Remember the old days of being pulled around in a Radio Flyer Wagon? Back then, it was a simple little wagon with rubber tires. Today, they have plastic tires but the accessories are really neat; canopy, cup holders, seat cushions… my little girl will be riding in style without question. [Read more...]
$6000 Tuition for Military Spouses
January 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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I am currently attending University of San Francisco through their online learning campus. I will have a Master Certificate in Internet Marketing in March. The cost of the program was $5995.00.
I had heard of a tuition assistance program through the Department of Defense for military spouses. I applied online, was approved immediately and started classes the following week. If your husband or wife is serving in the United States military, you are likely eligible. Check it out for yourself.
In this economy, we need to expand our skills and make ourselves a valuable and rare commodity to our clients and employers. It’s not always easy or feasible to go back to school on a military income. With this extraordinary financial support by the Department of Defense, every military spouse should know about this and take advantage of it. Our spouses do not get paid nearly enough for the service they provide to this fine country.
I chose to attend University of San Francisco based on its one-of-a-kind Internet Marketing program. I have been extremely happy with the program and its instructors. I have so much to say about the program and will do that in an upcoming blog post.
My counselor, Natalie Clark has put 110% effort into making sure I was on track throughout the program. There were days when my husband was deployed, my nine-month old was teething and my greeting card business had deadlines that were nearly impossible to meet. Natalie was a phone call or email away and always responded in a flash! I swear she had to have come with some pretty deep, hands-on experience with the challenges and fears of being married to the military!
Here’s a few words from Natalie:
There is a fantastic opportunity available to all military spouses to utilize up to $6000.00 for professional development.
You can view the details at: https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/.
As a program representative I have had the privilege of enrolling Terry-Anne and many others into our certificate programs. They are offered through the University of San Francisco, Villanova University, Tulane University and the University of Notre Dame, 100% online. You can view the University Alliance Programs at www.universityalliance.com.
Feel free to email me with any questions, natalie-clark@universityalliance.com.
Best regards,
Natalie L. Clark
Program Representative
University Alliance
Contact me from 9am – 6pm EST
1-800-436-1713 Ext. 4319
Reading More Thanks to (Free) Kindle for iPhone
January 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I love reading and have always gone through stages where I read a few books at a time or none. Then I discovered Kindle for iPhone. I started taking classes at University of San Francisco (online) last year and some of the recommended books were available on Kindle. Curiosity got the best of me. Thank goodness I’m intrigued by technology! I gave it a shot and have never looked back.
I can’t imagine buying a paper copy of any book nowadays if it’s available for Kindle. I read everywhere – a paragraph here, a paragraph there. I read while waiting in the doctor’s office, the salon and even while pumping gas! I am certifiably addicted. I even read in the tub! (Don’t try to visualize that!).
Top Reasons to Read the Kindle Version:
- Kindle version is cheaper than a paper copy.
- Lots of free kindle versions of books, newspapers, magazines, etc.
- Immediate downloads. No shipping cost! Woohoo!
- Easy to pick up where you left off by automatic page saving feature.
- Oh, and you’re saving a tree or two.
I can even add a Kindle Gift Card to my birthday and Christmas wishlist now! Amazon has it covered.
One downside that I thought I’d encounter upon entering the Kindle world was not finding it as interesting or pleasurable as reading a real world paper version. Wrong, wrong and wrong! It’s actually better. I’m hooked for all the reasons above and more.
Of course I’d love to have an actual Kindle so I could keep all of the books in one place and separate from my iPhone which I have loaded with apps of all kinds. However, Rome wasn’t built in a day and I need to replenish my wardrobe before dropping the loot on a real man’s Kindle.
Here are a few of the books I’ve read so far on my free Kindle iPhone App…
A couple of Kindle versions of books that were free and I’m reading now…
UPS Store – Find Your Own Package?
January 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
On Christmas day, my mom called me and said that my parents came home from the UPS Store with the wrong package… their Christmas gift from me. Instead, they had a brand new $200 set of stereo speakers belonging to someone else.
For the past year, I have been shipping gifts to them from a UPS Store in New York. The store has been making my parents go find their own package AND pay a $5.00 handling fee each time. My mother is in her 70′s and should not have to go hunt in the cargo area for her own packages or pay any handling fee on a pre-paid shipment.
I am currently trying to get in touch with the appropriate department at UPS who manages these UPS retail stores. It doesn’t sound like proper procedure for picking up a package!
Do Your Research When Renting a Home
December 4, 2008 By
My husband and I rented a home in mid-January 2008 through Honeycutt Realtors here in Clarksville, TN. During the walk-thru, we reported the heat not working properly. It ran on auxilary heat which is very expensive. It was not repaired. I sent off an email in February to the owner of the realty and rental management company. Ms. Huneycutt herself came out to my home. Still, it was not repaired. We continued to run the heat on auxilary. When the cold weather returned this fall and we had to run the heat, I went into the realty office and told them that at 7 months into my pregnancy and sick now with a cold, I wanted it fixed and requested a repairman to come out the following Monday. They did send someone and it was confirmed by the heating repair company that the heating unit “was shot.” After 2 days of not hearing anything back, I called and told them I could not stand it anymore. Another day went by and all I could get was “we cannot get the owner of the house to call us back.” Is this not the most ridiculous issue? A broken heating system from the time we took possession and now it is 10 months later, it still can’t get fixed?! Amazing.
In a last ditch effort, I called the Housing Authority at Fort Campbell, explained the issue. Housing Authority was extremely supportive and advised that I come in and file a report. As the man I spoke to stated; “We do not tolerate our soldiers and their families going without properly functioning heat in a house.”
I shot off a kind, but stern email to the realty company stating that I had an appointment with Housing Authority for the following day to file my report. Miraculously, I received a telephone call within the hour from a heating company who were here the following morning (today) and a new system was installed.
I have learned one HUGE lesson from all this. You pretty much have to do research on a realty/management company and KNOW YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS! Scour a potential rental property with a fine tooth comb; check the heating/air con system, all faucets, etc. Take A LOT of photos. In our case, the vents never were cleaned and I did send off photos to have them fixed. Also, inspect the property on the exterior. We had a huge mess under our back deck (debris beneath it) and 15 bags of leaves from the prior autumn season that were never cleaned up. I trusted this company when I found the house because the rep was a Christian and I trusted in her and the company she represented.
Today, I have a warm home and for that I am thankful. Hopefully this raises awareness to others who might be new to leasing a home.
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