My dad was recently featured in a higher education publication titled “The Chronicles of Higher Education". By the grace of GOD, he has overcome a lot of health challenges and decided to go back to college to pursue his second associates degree. He is currently 70 and his mind is extremely sharp. He enjoys taking courses and has always been big on education. A few weeks ago he told me about a FREE educational opportunity at the community college he attends regarding a Hospitality and Culinary Arts Program. Immediately after hearing him mention the word FREE I wanted to know more about the opportunity. He gave me a flyer for an informational session about the program that was taking place the next day. First thing, the next morning I contacted the program coordinator and reserved my space to attend the informational session.
One of my favorite passions is cooking. Several years ago I really took an interest in cooking and have often dreamed of getting some advanced training; however the courses were often quite costly and I was thinking now is not the time to go splurging and creating more debt. I had decided to place this dream on hold…only temporarily though.
After attending the informational session I learned some really great things about the program. Although, it’s too much to list here I have included information from the Prince George’s Community College website regarding this great opportunity. “Prince George's Community College was awarded $2.24 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to support the college's new Hospitality and Tourism Institute! The grant, known as "STEP HI," provides tuition for Hospitality Services Management and Culinary Arts one year certificate (31 credits) programs and Hospitality Express a non-credit program option that provides quick industry training for incumbent workers and individuals who are new to the hospitality industry. Hospitality Express may also lead to industry credentialing” (PGCC, 2009).
This must have truly been a blessing in disguise. God is blessing me with the opportunity to take advantage of something great! I have applied for acceptance to the program and I am on my way to having advanced training in culinary arts. I have enrolled in my first two courses which will begin next semester. I have the option of obtaining an Associates of Arts Degree in culinary arts or the option of obtaining a certificate in culinary arts. The best part about it all is that they will cover my tuition!
If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please feel free to forward this article to others or you may wish to visit the Prince George’s Community College website here to obtain additional information.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you sign up for my free updates here.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
CVS Photo: 50 Free Prints
Register with the CVS Photo Center online and receive 50 free digital photos! Upload your photos and pick them up in-store or have them delivered by mail! Click here to get started.
Use the code 15FLASH to get FREE shipping to any CVS Pharmacy. Order by 12/12/09.
Use the code 15FLASH to get FREE shipping to any CVS Pharmacy. Order by 12/12/09.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
5 Inexpensive Holiday Gift Ideas
I will be sharing 5 of my favorite inexpensive gift ideas and tips with you. These inexpensive gifts are great for any occasion all throughout the year, including Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, end-of-school teacher gifts and more. They also make great hostess gifts during the holidays.
There are lots of great gifts that can be purchased or made by hand for under $20, gifts that are both thoughtful and inexpensive at the same time. Put them in a pretty basket, decorative jar and wrap them up and tie a pretty ribbon around it and you'll truly have a beautiful gift for someone special--without breaking the bank!
I know you've probably heard it before but it's really true that you don't have to spend a lot of money to find that perfect gift for someone. Just be sure to put some time and thought into it and your gift will be well received...
1) Themed Gift Baskets: Baskets can be bought throughout the year at dollar stores and craft stores. They come in all different colors, you can even spray paint them if you want too. Decorative jar gifts and many other items can then be added to the baskets. You could use other containers as well such as flower pots, decorative bowls/boxes, cooking pots, jars, storage containers, or baking dishes. You can use anything that will hold the goodies. Here are a few of my favorite theme basket ideas:
Tea Lover - tea mug, variety of teas, tea pot, tea basket ...
2) Restaurant.com Gift Certificate: Buy restaurant gift certificates from restaurant.com. You can get really awesome deals! There are 100’s of participating restaurants to choose from. Visit restaurant.com here. Just print and send! A great deal!
3) Gourmet Gift Mixes: These are easy to make and inexpensive. Just about anything can be made 'in a decorative jar'. For instance: Milk Bath in a Jar, Hot Spiced Wine Mix in a Jar, Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar, French Vanilla Cocoa Mix in a Jar, Cinnamon-Oat Pancakes in a Jar, Infused Liquor, etc. The ingredients can be altered to make low-fat, low-salt, or sugar free mixes.
I’ve included a recipe for Chocolate Chunk Hot Cocoa Mix below:
Makes: 1 gift (4 cups all)
Total Time: 10 minutes
What you need: 2 cups of unsweetened cocoa powder, ¾ cup of sugar; 8 ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate.
What To Do:
In a bowl, combine the cocoa, sugar, and chocolate. Store in an airtight container or decorative jar. Keep at room temperature for up to 4 months.
Include these instructions with your gift:
In a small saucepan, whisk, ¼ cup cocoa mix with ¾ cup of milk. Bring to bare simmer.
Serves 1
4) Photo/Scrapbook album: Include photos of the person that you are giving this to as a gift. Include journal entries on each page which makes the gift a lot more personable.
5) Gift Coupon Book: Make up your own book of these coupons, or give one at a time to that special person. Click here for tips from Kodak on how to make your own gift coupon book.
I hope you will be inspired by these 5 inexpensive holiday gift ideas. After all, it's not the amount of money you spend for a gift that matters the most, but that you cared enough to give something.
There are lots of great gifts that can be purchased or made by hand for under $20, gifts that are both thoughtful and inexpensive at the same time. Put them in a pretty basket, decorative jar and wrap them up and tie a pretty ribbon around it and you'll truly have a beautiful gift for someone special--without breaking the bank!
I know you've probably heard it before but it's really true that you don't have to spend a lot of money to find that perfect gift for someone. Just be sure to put some time and thought into it and your gift will be well received...
1) Themed Gift Baskets: Baskets can be bought throughout the year at dollar stores and craft stores. They come in all different colors, you can even spray paint them if you want too. Decorative jar gifts and many other items can then be added to the baskets. You could use other containers as well such as flower pots, decorative bowls/boxes, cooking pots, jars, storage containers, or baking dishes. You can use anything that will hold the goodies. Here are a few of my favorite theme basket ideas:
Tea Lover - tea mug, variety of teas, tea pot, tea basket ...
Sports Lover (example golf) - tees, balls, towels, gift certificates ...
Italian - pasta, olives, sausage roll, cheese, wine ...
Fruit & Nuts - buy local fruits & nuts and arrange with candies ...
Coffee Lover - coffee beans, coffee liquor, cappacino mix, coffee cups ...
Bath/Body & Relaxation - homemade lotions & gels, perfume, salts, soaps, candles, & a journal ...
2) Restaurant.com Gift Certificate: Buy restaurant gift certificates from restaurant.com. You can get really awesome deals! There are 100’s of participating restaurants to choose from. Visit restaurant.com here. Just print and send! A great deal!
3) Gourmet Gift Mixes: These are easy to make and inexpensive. Just about anything can be made 'in a decorative jar'. For instance: Milk Bath in a Jar, Hot Spiced Wine Mix in a Jar, Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar, French Vanilla Cocoa Mix in a Jar, Cinnamon-Oat Pancakes in a Jar, Infused Liquor, etc. The ingredients can be altered to make low-fat, low-salt, or sugar free mixes.
I’ve included a recipe for Chocolate Chunk Hot Cocoa Mix below:
Makes: 1 gift (4 cups all)
Total Time: 10 minutes
What you need: 2 cups of unsweetened cocoa powder, ¾ cup of sugar; 8 ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate.
What To Do:
In a bowl, combine the cocoa, sugar, and chocolate. Store in an airtight container or decorative jar. Keep at room temperature for up to 4 months.
Include these instructions with your gift:
In a small saucepan, whisk, ¼ cup cocoa mix with ¾ cup of milk. Bring to bare simmer.
Serves 1
4) Photo/Scrapbook album: Include photos of the person that you are giving this to as a gift. Include journal entries on each page which makes the gift a lot more personable.
I hope you will be inspired by these 5 inexpensive holiday gift ideas. After all, it's not the amount of money you spend for a gift that matters the most, but that you cared enough to give something.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Smokin' Hot Victoria Secret Deal (FREE $42 Fragrance Set w/ Any Sleepwear Purchase)
I am so excited about this new smokin' HOT Victoria's Secret deal! Currently, you can score a FREE 6 piece Fragrance gift set ($42 value) with any sleepwear purchase! All you have to do is use code FA919837 at checkout and the $42 fragrance set will automatically be added to your cart! Plus, you can use this code ITEM30 to get an additional 30% off your purchases!
Here's what I did:
• I added this sleep shirt Scoopneck Sleep Shirt to my cart on sale for just $20!
• Before starting the checkout process, I made sure to check the box under my purchases that states "Please check here if you have an Offer Code or Angel Rewards Certificate."
• On the offer code page I entered these 2 code: FA919837 & ITEM30
• Final cost ONLY $21.19 shipped and that's for over $60 worth of products!
• This deal gets even better if you have a Rewards card! They are guaranteed to have at least $10 on them, so after the Rewards card is applied, your total will ONLY be about $10 shipped! Now this is what I call a very sweet deal.
Here's what I did:
• I added this sleep shirt Scoopneck Sleep Shirt to my cart on sale for just $20!
• Before starting the checkout process, I made sure to check the box under my purchases that states "Please check here if you have an Offer Code or Angel Rewards Certificate."
• On the offer code page I entered these 2 code: FA919837 & ITEM30
• Final cost ONLY $21.19 shipped and that's for over $60 worth of products!
• This deal gets even better if you have a Rewards card! They are guaranteed to have at least $10 on them, so after the Rewards card is applied, your total will ONLY be about $10 shipped! Now this is what I call a very sweet deal.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
My first experience with the restaurant.com gift certificate coupon...
Yesterday, I posted about the Dinner of the Month Club promotion offered by Restaurant.com. Basically, you are paying $2 for twelve, restaurant gift certificates valued at $25 each. Go here to learn more about how the program works. Visit my post from yesterday titled "Restaurant.com: $25 Certificates for $2 (80%) Off!" here . By purchasing the package I scored two additional gift certificates valued at $25 each for FREE. I decided to use one today at Wow Café & Wingery located in Waldorf, Maryland. Let’s just say the experience was great; the food was amazing and the service was superb. Please be aware there are a few stipulations that I would like to point out regarding the gift certificate being honored by the restaurant such as the following:
1. The coupon (gift certificate) is only valid with a minimum food purchase of $35.2. 18% gratuity and tax are added to your check prior to the discount being applied.
3. You must present your certificate prior to placing your order.
Please be aware the stipulations vary for each participating restaurant. So be sure to check this out when purchasing your restaurant gift certificates.
The total cost of the meal was $51.64. My out of pocket cost for the meal was $26.64 which included the 18% gratuity charge of $7.50 and tax.
My Meal Breakdown:
Total cost of the meal (includes 18% gratuity & tax) $51.64
Gift Certificate (credit) $25.00
Balance (out of pocket) $26.64
I think this was a pretty good price for a party of two. Needless to say, this turned out to be way too much food for two people so we left the restaurant with plenty of food to enjoy later.
Just think, even if this was one of the certificates valued at $25 dollars purchased from the Dinner of the Month Club promotion the meal would have been $28.64 out of pocket which includes the 18% gratuity charge, tax & the $2 fee that you paid for the gift certificate itself...you really can't beat this deal.
I was very pleased with how this worked out. I am really looking forward to receiving a restaurant certificate each month from restaurant.com valued at $25. This will allow me the opportunity to try out various restaurants in the DC metro area for very reasonable prices.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you sign up for my free updates here.
Friday, November 27, 2009
ING Direct: $121 in FREE Money for Signing Up TODAY
If you are not familiar with ING Direct -Electric Orange, they are a online checking account that yields higher savings than a regular checking account at a bank. If you sign-up today 11/27, you can get $121 deposited into your account 50 days after you open it! All you need to do is make three signature transactions within the first 45 days!
Go here to sign up and use code EOSAVE.
Go here to sign up and use code EOSAVE.
Amazon: $5 Black Friday Magazine Subscriptions!
Amazon is offering up a total of ten $5 Black Friday magazine subscriptions deals! You can check them all out here. I'm most excited about the 1 year Real Simple magazine subscription priced at just $5 thru December 1st--down from $54! This is my favorite magazine ever. Magazine subscriptions always ship FREE, and as an added bonus, they help you qualify toward the $25 mark to score FREE Super Saver Shipping on the rest of your order! Magazines make for excellent inexpensive Christmas gifts that keep giving all year long! I may snag a few subscriptions for neighbors. You just can't beat the $5 price tag!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)