Monday, September 29, 2014

7 Crippling Parenting Behaviors that Limit Your Child's Success

(Forbes.com)

I found this article from Forbes magazine who is also doing a good parenting series, called "7 Crippling Behaviors that Limit Our Child's Success".  Here is a link to it.  It was a really great article with good insights.

I have to add my own two cents in here too.  I think one more crippling behavior is that sometimes we "validate" our childrens' tendency to behave as "victims".  When kids are mean to them at school, we teach them that those kids are mean and they should be nicer.  We go to the principle, or talk to the teacher and behave as if it is others' responsibility to make our kids happy.  But I'm wondering if this isn't a little bit backwards.  We can't change the outside world...there will always be mean kids, or hard circumstances.  Maybe we have to change our kids, to be able to be stronger inside:  strong enough to handle hard times.  They have to know that true happiness comes from within, and that they can be happy in spite of kids who are mean, or circumstances that are hard.  We can strengthen our children and teach them coping skills.  We can teach them how to find happiness in developing their talents, strengthening family relationships, or reaching out to other kids who might need a friend.  That way they don't have to depend on others for happiness, and though they might feel bad  that life is not exactly the way they would like it, they can still be happy.

I just think that we do our children a disservice by trying to smooth the way for them.  Life will always be hard.  So maybe the answer is that they need strength within, so they will always be up to the challenges life throws at them.   And we need to teach them how to do it.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Is Time Out BAD for your Child?

(child-behavior-guide.com)

New brain studies show that it may be.  Here is a link to an article about the study.  I used to give my children time-outs, but I did notice some of the things it said in this article, so I decided linking priveliges to correct behavior works much better.  (i.e.  Tommy, you can play with this toy after you put the silverware away....or I'm going to put this toy up, until you can agree how best to share it.)  Also, after asking them to obey, getting up and physically helping them to obey with a patient tone of voice also works.  I really liked the suggestions in the article.  What did you think?

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Should you give your child an Allowance?

(financesonline.com)

I have to say, I agree with the people who say, "allowance" implies giving something away for free.  But whatever you call it, it's important to teach children that they need to earn what they get.  Giving an allowance is not bad, as long as the children know that it is tied to their efforts, and that it diminishes if the effort wanes.

In our family we like to assign chores to the children just because they live in the family and have to help out.  However, we also make EXTRA jobs available for pay.  This is important because children need to learn how to manage their money.

When they do earn money, it's important to teach correct principles about budgeting, but then let them choose for themselves.  This is one area where it is pretty safe to let them make mistakes and learn from their experience.

Here is a link to a whole list of articles on teaching kids about money.  There is also a great book called, "The Entitlement Trap" by Linda and Richard Eyre, which is really helpful to read when deciding how to teach kids about money.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Dealing with Power Struggles

(www.crownheights.info)

Power struggles are a daily fact of life in parenting.  Your child is going to want to establish independence, and this is good!  It's when they think you are standing in the way of their independence that the power struggles begin.  How can you keep them safe, guide them and teach them while still letting them explore their independence?  Here are some tips that have helped in our family.

1. Let them make choices-  This is hard sometimes as a parent, but children need to practice making choices.  You even need to let them make bad choices, so they can learn from the consequences.  For instance, you might say, "Johnny, it's pretty cold out today, I don't know if you want to wear shorts to school."  Then if they still insist, you can let them do it, and they will learn.  But let them choose their outfits and the way they wear their hair.  Let them choose their activities.  Give them a list of activities to choose from that will work for your schedule.

2. When assigning tasks, also let them choose.  This works well to avoid power struggles about chores.  If you have a list of tasks they can choose from, it will go much better, as they feel the power when they pick the task themselves.

3.  Take yourself out of the equation.  For example: set a timer or play some music if it needs to be done in a certain amount of time. Then they don't have to fight against you...they are working against a timer, or trying to finish before the music does.

4. Let them choose WHEN they do things.  Perhaps you can't give them a choice of what to do, but you could give them a choice of WHEN to do it.

5.  While they make choices, teach them the consequences of the choice they are about to make.  Of course, if the consequence is unsafe, then you must step in and take the option away.  But you can direct them to new choices.  Re-direction of their attention is also an effective tool, especially with young children.

6.  Teaching them to do things for themselves is another way to take yourself out of the equation, so they don't have to feel like they need to fight against you.  I know a mother whose son fought eating at dinner every day.  Finally she taught him how to make himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Each night she put the peanut butter and jelly at the table, and after he tasted two bites of the food, he could make himself a sandwich.  This solved the problem!  No more power struggles!

I hope these things ideas will help reduce the power struggles in your home as well!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Children Need Routines

(aboutourkids.org)

I am a "fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants" kind of person.  I enjoy being creative.  I don't like charts.  I loathe checklists.  And I despise routines, but I had to change when I had children, and this is why.

Children THRIVE on routine.

Think about this.  A child is basically powerless about how his day will go each day.  He is totally dependent on the whims and opinions of others whether or not (and when) each thing happens daily.

So if sometimes he get's lunch when he's hungry, but many times he doesn't, he's going to feel pretty insecure about getting his hunger taken care of.  And he's going to be whiny.  He's going to bug you until it drives you crazy about what he's going to have for lunch and when it's going to be.

Routines give children security because they can count on what to expect each day.  As children get older, they can handle more disruption from routine.  They "get" that even if lunch is late, it will still come.  So the younger the child, the more routine they need.

I learned how well children thrive on routine when I took in a foster child for a while.  Someone told me to make a chart, so the child would know what to expect, and not feel so lost in a new home.  I thought that sounded like a good idea, so I made up a chart of the daily routine, rules, and a list of what kind of behavior was expected in the home.  The foster child LOVED it!  But my own children loved it even more.  They went crazy over it.  I was shocked because I thought they didn't care about routine.  Apparently I was wrong.  And ever since then, I've relied on routines to help my children feel more secure and well cared for.

I have to tell you...it works.  They are way less whiny.  And much happier.  What kind of routines have worked for you in your family?

Monday, September 22, 2014

Genius Parenting Hacks!

I had to share these parenting ideas found on buzzfeed.com.  Some of them are seriously brilliant!



Saturday, September 20, 2014

How to Stop The Whining

meaningfulmama.com

It's every mother's nightmare:  whining, crying kids as you're trying to get dinner ready, or when they come home from school, and especially just before bed.  How can you get a handle on it and reduce it in your home?

It's important to teach children not to whine and cry for things they want.  Not only does it make everyone miserable, it's not good for the child's self-esteem.  I learned early on some tricks that helped to lessen and even eliminate the whining in our home.

1.  Make sure the children have regular meals and snacks.  Many times children whine because they are hungry and they don't realize it.

2.  Make sure they are getting enough sleep.  And don't forget teens need as much sleep as a toddler does.

3. Make sure they are getting enough attention and love and touch.  Many times you just have to stop what you are doing and talk to them or rock them in a rocking chair for a few minutes.  They just need reassurance during the busy times of the day.

4.  Tell young ones to "use their words" to tell you what is wrong.

5.  If the above doesn't work, tell them they need to go to their room to calm down.  Let them come out when they are calm.  We used to tell the kids, you can whine in your room to your pillow, but you can't whine at other people, so you have to go in your room when you whine.  (This is not a punishment...this is just a calming down period.)  When they come out, give them a giant hug and tell them how proud you are that they stopped whining.  Ask them if they want to talk about what was bothering them in a nice voice.  Let them go play if they've forgotten about it, which will be the case nine times out of ten.

These are methods you can use that will help eliminate whining.  If they know it's not acceptable near you, and they have to go to their rooms to calm down...they usually can control themselves after awhile.  Hope this helps you to regain your sanity!  I know it helped me!  Here is another great article on whining from meaningfulmama.com


Friday, September 19, 2014

The Good Kid Project

(www.bhg.com)

I was so excited to see in Better Homes and Gardens they are doing a year-long series called the "Good Kid Project," where they explore the twelve qualities children need to develop to succeed.  This month they are talking about perseverance.  In previous months they've talked about civility, compassion, and self-reliance.  You can read about it here.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Family Traditions are Important

(http://www.family-reunion-success.com)

In many ways, family traditions provide some of the glue that holds families together.  We have traditions of caramel apples on Halloween, acting out the Nativity and eating clam chowder on Christmas Eve, skiing on the day after Christmas, hunting for Easter baskets, family reunions, a neighborhood block party on the 4th of July, and also hunting for gold coins on St. Patrick's day.  These are things that children look forward to and give them happy memories to improve their bond with the family and give them stability.  Here is a great article listing many family traditions that you could start in your own family!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Should you make your Teens clean their Room?

(wahm-articles.com)

As teens get older, they get busier.  And for some reason, they also get messier.  If you thought it would be easier when the kids got older to keep their room clean, it's just not true.  This is because not only have they acquired a lifetime of "stuff," they start to become possessive and really private about what goes on in their territory.

Because you have to pick your battles at this age, I am going to give you permission to let their rooms be messier than you would like.  I have no authority whatsoever to do this, but I have found that giving teens a little autonomy over things that don't matter much, goes a long way.  This will enable you to have "capital" when there are things you really need to control in their lives.

However, if you let it go for too long, it could be a health hazard.  In our family we make their Saturday job to clean their bedrooms (and sometimes it happens every other Saturday, depending on soccer game schedules).  They have to do this before they go out with their friends.  By this time, they've all been taught how to clean the bathrooms, and various other Saturday chores, so I'm not worried about training them for life, so I don't mind giving them their rooms each week instead of other things.  If you do this, then it will at least get cleaned once a week and you won't have to worry about mice or other such things.

I know, it sound less clean than you would like, especially when you go under their bed and find that they have a toilet paper collection, but I promise, it will pay off.  If you pick your battles your relationship will be stronger.  And that's the most important thing at this rocky stage.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Amazing!

My kids tell me this is an old video but, last night when I saw this I was in awe.  This is why I love children.  They are just so beautiful...and amazing!


Saturday, September 13, 2014

Should you Start a weekly Family Night?

(www.edgewood-nm.gov)

We have a family fun night each week and it allows our family to stay connected in ways that are important.  Here are the things we do that make it fun.

1. With younger children it helps to start with a song.  It really brings their attention to focus and it feels like a celebration is starting.  (We actually still sing even though our children are older, but I think you have to start that tradition while they are young or it won't work).

2.  We have a lesson on family or religious values.  This has been huge.  It has really allowed us to have a regular time to talk about these things that are important to our family.  It is really great to have this forum for discussion, and I can see the great effect it has on our children.

3. We have a fun game or activity-  Sometimes we have talent shows, olympics, walks, helping our neighbors, or just a board game.  We've even gone swimming or roasted marshmallows in our backyard.

4. We make a treat- Everyone looks forward to this.  We make it that night together sometimes, but many times I assign a child to make it ahead of time.  They LOVE this.  It also helps them learn how to cook.

That's it!  Super simple and super fun!  Don't expect your kids to sit still while you lecture.  Make it a discussion, and be patient with wiggly little ones.  Hope your family has fun with this idea!


Friday, September 12, 2014

Lack of Experience and Brain Development

(www.i-ortho.com)

I wanted to write a post about why we should all be more patient with our teens.  Sometimes teenagers act like little adults.  It certainly seems that they should have the same judgement we do when they are making decisions.  But then we are surprised when they do something so silly, we can't understand where it came from.  For instance, once my son put off starting his homework until MIDNIGHT.  Yes, midnight, in spite of reminders to get going on his homework by his parents...and then he started a couple of HUGE assignments that were due the next day...and finally went to sleep at 5am.  He had to get up at 6am.

Needless to say, I was perplexed.  He seems like such a sensible boy.  Why would he do something so dumb?  Anyway, he went to school and had a very hard time staying awake in his classes, and hopefully that taught him his lesson.

But seriously, why do they act that way?  There have been studies done recently on the teenage brain that offer some answers.  They have found that teenagers' cerebral cortex, the front part of the brain that helps with judgement doesn't start its huge development until age 16.  (One reason why it's good to make teens wait to date until 16).  Also they don't have the experience to make good judgements yet, so sometimes they do really dumb stuff.

So if this happens to you, and it will...it's a good idea to remember the above and teach instead of criticizing.  Help them learn from their experiences by talking about it with them often.  It will preserve the relationship much better if we are patient with our teens as they learn.

There is a book that explains why teens have these problems called, "Why do they Act that Way?" by Dr. David Walsh, PhD, which can really help you understand teens better and have more patience with them.  It has helped me to be more understanding when my teens have made some really dumb decisions.

Here it is:


Thursday, September 11, 2014

How to help your child talk to their Teachers

(www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au)

This is a timely subject with school starting up.  It has been my experience with all of my children that they are afraid to talk to their teachers about problems they have in school.  It doesn't matter what the problem is: late homework, trouble hearing in the class, not understanding the material.  They would rather die before talking with their teacher about it.

So we've had to come up with some solutions, especially because in our town, teachers take a dim view of "helicopter" parents who interfere with the teacher/child relationship.

So here is what we've done:

1. Make sure the child meets the teacher on 'back to school night' and talks with them so they are not so scary.

2. Go to conferences and tell the teacher that your child is afraid of talking with them as an authority figure.  This sometimes helps them to be softer toward your child, making it less scary.

3.  Don't ever interfere yourself about things like late homework.  This sets a precedent, and then your child will fight ever doing it themselves.

4.  Email the teacher beforehand and tell her that your child is going to talk with them, and they are really nervous about it...so the teacher can be sensitive.

5. When misunderstandings occur, help the child email the teacher and explain her real feelings.  The email is less scary and threatening and sometimes the child feels more comfortable with this format of communication.

6.  Keep encouraging them to talk to their teacher.  The child may just need lots of pep talks, and "you can do it" speeches.  That seemed to work with our oldest daughter.

7. Role Play-  play the part of the teacher while your child talks to you, in order to practice.

8. If it's something really important, you will need to talk to the teacher yourself.  You can determine what's important by thinking;  "Is this an adult issue, or one a child can handle?"


Each child is different, but hopefully there is some advice here that may help.  Good luck!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Clean Family Comedy


It can be hard sometimes to find good clean comedy that the whole family can enjoy, so I'm going to share one of the shows we like to watch on Youtube as a family.

Have you seen Studio C?  It is really good, clean, funny, comedy that our family loves to watch when we have a few spare moments in the evening.  Having a good laugh together helps families bond with each other.  It also has been proven to reduce stress...and so can help your family in that way as well.  Just wanted to share in hopes that you enjoy it as much as we do!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Teen Girls and Dating

Here is a good message to share with your teen when she is discouraged that no boys ask her on dates.  I shared it with my daughter last night and she loved it.




We let our kids start dating at sixteen, when they are a little more mature and can handle it better.  She is getting close and worried that no boys have noticed her.  I talked to her a lot about the role of dating in high school, which is for fun, and learning how to act with the opposite sex, but not relationships.  Group dating is the best idea at this age, I think.  I also warn her about abuse and things.  Keeping up communications with your teen during this critical time is key, I think.



Monday, September 8, 2014

New Parenting Humor Story!

Thought I'd post another parenting humor story written for my next book, but that I decided to take out so the book wouldn't be too long.  Hope you enjoy!

(cityofmeriden.org)


Eels on Wheels

I try hard to be an example to others.  And sometimes, despite the fact that my library fines exceed the national debt and I re-gifted my best friend’s Christmas carrot cake last year, I’m even a good one.  This is why I decided to invite my mother to go with me when I signed up to take meals to the elderly.  I thought I might show her the great and marvelous things I do to help and lift people in need, and I also hoped it would erase the memory of the last time I tried to be an example by fixing her expensive venetian blinds so they no longer went up and down.

“Don’t worry,” I told my mother as I loaded all the meals in the car.  “It won’t take more than a half an hour.  I’ve done this hundreds of times.  I’m a pro by now.”

“Yeah.  And she’s not going to send any old ladies into diabetic comas either, by mixing up the desserts like she did last time,” said my teenage daughter, who had been recruited along with the other kids to help out.

My mother’s eyebrows shot up.

“She’s exaggerating,” I said.  “It wasn’t a coma, just a little bit of insulin shock that’s all, nothing that couldn’t be remedied with a piece of hard candy.” 

My mother cleared her throat nervously.

“Relax,” I said, shooting my daughter a warning look.  “Really…things are going to be just fine.  I know what I’m doing.”

My mother nodded but sat stiffly in her chair.  She didn’t believe a word I said.  She had raised me and knew what kind of trouble I could be to society at large when I decided to be helpful.

I set out to prove her wrong.  

The first four deliveries went smoothly.  The kids fought over who got to carry what as we all stampeded toward the homes of the elderly.

“Just leave it on the porch,” said one lady, who took one look at the pandemonium coming toward her house with bowls of spaghetti and refused to open the door.

“Mind the flowers,” snapped another, fending my son away from her perennial beds with her cane.  

My mother chose to watch from the car.  She said she didn’t want to add to the confusion.

I tried to explain that there was no confusion when suddenly I got confused.  We were ready to deliver to the fifth house when I noticed we were out of wheat bread.  

“Oh no,” I moaned.  “This always happens.  I gave the last lady wheat when I was supposed to give her white.”

“Can white bread trigger diabetic comas?” my daughter asked my mother, tapping her on the shoulder.

“Hush,” I snapped, “I need to think for a minute.”

“Last time you just had the little kids take it to the door, so she would be distracted by their cuteness and not look at the color of the bread,” said my son.

“Oh, I did not,” I said.  “I’m sure I just explained the situation to her.”

“Yeah,” said my eight-year-old, explaining to her grandma.  “That’s because we believe in being honest, true, and chased by an elephant.”

My mother gave me a bewildered stare.

“She means chaste and benevolent, not chased by an elephant," I huffed. Okay, look,” I continued, chewing my nails, “Maybe she won’t care about the bread.  Let’s just take it to the door.”  I loaded everything but the bowl of spaghetti into the hands of my two youngest children.  

“Try to look as sweet and adorable as you can,” I whispered, shoving them down the sidewalk.  

My mother rolled her eyes and put her hand to her forehead.  

“It can’t hurt,” I said, shrugging.  Unfortunately my shrug was a little too enthusiastic, and I shrugged the bowl of spaghetti right into the juniper bushes.

I heard a groan from where my mother was sitting.

“No worries,” I called reaching down to grab it, “It’s still covered.  Oo. Ouch.  These bushes are prickly.” 

I smiled at my mother.   She sank lower into her seat.

“Aha! I’ve got it!” I cried lifting it from the place where it had become wedged.  But as I pulled it free it was knocked from my hand by another prickly branch.  It flew toward the street in what seemed like slow motion, and then landing on its side, it began rolling down the hill.

“Noooooooooo,” I yelled, running after it.

“On top of spaghetti…,” my children sang at the top of their voices, “all covered with cheese.”  They collapsed into giggles.

“A little help, please…” I hollered, scrambling after the wayward bowI.  No one came.  They were too incapacitated by laughter.   I saw someone peering out of the curtains of the front window of the house we were supposed to deliver to as I sprinted past.

“Tell her I’ll be right there with the spaghetti,” I yelled at my youngest children who were still edging toward the door.

I madly chased the bowl, yelling insults at it, as it tumbled down the steep hill until finally, it collided with the tire of a confused motorist who had slammed on his brakes to avoid running over the crazy lady who was hollering and chasing a bowl of spaghetti .

“Doesn’t look much like spaghetti anymore,” said my son, eyeing the remaining contents of the bowl, when I returned to the car.  “Looks like a pile of eels.”

“Eels,” I said, between wheezes, clutching my stomach.  “We could try to pass it off as Japanese cuisine.”

“Oh honestly,” snorted my mother.

“Yeah, except she might break her teeth on the rocks,” yelled my teenager from the back seat.  “And you can’t fix that with hard candy.”

I looked at the sweet elderly lady, giving me puzzled looks as she tried to keep my youngest son from playing with the rocks in her Zen garden with her cane.  

“You like turkey and swiss?” I called to the woman, showing my mother that if honesty doesn’t work, at least I could be benevolent.   “I know a great sandwich shop just down the street.”

“That’d be fine, dear” she said, “As long as it’s on wheat bread.” 

“Wheat bread,” I muttered to myself as I stumbled back into the car, “I’ll give you wheat bread.”   I looked over toward my mother who was chuckling to herself. 

“What?” I said.  “She says she likes turkey.”

My mother continued laughing as she maneuvered the rear view mirror in my direction.  “It’s not that.”  Then she pointed to my head.  “It’s just…you might want to comb your hair before you come back,” she said.  “You look like you’ve been chased by an elephant.”






Saturday, September 6, 2014

Should you get your child a cell phone?

(theguardian.com)


This is an important question that faces many parents.  It is a polarizing issue and each side has many good points.  Let me put out a disclaimer before I start that my teens have cell phones. We've experimented a bit with this issue and have come to some conclusions through the mistakes we have made.  I hope to help other parents avoid the traps we fell into by stating our opinions, but note that they are opinions, and each family and child are different, maybe requiring differing strategies.  Here are some points to consider when buying a child a cell phone.

1.  There is an entitlement issue to be considered when buying a cell phone.  We noticed that our children began to act more "privileged" and kind of spoiled when we just gave them a cell phone...so we switched to having them pay the bill themselves.  That way they felt less entitled.  We also take it away when they are not fulfilling their responsibilities at home.

2. Is your child old enough to handle it?  Especially with internet being available, you have to look at your child's age and temperament to determine if they are ready.  We gave one daughter a cell phone at age 13.  She was too young.  The internet can be addictive, and it was getting in the way of her doing her homework.  She also stopped working on developing her talents and just played on her phone all the time.  We took it away and tried it again at age 15.  It worked better then and she was able to control herself.

3.  Can you block pornography?  We actually do not give our boys cell phones that have internet.  It is just too tempting for them, and why make it harder for them than it already is?

4. Are they using it late into the night?  You may need to take all cell phones away at a certain time each night to be sure they are not tempted to do this, as they need their sleep.  Some children are not mature enough to do that themselves.

5.  Are they becoming addicted to the games on there?  It's something to watch out for.  Minecraft has been particularly addictive in my family.

6.  Check their texts regularly to be sure they are not misusing it for anything or being bullied.

These are just some issues to consider as you think about a cell phone.  Hope it helps as you make this decision in your family.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Building Relationships with extended Family


After we had a brother-in-law die in our family, I've been thinking a lot about the importance of extended family relationships.  We've really been able to help that family after the tragedy because of the close relationship we had with them before it happened.  It's always a pain to go see my parents who live six hours away, but I do it as much as I can, because it's important for my kids to develop that relationship.  It gives them a more solid base of love from which to draw from.  It helps their self-esteem and makes them more stable.

When I was young, my mother had a rocky relationship with her in-laws.  But I never knew it.  She just quietly kept taking us to see them even though it was hard for her.  As a result, I have the happiest memories of the love of my grandparents.  Even if it's hard, it's important to make the sacrifice to build those relationships.  It will bless your family forever.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

And the Winner Is.....


FINALLY!  My sister-in-law came to the rescue and picked this one out for me.  So we ordered it!  I'm so excited!  She said I needed less cherry and a contrasting wood in my table to brighten the room up a bit.  I am so decorating challenged!  But that's great because otherwise, how would I have funny stories to write about?  

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Table Advice?

We are trying to pick out a new table for our kitchen since we have new traditional style cherry cabinets!  Our old table is yellow wood and quite country looking so it doesn't match very well.  Here are the ones we've been looking at.  Which one do you like best?  Which is practical for a family of seven?  I'm having a hard time deciding....  Sorry the pictures are blurry...they only had thumbnails that I could transfer to the blog.  But here's the link to the search I did if you want to see better pictures...  Are there any other good sites out there?











Tuesday, September 2, 2014

How to Travel more Cheaply with Children

(www.familyvacationcritic.com/)

We love to make memories by traveling with our kids, but it can get expensive!  Here are some things we've done in the past to make traveling more cost friendly:

1. The most effective thing we do is avoid eating out.  We always bring our own sandwich fixings and things, or stop at a grocery store to feed the family more cheaply on the road.  This will bring down your bill a LOT!

2. Stay with family and friends.  Over the years we've met a lot of people and they've moved on to different places in the world.  We usually plan our vacations to visit them.  And we love it when they come and visit us in return!

3. Go camping!  So fun!  And the kids love to play in the lakes and streams all day, so they're very easy to entertain!

4. Visit all the free sites! Do your research!  There are always parks and museums and national parks that are really low cost or free.  We always visit these first.

5. Bring treats to the sites so you're not tempted to buy them there, and also bring your own lunch.

6.  If you must stay at a hotel, stay in one with free breakfast and a microwave/fridge, so you can cook meals there.  Or some even have kitchenettes.  It will save you more money in the long run.

7. Take the public transportation rather than a cab.

8. Use hotwire.com to get lower rates on hotels/travel/cars.

9. Travel off season to get better rates on hotels/condos etc...


Here are some more articles on traveling cheaply with a family:

Cheapfamilytraveltips.com

10 ways to find cheap flights

Rick Steve's thrifty tips




Monday, September 1, 2014

My Favorite Cooking Website


I love the Skinnytaste.com website because everything I've made from it is DELICIOUS!  And healthy!  My family loves it too! And the recipes are pretty quick to prepare. We just recently made this  Embarrassingly Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken:


And it was AWESOME!  Have fun exploring and experimenting on the site!  You'll be glad you did!