Box Tops For Education - A MUST!

If you pay attention to our facebook page then you already know about Box Tops for Education. But, for those of you who don't, and for the rest of you, here is your refresher course.

 

"Box Tops for Education has helped America’s schools earn over $400 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."

 

Basically, each box top is worth $.10 to the redeeming school. Box Tops can be found on a ton of name brand products (see below).

 

Thurgood Marshall Middle School (our zoned middle school) has a goal of earning $1,000 or 10,000 BTFE this school year. To achieve this, every child needs to bring in nine box tops, or one each month. As of today, they have achieved barely 3% of their goal with only $31 having been earned. The school year is 3/4 of the way through, yet we're not even 1/4 closer to that $1,000!

 

To make it ridiculously simple for you to help with this program, we're willing to do almost all the work. All you have to do is cut the box tops out and send them to us.

 



Just try to find Box Tops that didn't expire six years ago



I'm not asking that you go out and buy a bunch of name brand products just for the sake of helping our poor, under funded schools. But, if you happen to have purchased products with a Box Tops For Education on them, clip them and send them in. That's it!

 

If you want to go a little farther with this program, you can sign up for several bonus and e-box tops on their website at BoxTopsForEducation.com. You can even earn those e-box tops by shopping online at several retailers that you're probably shopping at anyway.

 

Please, please, please don't throw away $.10. Put it into our community, our children, and their future.

 

The short list of BTFE products:

General Mills

Totino's

Pillsbury

Betty Crocker

Yoplait

Ziploc

Brita

Hanes

Avery

Kleenex

Cottonelle

Big Brothers Big Sisters

If you are tired of me harping about some charity, volunteer opportunity, or fundraiser, you should probably stop reading now.

 

On February 7^th, in conjunction with our Neighborhood Watch Meeting, we’re going to have Tiffany Patton with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee here to give a presentation on her organization.

 

I was interested in some of these facts that Tiffany gave us at a previous presentation…

• 85% of prisoners were raised in fatherless households
• There are ALWAYS 300+ children waiting for someone to volunteer as their “Big”

Mentored Children…

• Are 46% less likely to do drugs
• Are 52% less likely to skip school
• See a 71% improvement in school
• See an 86% improvement in self confidence
• Are 75% more likely to attend a four year college
• 39% have an income greater than $75k
• Are 48% more likely to engage in the community

 

I think most all of us have thought about becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister at one point or another. This is your opportunity to get more information about the program, but without having to make a commitment.

 

You can find many more information about this group on the BBBS of Middle Tennessee website (mentorachild.org).

How to Plunge a Toilet

More than half the time we're called out to unclog a toilet the resident says they already plunged it but it didn't work. The other half of the time they don't even have a plunger.

 

Here are some tips for getting your clog out without having to call me.

 

First of all...BUY A PLUNGER! They now have cute girly plungers, and plungers that double as toilet paper holders. You don't NEED these fancy items, but you might be more apt to buy it if it's cute!

 

*Try running hot water over the rubber of your plunger to make the rubber softer.

 

*Make sure you only have about half as much water in the bowl as normal. Too much water will cause a mess, but not enough will prevent a good seal.

 

*You want the rubber head of the plunger to have more water in it than air to help create a better seal.

 

*Cover the hole in the toilet bowl with the rubber head and pump vigorously about ten times, but be careful not to let the head lose contact with the hole.

 

*Repeat if necessary

Shop Locally...Save Antioch

Did you know that the residents of the 37013 zip code spend more money than any other zip code in middle Tennessee? The problem is that we all leave this zip code, and often this county, to spend our money.

You may have heard on the news that Hickory Hollow Mall, our mall, is losing Sears and Macy’s. Sears Holding Corporation which owns both Sears and K-Mart is closing one hundred stores nationwide. Macy’s is closing five stores throughout the country.

Without a doubt these local closings are going to have an impact on the community, your community! We have to stop standing by, and watching businesses leave for greener grass.

You can do your part by shopping in Antioch. Yes, I can hear you thinking to yourself that there is nowhere to shop here, but that’s not true. Before you head straight to Cool Springs, stop by Hickory Hollow Mall and see what they have to offer.

Why Buy Locally?

-          Antioch stores are far more desperate for your business, thus offering better prices.

-          The sales taxes stay here. We all know Franklin doesn’t need your 9.25% as much as we do.

-          The money you spend is helping to employ fellow neighbors, including myself!

-          You drive less, causing you to save on gas and wear and tear of your vehicle, and reducing your carbon footprint.

PLEASE help support our community!

Is There Such Thing as Dog that's GOOD for an Apartment?

Many dog breeds make good apartment dogs, but first you must find out who they are.

Pick an apartment dog whose activity level matches your own. If you’re an active person and plan on jogging every day with your dog, you can choose a high-energy dog breed. With a lot of exercise, a high-energy dog can be happy in an apartment. But if you’re a couch potato, look for a pup that prefers resting over going for runs.

A dog’s temperament is also critical in determining whether or not he’ll be a good apartment dog. For a dog, an apartment community is a pretty stimulating place — there’s a lot of people coming and going, and there’s a constant hum of interesting noises. A good apartment dog is one who can handle all that stimulation without getting overly anxious. Anxious dogs are barkers, and that could cause problems with your neighbors.

The top four apartment dogs are:



Winnie



Yorkshire Terrier
Because of the small size of a yorkie, they are able to get plenty of indoor exercise without the need for much outdoor exercise. They love cuddling and are the ultimate lap dogs. As an added bonus, they can be easily trained to use the bathroom on indoor "puppy pads."



Zoe



Mastiff
Mastiffs are of course my favorite. Have you ever noticed the dog on our billboard on Interstate 24? That was my English Mastiff Zoë who died a couple of years ago. Mastiffs actually make good apartment dogs because they are very low energy. These gentle giants are very calm and rarely bark, making them suitable for busy apartment communities. With short walks every few days and daily indoor playtime, Mastiffs can be happy apartment dogs.

Greyhound
Despite being known as athletes, these mellow dogs make great family pets and enjoy nothing more than lying around on the couch all day. They do require regular walks, but they don’t need excessive daily exercise.



Smokey



Basset Hound
Thanks to their mild temperament and inactive indoor lifestyle, Bassets are a good apartment dog breed. Basset Hounds love the outdoors, and while they can be OK without a yard of their own, they need regular outdoor exercise to be happy and healthy.



No Excuse Not to Recycle

We've made it simple for you to take a small step in becoming green. We have recycling bins on site, and no sorting is required. You can put your paper, plastic, and metal in the same bin.

**No glass please**
 
Not sure how to start? Use a milk crate, storage bin, or laundry basket to collect your recycling. Once you begin you will be absolutely amazed at how much you were throwing away that is now being recycled.
 
It's so easy, why not?
 

Start Your New Year's Resolutions NOW

I've never really done the whole new year's resolution thing, but this year is going to be different. There are many things I want to do differently in 2012. So I did a little bit of research on the World Wide Web and this is what I've found...

 

Wikipedia says a new year's resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit.

 

New year's resolutions don't have to wait until January first. They can start today, right now, as you're reading this newsletter.

 

Don't just say, "hey I want to lose weight." Make a specific resolution or goal. Your goal should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Bound - SMART!

 

Build specific objectives and timelines. Come up with a detailed plan on HOW you will reach  Read this often. 

 

Measure your progress on a regular basis.

 

Tell your friends what your resolution is so they can be supportive in helping you reach it.

 

Stick to it!