Do you have kids heading to college soon? Are you or your spouse heading back to school or taking some classes? If so, I am sure you are aware of the high cost of education. Besides tuition, meals and housing, the price of textbooks can be mind-blowing. Did you know you can rent textbooks and save 40-90% off bookstore prices?
CampusBookRentals.com is your go-to source for textbook rentals, you get free shipping both ways, you can highlight the textbooks and there are flexible renting periods. With textbooks from Campus Book Rentals you can highlight like you own it!
Over one million students across nearly 6,000 campuses rent their textbooks from CampusBookRentals. Most of us are aware that textbooks lose their value by the time you finish a course, so you will likely never recoup your purchase cost. Renting just makes sense as you get your money’s worth upfront from college textbooks you will never use or need again. It is so easy to rent your textbooks as CBR offers every title in new or gently used condition online. Just search and rent right on their website.
You can feel good about renting your textbooks from Campus Book Rentals because they donate to Operation Smile for each textbook rented. Operation Smile is an incredible organization that forever changes children’s lives through reconstructive cleft lip surgeries. The long-term improvement in quality of life for the children that receive these surgeries is almost incomprehensible.
So if you are looking to save money when sending your child or yourself to college this fall, you need to check out the savings in renting your textbooks. If you have used Campus Book Rentals and want to share how much you saved or about your experience, please leave me a comment. I would love to see them!
This post was sponsored by Campus Book Rentals, as always my words and views are 100% my own.
I love being outside this time of year because there’s so much beauty to be seen. I have my perennials exploding with color, gold and rose finches by the dozens, cardinals, doves, robins, wrens, chickadees, woodpeckers, swallowtail butterflies and even a pair of majestic bald eagles that nest on our lake all around. Of course along with the birds we have our helpers the bees who keep our flowers, vegetables and fruits pollinated.
I am very opposed to any type of pesticide use that is not natural or organic. Did you know that bees are dying at alarming rates due to the use of pesticides that are toxic to bees called neonic pesticides. Did you know that many bee friendly plants you can buy have neonic pesticides in them? Neonic pesticides are one of the most widely used class of insecticides in the world and are manufactured by Bayer and Syngenta.
Bees are crucial for our food system. Are you aware that bees and other pollinators are essential for two-thirds of the food crops we eat everyday such as almonds, squash, cucumbers, apples, oranges, blueberries, and peaches.
One out of every three bites of food we eat is pollinated by honeybees. The land around our home is a pesticide free zone and we garden organically and the many sunflowers, perennials and vegetables and fruits we have growing all over are flourishing thanks to bees.
Neonics are also harming other helpful insects and animals critical to sustainable food production and healthy ecosystems, like wild bees, butterflies, dragonflies, lacewings, and ladybugs,birds,earthworms,mammals and aquatic insects. There is an urgent need to restrict neonics in the United States and Canada.
Bees contribute over $20 billion to the U.S. economy and $217 billion to the global economy. Neonics are widely used in the U.S. on 140 crops and for cosmetic use in gardens. Neonics can last in soil, water and the environment for months to years to come. Neonics can kill bees outright and make them more vulnerable to pests, pathogens and other stressors while impair their foraging and feeding abilities, reproduction and memory.
Beekeepers have lost an average of 30% of their hives in recent years, with some beekeepers losing all of their hives and many leaving the industry. This is too high to be sustainable. Recent losses are staggering making it difficult for beekeepers to stay in business and for farmers to meet their pollination needs for important crops like almonds and berries.
Friends of the Earth is helping to do something about the declining bee populations and the use of neonic pesticides. Bringing awareness of the dangers of using neonic pesticides and with their “bee’n’bee” kits that allow people to create a bee oasis in their backyards.
BeeAction-Create A Bee Friendly Yard:
Friends of the Earth U.S. had “bee kits” and “bee’n’bee” houses. The kits contain organic sunflower seeds and resources, a bee-safe and pesticide-free zone aluminum yard sign and other informational materials. The “bee’n’bee”kits will include a mason bee house and resources to maintain the house and create pollinator friendly habitat.
Both kits will include resources that will allow people to get more involved with Friends of the Earth and its #BeeAction Campaign. The goal is that after taking action in their own backyards through the “bee map” and kits, individuals and families will use it to connect and stay engaged with Friends of the Earth and the campaign on marketplace and local, state and federal organizing around protecting bees and other essential pollinators.
We recently received a “bee’n’bee” kit with a mason bee house and resources to create a pollinator friendly habitat. It is advised to hang the mason house on a tree, fence or your house about 3-6 feet above the ground in an area that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. It is also advisable to have a wide range of annuals and perennials for the pollinators we are attracting.
Some Good News:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it will phase out neonics by 2016
More than a twenty nurseries, landscaping companies and retailers across the U.S. are taking steps to eliminate bee harming pesticides from their garden plants and their store
BJ’s Wholesale Club , announced they will require vendors to remove neonics from plants by the end of 2014 or else they will carry warning labels.
Home Depot, has decided to label plants with neonicotinoids and is working with its suppliers to “find alternative insecticides for protecting live goods and bees.
Lowe’s, made a public commitment to eliminate neonicotinoid pesticides from its stores including products and plants treated with them, redouble existing integrated pest management practices for suppliers and provide additional material educating customers about pollinator health.
Whole Foods issued a new product rating system, which identifies pollinator protection as a priority by restricting neonicotinoid pesticides.
Cities, states and universities across the U.S. have taken steps to restrict neonicotinoids.
We Need To Do More!
We need to change the law to restrict neonics in the U.S. as Europe and Ontario, Canada have done.
Our own survival is tied closely to the survival of bees and other pollinators. Find out more how you can help the bees and other pollinators at BeeAction Campaign. Follow Friends Of The Earth on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
This post is sponsored by Friends of the Earth. As always my words and views are 100% my own.
Regarding fertility, I guess one could say, I’ve been lucky. I was able to conceive easily and usually on the first try. I however knew many friends and family that struggled trying to get pregnant. Month after month of disappointment instead of a positive pregnancy test can make stress levels rise. Couples are told to relax when that seems to be impossible. For some couples time is a factor and they don’t have the time to just wait and see. Many couples want to be proactive and increase their chances to conceive.
After our fourth child was born, we were shocked to find out we were pregnant again when he was just 3 months old. It was quite a shocker since we were not trying. We knew we wanted another baby just were not planning to try for another few months. Sadly about 2 months later we lost that baby. Our OB advised us to wait 3 months before attempting to conceive again. As soon as we had the green light we tried and 2 pink lines made us super excited but a few days later, out excitement turned to sadness as we lost that pregnancy.
I made an appointment to see a specialist as I was very concerned. My first babies were conceived on the first try and were successfully carried to term without any complications. Now here I was, albeit only 7 months after our 4th babies birth with two losses. The doctor told me the second loss was most likely a chemical pregnancy and that given the sensitivity of pregnancy test today they were seeing them more and more. In the past these chemical pregnancies would go unnoticed and a woman would just think she was 2-3 days late.
He told us that there was no reason to think anything was wrong and that there was no intervention that needed to be taken at that time. He told us just to try again and that very attempt ended in a live birth! I know that compared to couples struggling for months and years with difficulty conceiving this may seem trivial but when you are trying to achieve that desired pregnancy even a month or two of disappointment can be heartbreaking. When you add in the loss of a pregnancy, it kicks the fears up more than a notch.
For me the reassurance of that specialist really worked to reduce my stress. I am an anxious person and had thousands of thoughts running through my head. Some may say they cannot believe I would jump the gun and see a specialist so soon but for my stress it worked so well. I left the office feeling reassured and confident. When we conceived that month, I attributed much of it to that peace of mind he gave me. I think if anyone is concerned that something is not right they should go to see a doctor and not think they have to wait 6 months or a year before pursuing that. I truly believe the simple reassurance can reduce stress which has been shown to negatively affect the ability to conceive.
Many times the stress of trying to conceive can lead to vaginal dryness and discomfort. The tendency to reach for a lubricant may seem logical but all lubricants are not equal. Some lubricants can actually impede sperm which is certainly the opposite of what any couple trying to achieve pregnancy wants.
Astroglide TTC Trying to Conceive™ is a specially formulated for couples who are trying to conceive. Astroglide TTC supports fertility with adjusted pH levels, compatible osmolality and a consistency similar to your body’s cervical mucus. Providing the optimal environment for sperm survival is paramount when trying to conceive. Specially formulated with adjusted pH levels that are compatible with sperm Astroglide TTC™ is more like your own cervical mucus.
Astroglide TTC™ also contains galactose which is naturally found in semen and fructose which is the main source of energy for sperm, giving them a better chance of survival and ability to move freely when compared to traditional lubricants. Astroglide TTC™ is priced at only $12.99 and is the best value on the market in comparison to competitive lubricants. Click HERE to see where you can buy Astroglide TTC™. You can connect with Astroglide TTC™ on Facebook and Pinterest.
Did you have any difficulties conceiving? If so were there any tips or advice you want to share with those reading who may be going through something similar? If so, I would love for you to share them HERE!.
“Astroglide TTC™ sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine”
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Astroglide TTC™ sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine
Older moms have been flooding the news the last few days. There is the 61-year-old mom who carried her own grandson for her infertile daughter. She is not the first to do this and it’s an incredible gift most are applauding her for. There is a much more controversial older mom making headlines today. Annegret Raunigk an elementary school teacher in Germany and mother of 13 is pregnant.
You may be amazed she is pregnant for her 14th child or given the Duggars you may find it not too newsworthy. If I told you she was 65, you may find it newsworthy, but if I add that she is not just pregnant for baby number 13 but for quadruplets…I think it is fair to say you would be shocked.
Perhaps the biggest shocker would be that this elementary school teacher is 65 years old. She is also not carrying the babies for an infertile child but to give a sibling to her 13th child that she gave birth to 9 years ago at the age of 55. Her naturally achieved pregnancy at the age of 55 was considered something close to a miracle. At the age of 65 though Annegret turned to fertility specialists.
Annegret’s other children range in age from 22 to 44 and she balks at being told she is too old to have more children. She finds cliches about being too old exhausting. I am sure having quadruplets at 65 or any age for that matter is the true meaning of exhausting. However Dr. Holger Stepan, head of obstetrics at the University Hospital of Leipzig, called the pregnancy “an absolute disaster.” He told Berliner Morgenpost that it wasn’t just Raunigk who’s at risk — so are her four fetuses.
Annegret expecting quadruplets at age 65. Photo credit RTL/Pfeiffer
Picture after the birth of her daughter naturally conceived at age 55. Photo credit ABC News.
As with any controversial topic, the public is also voicing their opinions. Some are calling Annegret selfish and irresponsible. Others are saying that the medical professionals that allowed this are at fault. While others are voicing their opinion that it’s no one else’s business and more power to her.
I remember when I was expecting my son Ethan there was a woman Frieda Birnbaum, 60, from my home town in Bergen County, NJ that was expecting twins. The twins were born and mother and babies did well but it was not without controversy.
Frieda also wished to give her young son a sibling as well as go against the stigma attached to older women giving birth. Birnbaum and her attorney husband were married for 38 years and had two children at the time ages 33 and 6. Mrs. Birnbaum went to South Africa for the fertility treatments that made her the oldest American woman to give birth to twins.
If all goes well Annegret will be the oldest mother to give birth to quadruplets. So far the pregnancy has been free of major complications and she is due in the summer. Annegret underwent several unsuccessful IVF attempts before becoming pregnant with the quads and was said to be shocked to learn she was carrying four babies. She has not considered selective reduction in order to reduce the risks to her and the babies.
So what do you think? Should people just mind their own business? Are the doctors irresponsible? How old is too old? Should women’s rights mean that a woman can choose to have a baby at any age? Let me hear what you think. If you like reading about pregnancy, you can see more at borncute.
Did any of your friends post that powerless legal notice on their Facebook timeline to protect their copyright and privacy rights? I’m sure you know some that did. You know what I find ironic about that? They are the very same friends posting pictures on their timeline that I would like to be protected from! They think just about every life situation calls for a quick smartphone pic and upload to all social media accounts.
I don’t know if the oversharers understand, the few minutes I spend scrolling through my news feed are accompanied with a cup of coffee. I don’t want to see how your C-section scar is healing or the 42 staples in your husband’s leg.
No to compound fractures. I don’t want to see how you severed your finger opening a can of corn. I will pass on the chance to see your tibia sticking through your skin following your fall on the ice. I know your killing time waiting for the ambulance, but please, the visual is not necessary.
I don’t want to diagnose your mystery rash or see the contents of your new baby’s diaper, nor do I want to see your just delivered placenta. Please spare me the dismembered rodents your cat brought you, parasites in tuna cans, your bloody nose or the gash you’re taking your child to the ER for.
Come on now people! If you must share that kind of stuff, it needs to have a cover and disclaimer that the following image may not be suitable for all audiences. Then those truly interested in seeing how you just lost the nail on your big toe, can click to view.
Really, I can’t even imagine what it will be like 5 years from now. Will you ask the nurse if she can take some video with your iPhone as you’re wheeled down the hall to have your gall bladder removed? At least a few Instagram pics, she should be willing to do that.
How about we ask ourselves if we really need to share the things we do? Could we do that before we post them and send them streaming though our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest accounts?
Until they come up with the cover and disclaimer, how about asking who ever would like to see the stitching of your perineum to send you a private message . Then you can send them the link to the YouTube video.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.#DropShopAndOil #CollectiveBias
I just finished creating the curriculum for a course I am teaching at SoFabU in Mastering Time Management. One of the tips in the course is batching your errands. I really don’t know anywhere I can batch more diverse errands than at a Walmart Supercenter. It’s almost like a contest for me of how many things can be taken care of in one trip. This past Saturday I dropped my van off at the Walmart Automotive Care Center and did a #DropShopAndOil.
With the holidays behind us, it was time to catch up with some needed maintenance tasks on the vehicle that carries my family around all year. An oil change with Pennzoil motor oil was the first thing on the agenda. So driving the van around the back of the store to the Automotive Care Center entrance was the first step. We then entered and stepped up to the counter to pick the service we wanted.
We had a very helpful associate named who assisted us and helped us pick the best Pennzoil motor oil for our van.
All Pennzoil products help clean out sludge lesser oils leave behind. Pennzoil is engineered for complete protection that will allow you to drive an extra 550 miles per year vs a dirty engine. No other motor oil provides better protection from friction.
With the help of our associate we chose the High Mileage Vehicle Pennzoil and it helps reduce leaks and oil consumption in higher mileage engines. It is specifically designed for new or late-model vehicles with over 75,000 miles, to help keep the engines running clean and going strong for a long time. Walmart Auto Care Center Oil Changes are a lot less than I would pay at the dealership, so I save time and money! Our Walmart Auto Care Center is open 7 days a week making it super convenient.
With our van in good hands, it was off to get the little guy a hair cut!
Then of course we took a stroll through the toy department for some great shark theme toys. Can you tell his newest interest is sharks?
After that, off to grocery shop.
After checking out our groceries, we went back to the Automotive Care Center to pick up our van.
Starting on 1/21/15 you can save $5 off one 5-quart bottle of Pennzoil Platinum with PurePlus Technology. Click HERE For the Special Offer! Hair cut, grocery shopping, and a well needed oil change with Pennzoil in one trip! That is power batching errands for the win! I would love to hear about your most successful batching errands adventures, leave a comment letting me know!
Nothing gets under my skin more than “FML” statuses that people post. In fact I hate them so much, that as I go through my Facebook Feed and just quickly read them, I have to stop and say a prayer that lets God know I was just reading that and didn’t say that myself about my life.
I know to most of you that probably sounds crazy or silly, but it’s the truth. The biggest reason I despise it is that it’s often said about very trivial things. You know like asking for no mayo on your burger and getting one with mayo. Sometimes it could be something more, say your car skidding on ice even though you did not hit anyone else or receive any injuries. That should not have a “FML” status but a “Thank God” or “Life is Good” status.
There are so many people struggling just to live, those with life-threatening illnesses, who are in pain and still fighting with every ounce of strength left to make it another day. They are not posting “FML” statuses, they know how precious” life is and they are thankful for every minute. To post a status that you missed the bus or were late to work with “FML” is just crapping on your life. Maybe it was destiny that you missed that bus, perhaps getting on that bus would have led to something very bad for you. I believe every thing happens for a reason so if you didn’t catch the bus, try to look at it in a different way. Value your life no matter how hard it may seem at times. Never think it’s not worth it, because you need to remember there are people all over, who would trade places with you in a heartbeat. Parents who have to stand by helplessly while their child takes their last breath, moms who have to say goodbye to their families way before their time, dads who will never get to show their son how to shave.
Life is precious, life is fragile, life is fleeting, please don’t put such little value on yours. Cherish your life instead. I am not saying you can’t post about having a bad day or something bad happening. Of course you can share that and get some encouragement and hugs from friends. It’s just the “FML” that you need to lose. In the words of Max Ehrmann, “With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”
I am so excited! I love Peter Walsh! He is such an inspiration for releasing the “stuff” that holds us back. The other day I saw that he was asking us to recruit someone for #31Days2GetOrganized for 2015! I recruited a good friend, then I thought more about it. Why don’t we all do this? I think it will be a lot of fun if we all come together and let go of things we are hanging on to that are truly weighing us down. What a wonderful way to make a slow month like January much more fun and productive! So I am recruiting all of you! Please join me in the 31 Days 2 Get Organized with Peter Walsh.
If you have never heard of Peter Walsh and I can’t imagine anyone that hasn’t, but if you are in the dark about who he is and what he does, just click the video below to get to know him.
I want to make things really exciting so I created a closed Facebook group just for this. The closed group means that even your most cluttered closet is safe with us and there will be no judging or negativity. The link for the group is here and you can join now. In the group you will post your before and afters of the 31, ten minute challenges Peter will dole out each day. We can work to encourage and keep everyone accountable. I hope you will all join in this with me.
Peter has a New Year Message for us here:
Peter Walsh please join our Facebook Group so you can see our progress. Are you ready for the challenge? I sure am! Comment here and let me know you are up to the challenge and recruit someone to come along.
If you are chomping at the bit to get started you can work on this until Monday January 5th! I know you were so excited to start tomorrow but Peter says it officially starts on January 5th! Don’t worry take his advice and get your family and friends on board and in the meantime join the group and get aquainted. If you just can’t wait, you can get a head start on the challenge with Peter Walsh: 15 Declutter Projects for a Saner You. Of course follow Peter on Facebook and YouTube so you don’t miss a thing!
My Facebook feed has been full of posts about the controversy over an anatomically correct baby boy doll that is being sold at Toys R Us. I want to know why this is making news when anatomically correct boy dolls have been around for so long.
When I was a kid, I had an anatomically correct baby boy doll made by Mattel. He was in the Baby Tenderlove line of dolls and was sold as their little brother. Being the daughter of a mother that loved dolls, I had dolls of all kinds and that included several of the Ideal, Tenderlove dolls.
Now in the mid to late 70’s when this doll was introduced there was also another anatomically correct boy doll by Ideal that was on the market, called Archie Bunker’s Grandson Joey, from the sitcom All In The Family.
This little doll was very similar to Ideal’s Tenerderlove little boy. Funny thing is, when we were buying the Joey doll, we got home to find that Baby Tenderlove had been put in the box instead. The only reason I knew it was not Joey was the eye color was different. So I had a Joey box and Tenerderlove doll. Either way they were very similar and both with their little boy parts. I still have him around here somewhere.
So back to the original question of why is this an issue now in the year 2014? Does this cause anyone real issues? Recently I heard 2 colleagues who are in their early 30’s say they were not allowed to have a Ken doll growing up. That’s a foreign concept to me and all the little girls I played with growing up had Ken to go with their Barbie and be a husband and a dad. I would think those parents would want their girls to have the traditional family dynamic.
I truly cannot comprehend what must have been their train of thought. Do they think somehow a Ken doll will corrupt their daughter and how exactly would that happen? Like I said, I liked having the family dynamic of a mom and dad Barbie family and it did not cause issues of any kind.
I think not being allowed to have the doll raises more issues and does more harm. It also instills that men are bad or will have the child then focused on what’s the reason her parents will not allow Ken in the house. So in the long run, trying to protect their child from whatever it is they are trying to protect them from is instead focusing the child’s attention on it.
As I am writing this, I just remembered the 70’s Sunshine Dolls also from Mattel. I had these dolls too and they were sold as a family unit with a mother, father and baby or baby and toddler. I think this is a healthy concept for kids and you could even buy additional kids, babies and grandparents as well as a craft store business and family home.
In closing I think a much more controversial doll is the Breast Milk Baby doll by Berjun. In my opinion, it’s a very weird concept that little girls should put on a top that gives them breasts so they can breastfeed their doll. I understand it’s natural, but natural for a woman not a little girl. The whole idea of it is unsettling to me. However, an anatomically correct boy doll; that’s so last century!
Hello, I’m Carolyn! I am a PR Savvy, WAH Mom to 5! I love Photography, Baking, DIY Projects, Crafts, Cooking and making memories with my family. I love sharing reviews and giveaways too!
