Teach Your Kids How to Spot Fake News

Parents should give their children the tools they need to safely navigate their way through the plethora of information that can be found online. Teach them how to spot fake news. Fake news is an article, website, or social media post that was created with intentionally false information. It is usually designed to evoke a strong emotional response – which urges people to share the fake news on social media. Example: Someone made a Twitter account that used what looked a lot like the icon for the BBC. The fake account used a photo of the Queen of England and … Continue reading

Why you Should Read to your Baby

Do you read to your baby? The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines that recommend that parents read to their newborn infants. Some parents may not be doing that because it never occurred to them that babies benefit from being read to. There are some very good reasons for parents to read to their babies and young children! The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that parents who read to their children nurture not only their children’s literary skills, but also much more. They have put together some easy to read information that points out the benefits that come … Continue reading

Things You Should Do For Yourself Right Now

Are you someone who makes an effort to help, comfort, and pamper your loved ones? It has been said that many people take much better care of their friends and family than they do of themselves. Typically, there are more women than men that have this tendency, but it does include both genders. Now is the time to start taking good care of yourself, too! Here are some things you can start with right this minute. LifeBuzz posted an article that contained 30 things that everyone should start doing for themselves. You can view it as a guide to better … Continue reading

Debt and Marriage: How It is Tough to Love When You Owe

Many couples enter into a marriage with debt already in hand. Others accumulate debt together. Either way, nurturing a loving relationship can be hard when debt is hanging over your head. In fact, according to a study by Jeffrey Dew at Utah State University, couples who reported disagreeing about finance once a week were over 30 percent more likely to get divorced than couples who reported disagreeing about finances only a few times a month. Another inference can be made from this study: there is a whole lot of disagreement about money out there. Debt is a source of contention. … Continue reading

The Truth About Your Diet During Pregnancy

One of the assumptions I made about pregnancy prior to becoming pregnant is I’d have a diet-related Get out of Jail Free card.  I knew that there are certain foods it’s best to avoid, but I thought at least I’d have a free pass to eat, well, not quite as much as I wanted, but to feel a bit more guilt-free about evening ice cream binges. That turned out not to be the case at all.  First off, the whole “eating for two” thing isn’t true.  At most, you should eat for one and a quarter.  In addition to that, … Continue reading

Make Your Own Snow Cone Syrup

Cut down on the cost and eliminate the high fructose corn syrup when you make your own snow cone syrup. It is easy and inexpensive. What are summer days without a snow cone? This classic summer treat can bring smiles to practically any child. I remember my childhood summers. One of my favorite “toys” was my snoopy snow cone machine. It took a lot of work to get enough shaved ice to make one small snow cone, but it was worth every moment. Because my parents weren’t interested in buying any of the snow cone syrups that were available, I … Continue reading

Do You Want To Yell Less and Love More?

The past three days have been very peaceful around here. Not quite, mind you, but peaceful nonetheless. I think that I know why, too. You see, a few days ago, I came across a wonderful blog called The Orange Rhino Challenge. The blog is a chronicle of one mom’s commitment to “Yell less, love more”. Once I read about how not yelling has made a huge difference for both The Orange Rhino and her family, I decided that I, too, want to stop yelling at my kids. I do my best not to yell, but it happens. I have yet … Continue reading

Making Money When You Are Already Too Busy

These days, many of us need to find ways to make some extra money. Figuring out how to fit that in when we already have families and jobs (in the home or outside of it) to fulfill  can be tough. How do we find the time to make money when we are already so busy? Combining Jobs When I got a call last week asking if I would babysit for our church’s Women’s Bible Study that takes place one morning a week I readily agreed. While the money isn’t much, it allowed me to take my youngest child with me, … Continue reading

Organize Your Stockpile by Becoming a Shelf Life Expert

I’m always on the look out for good stock up opportunities. When something goes on sale, can be “purchased” for free with coupons, or is on a deep clearance, I instantly calculate how much of that item should come home with me. It is important to know how much, logically, you should stockpile of a particular item or category of items. For example: how many jars of peanut butter should be in your pantry  right now until the next great low price? How many boxes of pasta, packages of toilet paper or bottles of shampoo? it all depends on the … Continue reading

Seven Ways to Save $1,000 for Your Emergency Fund

Dave Ramsey, financial guru who has helped so many families get out of debt, recommends that most of us start on the path to financial solvency by first saving up $1,000 toward an emergency fund. By having a solid emergency fund, we are less likely to go into debt, should the unexpected happen, such as the home furnace needing to be replaced, the car needing to be repaired, or the experience of a medical crisis. Saving that $1,000 is the first step of Ramsey’s overall get-out-of-debt plan. How can you save that much when there doesn’t seem to be any … Continue reading