And the Winner is:

Sorry guys for the very late announcement of the Legacy Deluxe.  I've been kinda knocked on my butt with a really bad asthma attack.  So, the winner is ...
                       JoeyfromSC
Congrats and I hope you have as much fun with it as I'm having.

Legacy Family Tree Review and Giveaway

I'm incredibly lucky! I got a chance to review the Legacy Family Tree program to track my family history. I have always wondered about my grandmother's family. Where are they from, who are they, did she have a middle name and if so, why wasn't it know to even her children? I'm very proud of my Mexican background, and I'm proud to say that I'm a Gonzalez and my maternal grandmother is Acevedo. But not much is known about either side. I know that my grandparents originated in Mexico, and I know that my grandfather served in the Air Force during the Korean War. But, it seems like there was this big hole because I didn't know much about them. Grandma used to tell stories about how she would pick cotton in her early life. These are the stories I want to know. This is the information that I want to pass on to my children. So, when I got this chance, I jumped on it.

When I got the email with the download information, I went to work right away! I'm always curious about things, and I want to know the how, why, when, where of things. I want to know if someone had a little baby that died, and how s/he died. I think this is important to know. What if somewhere way back in the family tree, lies the clue to why something is happening today? Not to mention, knowing your family history is important for medical information.

On downloading the Legacy Family Tree, it right away asked me to set it up, which was incredibly easy and you were walked right through all the basic steps. I will tell you from experience...watch the beginners video. There are so many tools in this program that help you, but you won't use them if you don't know about them. This program provides everything to get you started on mapping your family. You can even include pictures!!

You can even go online and do research for your family. I've been working on my family history a little every day, and it's incredibly easy and well laid out. You can set up a to do list, and print it out. You also start with the basic family information that you have and can go from there.

You can also create more than one family tree if you're wanting to do one for someone else, or like me, trying to get the history of my ex-husband's family. I would like to make that information available to my son when he gets older.

So, how do you go about putting in this information that you have? And, how do you go about finding more information? That's a great question? First, you click on your family file that you created when you downloaded the program. Then, you can click on Family or Pedigree and go from there. It's incredibly easy to add family members, and it allows you to go on what information you do have, whether it's a little or a lot. For me, it's very little.

This program also allows you to input general information that you may have, and notes as to what research you have done. It's great from Beginners to Advanced levels of research, and it walks you through most of the activities. You are also given the opportunity to search the internet for the people, and get the information to help you on your quest for the family tree. But, please be careful because some of the sites do charge for information while others are free.

So, how can you get your hands on a copy of this program? Well, you could buy it online for $29.95 at Legacy Family Tree or you could win a copy! Yes, one luck reader of my blog gets a free copy of this wonderful research tool, and it's worth every penny!!

So, how do you enter you ask? Well here's how:

*Please leave an email address (you can use name at site dot com format) so I can contact you if you win

AND

Leave a separate comment for each entry (if an entry is worth 2 then leave 2 comments)*

Mandatory entry: Follow my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect AND go to Legacy Family  and tell me which bundle or product you would want most. (2 entries)

Extra entries:

"Like" The Marci Factor on facebook (one entry)

Follow TheMarciFactor  on twitter (one entry)

follow Legacy Family on twitter (one entry)

"like" Legacy Family on FB (one entry)

Grab my button and put it on your blog, you must leave a link to your blog ( two entries)

subscribe to TheMarciFactor via email (two entries)

Tweet (you must leave a link to the tweet):

Win a copy of Legacy Family Tree from @LegacyFamily and @TheMarciFactor http://bit.ly/9k6UR7  ends Nov 30, 2010 (one entry daily)

Disclosure: The opinions contained in this blog are 100% my own. I may or may not have received some products for the purpose of this review.

This contest is open worldwide and will end on November 30, 2010 at 11:59 PM Central. The winner(s) will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours after I send the email to respond, or new winner will be chosen. Good Luck and thank you for supporting TheMarciFactor!

We have a Winner for ErgoBaby Carrier!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Please contact me within 48 hours at marcimallow at yahoo dot com to claim your prize!

Health Benefits-Is it time for your makeover?

Every year at this time of year, we get something in the mail or something through work saying we need to look at our benefits package and make changes if you would like to. What exactly does that mean?

For most of us, it means trying to get health care while we can. Trying to fit those benefits in our budget. Reading as to what is the best health care plan for us.

Being a military wife, we never had to worry about health insurance. It was a given. In our house, it's an advantage to be able to go to the doctor when we need to. When I was single, I knew what it was like to make a decision as to how badly I needed to go to the doctor. How exactly do you make the decision for your healthcare?

Some people exercise daily, some eat healthy, some avoid smoking and drinking. I try to do all of those. A big part of staying healthy is also getting the right health plan for you and your family. It doesn't take forever and it doesn't take a lot of research. Sometimes, with the right tips, you can make an informed decision in an hour or less. Here are five tips on how to make that decision easier.

1. You want to calculate about how much you are going to need to spend. Make sure you can afford the premiums. For some plans, there's a lower monthly cost, but a higher cost when you go to the doctor etc. You may want to look at your previous years health costs to make adjustments.

2. Predict what routine exams you're going to need. You need to get the preventive care that is recommended to prevent bigger costs in the future. Also along with the prediction, think about whether or not you have some finances in savings for those emergencies. If not, and you live an active lifestyle, you may want to opt for the plan that has more benefits. Also, look for discounts for not smoking or drinking, for gym memberships, and for being a healthy weight.

3. Compare the health plan options that you can get. If you don't have any options, then use the benefits that you are paying for. If your plan comes with a free eye exam every year, what is it going to hurt to get one? You're paying for it anyway!

4. Enroll when it's open enrollment, don't procrastinate. If you wait until the last day possible to register, something may come up that prevents you from registering. Then you would have to wait a whole year to get your benefits. Do it right away!

5. Look for cheaper alternatives to some health benefits. The local planned parenthood offers birth control based on income. The local health district offers shots and goes on a sliding scale. There are usually free health screenings everywhere. Also, use a mail order pharmacy if your insurance covers it, they are usually much cheaper than going to the pharmacy, and you don't have to wait in line.

With this family, we don't have to worry about health care, like most. We're automatically covered. Our premium is taken out of the retirement check before we even think about it. I really don't even know how much we pay for our health insurance (bad I know). Most people aren't this lucky though. So, pay attention to that "useless" paperwork that comes to your house. there could be big time money saving information there!!!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Aetna blogging program, making me eligible to get a $30 Target gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here