What you need to know about scholarships

This is a sponsored post.

 With the skyrocketing costs of higher education, parents and students are finding it harder and harder to pay for college. While we all know about student loans and grants, scholarships are becoming more and more popular.

I live in a very small rural community.  I was at Honors Day last year and our high school handed out $332,000 in scholarships.  My mind was blown.  Since I have a daughter that will be entering college soon, I have been looking at scholarships as a way to fund her college education.

The first place to look for scholarships is right at your school, most likely in your high school counselor's office. I know the counselor at my daughter's high school emails all students and parents a list of scholarships available to the students.  Local business, civic clubs, and past graduating classes are just a few of the local scholarships that are available.

Each scholarship has different requirements, but most want specific information, references, and an essay on a given topic.  Make sure you follow the format that is listed.  Your references should be contacted before you use them on your scholarship. You certainly don't want to lose out because your reference does not know much about you, yet you listed them.  So, make sure you have permission from that person.  I suggest setting up a quick meeting or phone call to discuss  and having your "high school resume' " for valid talking points.

Many scholarships are based on financial need, so be ready to discuss that.  You will also need your grade point average(GPA). You HAVE to have a letter of acceptance in order to actually receive most scholarships. You can get all of this information from your high school counselor or graduation coach. You will also need recommendations for most scholarships, so set up a meeting and take that resume' and make sure your reference is covering all the info you need.

You can find many scholarships online.  I will discuss a few.  Danny Errico has a scholarship for $10,000.  That is a lot of money to further your education.  One of the requirements is to make a video.  I want to urge the importance of reading the requirements of each scholarship and following directions precisely.  If an essay is part of your application, have a teacher proofread it for you for content, spelling, grammar, sentence structure and punctuation.  You do not want to hand in an incomplete or error filled essay.

One of the scholarships tha most aligns with my life is from Siblings of Autism.  I have a son with autism, so I think this would be a great scholarship for my daughter.  The winner gets $10,000 and there is one $5000, and five $1000 winners.  A lot of scholarships have this type of staggered levels of winning.

There are many resources for finding scholarships.  Use Google to help you find the one that is right for you.  But, I think the most important place to start is with your high school or the college you will be attending.

A Practical Gift for Mom

We just had Easter and now Mother's Day is quickly approaching.   Are you wondering what to buy Mom for Mother's Day?  I am one for practical and useful gifts.  I found The Best Micro Cut Shredder at Hammacher Schlemmer and knew right away that I wanted it for my home office.

From shredding useless junk mail to shredding documents I no longer need, this paper shredders makes confetti.  Yes, I said confetti.  Backed by Hammacher Schlemmer's lifetime warranty, this is the perfect gift for Mom on Mother's Day.

Only available from Hammacher Schlemmer, this micro cut shredder earned The Best rating from the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute because it produced the smallest shreds, was the easiest model to use, and generated the least amount of sound. It cut paper into unrecognizable confetti as little as 12.3mm x 4.8mm, while lesser units shredded paper as large as 54mm x 12.2mm. Ranked as the easiest unit to use, it had a feeder that easily accepted paper, a light and window for the receptacle, and simple forward/reverse functionality to unclog jams. The Best model only generated 63 dB of noise (about the level of normal conversation) and was the quietest unit tested. It chews through 18 sheets of paper at one time, completely destroys CDs and credit cards, and has an 8 1/2 gallon bin. Rolls on four casters. AC plug. Black. 22" H x 14 1/2" W x 11" D. (38 lbs.)

Mother's Day Giveaway

You can win this Power Air Fryer and Smokeless Indoor Grill just in time for Mother's Day!  Read the review here.  Enter the giveaway below. a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can never have too many family games!

I am always on the lookout for new games to play with my family.  We recently tried these and they are great!   The nice people from Top Trumps were kind enough to provide them for me to review.

This is Lexicon Go!  Harry Potter Word Game.  You get 55 playing card tiles stored in a cool L shaped canvas bag that zips open and closed.  In this super fast word game, you race against the other players to be the first to get rid of all of your letter tiles.  You can build on your own words, as well as on your opponents' words, as long as you form complete words.  You can swap your letter tiles for new ones as well.  This Harry Potter Edition contains 4 special spell tiles that you can use to increase your chances of winning.  The Polyjuice tile is a wild tile that can be used as any letter.  And if you can spell the word "SNITCH" you will automatically win the round.  This game is great to play with your family.  You need at least two players to play and it is recommended for ages 8 and up.  You can purchase it HERE for $19.99.

This is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Top Trumps Match Game.  To win the game, you need to get five wizards, witches or creatures in a row (horizontally, vertically or diagonally).  But it is easier said than done.  Just when you have victory in sight, your opponent can use a special Top Trumps card to take the match from you!   The game has loads of cubes that feature 15 of your favorite characters from the world of Harry Potter.  These include Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Professor Dumbledore.  It is easy to set up and pack away thanks to its self contained plastic case that lets you play any time, any where!  This is a 2 player game that is suitable for ages 4 and up.  You can purchase it HERE for $19.99. 
This is Top Trumps Dinosaurs.  These cards are beautifully illustrated with colorful and realistic dinosaurs.  They feature dinosaurs like Gigantosaurus, Voliciraptor, Brachiosaurus and Triceratops.  If you can't tell one dinosaur from another, then you need Top Trumps Dinosaurs to teach you.  Each card lists the "stats" (height, weight, length, killer rating, intelligence and age) of the specified dinosaur.  On each turn, the one with the highest specified stat wins.  You can play any time any where, and with as many people as you want!  The easy to carry plastic case can be slipped into a backpack or purse so you can easily take it with you as you go!  You can purchase this game HERE for $9.99.  

This is Top Trumps Marvel Universe.  This is very similar to Top Trumps Dinosaurs, only these cards feature the heroes and villains from the Marvel Universe.  You have characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, the Avengers, Antman, Black Panther and Spiderman.  The cards list their "stats" (strength, skill, size, wisecracks, and mystique) and you use those to determine the winner of each round.  Highest specified stat wins.  This deck also has the easy to carry plastic case.  You can purchase this game HERE for $9.99.

Cinco de Mayo Favorites

I received all of the products mentioned in this post.

Are you ready for Cinco de Mayo?  I have some wonderful wines and spirits to tell you about!

The national spirit of Oaxaca, Mexico: mezcal. Mezcal is known to be a “smokey” agave spirit, usually turning people off from the idea, but I am here to tell you that Zignum Mezcal could not be further away from those debilitating expectations!

A name with Zapoteca roots, Zignum means “The Tip of the Spear.” As of today, Zignum maintains its status as one of the leading mezcals in Mexico, in Mexican duty free, and the most awarded mezcal in the world. It is also the first and only MÉTODO VERDE™ (green method) mezcal, made by shredding raw agave hearts and then steaming the fibers and nectar, creating a mezcal with a clean agave flavor that is smooth and easy to drink.

It’s 3 expressions; Joven, Reposado, and Añejo are perfect for any Cinco de Mayo festivities. They are best served neat, with a slice of orange sprinkled with sal de gusano, or mixed into any of your favorite cocktails.

Zignum is meant to exude nothing but Mexican pride and luxury; so look no further for your Cinco de Mayo beverage of choice!

BxSxT Vodka is a 100% craft spirit perfected in a once abandoned laundromat-turned-distillery, based in Eugene, OR (Wolf Spirit Distillery). Its self-taught distiller, Ben Green, considers BxSxT his greatest labor of love. The vodka itself has a manifesto meant to encourage “individualism” and the “maker culture.

Dixie Southern Vodka is based in Charleston, South Carolina, Dixie Southern Vodka is an independent, American-made craft spirit with roots in the New South renaissance. It is the largest premium craft vodka brand produced in the Southeast; the largest spirit brand produced in the state of SC; and won a 2019 Growth Brands “Rising Star” Award from Beverage Dynamics magazine for its rapid growth.

 

BeatBox Beverages known as “The World’s Tastiest Portable Party Punch™,” the white-wine based Party Punch comes in Fruit Punch, Pink Lemonade, Blue Razzberry and Fresh Watermelon. Low calorie, low-sugar, and gluten free, it is 11.1% ABV. Additionally, the 3 founders received a $1M investment from mark Cuban via Shark in 2014; this was the biggest investment the show had ever made at the time.

You have so many choices to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  Please drink responsibly!