Dunkin’ Donuts® Retail Coffee Tax Day Survival Tips

1. Set aside some quality tax time. Brew a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts® coffee at home, find the materials you need to prepare your taxes, and retire to a quiet spot to get started. You can complete your return manually on paper, with Free File, or commercial software. If you use a tax professional, make sure to gather all your materials before sitting down with him or her.
2. Consider an extension. If, for any reason, you can’t file your income tax return on time, simply request a filing extension by April 15th. This gives you six more months to complete your return and avoid late filing penalties. Use Form 4868, which you can get at IRS.gov. But you still must pay now what tax you’ll owe to avoid late payment penalties.
3. Check out new tax breaks for certain 2009 purchases. If you bought a home, you may qualify for a tax credit. If you bought a new car, you may be able to deduct the sales tax. Find details about these new breaks at IRS.gov.
4. File electronically. To get your tax refund as quickly as possible, file your income tax return electronically and request that the refund be deposited directly in your account. You can have the deposit split among two or three accounts, including bank accounts, IRAs, health savings accounts, Coverdell education savings accounts, and a TreasuryDirect® account for I bond purchases.
5. Adjust your tax withholding or estimated taxes. Is it bad to be owed a tax refund? It’s nice to have the extra cash now, but getting a refund means you’ve really made an interest-free loan to Uncle Sam. A better strategy is to adjust your tax withholding or estimated taxes for this year so you pay an amount that is closer to the amount of tax owed; this gives you the use of your own money throughout the year.
6. Contribute to your retirement fund. The tax year is over but it’s not too late to put money in a regular or Roth IRA for 2009. Assuming you’re eligible, a contribution to a traditional IRA made by April 15^th is deductible on your 2009 return. If you opt for a Roth IRA contribution, you can’t deduct it but will build up tax-free income for retirement.
7. Reap eco-credits. If you added insulation, energy-efficient windows, or solar panels to your home, you not only reduced energy costs but also may now qualify for a tax credit. The credit limit for installing solar panels and other alternative energy additions is 30% of cost; for other improvements, there’s a $1,500 cap. The tax credit reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar.
8. The standard deduction isn’t standard anymore. If you don’t itemize, you may be able to bulk up your standard deduction by adding amounts for being a senior, paying property taxes on your home or sales tax on a car purchase, or for suffering a loss in a federal disaster. But you’ll have to complete a new form, Schedule L, to total up your standard deduction.
Order a free sample of the new flavor, Dunkin’ Turbo: https://dunkinathome.safeprocessing.com/(S(qwglte55ct1kxe455nv0xs55))/Offers/DunkinAtHome/148/Offer.aspx
Barbara Weltman is an attorney, prolific author with such titles as J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes, J.K. Lasser’s 1001 Deductions and Tax Breaks, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business, and trusted professional advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs. She is also the publisher of Idea of the Day® and monthly e-newsletter Big Ideas for Small Business® at www.barbaraweltman.com and host of Build Your Business radio. Follow her on Twitter at BarbaraWeltman.
© The J.M. Smucker Company.
© 2010. DD IP Holder LLC (as to Dunkin’ Donuts and all other trademarks, logos and trade dress of DD IP Holder LLC) used under license.
This post is provided by Stephanie Robinson at The Product Review Place and the above companies. I was not provided any compensation for posting this information. I will not be held liable for any information above that was provided for this post.

Wordless Wednesday Visiting College

Visiting my girl at her college a couple weeks ago was so precious and the boys and I LOVED her friends!!

Please join other WW activities at 5 Minutes for Mom and Look What Mom Found...and Dad Too and J. Leigh Designz

This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano

This Little Prayer of Mine

by Anthonly DeStefano

ISBN: 978-0-307-45804-9

About the Book

Author Anthony DeStefano’s adult books, The Prayers God Always Says Yes To and A Travel Guide to Heaven, have sold a quarter-million copies. Illustrator Mark Elliott’s cherished artwork has appeared in popular picture books and novels for young readers, including Gail Carson Levine’s ever-popular Princess Tales series. Now, these acclaimed inspirational experts have come together to create This Little Prayer of Mine, a beautiful and alluring book designed to guide children into a very simple, real and expressive relationship with God.

Through engaging rhymes and alluring illustrations, This Little Prayer of Mine shows children—and their parents and grandparents—that complete dependence on God is what brings peace and fulfillment. It invites children to know and believe that God is always just a simple prayer away and that He longs to respond to them with a resounding, “Yes!”

This Little Prayer of Mine appeals to readers from all different faiths. Easy-reader format allows children to read alone, or with someone older, and encourages them to openly express their fears, thanks, and needs directly to God.

My Review

This is such a wonderful book. The pictures are beautiful and the poetry is sweet. It's an easy read book for families and children. The perfect book for bedtime. The size of the book is large for those little kids hands, too. Honestly, this will be a wonderful book for a child's bookshelf.

You can find This Little Prayer of Mine at WaterBrook Multnomah.

About the Author & Illustrator

Anthony DeStefano is the author of The Prayers God Always Says Yes To and A Travel Guide to Heaven. He has received prestigious awards from religious organizations worldwide for his efforts to advance Christian beliefs in modern culture.

Mark Elliott’s brilliant illustrations have appeared in popular picture books and novels for young readers, including Gail Carson Levine’s Princess Tales series. His acclaimed artwork delivers inspiration, wonder, and timeless beauty on every page.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Olay Total Effects Body Wash & Wal Mart Gift Card Giveaway

From Olay & MyBlogSpark:

Let´s face it; we all want our skin to look as youthful as possible at any age. With so many moisturizing and anti-aging products available, knowing which one will really keep your skin looking and feeling its best may be overwhelming.

Luckily, the solution is easy with Olay Total Effects. New Olay Total Effects Body Wash - Deep Penetrating Moisture, one of the newest additions to the line, can help your skin look visibly younger with an appearance that´s more resilient to aging.

Olay´s most advanced body wash, Total Effects goes beyond cleansing to deeply moisturize and fight 7 signs of aging all over your body by helping to improve elasticity, relieve dryness, deeply moisturize, brighten dull skin, even skin tone, smooth rough skin, and minimize the appearance of dry lines.

With jojoba butter and VitaNiacin, Olay Total Effects Body Wash - Deep Penetrating Moisture can help you get soft, smooth skin in one shower, improved elasticity in one week, and young-looking, radiant skin in one month. Proven effective in fighting multiple signs of aging, the exclusive VitaNiacin formula helps rejuvenate and beautify your skin while improving the condition of the skin´s moisture barrier. Also available is the Olay Total Effects Body Wash - Exfoliating and Replenish, which has micro-derm beads and VitaNiacin to help keep you looking and feeling young.

My Review

First of all, the bottle design is very appealing. I love the look of it and that it fits so well in my hands.

The fragrance is very appealing, too. It’s a light scent that stays on my skin long after I’ve gotten out of the shower, which I like. I like smelling clean!

The texture is smooth and thick! I really liked how it lathered up on my puff. The nice part, you don’t have to use a lot for it to go a long way! Honestly, I wish I’d have had this product in January/March because my skin was so dry in the Minnesota winter. This is the first year my legs have been itchy. I could tell an immediate difference after my first shower. My skin was moisturized and no more itching!

Win A $10 Gift Card To Wal Mart

Required: Tell me one way you keep your skin moisturized in the winter.

Giveaway open to all US residents 18 yrs and older. You must leave contact information in case you win either your email or have it available in your profile. No email/contact = No entry. Giveaway ends April 26th, 10pm CDT.

Extra Entries:

♦Follow my new review site Marvelous Mom Reviews (2 extra entries, comment 2x)

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I'd like to thank Kelly for the product, prize pack, information, and giveaway that have all been provided for by Olay through MyBlogSpark.

Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon by Miralee Ferrell

Love Finds You In Bridal Veil, Oregon

by Miralee Ferrell

Publisher: Summerside Press

ISBN-13: 9781935416630

Book Summary:

Turn-of-the-century schoolteacher Margaret Garvey risks everything by taking in two young runaways---only to learn that they may be involved in murder and sabotage at the local sawmill. The arrival of two men who love her complicates things even further. Can Margaret clear her head and heart to make the most important decisions of her life?

My Review:

Have I mentioned lately that I love historical fiction? I'm from the Northwest and could just picture myself being in Bridal Veil, Oregon. Margaret Garvey has a tragedy early on in this story and it forces her to rely on the towns people of Bridal Veil. She isn't married, and the one man who she wanted to marry left town when she was 16. She doesn't know what her future holds, but it doesn't take her long to find out it could be a hard road.

Life isn't dull for Margaret, as one would think it would be in a logging town. She takes in two runaways and her job comes into jeopardy. On top of that, the guy she loved at 16 returns to town and see if they can pick up where they left off. At the same time, the town nice guy has started showing his interest in her, but is his interest for the wrong reasons?

Can you tell there's some tension in this story? At first, I have to admit, I thought, "Oh, this is going to be so predictable. What am I going to do?" LOL I was so very wrong. There are twists and turns in the story that no one will expect (except for you since you're reading my review).

Love Finds You In Bridal Veil, Oregon has been a great addition to the Love Finds You series by Summerside.

About the Author:

Miralee Ferrell: First and foremost I'm a child of God and daughter of the King. I've been involved in women's ministries for years, and serve on staff at our small church. I've been married for 37 years, have two grown children, two cats, two dogs and an Arabian mare. We live about 9 miles from the nearest town in our new home on 11 acres, surrounded by trees. I have three books out now & a 4th releasing in April, 2010, with one under contract to release in Feb., 2011. I write both womens contemporary fiction and historical romance.
http://www.miraleeferrell.com/

I'd like to thank Miralee for my autographed copy to review. I'd give it away so that someone else could enjoy it as much as me, but she wrote my name in it. *grin*