Thank you, Veterans & A Giveaway

On this very unique Veterans Day, 11.11.11, I want to send out a very big THANK YOU to all our veterans for your service, your sacrifice, and your courage.

I have a few things to share with you all today.  There's a guest post, a book review, and a giveaway.  So hunker down and start reading.

Oh...and the giveaway is super easy to win.  And there are 5 winners.  No bajillion different ways to enter, I promise.


***A Guest Post***

For those of you looking to celebrate Veteran's Day this weekend, Kevin Pearia the Content Director for VA Mortgage Center.com, has a few tips on how to keep things budget friendly.
 

Enjoying Veteran's Day on an Everyday Budget

Veteran's Day is just days away, and for us military families, it is a great time to come together to enjoy each other’s company while also honoring the service of our loved ones. However, piecing together a celebration isn't always easy or inexpensive. Most military families are on a fixed income so every penny matters. But being on a budget doesn't mean you have to forgo this important holiday; it simply means that you have to be creative with how you spend. A few great ways to throw a budget-friendly Veterans Day celebration include:

Barbeque

While November isn't always the warmest of months, if you are lucky enough to get an Indian summer day, be sure to enjoy the nice weather by barbequing. Barbequing is one of the great American pastimes, and it is rather inexpensive when considering how much you will actually spend per person. So don't be afraid to light up the grill, and throw a couple of hamburgers and hotdogs on there.

Let Others Help
If you are hosting a lunch or dinner oriented Veterans Day party, don't be afraid to ask others to help. Delegate certain parties items, such as drink, side dishes, and desserts, to other attending guests and leave yourself in charge of the main dish. Not only will it save you money, but it will also help bring a stronger feeling of togetherness as others will feel like they help you piece together a great celebration.

Make Your Own Decorations
Got kids? Put them to work! Kids love creating and a great way to decorate your home for Veterans Day is by letting them piece together red, white, and blue decorations for the party. While they are at it, you can even let them create Thank You cards to send to your love one and other service members overseas.

Many cities and towns also host Veterans Day celebrations that you can be a part of. Whether it is a town parade or citywide festival, check your city's website to see if any celebratory activities will be offered in your area. These celebrations will allow you to celebrate all day with members of your community, and will help you gain any additional support you need. We are all proud to be military families, and what better way to honor our loved ones who have served and are currently serving than by celebrating them during Veterans Day.

Kevin Pearia is the Content Director for VA Mortgage Center.com, providing military families with personal finance advice on topics from household savings to VA home loans.


***A Book Review***

Several months ago, pretty much right before I took my extended break, I was sent a copy of a fabulous cookbook that I think you all need to check out.  Not only are there some quick and tasty recipes in the book, but the sales of the cookbook benefit some amazing military related charities.

The cookbook is called Dinner With Warriors. Each recipe is the favorite of a serviceman or woman who has either died or was severely injured during the recent war. They or their family sent in a few pictures of them, their bio or story and their favorite recipe.  The idea behind this cookbook was to find a way to introduce America to a few of her heroes.

Brig Arnold, the creator of Dinner with Warriors writes, "I was frustrated with hearing the news just mention that soldiers have died often not even mentioning their names.  One of my close friends was severely injured and the lack of coverage was sad to me.  Of course I also wanted to raise some money for some of the great charities out there that help these men and women and their families."

So far this year, Dinner with Warriors has raised over $20,000 this year and donated it to:

• The Wounded Warrior Project
• Homes For Our Troops
• Children of Fallen Patriots fund
• TAPS(Tragedy Assistance Programs for Survivors)
• Soldiers Angels

Brig is hoping to raise another $10,000 before the end of the year. 

With the holiday season coming up Dinner with Warriors would be a great gift to share with your friends and family.  Not only do they get a delicious dinner out of it, but their gift is also going to help the thousands of military members and families in our country.

To purchase visit their website, www.DinnerWithWarriors.com.  You can also visit them on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dinner-With-Warriors-Cookbook/125569464146690.

***A Giveaway***

Which brings us to our yummy giveaway!  (Everythings about food today, huh?)

We have 6 Papa John's Pizza gift cards worth $15 each!  Yummy yummy pizza in your tummy!

This year Papa John's is teaming up with the USO.  Papa John's will donate $1 to the USO for every online order they receive today between 11 AM PT and 11 PM PT.  They will also donate $1 to the USO for every online order of its USO  Meal Deal at www.papajohns.com. The USO Meal Deal consists of two large one-topping pizzas for $20.

“Supporting the men and women who serve and protect our country – and their families – is a great way to say thanks, which is what November is all about,” said John Schnatter, Papa John’s International, Inc. Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who was born on Thanksgiving Day. “Partnering with the USO will allow our Papa John’s family and customers to give back and join the USO mission to lift the spirits of the U.S. military and their families.”

So how do you get in on this?  Remember that facebook page for Dinner with Warriors I told you to visit?  Here's a reminder:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dinner-With-Warriors-Cookbook/125569464146690

Well, visit them, Like them, and let me know about it.  You can also Twitter about Dinner with Warriors as well.  The first six folks to facebook and/or Twitter and leave a comment here to let me know about it....WIN!

Pretty easy, huh? 

Since I haven't been around for a while and don't expect an onslaught of entries, I'll give until Sunday for 6 folks to show up and enter.

Have a good one, folks!