It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil – enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year – to make plastic bottles and an estimated 38 billion water bottles end up in landfills each year, taking an average of 700 years before they begin decomposing, according to Earth Policy Institute. If your plastic bottle has a number 1, 3 or 7 inside the recycling symbol then try to avoid them as much as possible. These bottles contain Bisphenol A (BPA), a… Read more

Student-parents at CSUN, Summer will be here soon, and the kids will be out of school.  On a tight budget, it’s hard to keep them occupied.  Since I’ve decided to go back to school, I’ve had to cut down on summer camp and daycare expenses.  So my kids and have developed our own sort of personal summer camp. Since I get out of school before them, I’m able to fill a calendar with activities and events for the summer.  The… Read more

Student-parents at CSUN, When I made the decision to go back to college as a parent, I knew there would be a lot I would have to sacrifice. So I was never hesitant to try to find ways to save money or to find a good bargain. Kid’s clothes can be expensive, and they also grow out of them quickly. It’s because of this reason I’m often left with clothes that are never worn. This is why I’ve never been… Read more

If you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch, you’ve no doubt downloaded the “lite” or free versions of several different games available in Apple’s app store. But what about spending a few bucks for a couple full-version apps? Here are five that are guaranteed to give you your money’s worth: 1. Plants vs. Zombies ($2.99): players must set up a series of plants to protect their house from the undead as the walk, run, and pole-vault across the lawn…. Read more

Hitting the dating scene as a single parent is challenging. We have to be selective when choosing that significant other not only for ourselves but for our children as well. There are so many elements we fear as a single parent, when it comes to dating. The initial fear, is like the gut feeling one gets before they go skydiving or bungee jumping.  It’s like that scary moment of taking the first plunge. The fear of picking the wrong one…. Read more

A soft breeze blows across your skin as you head to the mailbox. It’s a new month and you feel great until you open the mailbox. A couple magazines, a letter from mom and credit card bills. Bank statements. Utility balances. If you dread this monthly ritual—and the balance in your checking account— take a look at Mint, a money free money management tool owned by the Intuit, the company that makes Quicken.

When I first started going to CSUN more than two years ago, students had to meet in person at least once to their complete group projects. At the time, I was commuting from, 57 miles, from Lancaster to campus. Fortunately, there are ways around having to meet in person. Students who need to work group projects can do so remotely from their desktops at home or on their laptops at Starbucks. Just use one of these applications: 1. Google Apps:… Read more

There should be more referees during a tennis game. Two or three umpires from the USTA are supervising six matches going at the same time. This results in players calling the shots. Nina Jaworowski was calling balls in when they were out. Players need umpires to supervise the game.