Top 5 Tips for Buying Insurance Online
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Photo credit: alancleaver_2000
So you’ve decided to do an internet search for insurance, but don’t know how to make sure you’re not getting taken? I recently tried the same thing, and figured I’d pass on some of the things I learned.
- Before entering any sensitive information on a website, make sure ou search for reviews for that particular site to make sure they’re legitimate. Better yet, use sites that don’t require contact info because they don’t need it to give you quotes on home, life or auto insurance.
- Make sure you gather all of the information you’ll need before starting. I was missing a few things, so starting looking through my files to get them. Then I was distracted by a phone call and I didn’t get back to the computer for a while. (I know you’ve had that happen to you too lol) Fortunately, the site I was on didn’t time out during the 15 minutes I was away from the computer, but you might not be so lucky.
- It’s important to enter all of the information that you know to be true and correct. How awful would it be to have your home, life or car premium raised because you didn’t tell the truth on your application. I’ve heard of it happening, so it could happen to anyone.
- Use a site that gets quotes from many different companies at the same time. It will save you time and effort, why not let somebody else do the work?
- Make sure that the insurance company you decide on is stable. Each state has an agency to regulate insurance companies. Go to your state’s insurance agency website, and search for company ratings.
Hopefully, theses tips will help you find a stable insurance company with low rates!
A is for Awesome Grades
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Do your kids need an incentive other than “good grades get you into a good college”? Mine certainly do. Most kids don’t understand how good grades can eventually lead them to the career of their dreams, whether it be doctor, lawyer, or professional comedian. At least once a week I hear, “I don’t understand how this kind of math is going to help me”. Now you don’t have to explain it, here are ways for parents and teachers to give kids incentives that are funded by corporate sponsors.
Rewards for Parents to Give their Kids:
- Tokens for Grades - All kids love Chuck E. Cheese right? Have your child bring in their most recent report card and they will receive FREE tokens for good grades with maximum of 15 tokens per child per report card. There are also links to reward calendars and other cool stuff on the website.
- Pizza Hut 3 A’s Program – Elementary and Middle Schoolers can receive a FREE personal pan pizza and small soft drink when they get 3 A’s in the same marking period.
- Krispy Creme Good Grades Program – Receive one FREE Original Glazed Doughnut for each “A” (6 maximum).
- Brunswick Bowling Games for Grades - Receive one free game for each “A” at participating Brunswick Zone and Zone XL.
Programs for Teachers and Schools:
- Pizza Hut Book It! Program – In addition to a fantastic reading program for all ages, teachers receive certificates that can be given to kids when they’ve met specific goals in the classroom.
- Jason’s Deli JD Pickle Cards – The JD Pickle cards are redeemable for one FREE kids’ meal for students 12 and under.
- Chili’s Pepper Award – The Chili’s Pepper Pals award is redeemable for one FREE kids’ meal for students 12 and under.
- Joe’s Crab Shack Certificate of Achievement – These awards are designed to reward outstanding accomplishments with a free kids’ meal for students 12 and under.
- Chuck E. Cheese Student Rewards – Chuck E. Cheese has a printable Homework Reward Calendar as well as Reward Ribbons that can be turned in for FREE tokens.
- Baskin Robins Scouper Star Reward - Certificates include a detachable coupon for a free kids cone. They also carry coupons for bigger kids that are good for $2.00 off any item.
Other restaurants that have programs based on local franchise participation: Chick-Fil-A, McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Patron, Sonic and Red Robin are all examples of franchises that might participate. Some require forms or requests to be faxed or emailed, you’ll have to contact the local franchise to see how their specific program works.
Remember to contact your local restaurant to make sure that they are participating in the company’s good grades rewards programs. Many franchises have the option to “opt-out” off corporate programs, and you don’t want to disappoint your child after working so hard for good grades.
Rewards for High School students can be a little more difficult since most restaurant rewards programs are geared towards Middle and Elementary School children. For students that are of driving age, most insurance companies give big discounts for students with a 3.0 or “B” average or higher. Some examples are: Geico, Farmers, Progressive & State Farm. Check your specific insurance company to see if they offer discounts for good grades.
A great idea for rewarding a child of any age is to let them choose an activity when they hit their academic goal. Ideas include letting them choose the restaurant that the family will dine at, or perhaps allowing them to invite a few friends to the movies, bowling, or for a sleepover. Get creative, and teach your kids that good grades can be rewarding now AND later!
Hot in Zaggora Hot Pants
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When my Zaggora Hot Pants showed up about 3 weeks ago, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve heard about all sorts of products that you wear to lose inches, but I always wondered whether they really worked. I was excited to try Zaggora’s new Hot Pants, that promised to remove unwanted inches from waist and legs. I took them out of the package and immediately put them on, and off to Zumba I went.
When I got to Zumba, I showed off my Hot Pants to everyone in the place. They can be worn alone, but I’m a little self-conscious so I wore them under my workout shorts. They come almost down to my knees, so you could still see a few inches and the Hot Pants logo from underneath my shorts. They sort of look like spandex shorts, so they didn’t look out of place at all. Everyone was excited to hear how they worked, so I’ll have to make sure to send everyone a link to this post when I’m done!
I didn’t feel anything different about them when I put them on, but when I started working out…watch out! I could feel my legs and waist heating up the more I worked out. They gave me more support in doing squats and lunges, but a little resistance as well. When I was done working out, boy, were my legs tired., but I didn’t have any trouble finishing my regular workout. I assume that I got a better workout from the extra resistance and support from the Hot Pants.
I’ve been using my Zaggora Hot Pants since right before Thanksgiving and I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised! I have absolutely no will power and usually gain a lot of weight around the holidays, but not this year! I’m proud to say that I’m only one pound different than right before Thanksgiving, and I’ve been eating just as much as I normally do during the holidays! I attribute this to the addition of the Zaggora Hot Pants to my routine. I can’t wait until next week so I can get back to eating normally, I’m sure to slim down a few inches pretty quickly with the help of my Zaggora Hot Pants!
If you would like to learn more about, or would like to get Hot in Hot Pants, you can go to: http://www.Zaggora.com .
Disclaimer: I received a pair of Hot Pants from Zaggora to review as part of a promotion by MomBloggersClub. But if you’ve ever read any of my blog posts before, you’d know that I only write about things I truly believe in and everything I post is honest and truthful.
I caught Santa in the act! with iCaughtSanta.com
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Imagine the look of wonder and surprise when a child receives a photo of Santa caught in the act in his or her very own home. iCaughtSanta.com is a unique website that helps visitors create those memorable keepsake photos.
In three simple steps anyone can upload a holiday photo, add Santa Claus and print it as proof… or share it via Facebook and Twitter. Last-minute shoppers can purchase Gift Cards and eGift Certificates for loved ones with children, making iCaughtSanta.com a great gift idea even if you don’t have kids yourself.
Here are poses that you can choose from to create your personal iCaughtSanta photo:
And here is a sample of a finished pic:
For a limited time, you can get 50% off your very own iCaughtSanta order! Just enter code: SANTA50 at checkout.
Merry Christmas!
Book Review: Real Moms Love to Eat
Well, it’s official…I’m a Food Affairiate! I was blessed to be selected as one of the Bloggers to receive a preview copy of Beth Aldrich’s new book, Real Moms Love to Eat! Now this is a review that I can really get into, one that involves food!
First, I have to say that Beth is a vibrant, exhilarating writer. Before she sent me a copy of the book, I thought “I hope this isn’t just another cookbook”. I certainly wasn’t disappointed. The book is not only about recipes, it’s also about Beth, her family, and her love affair with food. We get insight into why Beth wrote the book, and why she cares so deeply about each and every one of us. She teaches us that it’s ok to love food, and we can still be healthy and happy while still indulging in the food we love.
This is definitely not your mother’s cookbook. It has fun-filled pages that not only teach you what you should eat, but why. Beth’s writing style is very fluid and entertaining, you can almost imagine her smiling as she put pen to paper. The advice that she gives is not pushy or rude, but she definitely gets her point across. I absolutely LOVE her whimsical stories, especially the one about the cupcakes ( you’ll have to read the book to find out what I mean 
). I’m also excited to find out that I can still eat chocolate, actually…I’m required to eat chocolate! One of the recipes that I’m dying to try is Real Mom Peach-Blueberry Crumble, it sounds divine! Another is Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney. But first I need to get my husband on board with all of this, he’s definitely the cook in our house
I’ve actually read the book twice, yes twice! I feel invigorated every time I open the book to continue the food journey with Beth. One thing that I’ve found is that I’m learning new things the second time around. You don’t find that very often with books these days. Make sure you stop by Beth’s Real Moms Love to Eat website to pre-order her book for a chance to win fabulous prizes!
About Beth AldrichReal Moms Love to Eatwas created with you in mind. It will lead you on a food journey of excitement, fun and new surprises, without pigeon-holing you into one eating style or another. Instead, you are free to experiment, get crazy and become more open-minded about the food you will soon discover. It’s a love affair like no other–with huge rewards of looking fabulous.Real Moms Love to Eat will be your ONE source for tasty, fresh, whole food meals, creative recipes and food facts that will keep you looking fabulous and feeling energized and fulfilled.More info:
http://www.realmomslovetoeat.com/food-affairiate-tool-kit/
http://www.realmomslovetoeat.com/
Real Moms Love to Eat on Facebook
Follow @realmomsluv2eat on Twitter
If Tomorrow Never Comes
Gregory Grudecki 1945 ~ 2011
Today was a very difficult day. My husband’s call this morning didn’t seem like the bright and cheery “good morning” as usual. He works an early shift, so his lunchtime is during my breakfast, and he almost always call me to tell me to have a good day. But this morning was different. There was something different is his voice.
I knew something was wrong from the moment I picked up the phone. Call it intuition, or ESP, call it whatever you like. I knew it was bad, whatever it was. The extreme calm in his voice was masking something, and then the news came…his dad had passed away in his sleep. I was moved to tears, I couldn’t breathe. It was like our world was turned upside down. The man who we had seen 2 nights before, holding his newborn granddaughter in the hospital was gone.
The memories keep flooding my mind. He was gentle and kind, but tough all at the same time. I remember times where I thought “OMG, he’s going to have a cow”, but he handled the problem with ease. He was very hard-working, and would do anything for his family. He would calmly diffuse family squabbles, and make offhand comments…a trait that has rubbed off on all of his kids AND grandkids alike. One of my favorite things was his evil laugh, “he he he” was the sign that he had a devilish thought. Ask him a question that he know (or didn’t want to answer) and he would shrug his shoulders, but never utter a peep. The grandkids all adored him, and would ask where he was if he wasn’t in his favorite recliner. I keep wondering how many times they’ll forget and ask that in the coming weeks.
You never want to get that call saying that a family member has passed, especially someone close to you. I don’t show my faith very much, but I’m sure that he’s watching over us from a better place, free of the pain that he endured here his last few years. None of us knows how long we have on this Earth, it could be one more day, one more year, or one more decade. So the one thing that I will make sure to do is kiss my kids and my husband every day, and tell them I love them, because we never know when it will be the last time. “So tell that someone that you love just what you’re thinking of, If tomorrow never comes” ~ Garth Brooks.
This post is dedicated to a wonderful man that we have lost, but will always be in our hearts. Gregory Grudecki, 1945 ~ 2011, will never be forgotten. I will see him in the hearts and faces of my husband and sons every day. We love you Dad.
Guide to Taming an Uneven Skintone at Home
Were you one of the sun goddesses that laid out for hours on end, trying to get that much admired “golden glow”? I was. Well…sort of. I had a deep olive complexion growing up, from a Sicilian heritage on my dad’s side of the family, so I had no trouble getting that “glow” that everyone raved about. It actually only took me a few minutes in the sun to get that look, where other girls would either lay under the sun or in a tanning booth for hours. I was, however, a pool queen. I would swim for hours and hours, so my sun exposure was compounded. And sunscreen? The only thing we knew about sunscreen was that you should use at least a “2″ on your face, and baby oil was ok for everywhere else. How absurd was that?!?!
Years later, when I hit my 30′s, I wondered where my beautiful, even complexion went. What I didn’t know was that those years of being in the sun started to damage both the lower and upper layers of skin. I had what a lot of people refer to as the “sun mask”. I thought that my once beautiful complexion was gone permanently, but read on if you’re interested in finding out how I corrected that.
An uneven skin tone can come from many things: sun exposure, cold & wind exposure, and scarring from acne or chicken pox among many other things. The steps to correct an uneven skintone, regardless of the cause, is basically the same. But you’ll want to try to figure out the cause to make sure that your skin stays beautiful after all of your hard work.
There are 2 basic things you need to know about an uneven skintone, there is damage on the surface, and there is damage below the surface. Using maintenance treatments alone (basic cleanser, toner & moisturizer) will not correct the damage, but the right ones can help minimize any future damage. There are few advanced maintenance treatments that have the extra ingredients to help correct your skintone, but you’ll need to look at the labels to be sure.
Exfoliation
I might sound like a broken record by now, but exfoliation is one of the most important things you can do for your skin. This goes for your body as well as your face, but I’ll concentrate on the face for now. Exfoliation takes off the top damaged layers of skin, to reveal brighter, younger-looking skin, and with that, a more even skintone. It also helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, because the skin is softer and smoother. Picture trying to flex a piece of paper in your hands; if it’s dry, it wrinkles easily and the wrinkles don’t ever flatten out. But when it’s wet the paper is pliable and moist. Deep exfoliation (also known as dermabrasion) cannot do all of this alone, you’ll need a light chemical peel as well. A chemical peel actually loosens the “glue” between the skin cells so they come off more easily. Otherwise, you could scrub your face raw and still not get the same results. Here are some of the treatments that I recommend to my clients:
Deep Repair
Now that you’ve started getting the upper layers looking good, it’s time to correct some of the damage deep inside. There are a few ingredients to look for when trying to correct damage deep within the layers of skin: Retinol, Resveratrol, Alpha Hydroxy (AHA) and Poly Hydroxy Acids (PHA) are some of the most effective ingredients. The one thing you need to be aware of is that even if a product claims to have these ingredients, the amount that it contains might be so small that the product isn’t effective. Generally, the products and treatments that you can find at grocery and drug stores won’t contain enough of the active ingredients to make a big difference. It’s like throwing your money down the drain. Do your research, and make sure that you’re getting some bang for your buck. Depending on your skin condition and sensitivity you may not be able to use of these ingredients. If you have any questions, please contact me and I can help you find what ingredients are best for your skin. Here are some treatments that have a high concentration of effective ingredients:
- Regeneration Overnight Retinol Recovery Serum (contains time-released Retinol, and 11 other anti-aging ingredients)
- Regenerating Tonic with AHA (blend of Alpha Hydroxy Acids, vitamins, minerals and witch hazel)
- Regenerating Tonic with PHA (blend of Poly Hydroxy Acids, Resveratrol, vitamins and minerals)
- Regeneration Extreme Wrinkle Concentrate (contains the strongest amount of triple peptide complex allowed by FDA regulations)
For the Eyes
One last thing to consider is that the skin around the eye area is structured differently than the rest of your face. For this reason, you should use a product that is specifically formulated for your eyes to minimize doing harm to the area around the eyes, as well as the eyes themselves. Some ingredients can actually cause blindness or cataracts if used too close to your eyes, or on the eyelids. If the products doesn’t specifically say you can use it on your eyes, then please keep it away from your eye sockets.
- Regeneration Overnight Eye Capsules (Retinol and peptide complex)
- Restructuring Eye Creme (Resveratrol, antioxidants and Hyaluronic filling spheres)
The most important thing that I teach my family and friends is that you can’t correct some of the past damage, as well as prevent future damage right at home. Treatments like the ones I listed can help you minimize the cost of treating skin damage, as well as protect your skin from future damage. However, in extreme circumstances, you will have to see a dermatologist. And obviously, none of the treatments I listed above can help with cancerous lesions or melanomas. If you have any moles or areas that look suspicious, please consult a dermatologist immediately.
