Youth, challenge and change. It’s a powerful combination.

Microsoft YouthSpark

Microsoft is putting their belief in action. They created a company wide initiative called Microsoft YouthSpark to create education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for 300 million young people over three years.

Our young generation has creativity and a vision that properly harnessed, can move mountains.

They have passion and energy. But what they don’t have is the network, publicity or money.

Enter Microsoft YouthSpark Challenge.

Check out this video of two young women, Rebecca and Christina and how they took their ideas and turn them into Plus Ultra (biodegradable toothbrushes) and the Do Good Bus.

So simple and so powerful!

If you are or know someone in the 18-25 year range and they have talked endlessly about their great idea to help bring good to their community and the world at large, show them this contest!

Easy Entry

1. Go to the Microsoft YouthSpark Challenge Facebook Page.
2. Enter your contact info.
3. Upload a pic of yourself.
4. Answer some questions about your idea and how you would use Microsoft to help grow your project.

That’s it! And, get this, everyone who enters will get a $25 Give for Youth gift card! The gift card is yours to help support a cause that inspires you.

20 Finalists

• Receive a Microsoft Surface with Windows RT and Home Office and Student 2013RT to help create their video entry.

5 Winners

• Life-changing, all expense paid volunteer trip to Kenya this summer.
• $2,500 to help kick start their idea.
• A Microsoft technology bundle including a Windows Phone 8 and Xbox 360 with Kinect.
• The opportunity to serve as a Microsoft YouthSpark ambassador for the year and take advantage of YouthSpark training and resources.

Microsoft’s commitment to youth and education is what has always drawn me to them as a company and ambassador for social good. Even if someone you know just has “this idea” let them know about this contest.

Hurry, the entry period ends 5/24/13! Good Luck!

Disclosure: I am a Windows Champions Ambassador for 2013. I was not required to write this post, all thoughts and opinions are mine alone. 

I’m back to being 7 years old, watching Tom and Jerry and eating my favorite after school snack; chocolate pudding.

Chocolate pudding is comfort in every way. It’s the encouragement I needed to finish my homework and practice my spelling words. We never had it homemade growing up through, and I’m not sure why. It is so easy!

This is truly… 

EASY chocolate pudding recipe

.

As fast as you can make the stuff from the box, and possibly faster, this is a great recipe to keep handy when your kids (or the kid in you) need a little encouragement too.

• Do you make homemade pudding?
  
• What are you favorite after school snacks?

This is a sponsored conversation in partnership with Walgreens. All thoughts and opinions are only mine.

If you are eligible for Medicare, you may qualify for part D benefits.

What is Part D? 

Part D is a federal program to help subsidize the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.

How do you get Medicare Part D? 

If you or someone you know is eligible for Medicare, they may be eligible for part D benefits. If you are 65 or older or have a qualifying disability you may be eligible.

Once you’ve determined your eligibility for Part D, take time to go over all the benefits to make sure you are maximizing this helpful program.  According to a survey done by Walgreens (see pic above) almost 30% of seniors polled didn’t know they can switch pharmacies anytime and that switching isn’t restricted to Medicare’s annual open enrollment period. (i.e. you can change anytime!)

As a frugalette, I’m always price matching and comparing between stores to get the best deal. Just like shopping for groceries, electronics and shoes, shop around for the best Part D  prescription price. Not all pharmacies are created equal.

And about 60% said that if they could change one thing about their Part D plan, it would be lower costs and co-pays. So everyone wants lower prescription costs, but no one is comparing pharmacy prices!

So, the first three steps to lowering Part D prescription costs:

1. Walgreens You’re Worth Savings. Walgreens has a great initiative that they started just to help Medicare Part D beneficiaries understand all the benefits and cost-saving tips.
2. Shop around. Not all pharmacy prescription co-pays are the same.
3. Switch pharmacies. Seniors do not have to wait for open enrollment to change pharmacies.

This is part 1 in my two part series on the Walgreens You’re Worth Savings Initiative. Watch for part 2 coming up soon with more results of the Medicare Part D survey results and how to maximize your savings.

• Are you or someone you know on Medicare?
  
• Do you think prescription costs are too high?

 

At the beginning of every week in 2013 I’ll be sharing a different way to get happy for FREE. Being happy doesn’t cost anything except your decision to try. I show you how I got happy that week and hope to inspire you to do the same. Join my Get Happy for FREE challenge, you have nothing to lose and a whole lot of smiles to gain! 

Does your heart swell after you express gratitude unexpectedly to your friends, family and even a stranger?

Do you smile to yourself after expressing appreciation for great customer service or a waiter that went out of their way to make you feel welcome?

Expressing gratitude is the fastest way to calm your stress, relieve tension and increase the positive feelings running through your veins. In Sonja Lyubomirsky’s book, The How of Happiness, the first activity she mentions to create more happiness is…expressing gratitude.

There are many definitions and ways to express gratitude, but I find it’s in the simple and sincere.

Week 18

This week we are going to express gratitude. Since the expression of gratitude is broad, let’s focus on letting others know how grateful or appreciative we are. People who are consistently grateful, “have been found to be happier, more energetic, and more hopeful.”

More hopeful!  Imagine, giving thanks to others creates more hope within ourselves. But being grateful is more than just being thankful.

When was the last time your kid’s teacher took extra time to practice reading with them. What about the pretty shirt an acquaintance was wearing. Did you mention it? Why not?

This week try saying it..out loud! “I love the way you practice reading with my son, it means a lot, thank you.” “That’s a pretty shirt, I like it a lot!” 

All these positive thoughts in our mind might just turn around another person’s bad day. Words do have the power to heal.

• Do you know someone who needs to hear an expression of gratitude from you?
  
• Who are you thinking to talk to?

JOIN THE CHALLENGE!

• Express as much gratitude as possible towards others and then come back and tell me about it in the comments by 5/18 11:59 p.m.
• I will pick one winner via random.org from all eligible comments. I’ll announce the next $5 Amazon Code winner in my weekly newsletter that goes out every Sunday. Make sure you are a subscriber or you won’t know you won!
• If you win and are a blogger or want a link to your site or Instagram account mentioned in the newsletter be sure to snap a pic that represents this week’s challenge!
• Tag me on Facebook OR on Instagram.

Other Posts in the Get Happy Series:
• Week 1: Focus on Relationships
• Week 2: Go Somewhere New
• Week 3: Try a New Food
• Week 4: Spend Time Alone
• Week 5: Write to Someone
• Week 6: Smile
• Week 7: Take a Walk
• Week 8: Make Your Bed
• Week 9: Meditate
• Week 10: Organize One Thing
• Week 11: Unplug From Social Media
• Week 12: Get Creative
• Week 13: Expect Good Things
• Week 14:Go to Sleep
• Week 15: Look for Blue
• Week 16: Hug
• Week 17: Volunteer
• Week 18: Express Gratitude

Every week I pick one and only one drugstore that I think has the best deals. I show how much $5 can really get you! You shouldn’t  have to spend a lot to get great deals, and products your family needs.

If you’re new to couponing check out my 10 Step Couponing Course.
Points to remember about shopping at Rite Aid:

• Remember to use your store loyalty card.
• Their cash back program is called +UPs, they print at the bottom of your receipt, and can be used to buy anything in the store, except prescriptions. (they DO expire, so check the expiration date!)
• Rite Aid coupons and manufacturer coupons can be used on one item.
• Sign up HERE for their Single Check Rebate Program.
• Watch Rite Aid Video Values HERE for special coupons to print after.
• You now have to opy-out if you want your +UPs printed instead of automatically attached to your card.
• +UPs earned can only be used starting 6 AM the next day, so plan accordingly.

• After you purchase $500 worth of products (calculated BEFORE manufacturer coupons) your card will get you an automatic 10% off all regularly priced merchandise.
• After you purchase $1000 worth of products (calculated BEFORE manufacturer coupons) your card will get you an automatic 20% off ALL regularly priced merchandise!

Transaction #1:
2 Nutrisse Hair Color $8.49/each
-Gold savings $6.79
Use (2) $3 off 1 Rite Aid Video Values coupons (YMMV using 2 VV)
Use (2) $2 off 1 coupons from 4/28 RP or 5/12 RP
=$3.58, get back $5 +UP

Revlon Buttercream Hair Color $4.99/each
Use $3 off 1 Rite Aid Video Values coupon
Use $2 off 1 Revlon from 5/12 RP
=$0
=$3.58, get back $5 +UP

 
Transaction #2:
Colgate Powered Toothbrush $6.99
Use $2 off 1 coupon from 5/12 SS
=$4.99, use $5 +UP from previous transaction
=$0, get back $3 +UP

 
Transaction #3:
Visine Eye Drops $5/each
Use $1 off 1 Rite Aid Video Values coupon
Use $2 off 1 printable coupon from HERE or HERE
=$2, get back $2 +UP

Kellogg’s Cereal (various) $1.88
Use $.75 off 1 printable from Kellogg’s reward program
=$1.13
=$3.13, use $3 +UP from previous transaction
=$.13, get back $2 +UP

 
Transaction #4:
(2) Wrigley’s, Freedom or Extra Gum $1/each
=$2, use $2 +UP from previous transaction
=$0, get back $1 +UP

 
Transaction #5: 
(2) Mars, Skittle, Starburst or Mars 6pk. $1/each
=$2, use $1 +UP from previous transaction
=$1 get back $1 +UP

 
Transaction #6: 
Playtex Sports Tampons $5.49
Use $3 off 1 from Rite Aid Video Values
Use $1 off 1 from HERE or HERE
=$1.49, use $1 +UP from previous transaction
=$.49

 
Bottom line:$5.20 out of pocket, $45.33 worth of product and lots of high value items! Happy Mother’s Day!

I’m always on the hunt for great (and easy) ways to save at Disney World.

Paying for airline tickets and booking hotel reservations are just the tip of a Disney budget. With all the hidden costs there are also many hidden ways to save.

I reached out to my friend Tiffany, a former Disney World vacation planner and eight time guest, to give me her best and easiest ways to save on the most popular family destination.

Check out her list and let me know what you think!
 
18 Ways to Save at Walt Disney World
 

1.Start a Disney Fund. Expect to spend an extra $40-$100 per day on top of the budget you already planned for. It’s hard to resist a pastry from Main Street Bakery or cupcake from Starring Rolls Cafe. Grab a jar and start saving a Disney emergency fund for all the treats you didn’t plan on buying.

2.Buy costumes from online shops. During Halloween season check out online Halloween stores for Disney costumes. They are much cheaper than buying at the official Disney store or at the parks.

3.Stay on site during Value Season. Disney has four “seasons” every year. Value is the cheapest than Regular, Summer and Fall. The easiest and cheapest way to save is to book off-season.

4.Two Vacation Styles in 1. Do you like luxury and your kids want adventure? Instead of taking two trips, stay in an RV or tent at the Fort Wilderness Resort. This option allows for the Disney experience while you “rough it” Disney-style.

5.Stay off site. Disney has Good Neighbor hotel packages. However, since they are off-site, you will need to rent a car or use the hotel’s shuttle service which may not be as frequent as a Disney on-site hotel. Parking is currenly $14/day at the parks, factor in the cost of parking at the hotel, gas and time and it may be better to stay on-site.

6.Go with a package deal. When I made quotes for my clients in the past, the numbers raised a few eyebrows, however, when I broke it down for them a la carte , they were amazed at the savings involved! Watch for deals on airlines+hotel+park tickets+food.

7.Ditch the rental car. If you are staying on site, Disney has a wide variety of transportation to get you where you need to go at various operating hours. The Magical Express is a complimentary service that can take you to your resort from the airport and Disney has buses, boats and the monorail to get you to the parks and resorts.

8.Consider the Disney Dining Plan. With the potential to save 20% off your bill it might be a good option for “good eaters.” However if your family likes to snack more than eat three big meals, the savings won’t be as significant.

9.BYOB Bring your own bottle (water) and snacks to the parks. The Disney Dining Plans include snacks, but if you intend to be at the parks all day, it’s still worth it to bring extra snacks for those long lines and walks.

10.Skip the park hopper. If you plan to focus on one park per day the hopper option will go to waste. Skip the extra fee and stick to the regular passes.

11.Check out the Y.E.S. programs. Y.E.S stands for Youth Education Series and you can look into this option for school-aged children where they take a class at a certain park,sometimes admission is required for that specific park, and in exchange, they are able to get a deeply discounted ticket. Call 877- WD-YOUTH for more details.

12.Harmony Barbershop instead of Bibbidi Boppidi! If your daughter or son just wants the gel and confetti experience sprinkled all over their hair instead of a full up-do, check out Harmony Barbershop on Main Street. Save the fancy extras and come with most of your hair done and let the stylist add the finishing touches.

13.Free souvenirs! Stop by City Hall in Magic Kingdom to pick up a free commemorative pin for just about any occasion from birthday to first visit! Ask them to write the date for you to keep as a momento.

14.Free Games! If you have older kids or a really big kid (husband),they will love to play Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom! Each person with a valid park ticket will be able to get a pack of cards with special “powers” to defeat villains at various stations throughout the park. If you’re new to the game, a Cast Member will take you to a practice station and show you how to get started on your venture. You get to keep the cards and if you come back another day to Magic Kingdom, you will be permitted to get another pack of cards. You can play with them, collect them and keep gaming children of all ages happy as well.

15.Free Drinks! Check out Club Cool at Epcot! You get to sample different soft drinks from all around the world and it’s totally free! Also free ice water is available all around the parks.

16.Free movies! All the resorts have their own movie schedule, but Fort Wilderness Campground takes it one step further. They do a full camp out with s’mores and a sing-a-long with Chip ‘n Dale. Check with your resort’s concierge for the schedule.

17. Gift card budget for souvenirs. Give each kid or family member a Disney gift card with a set amount on it for the whole trip. This is their fun money to buy whatever keepsake they want. Look for souvenirs that are park specific and can’t be found in any regular Disney store.

18. Save park memorabilia. All those park maps, tickets and Keys to the World make great scrapbook items. Add pictures and you have a very special, unique souvenir to enjoy for years to come.

Looking for more Disney savings tips? I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to Disney Travel Dreaming! 

• Have you been to Disney World?
• What tips would you add?

At the beginning of every week in 2013 I’ll be sharing a different way to get happy for FREE. Being happy doesn’t cost anything except your decision to try. I show you how I got happy that week and hope to inspire you to do the same. Join my Get Happy for FREE challenge, you have nothing to lose and a whole lot of smiles to gain! 

 
Do good, feel good. So simple and so powerful.

Volunteering is what makes us feel we are connected to society and part of a community. It’s also an instant mood lifter. Several studies have shown that giving our time to causes we value makes us happier, healthier and even live longer!

Imagine giving to others is giving something back to ourselves. There is something sacred in human nature that calls us to help others. We are not an island unto ourselves, we are all in this together.

When your heart tugs towards a cause you believe in, instead of handing a check next time, give your time.

Over the weekend I lent my support for a cause my heart has tugged at for years, No Kid Hungry. Food is not a luxury it’s a basic human right. Did you know 1 in 5 children in America goes to bed hungry every night…1 in 5.

I have three young children of my own. After I tuck them in at night, I feel a sense of calmness knowing they went to bed with their tummies full.

A child’s biggest problem should be what color crayon to choose, not where to find food.

I joined other local Boston mom bloggers to host a bake sale at  Middlesex Commons, an outdoor shopping mall, and send the proceeds to our local No Kid Hungry chapter. As you can tell from the pic above, there was quite the spread!

I took my kids with me because I want them to get involved with charity and volunteerism at a young age. It’s a responsibility as a citizen of the world, to give of ourselves to helping others.

Week 17 

This week we are going to volunteer our time.

Now, I realize I’m giving you quite a short time to donate your time in, but, I have an idea. There are so many ways to donate our time without it being a big event like the one I took part in.

Some ideas for simple volunteering:

• Pick up trash! If you see little bits of trash on your walk, pick it up and throw it away.
• This is teacher appreciation week, offer to watch a teacher’s class so she/he can have a little bit longer lunch.
• Call up your favorite charity and just ask how you can get involved!

If you do one thing this week, I hope you at least find a charity you would like  to get involved with!

JOIN THE CHALLENGE!

• Take the first step towards any volunteering and then come back and tell me about it in the comments by 5/11 11:59 p.m. EST.
• I will pick one winner via random.org from all eligible comments. I’ll announce the next $5 Amazon Code winner in my weekly newsletter that goes out every Sunday. Make sure you are a subscriber or you won’t know you won!
• If you win and are a blogger or want a link to your site or Instagram account mentioned in the newsletter be sure to snap a pic that represents this week’s challenge!
• Tag me on Facebook OR on Instagram.

Other Posts in the Get Happy Series:
• Week 1: Focus on Relationships
• Week 2: Go Somewhere New
• Week 3: Try a New Food
• Week 4: Spend Time Alone
• Week 5: Write to Someone
• Week 6: Smile
• Week 7: Take a Walk
• Week 8: Make Your Bed
• Week 9: Meditate
• Week 10: Organize One Thing
• Week 11: Unplug From Social Media
• Week 12: Get Creative
• Week 13: Expect Good Things
• Week 14:Go to Sleep
• Week 15: Look for Blue
• Week 16: Hug
• Week 17: Volunteer

Disclosure: I have no affiliation with No Kid Hungry, I just love what they do!

• Their cash back program is called Extra Care Bucks (ECB), it prints at the bottom of your receipt.
• Use your store loyalty card every time you shop.
• Scan your card at the red coupon machine inside the store for CVS store coupons.
• You can use a CVS store coupon with a Manufacturer coupon on one item.
• You can use 2 coupons on a BOGO sale.
• You can use a BOGO coupon on a BOGO sale.
• Every $50 (cumulative) you spend before coupons on bath and beauty will earn you $5 ECB back

I attended a local blogger conference in the city, aptly named, Blog Better Boston.  (Check out the awesome location at Boston Globe HQ!)
 
Back when I was a new-ish blogger, it was the first blogging conference I had ever attended. This time I was invited to speak. My how we’ve come a long way!
 
The conference organizers Alana of The Good Girl Gone Blog and Amy of I’m Gonna Fly invited me to talk…Pinterest! I’m such a pinning fool, I guess it’s working for me!
 
Here’s the thing, it was a conference for fashion bloggers. I talk frugal, food and Disney. Can you feel the nerves setting in?
 
The kind folks at London Times Fashion must have known I would need some help!
 
They reached out to this frazzled mama of three with a gorgeous dress! No ironing needed. I felt so pretty and ready to mingle among the fashion forward (even if they were 20 years younger, yikes)!
 

I chose white on purpose. I don’t wear white. In fact, I don’t wear any color lighter than a dark grey, it’s just too risky. But,since I was going sans kids I wanted to wear something that was totally out of my norm.

I spent the day talking to really smart, sharp fashion bloggers…here’s what I learned.

 
1.A smile shines brighter than any dress. The successful fashion bloggers I met were beautiful on the inside. Approachable, kind and smiling. They just smiled, a lot.

 
2.Wear bright colors. It was a room full of electric blues and bright lavender. No grey or black in sight. It was so uplifting to see a room full of color.

 
3.Love your job. The old saying holds true, “When you do what you love, it’s not work.” They really enjoy talking, writing and exploring fashion. They never imagined their hobby would turn into a profession.

 
4.Engagement is fun. As bloggers we all have to be engaging on social media, even if we don’t like it. The fashion bloggers I met love  being social and it comes through to their readers.

 
5.Enjoy the moment. Most of the bloggers I met were single, or married but no kids. They were really enjoying the moment. After having kids and a family, I’ve gotten so caught up in the everyday, I forget that is the moment!
 
If you have a chance to do something out of your comfort zone, go for it! Doing something new and out of the ordinary is an instant mood lifter.
 

• Do you wear white?
• Have you ever attended a blogging conference?

At the beginning of every week in 2013 I’ll be sharing a different way to get happy for FREE. Being happy doesn’t cost anything except your decision to try. I show you how I got happy that week and hope to inspire you to do the same. Join my Get Happy for FREE challenge, you have nothing to lose and a whole lot of smiles to gain! 

They are often like this. Hugging, holding hands, being affectionate. The younger one runs to hug her big sister when she comes home from school. I have never told either one to, “Hug your sister,” they just do, it’s innate.

Humans need touch. We thrive on being held by someone we love. When I thought about what I wanted to focus on this week, I looked at my girls and saw them hugging each other again, for the 12th time that day.

In the book, “The How Of Happiness,” Sonja Lyubomirsky  writes about a fascinating study on the power of hugging.

Students were assigned to two groups. One group was the control and one was asked to give at least five hugs per day. Both participants had to use their arms and participate and to try and hug as many different people as possible.

Bottom line? Huggers were happier.

In a separate study at MSN Healthy Living, showed that women who got hugs from their husband several times a day had lower blood pressure.

Week 16

This week we are going to hug…A LOT!

This is about showing our love and appreciation for our friends and family without saying a word.

As a mother of three young children, I often feel “touched out.” There is always someone touching, chasing or generally on me at all times. So in my touched out phase, I want to stop being touched so much!

But, this is about consciously hugging with love and calmness.

I’m going to shock my husband when he comes home with a great big hug! Very unusual for me, as the kids are always the first to get him.

When you wake up, give your loved ones a hug. Before bed, give hugs, before leaving for work and schools, hug. When they come home, hug.

Who else deserves a hug (with permission of course)? What about your kid’s teacher who works so hard all day? What about your co-worker having problems at home?

 
JOIN THE CHALLENGE!

• Hug more and then come back and tell me about it in the comments by 5/4 11:59 p.m. EST.
• I will pick one winner via random.org from all eligible comments. I’ll announce the next $5 Amazon Code winner in my weekly newsletter that goes out every Sunday. Make sure you are a subscriber or you won’t know you won!
• If you win and are a blogger or want a link to your site or Instagram account mentioned in the newsletter be sure to snap a pic that represents this week’s challenge!
• Tag me on Facebook OR on Instagram

with your hugging pic.

Other Posts in the Get Happy Series:
• Week 1: Focus on Relationships
• Week 2: Go Somewhere New
• Week 3: Try a New Food
• Week 4: Spend Time Alone
• Week 5: Write to Someone
• Week 6: Smile
• Week 7: Take a Walk
• Week 8: Make Your Bed
• Week 9: Meditate
• Week 10: Organize One Thing
• Week 11: Unplug From Social Media
• Week 12: Get Creative
• Week 13: Expect Good Things
• Week 14:Go to Sleep
• Week 15: Look for Blue
• Week 16: Hug