As anyone with children know, Box Tops for Education are HUGE in the elementary school world :-) When my son started kindergarten last year, I really didn’t know what they were except for the fact that I saw them on so much of what I buy. Well, now I know that they are worth money to every school who turns them in.

Each little tiny box top is worth $.10 for the school. That might not sound like much, but so far this year alone I have saved up over 100 just since July. That is $10 worth – just for me in about 2 months. You figure that would put me at about $60 a year. If everyone did that – we have 900 people in our school – that would be about $5400 in extra money for things like sports and music equipment as well as money towards the arts and performances.

The fact is, saving up Box Tops is EASY money! Box Tops has helped America’s schools earn over $300 million since 1996…and we need to keep that going.

Sam’s Club is the perfect place to shop for and collect Box Tops from your favorite brands. Right now, you can get MORE Box Tops on your favorite back-to-school brands and maximize your earnings for YOUR SCHOOL! For example, I went to Sam’s club and bought cereal – and it came with an extra 5 Box Tops! That’s $.60 for each box of cereal. Not to mention I got a heck of a deal at Sam’s Club like I always do – they have some of the best prices.

Some of the participating brands include; Cheerios, Ziploc, Honey Nut Cheerios, Pillsbury, Fiber One Bars, Nature Valley Bars, Scott products, Huggies & Kleenex, to name a few. I bet if you looked in your pantry right now you would find a ton of them… just because you don’t have kids doesn’t mean you shoudln’t save them either. I would make a wager that you know SOMEONE who has a kid in elementary school that could use them. So instead of throwing them out, start saving them now!

Also, from now until October 31, 2009 Box Tops is giving away 1,000,000 Bonus Box Tops to America’s Schools. All you have to do is go to Box Tops for Education for your chance to WIN a Grand Prize of 500,000 Bonus Box Tops (a $50,000 value!) & Two First Prizes of 250,000 Bonus Box Tops (a $25,000 value!)

Plus, look for specially-marked Bonus Box Tops packages and Bonus Box Tops offers at Sam’s Club. Sam’s Club not only saves you money but it earns money for your school as well… It’s a Win-Win situation!

CONTEST ALERT!!!!

Sam’s Club & Box Tops for Education are giving 5 (FIVE!) of my readers complimentary one-day passes to your local Sam’s Club to see for yourself the savings and how many Box Tops you can clip for your school.

One person who enters will not only get a free one day membership – but they will also get a $25 gift card to Sam’s!!!!

To ENTER: Leave a comment telling me where you find the most Box Tops for your school!

This is a quick contest so make sure to enter before Sunday September 6th to win your free gift card from Sam’s!!!!

Thank You to My Blog Spark for providing me with this opportunity to share this great contest with you!!!

As adults we already have the common sense to know exactly what is going on with the world… but do your kids?

The internet is a powerful thing – you can do, see, explore, and learn almost anything on it. But what if what your kids are seeing, learning and doing isn’t necessarily something that is good for them. It happens everyday on the internet. Your child has a hidden account on MySpace or Facebook…. they chat with people they don’t know… they look up videos on YouTube about things they shouldn’t see… although thankfully this hasn’t happened to me yet as my son is only 6, I know the day will come VERY soon. So what do you do to protect your children?

The answer is simple –

You get a program that will allow you to monitor and stop them from going to sites that you do not allow. Allow of people think of it as spying, but honestly, I think of it as protection for your whole family.

McAfee Family Protection is one of the best products out there for protecting your family. It has SO many features such as social network monitoring which means you can see who they talk to and what they are posting on sites like Facebook and MySpace. You can stop your children from sharing their own personal information such as their age, what school they go to and that sort of thing. You can even limit their time on the computer so that when you leave you know they won’t be able to stay on it all day long.

My son is not the most adept at the computer, and one of the first times he went online he started typing in random things… a porn site popped up, lol. I was SO not happy. He was a bit too young to get it, but if he had been older, he would have seen an eyeful! With McAfee Family Protection I am able to ban nudity sites altogether so that he will never be able to get on one. I also banned all gambling sites, as well as many sites that are just completely inappropriate for him like things that show violence.

I downloaded McAfee Family Protection and within minutes I was up and running and logging every thing that was done on this computer. I can see where he goes, what he does, if he IM’s anyone… everything! This is perfect for those with children between the ages of 10 and 18 – the ages that are most likely to get into trouble online. You’ve seen the stories about the children thinking they are talking to other children when in fact they are talking to pedophiles, you have seen the stories about kidnappings, sexual abuse, and so forth… why take the chance? This is one of the best products you can get – easy to install, easy to use, and most of all, McAfee Family Protection makes it easy to protect your children from the internet when they don’t know what can really hurt them.

McAfee is offering a discount through August 31, 2009 to save $5 off the McAfee Family Protection. The promo code is: 5familyprotection.

* I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of McAfee and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, McAfee sent me a blanket and care package to thank me for taking the time to participate.

I know I said that I was done with my personal blogging and turning it into an all review blog for all the moms that read this… and I am. But first, I must update you.

I have gotten a lot of emails over the past week regarding the status of my “life” so to speak. It is so overwhelming to have so many people who care about my well-being, even if I don’t know you personally. So, I thought that I would give you an update on what has been happening.

As you know, financially, I have been devastated. Eviction proceedings have started and there was no money on the horizon. But… I was given an amazing gift. A gift that I will not squander and more than that I was given an opportunity that I will not squander.

Last Friday I was depressed, sad and had severe anxiety. The jobs I have applied for were given to others, and no one was buying the crap I was selling on Craigslist. I took a few dollars and went down to my local bar that I go to often because I knew a few people there and figured I could try to “pimp” my stuff there. So, I was talking to some friends and telling them a few bits of information about my situation – nothing major. And this guy Mike asked me what I was selling. I told him about selling my Wii as a bundle package with the Wii fit board and all 8 games I have and he called his boss because he said he was looking for one. It was almost a done deal but he was going to call back the next day.

I was uplifted… in my mind I had already sold it and was $350 richer than when I first went to the bar, so I felt a little more positive. They bought me a few drinks and I just left feeling better than I had in weeks. I went home and decided that this was only the beginning and started to write down a plan of action. After I had my plan I made like a board of sorts of what I needed in the next few weeks, what friends I could count on (which was limited let me tell you!), what I would do if I was evicted, the whole thing…

I felt better just making a plan, I felt more positive still and I felt like I was taking control of the situation.

So, I went on the internet, stopping to read my email, and found an email from this old casino I used to gamble at. They were offering me a free $20 to come back and play. I figured what the hell, it was free money. I played for a while not hitting anything, but just sort of forgetting my problems.

Then it happened… I hit and I hit big.

$$6,000+ big.

I immediately looked at what my wagering requirements were and what the max cashout was going to be. Usually it is around 10 times the free chip – or in this case $200 but this time, the max cashout was $5000!!!!!!

So, what did I do? Well, don’t be silly, I cashed out at $5,000 :-)

This morning that withdrawal was approved and it will be in my account by Thursday. Can you believe it? I couldn’t for sure, but it really happened, and it is just THAT cool that it did. I put my positive energy out there and something positive happened to me.

I’m going to pay my rent for a few months, overpay my bills, take care of my car and I’ll still have about $1000 left to get us through a month or more with groceries and so forth. I know it’s not the answer to everything, but I think it is the start of something positive. I have time to find a real job, time to get some work, and some time to just feel less anxiety.

And I really wanted you all to know :-) So, there’s my update – I didn’t want to post it on Facebook, so I hope you read this, and I hope you know how much I appreciate all the well wishes and sympathies I have gotten over the past week. You guys are the best!!!

For all my regular readers, who have now become my friends… the day has come.

This is going to be my last post. This isn’t like the few little breaks I have taken here and there for a week or two. This, I believe, is the end for me. I have used the last 4 1/2 years to basically spill my guts, talk about stuff that has gone on in my life, and to meet such wonderful people like you all. But now, things have changed. My life, once full of anguish and sadness had turned happy and joyful… for a good amount of time… but unfortunately now it has gone the other way. Quite frankly, neither you nor I want to hear about it anymore… I am sick of struggling to come up with happy things to say when all I want to do is scream and cry.

There is no question that I have been in a depression for some time now. It is all I can do to wake up in the morning, never mind be “happy.” It is hard to keep continuing to convey happiness when all I want to do is crawl into bed and never come out. I am lucky enough to have all of my regular readers whom have been here for YEARS on my Facebook, and so you’ll still “see” me from everyday. I guess it’s easier to be “happy” there because I don’t have to purposely come up with things to say – it is more of a natural interaction for me. Short and to the point… that is what I love about Facebook. I can tell you all something small that is happening as it happens and not have to sound overly joyful about it. I don’t have to make it funny. I don’t have to struggle with it, you know?

I often wonder, what is going to happen to you all? And don’t worry, I’ll still be around to read your blogs for sure! My natural curiosity will get the best of me :-) But for a while, I need to stop with my whining and my uncontrollable sadness. Maybe if I don’t focus on it so much I can get back to what I want out of life – but honestly, I’m not sure what that is. I may get back to blogging eventually, but there is really no guarantee right now.

A lot has happened over the past few weeks. Of course you know about my vacation, which I have to say was wonderful. I had more enjoyment there than I had in the past year. But unfortunately when that came to an end, so did a lot of things. Mike, you know the husband that I still rely on for money and any financial support, had his wages garnished to the tune of 25% – 50% out of each check.. That equates to about $1000 to $1400 less per month. That equates to me not having the money I need to pay the rent, car payment and so forth. Presently I am 2 weeks late on rent, almost 30 days late on my car payment, and have shut off notices on everything. With absolutely no money in the near future. But yet, that still isn’t the biggest problem… My car has decided to shit the bed if the other things weren’t bad enough. It stalls out on all the time because it is running on 3 cylinders rather than 4 which means that it is just a matter of a few weeks tops that the engine will seize and I will be out of a car. I do not live in an area with public transportation that doesn’t take me 3 hours to go 7 miles, so to say that I’m screwed is a complete understatement.

But because of that vacation, which I thought at the time was okay to take, I have absolutely no money to my name now. At the time, I didn’t know about the garnishment, I didn’t know about losing my car, and I didn’t know about everything else would happen. But that goes to show you – 3 weeks ago I was going out to dinner, taking my son to fun places, and living life like most people can, and now…. I’m 2 weeks away from homelessness with absolutely no help in sight. Unlike a lot of you, I have no place to turn, I have no family that can help, I have no job, I have nothing… and I’m so sick of saying it. My friends, although wonderful for parties and so forth, are not people that I could ever ask for a loan or anything. I’m sure I’ll have a place to stay for a few weeks, but I don’t want to impose honestly. And the one good friend I had has a lot of great things going for her now, and although I don’t blame her, has found new friends and new goals… and that’s great… but it sort of leaves me feeling really alone.

And I know, that it doesn’t make sense that I would give up my online friends at this point, but the fact is, I don’t want to inundate you all with my problems either. And I love hearing about how in love you are, how great your family is, how much of a good time you have just hanging at home with people you love and who love you, but it is hard for me. I feel very very alone… and therefore the jealousy that overwhelms me when I read your blogs is almost too much to take at times.

I had to give up the gym, I have to sell virtually everything I own, and that still doesn’t guarantee me a roof over my head or even a decent life right now. I have to find a job while somehow finding a babysitter for my son during the day and all while not having a car. It just kind of sucks to be me right now, and I guess I want it to suck without having to tell people it does, lol.

So, after this long book that I have written, it is time to sign off and say goodbye. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of you – Especially you Jose, Mon and Kate… Jose and Mon, You guys have been with me the longest and never failed in coming by almost everyday to say something, anything and Kate, I can always count on you for the truth… and it was always appreciated to know that no matter what I wrote, you guys always were there to read it. There are so many others, but you three are the ones I think of when I think about this blog. I can’t wait to the time that I can maybe meet you guys in person… but until then I will continue to read your blogs, as well as so many of the others who have stuck with me through thick and thin.

It’s been a roller coaster ride… I started way back with the blog “It’s My Life… as Uninteresting as it May Be” and moved forward through a couple of blogs until I got here… some of you have seen my son grow up a bit – back when I started my son was only 1 1/2 years old, I was living in Rhode Island… just so much has changed. And I am going to miss so much of this blog… but mostly the friends I have met.

So goodbye for now… it won’t be forever though. I’ll see you on Facebook and maybe one day, when I get my shit in order, I can come back with a happier attitude and a good life in which to share.

Take care!!!

I have, on more than one occasion, mentioned my love of Guitar Hero… first of all, I totally can rock Sweet Home Alabama on the Guitar Hero World Tour, but more than that, it is a fantastic way to enjoy music and show my competetive edge ;) So, when Mom Central sent me the Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits game for the Nintendo DS, I JUMPED at the chance to review it!!!

But… I ran into a slight problem :-) My son ran into it first, lol. We decided to take it with us to Myrtle Beach so I set it all up for him so he could use it on the drive down. It took a few minutes but it was relative easy. It comes with not only the game, but the hand grip to play, so I put the handgrip on the DS and set up the game and off we went. 3 hours later he was STILL playing it! The kid was as good as I am on it :-) The next day I whipped out my DS and started playing with him, because we were lucky enough to be able to try Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades game too! The Decades game was totally for me! I knew a lot more songs, and I knew I could play them better, lol. So, using our wireless connection we were able to share songs and play against each other… FOR HOURS! And you know what? Out of the 6 or so games we played right then, my son totally killed me on 5 of them, lol.

I have to admit, he was definitely more adept at “strumming” the guitar which you do with the little pick they give you especially made for the DS. But I got the hang of it and played it frequently on our trip. Since getting home, it has literally been attached to my son. He is thrilled with the fact that you can unlock songs as you go along, so there is more and more music to listen to and to play.

The groups include people like Coldplay, Evanescence, Fall Out Boy and even my own Ringtone – Paralyzer by Finger 11!! On the Guitar Hero: Decades Tour you have some great songs from the 70’s through now, and they even have Sweet Home Alabama!! But alas, I haven’t unlocked it yet, but I’m getting there for sure!!

Here are just some of the things that make Guitar Hero on Tour for the DS so awesome:

KEY FEATURES:

Shred along to 28 master tracks, all modern rock hits from some of the hottest bands including Coldplay, Fall Out Boy, Tenacious D, Weezer, The Strokes and more. Players will tour through five all-new venues that are as extreme as the tunes played in them.

For the first time ever, players can choose how they take their band from the underground music scene to worldwide rock stardom with the exciting non-linear gameplay progression in Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits.

Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits delivers an all-new gameplay experience with Fan Requests. By completing Fan Requests players build their fan base and open up new challenges to rock-out like never before including jamming to an entire song in Hyperspeed, battling it out in a Guitar Duel with active Bomb Notes or whammying every single hold note in a song.

Fans can take the Guitar Hero experience wherever they go with Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits. The Guitar Hero™ Guitar Grip™ mimics a guitar fret board and fits seamlessly in people’s hands to deliver the same core gameplay that defines Guitar Hero.

Song streaming features allow players of Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits and its predecessors, Guitar Hero: On Tour and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades, to share songs via local wireless connectivity. Players can rock out together in multiplayer modes, jamming to tracks from all three versions of the game.

If you love Guitar Hero and you love your Nintendo DS then you will LOVE Guitar Hero on Tour: Modern Hits and Guitar Hero on Tour: Decades!!

I’m sure you all remember the saying… Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. Well unfortunately for me, I never get the good kind. It’s been a hard road for me, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier. As usual I have hit a rough road financially that I need to dig myself out of – mainly because of the money I had to plunk down to bond myself out of jail. There has been little to no work available and I have to reevaluate yet again what I am doing with my life. One would think I would have taken the right road by now, but so far it has been only dead ends and alley ways…

When does life get any easier?

Well, about 4 hours later, here I am… just got home. I took down my other post, I just posted it in case I had to spend all weekend there, so you would all know where I am :-) In case you didn’t read it, this morning I got myself arrested. For what you ask? Ah, well there’s the fun part… I bounced a check a few years ago and totally forgot about. Turns out someone had put out a warrant out for my arrest and they decided that on a beginning of a holiday weekend they were going to come and get me.

So, I got in the back of the squad car, which by the way is VERY small, and took my trip “downtown”…. and in this case it is literal, the jail is all the way downtown. A few “stand here, sit here, thumbprint here” and I was put into an equally small cell – with 2 other women that can only be described as ‘different’ from me, lol. Both heavily tattooed, both brought in on assault charges, and both scary as hell. So, the lone white girl (me!) sat there on a tiny bench in a tiny room that was no bigger than a half bathroom discussing how I came here on a bounced check.

Then the fun really began…

Turns out Joy, the 38 year old mother of 7 grown children and 6 grandbabies as she put it, got her “monthly friend” so she went on and on and ON about how they wouldn’t give her a pad to wear. Um, yeah, I think I noticed that when she stood up and I looked at her too tight shorts up to “here” with her tiny tank top. Apparently she never got to put on anything and it showed :-) The other one who had been there since 5am didn’t have any water to drink… .so to say they were a little pissed off was an understatement. I just kept my mouth shut and tried to look as mean as I could, lol.

Then it was lunchtime (at 11am mind you) and I was served the wonderful macaroni and beef, corn bread left over from 1982 and a carton of milk that expired last week. Fun times…

Finally Mike came and bonded me out at a whopping $453 and 3 hours after I started the processing I was out.

Now, I’m going to take some highly needed pills to knock me out and I’m going to take a much needed nap to get this adrenaline rush out of my system.