American Express - A terrible way of doing business

As a former American Express agent, I am thoroughly disgusted by this situation, and embarrassed to admit I ever worked for such a company. This is not how I expect to be treated, now how I expect any company to interact with the customers that keep them in business. Obviously American Express doesn't mind losing their customers to such terrible customer service.

Nov 30 -- Requested a reloadable prepaid AmEx, was told card would be to me in 7-10 days. Had decided to use this option to pay a vendor, because of the promise of the ease of use of the card for the vendor and the ease of use to add funds for myself. 

Dec 7-- Called the AmEx reloadable prepaid verification dept at 866-340-2773 to ensure my bank account verification took place. It didn’t, person said they finished it. Said card would be mailed and should be received on Dec 11. (Side note, they took $150 out of my account. How they could do that when they hadn’t verified my bank account is still unknown.)

Dec 12 – Called to find out why card hadn’t been received. Alfredo -Was told it hadn’t been processed. Rep said they finished it, and apologized that previous rep wasn’t properly trained to use system. Hung up on me when I asked for a supervisor. Franko – Hung up on me when I asked for a supervisor. Jamie – Put me on hold when I asked for a supervisor, stayed on hold for 30 minutes. During that time, I used another phone to call in, and Jamie answered my call (how interesting!). Alfred – Advised he was a supervisor. Gave me plenty of information. Said my card was verified and would be mailed that day. Said it would be sent two day shipping and would be in my mailbox Friday. Gave me his extension if I had any other issues. Advised he appreciated the feedback I gave about the previous representatives, and would be speaking with them to ensure training took place to update on systems and professionalism.

Alredo – hung up on me

Franko – hung up on me

Jamie- on hold for 30 minutes

Jamie  - answered my call while had me on hold

Alred – helpful, but lied. Said he was a supervisor when he wasn’t. Confirmed a lot of information about my account and answered many questions for me. Told me card would be shipped with two day shipping, but that isn’t an option. Although he was very helpful, I am not able to trust any of the info he gave since so much of it turned out to be false.

Dec 13 – Called to verify information given yesterday was accurate. Luanne – Stated my bank account hadn’t been verified. Put me on hold, and when she came back she said she had spoken with my bank and verified it. (Please note this is the second time I had been told my bank account needed to be verified, and the individual on the phone claimed they had verified it.) Stated I should received the card in 7-10 days. I asked what happened to the 2 day shipping, she said it was never an option. What about Alfred? He’s just another CS rep, not a supervisor, and shouldn’t have told me 2 days. Said she would verify she was giving me correct info. Put me on hold, came back, said her TL, Alissa, had confirmed. I thanked her and asked to speak with Alissa. Was put on hold for 10 minutes, then disconnected. Called back and got Alfredo. I asked for Alissa again, and was told she was refusing my call. I began to ask questions about my card again, to ensure it was actually being mailed AND there would be money on it when it arrived, and he interrupted me saying all I could do was submit a feedback form, he was not going to answer any further questions. When I kept trying, he said he was disconnecting the call in 1-2-3 and hung up.  Jennifer – Says it takes 10 days to verify if the account is correct. When I asked if they take the money out before they verify the account is correct, she said yes. To have the money refunded would take 20 days. She took my mobile number and said her Team Leader, Ralph, would call me on Dec 20 to verify I have received the package from AmEx containing my card.

Luanne – hung up on me

(Alissa) – refused my call

Alfredo – hung up on me

Jennifer - Claimed to be on the supervisor line (which I actually believed, finally). Was somewhat helpful. Acted remorseful that the rest of the company was insulting and unhelpful. Sounded as though she would actually follow through with what she was advising would happen. 

As a side note, I paid my vendor with a check, since this card is no where to be found. AmEx stated it would take a minimum of 20 days to refund the $150 they took out of my account. Rather than add an additional level of complication to an already failing situation, I did not seek that option. Instead, I simply paid my vendor, to avoid any additional negativity on my relationship with my vendor. The vendor has been kept up to date on this, and has stated they will never chose AmEx as a business or a personal choice. The same has been said by many of the people that have been around me while I've been on the phone at any given point trying to work this situation out. 

At this point, I still don’t know if I am going to be sent a card. I don’t know if I will ever see the $150 dollars AmEx took out of my account on Dec 7. I know that I will not get any customer service from their supposed Customer Service Professionals. I know that I am hung up on every time I call, even though I do not use vulgar or cuss words. I know that they will continue to refuse when I request to speak with a supervisor or team lead. I know they don’t have faith in their own co-workers or company with the way they state people in their own dept were not trained properly. I know they are not honest, as I get different information every time I call and I have been told someone is a supervisor when they are not. I know they are out to get money, regardless of how they do it, how their customer is treated during the process, or if they ever provide the promised product after they have the money. 

ClubFHE

When I went to the What Women Want Expo several weeks ago (thank you, Marie, for the free ticket!), I found many things to enjoy. I got a great deal on earrings (6 for $10) and splurged away. I found a booth called Ringmasters selling CTR rings and shape bracelets and a Happy Birthday plate (to be used for the birthday person on their birthday) and other great finds. I was brought into a state of nostalgia when I saw a booth for Usana and was reminded of my childhood when my parents were involved. (My husband and I have our first order in and waiting for shipment, and looking forward to feeling healthier in our lives.)

This post, however, is not about any of the above, but about another great find. The ClubFHE booth. This organization has put the brains and brawn behind FHE, and has simplified my life. They have put together 50 weekly family nights- including lesson, materials, and organization. I am thrilled! The very idea blew me away. I bought the whole package right then and there, and very proudly carried the box home with me. Since we were new to this club, we decided to take things a bit slow, and do our first FHE with the club as an intro the club. Basically, we opened the box as a family on family night. I'm no photographer, but here are a few photos:

The front of the box

The lessons in my box were divided into quarters, for each quarter of the year

(You may also purchase them monthly, and the lessons would be sent in monthly boxes.)

This is everything that is included in the first quarter's box. 

ClubFHE manual, white board, FHE part chart, 12 lessons

(divided into individual bags, with the needed hands on activity and parts)

FHE part chart and white board. The white board comes with sticky strips if you would like to mount it somewhere. The FHE part chart is magnetic and can be kept on the white board or put on the fridge or other magnetic wall. It comes with six blocks (one side is magnetic to stick to the Part Chart) and a labeling marker to write names on the blocks.

As you can see, my little one is already having fun with this. He spent quite a while playing just with the Part Chart and blocks. I am pleased with the organization and detail included in this as a whole, and with each lesson. They have a simple idea, with a hands on activity, and more detail for expansion. We are going to be using this to teach our two year old, but feel we will be able to keep repeating the lessons for several years, because of how fun they are, and how we will be able to add to them as he gets older and has a longer attention span with more understanding. 

Here is the ClubFHE website. For anyone wanting to spend more time as a family, and looking for a way to maximize the time, this is a great "Club" to join.

SlimKicker - a great new fitness site with app

Say hello to SlimKicker! This is a brand new get healthy website with a corresponding iPhone app. Here's the basics about it:

The app makes living healthy, eating healthy, and fitness into an RPG game, where users earn points, 'level up', and earn badges as they accomplish their health goals. Every time something healthy like a fruit is added to their food log, points are earned toward the next level. Every time a workout is completed, points are earned toward the next level. As they achieve more, they'll level up and unlock badges.

The whole idea is to shift people's attitude towards healthy living as fun, and enjoyable.

I checked out the site and the app, and I love it. The website is great- love the colors and interface, and the simple popup explanations upon first login. The challenges are a fantastic idea, I can't wait to dive into that. What a great way to offer motivation and success.

Another bonus? It's completely free. I am one of the many that doesn't pay for any websites or apps because there are so many out there. And the fact that this one doesn't have annoying add all over it makes it twice as great.

No android app yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will be on the market soon.

Here's something I love about this- there are different challenges to achieve, in addition to the overall health goals. Some of the current challenges are No snacks after dinner, 10 wall squats a day, and Move during commercials. They are simple, attainable, and easy to incorporate into any lifestyle. In addition- because that isn't awesome enough already- there is one challenge each week (I think it's each week), that gives away a prize. The current "prize" challenge is Slow Down Challenge, where it encourages users to do 1 thing each day more slowly -eat, work, exercise, commute, or end the day- while informing of the benefits of doing each item more slowly. The prize for this challenge is Cuisinart Slow Cooker.

I will be keeping an ongoing review of this for a while. I plan to really get into the site/app and make some progress with it. But don't worry, I'll be writing as I go along, so as to not miss the entry into the program and small successes.

I'm excited to get started!

Mealtime Makeover - Spicy beef and potato

Easy to make- brown the meat, add the veggies and others, boil on the stove, serve and enjoy. The soup turned out better than I expected- although it may have been partially that I was *really* in the mood for soup. I served it with various rolls. And had plenty left over for a few days, which I really enjoy. This is one that could have been frozen for later, if you don't use it all right away or want to save for leftovers.

Mealtime Makeover - Steak salad

Edible, but not a remake. I like the black beans, corn, and salsa combo, but not with the salad, and the steak seemed out of place. My husband wasn't interested in it as a salad, so he wrapped it in a burrito. It was alright for my little boy though. We cut the steak into small pieces, along with corn and black beans, with a breadstick on the side. He was pretty happy.

~Sent from my Sprint Evo~

Mealtime Makeover - Beefy black beans and rice

This meal was a surprising hit in my home. It's basically ground beef, black beans, salsa, some spices for additional flavor and rice. It didn't sound great, but the result was awesome! My husband ate it in a burrito with cheese, I fed it to my son on a spoon, and I ate it with tortilla chips. It was even yummy the next day when I took it to work for lunch. This one gets 4 stars!

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - Not a very good meal

This meal was . . . okay. It could have been better, but we ate it anyway. We love oriental food and stir fry, and had high hopes for this meal. Sadly, the flavors didn't blend well (the sauce called for OJ and soy sauce and a few others). I was a little impressed with the individual items, though, and I will buy stir fry mix again. I wasn't aware it was available, so I'm glad to have this recipe enlighten me. 2 Stars for this one. We ate it, but I won't be making it again.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - Yummy!

I didn't catch a picture of this one because everyone dug in too quickly.

This meal was chicken, rolled in crushed butter crackers, with seasoning and cheese. On the side was a salad and green beans. Plus garlic bread. It turned out WONDERFUL! Probably our favorite meal so far. I'm quite sad I didn't get a picture. But there was no holding back on this tasty one.


Four stars for this meal, it will be made again.

Mealtime Makeover - Another meal

Another meal from Mealtime Makeover. It wasn't the most impressive, but it was fast, easy, and a healthy, complete meal. Plus, this was one meal my son could eat all of, if he would that is. Poor little boy hasn't developed a taste for Italian dressing or red sauce yet.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - Another good meal

This one wasn't the complete success other's have been. However, this one was completely new, completely different, and completely do-able. A mexican casserole served on a bed of chopped lettuce with a side of corn. And it was tasty.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - Last night's meal was a hit!

Last night we had BBQ chicken, potato salad, and cantalope with a honey/lime glaze. It was delicious! The original recipe called for pork chops instead of chicken, but we like chicken better, and macaroni salad, but I like potato salad better. Even DH enjoyed the meal, and he doesn't like cantalope. He said the glaze was the only reason he ate it. Two thumbs up for this meal!

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - Three meals so far

Although I love the simplicity this subscription brings to our lives, the jury is still out on the meals.

The first meal was fish tacos. As I've stated before, DH is allergic to fish so we slightly edited this meal. Instead of fish, we used ground beef. Other than that change, we enjoyed the meal just as it was suggested. Sorry, I didn't get a picture.

This next meal is a italian noodle casserole. It was good, but not as good as I expected. Thankfully, it was fairly simple, and seems to save well. Next time, I'll add a bit more flavor (probably some italian seasoning), and a bit less noodles, mix it all together instead of layering it (except the top coat of cheese and croutons), and I think it will be better.

This third meal I was very excited about . . . and ever so disappointed when it was a flop. This was a french toast bake. It sounded so good, with the blueberry drizzle over the cinnamon/sugar topping. Unfortunately, it didn't bake very well, and was completely soggy. I don't know about you, but soggy bread is not appetizing to me. The idea of it is delicious, the blueberry drizzle was very tasty and original, and the bacon on the side was a nice touch. Next time, I plan to bake this covered, and for as much as double the time, hoping it will bake away the sogginess. If it works, it will be fantastic. If it doesn't, well, the soggy bread speaks for it.
Tomorrow we're having BBQ chicken, potato salad, and lime/honey cantalope. This one shouldn't be too hard to mess up because it's a nice simple meal. Bake the chicken with the BBQ sauce, deli potato salad, and a cantalope. I'll keep the pictures and reviews of the meals coming.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - the Costco trip

This is the shopping trip from Costco. I normally like to get both the grocery store and the Costco trip the same day, but it didn't work out this time. Close enough. Anyway, I spent $168.
4 loaves of bread, 4 bags of cereal, box of 30 mini boxes of cereal, 4 gallons of milk, 6 bags of tortillas, 2 double bags of hot dogs, 2 large boxes of foil, 5 lbs of ground beef, 4 lbs of bacon, large sour cream, 5lbs I can't believe it's not butter, double size cheese slices,3lbs of premade salad, 5lbs shredded mozzarella, 5lbs shredded cheddar.

And just for fun, this is what my fridge looks like packed with all that food. About half of it is going to be frozen for future use (hamburger, cheese, tortillas), and it's a good thing because I can't get to anything that isn't in the front.

Tomorrow will be the first eMealz meal. I'm looking forward to it.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - the grocery trip

This was the shopping trip from the Grocery Store. I spent $65.
1 plunger, 1 bottle of drain opener, 1 bag of chicken nuggets, 2 pks strawberries, 16 oz potato salad, 1 pk blueberries, 1 bottle of BBQ sauce, 1 can La Choy noodles, 1 jar of mayo, 1 box rice, 4 boxes muffin mix, 2 bags croutons, 1 pk ice cream sandwiches, 1 8oz bag of Italian blend cheese, 2 4pks of yogurt, 1 pk frozen corn, 1 container cottage cheese, 3 cans tomatoes, 3 pks cupcake liners, 5 red apples, 3 green apples, 2 cucumbers, 2 limes, 1 onion, 6 bananas, 1 cantalope, 10 tomatoes, 1 head of iceburg lettuce.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mealtime Makeover - the planning stage

I love to cook, and my household loves to enjoy food. Lately, however, we've been in a food rut. Cooking seems the same, and we aren't thrilled with our meals anymore. So, we decided to give another Dave Ramsey program a shot- eMealz.

Today, I purchased a 3 month membership for $12.50, using the code Dave to get $2.50 off. (I'm all about being gazelle intent, ya know.) I selected the standard meal plan for 4-6 people. I figured that would suit our evening meal for the four of us, and give a lunch or two for the next day since 2 of those eaters have very small stomachs. I downloaded the meal plan and got ready to show DH when he got home.

DH and I discussed the meals, making appropriate changes. For example, he is allergic to fish, so we changed the Grilled Fish Tacos to beef tacos, attempting to keep all the other details and ingredients the same.

Then, I made our shopping lists. I made one list for Costco, and one for the grocery store, removing items we wouldn't need (the fish from the tacos we changed, decided on crescent rolls instead of dinner rolls since we have a bunch in the fridge already, etc). And since the shopping list provided by eMealz is for the meals they plan only, I added our breakfast and lunch items, such as adding blueberry muffin mix for breakfast and increasing the tomatoes and lettuce amounts for BLTs.

So far . . .
Pros

1. Getting the plan couldn't be easier. Log in, download, and there it is. It takes me longer to get to my email.
   
2. Simple simple simple layout for the recipes, a breakdown of the food for that meal, and the directions for creating.
3. Variety of the meals. It's not all one nationality or meat type. There is American, Italian, Breakfast for dinner, Salads, etc. This will most definitely add variety back into our meals.
   

Cons

1. I feel the writing on the shopping list is too small and cramped. I like the option of editing lists, and this doesn't give an editable (is that a word?) feel. But someone that plans to make the meals as-is won't have this problem.
   
2. I would have liked the option of altering a plan based on allergies. Each week includes one fish meal. But we will probably take that night off for sandwiches or one of our current favorite recipes.
   

I'm looking forward to my shopping trip tomorrow. I haven't decided yet if I want to start the plan tomorrow or next week, but either way I'm looking forward to it.

Lose it! App Review

I've been on another health kick lately. In order to help me, I looked for a great iTouch app to track my food intake and exercise. After a few that didn't cut it for me, I found Lose it! and I'm sold. This app is not only free (yay!), but it tracks the things I want, doesn't bother me with stuff I don't want, and it easy and simple to use. (Images are clickable to enlarge.)

It starts with a basic overview of my day thus farTo add what I'm eating, I tap the Add Food button, and I'm taken to this screenwhere I can add foods several different ways. The Search Foods option has always had the foods I've looked for, from the Jif peanut butter I had on my sandwich for lunch to the pancake syrup I had yesterday with breakfast. The Brand Name Foods search has as much info, giving two ways to search. If I go out to eat, I can look up food based on where we go, such as Applebees or Ruby Tuesday. My Foods allows me to view foods I've had before. Create New Food is a simple way to add a custom food, like the homemade cinnamon rolls I like to make.

To add exercise, I tap the Add Exercise button and I'm taken to this screenwhich given many many options of exercise. It even has Housework as an option.

After entering food and exercise, I'm taken to the Log, which is a breakdown of what I've entered for that dayEntries can be edited here, if a change is needed. Simply tap that entry, and the details can be viewed, edited, or deleted completely.

Calorie information can also be viewed in a weekly format
Goals can be set, and calorie intake is based on the goal I set.The goal is based on my current weight, my desired weight, and the length of time I want to reach that weight. I can change or set a new goal at anytime. The only downside I have found is that this app doesn't allow me to adjust my calorie info to reflect that I am a nursing mother. But, that's just me, and the majority of people won't have that complication.

There are more options available, too.I can opt to track more nutrient information, such as fat, carbs, protein, and fiber. I can set a passcode, in case this is a shared device but I don't want anyone else to see my profile info. I can set up Motivators, to have notifications sent when I forget to enter information or send daily/ weekly progress reports to an email address. I have mine set up to share updates about my exercise and weight to my Twitter account. I'm all about sharing the progress! For some of these options, a membership to Loseit.com is needed, but since membership to their website is also free there's no reason not to sign up. Plus, if I sign up, I can get "friends" on the site, and create a network of supportive buddies to keep me going and to encourage on their path to health.

Overall, I think this is a great app. The price couldn't be better, and the app covers everything I want.

Thanks to Bobbie at onescrappymom.com for the inspiration for this review.

Letters to Juliet Sneak Preview

Selo and I decided we wanted one more date night before the baby is here. So when FM 100 offered tickets to a sneak preview of Letters to Juliet, we took them up on the offer and saw it last night.

I *loved* it!

It was such a romantic movie. Perfect for a date night. The film had multiple different story lines in it- and they all worked together! Not only did this movie keep our attention the whole time, but it had some exciting and entertaining twists in it. Of course, there were some predictable parts as well, and they were perfectly placed to enhance the show that much more. The actors and actresses had great chemistry together. Their characters were well written, deep, and casted well.

I'm developing a new love for Amanda Seyfried. She's talented, beautiful, well rounded, and a great actress. I thought she did a fabulous job in this role, and I can't wait to see what else she is in.

Here's the trailer for Letters to Juliet:

I hope you enjoy the movie as much as I did. It will definitely be a blu-ray purchase for my home.

Time Travelor's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife was a wonderful movie. There aren't many movies these days that I want to spend the money on to put in our home collection. But this one made the cut. In fact, I want to buy it on blu ray, with any extras I can. I loved this film.

The story line was strong. The characters were well written, and developed nicely through out the story. There was plenty of humor, love, ups and downs. It held my attention the entire movie. Each twist and turn was enjoyable and exciting.

This movie did not have a lot of violence, swearing, sexual content (although it does have some naked bum scenes).

I highly recommend this movie. It is one of the best I've seen in quite a while. It's a great date night movie, family movie, or relax after a long day movie.

It was based on a book by Audrey Niffenegger, and I've added it to my library list so I can read the book next.

The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner

I just finished reading this book, and wow. The story is about a privileged college woman that takes a job transcribing the hand written journal of a young woman who lived and died during the Salem witch trials. The story is about growing into one's own self, recognizing and acting out of love, and learning not to judge others. I enjoyed reading about the journey of Mercy, Lauren, and Abigail. I enjoyed how the characters developed, and the lessons they learned could be used in my own life.

My favorite quote is on the last page of the story: "I used to think mercy meant showing kindness to someone who didn't deserve it, as if only the recipient defined the act. The girl in between has learned that mercy is defined by it's giver. Our flaws are obvious, yet we are loved and able to love, if we choose, because there is that bit of the divine still smoldering in us."

Rich Dad University is a SCAM

Selo and I went to this free seminar a few weeks ago. It was put on by Rich Dad Academy, and gave some tips for financial education. They pushed super hard for people to sign up for this more advanced 3 day seminar a few weeks later that cost $1000 a person. Well, Selo and I found some good information from the free seminar and figured we could learn a lot more from the more advanced one. We got a deal to let us both sign up for $500- and bring a guest, and they gave us Robert Kiyosaki's Improve your Financial IQ package. So three people at $500, instead of $1k a person. Not bad for some great financial information right? Wrong. The 3 day seminar was just another gimick to push you to buy into the Rich Dad Academy, which is between $10k and $50k, depending on which courses you want to go to. I would have had more fun looking for whole life insurance for three days. Sure, we learned some good financial info during the three days, but not enough to justify $500- even divided by three people. It was 50% pushing for the advanced seminar, 25% info, and 25% playing the board game Cash Flow- which was another outragious price. They were selling the game unopened for $200, or opened for $150. But did you know you can purchase an UNopened game on eBay for around $50? Also, when Selo and David each tried to request the contact info of one of the reps there, they were told by the rep "we don't have time to talk to you, no you can't have our contact info".

The whole thing was a waste of time. We could have learned the very same information by browsing around the web and looking at the free content on their website RichDadEducation. The free seminar would be worth your two hours of time, but don't get sucked into the rest of the BS they try to sell to you. It's a waste of money, and not even worth the time spent there.

*Note: This is my opinion of this course. I have no association with Rich Dad, and I am not being paid or compensated for my opinion of this course in any way. If you are intersted in attending this course, or any Rich Dad Academy course, please make your own decision sbased on your own research and experiences.