$3000 College Scholarship Essay Contest

I just received this information about a scholarship opportunity.

The scholarship is sponsored by Mig Vapor, a company that creates products designed to help people reduce their dependency on tobacco, and each semester they award $3,000 scholarships to students who help bring awareness to the dangers of smoking.

The scholarship recipients are selected through an essay contest with the winning essays to be selected on the basis of how well-written, compelling, and persuasive they are.

Applicants must be a full-time student at an accredited four-year or two-year university, community college or junior college, or a graduate degree program. There are no costs associated with submitting an application for this scholarship, and the application deadline for Fall 2017 semester scholarships is May 31st, 2017.

For more information, be sure to check out the MigVapor Scholarship Essay Contest page. Feel free to share this with anyone you know who might be interested.

You Need to See This!

My son Cory says that I should probably change the name of my blog since I never seem to talk about either of my kids anymore.  I guess that's what happens when they grow up and we move away.  They aren't part of our daily lives, and I don't really have much to share about what they're doing.  They're the ones who need to share with me!

There is one big thing (or two) coming up:

Cory will be performing in Romeo & Juliet in his last show at UW-Whitewater.  The show opens tomorrow night and runs through Saturday night, so if you're in the area - Eagle, Palmyra, anywhere in Wisconsin - you will definitely want to call that number and get your tickets.  I know it's going to be a great show.

And that other big thing coming up?  My boy will be graduating from college next month.  Wasn't it just yesterday we were moving him into the dorm for the first time?

My Son is a Vampire

And not some sparkly, cheap imitation of a vampire.  He's playing the real thing - Dracula.

 

UW-Whitewater students Cory Jefferson Hagen and Samantha Zaddack play Count Dracula and Mina Seward in the Theatre/Dance Department production of Dracula, a tale of romance and horror. The play, which is directed by Angela Iannone, opened last night and plays through Oct. 13 in Hicklin Studio Theatre.

Judging from the promotional pics and comments, this is a beautiful show, things are going brilliantly, he's making high school girls swoon, etc.

Thankfully we have tickets, because the entire run is sold out, and I cannot wait to see it! Though, of course, I will have to wait - until Saturday night.

In the meantime, I know Cory is going to be having a blast doing this show.  He loves acting, and he puts his whole self into being the best that he can be.  He amazes me with his awesome talent.  And, he's pretty.

It's Too Late to Get Tickets to This Show

We're going to see some Shakespeare Saturday night.  Thankfully we already have our tickets, because the show is sold out.  Our handsome and talented son is in this play, so of course we have to see it.  He's playing the King of Navarre, and wearing a pink suit.  It's going to be great.

He's the one in the pink suit

Love's Labours Lost

November 27-December 1 - 7:30pm

Hicklin Studio Theatre

Greenhill Center of the Arts

UW-Whitewater

How awesome is it that they're sold out, and they'll be playing to a full house every night?  These theatre majors love an audience!

Paying for School

I was eating lunch with one of my friends the other day.  Her nephew came by, and they started talking about how he was an expert in finding money for school.  He put himself through college and didn't have a huge loan to pay off when he was done.  He has a cousin who is a junior in high school and starting to think about college - applying and paying for it - and they're going to get together so he can share his knowledge.  I wish Cory had had some help in that area.  He is definitely going to have a loan to pay off when he gets out of college.

I wish he had spent more time researching scholarships and grants.  And he does have another year after this one, so he still could...

There are plenty of online resources to help with the search.  Scholarshipsonline.org is one such site.  Every year, hundreds of companies, foundations, non-profit organizations and government agencies give millions of dollars away in scholarships and education grants to needy students to help them pay for college, and Scholarshipsonline.org collect and list them on the site.  Students can search for available scholarships based on major, age group, ethnic background, geographic location, etc.  There is information about each opportunity and how to apply.  Definitely worth a look if you've got a young person in college or planning to go to college.

The Money is Running Out

Cory has finished his first two years of college.  So far we've been able to help him out so that he's only had to accept the subsidized federal loans - the ones he doesn't have to start paying back until after he graduates - figuring it will be better for him in the long run to pay us back than to pay some loan with interest.  (or maybe we could collect the interest?)  Fortunately Jeffrey has a job, and he makes enough to support us.  Unfortunately, that means Cory does not qualify for any of that free money 'less fortunate' students get.  When he gets out of school, he's going to be paying.  Yes, I know, that's true for a lot of young people, and he'll survive...

As his mom I would love to see him put some effort into finding scholarships to pay for at least some of his remaining school.  I would have loved to see him actively seeking those scholarships all along, but there's just so much you can do when your kids grow up.  While there are things you would love to see them do, you can't do it for them.  When he graduates and starts having to pay back those loans - and we'll probably work with our bank on some kind of home equity line of credit to pay for the rest, because the interest rate will be better than anything they offer through financial aid - he may wish he'd listened to me, but I can't make him do it.

All I can do is keep sending him links to sites like Scholarships Online where he can search through scholarships and grants and hopefully find some he might qualify for.  I used to send him links to specific scholarships I thought he'd be interested in or would qualify for, but they just didn't grab his attention, so I must've been picking wrong - so he's just going to have to do the searching.  Scholarships Online lists nearly every scholarship and educational grant available in the U.S. - so if he can't find it there, maybe it doesn't exist.

I don't know what's available, but they have a large database and the site is designed to make it as easy as possible for students to find relevant scholarships.  Every one is real, and many are sponsored by organizations you are probably already familiar with.  If you've got a high school student who's planning to go to college, or a college student who could use a little help paying for college, you'll want to check it out - or send the link so your student can start looking.  He'll thank you later when his college loans come due!

Among the Squirrels

Cory finished his second year of college last week and moved back home with all his stuff.  But, he's been going back to Whitewater every day this week (except for Monday when he went to Milwaukee for a screening of the Booth DVD) for rehearsals.  Here's what he's doing now (copied from the UW-Whitewater Greenhill Center Newsletter):

The UW-Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department has paired with the Whitewater Arts Alliance in downtown Whitewater to produce a unique Summeround Benefit Event, a staged reading of Among the Squirrels. This imaginative new play is written by faculty member Eric Appleton, and will be performed on May 19th at 7:30pm and May 20th at 2:00 pm at the Cultural Arts Center in downtown Whitewater. There will be a silent auction event held one hour prior to each performance.

Among the Squirrels follows the life of an out-of-work computer geek, who is inspired out of sheer boredom to collect data on squirrel interactions. He could never have guessed how his backyard observations would reveal truths about his own, stagnant existence. Skillfully combining real life insights, including Netflix, Goth culture and nature shows, Playwright Eric Appleton explores the darkly hilarious complexities of love, friendship, employment and creating community.

Appleton, a UW-Whitewater faculty member, teaches scenic and lighting design for the Theatre/Dance Department. He has written three full-length plays, all of which have received productions. The staged reading of Among the Squirrels will be directed by Jim Butchart, and features Cory Hagen, Jake Lesh and Jen Samson.

The benefit is free due to the support of the Whitewater Arts Alliance; however, donations will be accepted at the door. For more information call 262-472-5943 or email flisterkr28@uww.edu

I like to think they listed Cory first because he's the most important, but that's just the mom in me.  I'm sure it's just alphabetical...

Rehearsal

We'll be going to see the performance this weekend, probably Sunday. If you're in the area, be sure to check it out.  Those 'kids' from the Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department put on a good show.

He's a Leading Man!

I have a couple plays to read.  Cory will be in not one, but two plays next semester.  They're doing Spirits to Enforce, which seems to be a show about a bunch of super heroes trying to raise funds to put on a production of Shakespeare's The Tempest.  It sounds like it might be a bit chaotic and hard to follow - but fun.  So I'd like to read it first, and then after seeing it a couple times, I ought to be able to figure it out, right?  I keep teasing Cory that he'll have to wear tights, but the descriptions I've been reading say out-of-costume super heroes.  Bummer!  No tights!

 The other play Cory will be in is Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost.  Shakespeare!  So, yes, I need to read that one first too - so I can get an idea what it's about and can follow it.  Though Cory said that during auditions he and one of the young ladies read a scene, and when they were finished, the director said something to the effect that it was a very complicated scene, but he understood everything they were saying.  Of course, as the director, he should understand it, but you know what I mean!  They read it so well that he gave them the parts.  Cory is the lead in the play - some guy named Ferdinand!  How exciting is that?  I'm really looking forward to seeing Shakespeare!  I downloaded a study guide and a free ebook version of the play today after Cory told me he was cast.

My son the leading man!

Please Help

Could you please take a few seconds to go "like" this video for my son Cory and the theater department at his school!  They're entered to win a new light board from ETC and need the most likes to win! (popular vote counts for 40% of the overall score, so it's really important.) It only takes 5 seconds - unless you actually watch the video, of course; it's quite entertaining, and Cory is in it - and it would really help them out! Thanks!

The challenge ends February 21, and the winners will be announced in March.

Matchbook: FREE College Textbooks

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of MatchBook for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
 
As any college student knows - textbooks are expensive!  Thankfully UW-Whitewater, where Cory attends school, has a textbook rental program, so the cost of books is included in his tuition.  But for most students the cost of those books is an added expense, one they can't really afford.  The costs can add up to over $1000 per year, depending on the subject and the books.
 

That's why MatchBooks is so great.  Their textbooks are FREE.  That's right - FREE!  MatchBooks are published under a Creative Commons open license, which makes it possible for students to read online for free! NO catch and NO expiration date. Each MatchBook textbook is an entire textbook, written by an expert author, from a trusted publisher, aligned to content in an expensive textbook - FREE online.  That means that, for whatever reason - whether a student can't afford the expensive textbook or just doesn't have it - all the information is available online. 
 
While a MatchBook is not an exact copy of the original textbook, it has been matched closely to the original and contains the same chapter order, core concepts, and key terms.  For instance, a student taking General/Intro Psychology this spring semester who has been assigned Psychology 9e by Myers can use the MatchBook and get:

• Number of chapters > same
• Chapter order > same
• Topics in chapters > same

All the same knowledge for free.  Compare that to around $100 to buy the original hardcover textbook (from Amazon - I'm not sure what it would cost in a campus bookstore)  or around $60 to get a year's subscription to the  ebook version - and you can see how the savings can add up.  MatchBook for Myers Psych is the very first MatchBook, so Psych students get to be the first to check it out at matchurbook.com.  Early reviews of this MatchBook by students and professors have been very positive.  More MatchBooks are coming later this year.
 
Be sure to check out the MatchBooks site, and share it - because when they reach 1,000 shares, they’re making a $1,000 charitable donation!  Besides, I'm sure you or someone you know can really benefit from free textbooks, right?  Also, be sure to Like Flat World Knowledge on Facebook (Matchurbook.com is a project of Flat World Knowledge, the world’s largest publisher of free and open college textbooks.) for more information and to find other FREE textbooks for all your basic college courses.
 
So what do you think?  Would you use a MatchBook or recommend MatchBooks to someone?  Let me know in the comments.
 

The Edwin Booth Company Presents... Needs You!

“The Edwin Booth Company Presents…” provides a unique opportunity for the students in University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Theatre/Dance Department like nothing that this department has done before during the academic season.

It is an original script and the students will be presenting the world premiere performance opening on November 29, 2011. The next step in this educational experience is to take our show on the road and share this accomplishment with the theatre community. This is where you can help!

All donations go to the UW-Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department to start a fund that will help students to extend their education to a national level. This fund will allow students to take their art and their talent on the road to share with the theatre community outside of Whitewater.

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This is the play Cory is acting in, and they are trying to raise funds to hopefully take the play to the American College Theatre Festival in January or to support any students from UW-Whitewater at that festival. Please consider donating. Even the smallest donation will help to extend the educational and artistic horizons of UW-Whitewater students.  If you can't donate, please spread the word to all your theatre and arts-loving friends.  Thanks!

He's In!

Image via WikipediaCory has had a very busy first semester.  He was an understudy for one play - GlenGarry Glen Ross - where he had to learn parts for 3 different characters.  Then, when he was just getting started in rehearsals for that one, he auditioned for another play and ended up as an understudy for that one, too.  For the second play - The Edwin Booth Company Presents -he had to learn the parts for 10 different characters.  10!  And, for a while there, they were having rehearsals for both plays at the same time - well, not at exactly the same time, but rehearsals for both in the same day or the same week.  So, basically he had 13 people, besides himself, all in his brain at one time.

At first it was a little disappointing that he wasn't actually cast in either of the plays - at least for his parent, if not for Cory himself.  But, he's in college to learn, and this experience is bound to teach him a lot - maybe even more than he'd learn by just being an actor in the play.  Also, I don't think anyone else in the universe could learn all those parts and learn them well.  And I'm not saying that just because I'm his mom.  Obviously, his directors think he can do it, too.  He won't be looking for Short Order Cook Jobs.  He's going to be famous!  He's that good.

Thankfully, the first play was over by the middle of October so he could forget about the first 3 characters and concentrate on the other 10.  But now, he's down to 1, because one of the actors he was understudying broke his leg and won't be able to perform. (when people tell actors to 'break a leg' I don't think they're supposed to actually do it.)  So Cory is stepping in and will actually be in the performance.  He's pretty excited about that because he does love to be on stage, but this also means that nothing else can happen and nobody can get sick - because who's left to cover those other 9 characters?

I'm sure they'll figure it out, and it will all go well.  We're going on Opening Night to see the play.  We were planning to go anyway, even thinking we wouldn't get to see Cory perform - because it's the World Premier of a brand new play, written by the director.  So that's kind of exciting.  Now it's even more exciting since we'll get to see Cory on stage.  I might even have to go back and see it another time.

How to Keep Yourself Busy During College

As a mother of a college student, I often find myself with a lot of spare time. Even teenagers need to be taken care of and with my nights free to pursue whatever I want for the first time in 18 years it was difficult to fill it. I turned to the Internet to start reading blogs and websites and came across a lot of information about photography. I decided to read more into until one day I purchased a smartphone and began my new adventure.

Because of sophisticated smartphones, I never had to purchase a fancy digital camera. This is very convenient because I can multitask on one device. While I am outside snapping pics, I can send them straight to my son through text message or email. The cameras on these phones are almost as good, if not better than most of the devices you find in the digital camera section of photography stores.

Social media websites allow for easy storage of all of your pictures. You can find apps for social media websites through the Android Market and Apple's App Store and send your pictures directly to your computer in order to share them online. My photography became so popular with certain users that I was able to sell my pictures in custom prints. After I started this venture I was able to purchase certain equipment like software, lighting effects, and backgrounds with one of the best small business credit cards I could find.

I never realized how important image editing software was until I started snapping pictures. “Lite” versions of Photoshop are available for purchase both online and through retail stores. This powerful software allows you to manipulate things like red eye, bad lighting, and other undesirables out of your photographs. Because they are not as expensive as the fully loaded graphic designer version, they are much more affordable. They are also very intuitive and easy to use because all of the features I need are listed in plain sight.

College is not just a new time of the year for students. It is also an important life changing event for parents who have never been away from their kids. If you begin to research hobbies on the Internet and get immersed in something new, you can start a business of your own and be a little surprised when your kids come back home from breaks.

Moving Day (Evening)

Well, summer's over.  Cory and his roommate are moving into their dorm room this evening.  He spent the day packing up and loading the van, and he just left for campus.  The good part?  I don't have to help him!  Endless trips up and down 4 flights of stairs carrying clothes, bedding, books, video games, etc. - nope, don't have to do it.

He will be home tonight and home for the weekend because he has to work Sunday and Monday.  Then Monday night we'll take him - and some more stuff, I'm sure - back to campus.  So I won't completely get out of carrying something up those 4 flights of stairs.  And, of course, I'm looking forward to seeing how they are going to get all that stuff into that little dorm room.

Classes start Tuesday, and I'm not sure how much we'll see him with his school and rehearsal schedule.  And work.  Hopefully he can find something he can schedule around everything else this year, since he has to give up his job at Walmart.  There have to be some library jobs, food service jobs, Technical Recruiter Jobs, auditorium jobs, or something available.  If we miss him, at least we'll know he's keeping too busy to get into trouble!  Just kidding.  He's a good kid. 

I can't believe the summer is already over, and he's going to be a sophomore in college.  College!

Saving For Your Child’s' Future Education

It's easy to forget, or sometimes just put off, the long-term costs of having a child. We're often faced with the overwhelming day-to-day expenses of getting by and forget about things like education. Not saving for a child's college education isn't uncommon by any means, but a college education will become essential to find any job in the coming years. You might ask yourself where the money is going to come from after you're done paying all the bills and feeding a family, but there are ways to accomplish this without having to radically change your life.

Before you do anything else, you'll first need to figure out how much you'll need to save up. This is pretty tough considering that the rate of tuition increases greatly every year and can go up several thousand dollars for online college and universities. You can go to a page supported by CNN and you can factor in many of the costs you're likely to see when you child comes of age. With this you can factor in multiple children and many of the side expenses you child is likely to see. It's important to not let these figures scare you. College is expensive, but you have time to save.

Consider the options available to you before you start packing money away into an account. One option that has become a very popular avenue for parents is the 529 Savings Plan. This was devised as a strategy for parents to start saving early for college. It's available in every state and it's named after the same federal tax code that allows significant tax benefits. There are two different options with this plan: the prepaid tuition plan and the 529 savings plan. With both options, you'll be able to earn tax free interest with your investments and will cover anything education related. Check the program out to see which 529 option works best for you situation.

Another popular option is the Coverdell Education Savings Account (CESA), traditionally known as the Education IRA. This option allows parents to save up to two 2 thousand every year, which is completely tax free. One of the biggest benefits of this program is you can pay for elementary and secondary school tuition. One of the problems with this program is that they are considered holdings, and when you child applies for financial aid later on, they might not get very much because this money will be factored into their government financial aid award.

There are many other programs out there designed to help parents save for their child's future. You just have to do some research. You don't have to be wealthy to put money away for you child. Everyone wants the best for their child and investing in one of these programs is an investment in your child. Give your kid the best possible future and look at ways you can help them later on in life.

How to Make Moving Your Kid to College Easier

In the upcoming month, many parents will be taking their son or daughter to college to start their freshman year. For many of these kids, they will be headed out-of-state and will move into large college dorms loaded with students and 10x10 foot rooms. Dorm life is compact, and planning for the transition from a solo room to a smaller room with a roommate can be difficult for any first time college student.

However, there are a few ways that both you and your college student can make the move to college easier. A few of those include:

Properly Prepare and Research

There are hundreds of lists online that suggest great items for your future college student to take to college; however, try to look at the one that is specific to the college your son or daughter will be attending. This list will not only have recommended items, but will also list prohibited items. Having this list will let you know what all your child needs to pack, and how much hauling room you can expect to need.

Phone the New Roomie

There is no reason for both roommates to bring mini fridges and coffee makers. Prior to departure, have your child call their future roommate. Between the two of them, they should be able to determine who will bring what into the dorm allowing you to ditch the unnecessary TV or room fan when loading up.

Rent a Trailer in Advance

The weekend your son or daughter will be moving to college will most likely be the same weekend that everyone else’s sons or daughters move to college. Don’t wait last minute to get the equipment you need to make your move more successful. While your child shouldn’t be packing enough to fill a large moving van, you may not have a car big enough to fit more than two people and may need to rent a trailer or small moving vehicle.

Consider a Storage Unit

Have plans for your child’s vacant room once they are gone? You may want to rent a self storage unit ahead of time. Transitioning into college can be hard, but coming home and finding that all of your possessions have been crammed into boxes and stored elsewhere can be even more difficult. If you plan on redecorating your child’s room upon their departure, have them pack up everything they can’t take to college with you. Not only will this alleviate the burden of you packing up their room by yourself, but it will also make their transition easier.
 
College is a fun and exciting time, and to make it as stress free as possible, parents should begin planning for the big move at least 3 weeks prior. Doing so will make moving day seamless, and will allow you to enjoy the last few hours spent with your child instead of worrying about last minute packing and hauling.

Online College for Ease and Convenience

I got an email yesterday telling me that my student's bill was ready for viewing/paying.  Since it's summer, and school doesn't start again for at least a month (when does it start, anyway? I must look that up.), I wasn't sure what the bill was about.  So I looked it up.  Thankfully there's no payment due for a while, but he does have a balance on his account - for room and board next school year.  I never saw a break-down last year, so I wasn't sure what was room and board, what was tuition, and what was for books, so it was interesting to see.  Housing and food for next year at college - almost $3000.  If only he wasn't a theatre major who takes hands-on classes and needs interaction with other people to learn what he needs to learn, we could maybe research the best online colleges and save some money...

We live close enough to campus that I suppose he could live at home and commute, but when you consider the cost of buying him a car, the gas to get back and forth, and all the extra time it would take him to get back and forth to classes and all his extra-curricular activities, it's really not worth it.  Also, he'd still have to have some kind of food plan because he'd be on campus so much, and he'd still need to eat.  So, living on campus it is.

Now, if I decide to go to college, I don't think living on campus would be an option!  Or commuting either, because why should I?  There are so many online options available.  Being able to get a college education at my own pace and from the comfort of my own home definitely appeals to me.  I'm not going to be a theatre major.  I don't know what I'd like to study, but it's not theatre, so I don't really need that personal interaction, either.

There's a really handy site called DegreeJungle that ranks the top 65 online colleges in the United States that should make it easier to find the college, if I ever figure out what I might like to study.  Because I'm not going back to school just to go back to school - even though I always really liked school - even if it is easy and convenient to study online.  If you're thinking about online college and would like some help choosing the right college for you, check out the rankings at Degreejungle.com.

Do You Upromise?

Image via Wikipedia

I signed up for Upromise ages ago. It's a free rewards program that helps you earn money for college. Sounds like a good idea, right?  But only if you use it.  Unfortunately, I rarely remember to use it.  Now that our son is in college, it would really be nice if I had, 'cause we'd have a little extra money to help with those college expenses.

When I log in, Upromise tells me, "We think you're missing out on the EXTRA college savings you could be getting when you..."  And then they give me suggestions for how I could be earning more money.  There are still 3 years left of college (at least) so there is still time, right?

I just need to remember to check Upromise when I'm shopping online, because lots of stores offer cash back.  For instance, when I ordered the crib for Beth, I could have gotten 10% back if only I'd gone through Upromise when I ordered.  But no, I didn't think of it.

In addition to cash back savings, there are coupon codes to save even more money on online purchases.  You know how much I like saving money and using coupons.  You'd think I could remember to search for pottery barn coupons before I check out.  Oh, and remember those glasses I ordered yesterday?  Could have gotten 5% back.  5%!  But I didn't think to check.  I hate when there's money for the taking, and I don't take it!

It's not really Upromise's fault.  They have their TurboSaver browser add-on that's supposed to remind me when there are college savings available, like if I could earn cash for college or get williams sonoma coupons.  I've just never installed it.  Like I said, there's still time, right?

How about you? Do you Upromise?  How much money have you saved toward college?  How do you remember to use it?

Win a $10,000 College Scholarship from Parent's Choice

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PBM Products for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
 
We all know having a baby can be expensive - diapers, formula, clothes that are rapidly outgrown, car seats, cribs, etc.  And the expenses continue throughout childhood and through paying for that college education.  Smart parents start thinking about paying for college when their babies are still in diapers.  We thought about it, but we didn't really have any extra money to put aside for college, and we just never got to it.  But enough about us...
 
Parent’s Choice Infant formula, Walmart’s private brand formula has been helping parents save money for 13 years, while still providing their babies with the same nutrition as popular national brands.  It is available exclusively at Walmart locations nationwide and online at www.walmart.com.  Parent's Choice Infant Formula is subject to the same exacting standards of the FDA, but costs half the price.  Yes, breast milk is best, but if you have to feed your baby formula, you don't have to buy the most expensive kind.

Now the folks at Parent's Choice,  in partnership with PBM Products, LLC, a Perrigo Company, have launched the Parent’s Choice Infant Formula Savings Sweepstakes.  One lucky winner will receive a $10,000 college scholarship in the form of a College Savings 529 Plan.  Believe me, that will be a big help!
 
The Parent’s Choice Infant Formula Sweepstakes was officially launched June 15th, and will run through 11:59 p.m. on August 1, 2011, so be sure to visit the Parent’s Choice Infant Formula Savings Sweepstakes page for more information, rules, and entry form.  You could win a $10,000 college scholarship for your little one.
 

I Better Go Shopping

Image via Wikipedia

We've got a teenage boy in the house again, and he seems to think there's nothing to eat around here.  He might have complained about the food on campus, but he really appreciated the convenience of always being able to grab something if he wanted it.  Here, I don't have much in the way of convenience foods - and he's already getting tired of his all-time favorite, Ramen.

So, I need to go shopping and pick up some pizzas, frozen burritos, fish sticks, etc.  And I need to be sure I'm fixing some good things for dinner, so he'll get some real food, too - with vegetables.  I need to be sure we have salad and lettuce at all times, because he loves that, and it's healthy.  And plenty of Granny Smith apples.

Thankfully pizzas are on sale this next week, and salad too.  I just need to decide what else to put on the list.  I don't want him eating all convenience foods - he'll get plenty of that when he goes back to school in the Fall - so I need to think of as many easy-to-fix, easy-to-grab foods that are also healthy.  He made it through his first year of college without gaining that dreaded 'Freshman 15' and definitely doesn't need to worry about weight-loss suplements like myoripped, so I don't want it to be worse being home.  I also don't want to hear him complaining that there's nothing to eat.