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I’ve always been so grateful for our wonderful insurance agent.  She recently retired and when I got the announcement, I thought about her for a few minutes and considered all the times that she helped us out of a bind.   We have had issues while traveling many times, and always had the reassurance that she would get us through it.  For those who don’t have auto insurance, that peace of mind is elusive.  Luckily these days it’s pretty simple to find the right insurance package to suit you.   The website even has a quick quote calculator that will get you a rate within just a few seconds.   There are lots of forms of insurance available, including boat, auto, life, and more.

One thing that I liked about the website is that it seems to customize your plan to fit your needs.   There is also a car buying tool to help you invest wisely.   Knowing how much you’re going to finance and how much it will cost you is important.  Then you can decide how insurance fits into your plan.  This seems like a great place to start when considering insurance of any kind.  What do you look for in an insurance plan?   How does it help you prepare for emergencies?

Have you taken a cruise?  It’s something that I’ve always really wanted to do but just haven’t taken the plunge, so to speak.  My husband is adamant that he won’t go with me (he gets motion sickness) and all of my girlfriends have little kids, so I don’t want to ask them to leave their families.  I’ve even considered going on my own with my kids.  I think we’d all enjoy it!!   I heard about this site that offers good packages on cruises.  I haven’t called the number (1-888-444-5484) yet to find out about what they offer.   I’m really curious, though, because of all the great things I’ve heard about cruises!  A Bahamas Cruise sounds divine, don’t you agree?

My friends who have taken cruises have really raved about the food and entertainment. While I’m not really a party-all-night kind of girl anymore, it would be really fun to have some easy entertainment to enjoy. According to this ad, the fee that you pay includes the room, food, and the entertainment.  Your beverages (soft drinks and/or alcoholic) would be separate.  Since I don’t drink alcohol anyway, I’m thinking this might actually be an affordable vacation!  I’m interested to see if it would also be child-friendly.  Have you ever used a travel company like this one before?  Would this be something you’d consider doing? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I was selected to be part of the blog tour for The Choice.  I was drawn to this book because of the cover.  The book addresses teen pregnancy and the turmoil that one young mother goes through even years after her decision.  It was a book that really kept my attention and made me wonder what I might do in her situation.  As a teacher, I’ve seen teens struggle with the hardships of teen pregnancy.  Though I’ve watched them come back to school and resume “normal” life, I never really considered what life was like for them years down the road after their choice.  This book encouraged me to reflect on that issue and to stop to pray for those young mothers.

Our church supports a home for unwed mothers.  Specifically, the center helps women who are either homeless or have very few options.  Teenage mothers who have supportive parents, or alternate ways of getting help, are usually not the recipients of this ministry.  Instead, the center focuses on those women who are on the outskirts of life and need extensive help.  By providing these women with a home, mentors, job skills, and longterm support, the ministry provides the chance for these families to become whole again.  The Choice gave me a renewed sense of urgency to donate time and material resources to the women –and babies– who so desperately need our help.

I hope you’ll take the opportunity to read The Choice.

 

 

 

 

 

Tricities Daily Deal has another fantastic offer—-$10 at Salsarita’s in Kingsport for only $5!  The fine print says that it’s a limit of 2 per person.  If you haven’t grabbed yours yet, today’s the last day so get busy!  Salsarita’s is yummy!

 

The link above is my referral link.

 

Welcome to the Sizzling Summer Reads hosted by Literary Addicts. This Event takes place August 20 – Sept 2 Each blog participating will have a book related giveaway worth at least $10. The Literary Addicts is also hosting a grand prize – Open Internationally!  You could win the Hunger Games book set and DVD, or an Amazon gift card.

Since I started Savings in Seconds last year, I’ve been so fortunate to review many fabulous books.  Although some of them are still here at my house, I also swap some on PaperBackSwap.  You can join below, it’s free to join and post books.  Swapping is very convenient since you can print the postage from home.  Basically you trade a used book for one that you want!   My daughter has read nearly the entire Geronimo Stilton series this way.  If you are a fan of my On My Bookshelf posts, be sure to friend me on PaperBackSwap so that you can grab my posted books after I review them!

I am giving away my review copy of Lemon Curdby Homa Pourasgari.  It was read once for the purposes of the review and is in very gently used condition.  This is a good beach book, with just enough romance to make it interesting but not so much that it’s over-the-top sap.   The giveaway is open to US and Canada readers.   Enter using the rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

This post contains referral/affiliate links.

Back to school time means lots of new supplies.  Everyone always thinks about the students going shopping, but what about the teachers?  It’s a really busy time for teachers because we have to get our classrooms prepared and make sure that we have all the gear we need to start the year.  This year, I needed a new bag.   I’m not a big fan of the traditional teacher totes because I tend to have a lot of pens, clips, and other paraphernalia that needs to be easily stored in the bag, too.  I also have approximately 100 students which means the bag must be large enough to carry all those papers that need to be graded! So Hello, Helen — you’re my new bag for school!

Aside from that, I also like having a bag that’s versatile and can be used during the summer.   When we head to the park, indoor playhouse, or just to a friend’s house, I have to carry along all the snacks, extra clothes, and other “stuff.”  My bag’s gotta be able to meet that demand.

Gigi Hill sent me the fabulous Helen bag that can be used in so many ways. It’s the perfect diaper bag (that doesn’t look like a diaper bag), mom carryall, beach bag, and teacher tote.  It has a zipper on the top to keep all my papers and gear stashed inside.  It looks fantastic and I get compliments every time I use it!  It stays very clean and is easy to wipe off if needed.  The handles are sturdy, even when I’m carrying a big load.  A few days ago I had my hands full when I got home from the grocery store, so I threw everything in the Helen to make it easier to carry upstairs.   I’ve been using it to keep my trunk organized as we collected back to school supplies.  Now that I’m back to school, it’s been my teacher bag.  That bag is a workhorse but looks like a thoroughbred!

 

Take a look at Gigi Hill Bags and see what appeals to you.  Some of the bags are pricey, but many are quite affordable.  You can also host a party to earn hostess benefits.  The quality of these bags is truly outstanding.  Even my husband said a genuine “Wow!” when I showed him the Helen bag that I received.  I know that my Gigi Hill bag will be a favorite for many years.

Which bag would you choose?  Who would enjoy getting one of these bags as a gift?  Tell me in a comment below!  And don’t forget to catch Gigi Hill on Facebook.  They’re always posting great fashion tips and uses for their bags.

 

 

If you’ve been thinking about trying Proactiv  this is a great time to get an awesome deal!   Shop At Home has a WILD deal moneymaker going on right now.   See the picture above for details.  Keep in mind that you will need to cancel to avoid being charged another month for the subscription.  I add the date to my calendar (usually back it up a few days so I have some cushion) so that I don’t forget.   This is also a great time to register for Shop At Home because the cash back reward guarantees you a check the first month, plus you’ll get a $5 bonus just for joining!

The link above is my referral link.  Thanks!

 

I’m so glad to be participating in the Back to School Spree giveaway hop hosted by Formula Mom and 7onashoestring!   This event runs from 8/17 to 8/31 and features prize packages from lots of blogs…..all prizes are valued at $25 or more, so be sure to enter using the linky below!

Our sponsor for this event is Geared for Imagination.  This site has so many creative and imaginative products that you’ll want to bookmark it for Christmas.  It’ll be here before we know it!  Geared for Imagination provided us with a Crazy Cuddly Wolf magnetic play board to review.  Most of the magnetic toys that my kids have had in the past were scattered around the house before they could play with them twice.  Not so with this play board!  The pieces are magnetized and the board is, too, so the pieces can just stay on the board for storage.  My son (3 years old) has had many fun afternoons playing with the set and putting together stories for the Big Bad Wolf to act out.  I love hearing his chatter when he’s playing.   If you are looking for a fun toy to keep your little one busy while the bigger kids go off to school, or maybe you want to extend the learning at home for your older kids, check out Geared for Imagination.    You can connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Geared for Imagination is giving one lucky reader a Crazy Cuddly Wolf – Plush Playset and Magnet Play Board ($65 value!)  The giveaway is open to US readers.  Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

Disclosure: Formula Mom, 7 on a Shoestring, and the Back to School Spree bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that fail to fulfill their prizes.

I’m on the Guac Squad with Wholly Guacamole and get to try all kinds of tasty new items from them.  Recently we tried some new products from Wholly Guacamole and even my picky family loved them!   The salsa was amazing—we put some of the Roasted Tomato salsa in the crockpot when I made chicken soft tacos and it was so delish.   My super-easy recipe is posted below, so check it out!  Unfortunately by the time I thought about taking pictures, there was none left.  So that can be a good or bad thing!  🙂

Here are some offers from Wholly Guacamole that will make it even easier to fit this yumminess into your grocery budget.

$1.50 printable coupon on the Wholly Guac site

$1 printable Facebook coupon

Save up to $5 when you buy the Diary of a Wimpy Kids movies + Wholly Guacamole.

 

And now for the recipe!

Crockpot Soft Tacos

fresh or frozen chicken breasts (I don’t cut them up, just throw them in whole)
1 chopped onion
black beans, rinsed and drained
canned corn
Wholly Salsa — we used Roasted Tomato flavor
taco seasoning

(I have also used frozen black bean/corn blends with success.)

Throw all of these ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for about 8 hours.  Serve with soft tortillas, sour cream, cheese, and all the toppings your family loves.
You could also add some water to this and serve it as soup.

 

I am not the kind of girl who buys a leather bag that costs as much as my car payment.  My purses get changed every season, so carrying a high-end purse would get incredibly expensive.  Also, my purse is the community bag….at least, that’s what my family thinks.  My kids crayons, hubby’s gum wrappers, and even the occasional unwrapped sucker all get tossed into my purse.  If I had a $300+ purse I’d get nervous tics from my kids stashing their stuff in it.   So instead, I try to stick within a $25-45 budget for my purses.  At that price, I can send it to Goodwill after a year or two without hurt feelings. [Read more…]