Secrets (helpful ones)

Sorry this is getting posted so late in the day, I am still trying to recover from my crazy day yesterday. I planned on talking about Facebook today, but changed my mind.
I have decided to try something different today. I originally was going to have a vent Friday or something like that, but again I have changed my mind. Isn't that what women are suppose to do? HAHAHA
So to help those who are looking for a comment of value for today, so you can enter my blog contest. Here we go
Lets share our secrets, no I don't want you to air your dirty laundry on my blog. Helpful secrets, tips, ideas that you use everyday to help with being a mother, going to work, getting things done or clean, ect....l I will try and make this a habit every wednesday, it's the middle of the week and we all need a break and maybe a few good secrets.

I'll will start of course:
To keep the floor mats in our vehicles new and clean, we put down towels in the winter time to protect them from the salt. You can then occasionally take them out and clean them. In case you are wondering yes we are that obsessive!!!!

Now how about you?

To go with our secrets theme, I found this site.
Free Secret Love Letters!

MommyFest Potluck

I have a quick and easy dinner that doesn't take much work and has been a crowd favorite so far.
You will need
1 Crockpot
1 Roast of choice
1 Jar of Gardinaire ( I do NOT recommend the hot)
Rolls
Cheese of choice ( I use provolone)

Put the roast in the crockpot cover with gardinaire, set on low and let cook 9-10 hours as you get near the end of the cook time take a large fork and start pulling the meat apart to use for the sandwiches.
Heat up the over to 350 open the sandwiches and place on a cookie sheet with a piece or two of cheese and warm, toast in over.
To complete put the pulled meat on the bread and serve with your favorite side.

Budgeting

I am continuing my discussion on tips and tools for mothers. I am going to try and provide some helpful tips for the family budget.

Create a family budget vision. Talk to your spouse and children about whatever budgetary constraints you are facing, or whatever financial goals you intend to set. By being completely honest about the bills and loans you have to pay, or your intention to save a certain amount of money for a family emergency fund (or a college fund, for that matter), you can help your family understand better your collective financial situation. This will allow them to change their perspective on purchases they make, and will help you make sure that whatever money crunching strategies you utilize won’t be counteracted by a subsequent spree by your teen.

Another good technique is to create a list of usual expenditures per member of your family. Together, identify which items you can do away with in order to save up some extra money from your monthly income. By doing this altogether, you are making your family participate better and see the contributions they can make into making your family’s finances better.

Should your child have the habit of continuously asking for money for minor and oftentimes unnecessary purchases, you can let your children learn to manage their own week’s allowance. With their limited money to budget, they will realize the value of money.

Put a cap on the amount of expenditures you make in a week. The best way to do this is set aside a fixed amount of cash that you will spend for a week. By putting this limitation on your spending, you are forced to prioritize spending on the most essential over other things.

Make it easy for your family to save more. How often do you eat out? Most family budgets are blown over because of the frequency of dining out and the accompanying exorbitant expense of that activity. Eating at home will reduce your expenses, not to mention allow for your family to bond over cooking at home. Do you spend on routine purchases like coffee and newspapers? Cut back on the latte and the paper, and put aside the amount you would otherwise spend. Your family’s collective saving will surprise you.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to create a most efficient driving route, as well as grouping together activities into one car trip. This way, you can save a lot on time and even on gasoline and car expenses.






Living on a dime - Financial Independence through better life choice - to get the ebook Click Here!

Great Outdoors

Yesterday I posted an article about kids watching too much TV, okay so now what.
How about getting outside. How do we get our kids outside?

Start slowly - "National Wildlife Federation's education department recommends that kids get one "green hour" in the outdoors per day. It even that is too much start small go for a short walk around the block, stop at the mailbox and smell the flowers along the way.

Try a monthly excursion - It doesn't having something big or far away (although it can be). Talk a walk in a local nature area, or a botanical garden, or a not so local park. You can search for local parks, or try this NatureFind.

Cultivate curiosity - kids are more likely to get excited about nature "when they are captivated by a sense of mystery". Ask open ended questions to get your kids to start thinking and wanting to find the answer. Whose tracks are those? Where did that leaf come from?

Appeal to the senses - help your kids focus on the sensory experience. Smell, feel, sounds

Just don't forget the sunscreen, I bet you end up out there awhile.

Don't forget about mother's day, this could be the last day to make sure it arrives

The 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Mother's Day Gift Guide

Fastastic tasting organic coffee

Save 25% on 20 Tulips for Mom plus FREE vase, $29.99 at ProFlowers! Offer ends 5.9.08 @ 12a EST.

Express Ship in time for Mother's Day - Limoges Jewelry!

10% off all Gift Baskets with promo code ZK-8978

Tips and Tools

As we draw closer to mothers day, I think it only fitting to post about things that will help all mothers, stay at home, working, both, ect...

Here are some good links where moms can go for ideas, help, information, support or to vent.

Working Mom Support Group
Get Advice, Share Stories & Connect With Working Mothers Just Like You

Working Mother
Based on the magazine, provides businesswomen with tools, knowledge, and industry connections.

Stay At Home Moms Meetups, events, clubs and ...
Stay at Home Moms Meet nearby ! Come to a local Stay at Home Moms Meetup for friendship and reassurance, parenting and career advice, stories and fun.

Money saving ideas for frugal stay at home moms

Ideas, resources, and job opportunities for stay at home moms

Money tips for stay-at-home moms - TODAY 101 - MSNBC.com

Oct 10, 2007 ... Sharon Epperson, author of "The Big Payoff," shares financial advice for women who take care of their kids full-time, or are thinking about ...

New Mom Tips – Advice for Moms – Fun Ideas for Moms
Get advice for moms and new mom tips with Mom.LifeTips.com. Learn about traveling with small children, activities for moms and children, easy money saving ...

Kids' Tools for Searching the Internet
A page of search input boxes from web search engines that have compiled and/or screened sites for content appropriate to children.

Children Tools: Elementary Grades

Children Tools: Elementary Grades. Kids Meeting Kids Organization Links and information concerning human rights for children. Kids Search Engine ...

There are so many places to find tools and tips on the internet. I have tried to cover a few different areas to give you an idea and a place to start.

Overall the best thing a mother can do is find some sort of support group - that could be family, friends, neighbors, local community or all of the above. If you don't have someone to talk to you just wont make it.