I am moving my parents into a new house. For the past two years, they have been complaining that their house is too big. I can see their point. At one time, they lived in that house with five other kids. Now everyone is grown and the house seems a lot bigger. None of us wanted them to move, but the time has finally come. I naively thought the move was going to be easy. It has been a royal pain. My parents are picky about everything. My mom wants me to make sure all the boxes are labeled correctly. My dad wants me to make sure the Direct TV is hooked up before we even start the process. Then we have to stop for snacks or a drink or just to take a break. At this pace, they are never going to have everything packed. I am tempted to move everything in the middle of the night. Then I will have it all done while they sleep and will not have to listen to the complaints.

Thanks to the availability of different roasts and blends now you can make your own coffee at home at a fraction of the cost. Companies like BeyondTheGrind have identified the home brewer as a potential growing market and have partnered with premium roasters to offer high beans for at home brewing. Known as one of the top Orange County Coffee Supplier for businesses they have started their coffee of the month club so that you can have various coffee beans that you chose to be delivered to your home. You can follow them on Facebook to see what is going on and find oubout any new specials they are running. I was recently sent a sample of their DG Origin coffee Summit blend beans and I really enjoyed the full flavor with just enough kick. So if you are looking to try some great coffee and maybe simplify your morning cup of coffee try out their various blends and check out their coffee of the month club. It would also make a great gift for this upcoming Valentine’s Day.

Kansas state law would need to be changed in order to allow graduates to practice. Currently, only licensed dentists can perform certain procedures, but a new bill in the state Senate aims to change that.  The proposed legislation would allow registered dental practitioners to work under the supervision of a licensed dentist, and would perform basic dental work, like examinations, fillings and cleanings.

The proposed four-year degree would have strong career appeal for graduates of dental assistant schools and dental hygienists who are already working in the field and are looking for a career advancement path. At the same time, new practitioners would help alleviate the dentist shortages that have arisen in the majority of counties in Kansas.

Everyone isn’t welcoming the proposed new degree with open arms, though. The majority of dentists in Kansas oppose the legislation, saying they believe it would jeopardize the quality of care patients receive. The Kansas Dental Association, which represents about 75% of the state’s 1,500 dentists, is also fighting to defeat the bill.

Laws governing what non-dentist practitioners can do vary by state, and a few states allow dental assistants to perform any task delegated by a licensed dentist. The proposed Kansas model is already in place in Alaska. Kansas dentists who oppose the new degree say that it would create a two-tiered dental service model in the state, with dentist services available only to those who can afford premium care.

Others who support the bill argue that the state needs to take action to ensure that quality dental care is available to all state residents, regardless of where they live. By adding registered dental practitioners, known as dental therapists in some states, supporters argue that the state’s dentists can safely expand their practices and oversee the dental care of more patients.

One thing everyone can agree on is that there aren’t enough dental professionals in the field today, and that is primarily responsible for the move to introduce mid-level dental practitioners to the market.  Supporters argue that registered dental practitioners can help alleviate critical shortages of dental care providers, saying that thirteen counties in Kansas have no practicing dentists at all.  By placing registered dental practitioners in severely underserved areas, the state can help deliver routine dental care to the most rural parts of the state.

That isn’t swaying most dentists, who say that they’re being squeezed from all sides. According to a new survey released by Baird, dentists throughout the country are reporting a decline in the number of patient visits, and a decline in the number of services patients are requesting.  According to the survey, 67% of dentists reported that their revenues this year are flat or declining when compared to last year’s numbers, and 74% of dentists said that their patient volumes have declined, compared to last year.

Dentists in Kansas argue that adding a lower-cost, mid-range provider to the mix will only ensure that fewer dental practices will remain financially viable. Supporters counter this argument by saying that only about 25% of dentists in Kansas accept Medicaid, leaving a large portion of the state’s low-income population without affordable dental services.

A recent survey by the WK Kellogg Foundation shows that more than 40% of US households have at least one member who has put off dental care for cost reasons.  The Foundation is working with providers in Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Vermont, and Washington State to promote the use of dental therapists as a response to a growing healthcare provider shortage.

Recently, one of my favorite shows was canceled. I try to keep my television watching to a minimum, so I have been very careful to find the perfect replacement show. I was able to get a list of the top ten shows from expertsatellite.com and have been weighing my different options. I am looking for a comedy. Work is stressful enough and I don’t want to add a stressful or high drama show to add to my stress. “The Office” is always a popular show and everyone I talk to seems to love it. I watched my first episode last week and it was a little strange. I do not understand why everyone thinks it is so funny. The comedy was a little strange and I guess I didn’t understand the character well enough to get some of the jokes. I also want to try “New Girl”. My sister claims it is her favorite show and she normally has good taste. I am hopeful it will make me laugh because most days I just need a good laugh.

Thanks to Wm Rowe

I am in my seventh year of teaching, and I absolutely love my job. I started teaching right out of college, and the first year was pretty rough. Year two was much, much better. Today, I could not be happier. I once heard someone say that you are in the minority if you enjoy your job 75% of the time. I enjoy my job at least that often. I have been teaching long enough where I teach mostly honors level students, and it is tremendously rewarding to see these young people develop before my eyes. Every year I grow so attached to the students in my classes that I hate to see them leave. One thing I started this year was a teacher website. I am not very technologically inclined, but I got some help from a colleague and created a website for all of my classes. I live in a rural area, so when I first hooked up my internet I had to compare satellite internet to dial up to determine which would be best for my purposes. I went with satellite internet and have been fairly pleased. Believe it or not, I did not have any internet at my house for the first three years of my teaching career. Now I have my own web page. I post homework assignments and other useful information for my students. I will keep teaching as long as I can.

What a lot of people don’t know is that there cell phone plan options that are available that do not have to cost you an arm and a leg. The message is that in order to have the latest and greatest smart phone you have to go with one of the three main carriers and commit to two years on a high end cell plan. You are required to purchase a separate data plan that brings the total over $80 per month. Even if you are using your phone to just call a friend the plans can be quite expensive. And in todays world of texting you need to get the unlimited texting plan or the overages can drive your bill up into the hundreds.

Thanks to companies like Straight Talk you can cut your cell phone bill in half and still have the latest and greatest phones. With their unlimited calling, texting , and data plans only costing $45 a month a lot more people can afford to talk and text all you want. They offer everything you need in order to talk and text with your friends with no activation or termination fees. As Mom always said be careful of who you trust with your money. And since mom knows best you need to check out Straight Talk and start saving money today. I have included a video of a real Straight Talk customer talking about how they have saved money and why they love Straight Talk.

If I planned a trip to Italy, I would want to be aware of the weather forecasts and just what the conditions were like for the season I would be traveling in. So I could be sure to wear the proper clothes that would keep me warm or cool depending on the weather conditions. I don’t think it could get too cold or too hot for me to pass up an opportunity to travel to Italia. Whether you are looking to go over on business travel or pure vacation I would highly recommend doing your research to understand the best places to stay and eat. This will help you save time and money and allow you to enjoy the culture and the people.
I wouldn’t be leaving Italy with an empty stomach that’s for sure. So many great foods are in Italy. I think it’s pretty much pasta all the time there, and only the toppings on the pasta changes. Besides eating all the great foods, I think the art and culture would be fabulous to take in. All the museums that hold the sculptures, paintings and works of arts that we hear about so much about, are in Italy. The famous works of Leonardo and Michelangelo are just a couple of the famous artists that have art work displayed in Italy. There’s no doubt to get the full experience of Italy, or just to take in a large portion of it, you would need to plan at least a month in one of the best travel destinations for travelers in the world!

I was watching an interesting show where they feature people who spend over 60-80 hours a week entering sweepstakes and this is how they make their living. I am sure that they would love to enter ampm Too Much Good Stuff Giveaway.  Here are the requirements:

Check out their Fan page on Facebook and “Like” ampm

Register for the giveaway by simply filling out your name and email address

Spin the wheel of the virtual slot machine for a chance to win one of several thousand food and drink prizes. You can also win an ipod, ipad, or Macbook Air

You are then automatically entered in the grand prize drawing which is a trip to Las Vegas

They are giving away 15000 Pepsi Max beverages and 10000 corn dogs so be sure to enter today and check back daily for more opportunities to win. In their stores they offer what is called the “Thirst Oasis” which consists of 24 different soda drinks and your choice of crushed or cubed ice. During these hot days of summer this is a great place to stop off and quench your thirst. Enter today because the contest is scheduled to end at the end of August while daily prizes are available through out the contest period. Share with your friends on Facebook once you win and get them to take their chance with ampm daily giveaways.