Each Year SBM Gives Out a $500 Scholarship to a local student.
This year’s $500 scholarship recipient is Alan Osterhaus.
He is a 2015 graduate of Milledgeville High School.
Alan will be attending the University of Wisconsin in Platteville
And majoring in Agriculture, particularly Animal Science with an emphasis on Dairy.
For five years he has been helping and working at a local dairy farm snd has develop a passion for the industry.
The United Way of Whiteside County was the proud recipient of $1,700.50 from SBM’s Private Label Copy Paper sold in Whiteside County last year. SBM generated this donation in direct proportion to the number of cases of paper sold in the Whiteside County area.
Looking for a great Mother’s Day gift? When it comes to Mother’s Day there are three things that must be given, a card, flowers, and something sweet. We call this the Mother’s Day Trifecta. Here are three DIY gifts that are perfect for Mom this Sunday.
1. Print out the photo frame template (click here to download) and print out on cover stock or regular paper and give it to your child to color.
2. Cut out the frame and window in the center.
3. Place a photo behind the frame and tape it into place on the backside.
Peanut butter packs these breakfast flapjacks with protein and just the right amount of nutty flavor. Freeze any extras between layers of waxed paper, then simply heat them in the microwave for 35 seconds, flipping halfway through, for a busy-morning breakfast.
1 cup flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
Banana slices (optional)
Honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
Maple syrup
1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sugar, and oil until smooth. Beat in the egg, then the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until blended.
3. Next, lightly coat a griddle or skillet with oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Drop the batter onto the griddle by 1/4-cup measures. Cook until tiny bubbles appear on the surfaces of the cakes, then flip them and cook a few minutes more. Serve topped with banana slices and chopped peanuts, and drizzled with maple syrup. Makes twelve 4-inch pancakes.
Create a wither free homemade bouquet. Perfect for toddlers!
Colorful cupcake liners (or draw flower shapes inside white liners with washable markers)
Colorful pipe cleaners (number depends on bouquet)
Scissors
Pen
Optional: Mason jar or Vase
1. With pen, poke a small hole in the center of cupcake liners.
2. Pull pipe cleaner about a half inch through liner and gently fold pipe cleaner down to secure.
3. Repeat steps 4 or 5 times, depending on desired bouquet.
4. With scissors, cut bottom of pipe cleaners to different lengths to reinforce bouquet look.
5. Holding “flowers” together, tie another pipe cleaner around to finish the bouquet.
Optional: Place in Mason Jar or Vase
Thanksgiving Travel Dos and Don’ts
If you’re one of the 40 million or so Americans who travel at Thanksgiving, you know what a hassle it can be. But with a plan in hand you can ease some of the stress and strain by following these dos and don’ts.
Do Plan Your Flight Early.
In late summer or early fall, sign up for airline price notifications. Be sure to include flights for surrounding airports, because even if it means a longer drive from your home or to your final destination, the savings could be well worth it. Keep in mind that early bird discounts are often first posted on Twitter or Facebook, so if you’re not a social media fan, now might be a good time to start.
Don’t Travel on the Busiest Days.
The day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are the busiest travel days of the year. Avoid the chaos by flying out on Tuesday, or get a really good deal by leaving home on Thanksgiving morning. You can save 15-20 percent on airfare and still make it in time for dinner. If your schedule allows, return home on Friday when everyone else heads to the mall for Black Friday deals, or Monday when the airport crowds have tapered off.
Don’t Over Pack.
Since most airlines charge for checked bags, pack light and carry it on. Keep in mind that everyone else will have the same idea so take a bag that’s small enough to shove under the seat if the overhead bins are full. Consider shipping bulky items or early holiday presents ahead of time vs. lugging them onto the plane.
Do Put Your Smart Phone to Use.
Everything you need is right at your fingertips! Keep track of your flight status, parking, weather alerts, airport volume, gate changes, restaurants, and last-minute shopping deals by loading up with all the relevant apps. Many airlines are using Twitter to keep passengers up-to-date about last minute changes, another good reason to be a follower.
Do Consider a Plan B – Driving.
Driving to your destination can save you time, allow you to pack more, and eliminate airport headaches. It does, however, come with its own challenges. Highways, especially around major metropolitan areas, can become very congested, and the weather can turn dicey that time of year. Follow some of the same advice above: plan ahead, leave early and use technology like your smart phone or GPS system to stay informed.
Don’t Forget to Secure Your Home Before Leaving.
Do not post your travel plans on social media sites. Stop mail, newspapers, and deliveries and use timers to operate lights at various times throughout the house and day. You can ease your worries further by keeping an eye on your home using a web-based home security system that allows you to check your home via phone or laptop.
Happy safe travels and a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Look Like a Pirate With This Free Photo App. http://mashable.com/2013/09/19/pirate-photo-app/
Samsung Unveils Galaxy Note 3 Smartphone.
Samsung unveiled the third generation of its big-screen Note smartphone line, the Galaxy Note 3, at events in New York City’s Times Square and Berlin on Wednesday.
Why do gas stations differ so much on gas prices? I am not sure why either but there is an awesome app available that will give you the run down and all the gas prices in your area.
GasBuddy.com is a mobile app available in the Android Market and in the Apple App Store. The app is a simple but extremely effective. Here’s our review, enjoy!
GasBuddy is an excellent companion app that is very easy to use. Once installed you can sign up for a free account that allows you to even report gas prices and earn points for free gas. We haven’t tried this as of yet, if we do I’ll update you here.
There are two ways to find gas prices, either by city, state, or zip code or by GPS. GPS is our preference as the app will update pricing where you are. This is perfect for traveling especially on business trips. To use the GPS make sure you allow for location services. Once set up you can click on the gas pump image that says, “Find gas near me.”
The results will be shown in a list format by types of gas; regular, midgrade, premium, and diesel. On this screen you will get the price, location, name of the gas station and the gas station’s logo. You will also see when the price was last updated. If you find a price that has changed you can update the price by clicking on “update” and submit. This ensures prices are constantly being updated.
Navigation and Map features:
At the top of the screen you can choose “list” or “map”. The map screen will show a map with all the gas stations with prices near you. You can tap the navigation icon and you can begin getting directions to your selected station. This is an extremely useful tool when you are in an unfamiliar area.
Overall this is an excellent app that has minimal ads and is often updated. It worked extremely well for me in the Chicago area where gas prices vary widely.
If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. – Thomas Edison
Valentine’s Day is officially less than a week away now. If you’re like most men, myself included, you probably haven’t picked out a Valentine’s Card yet. If you have then bravo to you, you are the minority.
A recent online poll from PR NewsWire says 70% of men are waiting to the last-minute to make Valentine’s Day plans. I don’t understand why we do this, and yet I am still one of the culprits. We know this is the most important day of the year for many wives, girlfriends and significant others. Part of it may be human nature, waiting to the last-minute. Part of it may be that to many it is very daunting to get the right gift or card for Valentine’s Day.
Depending on what stage of your relationship you are in, whether you’re married or not, or how serious of a relationship you’re in impacts the gift you will buy or plan. How much do you spend? Do you go big or small? Subtle or over the top? There are so many decisions to make, it can be very frustrating. They say you can’t go wrong with chocolates and flowers but I find that hard to believe. Surely, it cannot be that easy. Can it?
Here’s one thing that will never change. YOU HAVE TO GET A CARD! There’s no way around it. You could have planned a luxurious stay and the best hotel and spa in the world, had chocolates and flowers delivered by a knight on a white horse, bought the largest diamond that has ever been made. No matter what you do, none of that means anything without a card. A card means everything to a woman. A gift without the card just doesn’t make sense.
One of my favorite comedians Kevin James, you may remember him from The King of Queens, does a bit in his stand-up routine showing just how serious women take their greeting cards. Check it out below.
If you’re having a hard time finding the right card, cute and adorable is always a safe move. Here are some simple but one-of-a-kind greeting cards available at SBM.
As we draw nearer to the Super Bowl, I find it fitting to list my Top 10 Best Super Bowl Commercials Ever. As a football fan I generally enjoy every Super Bowl, but I watch football almost every Sunday so it’s basically just another game to me, unless my beloved Bears were heading to New Orleans, but that’s another story. Instead, I, like many of you look forward to the game changing advertisements that will make their way into our homes this Sunday. Surely, there will be a few that leave their mark and we’ll be laughing at them throughout 2013.
The Denny’s Mafia Crew – Some wiseguys are discussing how to whack a guy when they are rudely interrupted.
Love hurts – A wife keeps crushing her husband’s spirit in this Pepsi Max commercial from 2011.
One of my personal favorites – 2010 Doritos Commercial, Just Enjoy!
The birth of the E*Trade baby, the baby explains that he can use E*Trade, you can use it too.
Have you ever sent an email or text to the wrong person, or ALL the wrong people?
Senior citizens fighting over a bag of chips, how can you not watch?
Betty White getting tackled in this Snickers commercial. 90 years old and still entertaining us.
At a party, a brown-shelled M&M is mistaken for being naked. As a result, the red M&M tears off its skin and dances to “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO.
Another Doritos commercial from 2009. The crystal ball says Free Doritos!
I can’t leave out the “Mean” Joe Greene Coke commercial from 1979. One of the first blockbuster Super Bowl Ads.
I Want My SBM 