Halloween on a Poor Man's Budget

Halloween will be here before you know it, and some may be worried about having to spend a lot of money on candy or Halloween costumes. There are several ways to enjoy the Halloween holiday without having to break the bank. It's time to get out your imagination and find out how to put your creativity to use for Halloween. 

Check out the article, "Halloween on a Poor Man's Budget," to find out how you can save money this Halloween. 

Back to School Poem

Labor Day has officially come and gone, and almost every kid will have started or be heading back to school. The dog days of summer are ending and fall will be in full swing soon. Leaves will be falling from the trees and the smell of roasting marshmallows around the campfire will be lingering around the neighborhood late into the evenings. 

Heading back to school creates new memories for children and brings back old ones for adults. School is a place to learn and to grow. 

To remember some of your old school memories and get ready for back to school with your children, check out this "Back to School" poem that I have written for your enjoyment. 

CLICK HERE TO READ "BACK TO SCHOOL" poem. 

Create Your Dream Burger at Champaign, Illinois's Meatheads

When you are craving a juicy hamburger with all of our favorite fixings, look no further than the Meatheads restaurant in Champaign, Illinois. You can order your favorite burger, a chicken sandwich or hotdog and then add all of your desired toppings. Add some french fries (which are hand-cut daily from 100% fresh Idaho Potatoes) and your favorite soda (or a hand-dipped milk-shake!).

At Meatheads, you can build your own burger or order from the ones that are available on the menu. One type of burger that you can order is the Texas Ranch that includes 1/3 lb Angus Beef and ranch sauce. Get a burst of flavors with the Californian that includes toppings such as cucumber wasabi sauce and avocado.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING ABOUT MEATHEADS RESTAURANT AND THEIR DELICIOUS HAMBURGERS!

New 911 Signs Available in Moultrie County, Illinois

(*Special note: this was first published in the Sullivan News Progress newspaper)....

Green Reflective Signs Offer Quicker Response Time

It is impossible to predict when an emergency is going to happen. At any moment of the day, a fire can strike, a friend or relative could fall or a small child could choke on an object. What is the worst case scenario? The ambulance or police being unable to find your home.

When there is an emergency, you want help as soon as possible. The simpler it is for a rescue team to find you, the quicker it is for them to provide help. Sullivan fireman, Rob Young, is wanting to make it easier for response teams to find an address in an emergency situation. Recently, the Sullivan Fire Department has begun distributing green reflective signs to both residents and business owners in Moultrie County.

“This project started three years ago. The Lincoln Fire Department in Mattoon has already began handing out reflective signs. Charleston and Lerna have also been distributing them. I thought that these signs would also be helpful for the people of Moultrie county,” explained Young.

The new green reflective signs display the first part of a resident or business's 911 address. They can be placed on a front porch, mailbox or a post in the front yard.

Right now, there is no ordinance stating that these signs are mandatory. While people have a choice whether to buy one or not, Young feels that they could be helpful for the community. “The signs are good for the fire department, the police and the sheriff. There will be no question if we have the right house or not. They also allow for a quick response time because the address sticks out and makes it easy to find. We will be able to find an address day or night,”he stated.

Some people in Moultrie county are already taking advantage of the new reflective signs. “We have sold over 300 signs in our area already,” estimated Young. “The signs are not just for residents, it's for anybody in Moultrie County that wants these signs,” he clarified. Young continued on to offer some advice."I'd like to urge everybody to get a sign because it helps everybody respond more efficiently. It helps all of us.”

If you would like to get a green reflective sign, you can request one at the Sullivan Fire Department by giving a $20 donation. Checks can be written out to the Sullivan Fire Department. To request a sign, you must provide your name, 911 address and phone number. The donation will help the Sullivan Fire Department and allow a quicker response time in the event of an emergency. For more information, you can visit the Sullivan Fire Department's website at: http://www.sullfire.org or call them at

217-728-8714.

Running for St. Jude

Recently, I got to write an article about a fundraiser for St. Jude that is being held in my area. It is so amazing what some of these people do to raise money for the children. When people do something great to help others, it really can light up people's lives.... Below is the article that was submitted to an area newspaper that I write for... 


Perhaps maybe you can think of some ways that you can raise money for the children of St. Jude too...


_________________________________________________

St. Jude Fundraiser

According to the St. Jude Hospital website, about 7,800 patients are seen each year. It takes around $1.7 million a day to operate St. Jude Hospital. Donations from the public provide more than 75% of the hospital's funding. For the past 50 years, the hospital has increased the rate of survival in children. In 1962, the rate was only 20%. Because of their efforts today, children have an 80% chance of surviving.

A very special group of people are doing their part to raise money for St. Jude right here in Moultrie county. Last year, the group raised over $42,000 by running for St. Jude.

This year, their dedication is still just as strong. The runners hope to beat the $42,000 that was raised last year. With even more people signing up to join the cause, there's a possibility that it could happen.

“There are approximately 45 runners along with drivers and other volunteers that have sacrificed two days of their time to raise money for the kids of St. Jude,” stated Kali Taylor, coach of the Sullivan H.S. Girls track team, who is organizing this year's run.

The second annual St. Jude Mattoon-Peoria run is set to take place Friday, July 20 through the 21^st. “We will leave Riddle Elementary at 8 a.m. sharp. The public is invited to send us off on our 140 mile journey towards Peoria. We will be traveling on five motor homes along with an emergency vehicle equipped with EMT's, a music vehicle from WMCI 101.3 out of Mattoon and a chase vehicle,” informed Taylor.

In order to participate in the fundraiser, each runner is required to raise $750. 100% of the profits will go to St. Jude. The group of runners are a variety of individuals from all walks of life. “Our runners range from seasoned veterans with marathons under their belt, weekend warriors, rookies just getting started and long time runners looking to use their gift to help others. Some are strangers, some are long time friends but by the end of the run we all become family,” Taylor stated. There are 29 other cities, along with a team from Memphis, who also participate in the run to Peoria too. The team from Memphis make the 465 mile trip by foot to join in.

Taylor explained how the run for St. Jude worked. “St. Jude rules require that two runners be on the road at all times, always wearing reflective vests and staying to the side of the road. An emergency vehicle follows the runners the entire way to Peoria. The first 9/10th of a mile will be run by all runners and volunteers as well as the last leg across the bridge into Peoria. The motor homes travel ahead to the next stop while the runners are out on the road.”

Taylor is very grateful to be part of such an amazing event. “This was such a life changing experience for me personally that I can't imagine not being a part of this for the rest of my life. After running the Boston Marathon twice and reaching the 'Olympics' or holy grail for runners, I was looking for a new challenge. A friend mentioned the St. Jude run and after hearing about it, I immediately said yes without hesitation. Two of my cousins underwent bone marrow transplants and I was at the hospital for both to witness them getting their 'bags of gold'. It is amazing to see new life.”

Angie Del Ponte who participated in last year's event, will also be running this year. There's only thing that inspires her to run each year. “The kids. You get all cranky and hot from running and all you want is a shower. You are also hungry and you just want to eat. But once you see the kids, you appreciate everything that you have done. They all treat you like movie stars... It's amazing to see the kids and how happy they are to see you.”

Del Ponte's husband, Marc, also takes part in the fundraiser for St. Jude. Last year he was a volunteer and helped navigate. This year, he made the decision to become a runner. What inspired him to become a runner? “The kids,” he simply answered.

If running isn't something that comes easy to you, there are other ways to raise money for St. Jude too. Amber Righter, organized a quarter auction to raise money for the event on June 28^th at the Sullivan Methodist Church. “Over $600 was raised. A retail value of $1,100 of products were auctioned off,” quoted Righter.

While Righter honestly admitted she wasn't much of a runner, she did say what inspired her to hold an auction for St. Jude. “Its' for the kids. I wanted to be able to help with the run in a different way.” Righter's six year old daughter, Hannah, also took part in her own way too. “She drew pictures and people were buying them at the auction. Hannah even asked me, 'Mommy, do you think $6 is enough to pay for their medicine?' After that, I knew that as a parent, I was doing something right! I don't think there is anything that can make your heart smile more than kids helping kids,” beamed Righter.

A number of vendors took part in the quarter auction held by Righter. The vendors included: Gold Canyon Candles, Mary Kay, Norwex, Pampered Chef, Tupperware, Longaberger, Just Jewelry, Thirty-One, Argonne, Shabby Chic, Tastefully Simple and Jamberry Nails. Two businesses also made donations to the auction as well. The Flower Pot gave a $10 gift card and I Tan & Fitness donated 10 Session of kettle bell classes.

Righter couldn't have been more pleased with the turn-out of her auction. “It was a huge turn out and very successful. I was overwhelmed at the turnout and couldn't have been more excited to raise the money.”

Donations for St Jude are still being accepted. If you are interested in making a donation, write your check out to St. Jude and get in contact with any of the St. Jude runners. You can also contact WMCI 101.3 and listen to any announcements regarding the fundraiser for St. Jude.

Need Web Content? Special Article Package

Every website needs updated content. 


It is what keeps your visitors coming back. A website doesn't need a major overhaul-it just needs a little bit of change every now and then. I would like to provide your website with fresh content each week. 


Currently, I have a web special for content. 
You can order 20 articles from me for $100. 
With this package, you will get 5 fresh articles per week. You can take time to promote your website instead of having to write content. I'll take care of keeping your website fresh while you do your marketing or create products. 


Although, if you are unsure about ordering a full package, 
you can test me out first. 
I will write an article for your website (400-450 words) for $5.50. 


For more information about my writing services, check out my webpage at:
http://www.arianacherry.biz/yourwebcontent.html
or send me an email at yourwebcontent@yahoo.com 

My Sign from Signs on the Cheap

I received my sign from Signs on the Cheap the other day. It's pretty snazzy. The photo is on the left of this blog post. It will be used to just advertise my writing business. I will probably sit it out in my yard somewhere. 

The crew does a really good job and they really care about the quality-as I exchanged a few emails with them until the photo was just right. 

If you need many signs, you can order 99 of them for $100 (that's a little less than $1 per sign!).....

You can check their website out at: http://www.signsonthecheap.com/ for more information on designing and ordering a sign (or two...or more)....