Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review. This post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Welcome to the September New Release giveaway hop!   For this giveaway, you’re in for a real treat.  One lucky winner will receive a copy of The Funeral Dress by Susan Gregg Gilmore.  When I reviewed this book, I couldn’t put it down — it was SO GOOD.  It’s so refreshing to read a book that doesn’t have the storybook happy ending but still leaves you with that good feeling of satisfaction at the end.  The Funeral Dress is about a very young unwed mother who doesn’t know where to turn when she realizes that her life isn’t suitable for a baby.  It’s heartbreaking to sit idly by while Emmalee Bullard struggles to nurse her infant (there’s no money for bottles or formula) or washes her baby’s diaper in the outdoor spigot because there’s no running water in the house.  Could you turn a blind eye to such poverty? [Read more…]

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my link, you will get $10 off and I will receive a referral bonus. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

My kids wanted to go ride bikes tonight but mama was too tired.  I even took a 2 hour nap this afternoon.  We ate leftovers for dinner.  So instead of enjoying sunshine, we crawled into bed and watched my son play his new iPad game.  It was so relaxing!!  Since we’ve finally hit the weekend, I usually let the kids stay up a bit later too.   After the kids went to bed, I downloaded the app on my own iPad and cannot stop playing it.  Until the game makes me, of course.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Card.com. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

There are times when having a separate stash of cash is very helpful. When I was running a small business, it would have been helpful to have a debit card that was completely dedicated to serving the needs of my Arbonne customers. Many of my friends are concerned about identity theft and would like to have a card that is separated from the rest of the family’s budget.  When you travel, you might want to take a debit card with you but don’t want to have ALL of your money tied to it.  If you’re in a situation where you don’t have access to a brick-and-mortar bank or you don’t want to go through a credit check, the Card.com program might be just right for you. This also seems like a great option for a college student who doesn’t want to establish a bank account in a new town but needs the convenience of a debit card.  The card is accepted everywhere that VISA can be used.  And it’s FREE to get one, so you don’t have to pay a transaction fee or anything! [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received a copy to review; this post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

We’re fairly conservative in the Savings in Seconds house. We don’t use profanity or yell at each other. We try to show respect and love. When we’re watching TV while our kids are in the room, we are keenly aware of the language being used. Often I turn off the TV in a huff, disgusted because every channel seems to have something inappropriate on the screen. There have been times I’ve muted the TV, hoping to shield my kids from the bleeping, only to realize that the captions are showing exactly what’s being said. My sister and I went to see the second Hunger Games movie, which was excellent until they threw the F bomb. Just, why?! Yeah, I know that I can’t shelter my kids forever. Still, at this point in their young lives, there’s just nothing good that can come from hearing obscenities at every turn. Sadly, the same situation goes for many books. When I’m reading an excellent book and suddenly come across a curse word, it makes me cringe. There are so many beautiful and emotional words in the English vocabulary; using such language just seems crude to me. [Read more…]

Welcome to the Gift Card Giveaway featuring Madison Street Beauty

This event is hosted by The Review Wire and Review Wire Media. All participating blogs are offering a gift card in the amount of $20 or more! So, once you enter my giveaway make sure to hop on down the list of blogs to see what Great Gift Cards they are giving away! You can also enter the Grand Prize over at The Review Wire…a $50 Gift Card to Amazon!

Disclaimer: All giveaways end at 11:59 PM EST on September 27, 2013. The Great Gift Card Event Bloggers are not responsible for shipment of prize or sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes.  This post and the rafflecopter form contain my affiliate link. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.   Companies and bloggers, if you would like to participate in group giveaway events like this one, sign up to be emailed about future events hosted by The Review Wire.

One lucky Savings in Seconds reader will win a $30 gift card to be enjoyed at Madison Street Beauty.   [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received product samples to facilitate this review.  This post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

My mom tried to get me to wear makeup to my first school dance when I was in 6th grade.  Back then, bright blue mascara was the height of style.  I looked awesome, you can bet on that.  Well, here I am almost 3 decades later and I still like playing with makeup.   Since my skin is very sensitive, I try to wear cosmetics that contain natural ingredients.  That’s why I’ve been thrilled to sample some new products from Madison Street Beauty.   Go ahead and bookmark this page NOW because you’ll want to hit it again and again.

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Disclosure: I received product samples to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Back to school time always means shopping for our family. Since both my husband and I are in education, and we have two children who also head back to the classroom, it’s a busy time for us. It seems that by the time I get the school supplies, new sneakers, and some outfits for the kids, there isn’t time to shop for myself. Since I’m on my feet all day working with my students, my closet is filled with career casual clothing. I tend to wear khakis at least three times a week because it’s just convenient to pair those with a school-logo polo. It’s nice to have dressier tops to wear on certain days, though it’s difficult to find tees that aren’t the basic plain crewneck. Another issue I struggle with is finding clothes that ‘fit” my age. I’m not sure what that even means. While I’m still drawn to the clothing in the trendy stores where 20-year-olds shop, those styles aren’t really appropriate for any almost-40 year old woman. Teaching 6th graders keeps me young and I don’t want to wear dowdy clothes that my grandmother would prefer, either. Now that I’ve found Before + Again, I’m on the right path for perfect fashion sense. [Read more…]

September 11 will never be just another day for Americans.  That day on the calendar is always shadowed by the terrible memory of the pain, suffering, and tragedy that fell upon our country in 2001.   When I was young, the adults always shared their “Where were you when JFK was shot” story.  In my childish mind, it seemed strange to me that the adults would want to reminisce about something so sad.  Then I saw the horrible accident of the Challenger Space Shuttle launch and I understood.  I remember sitting on the floor of my teacher’s classroom, watching the big TV on the wheeled cart.  We were all so excited to see a teacher go into space when suddenly there was an explosion.  The teachers didn’t know what to do, so we all just watched in horror as the scene unfolded.

That moment prepared me for the day when I was in my own classroom on September 11, 2001.

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Back in the day, my husband and I loved to socialize. We spent most weekends with friends playing cards, board games, or just talking. We invited people over to our home and loved visiting other people, too. We travelled to see our out-of-town friends. We called people on their birthdays. Those were the B.C. days. Before children, that is.

Fast forward these nine years later. Things have changed in a major way. [Read more…]