My Life as Mrs. M

ebates

2012-05-08T12:24:00.004-05:00

Okay, if you are not using ebates to make online purchases you should be! If you don't know what ebates is let me explain. You get cash back on every online purchase. Each store offers a different amount of cash back. For example, vistaprint offers 5% back. So I login to ebates and enter vistaprint in the search box. A box pops up with different coupon codes that you can use for their website.So not only are you getting cash back, you can use coupon codes to save more money. After you make your purchase you should receive an email within the next few days that you are getting cash back. Ebates pays you your cash back through paypal four times a year.
I used ebates to purchase my airplane tickets to Maui last year. I got a nice chunk of change back that pay period. I also use ebates to buy hotel rooms through hotels.com. There are a lot of stores listed through ebates so if you tend to make lots of online purchases then please go sign up and make some money doing what you already do!

Giveaway time!

2012-02-05T00:27:00.000-06:00

So I used to love to scrapbook! I would spend hours working on my sorority scrapbook and my personal one. Then I started working in the real world and found out that I had less time to do the things I once enjoyed. But then I discovered digital scrapbooking and now I get to still be creative but now it doesn't take me hours to to work on a couple of pages. I was introduced to My Memories Suite software and the My Memories website. If you were ever curious about digital scrapbooking software then you have to check out My Memories! You can design cards, calendars, and blogs with this software.

They have kits, designs, word art, etc.... for all occasions and holidays! Alabama fans would love the LeeLou Designs - Lundstrom Park kit - lots of red, black, and houndstooth prints!

As a Tennessee fan I am quite smitten with Scrap Basics - Orange!!!
They even have free kits!

My Memories is rewarding my readers with a special discount! Just for using this link, you get $10 off the purchase of My Memories Suite Scrapbook software AND a $10 coupon to use in the My Memories store!!!

Just click on the image and enter the following code into the coupon code box to get this awesome discount! the code is STMMMS80083 -You MUST enter this code to get the discount! Just copy and paste it!

Now on to the giveaway! One reader will win this My Memories Suite software!
To enter - (make sure each is in a separate comment)
1. Follow this blog and leave a comment telling me you are a follower.
2. Go to the My Memories website and come back and let me know what your favorite kit/element is.
3. Follow My Memories on Facebook - http://facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593
4. Follow My Memories on Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

The winner will be chosen Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 12pm central standard time. Good luck!

My husband brought something home...

2012-02-05T00:15:00.000-06:00

December 1st I got a phone call from my husband saying he was bringing something home. The way he said it had me a little scared. Then he told me what happened. One of his employees is known for taking in stray animals. The wife had gotten home and pulled into the driveway. When she got out of the car she noticed something out of the corner of her eye by the mailbox. It had been raining a lot lately so there was mud and wet leaves everywhere. But over by the mailbox was perfectly clean and dry little white puppy. Someone had literally dropped the puppy off in the yard. They already have 8 dogs so they decided bringing a puppy in would be a challenge. So he brought it up to work and my husband fell in love with this little girl.

We named her Lola Belle.

Look at those eyes!

Sleepy girl!

Her hair makes her look so much bigger than she really is!

Right after her first groomer appt. Her bows didn't last an hour in her hair.

So it has been 4 months...

2012-01-29T20:39:00.000-06:00

I am such a bad blogger. I admit my life is very hectic because I work A LOT! When I am off of work and at home I am probably sleeping. I have been physically exhausted. Even my students have been mentioning how tired I look.

Besides for working not a whole lot has been going on. In November my husband and I took a long vacation. We flew to Maui, spent 8 days in Maui, flew to Vegas and spent a whole day and night there before coming home. While we were there we attended the 2011 Maui Invitational Basketball Tournament to watch the Tennessee Vols and Memphis Tigers play. I had to cheer on my alma mater Tennessee while my husband is a big Memphis tiger fan.

Here are some pics of our trip!

1st drink at the airport

View from our condo

my one and only mai tai - $10 was too much to pay

my view from a run

my outfit to cheer on my Tennessee VOLS!
sun hat from Marleylilly.com

Tennessee vs. Duke

We went strolling at an outdoor shopping area. I went to look at a restaurant's menu and found my husband in this store.

I started crying when he told me to pick out what I want. I knew it was something we could really afford, but he insisted and even tried to pick one out for me. I decided on the Monogram speedy 30.

Tennessee vs. Memphis

Tennessee vs. Chaminade

The view from Lahaina

ridiculous gas prices

Fruity drinks

We visited the North Shore to watch the surfers!

The most expensive appetizer I have ever had! $24

Sorry my photos are a little all over the place. I had so much trouble uploading them.

More blog posts are coming and even a giveaway!

Another thing crossed off my list...

2011-09-27T14:49:00.000-05:00

I have been staring at these for the past 2 years ever since we pulled up the carpet. Yes, I know it is hideous. It was the first thing you would see if you came into my house.

We decided it was time to spend the money and get them fixed. This is my Christmas gift from my husband.

Isn't it so much better?!!! But wait! Here is the finished product!

I am in love!!!!!

It's about that time again!

2011-09-02T13:51:00.000-05:00

So excited for tomorrow! I will wake up at 9:45 and climb on to my couch to watch ESPN gameday. It always get me so excited for football season! Here is who I will be rooting for this season. Who will you be cheering for?

It's been a while...

2011-07-24T18:06:00.000-05:00

Ever since school let out in May, I have been working - Summer school, bartending, trivia, and serving. I have one more week before teachers have to report back. I am trying to fit in as much sleeping in, working out, reading, and cleaning time as I can. Thursday is my birthday so at least I have one day to indulge! I became a beachbody coach and have been experimenting with my Shakeology shakes that are so yummy.
I am one week away from finishing a couch to 5k running app on my iphone. I feel pretty good. Now I am about to start P90X. I am really excited about it and I think it will change my body forever! I will let you know how it goes!

Want that body in shape to enjoy this summer?

2011-07-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

I just became a Beachbody coach! Because I am a coach I now can enjoy discounts on anything on the beachbody website. That includes :

Shakeology

P90X

Insanity

and much, much more!

Personally I want to start off with these three items -

Hip Hop abs

Power 90 (It is supposed to be a bit easier tham P90X)

and Brazil Butt Lift!

Who wants to join me in getting that summer body?

I need help...

2011-05-24T08:40:00.000-05:00

So we bought a new king size bed, which we are very much looking forward to! No more falling off the bed for me! This is the new frame and headboard below. Ignore the bedding on it.

Now my walls are neutral color (light beige) and I have a painting above my mom made for me that is burgandy red and silver. I have some other accents that match the burgandy red in the room. Which bedding set would you choose?

choice one

or choice two

OR go with a plain black comforter or quilt?
Which would you choose?

So much to do with so little funds...

2011-05-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

Things that have to be done to our house -
1. paint the outside of the house ($2500)

2. cut down part of neighbors' trees that are about to touch our roof ($500)

3.Landscaping ($325)

4.Flooring ($4000) - we ripped up our carpet a year and a half ago. We have been walking around on plywood ever since. We rescued a dog several months ago and are struggling with house training. This is keeping us from getting our new floor.

School is out in 2 days then I start working summer school. Summer school will pay for #1. Working our extra gigs will pay for #2 and #3. Guess we are going to have to do some major saving to pay for #4 plus a vacation. Anyone else have a ton of work to do on their house?

Is it just me?

2011-04-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

All I heard was wonderful reviews about the book Water for Elephants. I went on the library website, put it on hold, and picked it up as soon as I could. I just finished reading it and I thought it was just okay. It was very disturbing to read about how they treated the circus animals. I guess it is just not the type of book I am used to reading - I love mysteries and chick lit! I just can't say it was absolutely wonderful. Now I have seen the poster for the movie and I am curious to see how well it follows the book. What did you think of the book? Did you like it? Is it just me that thinks it was just okay?

I am addicted to...

2011-04-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

I am addicted to my tivo! It is such a great invention! I make a date with tivo to watch these must see shows - 1.CSI: Miami
2. NCIS
3. Law and Order SVU
4. Criminal Minds
5. Criminal Minds Suspect Behavior
6. Grey's Anatomy
7. The Office
8. Private Practice
9. Desperate Housewives

Now I am also a fan of reality shows. I love Kendra, The Kardashians, Jersey Shore, and So you think you can dance.
Shows that I despise - American idol, Survivor

I will admit that I have never seen one single episode of The Real Housewives of any city or Gossip girl. Maybe one day when I am not working 3 jobs.
What are your favorites? Am I missing any other good shows?

Donors Choose

2011-04-01T12:18:00.001-05:00

Donors Choose is a website that teachers can write up projects and ask for materials and anyone can donate to the project. Right now there is a promotion going on - you can receive a $15 donors choose code that you can donate to.
First you text the word "Possible" to 77177.
It will ask you for your zip code.
After you respond you will receive the Donors choose code.
Once you receive the code, text STOP to stop receiving any messages.

You can donate the $15 code to any teacher's project, but I would appreciate your support. Here is my project - hehttp://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=558179re

Thank you so much!

I promise I am still alive...

2011-03-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

I have been in a blogging funk. I do not have anything interesting to write about. I am spending a bit of time at amazon.com to find appropriate books for my students. I love how amazon has everything and I mean everything! Look what I found! I wouldn't mind having some of these!

and the winner is....

2011-03-10T13:50:00.000-06:00

I am so behind! But after doing a random drawing for the JAWS CLEANING SYSTEM, the winner is.....

Mrs. Chip!

Send me your address so the I can get your prize to you!

Fitblogger challenge!

2011-03-01T14:08:00.003-06:00

My goal is to finish the Just running app that prepares me in a 5k running program, drink at least 6 glasses of water, and to come up with one compliment a day for myself. No more negativity!

http://fitblogger.ca/challenge/

JAWS review and giveaway

2011-03-01T11:16:00.005-06:00

I was asked to review the JAWS cleaning system. I admit I had never heard of it, but I will take anything to help me clean my house! I am not a fan of cleaning but it has to be done.JAWS stands for Just Add Water System.It is better for the environment, economical, effective, and convienent.
This is what was sent to me - 4 empty spray bottles with 2 refills attached to each bottle and an additional 2 refills for each type of cleaner. There is a bathroom cleaner, a glass and window cleaner, a disinfectant degreaser, and a multipurpose degreaser. Each one is a different color.

Here is it how it works -
You add water to the spray bottle and then add the cartridge refill to it. Once you screw in the top it punctures the cartridge and the solution pours into the water. There is no mess and you are not exposed to the cartridge solutions.

First I started using the glass and window cleaners for my mirrors. It worked great! No streaks!
Then I used the disinfectant cleaner on my sink and other surfaces that gunk can build up on. It takes all the residue off. The bathroom and shower cleaner was just okay. I sprayed a lot of it on my tub and scrubbed but didn't notice a big difference in whitening the tub. The multipurpose cleaner works great when I used it on some spills on the floor.
The JAWS system is great because it produces less waste and you are reusing the spray containers. The price is also nice too! It is cheaper to purchase the JAWS SYSTEM because you get 2 catridges full of solution! To find out more about JAWS - CLICK HERE

But I am rewarding one of my loyal followers with a free JAWS system!
To enter - post a comment on this post about cleaning your house (how often do you do it, do you have any speed tips?,etc..)

you must be a follower!

The givcaway will end Sunday March 6,2011!

Have you been introduced?

2011-02-24T20:23:00.002-06:00

I am thrilled to report that I received a new Kindle and an IPOD touch for my reading classrom. The students are so excited to use these items. I have already added a bunch of educational apps to the ipod, but realized I do not have a lot of money to add books to the Kindle. So, I will be using my Swagbuck points to redeem some Amazon gift cards in order to download some books.
I love Swagbucks because all you have to do is use the website as a search engine and you receive points. Then you can redeem those points for prizes such as Paypal money, gift cards, etc... If you haven't been introduced to Swagbucks, let me introduce you.... here

Look at this!

2011-02-24T20:18:00.003-06:00

A couple of days ago I signed up with a brand new company called Bamboo Pink. Right now it is free to join as they are having their new welcome launch. I want these items! And I want to make some money selling these items! To sign up for free - http://www.bamboopink.net/mrsm

Cloud Cake, anyone?

2011-02-14T13:23:00.007-06:00

I love Little Debbie snacks, don't you? Here are some of my favorites -

Little Debbie has come out with its new snack cakes called Cloud Cakes, which are light, crème-filled golden sponge cakes. There are 10 individually wrapped Little Debbie Cloud Cakes in one carton, and approximately 16 cartons in a case. The suggested retail price is $3.09 a carton. These are available in mass merchandisers, supermarkets, dollar stores, variety stores and some convenience stores and other retailers nationwide.

I was sent some boxes of Little Debbie snacks to review.My students helped me review them today. Here are some things they said - "It is creamy and sweet. It's real good" , "It is nice and fluffy", and "Soft and delicious." They definitely enjoyed it! They asked for another assignment like this one.

I will be giving away a case of these yummy Little Debbie cloud cakes! I will choose a winner on Friday, February 18 at 3pm.

To enter -

Comment on this post which is your favorite Little Debbie snack. - 1 entry

Let me know if you are a follower - 1 additional entry

*Due to a death in my family and traveling to the funeral, I am extending this giveaway to Friday Feb. 25

Really?

2011-02-02T12:35:00.002-06:00

I work at a public middle school and I was walking down the hall today and overheard a girl (12 years old) talking to another student.

She said, "I hate that I am the only one single of all of my best friends. It just sucks."

You are 12. Really?

Verizon iphone ? yes, please!

2011-01-18T08:36:00.003-06:00

Feb. 3rd I am ordering the new Verizon iphone. My Blackberry storm is dying a slow death, and I look forward to a fast, fresh new face!
Please tell me - what are your favorite apps?

Willow House

2011-01-13T09:49:00.005-06:00

Have you ever heard of Willow House? The company used to be Southern Living at Home. They have the most beautiful pieces to access your home. I am hosting a Willow House blog party right here! All you have to do is click on the button that says shop online. What I love about shopping online is that there is an OUTLET section! This is where some of your favorite Willow House items are on sale for great prices!!!! If you purchase through this link, another deal you get is that if you purchase a $40 item or more, your second $40+ item is HALF OFF!

When purchasing, you need to put me as the hostess - Lori M. - to receive this deal! Let me know if you are interested in purchasing anything so I can help if needed.

Look at some of my favorites -

Gramercy Quadruple Java Snack dish -on sale for $12.96!

Cottage Garden Bowl with stand - on sale for $21.96!!!

So it doesn't hurt to just look....... Willow House

It is 2011!

2011-01-07T13:37:00.002-06:00

How time flies!! My winter break went by very quick, but I tried to spend a lot of my time relaxing and reading. I did work some but I also read 6 books in 2 weeks. Now it back to reality of working my 4 jobs. Alot was accomplished last year including a new roof and a new fence. Now all that is left is new flooring upstairs. Once this is done, the number of jobs I work will be decreasing. Woo hoo! I am super excited about having more time for myself and my family.

Lately I have been forcing myself to go to the gym. I go ahead and take my gym bag with me and get it done because if I go home I am not going back out. I really would like to get into running more. I would love to have a goal of maybe running a half marathon, but all the training schedules start out with running 3 miles which I can not do. So, first thing is to train for a 5k, then maybe a 10k, and if I survive that I will look into a half marathon. Now I just need to get a few more ice packs for my knees and legs for after my runs.

a new addition

2010-12-15T22:14:00.002-06:00

We have a new member that joined our family on Saturday. Meet Hudson. He was given this name by the pet rescue organization and we thought he should keep it. He was rescued from a puppy mill in Nashville where the had cut his vocal cords. We saw his profile on petfinder.com and his story broke our hearts. We had to make him part of our family.

He is very shy and timid of humans but he loves other dogs. If anyone has any suggestions on training him, we desperately need it. He is not trained to go outside. Actually he goes wherever he wants. He won't let us near him to try to pick him up or put a leash on him to take him outside. The only time he will let us pet him is when he is on the bed with us and even then he is very shy. Anyone have any suggestions?