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Six Flags: Read to Succeed – Earn a Free Ticket

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Six Flags: Read to Succeed program

Photograph Credit: Read to Succeed

With summer reading programs complete, your scholar may need some encouragement to reach those reading minute goals. Though my children enjoy reading, the extra rewards reinforce their efforts.

The Six Flags Read to Succeed program seeks to motivate students from Kindergarten to 6th grade to read for fun. Students who log 6 hours of recreational reading earn one admission ticket to a Six Flags Theme Park. The reading must not be homework, class assignments, or school-related to encourage reading for fun.

Who is Eligible?

Kindergarten through 6th grade students who attend a school within a 250-mile radius of a Six Flags Theme Park are eligible. The school must register and teachers who submit at least one student to the program will earn a free admission ticket.

How to Register?

To participate in the Read to Succeed program for 2012 – 2013, all teachers and school coordinators need to register by visiting the Read to Succeed website. Click Register for a new account, and follow the prompts.

For more information, visit the Six Flags Read to Succeed Frequently Asked Questions page.

If your child qualifies for the Read to Succeed program and your school does not participate, then forward this post to your child’s teacher or administrator.

In using time wisely to instill a love of learning, the Read to Succeed program offers a great prize. Happy reading!

Question: Do you prefer a roller coaster or train ride?

Freezer Cooking to the Rescue

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Freezer Cooking to the Rescue

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

On field trip day, the morning progressed along beautifully. By the afternoon, I was getting tired and my allegories flared. With a stuffy head and lack of energy, I made it through the activities and was ready to go home.

Upon arrival, I needed to rest. Getting the toddler tucked into bed and my older children settled to play quietly, I retired to bed for some rest. When I awoke, I felt a little better, but cooking or even standing in my kitchen required too much exertion.

Though the menu plan suggested baked chicken with sides, I needed something simple. So, I went to the freezer. Tucked inside were a number of options. Choosing Mexican Dip, corn, and a salad, our dinner came together without spending lots of time or energy.

In using time wisely, I often bake or cook double batches to save money, time, and energy on days that just don’t go as planned. As you plan for the best but prepare for the worst, freezer cooking can save the day. Happy saving!

Question: At your house, how has freezer cooking saved the day? 

Goals for October 2012: Use Coupons

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Goals for August

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Angie Torres)

Your eyes are not deceiving you; two months (September and October) are dedicated to using coupons.

With the craziness of my schedule these past few weeks, my coupon binders are a mess. I have inserts organized, but not cut and filed.

Though listed on my To Do list, my coupon binders are low in order of priority.

This process is tough, and I’m thankful for the goals to keep my eyes pointed in the right direction. In pressing forward, the following is my recap of September and my goals for October:

Physical

Drink 4 glasses of water per day.  Yeah! Back up to 3 glasses of water per day. Now I’m aiming for 4 glasses.  

Eat breakfast each morning. With the morning routine down to a science, I have added a granola bar to my schedule. Though not bacon and eggs, this breakfast option works for me right now.

Exercise for 20 minutes at least 3 times a week. This goal is my nemesis. I’m terrible at it and have a new perspective. Our school is considering a 5K run in the spring. I would love to get back into running. With some motivation and a deadline, I am aiming to finish a 5K this spring. In the meantime, I walk and jog the track during my son’s soccer practice each week. Something is better than nothing. 😉

Family

Plan at least one family outing/activity each week. Accomplished! This is my favorite goal this year. Among visits to the apple farm, celebrating Columbus Day, and family dinners, our family has been on the move having fun together. Keeping this goal a high priority!

Spend 10 minutes with each child each day. Accomplished! My schedule has these times built in: with my toddler all morning, then with my kindergartner while the toddler gets her nap, and later with my son.

Allow children to help with a household task each week. Done! Our home is staying cleaner with my children helping with the cleaning.

Financial

Follow Crystal’s year-long plan to reach my goals. Couponing is going well. Though my binders are a mess, I still sort through to find the coupons I need. 🙂 My menu planning has been hit or miss during this busy season. However, our well-stocked pantry and freezer keep my family fed.

Purchase dressers for my daughters’ room. This goal is ongoing. No progress this month, and I have not begun looking for replacements.

Purchase upgraded computers for hubby and me. This goal is also ongoing. Put aside savings this month towards this goal and researching options.

Business

Write posts one week in advance. I’m just writing. I am behind on posts, but I’m catching up. 😉

Make one improvement to the blog this month. No progress this month.

Read two chapters of blog book each month. This goal fell by the wayside. I have been asked to edit/proofread an author’s new book, so I look forward to getting some reading done next month.

Progress is slow or non-existent, but life happens. As I work through the challenges, I discover new strengths and weaknesses of my own.

In using time wisely, I am better for having these goals than if I were just wandering along through life. Set goals, and start accomplishing. Happy goal reaching!

Question: How are your goals coming along?

Our Halloween Bash – Part 1 of 3

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2012 Halloween Bash InvitationWith the exception of last year, our family has hosted a Halloween Bash each year. I think this year marks our 4th Halloween party.

Last year, our family was ill and another family that we invite annually was also battling sickness, so we cancelled. It was sad for us all, but we planned to celebrate this year.

In this short 3-part series, I breakdown our Halloween Bash by time:

Part 1: Preparing 2 weeks prior to our Halloween Bash

Part 2: Finalizing the week of the Halloween Bash

Part 3: Executing the evening of the Halloween Bash

Part 1: Preparing 2 weeks prior to Halloween Bash

In preparation for our Halloween party, I start with the food and the invitations.

Selecting the Menu

Knowing what I plan to serve helps me determine the number of people to invite. Since our party occurs in the evening, I plan a dinner menu. After contemplating the many choices, I settled on making two pans of lasagna, a large salad, homemade French bread, and a dessert.

Creating the Invitation

With the menu planned, Paul created our invitation. Using the chosen date and time, he updated the information on the invitation sent in prior years. Using the same template year after year saves time and energy. 😉

Choosing the Invitees

Repeating our Halloween Bash with our friends is part of the tradition. We try to invite the same families year after year. Since they are all good friends, I choose to e-mail the invitations.

Knowing that our celebration was planned, each of them was waiting for the e-mail and responded back promptly. I think we were all ready to get together.  🙂

By selecting the menu, creating the invitation, and choosing the invitees, we had our Halloween Bash prepared two weeks prior to our party. All three tasks took less than one hour to complete.

In using time wisely, our Halloween Bash is progressing along. Next week, I’ll share the details of party week. Happy planning!

Question: How soon do you begin planning a repeat party?

Book Review & Giveaway: 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life

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21 Days to a More Disciplined LifeCrystal Paine, the author of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget, has written another fantastic book.

While working through her published book, I have documented the highs and lows of setting, struggling, and reaching my goals.

As you know I am really struggling with my physical goals, specifically drinking water and exercising.

I know I need to make these goals a higher priority, but I lack discipline in this area.

Though I have some ideas of how to improve, I really need specifics which Crystal provides in 21 Days To A More Disciplined Life.

New e-Book Launch

Well, Crystal’s new e-book, 21 Days To A More Disciplined Life, has arrived. Before you think, “Wow, if I read this book and follow it, then in 3 weeks, I’ll be disciplined,” read the title again – 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life.

You will not suddenly arrive at full on the discipline scale, but you will start the journey of establishing new habits and making small changes to reach your goal.

3-Day Sale

Today is the launch of 21 Days To A More Disciplined Life for only $.99 from Tuesday, October 23 to Thursday, October 25, 2012. On Friday, October 26, 2012, the price increases to $4.99.

Crystal is selling both a Kindle and a .pdf version. If you do not have a Kindle device, you can download the FREE Kindle App to read books on your iPad or PC.

At a 99¢ price, you are paying about 5¢ for each day of the 21 Days To A More Disciplined Life. This is a great sale for those who really struggle finishing what you start. I understand that interruptions come, but completing a project is the goal.

Don’t delay. If you want this resource to using time wisely, then purchase it today before the price increases.

Giveaway

As a thank you for reviewing 21 Days To A More Disciplined Life, Crystal offered me a FREE copy, as well as 5 more copies to giveaway to my readers. 🙂

To enter the giveaway, you need to access the Rafflecopter widget embedded in this link. If you are reading via e-mail delivery or RSS feed, you will need to click on the title of this post. The link will direct you to the website where you will see the Rafflecopter entry form. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Legal Disclaimer: No purchase necessary to win. Void where prohibited. Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter using Random.org and notified by email.

The winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. Facebook is not affiliated with this giveaway and the act of liking a Facebook page is not required to win. Giveaway ends October 27, 2012.

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