So... Someone is Once Again Stealing My Content

Just a few minutes ago I was doing a Google Blog Search for Amazon giveaways and low and behold what did I find? Another blogger has my previous 2 posts published to their WP Blog... word for word, right down to my signature. I didn't investigate to see how long this had been going on.

Of course this other blog owner didn't link to me, has closed comments, and offers no contact information on their site. This is the 3rd time I've found this type of theft from The Homeschooling Blog in the past year.

I want this individual to realize that the main reason I blog is to generate income to help support a special needs child. When you take my content and publish it as your own you put us both at risk of losing our Adsense accounts. You need to read their terms of service and you'll know why.

Secondly, I work hard (as my time allows) to publish interesting, relevant content to this blog. I shouldn't have to compete against my own writing to bring readers to my site.

I'll be praying for you to develop a conscious about this... whoever you are. In the meantime, I'm contacting Word Press and Google to see what can be done. This really isn't cool.

If you're reading this and you're not seeing "The Homeschooling Blog" header, then you're not reading this post from it's original source.

Below is an unfortunate message that will appear on all my posts for the time being.



If you're not reading this post on The Homeschooling Blog... the content has been hijacked. Please let me know by following this link and leaving me a comment. Thanks in advance!

Great Comparison Shopping and a $100 Amazon.com Giveaway!

Talk about a great combination! Do I have your attention? As my readers know, I'm saving up to purchase a Kindle simply by accumulating Amazon.com gift cards. I'm on a mission! Currently I'm up to $65 in gift cards accumulated through other online giveaways and SwagBucks (see my right sidebar) for details. :)

Here's the skinny on the comparison site. JoeShopping.com offers the consumer comparison shopping on millions of products plus they offer product reviews by users just like you and me. They even provide a forum where members can compare and share shopping deals and experiences. Woohoo! If you're a frugal noodle like I am, you'll want to bookmark this site. I'm a fairly new member (free btw) and just getting to know the site... I have a handful of JoeShopping points under my belt and a few friendship requests. Fun!

I always try to compare prices when shopping online. It's sometimes hard to do when you're on foot or behind the wheel, but with a computer at your fingertips you have the tools to insure you find the best deal around. Plus... I would rather shop online any day. So many retailers offer great incentives to online shoppers. It's not hard to snatch up a discount and/or free shipping making shopping all the sweeter.

As you may have guessed, JoeShopping.com is sponsoring this fantastic $100 Amazon.com Gift Card giveaway. Aren't they positively awesome? In order to enter the giveaway, you'll need to have a blog and be up for sharing the awesomeness that is JoeShopping.com with your readers. If this sounds too good to be true, it gets even better. The entries are super low and the deadline is March 31st!

 
If you're not reading this post on The Homeschooling Blog... the content has been hijacked. Please let me know by following this link and leaving me a comment. Thanks in advance! 

1 Year of Taste of Home Magazine for Only $3.99!

This is just a short and sweet post from me to you sharing a deal I just snagged via Penny Pinching Mom. I've always loved Taste of Home magazine, but I really can't spare the money for any magazine subscriptions at the moment... or so I thought.

When I found a discount code on Penny Pinchin Mom's site that would give me a full year for $3.99, I rethought my situation. lol I LOVE this magazine!! It gets me all excited about cooking and I could use some new enthusiasm in that department. Do you ever feel like you're making the same 6 meals over and over again? Blah!

So here's the special code: PENNY (enter as a last step, on payment page)
Follow this link: TANGA
Then thank: Penny Pinchin Mom for this! Tanga gave this special savings to her audience... I'm just expanding the joy by sharing the happiness with you!

Expiration is April 3, 2011 so there's not much time to ponder. If you want it, better grab it now!!!


If you're not reading this post on The Homeschooling Blog... the content has been hijacked. Please let me know by following this link and leaving me a comment. Thanks in advance!

A Little Christian Humor

A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!"

His father smiled and  replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?

The son replied, "I do know!"

"Okay," said his father. "What does the Bible mean?"

"That's easy, Daddy..." the young  boy replied excitedly," It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.'

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There was a very  gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible  to her brother in another part of the  country.

"Is there anything breakable in here?"  asked the postal clerk.

"Only the Ten Commandments." answered the  lady.

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"Somebody has said  there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it's morning."

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A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter.

Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: "I have circled  the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us our trespasses."

When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note "I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation."

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There  is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and  announced to his congregation: "I have good news  and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad  news is, it's still out there in your pockets."

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While driving in  Pennsylvania , a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the  carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because  attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign... "Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in  exhaust."

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A Sunday School  teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys  and girls, what do we know about God?"

A hand  shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the  kindergarten boy.

"Really? How do you know?"  the teacher asked.

"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "

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A  minister waited in line to have his car filled  with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The  attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.

"Reverend," said the  young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get  ready for a long trip."

The minister chuckled,  "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business."

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The minister was  preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to  ask the congregation to come up with more money  than they were expecting for repairs to the church  building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that  the regular organist was sick and a substitute had  been brought in at the last minute. The substitute  wanted to know what to play.

"Here's a copy of  the service," he said impatiently. "But, you'll  have to think of something to play after I make  the announcement about the finances."

During  the service, the minister paused and said, "Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the  roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected and  we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up."

At that moment, the substitute organist played "The Star  Spangled Banner."

And that is how the substitute became the regular  organist! 

Thanks to my friend Isabelle for forwarding these funnies to me... I don't know their original source, but they're awesome!

 
If you're not reading this post on The Homeschooling Blog... the content has been hijacked. Please let me know by following this link and leaving me a comment. Thanks in advance! 

It's Almost Time for Zenni! Again

Last year we followed the advice of multiple online reviews pointing to the high quality and affordability of prescription eyeglasses from Zenni Optical. I'd heard of Zenni before, but my husband had it in his mind our son needed $300 eyeglasses. Those overpriced glasses broke 3 times in less than 1 year's time. He's a kid after all! lol That's going to happen.

I wasn't ready to have the jeweler weld his glasses back together for a 3rd time (and at $35 a pop) so I took his new prescription to the Internet and ordered my son's  prescription eyeglasses from Zenni Optical. For less than $40 we received a great looking, durable pair of glasses (complete with lenses) that he's worn now since July without breaking! lol Now... I don't know if I can give Zenni credit for that part... but who knows. lol  Perhaps the high dollar titanium frames he had before weren't as flexible as we'd thought. In fact... the local jeweler shared with us that most eyeglasses repair shops don't even carry the lazer required for welding titanium. We just happened to be living in the right neck of the woods. He also pointed out to me that titanium aren't exactly great for kids... because well, they break.

My son is squinting again and is due for another trip to the optometrist. No longer will this be a painful experience (on our wallet). We have sampled Zenni firsthand with awesome results. You might wonder... do they get you on shipping to make up for selling eyeglasses starting at under $7 a pair? No! lol They have a flat shipping rate of just $4.95, regardless of how many pairs of eyeglasses you order. It's $4.95 per address. They sell prescription sunglasses too! We had him in transitions last year, but didn't try Zenni's transitions. I think we'll do so this time around. Either that or get him a couple pairs to switch between. I don't always love the look of him in transitions, but he enjoys the comfort. What to do? Compromise! We'll just have to look at possibly getting a pair of each!

I missed a feature last year when I was on Zenni's website... either that or it's new. Apparently you can sample the fitting of any pair of frames via a virtual image. Simply by taking important details into consideration such as your pupilary distance, you can get an idea of how your new glasses will look on your face. Great feature considering Zenni has nearly 3000 frames in stock.

A friend of mine just received frames for herself and her son from Zenni. They're the plastic variety that have made a comeback. Both pairs are fashionable and look great. They saved all kinds of money too as she reported to me that they'd spent less than $70 all together for both pairs. Wow!

My son's eyeglasses are metal... although I forget what kind! lol We preferred that look as it's what we were all used too... plus the gold color matches his complexion and beautiful dirty blond hair.

Have you tried Zenni? What did you pay for your last set of prescription eyeglasses?

More Homeschooling Kindle Talk

The recent question of whether or not Homeschoolers use readers produced feedback... something I loooong for on this blog! I love to hear from my readers and given the responses came on my Kindle question made me even more excited. Especially hearing from a couple of you that "YES!" you do find a reader beneficial to your homeschooling experience. I suspect my reader will be under my son's bed most mornings. He's a growing bookworm like nothing I've seen. My daughter has had her moments too. Given the competition books have these days with computer's and video games, that's saying something.

Honestly I'm in no position to be spending money on non-necessities like readers. I've vowed to not make a purchase unless and until I have enough Amazon.com credits to do so. I'm acquiring them by entering every last giveaway I can find online offering Amazon.com gift certificates and via Swag Bucks (by the way I see I have another referral on board!! Thanks to whomever you are... you'll love it!).

This may be a long journey but I have $55 in Amazon credit thus far. I'm not normally the patient sort... more impulsive if you wanna know the truth. So, this will be a great exercise for me. You can help keep me accountable! If I come back and tell you I paid even 1 cent out of pocket for a reader, you have my permission to shame me publicly! lol

I've learned a little about myself over the years. For one thing, I do enjoy reading, but don't do nearly enough of it because I'm a flipper. Meaning... I can't sit still and just read 1 book at a time. I like to flip back and forth between several books, but it's not easy to do so when you're on the go. So... I end up frustrated and not reading. Does that make sense? It sounds insane when I see the words in front of me... but that's me.

My biggest desire for my Kindle is to be able to use it with my Bible study. We're doing the Ownit365 study, which is a Bible in a year dealeo... but it's accomplished in chronological order. This is rather cool. I'd love to be able to "flip" between various Bible translations, and even dig into some Bible history via other resources as I study without carting around a library. Btw, you can study along with us by signing up for free emails from Ownit365 with daily Bible readings... in a year's time, you'll have completed a journey! Not a final journey hopefully. I do believe in reading God's word more than once! lol

Here's a quick question for those currently owning a reader, and those of us who hope too.... is there a good source for acquiring free (or reasonably priced) materials of interest to the homeschooling community? This could be books for kids, books on homeschooling, learning materials, etc. If you have a lead, let us know! I'll have to compile a list of resources here... if there are resources to compile. lol

Also... what are you currently reading on your reader? What type of reader do you currently own and what do you like about it?

Can't wait to read what you all have to say!

An Irish Prayer for St. Patty's Day

I don't know where he found it, but my husband sent this to me from work today. In honor of St. Patrick's Day (before it's over!), I'd like to share it with you.

"May love and laughter light your days,and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours,wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures. May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!" 
~traditional Irish blessing

Can't you just see this painted on a plaque?  Makes me want to run right out to Hobby Lobby in the morning and gather the supplies. lol

Pregnant? Get Your Free Belly Bag from Cryo-Cell

This post brought to you by CryoCell International. All opinions are 100% mine.

Calling all expectant moms! If you're currently expecting and you're interested in learning more about Cord Blood services, there's no time to waste! Once your baby is born, it's too late to opt to preserve those precious stem cells, unless you're prepared with a collection kit. Learn about the life-saving stem cells that can be obtained from your babies umbilical cord. Stem cells normally discarded after birth, have the potential to save the life of your child should he/she face serious illness in the future.

www.Cryo-Cell.com is offering you a free Belly Bag in exchange for a phone consultation with a childbirth educator. If you're baby is due within the next 4 weeks, you'll want to call 1-800-STOR-CELL (800-786-7235), just in case that blessed day arrives earlier than expected. Both my children came early! Cryo-Cell will send out your Collection Kit should you decide to invest in cord blood banking services.

This is a limited time offer!  Visit www.Cryo-Cell.net to learn more about the life saving prospects of blood cord banking. It's too late for us... our babies finished baking years ago, but if I had it to do again, I'd definitely make that call.

Who Wants to Jump on the Swag Bucks Train with Me?

I've been hearing about SwagBucks for what seams like "too long" and decided maybe I should give it a try, rather than dismiss it as unworthy of my time. That decision was somewhat inspired by my recent determination to acquire a Kindle. You may remember in a recent post my asking if homeschoolers used readers? I suddenly started finding all sorts of situations where a Kindle would be a welcome friend to my family... but uh, mostly to me.

I basically did some simple math, in the form of a Wendy's reality story problem. Normally I'm not a fan of story problems, but this one had a solution I was pleased with. It started like this... Wendy is at her Bible study and her Bible is heavy and HUGE. Additionally, Wendy is envious of other women (which commandment am I violating? lol) who have a Kindle storing various translations of the Bible and even Bible trivia, Bible history, and whatever else they could possibly think to offer women seeking to understand the depth of God's word. 

The next part of the story problem went like this... Wendy is waiting for TaeKwonDo class to end. Sometimes it's 1 hour, sometimes it's 2. Sometimes there are other moms to talk to, sometimes there aren't! Wendy looks in her purse and all she has is a stick of gum and her not so smart phone. Afterwords Wendy rushes son to Kumon for his lesson and again forgets to bring something to do. Sits in waiting area with magazines on glamor, stocks and bonds, and golfing. You gotta be kidding me.

The story problem then goes on to consider that I recently won a $50 gift card to Amazon.com from Type A Housewife (an awesome blog) and wouldn't it make a nice dent in a new Kindle? My final answer was yes it would, and hey SwagBucks rewards in thousands of ways, including Amazon.com gift cards! See how the pieces magically fit together?

So my goal is to buy the Kindle with NO MONEY out of pocket whatsoever. Weeeeeee! To make that happen I'm now a Swagger and I'm also entering every giveaway I can find on the web that has as it's reward any amount of Amazon.com moolah. Isn't this exciting? Maybe more for me than for you. lol

Here's what I can say after just over 24 hours of SwagBucking myself through the Internet... it's really quite simple, a very well thought out system, a cool social networking opportunity as they link to Twitter and Facebook, and I'm really not sacrificing anything. I'm just using SwagBucks as my search engine. I'm on the computer so much of the day. I think I should be paid to surf! lol Now the question is, how long will it take me to earn those Amazon.com gift cards I so badly desire? Only time will tell and when time does tell, I'll do the same. Right here on this blog! Stay tuned and if you're up for a fun new adventure, why not join me? I'd love to have you along for the ride! We can compare notes and maybe share what we learn.

By the way, Soon after joining another SwagBucks venturer shared this link with me to Swag for Dummies.
Who knew there was so much to know? Who knew they knew I was a dummy?

How to Help Your Home School Student Get Ready for College

The shift from high school to college is often dramatic for recent graduates; however, for a home-schooled student, it can be downright overwhelming. The idea of leaving a comfortable learning environment and striking out on one's own can intimidate even the best home-school students. If your son or daughter will soon face this transition, then you should try to give them some help in order to make the change that much easier on the entire family.

Change Your Teaching Style

The biggest academic adjustment that your child will have to make in college will have to do with how he or she will take classes. Most lower-level college courses are taught lecture-style, which means there will be less opportunity for your child to interact with the professor or fellow classmates. Depending on how you currently teach your courses, you should consider lecturing your child during the last semester of study at home. This could prepare your child to sit in a lecture hall and take notes. Of course, not all college courses are like this; your child will probably have some small seminars to attend as well. However, it's important to get them ready to do their best in the lecture courses, as these courses will give them foundational concepts that will be useful once they move on to the upper-level seminars.

Be Your Child's Own College Counselor

Students who attend high school often have a resource in the college counseling office: an educated, up-to-date college counselor who can help them navigate the complicated college application process. Most likely, your home-schooled student won't have as much access to this kind of resource, so in a way, you have to become that resource. Visit area high schools and ask to speak to the college counselors there. Use sites like The Princeton Review and College Board to get help with the different parts of standard college applications. Visit the Department of Education website for advice on financial aid. Enlist your son or daughter to help you gather all of this information, and go over it together; this will help involve them in the application process.

Get to Know Campus Life

If possible, take your child to visit a nearby university campus. Even better, you should take them to visit the school's they are applying to. Spend some time on campus so that your child can see how different the college lifestyle can truly be. Of course, they'll see people of all races and ages walking around, but that'll hardly be that much different than the experiences they've already had, especially if you have enrolled them in social groups and other activities outside of home-schooling that get them to socialize with all kinds of people, cultures, religions and perspectives. This will prepare them to be able to navigate through the freedom of college life.




Teach Them to Appreciate Different Viewpoints

Finally, teach them to appreciate different viewpoints, especially when those viewpoints might diverge from their own moral compass. They have probably already experienced some different viewpoints through other activities outside of home-schooling, such as scouts, field trips, community sponsored events, and sports. However, in college your home-schooled student will be more or less on his or her own; of course, you'll still be in touch with them, but he or she will be maturing, learning about the world, becoming an adult. One of the biggest challenges of becoming an adult college is learning how to understand and respond to that which challenges your own worldview while still remaining a useful contributor to campus social and academic life.

By-line:
Alisa Gilbert, regularly writes on the topics of bachelors degree. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alisagilbert599@gmail.com.

Thanks Alisa for your wonderful suggestions!