Why Buy When You Can Rent for Less?

I am so interested by this site, CampusBookRentals.com. Knowing exactly how high the cost of college books are and how little resale value they have, the idea of renting a textbook greatly appeals to me. You pay less than half the price of the book to rent it, without any hidden fees for memberships or what-not, and then, once you are done, you return it. End of story. If you want to buy it instead of returning it, you just pay the remaining amount of the original cost past what you paid to rent it for. Kinda like RedBox for College books, eh?

Anyone with college students this semester or next should look into this option for books. Try out a few books and let me know how it works out for you. I am REALLY interested in this. If my own kids' college experiences still utilize paper books (ha. We'll probably have computer chips in our brains by then), then I fully intend on utilizing this service!

Also, I can't help but be intrigued by a company that helps support a charitable organization like Operation Smile. If you've never heard of Operation Smile, it's an organization that offers medical help for people who suffer from cleft lip/palate and other facial deformities. They do amazing work and make a huge difference in many lives.



Disclaimer: I will receive a discount code for half off the cost of a semester of college book rentals for my cousin in exchange for this post. However, all opinions are my own.

Getting Ready for Halloween?

I am usually the last person in the family to get decked out for Halloween. Not that I don't dress up, because I do. I've been everything from the Cat in the Hat to a pumpkin in recent years. It's just that everyone else's costumes tend to come before my own. They all get store-bought or carefully crafted homemade costumes while I have to do a last-minute rummage through the donation box for a flannel shirt that I can tape some raffia to in an attempt to look like a "festive" scarecrow. Yet another perk of Motherhood...

So it's refreshing when I can find sites like PartyMart.com that have plenty of Women's Costumes for me to browse through. Their site has the spooky and creepy in addition to the hysterical and slightly off the wall. (I like the Sperm. How perfect for the guy who is just a little brain dead...) It's especially nice to see that, though many costumes DO, not all of their costumes have the word "sexy" in the title. I just don't think I can pull off "sexy" at Halloween.

Then again, this Olympic Goddess costume is quite appealing but still appropriate to wear around the family as we trick-or-treat. At $32, it's affordable and I already have the hair to complete the look... Hmmmm...Either that, or I go for the Sally costume from Nightmare Before Christmas. Wouldn't that be awesome? I love any opportunity to paint stitches on my face... Of course, THAT costume looks like it'd be fun to MAKE. Not that I have time to sew, or anything...

What do you think, dear readers? Go for a little sass this Halloween? Spooky or Sultry? Store bought or Home Made? Or put on the good old Cat in the Hat coat, tail and top hat and slouch along behind the kidlets in their kicking costumes?

Do you dress up for October 31? Do you deck the house in cobwebs and screeching ghouls? Do you watch from the windows or carry your own goody bag? Are you normal or are you a fellow freak, like me???



Though I was compensated for this review, all opinions and thoughts are strictly my own.