Hindsight Being 20/20...

...there are many things I would do differently - particularly with my undergraduate experience. I don't necessarily regret the choices I made but I might have sought out more opportunities and/or done some more digging to take advantage of what my alma mater had to offer.

These opportunities that I read about online at Kettering University are an example. I wish there had been opportunities like this when I was in college or if there WAS that I had known about them! LOL

I graduated with my degree from a Big Ten university in a program that was nationally accredited for that particular field and I held ONE job doing it after graduation and found I didn't like it.

But, Kettering provides a co-op program that begins as soon as a student is admitted. No more waiting until one's junior year to begin major classes. Students rotate them between school and their co-op job alternating every 3 months to gain practical experience right from the beginning. Freshmen are out in the work place immediately figuring out the field they're interested in, getting experience, and building the necessary skills to be a leader in their chosen area.

That co-op idea would obviously be one of the reasons Kettering ranked number one again in U.S. News & World Report as one of their 2008 America's best colleges for their Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering program. Their engineering co-cop programs include not only the number one but also the number three program in mechanical engineering.

If you have a kid (or ARE a kid) considering Kettering, you might want to give their site a look-see.

Outreach Blog Style

What an interesting approach for outreach...creating blog posts! Spreading the word via Christian bloggers. The Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina is looking to create a buzz.

This nearly 60 year old church which was started on Mothers Day 1947 and now boasts over 1500 members. I'm thrilled to see that amount of missions work they do and I'm impressed by the size of their education department. They even have Philip Yancey (author of "What's So Amazing About Grace?" and "Where Is God When It Hurts") as "heritage lecturer".

So if you are looking at churches in Greenville SC area and are of the Presbyterian persuasion, perhaps check them out!

Flicka's Future Photography Fun

I read in our local paper yesterday that the consumer market for digital cameras is saturated. According to Ritz Camera, they were the #1 requested electronics gift for the 2006 holiday season. So, what's an industry to do? Let the marketing begin to a new demographic: kids! LOL

Apparently, as my mom was packing it up to leave Saturday after a visit, Flicka and she were discussing the next time we'd see them - around Christmas. And, Flicka (in a typical three-year-old fashion) suddenly burst out with the fact that she's wants a camera of her own.

Now, I've mentioned here before Flicka's seeming obsession with our camera. I've even posted a few of her masterpieces for Wordless Wednesday. I also entered her in a contest for photos from a kid's perspective. So, it has been established that she has an eye like her daddy for a good shot.

So, my mom (being the excellent grandma she is) promptly goes home, goes through the Sunday advertisements, and finds three kid cameras on sale this week! LOL (I come by frugal shopping naturally!) She calls and asks which one do we think would work best. Included in her list is one of these digital cameras from Ritz.

Talk about the marketing folks earning their keep! Even the front lens area of the Disney camera looks like Mickey! LOL

So, DaHubby and I hashed things out over the specs of each one and, yes, Flicka will be receiving her very own camera some time in the next 30 days! LOL

Hey, someone is gonna have to be responsible for taking all the photos of the future! *wink* And, some day if she keeps it up I may actually show up in a few family photos since I won't always be the only behind the camera anymore!

For the Christian trendsetter...

...who also likes free stuff! LOL

ChatterJam.com is a new website for folks interested in about-to-be-released faith-based products. The idea sounds much like what the bigger "mommy blogs" get to do: they send you cool, new faith-based product for free and you get to review it. Then, either the feedback goes back to the manufacturers for improvements or out to the public to spread the word and create the ever-important "buzz."

So, if you think of yourself as someone who would like to be ahead of the curve of what's new, hot, or cool in faith-based products, consider signing up for ChatterJam.com.

I confess...

...I'm a closet history buff who can't WAIT to spring all this date-y goodness on DaHubby and the Vikings! *tee-hee*

Was cruisin' PayPerPal and found a company that does multiple walking tours in several cities in the U.S.. DaHubby and I have talked for years about how badly I want to take him to Washington D.C.. I went once in high school and have been dying to get back there since.

And, one of the reasons I've been interested in homeschooling was to be able to do traveling to historical site (preferably off season! LOL) and explored them in depth when the Vikings are old enough.

But, this company has some really cool walking, biking, and mass transit tours with some awesome historical significance. While I live within 90 minutes of most of Trusted Tours' Chicago tours, these Charleston tours caught my eye immediately. Particularly the one called "The Patriots of Charleston Tour."

While I wish it was more affordable (it would be $74 for a two hour tour once both Vikings were 8 yrs old), how cool is it that we would see the Old Exchange Building and hear about the three native South Carolinians who signed the Declaration of Independence?

So, at what point do kids first learn about Charleston and/or the Revolutionary War? Hmmm...

Christmas shopping already? *sigh*

Yes, it's true. Christmas is only 82 days from now. But, that also means it's only 11 paydays between now and then. And, one thing I'm learning about recently is planning w-a-y ahead for big purchases.

So, yes, I admit, I've already selected and received a Cmas gift via Ebay with thanks to my online earnings from blogging. A certain member of this household is addicted to all things Leap Frog and Tad-oriented so a small Leap Frog item is now resting comfortably on the top shelf of my kitchen panty.

But, the internet is SERIOUSLY gearing up for the holidays already and CouponChief.com is no exception.

I've mentioned these folks before as a place where I search for online coupons, deals, sales, etc. They are adding new ones each day. So in the interest of my Cmas planning and hopefully in the interest of yours as well, I thought I'd list a few.

I had to laugh when I was looking for deals on things I could use for homeschooling and found some Edmunds Scientific deals that look like they'd make a better gift for DaHubby than for the Vikings! LOL

And, being the bibliophile I am and one that hopes to pass along this trait to the Vikings, I'm interested in how I could use these Scholastic Books coupons for items for Pojke and Flicka.

So, if you are an online shopper and if you're even close to being ready to consider your Cmas shopping yet, give those links a look see!

What did we do before...

...digital photography? LOL

Of course I have photos from my family going back 60+ years. And, I have black and white photos taken with my first camera when I was about 8. And, I took many, many, MANY photos with my little 35mm camera during high school, college, and beyond.

But, now as a parent, can I *really* be all that shocked by MSNBC's claim earlier this month that kids now are the most documented generation EVER!? LOL

DaHubby and I often moan when one (or both) of the Vikings do something particularly cute that we don't have a digital video camera. If it was up to him and money wasn't an issue, we'd have a camera that did every but wash my dishes! LOL

So, we document e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g with our little digital camera...not wanting to miss a thing.

I had my little 35mm the weekend DaHubby and I met...and I "snuck" a pic of him to take home with me! LOL Then, more pics at our wedding, of course, a year later. We took a ton of pictures on our multi-hour drive to Ohio to pick up our brand new Corgi puppy from the breeder in 2001. Vacations. Holidays. And, the ever-present beautiful vistas which come with living in a town on the shores of Lake Michigan.

But, since the Vikings have arrived...it's become an almost uncontrollable thing! LOL On our recent trip to northern Michigan, the digital camera record photo #9575! That's nearly TEN THOUSAND pics in the last 4 years! LOL

No wonder MSNBC claims parents are drowning in photos! *wink*

Thus, the rise in the market of scrapbooking and its accompanying supplies. Creative Memories. Close To My Heart. Businesses who business is helping us DO something with all those pics! I'm a minor victim or that as well. LOL Then, the creation of online scrapbooking - which I haven't tried just yet!

But, I did stumble onto a website via PayPerPost that might stir some creativity in those who DO online scrapbook. Ritz Camera is a name I recognize from around here - they have stores locally as well as where my family is in the Detroit area. What I didn't know is that they maintain a page full of scrapbook page ideas.

So, for those of you drowning in photos like I am, there's another resource to give us a reason to put off housework for a few more minutes! LOL Enjoy!

Still dreaming of the day...

..when I might actually need this! LOL

Was clicking through PayPerPost this morning and found a new business that wants to help bloggers set up an email newsletter for their readers...free! It's an email application that supposed to increase traffic to your site if you are interested in that sort of thing.

I'm not sure if any of the "mega-mommy-bloggers" stop in here or that any of MY readers are interested in something this "tech advanced" but this site initially sounds awesome in terms of what it can do for someone trying to get the word out about their blog and staying in touch with those who read it.

According to Zookoda, they can help you with what they call email marketing by managing email newsletter subscribers, enhancing a blog with custom newsletter subscription forms, designing eye-catching newsletters to match a blog's design, scheduling recurring broadcasts for each day, week or month, viewing real-time open, bounce, click and unsubscribe reports, and accessing mobile users by emailing blog content in text format.

This company seems to feel that have an RSS feed is not sufficient enough notice to subscribers that you've posted something new. Instead, they will help you create a professional looking email newsletter and instead of waiting for your subscribers to "pull" the feeds to tell them you've posted anew, this will notify them via email to come by your bloggy home and check things out.

This might be a little advanced for this corner of the mommy blogosphere but might be useful to someone looking to increase their readership enough to participate in placing advertisements or other money-generating options on their blog.

A Travel Resource for Someone?

Was clicking through PayPerPost this morning and found what could be a good resource for someone looking for a travel agency which specializes in overseas adoption and missionary travel fares.

Golden Rule Travel claims that "most of our advertising comes by way of recommendations from satisfied clients." And, they also have several links to pages of testimonial letters as well as being recommended by New Hope Christian Service International Adoptions (YouCanAdopt.org) , Sunshine Adoption, Inc, and Frost International Adoptions

And, they state that they employ four former missionaries, a pastor, a Bible college instructor, and a former child-care worker - all dedicated Christians - so a customer is getting someone who knows what it’s all about for a traveling believer.

So, if this is a service you or someone you know might need, feel free to pass it along.

I Love a Good Clearance Sale!

Was poking around through PayPerPost and saw an opportunity to talk about coupon codes and getting good deals online. As a complete sucker for all things clearance and on sale, I did some further investigation! LOL

Through this site, KeepCash.com, you can find a small variety of coupon codes, deals, and online coupons like other sites. But, look at this DEAL I found!!

One of KeepCash.com deals right now is with TimeLife. Not normally a merchant I jump up and down about. *wink* Aren't they the ones that get all the old, washed-up rock singers and Brady Bunch stars to wax nostalgic for the 70's? LOL But, my subscription for Time magazine is up for renewal so I thought I'd see if there were any subscription discounts to be had.

Time Life's clearance rack right now includes Cedarmont Kids DVD's for $4.99! Wow! My longtime fave for low-cost Christian anything is usually Christian Book Distributors but even THEIR sale price for some Cedarmont stuff is running around $8.99 for the same DVD.

Apparently, KeepCash.com is updated daily - it even has an RSS feed! LOL Not THAT'S frugal-ness at an extreme! LOL

So, if you are interested in Cedarmont stuff or maybe Raffi or "100 Classics for Kids," go check out KeepCash.com for their links to some great deals!

Small Posts, Full Pockets

I haven't broadcast it much but I participate with PayPerPost. I usually post those on the weekends since I've felt moderate guilty about having "advertising" or paid stuff on my blog. LOL

PayPerPost maintains a list of opportunities from advertisers who hope you will check out their objects- or services-for-sale and help create a "buzz" about them by blogging about them.

I saw PayPerPost's ad on another blog. It is definitely not a Christian-only site but there are several ways to find posts suitable for sites I like to frequent. Plus, assuming the free market system works as it's designed, if folks take enough of the non-racy opportunities then there may be more to pick from in the future! LOL

My goal was to snag one a week. I haven't met that goal but it wasn't from a lack of opportunities. And, even though I haven’t kept pace with my goal, I’ve made enough pocket change to keep my PayPal account “pudgy” with funds which helps feed my Ebay addiction! LOL

I also have used those “nickels and dimes” for fundraisers like this and this. It was wonderful knowing I had that little extra padding outside the household budget to give to those causes.

Ideally, the money was to be used for homeschooling supplies for this fall. However, with that plan temporarily on hold, that money is just sittin’ there waiting for the next Ebay deal to strike! LOL

If you are interested in an opportunity like this, check on this site at PayPerPost and poke around. Even if you don't have a blog, they'll help you out! You might find it’ll work for you!

Speaking of Summer Reading...

As a former language arts teacher, can I say Scholastic and their online store rocks!? LOL Their book clubs and my participating students helped me create an amazing array of FREE books for a classroom library in about 2-3 years. They bend over backwards to make the process of getting books to a child and getting a child to read the easiest I've seen.

So I was thrilled when I found an online coupon codes from Coupon Chief for Scholastic Books where if you buy four books, the fifth is FREE! And, I always like FREE! *wink* And, be sure to check out their "outlet store" tab on their webpage. Another possibility is the 94 gift suggestions under $15! Wa-hoo! I smell a bargain!

Coupon Chief also has coupon codes for Amazon (feel free to use my link in the right column to go there since I'll make a few pennies if you do! LOL), Audible.com (audio books for an iPod, for example), and Half.com (a good place to find used textbooks for the fall).

So, go! Hurry! Find some wordy goodness you like...but, for goodness sake, don't pay full price! *wink*

Passing Along a Curriculum Deal I Found

As I've mentioned before, I'm planning a bit of a "homeschool preschool experiment" for this fall for Flicka. I figure we'd give it a try before I'm actually accountable to explain to someone that I'm keeping her home! LOL Anyway, everyone I've spoken to has been fantastic and FULL of ideas. However, it has left me swimming in possibilities.

There's setting up a place, materials, curriculum, amount of time, etc. The curriculum possibilities alone are enormous. One I've checked recently that has come highly recommended is Alpha Omega Publications. I investigated their site and not only are they currently advertising 15% off all curriculum purchases in May but I found coupon codes via Pay Per Post for a site called Couponchief.com for free shipping from AO on purchases over $200.

I'm not quite ready to purchase anything just yet. So, while I sort through what will work for us, I thought I'd pass this along to any of you in the market for new curriculum. To find this code, click here, select the "baby, kids, and toys" category in the left column, then scroll down on the next page to the section that lists "all stores" and Alpha Omega is listed first.

God's blessings!

Why Do Guys Get All the Cool Gadgets?

I know envy is a bad thing. But, good grief!

Let me explain: thanks to Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie, I've been a cleaning and organizing fool and apparently it's rubbed off on Da Hubby. Let's just say that for the first time in the two years we've lived here, one could walk into our garage (which never holds our cars...who puts cars in the garage?! *wink*), put one's arms out and spin in a circle and not hit or knock over anything! LOL The cleaning bug bit the whole family!

Back to the point...I stumbled onto a webpage through a link at Pay Per Post that sells garage storage and organization tools for "car guys"...but, MAN, could I have a few of these?? LOL Baskets that hang from walls - wouldn't this work well in a laundry room? Wish I'd had one of THESE in my classroom when I taught full time! LOL And, I'm sure I could come up with a use for this can storage shelf somewhere in my home.

Well, OK, this overhead storage thing would be cool for Da Hubby too.

Anyway, I guess I'll have to settle for the Motorola Bluetooth ear piece that arrived yesterday (which is identical to Da Hubby's) from Ebay! *wink* At least now, while I'm cleaning and organizing, I won't have to worry about dropping my phone off my shoulder and into a sink of dish water!

Bloggers' Choice Awards

OK, I promise...I'm not on some posting binge. LOL Just because I’ve posted like 4 entries a day yesterday and today…I’m just catching up…really!

But, I was just surfing through the opportunities at PayPerPost and saw that they are starting a Blogger's Choice Awards. Wanting all those blogs that I frequent to be properly recognized (especially if it entails getting more traffic for believers' sites), I scanned the categories.

Many of them didn’t appeal to me. I guess I’m naïve but “Hottest Mommy Blogger” and “Most Obnoxious Blogger” aren’t something that I’m actually looking to nominate someone for! LOL

However, there are other categories like Best Religion Blog, Best Parenting Blog, and Best Humor Blog, which would definitely be more like the categories I’m interested in.

So, I signed up for an account and promptly nominated Everyday Mommy for best design (she’s done design for a living don’t ya’ know!), Confessions of a Pioneer Woman for best photography (have you SEEN what the woman can do with a camera, Photoshop, and her hugely cute family?), and Blogging Basics 101 (Chili’s and Shannon’s venture into explaining all this bloggy-mess to us beginners) for best blog about blogging.

So, if this is something that is up your alley, head over to these web awards. Vote for my nominees or create some of your own!

The Many Talents of Dogs!

We've all heard of drug dogs...sniffing their way through traffic stops and airports. And, we have all probably seen a service dog of one type or another - for someone who is sight-impaired or has a mobility issue. I've even seen a segment on TV about a cancer-sniffing dog who makes a loop around a low-to-the-floor examining table to smell for melanomas. But here's an application of a canine's scent ability I've never heard of - mold sniffing!

This site from New Jersey mold detection business uses “Hunter” to “detect and locate the source of mold growth by detecting the gasses (MVOC’s) mold growth gives off.” By Hunter locating the source, there is less damage done to areas of your home than if they had to pop holes in walls and such “tracing” the visible mold back to a source. The EPA is even advocating this since it has been shown that dogs can smell compounds at 1 part per billion!

How cool is that? Sounds like something that should be on one of Shannon’s Works For Me Wednesday posts!

What Will I Do With "All" The Money?

As a SAHM, I often worrying for the weight my hubby carries by supporting our whole household. He works so hard. And, I wish I could ease his burden somewhat, even if in a little way. Unfortunately, I also like to do cool things with and buy nice things for Flicka and Pojke. In addition, I was planning on starting homeschooling Flicka this fall and I’ve been pricing curriculum! And, it’s not always cheap!

So, I’ve been searching for ways that blogs could generate some income. There’s advertising of all sort. There are affiliate programs. Unfortunately, unless you have a blog with traffic numbers at are already relatively high, these bring in very little additional notice or money.

Then, I saw someone doing Payperpost. Initially, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea. Most of the opportunities aren’t something I’d want to post about, especially when I saw all the “check out our credit cards” and dating site posts. But, occasionally there are a few (like this one) where I can post and earn some pocket change to boot. You gotta love that!

So, with the $5-10 bucks a week I’m hoping to make over the summer, that will hopefully add up to about $100 for materials and initial curriculum for September!

Have You Seen This Yet?

As one who is always interested in a bargain, I was poking around online and found a site with pretty good coupon codes. Have you checked out CouponChief.com yet? I found it through my Payperpost account. I’m not much of a shopper right now due to some strained finances but some of these deals are too good not to pass along. I actually found good coupon codes through a CouponChief.com link to a great $5 kids' sale at Family Christian Bookstores. Unfortunately, the sale ends tomorrow so there isn't a wide selection remaining but for anyone interested in some $5 Christian DVD's, CD's and other stuff, go check it out!