If you have taken any college classes you know that textbooks are really expensive. Do you know that you can rent textbooks  for a fraction of the cost? You will pay less and then you don’t have to worry about selling your book at the end of the semester for a fraction of the price you paid for the book.

Benefits of renting textbooks

• Free shipping (both ways)
• 30-day risk free returns – no questions asked!
• Large selection
• Flexible rental periods  + 15 day grace period
• Pay less money out of pocket

You can find just about any textbook you will need. You can even highlight and take notes in the book just like it was your book!

For example, the textbook Research Methods in Psychology will cost you over $140 if you buy it new. When you rent it for a semester you pay just $15.83!

It is simple to order. Just search for your textbook, and it can be shipped out the next day! Once you are done with your textbook you can send it back in a pre-paid envelope.  Plus, if you decide you want to purchase the book after you rent it, you only pay the difference between what you already paid to rent the book, and the value of the book at the time you initially rented it.

I remember that sometimes it felt like the books cost more than the class. I wish I would have had this option available when I was in college.  Textbook rentals are definitely a better option!

 I’m participating in a bloggers campaign sponsored by Cyber connect bloggers   network and was compensated. However the opinions are mine. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Blood, Sweat & Cheers is the free daily email that finds the most fun & active stuff to do with friends. Recess shouldn’t be just for kids. BSC is bringing back fun, making it easy to step out of work, get physical and play with friends.

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I just discovered a great website called SmartStyleGuide.com. They have so many beauty tips.

My hair is so frizzy. It’s really bizarre because when I was in high school my hair was pin straight. My mom would always give me a spiral perm just to give my hair a little body. I have not had a perm in 15 years but my hair is frizzy! I am always trying to find a way to control the frizz and I found a few tips on this website.

There were simple tips that I had not thought about trying like applying a leave-in conditioner after a thorough washing. Or keeping a few fabric softener sheets in your purse. When hair starts to get a little too electrified, run a sheet over your locks. These are simple tips that I can do with out spending any extra money.

Did you know you can curl your hair with socks! I love this alternative to curl your hair. It’s so much better for your hair because you do not use heat! All you do is moisten your hair, roll your hair and sleep on it. This could save you a lot of time in the morning.

This website has fashion and style tips, beauty secrets and tips, hair styles, and product reviews. This looks like a great website for people that need some tips to add to their beauty routine. They give you smart advice about smart products for smart savings! Another bonus- all the tips are FREE!

For more great tips “like” Smart Style Guide on Facebook.

I would like to think that I do not have any mold in my house. But the truth is that every home has mold. Deep-cleaning Tilex® is formulated to attack mold and mildew and cancel the mold show in your bathroom. Mold is found in many areas in your house like refrigerator seals and under the kitchen sink but mostly in your bathroom. There are a few things you can do to keep mildew from getting out of control in your bathroom.

• Wipe off the door and walls – After you take a shower you can use a squeegee to clean off the door and walls. If you have a shower curtain make sure you open it completely so it can dry.
• Open a window – If you have a window in the bathroom, you should open it for a few minutes after your shower to let out some of the humidity.
• Leave on the fan – If you don’t want to open your window just leave your fan running for a few minutes after you shower. The worst thing you can do after a nice, hot shower is close the door. The condensation will take forever to dry on the walls and it is the perfect climate for mold growth.
• Make sure your towels are fully opened when you hang them to dry – Hang them on a line or on the banister if you have stairs. If they are bunched up it will take longer to dry and they will smell like mildew.
• Use a good cleaner – It’s really important to have a good cleaner to use when cleaning the bathroom. Tilex is a great option because it will not just kill the mold and mildew it will also remove ugly stains. Tilex can be used on vinyl and plastic surfaces, even no-wax floors. It kills 99.9% of household mold & mildew. Plus it delivers a powerful clean without scrubbing! It also contains Clorox® Bleach.

Tilex has a new refreshing scent to keep your bathroom smelling as clean as it looks. Look for Tilex® Mold Stain & Mildew Stain Remover, Refreshing Breeze the next time you are shopping. You will get a clean bathroom without an overpowering scent of bleach!

You can enter the Tilex “Cancel the Mold Show in Your Bathroom” sweepstakes. Three grand prize winners will receive a Flat Screen TV. Ten runners up will win a years subscription to streaming movies. For every friend you invite, you will receive an additional sweepstakes entry automatically.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Tilex blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” 

Did you know UPS has a free service that notifies you when you have a package?? This free service is called UPS My Choice.

I love it! I get email notifications when I am about to get a delivery. They let me know a time frame as to when it will be delivered. I can also electronically authorize packages for drop-of, re-route to other locations and many other options.

I loved knowing when my packages would arrive. I use to hate coming home to those tags that said I missed a delivery. Especially when I paid extra to have something delivered faster! Now I know about when my packages will arrive. Or if I am not going to be home I can have it sent to my mom’s house!

Click here to sign up. I know that you get tracking numbers but with this service you don’t have to check the tracking number – they email you and tell you when it will be delivered!

This post contains sponsored content. All opinions are mine own.

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I am teaming up with Uncle Ben’s Rice and Social Media Moms to share some tips for cooking healthy meals with kids.

Uncle Ben’s has launched an exciting national contest called Ben’s Beginners! When you enter the contest, you could win $20,000, along with a $50,000 grant towards a cafeteria makeover for your child’s school. You will also have a chance to appear on The Rachael Ray show! Uncle Ben’s is calling for parents with children ages 5-12 to submit a 2-3 minute video of you cooking a rice-based dish with your children. For more info on the contest, please check out Ben’s Beginners on Facebook!

I have 3 kids and I am very happy they love to eat. They are really not that picky which makes it a lot easier to make healthy meals. Did you know that studies show that when you begin preparing your meal with rice, you end up with a meal that’s better for you. Plus, beginning your meal with Uncle Ben’s rice helps you create healthier meals because rice attracts colorful vegetables, spices and leaner cuts of meat that the whole family will eat.

Just tonight we ate Beef and Broccoli for dinner. My kids actually ask for seconds when we have this meal. They also love to help me in the kitchen – sometimes there is not enough room for me at the counter. We have a lot of fun cooking together.  Sometimes when they help me cook they are more excited about trying new things.

When I am thinking about preparing our meals I always include a vegetable and a side dish. I love when we can have a dish that combines all the foods into one healthy meal. When considering our meal plan, I try to include foods I know my kids will eat. I am not a fan of being a short order cook. Making meals like Beef and Broccoli or Beef and Peppers helps me create healthy and quick meals for our whole family.

Get creative and give your foods a fun nickname. My kids love to eat raw red pepper french fries, trees (broccoli), or panda bear lettuce (spinach).

Limit the amount of oil you use when cooking. I keep non-stick cooking spray in the cabinet next to my stove.

Try not to buy unhealthy foods. If it’s in my pantry I feel like I need to make it.

I love Uncle Ben’s rice. It is such a time save in the kitchen because it will cook up so fast! It a healthy and filling side dish my whole family will eat!

Those are a few of my tips. How do you make healthy meals with your kids?

About Uncle Ben’s
Uncle Ben’s®, the number one rice brand in America, is proud to offer a wide range of rice dishes with flavors and textures that will help bring more to your meals, both for convenient side dishes and savory main courses. Uncle Ben’s® offers a wide variety of white, whole grain brown, and flavored rices in cook times ranging from 30 minutes to 90 seconds, as well as rice for food service operations such as restaurants, schools and hospitals. The first mass-produced parboiled rice, Uncle Ben’s® is the top-selling branded rice in the United States and products can be found in more than 100 countries worldwide. Uncle Ben’s® Brand products are manufactured by Mars Food NA, part of Mars, Incorporated. For more information, visit www.UncleBens.com.

More info on Uncle Ben’s

Uncle Ben’s on Facebook

Check out recipe ideas from Uncle Ben’s.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Uncle Ben’s blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

I have teamed up with Social Media Moms and Esurance to share with you Five Mom-Inspired Driving Tips! As mom’s we know that driving with kids can make it a little challenging. Between all the questions and the yelling, it’s sometimes hard to concentrate on the road and driving directions. So here’s my tips when driving.

• My six year old loves to talk and ask me questions when we are in the car. I love his desires to share things with me and learn new things, but I feel bad when he asks for a response and I have no idea what he’s talking about because I have been concentrating on driving. I have had a talk with him explaining it’s difficult to engage in a conversation and drive at the same time. This way I don’t feel bad when I tell his to wait a few minutes to share his story. He also understands and his feelings are not hurt.
• Always wear your seat belt. It is the law but it’s for your own good! My dad owned a towing business while I was growing up and he always made it quite clear that wearing a seat belt could mean the difference between life and death. It’s also a good example for your children for you to always buckle up!
• Being the daughter of a tow truck driver has made me a very careful driver. I think it’s very important to drive slower when it’s raining or snowing. This will give you more reaction time when you have less visibility. It will also allow you to be able to stop your car with out sliding.
• Maintain your distance. Have you even been in a car with someone who waits until the last minute to stop? It’s not only bad for your brakes, but it’s a dangerous way to drive. It’s always better to slowly slow down then come to a complete stop. I always try to have the length of a car between me and the car in front of me.
• Watch your speed! When you are late it is really easy to go a few miles over the speed limit. This can cause accidents or get you a speeding ticket. My mom always told me that a few seconds could save your life. Is it worth it to get there a minute or two early? I think that is something that we should should consider when we catch ourselves speeding.

As you can see, these are really simple driving tips, but tips that could save you in the future. I know that I have heard my dad talk about car accidents and the reason the accidents happened. I have always tried to drive as safe as possible.

About Esurance
With a wealth of easy-to-use online tools as well as 24/7 expert service, Esurance is making car insurance smarter from quote to claim. Everything we do is done with the goal of saving you time, hassle, hair-tearing-out, and oh yes, money too. Use the Esurance Coverage Counselor® to help you figure out the exact coverage limits you need. File a claim (and send pics of the accident) from your mobile phone. Call anytime — and by that we mean anytime — to talk to a friendly expert about discounts. Do what you need to do, when you need to do it. And do it with ease. That’s what Esurance is all about.

More info on Esurance: blog.esurance.com

Esurance on Facebook

Follow @esurance on Twitter

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”