Call Me The Bag Lady

No, you aren't seeing things. This isn't a duplicate of my prior post. You know how I previously said that DaySpring is giving money to Adopt-A-Classroom for each blog post and Facebook note? Well, they aren't the only ones. So is Elmer's - up to $10,000.  That's a LOT of money. And since it's for a good cause, I might as well spend a few minutes to ensure another $10 goes into the till for Adopt-A-Classroom.

Just like before, all it takes is a post or a comment by you to help this worthy cause. I'm doing my part by posting right here. If you feel like it's an intrusion, I apologize but it's for charity... on someone else's dime and I'm totally okay with that. Of course, since I know a few people who I think would help with this project, I'm calling them out! Julee and Marismom... think you can spare a minute to help with the virtual bag-it-forward program?

And YOU. Yes, YOU. If you have a few minutes, you can help too. Here's all you need to do:

ELMER’S VIRTUAL BAG IT FORWARD RULES
* Copy and paste these rules into your blog post or Facebook note.
* Create a post giving a “virtual bag of school supplies” to other bloggers or write about your Back to School shopping trip at Walmart.
* Link back to the person who gave you a bag of school supplies.
* Let each person you are giving a virtual bag of school supplies know you have given them a bag.
* Leave your link in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward comment section. You can also find the official rules of this virtual #bagitforward program there.
* Elmer’s is donating $10 for each blog participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $10,000 for blog posts written by September 10,2010).
* Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation.

So there you have it. That's all there is to it.  $10 for Adopt-A-Classroom, thanks to Elmer's.  I'm starting to feel like a bag lady with all these bags I'm giving away!

Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post other than the donation being made by Elmer's on my behalf. My name will be put in a drawing for a chance to win a computer.

Purpose - An Important Thing to Learn

Last month, in preparation for back-to-school, we had the opportunity to participate in a service campaign for DaySpring, the faith-based division of Hallmark. Essentially we received a stipend to purchase a backpack full of supplies for a family who might be having trouble affording school supplies for their school-bound child.   Here's a sampling from my post:

From the time I was in sixth grade until I graduated from college, I attended a Catholic school. Through high school, we had dress codes so that all kids have a foundation of equality.

Equality. It's an important thing to learn.

We had rules there that we didn't have when I was at a public school. In 6th-8th grade, when the principal came to the classroom door, we were required to stand beside our desks and greet him. "Good morning, Father (principal)." When he responded, we were allowed to sit back down and resume our studies.

Respect. It's an important thing to learn.

I remember a lot about those years because it was so different than what we did at the public school. We started each day with a prayer and the Pledge.

Faith and allegiance. Important things to learn.

I'm not going to rehash the project but ask that you please read my post at SahmReviews.com highlighting how important it is to have purpose in our lives.

I was provided a stipend to participate and completed the task with great pride in my children. Aside from the charitable shopping trip campaign, DaySpring also has a public campaign running that includes a Virtual Bag-it-Forward. Something that everyone, people like you, can help with. And it doesn't cost you anything. DaySpring has agreed to donate up to $5,000 to Adopt-a-Classroom and all it takes is people like you going "Back-to-School with Purpose" by supplying a virtual bag of school supplies.

Huh? A what?

Seriously, it's easy. For each blog or Facebook note that is created for the Back-to-School with Purpose campaign, DaySpring will donate $10. All you need to do is write a Facebook note or a blog post that includes the following details:

DAYSPRING’S BACK TO SCHOOL WITH PURPOSE BLOG CAMPAIGN RULES:
* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
* Create a blog post or Facebook note about what it means to you to go Back to School WithPurpose and identify others who you feel are Living With Purpose in their lives – you can recognize as many individuals as you want.
* Link back to person who gave you a DaySpring Award
* Let each person you are recognizing know you have recognized them.
* Leave your link at btswithpurpose comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #WithPurpose blog campaign, and more information about Back to School with Purpose with DaySpring there.
* DaySpring is donating $10 for each blog or Facebook note participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $5,000 for blog posts written by September 08, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation

When you're done, leave a comment on this post at DaySpring to ensure that your post is counted. No matter how good Google and Bing searches may be, DaySpring cannot possibly find all the posts. So to get your $10 virtual bag of supplies donated, you'll need to make sure you leave the link to it. If you create a Facebook post, just make sure you change the sharing option to "public" so that everyone can read it.

Yeah. It's THAT easy. This post - the one that you are reading right now - means $10 for Adopt-the-Classroom and I'm proud to say that I made a difference to someone.

Will you have a purpose and make a difference?

Disclosure: I did not personally receive any compensation for creating this post. However, as a result of this, DaySpring is donating $10 to Adopt-a-Classroom.

Have you checked in?

Places.  As of a few days ago, it has a new meaning for a lot of people.  If you have a smart phone and are accessing Facebook then you've probably already figured out that they launched a new feature called "Places".  It just rolled out and is wrought with controversy.  

If you haven't a clue what I'm talking about, let me briefly fill you in.  Places allows people to announce via Facebook exactly where they are.  "Checking-in" and announcing where you are isn't a new idea. Companies like Foursquare, Gowalla and Whrrl have set the groundwork for this and users have been posting their check-ins on Facebook.  Seems only natural that Facebook would try to cash in on the craze.

Some people love this idea but I'm just not sold on it.  I know a ton of people using Foursquare and Gowalla and I often joke that it's like an announcement that people can go rob your house.  You're obviously not there.

Although Places isn't available here in the Quad Cities yet, it will be soon.  When it is, I'm curious how many people will flock to using it.  Me?  Not a chance.   At least not until they work out some things.  While other location-based social networking programs allow you to personally check-in and work to achieve various titles, Places allows other people to check you in also.  That kind of freaks me out.  Friend or not, I'm not wild about the idea of someone else having control of announcing to their friends where I'm at.

But as much as I hate the idea of location-based social networking, I find myself drawn to Whrrl.  At Whrrl, it isn't just about the check-in features; that's only one small part of a larger picture.  On Whrrl, you're able to upload pictures and create stories related to your check-in.  It's a very cool feature that I've used for both marketing campaigns as well as personal digital scrapbooking.

So how is it that I swear I won't use location-based apps yet I throw praise at Whrrl?  You see, I can check-in, take advantage of specials and promotions, participate in recommendations people make, make recommendations of my own, join societies, create societies, post pictures and create slide shows yet not lose all my anonymity.  Whrrl's "Just Me" option is what makes all the difference.  No matter what I do, I'm able to choose the level that I want to share with Whrrl members, as well as whether I want to share on Twitter or Facebook. I'm also able to go back later and amend the privacy settings of a check-in to make it more (or less) public.

Over the course of the past month, I've found myself more and more interested in it.  A Whrrl contest even prompted me to create a society of my own.  After participating in various car-related activities, I decided to create a society called "Under the Hood".  I couldn't find any society that involved automobile maintenance so I created Under the Hood and added the following description to it: "When you neglect your automobile, it will begin to neglect you! Don't forget about general service, oil changes, tires, car washes, window repairs, paint... It's all about taking care of our vehicles."  Automobiles... That's what the Under the Hood Society is all about.  If your business offers car-related services or sells car-related products, check out the merchant program to see if Whrrl can help drive customers through your door.

As a social media participant, you may decide that location-based services are a waste of time.  You may find that Foursquare, Gowalla or one of the other services is best for you.  You may decide to go with Facebook's Places feature. For me, I'll stick with Whrrl.  It's well rounded, thought out and offers a lot of cool features.

...Now I'm waiting for all my favorite merchants to discover the benefits of it, too.

Back to School with Bonus Box Tops

This is cross-posted on SahmReviews.com

It's time for the kids to head back to school. As much as they love each other, they're ready to not be in the same house with each other 24x7. And as much as I love them, I'm ready to have a quiet house for at least a few hours a day.

In preparation for back to school, we're stocking up on all the things we need. School supplies, clothes, shoes, backpacks... all those essentials.

Then the other day, I received an email from the school. The lunch schedule for August.

As I surveyed the schedule, I remembered that my girls aren't fans of all the cafeteria food. Miss M takes a lunch about 1-2 times per week and Miss K about 3-4 times.

Then I realized that I hadn't given any thought to lunches. A trip to Sam's Club was in order.

Perfect timing, too, because MyBlogSpark had a back-to-school campaign for General Mills and Sam's Club. Heck, figured I would be there anyhow so I might as well participate in the campaign!

General Mills has provided bonus boxtops on participating General Mills products. 6 extra box tops on each. While this might not mean much to parents without kids in school, those of us who do have kids greatly value the Box Tops 4 Education program.

I had some of the information in hand from MyBlogSpark but wanted to confirm with my local club since I didn't recall seeing anything in the local paper. We headed to the Sam's Club in Davenport, Iowa and I spoke with Linda at the customer service desk. Despite being very busy, she didn't mind spending a few minutes answering my questions.

While the schedule will vary by club, our Sam's Club organized their event to coincide with Iowa's Tax-Free weekend. That's this weekend! For people who upgrade to or sign up for a Plus membership from August 6-13th, they'll receive an additional 150 bonus box tops. 150! That's the equivalent of 150 boxes of Hamburger Helper. As an added bonus, our Sam's Club will include a free pepperoni pizza or rotisserie chicken to introduce you to their "Fresh" departments.

So why a Plus membership instead of a regular? Well, for one, the hours. You are allowed into the store when regular members are not. As someone who has done this, I have to say it's the best way to shop... quiet... not crowded... and often free coffee at the front door. Check out the membership page, but among other things, you also can participate in their eValues program.

I put together a Whrrl story to show you how our trip went!

Not sure if Sam's Club is your thing? They're having a free open house this weekend (Aug 6-8) for you to test the waters! That means no membership required and no add-on fee.

In the meantime, here's a chance to win a $25 gift card to put toward your next purchase at Sam's Club. Keep reading at SahmReviews.com for details on how to enter!

Disclosure:  As a thank you for participating in this campaign, I was given a $25 Sam's Club gift card by Sam's Club and General Mills through MyBlogSpark at no charge. In addition, they offered to upgrade my account to a Plus Membership to take advantage of the bonus boxtops but I declined since I already have a business membership. They will still provide the bonus boxtops.  In addition, an additional $25 gift card was supplied for the giveaway. No additional compensation was received.  I've been a long-time Sam's member so the statements, comments and photos provided here are my own and were not impacted by MyBlogSpark or General Mills. Sam's Club, however, can take credit for the great service and club that make me keep coming back!

Are You Done Yet?

When I was in high school, my parents gave me the benefit of participating in Project Close Up.  Aside from the government related things that I expected to learn, I attained one valuable piece of etiquette.  As we prepared to eat one of the meals, I vaguely remember being told the proper way to indicate (for the servers) when we were done with our meal.

With this being a holiday weekend and a lot of people eating out or away from home, I thought it would be nice to share this. (Let's just hope I am remembering correctly.)

When you are done eating, place your knife on your plate, then cross the tip of the fork over the top of the knife, with the tines facing down.

More or less like I displayed in this picture... sometimes I end up with the handles a bit closer or off to the side.  It all depends on whether there is food in the way, of course.

After searching Google, I haven't been able to find any pictures online. I read some posts that indicated to cross the utensils when done and one post that said you place both utensils side by side on the plate to indicate you're done.  But no pictures. 

Crossing them is how I remember it and this is what I always do.  More often than not the server will either just take my plate away without interrupting my conversation or will say "Let me get that out of your way."  It's much nicer than hearing "Are you done with that?" or "Are you still working on that?"

First, I'm curious if servers are taught to watch for utensil placement. I would also love to hear if I have remembered it correctly all these years later!  And if I have... do they teach this any more?

Happy Easter!

Signs of Spring

Signs of Spring are in the air!
(or in our case... in the street)

And here's the view from above.
(Yes, I was too lazy to take the screen off the window.)

Ahhh... Spring. Being outdoors. Fresh air.

...And sidewalk chalk.