donor a Christmas dvd. What a sweet organization. I'm glad there's people like BFI working on behalf of children.






I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central for Bright Future International. A small donation to Bright Future International was made in my name from Mom Central as a thank-you for participating.”

dealnews makes everyday Black Friday!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of dealnews for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love a service that can bring me the best deals of the internet each and every day. That's what the new service dealnews does. It searches over 2000 websites to find us the best deals on technology, gadgets, phones, tablets, clothing, tv, travel and local deals. I am talking about the kind of deals that you only find on that one day a year everyone goes out and makes sure to grab a deal. Yes, deals like Black Friday. But the great part about is you aren't shopping in it and it arrives straight to your inbox.

dealnews will allow us to set up a email alert if there is something in a specific area you are looking for. Then it will scour the ads until it finds it and sends it straight to you. No shlepping to the stores to fetch that deal! Just order and let it be delivered to your home.  We are doing some remodeling on our house right now. So, I loved the fact that there is a Home Depot Overstock event found on their site. The deals I am looking for I found on this page. 

So don't forget to visit the dealnews site quickly to sign up for their newsletter or be alerted when something you are looking for is found at a great deal. From clothing deals, electronics deals, television deals, laptop deals to travel deals this is the deal site for you! Let everyday be your Black Friday by having the deals sent straight to your inbox! After looking at the site leave me a blog comment and tell me what deals you found and what you'd like to buy!

Free Credit Score~

Haute Look - High-End Fashion At Up To 80% Off

Sign-up for the HauteLook - a private shopping club and get access to high-end fashion at up to 80% discounts.
(TIP: Login and see they have Jane cosmetics All on sale for $2.97 normally as much as $9.99 Ends Wednesday)

CreditSesame - Free Credit Score

Credit Sesame is a 100% free personal finance credit and debt management tool with no credit card required or trial period.Credit Sesame makes managing personal credit online, owing less in interest and saving on mortgage, loan & credit card payments easy!It gives an instant view of consumer's credit, including Experian credit score, refreshed monthly & for free, & debt analysis with personalized offers tailored to consumer’s credit profile.

So, stick to these 4 tips to make your credit score sparkle and maximize your savings:

- Pay your bills on time, all the time -- every time.
- Watch your credit card balances, use as little of your available credit as possible and your credit score will thank you.
- Avoid credit card debt, only charge what you can comfortably afford to pay off at the end of each month. Trust us, it will still build your credit.
- Maintain a good mix of credit including credit cards, auto loans, mortgage, etc., and manage them wisely. How does your credit measure up? Keep tabs on your credit with your Credit Sesame account to see how we can help you save or improve your financial situation in 2012.

Craftsy Block Of The Month 

The Craftsy Block of the Month is a completely free, year-long online class instructed by expert quilter, Amy Gibson. There are 12 installments, each one posted on the first day of every month. The first 10 months/installments teach our students two new exciting blocks (brand new designs or funky spins on traditional blocks). The last two months are dedicated to finishing the quilt. At the end of the class, our students will have full-size and one-of-a-kind quilts. Like all of our classes, students can view it whenever it’s convenient for them, and can watch them however many times they’d like. It’s filmed in high-definition, and it’s fully interactive---students can ask Amy questions as they go.

Local Businesses Need to Utilize Google Maps!

Nothing annoys me more than finding out about a local business and not being able to find them on the internet. In this day and age there is really no excuse for it. I run straight to the internet to look businesses up. If I had my choice they wouldn't give me a yellow pages ever again! It's so easy to get listed on the internet so that people can find you. When the company puts Google Maps optimization to work then you can also find the company so much easier!

I love when that map pops up to show you where the company is at in your town. I did this in my craigslist ad for an apartment I'm trying to rent. All I did was give a general area where the apartment was listed and google maps immediately popped up to show me (and whoever else is looking at my ad) where the apartment is at. How cool is that! What a great tool to utilize so that your customers can find you. Isn't that what you want?

Here's how to utilize Google Maps optimization.

1. Go to maps.google.com

2. Use the put your business on google maps link on their site.

3. Check out their tutorial if you need too.

It really is that simple to make your local customers happy. Even phones are outdated in this day and age. Make sure your internet presence allows your customers to find you easily. Your customers will thank you!

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Looking for someone to double glaze your windows?

My home is almost 30 years old. As our homes age they start to have small things go wrong with them. It is a yearly thing now that we are replacing or repairing something. This year we've stained our cabinets again to get rid of the many years of scarring. Next year we'll be looking at double glazing our windows. I found a website that has lots of good information about double glazing.

They give you 4 quotes done in a very timely fashion and have access to lots of companies who can do the double glazing for you. Their website is user friendly and very easy to read. They have a form for you to fill in your information and you can get a quote in a short amount of time. They also have many articles about double glazing. Why it's important? Can you qualify for a grant for it? What are the standards for it? Is triple glazing really necessary? All these questions are answers that you can find on the front page of their site. 

If you are thinking it's time to get those windows and doors repaired make sure you check this site out first. They will answer your questions, give you quotes and make sure your needs get met! 

How to get your employees the tools they need to feel empowered? Surveys!!

To empower your employees with the proper tools do a quick survey to find out what they need. On this survey include things like: what skills do you need to help you do your job better. If possible then offer them classes on these things. What can we as a company do to help you work smarter? Again offer them classes on the things they feel are important. Employee Surveys can serve you well, as the employer, in getting your team working more cohesively. Motivate your employees to want to do a good job and show them you care. Here are some other tips on empowering your employees.

1.Give them the tools they need to do their job! How can a person work in phone customer service if they don't have a phone? You wouldn't expect them too. Ask them what it is that they are lacking to do their job and do it well. Then provide it for them.

2. Grant them the power that they need to complete the job. Do not micromanage if you know that you have a trustworthy employee. By trusting them you are also trusting yourself. Be the best boss you can be!

3. Tell them your vision of the job so that they don't have to guess. If you can, show them exactly what you want them to do! A good boss lets the employee know exactly what he wants/needs.

4. Build the employees confidence and praise them with positive tones.

If they know you appreciate what they do they will work harder for you. I'd rather my employee work harder and smarter then be angry and not get the job done. 

Employee Surveys are powerful ways to find the holes in your company and fill them. Do it. You won't regret it.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast! #giveaway

Welcome to the next segment of the $100 Amazon Twitter Blast so you can win a $100 amazon card from us to you. Go slowly and fill out the form following all the Twitter accounts as you go. As long as you have your Twitter name on one of the entry forms, you do not have to put it in all to make it easier for you to enter.

Come back do them all, and you get a bonus entry! Are you a blogger that wants to join in the blasts? You can sign up late here to this event, or you can join for the other ones combined in with this one at the same rate.

Who needs some cold hard cash?

ONE DAY ONLY!!!
Here is a quick giveaway just for you! Who needs an extra $20 to make it through this rest of the week? Enter below, win by tomorrow!! There's nothing like cash in your purse by tomorrow just for entering our giveaway!
Giveaway opens at 9 PM EST 2/15 and ends at 9 PM EST 2/16!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finally Clipix will organize my internet life!

I am constantly losing things I wanted to read/look at/make. Recipes, articles and crafts I will leave open in a tab forever. It never fails a child comes to my computer and closes it out and I'm right back to searching for it again. Clipix makes it easy to keep everything you wanted to look at in one convenient location. I attached a clipx  clip to my blog so that my friends can clip it to come back and read later if they need to!

I love that with clipix I can grab an iPhone app and take it with me where ever I go! My recipes, articles, gift ideas, shopping ideas, vacation ideas, pictures, funny videos, books I want to read and so much  more is always with me! Here's a picture of my Food clipboard. I'm always looking for new recipes.

 

With Clipix you will be able to share items through Facebook and Twitter. You can choose to share it or not share it with friends and family. How do you work it? You attach a Clipix button to your bookmark bar. Then anytime you find something you want to go back to you clip it with your Clipix button. You can then sort them into boards. I will have a food/recipes board, blog board, business articles board, creative ideas for the home board, crafts for kids and so on. Your only limit is your imagination! I hope you enjoy Clipix as much as I have. So, go on to Clipix.com and sign up right now...before you forget and come back and have to look for this blog post again! Then tell me what your first clipboard will be! 

 

 

 

Promoted Post

Learning delayed gratification early will serve them well in life.

Our kids are our world aren't they? My children are spoiled. They are spoiled with love not with things. Although in many eyes they have a lot of stuff. They do not get things when we go to the store. They get them for their birthday or they save up their own money for them. Being broke has its benefits. LOL Your kids do not get most of the things that they want and believe it or not that is a good thing. It's called delayed gratification. You want them to learn it now so that they already have it down when they go off on their own!

We do not give our kids an allowance either. Allowance to me means the kids get money for not working. Um, that's not what the real world does. We, most of the time, can not afford to give them an allowance. They save up their money from birthdays and Christmas to get things they want. We do try to give them money as we can. Like if my teenager wants to go to the movies we try to do that. He's 15 now and knows that he is to get a job as soon as he can so that he can pay for his insurance. We are holding off on him getting his learners permit because of the insurance jump we will experience. Once he does he will be required to work for his insurance. We happen to have an extra vehicle (don't be jealous all 3 of our vehicles are 20, 15 and 10 years old.)

Our children are our world and we love them so much. I have high hopes for all three. My teenager is showing writing potential already. He's writing on fanfiction and getting about 150 views a day. That is amazing! I'm a proud mom trying to guide as best I can and hoping God can help him the rest of the way. Isn't that what we do as parents? Guide as best we can and pray for the rest of the time when we aren't always there.

Happy Parenting! Here's my crazy young kids playing in a fountain. Love them!

Kids Love Camp!

As a kid I loved going to camp. I remember, to this day, sitting around the campfire making dinner. S'mores were always on the menu too. Staying in either tents or those buildings and being with your friends doing all the activities that are offered is so much fun! I want my teen to have that same adventure and fun in his life. Going to summer camp is simply making memories.

My son is a honor roll student who would love nothing more than to have that camp experience. He is sweet with children and takes pride in babysitting his brother and sister. He has a sweet and giving spirit. I don't think there is a mean bone in his body. He is kind to others and has a funny sense of humor. I am biased as I am his mother and think he is pretty great! He plays violin and is second violin first chair. He's artsy and musical and an amazing boy! He would be an asset to the camp. I would bet that the next year he would even want to go back as a counselor. First a camper and then a counselor, what could be better?

Looking around at the Catalina Island Camps you see all the amazing activities there. They have: sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, target courses, climbing ropes, challenges for each camper, outdoor cooking and even arts and crafts. What a great week or two of fun at this camp.

The mission statement of the Catalina Islands Camp is that they develop "life long skills through fun and unique outdoor experiences in a community that cultivates respect for self, others and the environment." Who wouldn't want their child to go there. It's on a beach outside of LA in a beautiful and serene setting. It's not all serene though with the challenging activities they have for the campers. They go through challenges and team building experiences. They even have goals for their campers. The goals are: they will develop a positive identity, better social skills, and become a contributing team member with an appreciate of nature! I love it and my know my teenage son would love it too. Thanks for the opportunity Sits girls and CIC.



I am entering to win a session of summer camp for a child at Catalina Island Camps from The SITS Girls!

My funny Whitney Houston run in...

Shocked and saddened by Whitney Houston's death made me remember my one run in with her. My hubby trains in Atlanta once or twice a year for his job. When my dh goes the family used to go too. We would play at the park, go to the mall, swim in the hotel pool and just have a good time together.

On this particular day we went to Red Lobster for dinner it was very early for dinner, around 4 pm. So, we pull in the parking lot and there are very few cars there. One car is parked in such a way that it took up 3 spaces. My dh was complaining about the "idiots parking job"...not realizing it was uh Bobby's Rolls. So, we walk in. It was October and very mild. I was in running shorts, t-shirt and flip flops. As we walk in we pass this vision of a 6 ft tall beautiful lady. We recognized her immediately and kind of giggled to ourselves. She was clad head to toe in fur. Fur, in October, in Atlanta...yeah she didn't stand out at all. But she looked beautiful and very, very tall. I'm short so what do I know.

I hope she finds peace now. She was an amazing singer and will be missed.

This song has moved me to tears many times. Here's my favorite song. What's your favorite Whitney moment or song?

What do you do that makes your life easier?

I bought pizza crust tonight and made my own pizzas but not the crust. It was such a fast meal. I love meals like that. They normally  like pepperoni, veggies, sauce and cheese. However, my pepperoni had gone bad. How old must it have been to have gone bad? shudders at the thought. So, I made it with ham instead. It was pretty darn good.

I like to have pre-made (by me) brownie/cookie mixes in my pantry too. My son pulled one out tonight and has brownies going in the oven right now. I get to control what goes in them that way. He made it with zucchini and applesauce. Zucchini acts like the water and the applesauce acts like the oil. He did add heath toffee bites...what does that say about me? I'm healthy but like to be bad at the same time? I'm not sure what that says. You can't taste the zucchini before everyone goes "Yuck". You really can't even tell it's there. It just disappears. Ummm brownies!

So, what do you pre-make or purchase to make your life easier?

I made the best meal tonight! #Bertolli

                                                       

So, Bertolli contacted me and asked me if I wanted to have a soup night with my family. We already eat a lot of soup and love it. So, it was very easy for me to say yes. Off to the store to get my Bertolli frozen soup Tomato Florentine. This was found in the frozen dinner aisle and was easy to spot with the Bertolli logo on it. They had a few choices like Chicken Minestrone, Roasted Chicken & Rotini Pasta, Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken, and Tuscan-Style Beef with Vegetables. 

I chose the tomato florentine and tortellini with Chicken and it was sooo good! These are meals for 2 but when you get creative you can feed more. 

I added one cup of water and cooked the soup on the stove for about 8 minutes. It took a total of 22 minutes to make dinner if you include making my grilled cheese sandwich. That's it! Then plated it up and ate it with my family. Seriously, one cup of water is all I added. It made 32 oz of such yummy, delicious soup. My entire family loved it. Paired it with a yummy grilled cheese sandwich and I had a very happy family. 

My youngest son commented "it tastes like "insert name of famous restaurant here" soup. He loves to eat at this very reasonable restaurant and loves their soups. So for him to say that it tastes just like it is very high praise. As a mom, it makes me happy to know I can fix a quick meal and make my family happy. I can't wait to try out the other flavors. I most definitely will be purchasing this again for quick meals on crazy get out of the house to dance/karate/ball practice nights. It was so yummy! Thank you Bertolli for making families eat great food at a reasonable price! Bertolli has been making great food for 150 years going all the way back to Italy.

Here are some ways to like Bertolli, get some coupons and keep up with their tweets!

Facebook:facebook.com/Bertolli

Twitter:twitter.com/Bertolli
Website: villabertolli.com

I was compensated by Bertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge. All opinions and views are 100% my own.

$50 Cash!! Giv3away to put cash in your pocket!

Everyone loves cash, right? How would you like a chance to win $50 EVERY FRIDAY? Well, I am very excited that I have joined with an amazing group of bloggers to offer you a WEEKLY cash giveaway! Cool, yes? 

Well, there is only one catch, the giveaway begins THIS FRIDAY and is ONLY opened from 12:01 am  and will close at 12:01am on Saturday, so it is only OPENED ONE DAY!

This week you have the opportunity to enter in TWO groups of $50 Friday's, Group A and Group B - so, if you are VERY Lucky - you could WIN $100!!!  

This week's $50 Friday will be for Google+ Follows, so if you have yet to set up your Google+ Account, click HERE for information, then go on to add the following pages (BY CLICKING HERE) to your Google+ Circle. 




This week's $50 Friday's is a Google+ follow and remember, in order to win, you have to follow all participating blogs via  Google+.  If you don't have Google+, you can learn about Google+ by CLICKING  HERE  or wait till next weeks event to enter.  This will take a little bit of time to Add each blogger to your circle, so I suggest starting NOW, so you are ready on Friday!!! 

Here's what you need to do to enter - 

1. CLICK HERE and add EVERY Blog to YOUR GOOGLE+ Circle
2. Fill out the entry form below - Be sure to put My UnEntitled Life in entry number 1
3. CLICK HERE
   To ENTER Group B's Giveaway!