5 Things We Learned This Week 5 of 2012 (food, charity, birds, news, celebrities)

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. We like to share what we've learned each week.

1. Einstein's

   Einstein's sells little sized doggie bagels! Abby enjoyed her first one ever this week:  It's A Doggie Bagel.  It was cute, about a quarter size of the regular kind.

2. Cat Appreciation Month

   Thanks to Sparkle the Cat, I learned that February is Cat Appreciation Month.  So, that is why we are choosing Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue for our charity for February to donate 50 centers per legitimate comment on our blogs. Caroline's Kids is a houseful of all kinds of cats who need homes.

3. Count Birds

   Over at 365 Cat Ladies and Friends: Birds Count I learned that in the U.S. and Canada the annual "Great Backyard Bird Count" begins Feb. 17-20. There are really instructions on how to participate! I never heard of this before, have you?

4. Jim Tressel

   Former OSU football coach, Jim Tressel, got another coaching job for Akron earning $200,000 a year! I say good for him.

5. Guide Dogs

   Chloe, a guide dog, competes in high school athletics. I think this is so cool, both for Sami, the blind girl, and Chloe! That girl has courage! Read all about it: Blind runner Defies Odds Thanks to Guide Dog. I found this story when playing www.freekibble.com

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Thank You All Who Commented for KIVA!

Wow! January was our highest month for comments since we’ve been donating to charity based on our blog comments with 282 ($141) thanks to our posts about Abby’s attack and recovery. Thanks to all who commented, we were able to help all these people with loans through KIVA as a result:

Ali-Lebanon-Construction

Kalbubu-Kyrgyzstan-Livestock

Faaiuga-Samoa-Farming

Evans-Kenya-water distribution

Ricardo-El Salvadore-Pizza catering

Since February is Cat Appreciation month, our charity for February is Caroline’s Kids Pet Rescue, no-kill sanctuary for cats. It’s a house with LOTS of cats everywhere in rooms, but not cages! Unlike regular shelters, this is a sanctuary that takes in old, feral and even cats with feline HIV to let them live out their lives in a safe place with love. They also have adoptable cats too! Here's the video I took when I visited:




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It's A Doggie Bagel by Abby

Einstein's is a great store--they even have doggie bagels!

Look what my mom brought home for me last Sunday! It's my first ever doggie bagel from Einstein's that a nice lady named Sylvia gave to my mommy for me at her Bible study! We didn't even know they had little bagels for doggies.  I sure hope I get to meet her some day.  Thank you, Sylvia, for the special treat! Woof! Woof!

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Our Favorite Reads For January: "Impulse" and "Legend"

Gerard's favorite read in January was Impulse by Hellen Hopkins:

WOW! "Impulse" by Ellen Hopkins is a fantastic read! Tony Connor and Vanessa each have their own demons to deal with. They all wind up at Aspen Springs, a place that helps teens deal with their issues. How they deal with them and their own stories is just remarkable! To say I enjoyed this book would be putting it mildly. I LOVED "Impulse"! Although it is over 600 pages, it is in verse and I was so caught up in it that it did not seem that long. This is for sure going to be my favorite read this month and will be in my 12 favorites for 2012. This is one you will not soon forget--what an ending! I highly recommend it!

Karen's favorite for January was Legend by Marie Lu:

Legend by Marie Lu is a futuristic teen romantic thriller about a fugitive 15-yr.-old, Day from the slums, who is passionate about protecting his family and helping people, even if it means going against the Republic. When June, a Republic agent and military prodigy from a wealthy family, thinks Day is responsible for killing her brother when trying to steal the cure for the plague to cure his youngest brother, she hunts Day down. This is a fun, adventurous novel that is a page turner.   

Favorite quote from Legend:

“I never did ask you about your street name. Why 'Day'?” “Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time.”

I liked how the author alternated telling the story between Day and June.  It kept my interest and was also easy to follow.  Although somewhat predictable, I enjoyed it very much and was rooting for Day and June to become friends from the start.  I recommend this to anyone who likes action and romance.

Gerard liked it too: Legend by Marie Lu is teen fiction that takes place in a futuristic Los Angeles.  It is told by a young boy named Day and a young woman named June.  Day is an outlaw and is wanted by the Republic.  June is a member of the Army of the Republic.  They are on opposite sides, or are they?  Legend is so good that the movie rights have already been sold.  If you loved "Hunger Games" and "Divergent," you will love Legend too.  I look forward to the second book in this series.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman was a very close second for both of us. It's a science fiction book about organ donation and storking as a solution to abortion. It's a fascinating, thought provoking read with interesting characters that keep your attention. Visit Grab A Book From Our Stack to see all our book reviews. We are also on Shelfari and Goodreads.

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3 Steps To Get Out Of Credit Card Debt

Gerard Cutting Up His Credit Cards

Fortunately, we do not have any debt. However, before we were married, Gerard had lots of credit card debt that I didn't find out about until we were engaged and were applying for a loan to buy a house! I was shocked and actually considered calling off the engagement. He assured me that I could handle all the money so we forged ahead. We paid off his credit cards with money from his investments and from then on, he just used his Discover Card. It was nice we were able to pay them all off right away; however, many people are trapped and can't do that. That is why I thought I'd share this post with you that I got from our sermon notes on Pastor Dan's series, "Four Steps To Financial Fitness." Here are the three steps you can use right away to get you out of credit card debt:

1. Stop acquiring new debt. If you don't have the cash for it, don't buy it.
2. Save a little from each pay to establish an emergency fund of at least $1,000 to cover unexpected expenses such as repairs.
3. Implement the debt snowball. I loved this! Here's how it works: First, list all of your credit card debt from the smallest balance to the highest balance. Second, Make the minimum payment on all debts, but put all the money you can toward paying off the smallest debt first. Third, when the smallest debt has been paid off, roll over the amount you were paying into the next largest debt, repeating until all your debt is repaid. 

For example:
       credit card                total Balance           Minimal Payment       New payment

Kohl's                                $ 150                            $15                                   

Macy's                              $ 250                            $10                          $ 25 

Sam's Club                         $ 500                            $ 75                          $100 

VISA                                 $1500                           $ 90                          $190 

Car                                    $4000                           $210                         $400 

Getting rid of your debt using these steps won't happen overnight, but it will certainly move you in the right direction and as you see some paid off, it will motivate you to carry on. "Success breeds success."

Before looking for stocks or mutual funds to invest in, ask yourself the question, "Do I have any consumer debt?" If so, you have a wonderful investment opportunity.

• It's guaranteed.
• It's tax free.
• It's immediate.
• It offers a high rate of return on your investment.

Pay off your credit card debt!

Good Sense Budget Course 

Are you in the 46% of Americans who have credit card debt? If so, I wish you success in paying it off by following the above steps I have shared here.

Source: Taken from Jan. 22, 2012 sermon notes by Pastor Dan Barfell at Parma Heights Baptist Church. Follow the link to listen to the whole sermon.

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