We’re ending the first month of the Adaptu Financial Shape Up Contest and as far as saving for that summer vacation next year goes, it has been a very slow process.  We’ve had a couple of financial hurdles to make this month and it has really slowed down our progress.  However, Adaptu has been extremely helpful even through this and it’s just another reason it’s such a great site for learning to manage and save your money.

The first thing that threw a kink in our finances this month is that my paycheck went from twice a month to once a month.  I knew this was going to happen, but I assumed it would start at the beginning of September.  So of course, when this took place during the middle of this month, it caught me off guard.  Thankfully, my husband is paid weekly, but he drives a truck, so his salary is never the same each week.  If you’ve ever tried to budget when your salary varies, you can understand how difficult that is.  Adaptu has an excellent article that was extremely helpful to me on how to budget when paychecks vary.  I highly recommend this reading to anyone in this same situation.

And?  Our car had to have some air conditioning work.  I would have put that repair off if I could have, but it will be 80- 90 degrees here in Mississippi well into November, so it just couldn’t be avoided.  My husband and I joke that anytime we save up money, it is guaranteed something will go wrong with the car.  It’s not so funny anymore.  We’re possibly looking at having to buy another car in the near future, and that alone almost sends me into slight panic attacks.  I like not having a car payment.

So, even though this month was pretty much a wash, I’m still learning more about our finances through Adaptu.  There’s still a few more days to enter the $50 giveaway from Adaptu that I am hosting here on my blog.  Be sure and check it out.

I am participating in a compensated blogger campaign for Adaptu. All opinions are my own.

I love laminators.  I have years of experience using the big models at school and often wished I had one at home.  Besides coming in really handy for my work in the library, a laminator would allow me to save my son’s artwork from school and protect those precious keepsakes for years.  However, I knew how much those laminators cost and resigned myself to the fact that I would never be able to afford one.  Besides the steep cost of the machine, the rolls of quality laminator film were upwards of $50 a roll and required 2 rolls for operating the machine.  Yikes!

Thankfully, small desktop laminators are available and very affordable for those smaller jobs at home.  I recently got to test out the Fellowes Saturn2 95 Laminator and couldn’t believe how easy it was to operate and that it could do just as great a job as the bigger sized laminators I use in my library. 

One of my projects for my classroom and here at home was to laminate a few packages of classroom labels that I use around my library to label things to make it easier for the kids to find.  It’s also a neat trick for emergent readers.  If they look at a word often, they eventually learn to recognize it and actually read the word.  I’m also employing this tactic in my home for my own son since he is also learning to read.  I picked these up at a local dollar store. 

So, I ran them through the Fellowes Saturn2 95 laminator and they turned out perfect!  Because they are laminated, they will be protected so I can use them for years to come.  Laminating these was as easy as inserting them into a laminator film pocket, choosing my heat preference (hot or cold), and selecting what thickness my film was.  I pressed 2 buttons total, inserted the classroom labels and just ran them through.  Super easy!

I also used the laminator to laminate my son’s kindergarten diploma he received back in May, and also a piece of artwork he brought home that I just really fell in love with.  Someday he may want these things as sentimental keepsakes (if I can part with them), so it feels great to know that those items will stay protected for years to come.

The laminator offers many features including:

• HeatGuard™ Technology: Double-walled insulation keeps heat inside so laminator is comfortable to touch, making it safe for homes with children
• Advanced Temperature Control: Hot and cold laminating capabilities ensure consistent, smooth results every time
• Jam Release Lever: Permits easy removal or re-centering of stalled pouches.

The Fellowes Saturn2 95 Laminator heats up in five minutes and from August 5th – August 25th friends of Mom Central can use exclusive coupon code 87298 to receive $30 off the regular price ($159.99) of a Fellowes Saturn2 95 at Staples.com! (while supplies last; maximum two machines per person)

For more great project ideas using a Fellowes Saturn2 95 Laminator, please visit the Fellowes Idea Center.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Fellowes and received a product sample to facilitate my review.

When my son starts back to school, I immediately start hoping we can keep the sick germs at bay and stay healthy.  I worry about it in my own classroom, too. Of course, I always stress the importance of hand washing to my son and my students, but I love the convenience of having Wet Ones singles packs to put into my son’s backpack for quick hand clean-ups, especially after returning from the playground.  I also keep a stash in my desk drawer at work because it’s perfect for wiping off my hands right before lunch.

When you stop and think about it, it’s amazing (and pretty gross, actually) how many items your child (and your whole family) touches in a single day. Add in the fact that many other people are probably touching those same items also, and it adds up to a big germy mess.   Wet Ones kill 99.9% of bacteria and are perfect for stashing in your car, in lunch boxes and backpacks, and in your purse or pocket for quick clean-ups when soap and water aren’t readily available. 

So, we’re armed with our Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes and crossing our fingers we all stay healthy this school year!

Need more tips for keeping your child healthy this back-to-school season?  This short video featuring Dr. Benjamin Tanner and Mom Central founder and CEO Stacy DeBroff is very informative and worth a watch.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Wet Ones. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

I am so excited to share with my readers that I am now a K-Cup Ambassador.  I love, love, love my Keurig and how simple it is to use, and I’m also super excited about trying out new flavors of Green Mountain Coffee each month AND getting to share a discount code with you.

For August, I was shipped Green Mountain Coffee’s Wild Mountain Blueberry K-Cups to try out. 

Yes, I was skeptical.  Blueberry flavored coffee?  Really?!  However, it is divine!  It adds just the right amount of sweet, flavored “kick” to the coffee and I know all of you flavored coffee lovers will not be disappointed!

If you want to try out this month’s featured flavor, head on over to Green Mountain Coffee and enjoy 15% off all Green Mountain Coffee flavored coffees available in K-Cup packs, including Brew Over Ice, this month using promotional code YUMMY-8152. Code is valid August 9- September 12, 2012.

Be sure to visit Green Mountain Coffee on Facebook (facebook.com/GreenMountainCoffee) and Twitter (@GreenMtnCoffee).

I was sent the above products to facilitate my post as an ambassador for Keurig/Green Mountain Coffee.  All opinions are my own.