“Put the Cell Phone Down!” by Jennifer Maggio

 Posted by Jennifer on April 11, 2012  General  No Responses »
Apr 112012
 

 

My daughter turned will be 15 in a few weeks. We have for many years, celebrated her birthday with a sleepover.  Last year, we had 7 screaming, giggling teen girls over.  At one point, we decided to all watch a television show together and I look over and EVERY SINGLE GIRL was sitting about my living room with her head buried in her phone texting, while the tv was going, while Tivo was recording another show, while surfing Facebook……… I wanted to scream, “Enough already!!”, but much to the immense gratitude of my daughter, did not.

I wish I could say that media over-stimulation is a teen phase that will one day pass, but…that’s not the case.  And it’s not just texting either.  It’s everything — social media, computers, television.  It’s not enough to watch the 6:00pm news anymore, we must have 24/7 news channels.  But even that is not enough…..we must read trailers and tidbits of breaking news coverage on top of THE BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE!  Continue reading »

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Have You Wiped Your Slate Clean?

 Posted by Michele on April 9, 2012  General  2 Responses »
Apr 092012
 

“Every moment you are blessed with another breath in this journey called life is one more moment that you can wipe your slate clean, start over and once and for all change the things in your life that have stood in the way of you living true to the amazing person you were always meant to be.”  Michele DeVille

One of the most difficult things for people to do is to clear the slate, let go of the past and move on in life with no regrets. Most human beings have something in their pasts that they regret, are ashamed of and struggle with moving beyond. We waste so much time feeling bad about our mistakes, beating ourselves up and focusing on what is behind us that we stay stuck in the past drowning ourselves in toxic emotions and losing sight of who we truly are. It is incredibly difficult to live in the present, find happiness and enjoy life when we can’t forgive ourselves for mistakes made and are constantly haunted by the ghosts that live in the past.

The saddest and most unfortunate thing with the inability to let go and wipe the slate clean is that all of the toxic and negative emotions we feel sometimes trap us in a vicious cycle ultimately leading us down the very paths that got us into trouble in the first place. It is common to plug the holes of our heart’s wounds with behaviors that make us feel worse and the fix is but a temporary one. Sounds depressing right? Continue reading »

Alligator Pear

 Posted by Rose on April 7, 2012  General  No Responses »
Apr 072012
 

Avocados are a  nutrient rich food and should be added to your diet.

- They are full of fiber, potasium, B vitamins and folic acid.

- Vitamin E powerhouse

- good for your heart and eyes Continue reading »

Stay The Course.

 Posted by Michael on April 6, 2012  General  No Responses »
Apr 062012
 

Whatever the reason for becoming single parents, we all start off with some sort of plan on how we can raise our children to be the best they can be. We create routines and arrange our schedules accordingly. After the initial adjustment period our lives go through, things seem to settle down and our routine starts to work.

I have spoken with many single parents who start off just like this. The problem is, we all become comfortable and start letting things fall through the cracks. Whether it be methods of discipline, loving or teaching, it’s not always easy to stay the course.

Sometimes it’s a matter of not seeing results from the steps we have put in place, or just plain laziness. Whatever the reason, it’s important we follow through. Our kid’s future is at stake. Continue reading »

5 Ways to Save Thousands $$ by Jennifer Maggio

 Posted by Jennifer on April 4, 2012  General  No Responses »
Apr 042012
 

In light of recent difficult economic times and in remembering those times when I scraped pennies to put gas in my car to get to work, I want to share some simple, but valuable ideas on how to save money in your household.  

  1. Invest in a thermos and make your own premium coffee at home.  It is estimated that coffee shops’ average cup of coffee with all the fixings is $4.00 and the average American buys 3 per week.  This is almost $50 per month spent on luxury coffee.  That’s $600 per year!
  2. Unplug all appliances in your home when not in use.  That’s right.  Unplug that television, lamp, blender, and can opener.  Even when appliances are not in use, they still use energy when staying plugged in.  I learned this little tip a few years ago and immediately saw a difference in my electricy bill.  (I would estimate about $50 per month, at least!)
  3. Call your credit card company and ask for a lower rate.  It seems simply, right?  The truth is, many Americans secured a credit card many years ago and have paid satisfactory for many years.  The rate may have been at 19% several years ago, but credit card companies will very often lower your rate in order to save your business.  (Obviously, I recommend having $0 credit card debt, but in the event you already have the debt, get the lowest rate possible).
  4. Shop cable, internet, and phone companies.  Most of us sign up for these services when moving into our new place and rarely every do anything different.  Because the economic market is suppressed, competition among companies is very high.  Call your companies and ask for their very best deals.  Then, simply shop with competitors.  (I have even been paid $100 cash to stay with my phone company in the past!)
  5. Refinance your home, if you are a homeowner.  Rates are as low as 3.25% right now, which is unprecedented.  If you are paying more than this on your home mortgage now (and you can recoup closing costs on the new loan within 30 months), go for it!  There can be drastic savings on your monthly  mortgage note and your long-term interest.

These suggestions can save you thousands every years and only take a few minutes each to implement into your daily life.  We all can afford to save a few dollars to put back for children’s college funds, our retirement, and more, so get started today. Continue reading »

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Just Keep Swimming…..

 Posted by Michele on April 3, 2012  General  2 Responses »
Apr 032012
 

Last week I had the pleasure of going to Tahiti and the Society Islands including Bora Bora and Moorea and I was amazed at how breathtaking and beautiful this part of the world was. It was a fabulous trip in more ways than one and what an unforgettable experience. Not only did I enjoy beautiful landscapes, experience another culture, taste delicious foods and meet new friends but I was able to face and conquer a fear. What an adventure!

I have always had a fear of sharks and in all honesty I don’t particularly like fish at all. I was the girl (along with girlfriends) that would panic in the lake after waterskiing until the boat came back and pulled me out of the water. It was always good humor for those watching from the boat. Sharks and creatures of the sea are, however, in their own category when it comes to the “fear factor”. During the cruise we were able to sign up for excursions off of the ship and one of the days we signed up for snorkeling along the coral reefs in Bora Bora and the Stingray ballet. The Stingrays were a bit of a stretch for me but had I known there were going to be sharks attending the ballet I can promise you I would never have gone.

When the boat anchored close to the reef dozens of large dark circles swam up to the boat. The Stingrays had arrived knowing they would be fed. Feeling a bit anxious I got into the water and without warning a Stingray slid right up and on top of me. Another one slid along my back and there were several more nearby. I forced myself to touch them and pet them while keeping an eye on their tails. It truly was amazing although it was not without anxiety. The guide kept assuring us that they were friendly. All was going well until the sharks decided to join the party. There were three or four BlackTip sharks circling us at this point and I no longer felt quite as calm. My immediate reaction was to get out of the water and into the boat but somewhere in my head I heard Dory from the movie”Saving Nemo” saying, “just keep swimming”. I loved that line in the movie and it suddenly seemed so appropriate. Continue reading »

Thank You by Jennifer Maggio

 Posted by Jennifer on March 28, 2012  General  No Responses »
Mar 282012
 

 

 This is a picture of my daughter about a year ago at her new school. She was SO excited about attending school and learning new things that she could hardly contain herself.

I made an interesting (and funny) observation this weekend in reference to my children and learning. I thought you may enjoy.

My five-year old was having particular difficulty obeying me Saturday night, so as is the case many times, I sat her in time out for five minutes. Once finished, our normal routine is to discuss what she has done wrong and then have her offer an apology for the behavior.  We began this process as usual after this time out. She apologized and I hugged her. Before turning to run away, she looked at me with her big green eyes, as sincere as she could possibly be, and said, “Momma, thank you for teaching me that!” Continue reading »

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