School Pictures already

So yesterday I get a big envelope from Aly's school with all that first day of school paperwork in it. I guess in order to not take away from school time, now we have to turn in all that paperwork a week before school. On the day that we get schedules & locker assignments. What really threw me though was the $40 book deposit was also due that day AND they are taking school pictures.

WHAT???

I'm not ready for school pictures. With buying school supplies & clothes, then trying to come up with book deposit, how can I also afford a new haircut & pictures? I'm a scrapbooker so you know how important the first picture of middle school is. UGH! The smallest package comes with 3.5 x 5 + 2 wallets. What a joke! I'm going to hopefully do the middle one that gets you a 5 x 7 & some wallets for a small fortune. Today I went running to Penney's to charge some dang school clothes, something I was really hoping to avoid.

They have to wear something along school guidelines for the picture, so it's not like I can take her in a cute tank top or anything. I'm bummed, I thought I had a little bit longer.

Oh well, at least it won't be all hectic at school. Usually pics come after lunch/gym & then her hair is a mess, etc. If it was for having money problems I'd actually LOVE this set up. Hubby is out of work again, no work at all. Not sure what to do. Money sucks my friends!

If you haven't signed up for Revolution Money Exchange yet & want to help me out, you can sign up with my link. If I can find 4 of my readers to sign up, I can pay her book deposit online!

I'd love ya so much, I'd even give you an ad spot on sidebar. If you sell anything on your blog, website, etsy or ebay, RME is totally free for sending & receiving payments so it is a better alternative to paypal!

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A ~ Z Reading Challenge

Joy from Thoughts of Joy is having a great Reading Challenge {click on banner to join in}

Requirements:

~ align the author's last name or the title of a book (excluding "the", "a", etc.) with its corresponding letter in the alphabet

~ enter a different book for each author and title (total of 52 books)

~ complete the alphabet lists anyway that suits your fancy

(i.e.: complete each list separately in alphabetical order, read both "A" entries, then "B" entries, fit whatever you're reading into either list, etc.)

~ complete the challenge in the year 2008

~ enjoy the experience!

Below is my list of books finished

A Along Came a Spider

B Black Friday by James Patterson
C Cat & Mouse by James Patterson
D Dead Witch Walking
E Every which way but Dead by Kim Harrison
F Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison
G
H
I Ice Cold Grave
J Jack & Jill
K Kiss the Girls
L London Bridges
M Mistletoe Murders
N New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
O
P Plum Lucky
Q Quicksand by Iris Johansen
R Roses are Read by James Patterson
S Amber Spyglass ~ review
T T is for Trespass
U
V Violets are Blue by James Patterson
W
X
Y
Z

Be sure to come visit me at my Main Blog!

Week #2 Organising Queen Decluter Challenge

Day 9 ~ 2 camera boxes that I had been saving for who knows what reason.

Day 10 ~ Water baby that my kids left water in, that grosses me out, lol.

Day 11 ~ I was using this basket for my daughters stuffed animals, but somehow she smashed it.

Day 12 ~ 3 magazines

Day 13 ~ a ton of papers from my daughters school year last year

Day 14 ~ 3 of my youngest daughters outfits that no longer fit but weren't in condition to sell

Day 15 ~ huge pile of receipts that I no longer needed

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Techno Christmas 2008

Since Christmas is fast approaching, I decided to make this Techno Christmas 2008. The goal of this tag is to increase our Technorati authority, and of course our Page Rank. Isn't a cool gift for you this Christmas? This tag will end on December 25, 2008, so join now...

*Start Copy Here*

You do not have to be tagged to play along. This game is simple and so here are the rules.

1. Copy from "START COPY HERE" to "STOP COPY HERE".

2. Add your site(s) to the list. Just be sure to post the "Techno Christmas 2008" at each site you add.

3. You have a choice to tag or not to tag, however, the more tags you create the longer the list will grow.

4. Let me know your blog’s name and url by leaving a comment HERE, so I can add you to the master list.

5. Come back and copy the master list back to your site, often as you can. This will allow the new comers to achieve equal benefit as the late comers do.

6. Watch your Authority Rise

7. You may want to grab the Techno Christmas Badge

Please follow the rules. Blogs in the list will be subject to removal if their lists are not updated. I will check all of the blogs once a week.

Masterlist:

1. Aeirin Collections 2. Biz-N-Honey 3. Life In Pictures 4. Pinay Mommy Online 5. Blessings and Beyond 6. Mommy Earns Money 7. OnlineBiz and Resources 8. Lourdes' Mia 9. Digital Life Scraps 10. Pexlinks Triple Love 11. Pinay Mommies Community 12. Deranged Insanity 13. Traipsey Turvey 14. PierrEzarh 15. Dancing in Midlife Tune 16. Life is What we Make it 17. Picture Clusters 18. My Wanderings 19. Maiylah’s Snippets 20. Moments of Colours 21. MBA On Line 22. Mom of 2 Dancers 23. Wonderful Things In Life 24. The Fountain Of Happiness 25. A message From My Heart 26. My Life's Adventure 27. Photographic Memories 28. Love Is... 29. The Joy Of Life Forever 29.In My Dreams 30. I love nice 31. My Resting Place 32.You In My Heart 33. Life's All About 34 Design By Pieces 35. Gala Tayo! 36. Buhay Pinoy~Making Money 37. Hesitant Wife's Blog 38. PTC100 39. My Little Home 41. All Because Two People Fell in LOVE 42. Come, Let's Talk 43. Three P's in a Pod 44. 3P's In a Pod 45. Ivory Task 46. I Play Mom 47. Site Hopper 48. Health Zap 49. My Life's Journey in Italy 50. Sharing my Thoughts 51. Brown Pinay 52.Webby Contest 53. Life’s Sweets and Spices 54. Little Zoie’s Steps 55. La Bubbly Chica 56. A Stellar Life 57. Best Pinay Mom 58. Happy Healthy Families 59. My Blogging Experience 60. TIKLATON 61. Straight from the Heart 62. Welcome To My World 63. Pheandy's Blog 64. Musiqcentral 65. Day to Day Miracles 66. Lalaine's World 67. DEBORAH KATY´S BLOG 68. Psycha 69. Survivor Mom 70. when Mom talks...no more problem 71. Iris likes... 72. The Ultra Life of Student Nurses 73. Rock Bands Today 74. Inspired Living Quotes 75. My Adventure Times 76. Young Adult Millionaires 76. My Choice Our Music 78. Janmck's Blog Haven 79. Etc-Atbp 80. iCreate+iDeas 81. My Healthy Living Journal 82. Busy Mom Cooks 83. Christian Weekends 84. Bogie's Wonderland 85. your blog next.....

Techno Christmas 2008

* STOP COPY HERE *
So? What are you waiting for? We wish you a merry Christmas!

I'm tagging everyone reading this post right this minute!

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Christmas Wishlist ~ Tiddy Bear

I never know what to ask for when it comes time to give my Christmas list. Well I finally found what I am going to ask for!



No seriously, isn't that hysterical. I guess some people think it is a hoax, but the website has a paypal shopping cart on it. Too funny! Watch the video, you will laugh. The one on the website shows the TWO older women that created the Tiddy Bear.

Just so you know, I am so not asking for this. It is too funny not to share though. LOL

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Earn $15 free with Revolution Money Exchange

You may remember when Revolution Money Exchange was giving out $25 just for signing up for their service. They were also rewarding members who referred people with a $10 bonus for each referral.

Now, RME is sending out a debit card to use with the service. This makes sending and receiving money even better in my opinion. I hate waiting for the money to transfer to my bank after receiving a payment. Much easier to be able to use the money with a debit Mastercard. My husband just received his, I'm waiting on mine. Here is the good news, they are just introducing a great new service, they are rewarding you for using it!

Here's how to get yours:

1. Sign up if you don't already have an account. Just click on the banner above.

2. By August 15th, RME will send you a Revolution Card. It is supposed to come with the $15 promotion. You must activate the card. If you don't receive your card simply call 1-800-794-9071.

~If you are already a member, then you do not need to call them, they will send the card automatically.
~ If your RME card doesn't arrive by 8/15, then call to request one.

3. Once you have activated your RME card, load money to your account. Yes, you'll have to connect your RME account to your bank. I've already done it and it was quick and simple.

4. Use your card for a $25 or more purchase and get $5 FREE into your account within 7 days. You can do this 3 times to get a total of $15 FREE. So if possible load up $75 so you have the funds there to make your purchases.

5. Your transactions MUST be made within 90 days of account activation.

After being a member of RME for several months, I can vouch that they are a nice competitor for PayPal. The big difference is RME doesn't charge fees. The service is easy and reliable to use. Both my husband & I have an account. We also have the same checking account linked up, unlike paypal where you have to have a different account linked.

If you are new, just click the banner to sign up. After your account is set up, you can even refer your husband and make a $10 referral fee!

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Review ~ MadeinUSAForever.com

I was in the middle of speaking with Todd from MadeinUSAForever.com when I made this post. A little bit later I get an email from Todd asking for Alli's size because he had something for her. I thought that was just the kindest thing, especially since I was speaking to him about some of the Made in USA toys that they sell.

I ended up getting a nice sized box with a Red y-back tank top, Red/Gray shorts for Alli, a logo t-shirt for me & a gardening set that I am having my younger daughter review since she is my green thumb.

When I came across Made in USA Forever, I became really excited. They sell tons of products and everything is made in the US. They also are extremely affordable with a huge range of items. You can find clothing, toys, tools, furniture, union made items, infant/toddler, flags, wallets, books, even pet items! The company is based in San Clemente CA, about halfway between L.A. and San Diego, Made in USA Forever.com was founded by Todd Lipscomb to provide an easy, fun way to buy products made in the USA. Lipscomb has spent over ten years in the high tech industry, including one of the nation’s leading computer component manufacturers. He authored the book “Achieving Prosperity; An Ethical Guide to Building Wealth.” Having worked abroad in Asia for over seven years, he knows firsthand the challenges America is facing.

My daughter loves her outfit and was thrilled to get it. It is totally her, she loves the more comfy clothes so both pieces were perfect. She has worn the tank so many times, and at only $8.95 how could you not want to buy every color? You can pay more then that at even discount stores for China made tops. The shorts are super comfortable to her. They are also only $8.95. Her favorite part of the shorts is that they are two toned being red & gray. She actually wears each piece separately, she prefers a gray tank top with the shorts. These shorts are 100% cotton. She plans on using them all year since she can wear them for dance classes as well!

I'm so impressed by this company. Todd is amazing, he seems to really care about his customers and especially the welfare of the United States. He has really built an impressive online store with such a wide selection of US made merchandise. Check out all the Woman's clothes. There is everything from tops, bottoms, handbags, pajamas, underwear & socks to an amazing Boutique section!

Please take a moment to browse around Made in USA forever, you are sure to find something there. Consider buying something for your Christmas list this year, we need higher sales of US made products! Wouldn't this Patriotic pen make a nice addition to some Christmas gifts this year :)

Keep an eye out for my full review of the Indoor Gardening kit {such a cool product!}

You can watch Todd's first tv interview below ~

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Birth control is NOT abortion

Subject: Contraception is abortion?

Hi,

I had to share something with you. Can you imagine living in a place where birth control is considered an "abortion" and health insurers won't cover it? Where even rape victims are denied emergency contraception?

It seems unbelievable, but the Bush Administration is quietly trying to redefine "abortion" to include birth control. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims. And this proposed "rule change" doesn't need congressional approval.

I just signed a message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change, telling him: "Contraception is NOT abortion." Can you add your voice to this cause? Click here to sign the message: http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/?r_by=13468-5181869-E6oB16x&rc=paste

Thanks!

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Went to the beach today!

We decided to head to the beach today while it was still somewhat nice in Michigan. We had a nice day, took a ton of pics. Hopefully got some good ones. There was a family of swans hanging out on the beach.

Will be back to posting tomorrow. I did post some of my back to school deals from last week at my debt blog. Go check them out. I wanted to post my CVS deals because I did really well last week, but blogger stopped cooperating for some reason. I can't add pictures.

Oh well, back tomorrow. Don't forget to scroll down and enter my Country bob's giveaway :)

I have more giveaways lined up, so be sure to subscribe to my feed.

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Vista Print for Business Cards

I've been selling on eBay since 2001, so having business cards has always been important. I honestly don't make a ton of money on ebay, so keeping my costs down is very important.

I've been getting my business cards on Vista Print since for years. I really enjoy their free designs and they have great offers! They have really expanded the collection of business cards. I even converted one business card to a set of Mommy cards. I really like how you can put whatever you want on all the lines they give you.




Make sure to check out what else they offer, I got a really cool t-shirt from them with my business name, they sell postcards, pens, post its, flyers, letterhead. They really have a lot of great things for your business whether it is a Website, Ebay, Etsy, Blogging or just for personal use!

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So you think you can dance Finale

I was really happy that Joshua won the So you think you can dance season 4 show. I actually voted for Twitch because he was a favorite since his auditions on season 3, but really Joshua should have won. I was also really happy that Katee won the 50,000 prize for girls. I wish they started doing that sooner! I always hated that they made a girl & guy leave on each show, but then only give out 1 prize.

I started watching in Season 2, and this is the first season that I was happy with the Top 4. This was a really good season. I was happy to see Shane Sparks and Wade Robson choreograph the last show, they are 2 of my favorites.





What I really liked about this season is how many hip-hop dancers there were and how good they did. Even Comfort, she was not a favorite but when she did choreographed hip-hop she was awesome. The number with Twitch was amazing, that is the first time they got two hip-hop dancers for a hip-hop number & it was one of the best routines I have ever seen on the show! I am amazed at how versatile Joshua and Twitch are.

I liked seeing the dancers from seasons past as well. I wonder what happened to Sabra from last year, I think this is the only time they didn't mention anything about the winner. I was hoping to see Ivan Koumaev & Natalie from season 2, but didn't see them. They were my 2 favorites of all the show. I guess Natalie works for the Greek show of So you think you can dance & not sure what Ivan is up to, it says that he is living in New York with Travis from the show.

The Pop N Lock battle was awesome, excited to see that. I know they had talked about it, glad they came through!



I also enjoyed watching Mary & Nigel dance! I hope they do more of that next year.

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