Monthly Archives: November 2014

Saving for kids’ college is easy with Capital One 360 #FinancialPeace

November 28, 2014consumer, moneygetcluedin

It’s hard to save for the small ticket items, much less for college tuition, but Capital One makes it easy. On-line banking or investing has never been so easy, so convenient, and so rewarding. And if you act now, you can take advantage of all the Black Friday deals that Capital One offers.

If you save as little as $50 a month per kid when they are young, by the time they are even applying for colleges, you should have enough for them to pay tuition, or supplement financial aid if necessary. Saving for college does not have to be hard or overwhelming, and you can earn various interest rates depending on the products you choose. Capital One has various products, and they reward you just for opening an account. If you think that $199 TV is a good deal for Black Friday, ask yourself, who will give you money just for opening an account and saving money? Yes, Capital One will.

Right now, with Capital One 360’s Black Friday Sale, the rewards are even sweeter. This is the time to sign up, get a bonus, and start thinking about financial peace of mind. Whether your needs are for college savings, savings accounts for kids, a checking account, or investing, check out all tat Capital One 360 has to offer. Capital One 360 products are designed to save consumers time and money. From online to an easy to use mobile app, Capital One 360 is with customers 24/7. Capital One 360 Checking and 360 Savings are fee-free and earn interest (varies based on product). Capital One 360 offers remote deposit capture with Capital One 360’s CheckMate tool and make savings a snap with the Automatic Savings Plan. Here are some deals for Black Friday (ends 12/1/2014) at Capital One 360- check it out until 12/1/2014 (see below). New accounts receive bonus money – who just gives you money so you can save money? Capital One. All accounts include a bonus, and if you refer friends and family, you earn $40, and they earn rewards for just signing up too! Here are the bonus offers for Black Friday:

Product	Offer	Details
ShareBuilder	Up to $1,250 bonus (tiered offer)	Must be a new ShareBuilder customer
Home Loans	$1,250 off closing costs	Must sign up for the loan during the sale period
360 Checking	$100 bonus	Must make a $500 minimum initial deposit and make five transactions Must be new to 360 Checking
360 Savings	$100 bonus	Must make a $1,000 minimum initial deposit Must be new to 360 Savings
Refer a Friend	$40 bonus per successful referral	For someone to receive the referral bonus, they must be a current customer Their friend must meet the minimum initial deposit requirements Applies to all accounts

This holiday season, save a little or a lot, and start the road to financial peace of mind. Saving money for college, for whatever your needs are has never been so easy, convenient, and most of all, rewarding. We have savings accounts for all of us and our kids at Capital One 360, and we also have a checking account which is convenient to use. I deposit checks from my mobile device while I am on the go. Their rates of interest on savings and checkings accounts are competitive. And through Sharebuilder, you can also trade and invest in stocks, funds, and other products. You can even open a kids’ brokerage account and trade for them – all before they are even in high school! Happy saving, and happy holidays to you all!

Disclaimer: I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and compensated for this post. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Walmart To Go Grocery – Gobble it up this Holiday season

November 25, 2014consumer, dining, foodgetcluedin

Too cold to head outside? The weather outside is certainly frightful here in Colorado at times, so don’t fret and order all your holiday fixings from Walmart Grocery To Go! Make sure to register here for Walmart Grocery To Go, so you can set up your account, so when you are ready to order, you are good to go! Pick your delivery date and time first, then start adding items to your cart, check out, and voila! You are set!

You can order all the fixings, beverages, sides, and even your turkey, if you eat turkey for Thanksgiving. For a vegetarian like me, you can make a list of all the ingredients for your veggie sides, and order it all now. In fact, you can make your list this week, and order everything for delivery set in the future. So, if you already know what you need, you can order it all now, and set it for delivery later this, or prepare for that Christmas or holiday dinner now. Set the delivery date/time as soon as you log on, so you can snag the best date for you, and give yourself a day, in case of weather or unforeseen holiday delays. Then, you can use the time you saved to clean your home to host Thanksgiving dinner, or to spend time with your loved ones this holiday season. And beyond Thanksgiving, I know many people are planning Christmas, and other holiday parties. Save time, money, and hassles of traffic and lines of holiday grocery shopping, and order from Walmart Grocery To Go – either for delivery or for pick up. Whatever you decide, the service reduces the stress of the holidays through convenience. Happy Holidays!

Disclaimer: As a participant in the Walmart Grocery to Go program, I’ve received a personal invite and payment for my time and efforts in creating this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own. Don’t forget to CLICK HERE so we both get a $15 credit at WALMART To Go!

Meet a Bookseller at Barnes & Nobles this weekend #BNDiscovery

November 20, 2014consumer, shopping, toysconsumer, shoppinggetcluedin

B22ifkuIIAA3TZa — pre-folded artfold books- you can still read them!

A book – what a concept! Barnes & Noble stores are so, so much more than just bookstores. Remember when we read magazines and took the fun quizzes? There is a music shop, a kids’ educational zone (just for them), educational toys, fun toys, Minecraft, gifts galore, and so, so much more. It is literally a one-stop shop for all your shopping needs. And, you can get a coffee, a cookie, a muffin, or even a cheesecake (from the Cheesecake Factory) in your Barnes & Noble, while you do all your holiday shopping, or just have fun this weekend.

B22ihK3IUAIDCrv — New ART FOLDS books- read them and fold them

Stop by your local or any Barnes & Noble this weekend, for Discovery Weekend. Check out all the events here, and take the family along for fun, kids’ events, and prizes, and yummy cookies. When did you connect with a bookseller? I am not talking about ordering something on-line and reading it on a back-lit tablet, but when did you really connect with someone who sells and knows books? We all love our local library, but if you want to find a rare book, or something new, connect with a bookseller and ask questions, and get exactly what you are looking for – that perfect gift for that special someone. My favorite new thing I discovered was the book Art Folds- how cool. It does not destroy the book, but you can read a book and follow the instructions (origami-like) to fold the pages you read to create some fun words. This will look great on my book-shelf when I am done reading, and fun to look at too! Check out the pictures, because I love ArtFolds. Who thinks of this stuff? You can’t do this with your digital reader, can you?

And don’t forget to add some yummy to your list while you shop. Visit the Cafe and enjoy a coffee and fresh-baked goodies- S’more cookies are only $1.00! Yum! Check out and play with the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK – comes in a 7 inch screen and 10.1 inch too. Whatever your gift needs are this year, check out Barnes & Noble this weekend, for their big Discovery Weekend event, Friday through Sunday, 21-23 November.

Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post, and attended a live preview event (and yes, even met several booksellers :-)) in exchange for promoting the #BNDiscovery weekend, 21-23 Nov. The opinions expressed here are my own.

You at the Center (R) of your Life 100 day Course – Progress Review

November 17, 2014consumer, lifegetcluedin

youatthecenter.com

When I last wrote about this course, it was early October and I had done coursework for only about two weeks. Now, here we are a month and some change later (pun intended), and I have learned a lot about myself. The 100-day course is now at day 51, and I have had two calls with Rachel Davis, and I had the honor of meeting her in person. What a privilege! What a difference two months and the coursework makes!

The main things I learn as I reflect on the 8 weeks of lessons are (1) making space and time for me, (2) learning to focus on one thing at a time, (3) identifying and doing the things that I enjoy and like which create space for me, and (4) learning to set boundaries with others, at work, and even with myself. I am learning to do things that nurture me, all the while not making drastic changes. And the great thing is that I feel that I have more time for all the things I love to do – with family and friends. It’s nice to discuss this with my spouse too since we both work and lead busy, but manageable lives together.

How I have noticed this course working for me is that while I have always been efficient in how I manage time, I didn’t always put ME first, or at the center. This is because I was just going down an endless “to do” list and I generally just felt like I was moving through life with no pleasure. The excessive traveling for work between April and August had completely worn me down and led to health issues. So much so that I didn’t take time to notice that which was in front of me. I also didn’t make time for myself, to nurture me. This course has helped me identify the things I enjoy and like doing, and want to incorporate daily, weekly or monthly into my routine. I notice little things now, and am able to ask myself questions when I am doing something, “does this add value for me?” When I am with my children, I am focused on them, and the activity, and I find I enjoy my time with them more. Even doing a routine task, I notice my sense of accomplishment, and it no longer feels so routine. In fact, I notice everything I do now. Am I watching a show, and working at the same time? Am I trying to make business calls while I am driving to work to save time? All of this is multi-tasking which leads to stress, and causes us to miss our lives. No more phone calls if I can help it, and instead I do something I enjoy – sing along with the radio. How nice, relaxing, and freeing. In the mornings, I take time to eat breakfast and make a little time for myself before the crazy day begins, and hopefully in the spring, I will be able to start a garden too.

The key is also identifying those things, if money or time weren’t any issue, you would rather be doing. I have learned that it is important to create measurable action plans and things you want to do, and not things you “should” be doing. For example, you should be eating healthy, but do you want to. What are those things you would rather be doing daily, weekly, etc.? This course has also been good for me in that I write it all down – writing helps us see what we are thinking, refine it, and put action items with that goal, and or more action items. For example, do I want to write/blog more? Yes, when I started writing and posting as Clueless in Colorado in 2004, no one knew me, and I used to write for fun, and really enjoyed it. I didn’t worry about censorship or judgment and I was anonymous. While I can’t do that anymore because I have a public blog and persona, I can still write and post for fun, because I love it. Why not? So, one of the things I identified that I enjoy is writing, and an action item is to write for at least 10 minutes a day, even if the writing is just random thoughts, ideas, and exploring. So, you may see some fun posts like I used to write show up on Get Clued In. And, writing is so fun for me, even if I do not publish a draft post, it feels so great to check this as “done” on my punch card (Part of the 100-day program) because I actually enjoy writing as an outlet for me and hobby. It is something I used to do a lot more of and enjoyed. When I feel like writing is a task, or part of a TO DO list, like paid posts sometimes are, I find it tougher to post. So, I am excited to announce I will be writing for fun now too, and just because I enjoy it. Hopefully, you will enjoy this journey with me too- part of growing, learning, exploring, and honestly, just having fun!

This course has spoken to me from day 1 and at day 51, it continues to speak to me, and more importantly, it’s changing my life for better. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of too much in your life, and the feeling that you just don’t have enough time, or you feel are too busy and cannot manage your time, this course may speak to you too!

* Disclaimer: I am participating in this program and was compensated the price of the course for four review posts of the course. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Milestones and Memories- Her First Sleepover

November 16, 2014children, family, parentinggetcluedin

I am still up, wondering if she is okay. Hopefully she is warm and comfortable. Did she get enough to eat at dinner at her PJ party, and is she well hydrated? Gosh, I hope she brushed her teeth, and has a pillow to rest her beautiful head. She is just seven years old, and here I am completely freaking out about her first sleepover. Sure, many kids do sleepovers a lot sooner, but we all have different comfort levels. This one is huge and almost her whole grade (girls only) is invited and in attendance. Why am I so worried? All the phones are on, and I rarely keep ringers on at night. I slept, but kept waking up a few hours to look at the phone. No missed calls or texts. I am a worry wart – runs on my side of the family, but hopefully she is fine. Her sister missed her too and woke me up at 6 am, asking when we’d go pick her up.

I couldn’t help but wonder, “is this how it will be when she goes out on a date, out with friends, or worse… leaves for college?” Now I know and understand why a friend of ours keeps all his ringers on at night, since both his girls live away from home now. I am not ready for all that , but thankfully, have plenty of time to get ready. The best part is knowing that these little steps prepare us for the big ones that will be coming her way and ours. I may never be ready for what it is to come, and may not sleep again, but it is good to know that all these seemingly smaller milestones and memories prepare me for what is to come — the day we send her out into this world. Dramatic, huh? Nah, I am just a mom, and this is who I am. But, what a fun milestone this was for us.

She is home and she is fine, of course. She had a great time and enjoyed time with her classmates. Many of the girls were doing their first sleep over last night, so they shared that in common. She didn’t even remember she had a family, except, of course, she missed her sister whom she is the closest to. If she had her druther, she would have taken her along too. Oh boy, I am not ready for an empty house just yet, not even for a night.