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Archives for November 2011

Good Grades: First Quarter Rewards – 2011

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With the movement of paperless records, our school has moved from a paper version report card to an on-line accounting of the first quarter grades. Though the school name, student name, subject, and grades are listed, I am curious to know if businesses will accept this copy when granting rewards.

Two establishments we visit for good grade rewards are Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Blockbuster. As we visit these establishments for rewards, I will keep you updated on Using Time Wisely’s Facebook page regarding our success or failure in gaining the good grade rewards.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

For each “A”, “E” (excellent), and “S” (satisfactory), the student will be able to choose one doughnut, up to 6 total doughnuts. Our Krispy Kreme stamps the report card at the time of redemption.

Last time our family visited Krispy Kreme, we arrived while the doughnuts were being made. My kids enjoyed watching the process through the glass windows. For more information on this program, consult Doughnuts for Good Grades.

Blockbuster

If your student has an “A” or “B” average, then he or she can choose a movie from the favorites collection, the older movies available for rental at Blockbuster. With the company change, you might want to check with your local store for any rule changes.

When we arrived with our fourth quarter grades in June, Blockbuster allowed our son to choose one movie for a one-day rental. We chose to use the free movie on a weekend when we would be driving past Blockbuster two days in a row. This way we were not making a special trip to drop off the movie.

For more information on this program and other good grade reward programs, check out free movie for good grades.

As my son does his best and earns good grades, I am thrilled to take him to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Blockbuster for additional rewards. In using time wisely, these rewards are a tangible expression of the hard work accomplished during the first quarter. Hope your little ones enjoy the reward programs offered by your local businesses. Enjoy the time with your family!

Question: What is your family’s favorite good grades reward? Please add your answer to the comments.

Grocery Shopping: Gathering your Savings – Part 3b of 3

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (flying ember)

Between the rushes to stand in front of the screen showing the savings and asking for my credit card to swipe at the end of our transaction, my children enjoy the checkout process. My daughter is also sure to ask for stickers at some point during our transaction.

When we left off last week, we had shopped, chosen our checkout lane, and unloaded our groceries onto the conveyor belt. We then waited for the cashier to begin our transaction.

Ready to Begin

With all the items in the correct order on the conveyor belt, I hold in my hands:

1. My loyalty card. I keep these cards on my key chain. When the cashier begins my transaction, I hand him/her my loyalty card to scan for extra savings.

2. My coupons. Some cashiers want the coupons at the beginning of the transaction while others take them at the end. I keep my coupons in my hands, visible for the cashier to see. If the cashier requests the coupons early in the transaction, I can easily comply.

While Items are Scanned

1. Request bag credit. At Bi-Lo, I need to request the bag credit for using my reusable bags. If I do not request it, then I will not get the credit. After a few items have scanned, I ask the cashier for my bag credits. Usually the cashier will type in the discount when asked.

2. Retrieve my credit card for payment processing. My children then take turns holding the card.

Near the End of our Order

1. Present all Rain Checks. If I am using a rain check, I inform the cashier before he/she arrives at the item(s). I then present the rain check for the correct calculation.

2. Present any Coupons for a Free Product. For these coupons, I inform the cashier, so he/she can take note of the price for the coupon validation.

When Total is Announced

1. Present all Coupons. I then check to be sure all the coupons are deducted. I also check to be sure doubling occurred on coupons $.60 or less.

2. Enjoy watching the savings increase. While the coupons are subtracted, our family enjoys watching the total dwindle.

3. Make payment. When the total is given after all coupons deducted, I will pay the remaining amount and accept my receipt.

This process has worked for me. There have been shopping trips where I have been unprepared and forgotten to redeem coupons. I know, shocking, but it happens. With a plan in place, I rarely forget a savings strategy. After many trial and errors, this system continues to work for me. Try your own system to see what works for you. Be encouraged as you see your savings increase. Happy savings!

Question: What is your favorite part of checkout? Please add your answer to the comments.

Using Time Wisely: Counting my Blessings (11-23)

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I am so glad to be back into a routine after struggling with illness for over a week. Thank you for your patience with the posts as I took a little break to heal and then wrote with a vengeance over the weekend. Back on track, I am so thankful to be doing the mundane things that required so much work a week ago. Here’s my grateful report:

11. A healthy body that allows me to work and help others;

12. Garbage disposal that saves me so much time while cooking in the kitchen;

13. Patient husband, who tripped and stumbled over the piles of toys, clothes, and shoes that cluttered our house during my stay in the recliner;

14. Cool weather and lots of sunshine, so my kids could play outside away from the germs;

15. Friends, who prayed and checked on me during my illness;

16. My husband’s supervisor, who understood when Paul needed to take our son to school and arrive at work a little late;

17. Comforting words from the Scriptures to uplift my spirit;

18. My youngest daughter’s little hands sneaking up to tickle me;

19. Help from my oldest daughter matching the socks from the clean load of laundry;

Concentrating on finding the matching socks

20. My son’s quick wake-up in the mornings to get ready for school;

21. The uncontrollable laughter and giggling of my children before bedtime;

22. Thanking our Lord for our family while praying together each night; and

23. Wonderful Readers, like you, who keep me accountable.

Reflecting back to count my blessings encourages me as I see the progress made in the last few days. I may not be as far along on my To Do list as I would like, but thankfully, I am not where I started last week. Baby steps while using time wisely will help us reach those goals. Just remember to count your blessings along the way.

Question: For what are you thankful today? Please add your answer to the comments.

Event Planning: 2011 Fall Festival

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The Fall Festival event raised $10,000 for our great school! Seeing the end result makes all the money, energy, and time invested in this project worth it. Having addressed this event in the My Upcoming 2011-2012 Events post, I also shared how distracted I became while planning in the Event Planning: Changing my Focus post. After concentrating on the framework, sections, and details, all the miscellaneous items came together for a great event by following a simple plan:

Handpicked Volunteers

With a reliable core group of volunteers, who were knowledgeable and ready to work, we pulled off an almost flawless execution of the plan. These volunteers were well-prepared, arrived on-time, and led by example.

   

Written Schedule

Having every delivery, payment, and setup location on a written schedule distributed to the core volunteers kept the setup and tear down process timely, accurate, and complete. The process was smooth as there was additional time scheduled in case problems arose or changes needed to be considered.

   

Relaxed, Controlled Atmosphere

Knowing that the plan was set and all volunteers were apprised of their responsibilities, the execution of the plans for the day were not stressful or ordered around. When all were relaxed and knew the plan, all the volunteers seemed to enjoy helping, chatting, and enjoying the event. Working in an organized framework helps all involved to stay on task while using time wisely.

   

By preparing in advance with all the details written and all volunteers informed, our event was a great success! Though there were items that I will plan better for next year (more on that to come), I was very pleased with the event and look forward to improving the KidZone for next year’s Fall Festival.

Question: When you volunteer to assist with an event, what can a coordinator do to make your service enjoyable? Please add your answer to the comments.

Organizing: Children’s Clothing – Applying the Process

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After completing the organizational project of my youngest daughter’s clothing, I proceeded to follow the same five steps to organize my older children’s closet and dresser. I started with their summer clothes and shoes, and began the process one step at a time.

Step One: Prepare

The totes were brought into the hallway by hubby. The sharpie, labels, and plastic bags were already in the hallway.

Step Two: Purge

All the out-grown and summer clothing was taken from the closet and dresser and neatly folded and placed in piles.

Step Three: Pack

The piles of clothing were neatly packed into totes labeled with the gender, size, and type of clothing (i.e. Girls, 3T, summer).

Step Four: Place

The winter clothing was then unpacked, washed, and placed in the closet and dresser.

Step Five: Preserve

Any remaining items were stored in labeled totes and preserved in storage for a future date.

The process went much quicker for my older children than it did for my youngest daughter. My guess is due to all the totes and supplies previously gathered, and my mindset was already in an organizational mode.

   

Before                                                                         After

After completing the project, I decided to improve their closet space by adding the storage bins I found on sale at Target. I loved the transformation. This project concludes the clothing swap for my children from summer to winter. Now to decide what my next project will be. Happy organizing!

Question: What is your current household organizational project? Please add your answer to the comments.