UPS My Choice is AWESOME!!!

I wrote a post about this program a few weeks ago.  Did you see it? Better yet, did you register?  I did and boy do I love this service.  I just ordered some shoes from Zappos.com and four kitchen chairs from O.co and with UPS My Choice, I can go about my business and not have to worry about missing my deliveries.  How?  Because this morning, I received an email letting me know the time window that they will be delivered.  How awesome is that?

It's quick.  It's easy.  It's FREE!

Become a member and get delivery that fits your life! Get alerts before packages arrive.  Electronically authorize packages for drop-of, re-route to other locations, and many other options. 

I'll be a guest panelist during a Twitter party on October 3rd.  Details coming soon! *Sponsored content

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Equation for Sweet Dreams - Children's Decor

By combining some adorable animals, a couple of quarts of paint and an overly-excited pregnant chick you get something amazing: inspiration for art. My customer fell in love with the baby jungle animals on the bedding for her soon-to-be-daughter's nursery and thought a matching mural would be a perfect fit to the room.  She wanted the animals to look cute and to stay within a certain budget.  The process began with some sketches I created based on the photographs of the bedding.  Once it was approved, we mapped out a floor plan as to where she wanted her furniture.  Upon finalization, I went to work by adding the baby animals in soft, pastel colors on the walls and tied the room together with a striped accent wall.  As a small token of my appreciation, I painted a wooden light switch plate to match, which reads "Sweet Dreams" on the bottom.  I can't wait to see the room after the furniture is in and it is decorated!
 
A nursery is a great place to start little ones on their way to discovering a world of imagination right in their own bedroom or playroom.  When choosing a mural theme, think about how long you would like it to be in the child’s room. Some families have one nursery that they use for all their children, but some will use the same room and have to re-paint it as the child gets older. If that is the case, it is important to choose a theme that can grow with your child.  Babies love to look at primary colors, and they are intrigued by designs of contrasting colors and stripes. Painting your baby's nursery may be challenging, however, there are so many ideas to choose from to make the room a stylish.  Anything from sport themes, nursery rhymes, flowers and trees, clouds, and so much more. The possibilities are endless as your imagination. 

View my entire portfolio on Facebook, or check out my website, www.marianneward.com 

*This is a Sponsored Post by MW Designs.

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UPS My Choice: Deliveries Your Way

I met the lovely lady who works with UPS during the Blogher '12 Conference here in New York City last weekend.  I told her that I saw this deal after the social media workshop we both sat in on.  I recall her raising her hand to tell the room filled with anxious bloggers about this promotion.  She also let us know that UPS is soon to launch a wedding promotion for you brides-to-be who will receive package upon package of wedding gifts.  

Sponsored Content: Become a Member of UPS My Choice and get the delivery that fits your life! Get alerts before packages arrive, electronically authorize packages for drop-of, re-route to other locations and many other options. Must enter valid name, username, password, and address.

No more stalking your UPS guy!

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Thinking Ahead...Way Ahead: Retirement

Retirement Communities Georgia Cresswind at Lake Lanier

Valley Stream son will be turning into a 4 year old this week and boy is he pretty stoked about that.  He was due to arrive on my maternal grandfather’s birthday, but he made an early arrival on my dad’s birthday.  My dad will be turning into a 70 year old and has finally decided to retire.  Finally.  I sat back the other day and thought about the age difference between my dad and I.  He is 30 years my senior.  In 30 years I will be 70.  Reality hit.  I also wonder where I’ll be physically and mentally in 30 years.  He has his wits about him.  I have mine about me.  When he was 40, he had a 13, 10, and 7 year old daughter.  Me?  I have a 6 and 4 year old.  I’m a little behind the game. Maybe he was ahead of the game.  Either way, retirement age is closer now than birth. 

My dad and my mom spoke of buying a condo. They traded in their four bedroom high ranch home to live in a three bedroom ranch years ago.  My two sisters and I moved out and started our lives so there were no longer any kids to run up and down the stairs retrieving things.  Now that my two are of age, I too do the same.  LOL.  The condo would release them of any yard work, maintenance work, etc.  Just what one needs in retirement.  Less work.  I personally wouldn’t mind living in a retirement community.  Not facility.  Community.  I can see Valley Stream Dad and I living in a community like Retirement Communities Georgia Cresswind Lake at Lanier  where we would join the bowling, tennis, and fishing clubs with our neighbors chatting about our grand kids over a glass of wine.   Waking up to a plowed driveway/walkway is ideal, when we’re not travelling Europe or the Caribbean of course.  

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Review: CampusBookRentals.com

It's been well over 14 years since I graduated college and have had to purchase and/or return a college textbook but I do remember how astronomically offensive the cost of one book was.  What is even more offensive was the amount of money the school bookstore gave you for selling the book back.  Rip. Off. I'm getting mad just thinking about how often students are taken advantage of.

College and Graduate students are now in luck.  CampusBookRentals.com now offers text books like this Organizational Behaviour book my mother-in-law just purchased for graduate school with the sticker price of $123.98 a rental fee of 71% of the purchase price. What does that mean?  It means you can RENT the book for a semester (130 days) for just $35.63, a quarter (85 days) for $32.42, or for the summer session (55 days) for just $30.99.  You can compare the above rate with another well known book site here to see your savings.

In addition to saving a bundle on renting textbooks, some of the additional perks are:

-Save 40-90% off of bookstore prices

-Free shipping both ways (I LOVE free)

-Can highlight in the textbooks

-Flexible renting periods

-A donation is made to Operation Smile with each textbook rented

With all the money you save on renting textbooks can now be used to buy more Ramen. Ewwww.

As a community service minded individual, I love the "give back" component to the deal.  CampusBookRentals.com donates a portion of each rental to Operation Smile who provides life changing cleft lip surgeries on children whose families could not otherwise afford it.

Don't forget to enter the Miss University Book giveaway!

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