No Pressure Car Shopping at DriveTime Used Cars

This is a sponsored post on behalf of DriveTime. Though I was compensated for my time, all opinions are my own.


Working in the insurance industry I probably directly speak to more people about buying cars than car salesman themselves. Our clients call to check prices on cars they are thinking of purchasing, or ones they already have.

On way too many occasions I’ve had clients who have paid wayy too much for a vehicle with wayy too many miles with wayy too many problems. I’ve had clients call weeks after making a purchase at one of these places, crying and unsure of how they are going to pay for expensive repairs on this vehicle they just paid too much for. They are stuck with a payment they cannot afford; and repairs they are desperate to have done.

That is why I love companies like DriveTime. DriveTime is the nation’s largest dealer that helps people with credit issues purchase a great vehicle. With over 141 dealerships across the country there are always thousands of vehicles in stock to choose from.
Each and every car, truck and SUV are inspected for safety and security to ensure that they provide you with years of reliable transportation. 

DriveTime offers an experience like no other – a sales staff that doesn’t have to force a sale to make a living, or use high-pressure sales tactics. Most dealership staff is college educated, and they are provided with DriveTime’s proprietary financing technology – to help you get the car you need, at a price you can afford.

 

DriveTime’s industry-leading online auto loan application is 100% personalized to you and your credit; including credit score and required down payment – one of the only dealerships providing customers with their exact down payment amount online.

Get approved and search used cars here !

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I Get Knocked Down, I Get Up Again: The Struggle of Trying to Lose Weight

When I originally started this blog my idea was to share my weight loss journey and be an inspiration to those struggling. I could see my ‘before and after’ pictures being used across the internet and me telling everyone, “If I can do it, ANYONE can do it!”

I started out strong, but just like a lot of people life got in the way – and not just little stuff. Sometimes it was life changing things that were happening, and I don’t handle the stress so well. I tend to spiral out of control like a junkie, food being my drug.

Ok not quite like this picture above – but I think you get my drift

I have fluctuated with my weight soo much over the past few years I regularly keep my ‘fat pants’ and my ‘skinny pants’ in the same drawer. They never get stored or given away. A few times I was soo close to my first goal weight I could almost taste it..then something would happen in my life that would cause me to just give up completely. Have you ever had things happen in your life where you just couldn’t concentrate on anything else? It was a constant distraction? Well I’ve had a few of these over the years – and my diet and work out schedule was always the first thing that went out the window!

Well recently something happened that really got me thinking on why I wanted to lose weight in the first place – an old friend of mine, one I went to junior high with – recently passed away.

Now I am only 36 years old; I’ve lost old schoolmates and friends to drugs, suicide, and car accidents – which is horrible and traumatizing as it is, but this is the first friend I’ve ever lost to a health related issue.

It really got me thinking – that could easily be me. 

Though I don’t look overly obese, and though I don’t consider myself a lazy person I spend a good 10 hours a day sitting on a computer.
I haven’t been to the gym in months.
I drink Coke like its going out of style, and I have a junk food drawer at my office.
My Subway lunch has been replaced with McDonald’s and Taco Bell.
Sweets aren’t a treat – but an everyday part of my diet.

It hit me. That could of easily been me; I am not taking care of my body and my healthy like I should. Not only for me, but for my kids! What have I been thinking?! I’m staying conflicted and stressed about things in my life that I cannot control, but selfishly letting the things I could control – get out of control!

So my goal and promise – to you and myself – is to take back control.
I won’t always be perfect; but I am going to do my best to focus my life and this blog back to my original focus. Weight loss – health – fitness. I will always share all the other cool fun stuff that’s going on – and probably some sweet treat recipes – but overall I’m getting back to the basics!

Feel free to follow along with my journey here – or follow me on Pinterest where I will be scouring the web for tips and recipes!

Posted in Fitness/Health | Leave a comment

3 Ways to Make Tech Work for Your Family

Technology is a landscape every family needs to navigate.

No two families approach technology in the same way, but encountering it’s various challenges at some point or another is inevitable.

Whether you and your family are new to the tech game, or are digital natives, you’ve probably already encountered a couple of snares in the road.

Here are three tips to make tech work for you and your family to help pave a smooth path…

tech_time1. Use it to Bond

Technology gets a bad rep for keeping everyone secluded in their separate corners of the home. The reality is, technology doesn’t need to be an ‘individual’ activity.

Use technology to bond with your kids. Play games, have your kids teach you about their favorite apps, and even special ‘phone hacks’ you can use on your own.

  1. Set Clear Communication Rules

Communicating through mobile devices is very different from communicating face-to-face or even over the phone. It’s impossible to read tone, and it can be easy to get carried away.

Depending on the age of your child, consider setting clear rules for communicating to each other via devices. A couple things to consider:

  • Is your child OK with you commenting on their social media content?
  • Are there times when you or your child are not OK with texting? (Eg. school/work hours, when your child is hanging out with friends.)
  • Are you OK with ‘angry texting’?

Set clear boundaries, whether that’s that you can be friends with your kids on social media, but can’t comment on their posts, or that you can send a text or two when your child is with friends to coordinate pickup or check in, but conversations are a no-go. Another key tip is to always avoid arguing via text (and this applies outside of your relationships with your kids as well!). Anytime things get tense, make a call or wait to chat in person.

 

  1. Use OurPact to Manage Habits & Access

OurPact is the holy grail of digital parenting, and it’s insane that not every single parent in the world knows about this app.

What it does: OurPact allows parents to remotely manage their children’s mobile devices at-a-touch or through automated schedules. During block periods, all Internet and apps disappear instantly, and don’t return until you say they can. It’s magic (but the good kind!).

When You Can Use It: OurPact is great for helping your kids develop healthy screen time habits. It’s popular for making sure devices aren’t a distraction at the dinner table, school, or homework time.

Want your child off their device and at the dinner table? All you have to do is open the app and block access for a defined period of time, say one hour, or ‘Until I Say So.’ Don’t want your child staying up past bedtime playing games instead of sleeping? Set an automated schedule for bedtime hours, and during that time your child’s device will automatically block – no effort required on your end.

How to Get Started: Parents sign up for an account at the OurPact website, or from their iOS App and then pair their kids devices to their account. The whole process takes no longer than a couple minutes.

How much does it cost? OurPact is free. Yup, 100% free! Get started here today!

Posted in Techy | 1 Comment

How to Expand Your Client Base as a Paralegal Working from Home

There has never been as much emphasis on keeping costs low for businesses of all kinds and law firms are no different. If you are a paralegal who prefers to work from home, there are some innovative ways to expand your client base so that you can capture those firms that often need extra help but are reluctant to hire an additional in-house paralegal. These are just a few of the many ways in which you can freelance with an ever-growing base of attorneys.

Target Your Specialty

If you are a paralegal with an online MSL degree, like this one, with a specialization in employment and labor laws, there are several ways to go about targeting your audience. You ‘could’ simply advertise your services to any and all lawyers or you could compile a list of attorneys who specialize in labor laws. It is important to bear in mind that some lawyers will take cases out of their own specialization, especially for clients they have been serving over the years.

If the need for case law is in regards to a suit against an employer, that attorney may need a paralegal well versed in that aspect of the law in order to find the documentation needed in litigation. The point is, make sure it is known that you have experience and a specialized advanced degree in your field. When seeking paralegal services, attorneys will plug in exact keywords and those are what you really want to target.

Create Social Media Profiles

LinkedIn is always a great way to build a following of other paralegals and lawyers because it is considered to be more professional than other social sites. Facebook is good, too, because you can build a following and over time will find that friends of friends of friends find you, helping you to grow your customer base. The one thing to remember about social media is that your posts must be made frequently. Every time you post, a notification will pop up for those following you and so you will stay fresh on followers’ minds.

Join a Paralegal Forum or Members Only Site

In the early days, a forum was called a message board. Since then, forums have become much more advanced. Forums are generally a sort of combination between a social site and a knowledge base because members are able to share information, ask questions of the community and give and get answers to legal questions within their field of expertise. It’s amazing just how many leads you can get from forums in the legal sector.

The one thing to keep in mind is that a paralegal with a specialization such as an online masters in law degree is often much more in demand because an attorney prepping for a case wants focused information, including case law, within the scope of a case they are working on. Being visible in the search engines, social sites and in industry forums, you can expect to grow your client base significantly.

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Christmas Time in Crawfordsville

Crawfordsville has a lot of festive fun coming this month just in time for Christmas! Check out all the fun below:

Christmas Parade and Open House
Frankfort, IN

Food, floats and prizes and lots of Christmas spirit! Load up the sleigh and head downtown. Be sure to check out all the holiday specials from downtown merchants.

Holiday Music in the Mansion
December 1st and 2nd

Visitors will enjoy some special treats in the mansion this December as the “Sounds of the Seiberling” includes even more live music performances. Saturday, November 26th (opening night): The Kokomo Brass will once again entertain everyone before the lighting ceremony, then move inside to provide favorite holiday tunes in the first floor music room. The Vivace Flute Trio (Stephanie Bolinger, Kathy Condon, and Anna Naegeli) will perform for visitors on second floor. The Kokomo Men of Note, a Christmas tradition at the mansion, will be caroling in the third floor ballroom, as well.
Thursday, December 1st from 6:00-7:00 p.m.: FROGS (Four Really Old Guys), holiday classics barbershop style.
Friday, December 2nd from 6:00-8:00 p.m.: Instrumental ensemble from First Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Thursday, December 8th from 6:00-7:00 p.m.: Jeff and Dave (Wood flute and percussion duo).
Friday, December 9th: Coventry Carolers (Stew and Judy Lauterbach and Laura Groves on banjo, bass and guitar)
Sunday, December 11th from 2:30-3:30 p.m.: the Choraleers singing group
Thursday, December 15th from 6:00-8:00 p.m.: The Brass Works brass quintet
Friday, December 16th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. – First Evangelical Presbyterian Church Carolers Ensemble.

music_in_the_mansion

2016 Warsaw 1st Friday Event
December 2nd
Downtown Warsaw Indiana


Event will be held on December 2, 2016. First Friday brings a festive atmosphere to downtown Warsaw. The downtown streets are turned into a huge block party. It features a special theme with entertainment and activities for the whole family. Hours: 5pm-9pm

Lafayette Holiday Makers Market
DECEMBER 2, 2016
Wea Creek Orchard

Holiday Makers Market is a collaboration of many wonderful handmade items featuring several local artists and guests from all over Indiana. Hours: Fri 6pm-10pm; Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 12pm-4pm

Indianapolis Holiday Show 2016
DECEMBER 2, 2016|
The Harrison Center for the Arts

Come out and join us to meet makers and artists in person, see their complete product lines, get a jump on your holiday gift buying, warm up with some local brews, eat delicious food truck fare, and hear live music. Hours: 5pm-10pm

 

Home for the Holidays Extravaganza
DECEMBER 3, 2016
Jefferson Middle School

Holiday Shopping experience featuring Direct Sellers, Independent Consultants/Representatives & Crafters who work from the Home. Includes a huge Silent Auction, food. and entertainment.

Pet Photo Night
December 11th
Tippecanoe Mall

Bring your pet to pose with Santa.

pet_with_santa

Good Beers and Ugly Sweaters
December 15th
Indiana History Center

Wear your ugliest Christmas sweater and get some holiday cheer as you taste seasonal beers produced by local craft brewers and enjoy live music. You might even win a prize for the best holiday sweater.
Ages 21 and up. Ticket includes hearty appetizers and craft beer tastings from Sun King Brewing, Bier Brewery, Triton Brewing,Upland Brewing, Daredevil Brewing, Scarlet Lane Brewing, Quaff ON! Brewing, Tow Yard Brewing, and Carson’s Brewing.

Whoville Brunch Featuring the Grinch
December 18th
The Indianapolis Propylaeum

And he’s anxious to meet you and your little “who’s” at our Whoville Brunch where you’ll dine on yummy Green Eggs & Ham, Who Hash, Roast Beasts and many more Whoville specialties!! And be sure to bring your camera…you won’t want to miss capturing these special memories! Come tour the seasonally decorated 1890’s Mansion, dine with the Grinch and create a new “who”-liday tradition! Reservations are required.

2 Seating Options – 12:00 pm & 12:45 pm: Please arrive promptly at the start time of your reservation.

Brunch Buffet Menu:

  • Green Eggs & Ham
  • Roast Beasts (Roast Beef & Mushroom Chicken)
  • Who Hash
  • Cindy Lou’s Pancake & Toppings Bar
  • Mayor Maywho’s Crispy Bacon & Sausage
  • Yots in a Pot (Green Beans)
  • Whoville Christmas Trees (Broccoli)
  • Betty Lou Who’s Fruit Bowl
  • Diffendoofers Dessert (Pudding with Crushed Candy Canes)
  • Officer Wholihan’s Beverage Station including: Grinchy Juice, Coffee, Decaf, Iced Tea & Milk

the_grinch

 

This post is sponsored by York Chrysler Dodge Jeep.

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