Mimi Foster - Colorado Springs Realtor Managing Broker

Turn off your notifications

Not that I am proud to admit it, but I have long had a struggle with my email. What started out as a wonderful and rapid option to writing personal notes quickly got out of hand. No longer used as much for communicating, my email inbox then became a funnel for every conceivable marketer, and doubled as my TO DO list. When it got to be so long that I was loathe to even look at it, the hundreds became thousands, and it was certainly no longer a useful addition to my tool kit.

So I recently bit the bullet and took an Outlook class to try to tame this little monster. It was one of the smartest classes I have taken in a long time, and within a day I had it totally under control ~ the operative part of that being that now I was in control, and not my email that was supposed to be there for my benefit.

Of all of the things that I learned, probably the simplest and, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant ideas that I came away with was ~ TURN OFF YOUR NOTIFICATIONS. When the instructor first said that, I gasped at the thought of the withdrawal of something so, well . . . DRASTIC.

But think about it. I receive, on average, 200 to 400 emails per day. No matter how many I unsubscribe to, they just keep coming back from a different angle. If you have your notification box set up (like I did) to pop up with the little notification in the lower right corner of your screen, the reality of that is that you will be subtlely distracted dozens, if not hundreds, of times per day. Since most of it is junk anyway, it is not worth taking me away from what's important to let me know that something UNimportant has just hit my Inbox. And if it IS important, I will be checking my email throughout the day ~ but now, it is at MY CONVENIENCE. Just this one little change (that, and creating RULES ~ which is another post), and I have had one of the most productive weeks in a long time. When I realized how much work I was getting done, I became very conscious of the fact that it is now so much easier to stay FOCUSED on the task at hand.

If you are a PC user and have Outlook and would like to turn off your Notifications, it is very easy. In your Outlook Toolbar across the top, go to TOOLS > OPTIONS > PREFERENCES > EMAIL OPTIONS (under email heading) > ADVANCED EMAIL OPTIONS (under Message Handling) > WHEN NEW ITEMS ARRIVE IN MY INBOX (I unchecked them all). Have a productive day!

(And if you aren't yet a Subscriber to my Musings, maybe now is the time)

Turn off your notifications was written by Mimi Foster

Tomorrow I will, I believe, unofficially pass the ranks of Newbie. It has been a long year. It has been a quick year.

In November of 2010 I received a call from a friend of mine, Joe Cuchiara, who told me that he thought that I would love this Realtor blogging site called ActiveRain. He was so enthusiastic about it, and I had long wanted to blog, so I signed up, and had no idea where to go from there, so I went nowhere. In January of 2011 Karli Larson from ActiveRain called to say that she saw that I had paid for a year but wasn't using the platform, and did I have any questions?

I had, quite frankly, no idea where to begin. I would log in (I had no idea I got points for that, because, really, what are POINTS?), I would look around, and I would leave. I have mentioned several times that I thought I was in the lobby, and behind one of those doors it felt like there must be a party going on, but I couldn't figure out which door to open.

I am a hands-on learner. Show me and I'll run with it. Leave me to figure out how to do more than sign in and I won't embrace yet another new learning curve. So Karli told me how to write a post and where to post it, and I did. One localism post in January on which I received two comments in my email, and I was so excited that someone had found me! The question was, WHERE did they find me? And how did I get back there to write another post? That seems silly now because we know these things. But I think back on the beginning and wonder how we really learned this stuff.

Two more months would pass, and noticing that I had done nothing else, Karli called me again. She said that this time she wasn't going to get off the phone until I understood it. She walked me thru as much as my brain could hold, and I wrote my second article, and got two more comments!! I was on a roll. There was a lot I still didn't understand, but I knew how to comment, and now I knew where to write, so I was THRILLED. From there on out they couldn't shut me up, and it was, to me, my beginning day on ActiveRain . . . March 11, 2011.

What I didn't know at the time was that ActiveRain isn't just a blogging site, it's a family. What I didn't know at the time is that there is plenty of SEO to be found from this amazing platform, but that doesn't define the community of which you become a part. What I didn't know at the time is that I would learn to LOVE to write, but not as much as I love the people with whom I would be blessed to interact. And what I didn't know at the time was what an incredible referral network ActiveRain truly is, and the amount of business that this community network would actually generate and share.

So if you are not sure that you want to become a Rainmaker, let me encourage you to do so. Take a few baby steps and get your feet wet, then take the plunge. It has done wonders for my business and wonders for my writing. But most of all, I have become part of a truly amazing family, and made friendships that have been life-changing. It is, without a doubt, the best thing I have done for my business in almost two decades of dealing with real estate.

It is often hard for me to believe that I will be (gasp!) 60 years old next year. Having a bushel of kids and grandkids keeps you young ~ and often broke. It still strikes me as amusing when I go into a store and find that I am eligible for a Senior Discount. Wait . . . WHAT????? So for those days when you realize that you are pushing the dark side of 50, or that you have already happily driven over the hill, there should be some little token of reward for such a great accomplishment. Here is a list of well-over 100 locations ~ restaurants, retail, grocery, travel, cell, entertainment, etc., that offer the greying crowd some financial assistance. Provided by BradsDeals, you can print out this list, and you can check out their site to discover a lot more deals and bargains. There is a printable PDF of this at the end of the list. And if you haven't subscribed to Mimi's Musings yet, now might be just the right time.

Restaurants

• Applebee’s: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)
• Arby’s: 10% off (55+)
• Ben & Jerry’s: 10% off (60+)
• Bennigan’s: discount varies by location
• Bob’s Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)
• Boston Market: 10% off (65+)
• Burger King: 10% off (60+)
• Captain D’s Seafood: discount varies on location (62+)
• Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee (55+)
• Chili’s: 10% off (55+)
• CiCi’s Pizza: 10% off (60+)
• Culver’s: 10% off (60+)
• Denny’s: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members (55+)
• Dunkin’ Donuts: 10% off or free coffee (55+)
• Einstein’s Bagels: 10% off baker’s dozen of bagels (60+)
• Fuddrucker’s: 10% off any senior platter (55+)
• Gatti’s Pizza: 10% off (60+)
• Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)
• Hardee’s: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+)
• IHOP: 10% off (55+)
• Jack in the Box: up to 20% off (55+)
• KFC: free small drink with any meal (55+)
• Krispy Kreme: 10% off (50+)
• Long John Silver’s: various discounts at participating locations (55+)
• McDonald’s: discounts on coffee everyday (55+)
• Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)
• Shoney’s: 10% off
• Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)
• Steak ‘n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday (50+)
• Subway: 10% off (60+)
• Sweet Tomatoes 10% off (62+)
• Taco Bell: 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)
• TCBY: 10% off (55+)
• Tea Room Cafe: 10% off (50+)
• Village Inn: 10% off (60+)
• Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)
• Wendy’s: 10% off (55+)
• White Castle: 10% off (62+)

Retail and Apparel

• Banana Republic: 10% off (50+)
• Bealls: 15% off every Tuesday (50+)
• Belk’s: 15% off first Tuesday of every month (55+)
• Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days (55+)
• C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
• Clarks: 10% off (62+)
• Dress Barn: 10% off (55+)
• Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
• Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
• Kohl’s: 15% off (60+)
• Modell’s Sporting Goods: 10% off
• Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions
• Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday (55+)
• The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off (55+)
• Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month (55+)

Grocery

• Albertson’s: 10% off first Wednesday of each month (55+)
• American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday (50+)
• Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
• DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)
• Fry’s Supermarket: free Fry’s VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday (55+), or 10% first Wednesday of every month
• Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
• Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)
• Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
• Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)
• Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)
• Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
• The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday (50+)
• Publix: 5% off every Wednesday (60+; only valid outside FL)
• Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)
• Uncle Guiseppe’s Marketplace: 5% off (62+)

Travel

• Alaska Airlines: 10% off (65+)
• Alamo: up to 25% off for AARP members
• American Airlines: various discounts for 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
• Amtrak: 15% off (62+)
• Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members
• Best Western: 10% off (55+)
• Budget Rental Cars: 10% off; up to 20% off for AARP members (50+)
• Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Clarion: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations
• Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off (50+)
• Econo Lodge: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members
• Greyhound: 5% off (62+)
• Hampton Inns & Suites: 10% off when booked 72 hours in advance
• Hertz: up t0 25% off for AARP members
• Holiday Inn: 10%-30% off depending on location (62+)
• Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)
• InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)
• Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler’s Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)
• Marriott Hotels: 15% off (62+)
• Motel 6: 10% off (60+)
• Myrtle Beach Resort: 10% off (55+)
• National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members
• Quality Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Sleep Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
• Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50 and up
• United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
• U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

Activities & Entertainment

• AMC Theaters: up to 30% off (55+)
• Bally Total Fitness: up to id="mce_marker"00 off memberships (62+)
• Busch Gardens Tampa: $3 off one-day tickets (50+)
• Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)
• Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off
• U.S. National Parks: id="mce_marker"0 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)
• Regal Cinemas: 30% off
• Ripley’s Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket (55+)
• SeaWorld Orlando: $3 off one-day tickets (50+)

Cell Phone Discounts

• AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.99/month (65+)
• Jitterbug: id="mce_marker"0/month cell phone service (50+)
• Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+)

*Check out our Secret Cell Phone Discounts to view all cell phone discounts available to you!

Miscellaneous

• Great Clips: $3 off hair cuts (60+)
• Super Cuts: $2 off haircuts (60+)

Since many senior discounts are not advertised to the public, our advice to men and women over 55 is to ALWAYS ask a sales associate if that store provides a senior discount. Also, please note that some senior discounts vary by region. That way, you can be sure to get the most bang for your buck.

Looking for a printable version of our list of discounts for seniors? We’ve got you covered! Click this link to view, then just hit “Print” in your browser:
106 Stores with Senior Discounts (PDF, 213 KB)

If you like these online coupon tips, sign up for Brad’s Daily Alerts today to be notified automatically of new posts!

100+ Places that offer Senior Discounts was written by Mimi Foster

'They' said that I would need to terminate the pregnancy immediately. 'They' said that if I tried to carry her for the full pregnancy, that not only would SHE die, but so would I. 'They' said that there was no way that she could survive until birth.

'They' were the finest doctors that money could buy. 'They' were the experts and the people who made life-altering decisions. There was not a time at any step along the way that 'they' could give us any definitive answers except that the baby was a girl and that there was something horribly wrong. But no one, from the moment that this process began, could tell us anything. It was speculation and scare tactics and horror stories throughout.

When we would go to Children's Hospital in Denver for regular consultations and ultrasounds with state-of-the-art equipment, 'they' would assemble doctors in the room to show us tragic, gargoylish pictures of what our baby might look like. 'They' had no idea, but 'they' were willing to share their opinions and their guesses ~ and always their disdain that I would not abort.

There are some challenges in life that help to form the person that we become. This was one of my pinnacles, and very honestly, a time of great peace and joy. Regularly I would point out that, as the best doctors available, why were we not working to try to save her rather than giving up by suggesting we just terminate the pregnancy? As a Christian, I believe that we don't need the grace of God to face the tragedies of life - until we need the grace of God to face the tragedies of life. THAT'S when we are given the peace that passes understanding, and I was given it in abundance.

With four daughters at home, I would just shake my head when 'they' would try to explain how it would destroy my family. My girls not only grew stronger, but as a unit we thrived. I look back on it as one of the most wonderful times of my life. And when she was born and 'they' said she couldn't possibly live past the age of three, I scoffed and said, "What do THEY know?"

Today we celebrate the 25th birthday of one of the most precious people I have ever known. My daughter Callie has defied all odds, and is joy and laughter personified. She has a way of infecting the people around her with her humor and her laughter. I adore this young lady, and am daily thankful that God saw fit to bless me with her. Happy Birthday, Caroline Grace . . . you are so abundantly loved.

Hotels in Colorado Springs

Are you thinking about moving to Colorado Springs and need a place to stay? Are you visiting Colorado Springs and need some alone time? Colorado Springs is one of the most beautiful towns in the Country, and we have scores of hotel accommodations. Here is a short list of some of the places that visitors have given high ratings to in our fair City. If you would like more choices than what is available on this list, please visit Trip Advisor.

North Side of Town

Stay Bride Suites - Air Force Academy

Extended Stay

Hampton Inns and Suites - Air Force Academy

Fairfield Inn - Air Force Academy

Academy Hotel - I-25

West Side of Town

Travelodge

Hyatt Place - Garden of the Gods

Hotel San Ayre

South Side of Town

Apollo Park

Fairfield Inn South

Hampton Inns and Suites - I-25 South

Quality Inn DOWNTOWN

East Side

Residence Inn - 3880 North Academy

Holiday Inn Express to be completed in early 2013

Bed and Breakfast

Lennox House - Downtown Colorado Springs

Old Town - Old Colorado City (West)

Hotels In Colorado Springs was written by Mimi Foster