As a much indebted college graduate I can share my woes of financial burden and hardship of my college years were spent wasting away in the words and higher learning’s of textbooks. The ever dreaded and might I add bank breaking textbook. Nowadays there are lots of options and alternatives to purchasing textbooks for money savings and recycling.
Much of my textbooks ran in the hundreds of dollars range or they ran into that range due to the fact that I had to have multiple books for the class. Luckily I took a similar class  line as my husband so we were able to share books, albeit some were a bit outdated yet the material was the same. I would shop feverishly to find low priced books or a way to NOT have to buy the books because now I have bookcases stuffed with college text I will probably not refer to again unless I am playing Trivial Pursuit with a gaggle of friends and we are adding alcoholic beverages to the playing lineup. Oh I digress.
However I was introduced to a fabulous website Campus Book Rentals and life saver for college students. Rent your textbooks, purchase at a reduced price and not only do you receive a smoking good deal but the organization supports one of my favorite not for profit organizations Operation Smile. Â Campus Book Rentals has partnered with Operation Smile by donating over 1000 life saving cleft lip surgeries this year to children in need. So for every book that is rented a portion of the proceeds help fund Operation Smile.Talk about two for one with saving money on college textbooks, but your funds are further being used to support a great cause. Don’t just take my word for it, take a gander and try out Campus Book Rentals for more information on saving money while in college.
Upon the birth of my first child Grant I was a mess for weeks scrambling, literally, at the last minute attempting to arrange and interview child care centers and preschools. My poor son, at the ripe age of five weeks with a neurotic mother, scared sick about leaving her child with anyone else but his parents. Even the sole time my mother watched Grant so that The Chad and I could attend a work dinner was sheer horror for me. I was breastfeeding and it was time away from my baby.
However, my fears were lessened as I began to research schools and childcare centers. I read articles online about credentials the centers had yielded, affiliations, complaints and where to find those complaints (which will vary by state), I researched whether they were part of a food program, the security measures they had to keep my children safe from predators and while in their care, and the staff to children ratio.
Who would have dreamed that childcare considerations were so in-depth, labor intensive, and quite frankly a science?
I had no idea. In fact when I first began seeking out childcare for Grant I went off of the brand name centers that were familiar by sound. Later I found I was unimpressed, annoyed, and rather disdained by the level of service these “brand name” childcare and preschool centers offered. The treatment was comparable to walking onto the sales lot of an auto dealership, vultures, waiting to pluck at their prey when they are most vulnerable, pushing for a “tour” based on their schedule and not yours, more concerned with enrollment and cash flow than the needs of my child and myself. One center had the audacity to advise me that they would not let me visit the center unless I had an appointment, needless to say I felt this organization had something to hide if I could not just drop in as I felt my schedule allowed, they were discounted and removed from consideration.
My research and extensive notations about the various facilities soon became a bullet point checklist:
Accreditation – was the school accredited in the state, nation, how were they officially recognized as a facility and learning institution.
Safety – was the facility safe for my child (now children with the twins), keypad entry, camera’s viewing the classrooms, licensed facilitators and caregivers.
Convenience – was the center convenient to my hours, schedule, location, were they accommodating to my needs and those of my children.
Curriculum – did the center provide a curriculum of learning and or child interaction no matter the age to aid in the development of my child.
Cost – the nitty-gritty is that cost is a huge factor in choosing a childcare and or preschool. Even if the cost is low, do the other bullets add up in the equation regarding curriculum or learning, safety, and accreditation, the same can also be said for the higher priced “brand name” and or boutique childcare centers.
Happiness- is my child happy here, am I happy they are here, do the staff interact with my child in a fun and loving fashion, yet educational and assertive to establish healthy boundaries.
While each parent’s decision in choosing a childcare facility and or preschool may vary, the fact of the matter lies in that as parents we choose what is best for our child, children, and our families. Each family varies with their needs, whether they be a special needs learner, a child with allergies, and or our children need a level of interaction to stimulate their learning and childhood experience, the choice in a childcare facility is not one to be made hastily.
Be sure to weigh in on all of the factors when choosing a childcare center, and furthermore, rely on your instincts. While the consideration may sound hooky or even mystical in nature, a parent has a form of sixth sense when considering care, welfare, and well-being of our children. Choose a facility that will work with you, your family and especially your child. For more information, visit your local department of health services to research a childcare facility and their operations and visit Primrose Schools to read about the various options to weigh when researching a childcare facility.What are some considerations you look to when choosing a childcare facility? What sticks out as a sore thumb or red-flag in your decisioning?
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Primrose Schools. While I was compensated for this post, in no way has my opinion, experience, or knowledge been influenced and or biased, but purely an informational post.
Education is such a vital aspect in my family’s home that may be overlooked when considering the health and overall nature of fostering healthy learning. Our worlds are so technologically driven that even the most necessary evils, computers, e-books, and e-learning environments can be damaging or even cause a hindrance for our children’s learning curves.
Luckily my seven, soon to be eight, year old son has not reached the peak of technology based learning for which I am ever so grateful. He is still at the stage of the essential basics for communication both written and oral that will foster healthy learning for his teen and adult years and something I will rally for through those learning years. However, while he is still in his elementary learning in life his dad and I do what we can to create an environment at home that is conducive to his learning and would be parallel to his learning in the educational institution. So each night when he comes home we ask if he has homework, even though we know the answer, we feel that asking him promotes the desire to learn and excel.
When homework is confirmed we like to create a healthy learning environment. Now most parents may think to clean off the table, maybe clean their room as to be free of distractions, maybe turn off the TV, some form of “cleaning” to create a healthy homework environment is perceived by a majority of parents. But as parents to a school aged child, and two more on their way into the educational system, we have found that the healthiest environment is one of consistency. Here are a few tips we offer as parents for creating healthy homework habits for our child(ren):
Homework should be done immediately when they get home from school.
We think that by completing homework right away is the most effective. The material is still fresh in their minds, they have not had the opportunity to decompress from their learnings and thus let this vital knowledge slip away from loose play with friends and or by joining the mass of zombies who log onto video games.
Homework is completed in a quiet and or relaxed environment and or setting.
As a parent to three children, of which is a set of troublesome three year old twins, finding a quiet spot in the house is much like building a rocket to land on Pluto. Fuhghedaboutit! However, we do get the twins involved in the quiet time by asking their big brother to read out loud to them if he has a reading assignment. This is a very healthy habit as he gets into the routine of reading aloud to hear himself say words and learn to speak clearly in front of others. Not to mention the captive audience of a pair of rowdy troublemakers who will learn by example.
Get involved!
Sometimes this is easier said than done with parents. We have busy schedules that are driven by work, kids,extracurricular activities involving the kids, PTO meetings, travel, dinner, and the rigmarole of  everyday life. But if we ask our children, “does your homework involve….(fill in the blank)” whether it be reading, writing, spelling, and or math we are showing that we too care about their homework and their continued learning path and no separation exists between school and home. That the two are congruent with one another. In fact, years of research have shown that when parents are involved in a child’s learning, through homework and school interaction, that children have “Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates, better school attendance, increased motivation, better self-esteem, lower rates of suspension, decreased use of drugs and alcohol, and fewer instances of violent behavior” (Michigan Department of Education: Education.com, 2007). Those reasons alone should be a powerful initiative to get involved with our children and their learning.
Whatever your habits may be, make sure they are healthy for your child’s learning. Kids thrive on routine and positive affirmations. Really their homework time should not be a burden for them or for you. What would you say are some of your family’s healthy homework habits? What would you share with other parents that may foster healthy homework habits that will have a positive effect on their child’s learning?
“THIS IS A SPONSORED POST ON BEHALF OF CLOROX AND WHILE I WAS COMPENSATED FOR THIS POST IN NO WAY DID THE COMPENSATION DETER OR INFLUENCE MY USE OR OPINION SURROUNDING THE USE OF CLOROX PRODUCTS.â€
Proud to say I have detached myself from the mommy blog cancer that explodes rather cyclically with the mud slinging and pettiness. I admit that every now and I again I will hop on Twitter anxious to maintain connections I have made only because I have had the opportunity to interact with some truly amazing women.
But when I log on and see women, acting like little girls, and encompassing their family in their small-minded attacks on trivial life items. The title should tell you what situation I refer. Come on ladies…first it was stay at home versus the working mom…now this?
I suppose a scattered number of posts have gone up on blogs recently regarding HFCS – High Fructose Corn Syrup. Then I saw the attacks go up with women who are stoutly against this food dominating additive.
Then I did some research….and then I had my last laugh.
In particular, I saw a mom try to laden her entire Twitter stream with #organic hash tags and  minutiae and just laughed harder. Why?
Do you see where my bus is rolling? Oh yes, right over the top of the bullshit I caught a whiff of, where a mom and “influencer” made a weak attempt to state that she feeds her family NOTHING but organic. Really?
When did PF Changs and Whip Cream in a can go Big O?
Let’s take a gander at the ingredients of the new PF Chang’s Home Menu haute cuisine that was overlooked in the organic revolution:
Holy heart stopper Batman! Can you read this? If not I can send you some phonics that spells out nothing in this package suggests “organic,” furthermore can you NOT see the sodium levels in just ONE, yes ONE serving of dim sum. Over 65% of your daily allowance in that tasty treat. Excuse me….I must go hurl over the bullshit ingested in that. Oh and the fact that this qualifies under “pre-packaged and boxed meals” only makes me want to shove my wrist in my throat to induce MORE vomiting. Add the ogenated, preservatives, gluten and other miscellaneous non-organic and non-natural items. Hurl-a-licious baby. Makes me want to run out, buy it, eat it, and then lie that I never bought it, ate it, and gained some extra poundage to my weight loss venture. Gag me with a spoon Valley Girl. Seriously that meal could make me bulimic reading the ingredients.
Moving on now to the whip cream in a can. I love this topic, because the same mom boasting #organic like the Dems and their “ObamaCare” had NO IDEA, or maybe she did and she was too much the beguiler. Which yes, I used that word from my mostly online university education you whoreson. Ah, I digress. Task at hand, yes the ingredients of the CANNED whip cream.
So the cream is generally sweetened by…wait for it…wait for it….corn syrup. Please refer back to the first picture so you can see the canned goodness derived from cream and corn syrup.
Proof is in the…err…cream. Copyright of ReddiWhip
There I said it. Now this mother was let me state again, a STOUT Boswell, or better a beguiling backer. She supports without merit. For those still in the 10 year undergraduate program, this is an unsupported citation. Citing information with no merit or with fault. Again, I digress. Regardless, she is pushing the fact that she ONLY, Â yes ONLY goes organic. How can you say you ONLY do organic in your home but then post a picture of your shopping cart that supports high fructose corn syrup in your diet? Because you are full of shit, that is why.
So I beg the question? Why the hell if you are such a strong opponent to high fructose corn syrup and GMO (genetically modified) foods are you eating the strongest offenders of shit in your diet?
Oh did I mention the heart stopping sodium which also leads to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure which also leads to kidney failure among other health issues? Oh and alcohol consumption…did you know there are over 760 calories in one margarita? Drink on ass wipe. It’s not high fructose corn syrup making you fat you fuck, its the margarita and canned whip cream. Why are you going on the offense to attack other mothers who are embracing capitalism at it’s finest by agreeing to sponsored posts on behalf of the Corn Refiners and Mom Central?
Because you think you have a soap box, so let me show you some critically acclaimed information for your soap box next time you get on a rant. Which is clear your Twitter stream of posts about eating junk food, drinking high calorie alcoholic beverages, clear the fact you are a high school drop out, haven’t held a real job in years, and that your real job is as an amateur blogger..yes…I said amateur. Because when you ramble on and contradict yourself, you are a dumb fuck. Period.
If you want to know more about genetically modified foods, organic (which is merely a matter of marketing because at the base of the matter, everything is organic, everything is “organic” matter. In closing, next time you try to step up onto a soap box and preach your higher living be sure to check your soap box is not a steaming pile of bullshit.
Now that the fall school schedule has resumed and our kids are socializing amongst their friends and teachers that they missed over the summer a lurking menace is socializing with our children as well.
GERMS!
Disgusting, sickening germs that our children spread around as they touch things, sneeze, cough, you name it, they touch and spread this menace in the classroom and bring home to the family.
To prevent the spread of germs our teachers request that the students bring in hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. But as a parent, I am rather particular about the disinfecting wipes, cleaners, and products my children use at home. Our family is especially conscious about the environment and the harmful chemicals in some disinfecting and cleaning products. Seventh Generation has an amazing line of cleaning, disinfecting, and paper products for your home that are environmentally friendly and the ingredients are botanically based, on chemically.
For back to school My Blog Spark and Seventh Generation is promoting their line of disinfecting cleaner, wipes, and products for a healthier home, classroom, and to help keep our children healthier while promoting a healthier world to live in by reducing our carbon footprint.
You too can enjoy the fruits of a healthier home on lots of levels by entering to win the prize pack offered by My Blog Spark and Seventh Generation! Here is what your goodies will look like:
To be considered for entry tell me what you do to help prevent the spread of germs with your child and would you like to use a product like Seventh Generation that is both healthier for your home and the environment.
(Comments like “pick me” and “enter me” and “I want to win” will disqualify your comment for entry into the giveaway.)
For complete entry options be sure to check out the rules page for details. Be sure when Tweeting you @SeventhGeneration to show your support!
We all recognize the trademark yellow and green Crayola boxes but Crayola is taking “green” to new measures. Crayola is reducing, reusing, and recycling like a good majority of us are or should be doing.
“As part of Crayola´s ever-evolving green initiative, this back-to-school season, Crayola is making crayons with solar power, markers from recycled bottle caps and colored pencils from reforested wood.
Crayola crayons, markers and colored pencils getting greener is extra good news for parents. You can feel even better about Crayola products because you are supporting a brand that cares very much about kids and the environment and you´ll still get the same great quality and colors at the same price! So while sometimes environmentally-friendly products cost families more green, not so with Crayola” (MyBlogSpark.com, 2010)!
How cool is Crayola when your children reads the specially marked packaging to see that these Crayola products were once bottle caps or that the colored pencils are from reforested wood and not old growth. As parents you can be proud to know you supplied a product for your child that is eco-friendly as well.
Crayola Markers – Thanks to new, innovative ways to manufacture Crayola markers from recycled bottle caps, “black” is the new “green!” Crayola markers will now have black barrels instead of white, which allows for more recycled plastic to be used and gives a second life to more than 1 million pounds of plastic bottle caps. Plus, switching to black barrels keeps hundreds of tons of plastic out of landfills each year. Available in 10-ct. Broadline Classic Colors, 10-ct. Broadline Assorted Colors, 10-ct. Fineline Classic Colors, 8-ct. Washable Broadline and 8-ct. Washable Fineline.
Crayola Green 24-ct. Crayons – The quintessential school supply found in virtually every elementary classroom will be made with the power of the sun. More than 26,200 solar panels will convert sunlight into electricity, generating the energy required to make 1 billion of the 3 billion crayons Crayola makes each year, which equals 60 million 24-ct. boxes. Mother Earth will be smiling down on every forest green, pine green and jungle green crayon that rolls off the assembly line!
Crayola Green Colored Pencils – Committed to protecting the rain forests since 1987, all Crayola colored pencils have been made from reforested wood instead of wood sourced from tropical rainforest or endangered species. For every tree used, a new tree of the same species is planted. The 12-, 24-, 36-, and 50-ct. boxes of Crayola Colored Pencils will be among the first to carry the “Eco-Evolution” callout on their packaging. (MyBlogSpark & Crayola, 2010)
As parents we want to set an example and what better example, than by purchasing products that inspire and promote a healthier world and environment and future for our children.
But if you haven’t bought your kids supplies yet, or you want an extra stash at home for weekend crafts and coloring, leave a comment telling me how you may be recycling, reducing,or reusing like Crayola. The folks at Crayola and My Blog Spark are kind enough to provide our family and yours with this prize pack to enjoy.
(Remember leaving a comment of “I want to win”, “Enter me”, “Gimme” or anything other than the above, your comment will be deleted)
You can find additional entry options here, and be sure to follow Crayola on Twitter and Like or Fan them on Facebook.
A lot of moments in a child’s life can be considered proud parental moments but none so bright as watching your child evolve. When I had Grant I was a full time career woman, basically a child was extracurricular for me at the time. Call it status quo of life, having a child at 25 was something I was suppose to do and internally I had this drive, a desire to be a mother. I did not quite grasp the motherhood warm and fuzzy until Big G was about three. The Chad and I experienced a lot of emotional and trying ups and downs early into Grant’s life; with living in a nice but cramped Scottsdale apartment as we waited for our home to sell in Albuquerque so that we could buy another home here in Arizona, putting a dog down, losing employment, gaining employment, having a child, moving again, getting pregnant again (with twins) and losing the pregnancy, losing employment again, gaining employment again. We went through a lot so we were busy trying to be the responsible adults and basically in survival mode to care for our child that I did not get to stop and say, “Hey I am a mom, my child is unbelieveable.”
I finally was able to experience that warm fuzzy, the emotional wave of the real connection of motherhood only after our turmoils, only after I received the opportunity to stay at home with Grant and work out of the house. My baby boy was sent to daycare at the ripe age of seven weeks. I missed almost everything, but experienced and learned a lot. I look back now and am sad that our life circumstances were such, but I do not carry any regret just a pain in my heart that I know will be healed over time. But I had my moment where I watched my boy play and smile, cause trouble and push the envelope of what was allowed in our home and I was awe struck. Dumbfounded at best. I could spend all day with him, uninterrupted, raw, precious.
He is my child. I gave birth to him. No aliens will be back to take him home. He is not leaving, he’s all mine, to love and guide through life. To watch him fall down and get up, to watch him follow his dreams, to gaze upon him and he in turns looks at me to embrace me with the largest hug his small arms can muster and say:
“I wub joo mama”
I have watched him as he has evolved in his young life. I will watch him as he continues to evolve, grow and mature into a wonderfully brilliant young man. From the day he was born I knew he was brilliant. Not because of his father and I (although we do make damn fine children), but he has a spark like that of a growing star. His spark will one day reach a super nova and revolve in that state for all eternity as I do not see his brilliance overtaking him. But in the last few years I have really watched him change and become his own person.
So today was like any other day with the exception of a parent teacher conference. I chalked this visit to be like the rest, minus The Chad again as he is traveling for business. Upon walking into this meeting though I did have a new feeling, the warm and fuzzy that has swept me before, came in waves again. I began to recall Grant through the various stages of his life. From the bean sized shadow on a black and white ultrasound printout, an infant, an adventurous tot, and now he is a young boy, almost a young man with his demeanor.
One day I felt I woke up and he was this magnificent creature who has a wide and wondrous mind that sees no boundaries in his fellow man. Each carries the same features and abilities as he, ever accepting, ever loving, and he treats everyone as an equal. I am speechless to watch him interact, his bold blindness as if he were Eve prior to the apple debacle. The meeting commenced and when they told me of his educational brilliance I felt another wave, deeper than the one before. I could not believe the accomplishments of my child. Math, addition and subtraction, graphing, time and money, grammar and grammatical tenses, reading books at the first and second grade levels and progressing rapidly. My eyes began to well and I fought back the tears. I fought my feelings in the middle of a mundane, seemingly average parent teacher conference.
Tears of grief for the fact that I am slowly losing more and more time with my boy as he becomes a man. I want nothing more than to hold him tight to take in as much as I can during the ever fast moving continuum of time. Soaking in everything as I watch as the gears turn and lights click with him. Of course my tears of joy at his singular accomplishments. While I know I am his mother, and his father and I have played an intricate role at home, I know he is on his own. I am not there to hold his hand but I gave him tools and he is creating a masterpiece. For which I will always be his biggest fan, ever so proud of him in everything he does from his most prestigious accomplishments to the most dolt fall backs, he amazes me still and forever. I also know that your brother and sister are so lucky to have you as an older brother. I am so proud of you.
OfficeMax developed a program in 2007 that helps erase teacher funded classroom, that program is called “A Day Made Better,” Office Max teamed with Adopt-A-Classroom to aid teachers for supplies for classrooms. This program is so much more than just donations for a teacher, this is to help enrich the lives of our children and is a tremendous movement. For more information go HERE.
I got involved with A Day Made Better and Office Max by participating in the Girls Night Out on Twitter with Jyl Pattee of MomItForward. I have to say that was a great party! But on top of the Twitter party, I had the opportunity to go party for a teacher with Kelly Loubet. Have you met Kelly? If not, you should! She is a heck of a woman with a big heart, a fellow Arizonan, Phoenician, and blogger..ya herd! She is helping her daughter’s kindergarten teacher, who was nominated, to enjoy A Day Made Better!
On Saturday October 3rd Kelly held a soiree at Scrap Happy Sisters in Glendale so we could “scrap it up” in, what I have to say is the coolest scrapbooking store EVA eat some YUMMY Organic pizza from ZPizza, guzzle gallons of water and wine, and have a great time for a great cause! But don’t let me ruin the good time for you! Be sure to go Tweet up Kelly and read her story over at Whrrl!
Thanks so much Kelly, I had a great time at the party (and our super cool after-party at Applebees) and I am glad I could help be a part of your Adopt-A-Classroom and A Day Made Better with OfficeMax!
BIG THANKS to Office Max and Adopt-A-Classroom to help erase teacher funded classrooms!
Can you name any brand of toy that is synonymous with playing and learning? I know the first one that always comes to my mind is Fisher Price. What I did not know is that Fisher Price has been making quality toys since the 1930s, did you know that? I know I did not, but I knew that Fisher Price was and is the first choice of toys for my kids.
Recently the great ladies (and gents) of Mom Select contacted moms (moi) about reviewing Fisher Price’s infant toys. I know my kids would be perfect since they are in that toddler demolition derby mode, so let my kids really put the products to the test. The two great items we received to review are the Laugh and Learnâ„¢Learning Farm and the Go-Baby-Goâ„¢Stride-to-Rideâ„¢Lion.
When the packages arrived you would have thought my kids were going to lose their minds! Big G was still at school, but I tell you the twins were going crazy! They saw all the pretty colors on the packaging (great marketing folks!) and they knew immediately that these packages were for them. I wasted no time as I was about to be mamed by two little people if I did not get on the ball with putting these toys together.
I tackled the ride-on lion first and Little Bitty was losing her silly little mind because guess what moms and dads……he sings! Yes. He has great sing songs, his nose lights up, and he roars! Adorable. So Little Bitty entertained herself with the lion head while I put the scooter (sit and ride) seat together, which is super easy! I think all in all maybe 12 screws to hold everything altogether. I snapped and screwed it altogether pretty fast…but clearly not fast enough for a couple of 19 month old twins who were slapping each other to get to it. As you can see….Bitty snagged her position on the lion ASAP…she is wiry for such a little girl! I think she is a bit snarky like mom too! (*wink…thats for you Carissa!)
Next we moved onto the farm. I tell you….that farm is truly a farm of a toy to put together. I did need to read the directions a bit to make sure everything was copacetic for the put together, had a few more pieces and handling pieces for the kids for sensory learning. However, the twins were not having that. I could see their little feet tapping….waiting….impatiently for me to give them the mind blowing toy of the century that sings, has a radio dial….YES…A Radio Dial! Lots of learning songs from ABC’s to the 123’s, hand toys like vegetables to feed the cow, and eggs laid by the chicken. I wasted no time installing the electronics as I needed to calm some crazed gnomes fast! Whew, sing songs…we’re all good!
Yes, that is my Seth-En-Stein and his white boy dancing. Isn’t he just the cutest? Rock ON Seth!
By this time Grant was home from school. I was happy to find that even a kindergartener was enjoying the new toy and learning options, plus the songs are great for kids no matter the age.
I have to tell you that the learning farm is a HUGE hit in our home. The barn gate is a big winner too…Seth is seriously OCD about doors so he has great time opening and closing that. In addition to all the fun hands on learning, the kids will learn about shapes, colors, weather (I know…forgot to mention the radio has weather), animals, and as I mentioned before letters and numbers.
The lion is also a GREAT toy for my kids, they are at the age where riding toys are fun and are great for learning coordination and balance. Especially if they are using the lion like my kids do….as a step stool to snag stuff off the counters. DO NOT TRY!! I could not bear to snap a photo as I was sure someone would end up in the ER, so I had to prevent the lion from being used in such a manner. But when the lion is not a ride on toy he can be used as a walker for those just beginning to get their footing and learning to walk.
What I get to share with you!!
So with all my babble about Fisher Price and these FABULOUS toys that my kids will enjoy for years as will other children, I will enjoy sharing this fabulous offer with you to save $20 on your purchase of $100 or more of Fisher Price’s Laugh & Learnâ„¢ and/or Go Baby Go!â„¢ Infant Toys. But I cannot claim all the credit, the lovely ladies (and gents…I didn’t forget!) of MomSelect are sharing this with me to share with you! Be sure to go HERE to get your savings good in stores only for Fisher Price toys.
Thank you again Mom Select, Maria Bailey, Amy Sobel, and Fisher Price!
I have a few posts here lately where I referenced my HUGE and seriously I mean HUGE accomplishment of completing my college education. Some people are like “Yeah whatever, good for you” while others I can see are my cheering fans, armed will bullhorns and pom poms (yeah…you know who you are!! Muwah!).
So here is the deal. A lot of people, moms especially, who, like me, did not have the opportunity to attend a traditional four year college right out of the high school gate. I was awarded a scholarship to the University of Arizona for academics. Quite the honor actually, the scholarship was for high honors in academics and I was only one of a small handful of students to receive the award (I had to maintain a 3.50 GPA in college to keep the scholarship). I was even accepted to Columbia University as well, another high honor. But each instance yielded a problem as an 18 year old kid….MONEY! My folks did not have any and I for sure did not have any making a meager $4.35 an hour for minimum wage back in the day. Plus my part time hours really did not provide any sort of paycheck, except one that did help me pay for gas for my car and my personal necessities and meals when working.
I suffered. Not knowing any different other than I had such a high amount of envy for those who did get to go to a traditional four year college. Those who got to enjoy the “college” experience and lifestyle. I went straight into the work force, I moved out of state, away from the comforts of my family. I had to grow up and not enjoy the young lifestyle everyone else was enjoying.
Not so bad actually since I met a LOT and I mean a LOT of business contacts in my young life, plus a very strong work ethic and impressive resume for my age. When I was 20 I bought my first house and was a finance manager for a large Dodge dealership in Albuquerque. By the time I was 25 I had bought another house with DH in Mesa, sold the house in Albuquerque (which meant we were NEVER going back…WAHOO), and I was working as a loan officer in mortgage firm in north Scottsdale. I had Big G by this time so pretty impressive to continue to work with a new baby. In 2004, the same year we bought and sold our houses DH graduated from college. He had done the whole college experience at UNM and was a fraternity brother alumni (Sigma Chi). But he did the experience like a lot of other kids who had a full paid opportunity by mom and dad…..partied. In 2000 he went back to school for his IT degree, completed in 2004 after moving, taking some time off for personal reasons, etc. So in 2005 I felt my time had come. We agreed when he was done I could go back. And so I did.
I called the University of Phoenix, just like he did and applied. Not knowing your application is accepted immediately I was in! In September of 2005 I began my classes online.
Let me clarify that online is not the easiest way to go to class. I truly thought at the time, online was going to be a breeze. I even sold DH on the idea. Little did I know that THREE LONG HARD years and two kids later what an undertaking going to school, and online school would be.
I had to post to my class 4 out of 7 days a week. This is really harder than it sound when you are working or even at home with kids. Homework. At least two papers a week, one individual and one team paper. Nights, dinners, weekends were sacrificed for the good of my work team to complete a team paper before Monday and to complete my own personal paper.
I had to on some days and nights force myself to log on to class. The days and nights that I wanted to blog. I wanted to sit and read a REAL book and not some boring text book on research and statistics. I had to neglect my home that much longer so that I could log into class, work on my homework, post to discussion questions, and participate with my learning team. Online gave me the option to not log in I felt like it, to avoid class, I did not “physically” have to be present.
But I did.
I went to class almost every night to ensure I had plenty of participation. I did all of my papers. Painstakingly. Reading all my text books, Google was my friend, DH’s old text books were a savior to help in sticky situations. I did it. Three years, eight months, and four days, a twin pregnancy, a mental break down (that’s another post), and a career later I finally finished my college education. A college education I thought I would never receive. A high honor of my personal sacrifice, the sacrifice of my family, my home, my livelihood. I did it.
I was proud to say on my graduation day that, “I am a Phoenix.”
I used to be afraid to say that I went to the University of Phoenix, but now I am proud. I sport my degree like a big fat piece of bling! I had to cram as much information into five weeks as other students did into 18 weeks at a standard university. I was forced to work with people who were not always pleasant, but because of the UoP structure I had to finish assignments with them, stick it out, work through any conflicts and disagreements.
I now sit here today looking into my horizon of (student loans) my future. I have met one of my thousands and millions of goals and dreams. My next…..my Jurisdoctorate. To be awarded my doctorate degree. To add Esquire, to my name suffix. To practice law in the way I know how to practice law, with my finance experience, contracts, and to uphold the law. I know I can do it, I will do it, I will not let anything stop me or get in my way. I will not use excuses. I did not use excuses before, even though I had plenty. I did not let anything get in my way, even though I did have stuff to get in my way (twin pregnancy, work, married life, kids, myself).
Any of you that have considered going back to school but say, “I’m too old”, “I don’t have the money”, “I don’t have the time” these are excuses. I was afraid. I was terrified. But I conquered my fear in the first class and from then on smooth sailing. Sure I have lots of student loans, but who cares. Can you really put a price on an education? I know I can’t.
Go out and do it. Research what program, what school works for you. Do not let your fears or your self get in the way of what you really want. Talk to an academic advisor, I can give you the name of mine. She was fantastic! She called me with every class telling me how much closer I was to completion and rooting me on through the process.
Just know that goals and dreams can come true and don’t limit yourself to just a single dream or goal, make lots of them, small and large, and don’t let anyone tell you dreams don’t come true.
As a much indebted college graduate I can share my woes of financial burden and hardship of my college years were spent wasting away in the words and higher learning’s of textbooks. The ever dreaded and might I add bank breaking textbook. Nowadays there are lots of options and alternatives to purchasing textbooks for money savings and recycling.
Talk about two for one with saving money on college textbooks, but your funds are further being used to support a great cause. Don’t just take my word for it, take a gander and try out Campus Book Rentals for more information on saving money while in college.
OfficeMax developed a program in 2007 that helps erase teacher funded classroom, that program is called “A Day Made Better,” Office Max teamed with Adopt-A-Classroom to aid teachers for supplies for classrooms. This program is so much more than just donations for a teacher, this is to help enrich the lives of our children and is a tremendous movement. For more information go HERE.
