All 3 of my children have been collecting Box Tops for Education for the last 6 years or so. I remember when my middle son, now 14, but when he was in 2nd grade was in tears because I had thrown away a granola bar box that had a Box Tops for Education on it! He was so upset, and I had to go dig through the trash to get it…. ewwww!   — Awww, what we do for our kids!

For those of you who don’t know what Box Tops for Education are:

“Box Tops for Education has helped America’s schools earn over $475 million since 1996. You can earn cash for your child’s school by clipping Box Tops coupons from hundreds of participating products. Box Tops also offers easy ways to earn even more cash for your school online.” – Box Tops 4 Education

 

The importance of giving back to schools:

The great part about the Box Tops for Education program is that your direct participation earns your child’s exact school money for education. You will enter your child’s school information and all your rewards will go to their school. Awesome, yes?

So I was excited to pair up with Jingit, a program that pays you to shop for your favorite brands and your child’s school get’s rewarded too! For those of you who aren’t familiar with Jingit:

“With Jingit, you can earn real cash, instantly for watching ads online; or checking in and shopping for select products at your favorite stores; even for giving your feedback to leading brands by taking brief surveys. In return, those brands get your attention!”

 

Google+ Album – See how to use Jingit!

What a win-win for all. So I loaded the Jingit app on my iPhone, shopped at Walmart and bought General Mills foods that my kids already love. Take a look at my Google+ Album here.  See my trip, what I picked up, and how easy it was for my daughter’s school to earn Box Tops, and me, money.

It was an enjoyable time being able to get rewarded for items I would have purchased anyway! My son inhales the Totino’s Pizza’s (hey he’s a teenage boy) – and my daughter loves the Gogurt and granola bars. General Mills cereals such as Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch are favs at my house too!

Want to learn how you can get started – here you go:

Here are the steps for you to start earning!

1.) Sign up here: —> Jingit Signup

2.) Download the Jingit app for your iPhone or Android: –> Jingit download app

3.) Start shopping! Go to Walmart. Check in with the app and scan the barcodes on any 4 participating General Mills’ back-to-school basics products that are listed on the screen once you get to the store.  Then “cha-ching!” – you’ll earn a little real cash, in real time. And 4 Bonus Box Tops will automatically be donated to your selected school.

4.) Visit Walmart.com to engage with General Mills products, and look for banner ads with a Jingit curl from these same brands. Some locations may not feature the same ads. Once you get home, make sure to “check in” at home, by scanning your products again to earn more money, and to have the Box Tops for Education donated to your child’s school.

Lastly, log in to your Jingit dashboard and see how much money you made. You can also watch videos, learn more about other products you can earn with and share with your friends on Facebook , Twitter and Pinterest. I was excited that I made $6.00!

Thanks Jingit, Walmart, and General Mills. My daughter was excited to donate her Box Tops to school the next day.

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Jingit #CBias #SocialFabric”. All experiences and opinions are my own.

For more back to school tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Creating interior spaces that are not only intuitively functional but also eminently beautiful is about more than engineering and art; these spaces need that indefinable element that helps to enrich the lives of the people that live and work in them.  And this is the reason that many people turn to the challenging and rewarding career of an interior designer.  However, before you start handing out flyers to advertise your services, there are a few things you’ll need to consider carefully in order to ensure that your professional goals meet with success.

Image via: Dagdig House

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Education

A flair for decorating is certainly a bonus, but if you’re going to work in interior design you need background knowledge of historical styles (French country, neoclassical, contemporary, etc.) and the well-known designers that popularized certain looks (Frank Lloyd Wright, for example).  And it couldn’t hurt to pair it with a business degree (since you likely want to work for yourself at some point rather than slaving away in a secondary capacity at a design firm).  It’s not that you can’t be a self-made, self-taught success, but you may obtain the knowledge, skills, and most importantly, contacts you need more expediently with a standard education.

Image via: Bogoraya

Inspiration

Let’s face it: you cannot work in a creative field if you don’t harbor some spark of creativity within yourself.  You may be able to get away with regurgitating the work of others for a while, but eventually you’re going to end up with a client that wants something unique.  What will you do then?  So before you get into a creative industry, think about whether or not you really have that inspirational drive that will allow you to be competitive.  If not, you may want to consider a different career path.

Ability to work with clients

Great, you’re an artist!  Unfortunately, you have to work for a broad range of clients if you want to make a living at it.  While some will see your genius and give you free reign to create their interior spaces as you see fit, most will want a lot more control over the final outcome of their home design.  There is a certain amount of skill involved in making the customer feel like the direction you want to go was his/her own idea.  And you won’t be able to save everyone from bad taste and decisions that you perceive as poor.  But if you want to stay in business, you’ll just have to resign yourself to the fact that you’ll have to give people what they want in return for their business.

Building your brand

It’s not enough to be good at what you do: people have to know who you are, and this requires you to build a brand.  You’ll not only have to maintain your integrity in design and in dealings with clients; you’ll also need to find ways to get your name to the public and ensure that they associate your brand with quality and reliability.  Luckily, there are many ways to spread your name and improve your brand image thanks to the internet.

Image via: Iroka

Marketing

While you could certainly hire a field marketing agency to promote your business, you may not have the cash on hand when you’re starting out.  So look for less expensive ways to advertise.  Beat the pavement to meet local business owners and trade services for promotion, join industry forums to receive advice and even referrals, and start a business website so that you can engage in ad sharing, blogging, SEO, and all of the practices that are going to grow your brand and bring in new clients.

Evan Fischer is a contributing writer for The Regan Group, offering an innovative approach to marketing your business and building your brand.

For more interiors tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Of all the places in your home, your kid’s environments are the one place that there are no rules. You don’t have to know the latest Pantone color, or the hottest material out there for your couch, it’s all about your child enjoying and learning about life through their environment. I love that!

It’s one place where you and your child can make up a world that is nurturing, fun, educational and of course great looking!!

Today, my Guest Blogger, Ashlee McClung, creator of izzyshare, shares with you how her passion for interior design, and education led her to creating a unique place for you to share your creative kid’s environments, or browse other inspiring spaces to give you ideas for your home.

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Get to Know izzyshare

After being inspired by shows like Trading Spaces and HGTV at the age of 16 I was ripping out the carpet in my bedroom to showcase the oak hardwood flooring, painting the walls a creamy butter yellow, saving money to buy a bed in a bag from Wal-Mart, and sewing curtains to add softness and color to my little abode. Ever since then interior design has been on my mind!

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ashlee and I am an interior designer wannabe and an educational enthusiast! I am passionate about providing children with inspiring spaces to increase motivation and creativity.  I’m a former teacher turned editor of izzyshare. What is izzyshare? izzyshare (not an error, we like the lowercase i better) is an online resource for parents and teachers to find and share design ideas for kids.  At izzyshare, you’ll find plenty of pictures of bulletin boards, organization, projects, art, and at-home space design ideas just for kids!

These two pictures are from my first year teaching. I was ecstatic to have my first classroom! I spent hours analyzing the layout and looking for other classrooms on the internet to find ideas.  This is when the thought of izzyshare began due to the fact I could not find one place on the net with just pictures of classroom design ideas. With limited money to use for decorating, I found many of the items you see in these two pictures at yard sales, thrift shops, and discount stores. The dollar bins at Target were (and still are) my best friend!

Design at-home

We recently added an at-home design section to our site. Let’s say that you’ve just spent a whole weekend working on decorating your child’s playroom or bedroom.  You analyzed over paint colors, searched for the perfect fabrics, painted, and finally stepped back to admire the finished project. NOW WHAT? That’s where izzyshare comes in.  izzyshare allows you to upload your photos of the spaces you have spent time on so others can oohh and aww over your job well done!

These two photos are from Sonya (izzyhare username greenmommy) and she was kind enough to share with us her daughters’ playroom.  Sonya has done a great job of providing her daughters with a wonderful area to play and learn.

The same goes for teachers who put the same thoughtfulness and hard work into their classroom, who often change room decor frequently to correspond with the seasons and holidays.  So you put up a bulletin board that received several compliments and you want to make the same display again next year? Take a picture of the space and upload the photo to izzyshare, your digital online design filing cabinet, if you will. Our site also gives us the ability to store photos in a categorized way that makes searching for certain themes effortless.

One izzyshare teacher, Krissy, does an outstanding job of providing a beautiful environment for her students.  Krissy pays much attention to detail in her thoughtful classroom designs. We’re pretty sure anyone who walks into Krissy’s classroom will be inspired! Believe me when I say these two pictures are just the tip of the iceberg! Krissy (KTVee is her izzyshare username), has uploaded photos we still can’t get over.

Why the name izzyshare?

The name izzyshare, after months of careful consideration, comes from the name of a little family member whose name is Isabelle.  Her nickname is Izzy and my husband and I have always thought it was a sweet name.  We wanted the title to be cute and have something to do with sharing, since it is a place for parents and educators to share ideas. Izzy and share were magically connected to form izzyshare.

Does izzyshare have a blog?

Why yes, we do have a blog! The blog is now known as little izzy. little izzy (we really don’t like to capitalize things do we?) mostly consists of pictures and information on trendy kid rooms, classrooms, kid art, and crafts.  We also publish eco friendly pieces for the eco-conscious folks (like ourselves) out there. Anything that is related to kid design can usually find a home on our site, especially if it boasts educational value!

Thank you Ronique for giving me the opportunity to be a guest blogger! It is an honor!

Ashlee McClung is a former teacher meshing her love for education and design. I graduated with an elementary education degree and taught first grade and Kindergarten for three years. While planning my classroom designs I would spend much of my time searching on the Internet for classroom ideas that mostly led to sites with pure text or links that had me all over the place. I wanted one place that was full of pictures. That’s when the idea for izzyshare began to form.

I wanted to enroll into an interior design program after high school, but instead I played it safe and went into education. You see, I am from West Virginia and I didn’t think I would be able to find a job in interior design. There isn’t exactly a booming interior design business world where I am from.  I never thought I would move out of my home state. I wanted to stay safe and sound tucked into the hills of West Virginia.  I met my husband in high school and what do you know, we end up leaving West Virginia a month after I graduated college.  We now live near one of the biggest cities in the country.

No could of, should of, would of here. izzyshare has allowed me to peruse my passion for design.  I now work full time on izzyshare, which has come a long way from its humble beginnings. izzyshare is a place for anyone who wants to find and share design ideas for kids. izzyshare has grown into a community of educators and parents who have the same love for design and know the importance of providing positive environments for children. Feel free to stop by. We would love to have you!

Ashlee McClung:

Web |Twitter | Contact

For more kids’ room ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

For most of us, the daytime is filled with rushing to meetings, running errands, picking up kids, going to the grocery store, cooking dinner, getting ready for bed, and then falling asleep when your head hits the pillow! Home solutions are about finding ways to make your home run smoother and more enjoyable.
Have you ever thought about how to enjoy the evening? For me, I find the evening is the time to decompress, connect with the family, and recharge for the next day. Whether it actually turns into that for me is a different story!

I found this article on Stepcase Lifehack by Erin Kurt on 5 Steps to a Calmer Evening.

1.) Ease into the Evening

Instead of walking in the door after work or errands and immediately launching into another chore, allow time and space to downshift into evening mode.  It’s basically about transitioning.  In other words, giving yourself and your family that unwind time.

Creating a calming ambiance, by turning off the TV and playing soothing classical, jazz, or instrumental music, can instantly reset the emotional tone of the house.  Another idea is to dim the lights and light a few candles – it makes for a warm, cozy atmosphere that will relax the family.

Another transition idea is to create a ritual.  Set vegetables and dip or cheese and bread on the counter and serve juice or water in fancy wine goblets.  This will not only take the ravenous edge off so you avoid meltdowns before dinner, but it will feel special and establish the transition time.

2.) Create a Dinner System

Rushing to get dinner on the table is a major source of evening mayhem, but a little bit of preplanning can help youpower through with a minimum of stress.  Use weekends to chart out your nightly dinners, grocery shop, and even preassemble parts of a meal when possible.  Consider writing a weekly plan and checking the calendar to see which nights are going to be particularly busy – so you know when frozen pizzas or easy-prep meals are a must.

3.) Keep the Kids Busy

All the shortcuts in the world won’t help if you’re constantly being interrupted, so a little creativity may be needed to get the kids out from underfoot.

Make the time you cook be about you and let your older kids, who should be doing homework, know that you are there only to be asked a very important question.  Other than that, you are off limits.  For younger children, it might be necessary to involve them in the meal preparation or to put on an appropriate DVD.  When my son was younger I used to put him in his highchair and talk in an animated way – sort of my own version of a cooking show.  Now that he’s older, he helps put ingredients in bowls and pots and stirs just about everything!

4.) Plan Homework Time

To avoid last-minute cries of “Mom, I haven’t done my homework yet,” having a homework routine is a must.

After the kids have had a healthy snack and 30 minutes down-time after school, they should begin their homework so that it is completed before dinner.

5.) Share the Work… and a Break

Dividing tasks between you and your partner can make family time more serene for both of you.  It might be that when your husband walks in the door, it’s his turn to take the baby for 30 minutes so you can get dinner started.  Then, after 30 mins, you take the baby back and your partner has 30 minutes to change and unwind.  This way you’ll both be refreshed enough to start your evening together.

Be flexible with this.  If your partner is stressed when walking in the house, offer a later-in-the-evening task, such as washing dishes or packing lunches for the next day.

All in all, evenings can be calm if routines and decisions are made ahead of time.   Decide what you and your partner truly value and then set up some systems to make it work.

For more outdoor living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy Earth Day 2010! What are you doing to help the Earth? Do you even know where to start? There are several resources, activities, social media outlets, and information out there.  Here are some resources to get you started.  Don’t just sit there, get up and do your one part today to save the Earth!

Read below the core issuesthat the Earth is facing. Pick a few to get started on immediately. Have your family get involved. This is for everyone who wants future generations to have a beautiful Earth!

Core Issues:
Green Economy

Conservation & Biodiversity

Education

Green Schools

For the rest of the core issues visit Earth Day.org.

• Follow the Earth Day Network on Facebook.

• Click here to sign: The Earth Day 2010 Climate Declaration –

April 25 is our chance to demand accountability from Congress.  Americans from all walks of life will

gather for the Climate Rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC. There, we will demand that our

leaders pass strong climate legislation that benefits all Americans while sending a powerful message to the polluter lobby: we’ve had enough of dirty power, the time for change is now.

Help us motivate Congress by signing this petition. During The Climate Rally, your name will appear in lights – all signers will be displayed to the crowd, and to Congress, in a visualization of the power behind America’s call for fair, ambitious and comprehensive climate legislation.

Sign our petition – Show Congress that America is serious about clean energy and a sustainable future

• Click here to: Get On The Climate Rally Bus!

Are you committed to having a positive impact in the fight against climate change? Are you ready to step up and make a difference? Have you always wanted to come to Washington to tell Congress that now is the time for change?  Do you want to take a FREE trip to DC to make your voice heard?

Join Earth Day Network for The Climate Rally on April 25 in Washington, DC! The Climate Rally will bring together environmental advocates from across the country to move Congress to pass comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation.  We need YOU to be there to make this event a turning point in the environmental movement!