Did You Know That March 21 is National Single Parent’s Day?

Jess
March 20, 2017

This National Single Parent’s Day post is sponsored by Angel Soft through The Motherhood network; however all opinions are entirely my own.

When Gabe’s father and I split nearly 4 years ago, I didn’t think I could find the strength to be a single parent. I worried that Gabe would miss out on things.
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I was 12 years old when my parents divorced, and it was nasty. When the dust finally settled, I went to live with my maternal grandparents. My mom took a nursing job in another state, and my Dad took custody of my two brothers and my sister. At the time I was playing several sports and on a few academic teams, and I required the most maintenance. My grandparents put a roof over my head, fed me and took me where I needed to go, but it was hard to replace the lost connection to a parent; I made myself a promise that Gabe would never know what that felt like. I wanted him to always be confident that he had a parent that would look out for him no matter how tough the circumstances got. Today I’m sharing my struggles as a former single parent and why I feel it’s important to celebrate National Single Parent’s Day.

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Beauty And The Beast Free Printable Activity Sheets & Movie Review

asouthernmother
March 17, 2017
beauty and the beast free printable activity sheets

Last night my husband and I broke our household rule about taking our son to the movies on a school night; we wanted to see the new live action Beauty and the Beast film just released by Disney. We arrived at the movie theater an hour early to make sure we could purchase tickets and waited (im)patiently for 45 minutes for the movie to start. Half the movie I could hear my husband either singing or humming along to the famous score from a seat away, and it was hard not to sing along too. You can read more of our thoughts about the film and check out the Beauty and the Beast free printable activity sheets provided by Disney below.

beauty and the beast free printable activity sheets
Emma Watson stars as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast in Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, a live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic directed by Bill Condon.

Continue reading Beauty And The Beast Free Printable Activity Sheets & Movie Review

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Tax Refund

asouthernmother
March 16, 2017
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Tax Refund

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #YourTaxCash #CollectiveBias

Can you believe that it’s tax season already? It’s a stressful time for many individuals, but especially for self-employed small business owners. I know a few people who have gone to their local accountants Edinburgh to seek assistance with their taxes but others are attempting it themselves. If you’re a small business owner, which option do you think is best? It usually takes me several weeks to get all of my tax information together. A friend of mine suggested that I start using filecenterdms document management software or a similar paperless program to help me keep track of my tax information, like payments receipts, bank receipts, etc. She said it could help me keep important documents such as my tax receipts and forms organized, so I don’t have to scramble to find anything or worry about missing information. I’ve already done my taxes and sent off the information I needed, so I might try it next tax season. That could minimize mistakes, so it probably is worth doing. One of my friends recently made a mistake on her taxes, and she was audited. She decided to appeal the audit, and with the help of a tax law firm like this one, she was able to get support throughout the whole audit. No one wants to be audited, so it’s important that our taxes are being filed correctly. Currently, I’m just thinking about my tax refund. I rarely get a refund, and when I do, it’s small, so I want to make the most out of it. Today I’m sharing some tips for how to get the most out of your tax refund.

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Tax Refund

A tax refund should be looked at as an investment. Any refund that you receive will quickly disappear if you don’t save or spend it wisely. You should consider paying off bills, like high interest credit cards, but lowering your existing monthly bills is also a good way to make every dollar go farther. Things such as paying off car loans or other debts should be a priority, and they’ll provide you with long term rewards, and you could also think about the really long term and think about it as a large influx to saving for your child’s education you could feel like you’re being very wise with your expenditure. This year my husband is using part of his tax refund to fence in an additional pasture on the farm. It will allow him to rotate livestock to ensure they have fresh grass to graze and it will allow us to eventually have more livestock on this property. Establishing good rotational grazing schedules is an integral part of having healthier livestock, which can lead to fewer veterinarian visits. Growing our herd numbers and decreasing expenses will help increase profits from our livestock. buy effexor online https://myindianpharmacy.net/effexor.html no prescription

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I’m not saying you shouldn’t spend your money. I’m certainly not in a position to ridicule anyone for spending a small amount on something that you really want; but, in the grander scheme of things, that new television, purse, or those expensive shoes won’t last very long. Long-term investments are more likely to reap long-term rewards.

Before I switched to Walmart Family Mobile, my monthly cellphone bill for a single plan on a major carrier was over $120 each month once all of the taxes and fees were applied. I had roughly 6GB of data and if I used over my monthly allotment, I was charged outrageous fees. I have to use my phone and data plan frequently for work. Occasionally, I get opportunities that are time sensitive and I need to respond quickly. I realized that my cell phone bill was twice more than what it should be, and I considered making the switch. In my personal situation switching to Walmart Family Mobile could save me $720 per year, which is nearly equivalent to what I might get back in taxes. buy elavil online https://myindianpharmacy.net/elavil.html no prescription

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Tax Refund

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Tax Refund

The SIM Kit for Walmart Family Mobile costs $19.88; since Family Mobile bills you later, you only have to pay $19.88 when you sign up. You’ll just need to purchase a Walmart Family Mobile compatible phone such as the Samsung Galaxy On5 or use a compatible phone that you already own.

The Samsung Galaxy On5 retails for $119.00 at Walmart, which is a great value for a smartphone. It has 8GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot which can expand memory up to 128GB. The Samsung Galaxy On5 has a 5MP rear-facing camera capable of 720p video recording and a 2MP front-facing camera. It has a 5 inch HD touch screen and uses Android operating software.

But if you still don’t think the Samsung Galaxy On5 is the right phone for you, they have several other smartphone options available.

The Walmart Family Mobile Plus Plan includes *Unlimited Talk, Text, & Data which includes up to 10GB of 4G LTE then 2G plus a free VUDU movie credit every month ($7 value) per line for $49.88. buy estrace online https://myindianpharmacy.net/estrace.html no prescription

*Includes up to 10GB of 4G LTE† data then 2G

The free VUDU movie credit is a great bonus and it’s enough for a new movie rental. It can be streamed on a Smart TV, ROKU®, Chromecast®, VUDU Spark™, or other compatible device.

Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to this link or your local Walmart for current pricing.

Tax season and tax refunds only occur once a year. If you get a tax refund, I hope you’ll spend it wisely and consider investing some of your hard earned tax dollars in something that will help you achieve long term savings and rewards. If you’re looking to decrease your monthly phone bill, check out the phones and plans available through Walmart Family Mobile. I hope you’ve enjoyed these tips for how to get the most out of your tax refund and I’d love to know what you plan to use your refund on this year.

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Tax Refund

My Strength Has No Gender™ Story

Jess
March 8, 2017
Strength Has No Gender™

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StrengthHasNoGender #CollectiveBias

Would you believe me if I told you that I once headed to the Navy Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, to begin my training as a Naval Nuclear Electrician’s Mate? It seems like a lifetime ago, but it’s true. I was the only female Nuclear Electrician’s Mate in my entire class at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Charleston, SC. I was naive when I left for boot camp; it hadn’t even crossed my mind that I was about to enter a field dominated by men, or that my gender could impact my career trajectory. Today I’m thankful that I can join the Strength Has No Gender™ campaign in celebration of International Women’s Day by sharing the story of my personal experience in this male-dominated field.

Strength Has No Gender™

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Orange Juice Cake Recipe: Sunday Supper

Jess
March 7, 2017
orange juice cake

This post is sponsored by Indian River Select Brand Juice through Fresh Press Media, however all opinions are entirely my own. 

My grandmother has routinely made this Orange Juice Cake for Sunday dinners and pot luck dinners for most of my life. My tastebuds preferred chocolate in my youth; I didn’t understand why we didn’t have more chocolate cake or brownies, so this wasn’t always my dessert of choice. Now that I don’t make it to my grandparents for Sunday dinner very often, I find myself craving this cake; I might also blame my weird pregnancy aversion to chocolate. Today I thought I would share this family recipe for Orange Juice Cake made with Indian River Select Original Orange Juice.

orange juice cake

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Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders: Easy Meals

Jess
February 28, 2017
hot ham and cheese sliders

My son had a basketball game on Saturday. We usually go out to eat after he plays, but his game finished an hour before lunch. I wanted to make us something warm for lunch but I didn’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. These Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders are a quick and easy meal solution.
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You can customize these with ingredients such as sliced sweet peppers, poppy seeds or tomatoes. Before you read on, I want to apologize for the photos in the post; it was especially dreary when I made these and I photographed them in my kitchen while I was cooking.
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ham and cheese sliders Continue reading Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders: Easy Meals

Things You Should Know About Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing

asouthernmother
February 22, 2017
non-invasive prenatal testing

On my first prenatal visit with my nurse midwife, they gave me a folder of useful information. One sheet laid out the purpose of each of my prenatal visits and their frequency, while a second sheet listed all of the prenatal testing options that we had. Since I would be over 35 when I gave birth, I had a few more testing options than younger mothers. Our prenatal provider didn’t discuss any of our test options at length, so I had to research most of them them on my own. Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (or NIPT) is a newer test for a few select genetic anomalies which requires a blood sample. Here are a few things you should know about Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing before you consider having the test done.

non-invasive prenatal testing

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