Search Results for: blog does everyone in your family know what to do in an emergency

A Child’s Self Esteem and the Frugal Life

My daughter came home the other day from a doll playdate. The girls all brought their 18-inch dolls, you know the American Girl Doll kind. My daughter does have a real American Girl Doll, given to her on her birthday after more than four years on her wish list and some creative saving. She is fond of that doll, and has never once complained about the fact that it is her only one (it is not unusual for her peers to have three or four of these dolls as well as all of the accessories). She did complain though that … Continue reading →

Emergency Kit

Every time I walk into my basement I feel a little guilty. I live in Utah, pretty much the preparedness capital of America and I am unprepared. I think part of that is that I don’t know what I’m preparing for and the second thing holding me back is that I tend to overwhelm myself. If three days of food is good a month would be better. No, wait! I better get a year! So I overwhelm myself with the sheer volume of stuff I think I need to keep my family safe. Then I worry about us being in … Continue reading →

Budgeting For Those With Irregular Incomes

Everybody knows the importance of creating a budget to keep your finances on track. There are some situations that make creating and sticking to a budget difficult. Irregular income is certainly one of these. If one or both wage-earners in a family are self-employed or work at jobs that do not pay on a traditional regularly-timed, predictable earning schedule it is hard to know how much money is going to come through the door each month. Unfortunately, the world does not provide exceptions for those of us with irregular incomes. Your bills are due on the same day every month … Continue reading →

Do You Bundle?

Today, I came across an interesting personal finance website. Bundle.com is a site where you can see how you spend your money in a visual format. On the site, you can track all of the things that you do with money from bank accounts to credit cards and investments. The program categorizes your spending and creates graphs and charts so that you can see your finances in visual form. Also, Bundle tracks the spending habits of many people all over the world. You can see what other people in your local area are spending and what they are spending their … Continue reading →

Car Seats

When I was pregnant, I was very intimidated by car seats. They seemed complicated to install and I was worried about the consequences of doing it wrong. What if I got into a car accident and the seat wasn’t secure? Fortunately, the hospital where I gave birth had a free car seat check. It was a quick appointment. The women showed me how to properly install my car seat, gave me some tips for getting it snug, and then actually installed it for me. I received some free car seat safety information as well as an identification sticker to place … Continue reading →

Architectural Housing Design Reflects Increasing Social Isolation

Most people over the age of 35 have some awareness of the changing atmosphere of suburban life over the last couple of decades. Leaving aside high rise inner city apartment blocks, most people a mere 20 years ago knew the names of most of their neighbors. Some even had barbeques and football nights together. Everyone kept a subtle eye on each others kids and, more importantly, kids knew their neighbors well enough to be able to call on them in an emergency. This is seldom the case these days. People can love in a suburban street for years and never … Continue reading →

Time Out!

We’ve no doubt all heard of children being given ‘time out’ at school or in the home for wrong behavior. For a marriage ‘time out’ can be a beneficial time. Of course ‘time out’ doesn’t have to be a negative thing. I’m not talking about ‘time out’ for wrong behavior. I’m thinking more of ‘time out’ away from the family, even if they’re in the same house. Let me explain, Is there a time or place when you and your spouse get to talk without being interrupted by children and other demands? If not, there should be. Why not set … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Month in Review: November 2008

I hope that you had a good holiday with your little one(s). November went by so fast, it is hard to believe that december and the holidays are already upon us. Here are all of the blogs that we posted last month in the Baby Blog. November 1st Baby Blog Week in Review: October 20th Through October 26th As parents, we always worry about our children. It is so important to stay informed, whether it is an issue with BPA in plastics or baby clothing that is causing medical issues. Explore the posts in the Baby Blog for the week … Continue reading →

Frugal Month in Review: November 2008

November to be is the beginning of two things. The holiday season starts with Thanksgiving, and then there is winter. Despite the fact that winter doesn’t officially start until next month, the fall seems to give way to the winter in November anyway. We had a day of snow already. Here is looking ahead to December and the end of the year! November 1st Frugal Month in Review: October 2008 “Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” – George Eliot. November 2 … Continue reading →

Setting Boundaries When You Have a Mental Illness

It’s important for everyone to have a healthy set of personal boundaries, but even more important when you suffer from a mental illness. Boundaries take many shapes and forms, such as how you let people speak to you or speaking up if you feel you are being belittled because of your illness. Today, however, I would like to talk about once specific boundary in particular. It is when others use the fact that you have a mental illness to their advantage. Let’s take a look at the case of Megan. Megan suffers from agoraphobia, but like many mental illnesses, the … Continue reading →