Like most parents, I read a lot about how to be a good parent. I’ve come to realize that a lot of it is crap. Some of it is good, but a lot of it is not. Four of my friends have recently given birth (to happy, healthy little ones – congratulations!). For some reason, I was asked for advice. Given that my friends have different nationalities, religions, and even political affiliations, I really thought about what might be some good universal advice. I came up with 2 things: 1. Read to your kids – Both my husband and...
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A fun and frugal weekend
After traveling last weekend, everyone was ready to take it easy. We wanted to get out and enjoy nature this weekend, and were thinking about taking a short trip (less than 2 hours) to a state park. However, on Friday evening, we pulled out our atlas, and found a nature center that was only 15 miles away! We decided to head over there on Saturday morning, and had a lot of fun. If it hadn’t been for the humidity, we would have stayed longer (our bassett hound is a trooper, but she doesn’t do well in high heat combined...
We found a program for the kid
If you’ve been following some of my previous posts, you know that a recent source of stress in our lives has been finding a program for the kid for the next school year. It seems like some good karma has come our way, and we found something that is a great fit. My kid is only 2, so we’re trying to find something that doesn’t last all day, but gives him the chance to interact with other kids. We always go to the free story time at our local library (as well as visit the library at least once...
I started my Christmas shopping today
We’ve been putting aside $25 a month for Christmas. I know that this doesn’t sound like a lot, but keep the following things in mind: 1. My husband and I don’t buy each other gifts for Christmas. Seriously. If one of us wants or needs something, we discuss it and then plan appropriately. Besides, with the birth of our son, we both get more joy watching him open presents. 2. We don’t spend a lot on family. In the past few years, we have sent framed pictures or photo books as gifts using gift certificates and other discounts. I...
The most elite mothers group ever?
Warning: Rant ahead… I live in a smaller town. There used to be an online mothers group, of which I was a member. At some point, a bunch of the mothers decided to open another group in which you have to know another mom to get in. The old group is now gone. This is all fine with me. I understand the safety issues involved with online forums, especially ones in which groups of children will be meeting together. I know two of the mothers who are members of the new group, and I signed up for the new...
Sesame Place is pretty nice!
We took our 2-year-old to Sesame Place on Wednesday. Sesame Street is the only television show he watches, and since Sesame Place is relatively close (within 3 hours), we thought it would be a nice family outing. Overall, I think this is a great place to take your younger kids. The park is not huge, and it has a lot of water attractions that are geared towards little ones. Since we went on a Wednesday, it was not crowded at all. Characters from Sesame Place are outside during different times of the day, and you can take pictures with...
We took a day trip – be back tomorrow
We had a blast today – my husband took the day off, and we took the kid to Sesame Place. I’ll write more tomorrow, but I give this place three thumbs up if you have little ones!
Craft stores make great discount toy stores
Until I had a kid of my own, I never realized what a great resource craft stores could be for toys. Not only do they have some great hands-on gifts and crafts for kids, but most of the larger craft store chains will print coupons in the Sunday paper for 40%-50% off of a single regular priced item. Here are just a couple of things I have found: 1. Christmas gifts for my niece: She is creative, and always loves the things we send – I have been able to purchase the large art kits (with pens, markers, crayons,...
Free books for kids from Dolly Parton
We are regular visitors to our local library. A month or so ago, I was a little surprised to see Dolly Parton’s smiling face on a brochure at the children’s desk. After a moment of wondering how Dolly manages to look exactly the same as she did 25 years ago, curiosity got the best of me and I picked up the brochure. Dolly, bless her soul, has started a program called the Imagination Library. This program partners with local communities to provide free books (1 per month) for any child under the age of 5 who signs up. Here...
Getting kids back into a routine after traveling
It’s not quite 10am, and my 2-year-old son is down for a nap (he usually sleeps in the early afternoon). He has a gym class at 10:30am, but won’t be going. The one part of traveling that I don’t like is trying to get the kid back into a routine. I follow 3 rules to help get my little one back on track: 1. Let them sleep: Most kids need to catch up on sleep after traveling, whether they like to admit it or not. Between 8 and 9 am this morning, my son had a serious case of...
