How to File Your Taxes for FREE! Complete List of FREE File Companies and Forms.

2012 tax info is here! 

The following information comes from the government's irs site and can be found by Clicking HERE.

1.Get Ready

• Gather your tax information.
  You need a copy of last year's tax returnand your W-2s, 1099s, etc.
• Determine your AGI.
  Check your last year's tax return for a quick estimate of your adjusted gross income (AGI). Did you know that approximately 70% of all taxpayers have an AGI of $57,000 or less?
• Review the Free File FAQs.
  Read the Free File FAQs and Free File Fillable Forms FAQs for more information about the program.

2.Choose a Free File Option

• Use Free File Tax Software.
  This program is available if your AGI is $57,000 or less:
  • Get help finding a Free File company that's right for you; or
  • Browse the list of Free File companies to choose your own.

--OR--

• Use Free File Fillable Forms.
  Everyone is eligible to use Free File Fillable Forms, which are online versions of our paper forms designed for people comfortable preparing their own taxreturns. This option does not offer statetax returns and performs only basic calculations.

3.e-file Your Return for Free!

• e-file with Free File.
  Transmit your return electronically by using secure IRS e-file.
• Use direct deposit.
  Get your tax refund quickly and safely, and you can track your tax refund statuswithin 72 hours after you e-file.
• Pay electronically.
  Find out more about available electronic payment options.

Before you begin... Free File companies have their own eligibility criteria, but none offer Free File to taxpayers with an Adjusted Gross Income of more than $57,000. Other eligibility criteria may include your: age, state, eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit, and military status. Check the company's website for details because the companies' offers may differ. For example, some companies charge a fee for state taxreturns and some may not support a particular form you need to file. Remember to begin your Free File return at IRS.gov or you may be charged a fee or asked to buy additional products and services. If, after browsing the list of companies, you need help go to Help Me Find a Free File Company.

eSmartTax By Liberty Tax Service:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $57,000 or less, and
• Age: 52 or younger, and
• Live in any state or U.S. Citizens and resident aliens with foreign addresses

TaxACT Free File Edition:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $51,000 or less, and
• Age: between 18 and 57, and
• Live in any state or U.S. Citizens and resident aliens with foreign addresses

Tax Simple:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $57,000 or less, and
• Age: 60 or younger, and
• Live in any state, except: AK, FL, NH, SD, TN, TX, WA, and WY

1040NOW.NET:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $57,000 or less, and
• Live in any of these states: AL, AZ, AR, CA, GA, ID, IN, IA, KY, MI, MN, MS, MO, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, RI, SC, VT, VA and WV OR
• Age 65 or younger, and
• Live in any of these states: CO, CT, DE, DC, HI, IL, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MT, NE, NJ, NM, OH, PA, UT and WI
• U.S. Citizens and resident aliens with foreign addresses

EfileTaxReturns.com:

• Adjusted Gross Income: between $5,000 and $57,000, and
• Live in any state except: AK, FL, NV, NH, SD, TN, TX, WA and WY

TaxSlayer:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $30,000 or less, and
• Live in any state or U.S. Citizens and resident aliens with foreign addresses
• en Español

OnlineTaxPros.com:

• Adjusted Gross Income: between $4,000 and $57,000, and
• Live in any state, except: AK, DC, FL, NV, NH, SD, TN, TX, WA and WY

FileYourTaxes.com:

• Adjusted Gross Income: between $9,000 and $57,000, and
• Age: between 16 and 69 and
• Live in any state or U.S. Citizens and resident aliens with foreign addresses

TurboTax® Freedom Edition:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $31,000 or less, or
• $57,000 or less, and Active military or
• Eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, and
• Live in any state or U.S. Citizens and resident aliens with foreign addresses

ezTaxReturn.com:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $57,000 or less, and
• Live in any of these states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, GA, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, MS, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, VA, and WI

Online Taxes at OLT.com:

• Adjusted Gross Income: between $12,050 and $57,000, and
• Live in any state or U.S. Citizens and resident aliens with foreign addresses

1040.com Free File Edition:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $57,000 or less, and
• Age: 52 or younger, and
• Live in any state or U.S. Citizens and resident aliens with foreign addresses

H&R Block's Free File:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $57,000 or less, and
• Age: 52 or younger, and
• Live in any state

Free1040TaxReturn.com:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $57,000 or less, and
• Age: 71 or younger, and
• Live in any state, except: FL, NV, NH, SD, TN, TX and WA

FreeTaxUSA® IRS Free File Edition:

• Adjusted Gross Income: $57,000 or less, and
• Age: between 23 and 65, and
• Live in any state

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Clearanced Valentine's Items Make Great Operation Christmas Child Items!!!!! Learn how to get a LOT for very little $Money!

Now that Valentine's day is over, stores will be marking their Valentine's Day items down by 50-90% OFF!!!!
This will give you an opportunity to stock up for next Valentine's saving you money to use elsewhere.
I also like to start my Operation Christmas Child Boxes stockpile. 
The best items to look for are:

• non-chocolate hard candies such as lollipops, jolly ranchers, sweet tarts, etc.  
• Stuffed Animals (smaller ones work better for OCC boxes to allow for other items in the box, but bigger ones can go to Toys for Tots) 
• Baby dolls
• Toys (keep in mind no war related or weapon toys for OCC)
• Bubbles (for your own use. Not allowed for OCC)
• Puzzles
• Games
• Stickers
• Cups
• Valentines for your own use next year
• Play jewelry
• Match Box cars
• Arts and craft items
• Coloring Books
• School supplies
• Toiletry items such as tooth brushes, tooth paste, combs, etc.

Basically anything that won't go bad in a year(if for you) or about 7-8 months (for OCC).

Here's where to look:

• Walgreens
• Right Aid
• CVS
• Target
• Walmart
• Kmart
• Meijer
• Your local grocery store

Keep in mind the longer you wait, the bigger the discount!!! Most start out at 50% off and within a couple days it will be 75% off. Wait just a tad more and it will be 90% off!!!! If their isn't much stock, you should grab it if you want, however if they have a TON, it should be safe to wait a couple days to see if the discount goes up.

Happy Shopping. Let me know if you find some awesome deals!

To learn more about Operation Christmas Child CLICK HERE. 

Image comes from Oriental Trading, a great source of clearance items!

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Proactive Cancer Prevention

Reposting this in honor of another friend that just lost her battle with cancer.

Proactive Cancer Prevention

By David Musnick MD 

General Facts About Cancer

• Approximately 1 in 3-4 people will get some form of cancer in their lifetime.
• Some people have genetic risk factors for cancer.
• You can be proactive with your diet, supplements and lifestyle and reduce your risk for developing cancer.

What is Cancer?

Cancer is unregulated growth of a particular cell type . It usually starts out in one location, usually in a particular organ. If it spreads to other organs or to the bones it is calledmetastatic cancer.

Most Common Types of Cancer

• Cancer of the breast, uterus and cervix in women
• Cancer of the prostate in men
• Cancer of the lung and colon in men and women

What Causes Cancer?

Cancer is usually caused by damage to DNA. DNA is the body’s template of instructions to let the cell know which proteins to make. The genes are contained within the DNA. If critical DNA is damaged certain cells can multiply without the normal restraints that would keep them limited. These cancer cells are different from other cells. They do not recognize or communicate normally biochemically with other cells. They can multiply beyond control.

What is the Role of Genetics in Cancer Development?

There are certain genes that seem to run in families that seem to increase a persons risk for developing certain cancers. It has been estimated that approximately 5-10% of all cancers are the result of a mutation(alteration) in a particular gene. These genes have certain names but can generally be called “susceptibility genes”. It is very important to recognize that having a susceptibility gene does not mean that a person will definitely develop cancer. It means that that person is at higher risk of developing a certain cancer than someone the same age without the gene.
Breast Cancer as an Example
Among Breast Cancer cases (BCs), how many are of predominant genetic origin? Approximately, 5% to 10% of BCs are hereditary and 15% to 20% occur in family clusters. In the latter case, environmental and cultural factors may coexist with genetic factors, inducing higher rates of BC in women of the same family. BC may occur in men, although with a very low incidence rate. The gene that is most well known for increasing the risk of breast cancer is the BRCA1 gene. If breast cancer seems to be running in a family women in that family can be tested for that gene. There is always an interaction of the genes with the conditions in the body and the things that a person is exposed to.
It has been recently been discovered that the risk of breast cancer for women who harbor mutations in the BRCA1 gene is significantly reduced among those who have breast-fed for a cumulative total of more than 12 months. The protective effects of breast-feeding seem to be much greater for BRCA1 mutation carriers than for women in general population. The breast feeding reduction in cancer frisk was recently reported in Reuters Health in an interview with Dr. Steven A. Narod from the Centre for Research in Women’s Health in Toronto told Reuters Health.
Genes are Not the Whole Story
Genes can start acting up in relation to triggering substances or conditions that may cause them to become active. They can be dormant for a long time or never become active if they are not exposed to certain conditions.

Cancer and Aging

Cancer risk increases as people age. There are many reasons for this. The cumulative exposure to chemicals and metals increases with age. A person's immune system which has a role in surveillance of the DNA for defects becomes less effective with age.
If a person develops cancer when they are over the age of 40 they can age very quickly. Part of managing and slowing the aging process is taking steps to decrease your risk of developing cancer. These will be discussed in the latter half of this article.

Environmental and Chemical Exposures

There are many things that might cause cancer and they are usually related to exposure to toxins in the form of certain chemicals, heavy metals, pollutants in the air and water and radiation. Exposure to certain bacteria and viruses can also predispose to cancer. The biochemical milieu of the cells is also very important and may be quite related to hormones and other internal cellular exposures that a persons body is producing. Cancers linked to environmental causes make up at least 80 percent of all cancer cases, according to a second new report by the National Cancer Institute, this one published with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the US. Environmental causes include exposure to agents in the air and water as well as lifestyle factors such as smoking and diet.
“Most epidemiologists and cancer researchers would agree that the relative contribution from the environment toward cancer risk is about 80-90 percent,” said Aaron Blair, Ph.D., the chief of the Occupational Epidemiology Branch in NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. “There is very solid evidence that environmental factors are the major cause of cancer,” he said.

Preventing Cancer

You can be proactive and take a number of actions to prevent cancer.
Action #1: Stop smoking if you are a smoker. Smoking greatly increases a persons risk for lung and other cancers as well as increases the risk for heart disease. If you are a smoker seek the help of your physician to get into a program to stop your unhealthy habit.
Action #2: Exercise aerobically 5-6 days a week according to the Truestar guidelines for exercise. Aerobic exercise done 5-6 days per week for 30 minutes in your training heart rate zone has been shown to decrease risk for certain cancers but especially cancer of the colon.
Action #3: Do the cancer screening behaviors suggested by your doctor. This includes pap smears, mammograms and breast self exams for women and testicular self exams for men. Both men and women should do screening for Colon Cancer. This includes stool exams and fiber optic scopes of the colon. Virtual colonoscopies can be done to screen for cancer and genetic tests that can be run on the bowel movements are becoming more cost effective and more available.
Action #4: Choose organic foods. Organic foods are less likely to have heavy metal and pesticide contamination. They also will likely be tastier and have more mineral content. Do this by the following suggestions:

1. Choose organic fruits and vegetables when possible.
2. Choose free range eggs and chicken when possible.
3. Choose grass fed, free range beef when choosing beef.
4. Avoid nonorganic strawberries as they have the highest content of pesticides of any fruit

Action #5: Eat from a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables every day. The phytochemicals in colorful (green, orange, red, purple, etc.) fruits and vegetables have may beneficial properties.
Action #6: Try and eat daily from the cruciferous family (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprout or cabbage) as these veggies have special biochemical(phytochemicals that help decrease damage to DNA.
Action #7: Limit your intake of plastics. Try to avoid using thin plastic clear bottles as the plastic may leach out into the water. Do not leave plastic food containers in a hot car. Do not microwave with plastic.
Action #8: Limit your use of perfumes and makeup. If you like these than go to a health food store to see which brand is considered the healthiest of makeup. Limit products that have sodium lauryl sulfate. Avoid antiperspirant as there is aluminum in it.
Action #9: Avoid mercury amalgam fillings. Mercury has toxic properties which vary from person to person but in general it should be avoided.
Action #10: Avoid exposures to pesticides, herbicides, on your own property and others properties including golf courses. Buy environmentally safe materials to clean your home and to wash clothes with.
Action #11: Do green remodeling or move into a green built home with special features for indoor air quality. Use low VOC paints , sealants etc. to avoid exposure to toxins in the air that can adversely affect your lungs and immune system.
Action #12: Avoid food additives and colorings whenever possible. Avoid Nitrates and Nitrites in lunch meats.
Preventing cancer is very important for your health, quality of life and longevity. You can be involved on a personal level as indicated in this article and you can also get interested in the quality and regulation of the food air and water supply, fertilizers, and environmental waste disposal in your community and country. Making small changes each week can make the actions more manageable.
References1. Michael Murray et all How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine 2002 Riverhead Books
2. Levin B. Colorectal cancer screening: from fecal DNA to virtual colonoscopy. Program and abstracts of the 95th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; March 27-31, 2004; Orlando, Florida.
3. Levin B, Smith RA, Feldman GE, et al. Promoting early detection tests for colorectal carcinoma and adenomatous polyps: a framework for action: the strategic plan of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. Cancer. 2002;95:1618-1628.
4. Levin B, Brooks D, Smith RA, Stone A. Emerging technologies in screening for colorectal cancer: CT colonography, immunochemical fecal occult blood tests, and stool screening using molecular markers. CA Cancer J Clin. 2003;53:44-55.
5. Vitamin d Analogs in Cancer Prevention and Therapy (Recent Results in Cancer Research, 164)
by J. Reichrath, W. Tilgen Hardcover: 432 pages Publisher: Springer-Verlag; August 1, 2003
6. Reuters Health
July 30, 2004 Reference7. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004;96(14):1094-8

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The History of Valentine's Day. Why do we send Valentine Cards? and What does it have to do with love? and NO it's NOT Valentimes Day!!!

First off, I want to make sure that everyone knows that Valentine's Day is spelt with an N. There is no M, and it is NOT Valentimes Day! Ok just had to get that out. 

Anyway....I was just reading up on the history of Valentine's Day. I honestly wasn't sure what the real story behind the holiday was, and now I know why. Did you know that even historians don't know for sure?

There a couple of theories behind how it all began. Someone performing marriages when it was illegal? Someone writing love letters to a lover while imprisoned? And as with many modern day holidays, it actually began as one holiday that was transformed into a more appropriate, less pagan one. Seriously, who wants to be slapped with goat skin dipped in blood before dating a stranger for a year? Fascinating things to learn about with this holiday! 

You can read the full history HERE. Don't worry, it's a very short read.

Here are a couple facts I found interesting:
"Typical Valentine's Day Greetings

In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings.

Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap." Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines."

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Santa takes time to visit us in the children's hospital and brings more than a teddy bear!

Before you read this post I must let you know that I still believe in Santa. I think it is a wonderful gift for children to have the opportunity to believe in Santa. Please keep the magic alive as you read and post. 

As many of you know, my daughter has been very ill and had to be admitted to the children's hospital. Yesterday in the hospital something amazing happened that actually made me cry.(happy tears) Santa came to visit one by one with the children to cheer them up. He went to each room and spoke to the children and had a wagon full of teddy bears. When they came to my daughter's room Santa couldn't come in because she was in isolation. He asked if it was still ok to stand outside the door and wave and talk to my baby girl. She had been crying and miserable for a couple days, but as soon as she saw Santa, she sat up, waved and began to giggle and smile. She's not big on strangers and everyone in the hospital made her cry with fear of more needles, but Santa had her laughing!  He handed a nurse a teddy bear to be brought in to my little girl and she grabbed it and snuggled it and waved back to Santa with a big grin. Even the nurses said they couldn't believe how happy my daughter was at seeing Santa. As she snuggled with her new teddy bear she drank some bottle. She needed to do that and show improvement to get discharged. A few hours later they allowed me to bring her home! 
I was just so touched that this Santa took the time, not only to visit the hospital, but that he took time with EVERY child that was there. He showed true love for the children and families spending this time of year in the hospital. We are lucky that we were able to come home after just a few days, but I keep thinking about those staying for much longer. This little visit and the wonderful teddy bear that was given to us absolutely cheered us up and brightened our day. 
The teddy bear is actually what I wanted to post about the most. Santa could have been giving out any toys. Actually he didn't have to give anything, but he choose these bears specifically. The bears have the words "I am Loved" stitched across them. Such a powerful thing that all children need to hear. (And it's nice for moms to hear too.) A tag hung from the bears ear and I began to read. These bears are actually made to be sold to benefit the Make a Wish Foundation. $5.00 from every bear goes directly to Make a Wish. If you are unfamiliar with the Make a Wish Foundation, they find ways to grant wishes to individuals (usually children) that are terminally ill. It is a wonderful organization that strives to bring happiness in times of grief and pain. I have been blessed to know 2 families that were granted wishes from Make a Wish. Both were trips to Walt Disney World. In fact, the number one wish that is granted is a trip to Disney World for those ill and their families. 
I was able to find the teddy bears online. They are super soft and cuddly. They are also very well made and quite large. If you are looking for a teddy bear this Holiday season, I recommend these. The best part is that you will be helping The Make a Wish Foundation with your purchase. 
You can view and purchase the teddy bears by CLICKING HERE.

We will cherish our teddy bear that Santa brought us forever. Even my older boys who were not at the hospital at the time said that they didn't know that Santa came to hospitals. They thought it was very nice of Santa to take time to make their baby sister and other sick children happy at such a busy time for him! Santa will never know how much his generosity and dedication meant to me and my family personally, but I am glad that Santa still takes the time to bless children around the world.

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