Life Skills Network

10 Mistakes Unhappy People Make

Mon, 28 May 2012 04:07:14 +0000

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass,
it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

A person does not have to be behind bars to be a prisoner. People can be prisoners of their own concepts, choices and ideas. So tell the negativity committee that meets inside your head to sit down and shut up.

When you dream, you better dream big; when you think, you better think big; and when you love, you better love truthfully. Happiness is a choice. There are no excuses for not trying to make the very best out of your life. There are no excuses for living in a way that consistently makes you unhappy.

Here are ten happiness mistakes to avoid:

Thinking that you have already missed your chance. – Your life, with all its ups and downs, has molded you for the greater good. Your life has been exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think you’ve lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the current moment. And every moment of your life, including this one right now, is a fresh start. If you have the courage to admit when you’re scared, the ability to laugh even as you cry, the nerve to speak up even if your voice is shaking, the confidence to ask for help when you need it, and the wisdom to take it when it’s offered, then you have everything you need to get yourself to a better place. Read The Power of Habit.
Using failed relationships as an excuse. – Life doesn’t always introduce you to the people you WANT to meet. Sometimes life puts you in touch with the people you NEED to meet – to help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you, and to gradually strengthen you into the person you were meant to become.
Changing who you are to satisfy others. – No matter how loud their opinions are, others cannot choose who you are. The question should not be, “Why don’t they like me when I’m being me?” It should be, “Why am I wasting my time worrying what they think of me?” If you are not hurting anyone with your actions, keep moving forward with your life. Be happy. Be yourself. If others don’t like it, then let them be. Life isn’t about pleasing everybody.
Putting up with negative people and negative thinking. – It’s time to walk away from all the drama and the people who create it. Surround (more…)

Amazon Deals: Kindle Freebies, Diaper Deals + More

Sun, 27 May 2012 16:01:49 +0000

My mom and are having a lot of fun sharing the best Amazon.com deals over at our new site, Jungle Deals & Steals. In case you missed them, here are some of this week’s hottest deals that are still available!

{Click here for the full list of current deals.}

Kindle

Diapers & Wipes

If you’re not currently a member, sign up for a 3-month trial of Amazon Mom with Amazon Primeto save an extra 15% on diapers and get FREE two-day shipping!

Toys

Grocery

Health & Personal Care

Household

Make sure you don’t miss any deals! Subscribe now by email or in a feed reader.

Amazon Deals: Kindle Freebies, Diaper Deals + More is a post from Life Your Way

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Giveaway: Get Organized with a Set of Naked Binders

Sat, 26 May 2012 16:33:53 +0000

source: Mandi Ehman

Binders can help organize pretty much anything, whether it’s around the house or for your kids.

And while there are tons of binders to choose from at any grocery, office supply or superstore, most of them end up being cheap — or expensive — plastic.

With the number of binders we use in our homes and our kids go through each year, wouldn’t it be great if there was a better choice? If you’ve been following my Naked Binder posts, you know there is!

Naked Binders are not only made from recycled materials, but they’re also 100% recyclable. They can also keep 60 million pounds of toxic material from landfills each year, improving air quality and preserving forests and wild spaces.

Here’s how:

Naked Binders are made in the USA from 100% recycled, 97-100% post-consumer waste board which means all Naked Binder products are 100% recyclable. They are proud to use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified board when making their 3-ring binders and folders and are happy to be members of 1% For The Planet in which they donate part of proceeds to environmental organizations striving to preserve the wild spaces we all love.

A sustainable binder should also be strong and good looking, so Naked Binder designed them to be both. The Naked Binder is crafted from one piece of board with the hinge pressed directly into it. This leaves no weak spots on the binder and makes for a super strong 3-ring binder. An independent lab flexed the Naked Binder 250,000 times without failing which means if you use this binder 20 times a day for 34 years, you still will not break the hinge. Now that’s strong.

So, whether you’re buying a few to use as art binders or to organize your home, you can be sure that you’re investing in a quality product that will last and that doesn’t hurt the environment on either end of its lifecycle!Features:

Made in the USA
Round or square binder spines
1”, 1.5″, 2″, 2.5″ D-Ring
Completely recyclable
100% recycled board, 97% post-consumer waste
Independently tested to 250,000+ flexes

Choose from a variety of colors and sizes for all of your needs!

Enter to Win

This week, Naked Binder is giving one lucky Life Your Way reader a set to try for themselves, including: a Naked Binder, a Naked Notebook Binder, a Project Binder, a set of Naked Tabs and a set of Notebook Tabs!

To enter, fill out the form below:

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This giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on 5/30. The winner will be selected randomly and notified by email, and this post will be updated with their name as well. Open to U.S. residents 18 years old and above.

Giveaway: Get Organized with a Set of Naked Binders is a post from Life Your Way

© 2010-2012 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Home Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.

Weekend Reading: May 26, 2012

Sat, 26 May 2012 12:27:17 +0000

source: Mandi Ehman

Last week the big girls and I headed to my mom’s so she and my sister could administer their standardized tests (WV law requires a non-parent), and to celebrate the end of the school year, we headed to Hershey Park on Thursday with the whole family!

I absolutely love the variety of “little kid” rides at Hershey Park. The three older girls were able to ride pretty much anything they wanted to ride, and the baby had quite a few choices too. Because it’s so early in the season, there were no crowds or lines on those rides, and they rode several of them half a dozen time, including the Frog Hopper, which sent them into fits of giggles and screams every time.

Of course, we had purchased our tickets before I really began researching the reality of child slave labor in the chocolate process, and as much as we loved it, I’m not sure we’ll go back since Hershey is, sadly, one such company that turns a blind eye to the source of their cocoa beans. More on that coming soon, but I really need to gather my thoughts and figure out how to make my “fair-trade chocolate only” commitment a reality in our life first…it’s harder than I thought.

In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with family and friends. Take a minute to stop and remember those who have died serving our country so that we can enjoy all of its incredible blessings!

Here are some of my favorite posts from this week. As always, check out what I’m reading to see the other posts that make me stop and think. You’ll find new posts all week long!

Organizing {Paper, Paper, Paper}

This week in the SentrySafe Spring Cleaning Blogger Challenge, I shared my tips for organizing your paper files and keeping important records safe! Head on over and like SentrySafe to see those tips. Leave me a comment for a chance to win a SentrySafe safe for your family. If my post receives the most comments, they’ll also make a $250 donation to Children’s Miracle Network, a charity that we support because of the way it has touched our family.

Food {Summertime Cookin’}

Recipe Connection: Grain-free Quinoa Bars | Kitchen Stewardship

10 Grilled Chicken Recipes | Family Kitchen

Hemp Cocoa Bites: An Easy & Wholesome Snack | Simple Bites

Finances {Save on the Things You Love}

12 Ways to Save on Vacation | Life as Mom

5 Things to Grab at Yard Sales | Emily A. Clark

How to Save Money When Buying Organic | Northern Cheapskate

For even more great posts this week, be sure to visit the Ultimate Blog Swap and discover a few new blogs to love.

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Reading: May 26, 2012 is a post from Life Your Way

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How to Find Focus When Swamped with Work

Fri, 25 May 2012 19:01:00 +0000

The following post is from Prerna of The Mom Writes:

source: Cliff

Have you been struggling to focus and finish a task, even though your plate is overflowing with work?

Are multiple deadlines looming ahead, stressing you out?

Is lack of focus a major cause of overwhelm and anxiety in your life?

Well, you’re not alone.

Most of us find it difficult to focus when we need to do it the most. We get pulled in a million directions and we don’t know which ones to follow or complete.

Here are some simple ways to find focus when you’re dealing with multiple responsibilities, to-dos and deadlines:

1. Use a To-Do List

Yes, whether you use a paper-and-pen list or an application on your smartphone, use a to-do list. Jotting down your to-dos the evening before or even early in the morning will help you ‘see’ everything that needs to be done on that particular day.

2. Tackle the Biggies

Next, put a star or sort the list so that the most important tasks or ‘big rocks’ are right at the top. Skim through the list to identify tasks that can be outsourced or delegated to others easily and painlessly. Also, identify tasks and activities that really aren’t a priority for the day. This exercise will clean up your to-do list and give you exactly what you need to focus on.

3. Work in Shifts

I am a big believer in working at a stretch for short durations and then, taking a break. But when I work, I put my head down and work. hard.

Shut off distractions, resist the urge to check email or Facebook and simply, knock off a 30 to 45-minute chunk of ‘work’ from your list. Then, take a break for 10 minutes or so. Get up, stretch your legs, drink a glass of water, and come back refreshed.

Working in ‘shifts’, as I like to call it, helps me do more easily and without killing myself. Really, I have tried working 2 hours at a go. Trust me, it does not do anything for your productivity and focus.

4. Practice Laser Focus in Small Doses

If focusing on tasks for 45 minutes at a stretch seems too much for you, try 15 to 20 minutes to begin with. Just pick a task and work on it for 20 minutes. No faffing around, no whiling away looking into the distance, no excuses. Just put your head down and work at that project for 20 minutes. Use a timer if you need to.

Keep extending these laser focus sessions by 5 minutes every day or every other day and you will be a pro at focusing by the end of the month.

5. More Tips to Help You Focus Right Now

The archives here are home to more such useful tips on boosting and building focus. Here’s where to go if you need more tips:

What tips do you have for staying focused when life is hectic and hurried?

	Prerna Malik is a mom, a wife, a writer and woman who believes in being postively productive, parenting with love and creating a home that invites you to put your feet up and relax. Find her sharing her journey and experiences with productivity and parenting at The Mom Writes.

How to Find Focus When Swamped with Work is a post from Life Your Way

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Printable Stationery Packs {Great Teacher Gift!}

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:01:03 +0000

The following post is from Jason & Jennifer Bruce of New Season Design:
As the school year draws to a close, you may be on the hunt for a sweet and thoughtful gift for teachers, aids, bus drivers, secretaries and other admin professionals, Sunday school helpers, dance teachers, coaches or a variety of other people.

These sweet stationery designs can be printed on nice paper and bundled with A2 invitation size envelopes with ribbon or twine for an easy and practical gift.

Or print a set for yourself or to give to a friend who needs a pick-me-up!

source: Jennifer Bruce

Click the links below to download and print your printable stationery:

	Jason & Jennifer Bruce are the husband-and-wife design team behind New Season Design, where they work together to help clients put their best foot forward online. Jason is a pastor-turned-graphic designer, and Jennifer is a teacher-turned-blog designer who also blogs at Saving & Giving to help people save more, spend less, and give generously.

Printable Stationery Packs {Great Teacher Gift!} is a post from Life Your Way

© 2010-2012 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Family Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.

Win $2,500 from Glidden Paint to Design the Perfect Nursery

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:32:49 +0000

source: Mandi Ehman

I’ve always loved designing our little one’s nurseries, which tend to use soft, pastel colors that we pull from the Classic Winnie the Pooh crib set we bought when pregnant with our oldest daughter. In our first nursery, my dad painted an amazing mural to match that set, including a tree with our daughter’s name “carved” in the trunk. I cried when we sold that house because I dreamed of adding all of our other babies’ names to the trunk as well!

If you’re planning for the arrival of your little one, find the nursery paint you and your baby will love with Baby Room Colors from Glidden® Paint, as seen in What to Expect When You’re Expecting (only in theaters).

Use the My Baby’s Place quiz from My Colortopia to discover the perfect colors for your baby’s nursery. Just answer a few questions about your parenting and design style to discover ready-to-go color palettes for your nursery:

And then head over to Circle of Moms for a chance to win a $2,500 Walmart gift card to use towards a dream nursery, buying items such as cribs, bedding, and Glidden® Brilliance Collection™ Paint. The sweepstakes runs from 5/17/12 through 6/7/12, and the winner will be announced at MyColortopia.com during the week of 6/18/12.

This post is sponsored by Glidden brand paint, but the thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Win $2,500 from Glidden Paint to Design the Perfect Nursery is a post from Life Your Way

© 2010-2012 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of DIY Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.

Personal Capital $10 Sign Up Bonus

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:00:03 +0000

Here’s a quick and easy Free Money Friday offer for you. Personal Capital, a financial advisor for the internet age, is offering a $10 sign-up bonus! And when we say easy, the sign up literally took less than five minutes from start to finish.

How to Get Your Sign Up Bonus

Visit Personal Capital.
Link your bank accounts.
Get $10!

Personal Capital Terms and Conditions

Employees of Personal Capital, including immediate family and household members, are not eligible.
Personal Capital’s privacy policy.

More on Personal Capital

What is Personal Capital? Personal Capital gathers all your financial information in one place, and lets you see what you’ve got and where it’s going. Then they analyze your financial situation, helping you understand the present and plan the future.

Services. Personal Capital offers advice on investments, tax optimization, international savings, stock options and more!

Referral program. Once you sign up you can refer your friends and you’ll each earn $10.

Written by Kate

Click here to leave a comment on this article.
© My Dollar Plan

60 Selfless Ways to Pay It Forward

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:10:00 +0000

Even after all this time,
the sun never says to the earth, “You owe me!”
Look what happens with a love like that,
it lights up the whole sky.
-Hafez

Selflessness is the sincere concern for the well being of others. It’s about love. It’s about compassion. It’s about kindness and faith. It’s about making a difference in the world. Sure, you are only one, but you are one. You cannot do everything, but you can do something. Smile and enjoy the fact that you have the ability to make a difference – one you’ll likely remember forever.

So go ahead and make the words, “How can I help?” part of your everyday vocabulary. Start today; choose one of these 60 selfless ways to pay it forward.

Hold the door open for the person behind you.
Introduce yourself. Make new colleagues, classmates, etc. feel welcome.
Clean out all your old clothes and donate them to someone in need. Your old is someone else’s new.
Write a positive Yelp review about a local business you like.
Listen intently to people’s stories without trying to fix everything.
Donate blood. One pint of blood can save up to three lives. Locate your nearest blood drive.
Volunteer at a hospital, homeless shelter, nursing home, etc. Get outside (more…)

5 Ways to Make Working from a Home Blessing

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:30:53 +0000

The following post is from Brad, a web designer and father of quadruplets:

source: 4tunate Design

Jen and I have been working together from home for almost 3 years now. We are still learning a great deal about how to make that work better. But, in that short time, we have already learned some key things that have made for much smoother sailing. I thought I’d share some of those tips.

5 Ways to Make Working from Home a Blessing

1. Don’t try to do anything alone; plan your week together.
This was a huge lesson that took a while for us to learn. I thought 4tunate Design was my responsibility. We were often misunderstanding each other and our expectations for work time and home time seldom matched up. I finally told Jen that my business was going to fail unless it became OUR business. We began meeting at the beginning of each week to block our time out. This allowed us to better plan to get things done, and it forced us to consider both of our busy schedules and better prioritize.

2. Work time is NOT personal time.
Another struggle we encountered is that our work is always right there in front of us. We don’t leave an office and go home. We work right here, and this makes it difficult to get away from. We have both discovered that we need some personal time to relax, exercise, and spend time with the Lord. We try our best to allow for this personal time each week. It actually takes discipline to avoid using this time to work, and instead get refreshed on important things.

3. Get out!
We have to find time to get out of the house both as a family and as a couple. Since we don’t commute to work anymore, it can be tempting to never leave the house. We try to take the boys to parks, nature preserves, and other adventures to make sure we get out of routine. We also get out as often as possible on dates as a couple.

4. Separate yourself.
It is also difficult to separate yourself from home life to focus on your work. Personally, when I hear a child outside my office door who is in need of discipline, it is hard for me to just leave it to Jen. However, I have learned that she needs me to trust her with the kids, and I need to get my work done so that she can have a real break, and also time to spend on her consulting/blogging work. It can actually be insulting to Jen for me to stop and help as it shows a lack of confidence in her ability to handle things. Shut the door, act like you are at work. It’s worth it.

5. Count your blessings.
If you find yourself working at home with your spouse and children, it might be easy to focus on the challenges. I try to focus my attention on the rare blessing it is to work from home with young children. Are they loud? Yes. Can they be a distraction? Yes. That being said, it has been a tremendous blessing to be home with my young boys and wife these past three years. I have seen more of my family in the past few years than many fathers get to see them in a decade. Focus on the the amazing blessings, not the few difficulties.

Those are mine, how about you? Have you been mixing life and work at home? Have any tips that could help us navigate this even better?

	Brad is the father of four 5-year-old energetic little boys (quadruplets). He runs his web design business from home which blesses him with the opportunity to be a nearly constant influence on them. He has a passion for leading his family biblically as a servant, and enjoys nearly every moment of it.

5 Ways to Make Working from a Home Blessing is a post from Life Your Way

20 Uses for Vinegar Around Your Home

Thu, 24 May 2012 19:01:48 +0000

The following post is from Emily of Live Renewed:

source: *clarity*

I can remember the first time I learned you could use vinegar for general cleaning around the house. I was pregnant with my first daughter, and was watching Jon & Kate Plus 8 (classy, I know). They had a guest on the show, Sara Snow, who was teaching them how to go green around the house. Kate and Sara were in the kitchen, and Sara told her that she could combine half vinegar and half water in a spray bottle and use it to clean her kitchen and all around her house.

At that point in my life, I don’t think I’d ever even purchased vinegar, maybe once for a recipe, but I’m not even sure about that. On the show, Sara stated that vinegar had disinfecting qualities, and Kate had remarked that she remembered her grandmother using vinegar to clean. And I figured that if they were talking about it on TV, then it must be true, and it must work well. Right?

I was brand new to the whole green and natural living thing, but I decided that using vinegar for cleaning would be a good place to start.

So, I headed to the store, bought myself some vinegar and a spray bottle, and I’ve never looked back.

Now days, I purchase vinegar by the gallon, and usually at least two at a time. I continue to be amazed at all of the many uses for vinegar around the house, and love that it is such a simple, non-toxic, and of course, frugal solution.

Here are 20 basic and easy ways you can use vinegar all around your house:

1. General cleaning

Mix vinegar 50/50 with water in a spray bottle for a great multipurpose, general cleaner that kills germs and disinfects.

2. As rinse aid in the dishwasher

Instead of using a commercial rinse aid, like Jet Dry, in your dishwasher, just pour in undiluted vinegar.

3. As fabric softener in the washing machine

Instead of using conventional liquid fabric softener, pour vinegar into the fabric softener dispenser. Your clothes won’t smell like vinegar, I promise!

4. Weed killer

Kill weeds by either spraying them with undiluted vinegar, or pouring the vinegar over them for those growing in crevices and cracks.

6. Drain cleaner

Pour baking soda into a slow moving drain and follow with vinegar. Let it foam up and set for a while, and then flush with hot water.

7. Odor remover

Vinegar can help to remove odors all around the house, either spray your vinegar and water solution into the air, use a cloth soaked in vinegar to wipe down an area that smells, or spray fabrics or carpet with vinegar to remove odors.

8. Carpet cleaner

The solution of vinegar and water makes an effective carpet cleaner, I’ve found it to be especially good on pet stains. Be sure to test a small spot first to make sure your carpet is color-fast.

9. Remove water rings from furniture

To remove white rings left by wet glasses on wood furniture, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil and apply it with a soft cloth. Use another clean, soft cloth to shine it up. To get white water rings off leather furniture, dab them with a rag soaked in full-strength white vinegar.

10. Clean and sanitize the garbage disposal

Make ice cubes out of vinegar and run them through the garbage disposal to clean and sanitize it.

source: A Delightful Home

11. Make homemade soft scrub

This homemade soft scrub is my favorite scouring cleaner for the bathroom.

12. De-greaser

Vinegar is a great de-greaser. You can add some to dishwater when washing greasy dishes, it’s also great for cleaning a greasy range hood.

13. Clean the dishwasher

Pour a cup of vinegar into an empty dishwasher and run it through a full cycle to clean and sanitize the dishwasher.

14. Clean the washing machine

Fill your empty washing machine with hot water (or follow your manufacturer’s instructions) add a cup of vinegar and run through a full cycle.

15. Clean the coffee maker

Fill the water resevoir of your coffee maker with half vinegar half water and turn it on, letting the vinegar and water filter through. Rinse twice with just plain water.

16. Clean a tea kettle

Boil vinegar and water in a tea kettle to clean it and remove water deposits. Be sure to rinse thoroughly before using it again.

17. Clean mini blinds

Take your mini-blinds down and soak them in the bathtub with warm water, a few squirts of dish soap and a cup vinegar. Rinse thoroughly and hang back up to dry.

18. Clean the shower head

Remove mineral deposits from your shower head by filling a plastic baggie with vinegar and wrapping it around your shower head, securing it with a rubber band. Let it soak overnight.

19. Make citrus-infused vinegar

Soak orange, or other citrus, peels in vinegar to create your own citrus scented cleaner – great for cleaning floors.

20. Make homemade lemon dusting cloths

Make your own lemon scented dusting cloths by soaking microfiber cloths with water, vinegar, olive oil, and lemon rinds.

A few final notes

You should not use vinegar on porous surfaces like granite or marble because it can damage the surface.

Vinegar does have a very strong smell. I find that is dissipates quickly, and as mentioned above, actually helps to remove other odors around the house. Some people though (my husband included) still have a strong aversion to the smell of vinegar. Adding essential oils can help it to smell better, but may leave behind an oily residue.

If you find yourself having a hard time getting over the smell, my advice is to just skip the vinegar for general cleaning. You don’t have to torture yourself. There are plenty of other great non-toxic, easy and frugal ways to clean your home without using vinegar.

I’m sure there are so many more uses for vinegar that I haven’t even discovered yet. So go ahead, get yourself a gallon of vinegar and start using it all around your house!

Do you use vinegar around your home? Share your favorite household use for vinegar with us!

	Emily McClements is passionate about caring for God’s creation while saving money at the same time. She is a blessed wife and mama to two young children, and blogs about her family’s journey toward natural and simple living at Live Renewed.

20 Uses for Vinegar Around Your Home is a post from Life Your Way

© 2010-2012 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Green Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.

Activity Jars Full of Summer Fun

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:30:19 +0000

The following post is from Jennifer Burke, a lifelong educator:

source: Jennifer Burke

The first few days of summer vacation are exciting: sleeping in, playing under the sprinkler, lunch at the park, no homework and catching fireflies! It doesn’t take too long, though, until your ears pick up a whining, “Mom, I’m bored. What can we do?”

A Simple Idea

Save a jar for each child. Write their name on it and let them decorate. Once a day, or when your child complains of nothing to do, let them pull out one of the ideas that you have tucked inside the jar.

Here are some age-appropriate activities to get you started:

For Preschoolers

(They may not be bored, but if their older siblings have a jar with their names, you can be sure that they’ll want one, too!)

Get a paintbrush and water. Paint the alphabet on the front porch.
Make juice popsicles with Mommy.
Pick a toy that has lots of pieces. Put them into groups by color.
Make a handkerchief doll with Mommy.
Make homemade play dough.
Fill a pan with rice or dried beans. Add some cups and scoops.
Use shaving cream on the counter to practice letters and numbers.
Make a stuffed animal zoo.
Practice reading readiness skills at Starfall.com

For early elementary:

Learn how to sew on a button.
Use different colored highlighters to mark vowels in the newspaper.
Find a dozen different containers. Estimate how much liquid each will hold. Measure to check.
Display your friends’ most popular ice cream flavors on a bar graph.
Make ice cream in a zipper top plastic bag.
Make butter in a jar.
Make a map of your neighborhood.
Draw some pictures for an elderly neighbor.
Record books on tape for younger siblings to listen to.

For older elementary:

Find three toys you are tired of. Check with Mom, then organize a toy swap with your friends.
Cook dinner for the family. (Easy ideas: Salad with pre-cooked chicken on top, boxed macaroni and cheese with hot dogs, or a casserole that Mom can take out of the oven)
Invent a game using marbles and Legos.
Write a thank you note to last year’s teacher.
Write a letter to next year’s teacher, introducing yourself.
Make paper mache masks.
Organize a neighborhood Olympics.
Open a weekly lemonade stand to raise money for a charity.
Put on a play for your parents.
Sweep the sidewalks for any single mothers or older neighbors.
Publish a neighborhood newspaper.
Play online math games at sites like CoolMathGames.com and FunMathGames.com.

Once you start filling the jars with special activities, you may have to limit your kids to one slip a day!

How do you deal with summer boredom?

	Jennifer is passionate about children and education. She homeschooled her two sons for five years, established and directed a Christian school in Maryland for 20 years, and currently teaches in a public school in a Chicago suburb. She loves investing in relationships and delights in every moment that she spends with her family.

Activity Jars Full of Summer Fun is a post from Life Your Way

Are Paid Surveys a Waste of Time?

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:15:07 +0000

Meet the new writers! Our final new writer is Jarrod. Jarrod realized at an early age that he didn’t want to spend most of his life climbing up the corporate ladder. He wanted to be the corporate ladder. By the age of 19, he owned four properties. Jarrod is now the founder and owner of a company specializing in real estate development, sales, acquisitions, and venture capital investments. You can read more about Jarrod in his bio. Welcome Jarrod!

Surveys: Are You Spending More Time to Make Less Money?

I am always trying to find a way to save or make a quick buck online, so I signed up for Mypoints.com. It’s a site that gives you cash back for making purchases online. You just click the link to the site you want to buy something from through Mypoints. Mypoints tracks the sale and gives you points for the transaction. When you reach a certain number of points, you can then use those points to get gift cards to various stores or even a Visa gift card that can be used at any store. Mypoints also offers surveys to their users in exchange for points.

How Surveys Work

Every day, Mypoints sends me surveys from various companies that research new products in order to gauge customer interest. Most of the surveys have screener questions. If you make it past the screeners, you can get anywhere from 50-200 points per survey. The most common reward is 50 points. If you don’t qualify you get 10 points. Most of the time you will screen out after you are asked your age, gender, and race. After a little “googling”, I found several companies that do research surveys. I have to say that most of them are fair with their payouts and are pretty reasonable when it comes to the time it takes to fill out surveys. But the big elephant in the room finally revealed itself to me after a year of doing these surveys.

Are Paid Surveys a Waste of Time?

I realized most of these surveys weren’t worth my time. Some of these surveys demand a lot of time for very little pay off. Check out this e-mail from Surveysavvy.com. This is a company I do a lot of surveys for…

Fifteen Minutes for $1?! That equates to $4 an hour: Much less than minimum wage and MUCH less than what my time is worth. Now this is not always what I get, but this seems to be the normal compensation for a survey. Rarely do I get surveys that come near to what my time is worth for my job or business.

Let me clarify something. What I require for my time may be totally different than what you require. What you require in compensation for your time is a personal preference. If you want to donate 15 minutes of your time for $1 then I say go for it. But be careful. Most of these surveys will take at least 5 minutes of your time just to screen you out. That would suck to spend that much time only to get paid nothing.

My Solution

So here is my quick solution to the problem. I use the 80/20 rule for these surveys. For every 10 surveys I get, 2 of them are actually worth me taking my time to fill out. So those are the two I will do. For example: I received a survey the other day from Surveysavvy.com that paid $25 for 15 minutes of my time. Now $100 an hour I can get with. Although I screened out after 5 minutes, it was worth the effort.

There are times when filing filling out cheaper surveys benefit me too. I’ll fill out cheaper surveys if I’m close to a reward level I need. For example, if on Mypoints if I’m 100 points from getting a certain prize I may fill out a few 50 point surveys just to go ahead and get the reward. Also, some sites require a minimum amount of dollars before they cut you a check. I may take 10 minutes to get that last dollar to get my payout. One last thing to look for are sites that pay you in hotel points and airline miles. It may be worth working that hard for a few thousand points to get you to the next elite status quicker. Again it all comes back to what your needs are and personal preference.

What is Your Time Worth?

What’s your take away from this? It’s all a matter of personal preference and deciding what your time is worth. But make sure you don’t waste time filling out surveys for quick money when you can be using that time towards something that can benefit you more. It’s easy money to get, but what is your time worth?

Survey Companies

If you are interested in doing surveys here are some companies that provide them…

MyPoints: This is a good program. They even send out bonus e-mail that give you points for just clicking through.
Opinion Outpost: Probably one of the better ones. You will get a lot of surveys you don’t qualify for, but they pay quick and it’s paypal so you get your money instantly.
Survey Savvy: A little harder to get qualified for surveys but they pay well when they do. And they send checks.

There are others but these are a few I’ve used on a regular basis and I know they are legit.

Written by Jarrod

Click here to leave a comment on this article.
© My Dollar Plan

The Importance of Prayer

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:48 +0000

My spirit is crushed, I feel defeated and neglected. Our family is journeying through some really rocky territory and honestly, I just don’t like it at all. Who likes going through the storm – no one. But I also know that it can either drive me away from God or draw me near – I choose to draw near and hold on – with prayer.

How is your prayer life?

Are you meeting Him and sharing your heart? Here are a few reasons why you should make sure it is on your to-do list everyday, all the time.

Importance of Prayer

Prayer is one of the most important things a Christian can do. It is a time they are communicating with God and it should be taken very seriously. While there is deep theological meaning in prayer, it doesn’t have to be something that is complicated and difficult. It’s something anyone can do anywhere at any time.

Drawing Near to God

It’s impossible to know someone if you don’t spend time with them. Prayer is an opportunity to spend time with God. To really understand the heart of God, you need to pray. In John 15:15, Jesus says He no longer calls us his servants, but calls us His friends. Talking with God develops a deeper relationship with Him. The deeper the relationship becomes, the more time you want to spend with Him. In 1 Corinthians 3:9, God calls us His fellow workers. How can we be His fellow workers if we refuse to talk to Him?

Prayer Brings Light to Darkness

Sometimes we forget just how powerful prayer is. We aren’t fighting against something imaginary, our prayers are fighting against spiritual battles that linger in dark places. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” The power of prayer is so great it has the power to defeat the devil and his power over us. He wants to destroy us, but God wants to bring us closer to Him. Prayer is our tool to win that battle. Prayer gives us the strength and the faith to finish the race victorious.

Prayer Changes Us

We often think prayer changes God. This simply isn’t the case. Prayer changes us. When we spend time with God, He is working to change our heart to be more like His. The more time we spend with Him, the more we are like Him. Our habits and lifestyles change. We no longer live a self-centered life, but one that is focused on others with a pure and sincere heart. Prayer changes us inside out.

Prayer Protects

Protection is ours just for the asking. We need to pray for protection for our loved ones every day. Pray for loved ones by name, one by one. You can never pray too much for one person. Sometimes it helps to make a list of all the people that you need to pray for each day. Doing this not only offers us protection, but also sets a great example for our children.

Do you pray daily for your husband and children for protection?

Prayer Brings Breakthroughs in Life

One of the most important aspects of prayer in your life is the breakthroughs that come. Sometimes we are faced with devastating circumstances and feel we have nowhere to turn. It’s at that point we should pray (although there should have plenty of prayer beforehand, too). Fasting and praying is powerful, too. Sometimes you need a message from God and you need to be solely focused on Him to get it. It may be painful during the prayer and waiting process but once you receive it you will be so happy you sought Him. While you wait, you can also sing praise songs, read the Bible, or anything else that brings you closer to Him. Even if the breakthrough doesn’t happen that day, you will receive the strength and the grace to carry on. Eventually you will receive an answer to your prayers, or a peace about waiting longer. When you look back over this time you will most likely see it as some of the most spiritually rich time of your life.

Do you need a breakthrough today?

Photo Credit

The Importance of Prayer is a post from: The Confident Mom

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Forget Balance…Let’s Juggle Instead

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:01:51 +0000

source: Mandi Ehman

Ah, work-life balance. Such a hot topic these days, no?

One of the benefits of being a woman and mother in 2012 is that there are a million options for men and women alike, and we no longer need to make a choice between family and career.

In fact, earlier this week, Tsh at Simple Mom talked about doing what you love, sharing a pretty profound statement that Susan Wise Bauer made while we were chatting in her living room a few weeks ago that has inspired her to stop feeling guilty about pursuing her own passion.

And all of that is fine to say, but it doesn’t necessarily make the whole balance thing any easier.

Truth be told, I’m not really a fan of balance at all. In the intro to How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too, I say this:

To me, balance implies that we should give just a little bit of ourselves to many different things, never investing enough in any one thing to tip the scales.

If you’re trying to pursue your own passions, build a business or manage multiple obligations, that can be a very stressful and unfulfilling way to live.

Instead, I prefer to think of what I do as a work-at-home mom as juggling.

Although I’ve never been a very good juggler in real life, I really love this metaphor as it applies to my life.

If you were to take a video of someone juggling and play it in slow motion, you’d see three key parts of the process. The juggler has to throw each ball to start the momentum and catch each one to keep it from hitting the floor, but in between she lets the balls coast from one hand to the other.

Life is a lot like that.

At the end of the day, my family is my top priority. That means that we make sacrifices so that we can continue to be home together as a family every day.

It means I turn down opportunities to travel and we only have one car and our kids aren’t in a ton of activities.

But juggling these passions of mine also means that I can take a break from school or serve frozen pizza for a week (not really, but I could!) to focus on a deadline or special project.

It means my husband changes the majority of dirty diapers and volunteers to clean up my kitchen disasters so that I can make food from scratch without also having to make time to do the dishes.

In short, I’m not sure balance is possible, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing!

Giveaway

Women often feel caught between investing in they family and investing in their passions, but does it have to be that way?

What would have to change—in your life, in people’s attitudes, or in our society—for women to have an easier time managing work-life balance?

Share your answer below and like Smarter Life Better Planet on Facebook to be entered to win a Haier microwave for your family along with an additional microwave to be donated to the Food Bank for New York City!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Haier. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Contest Rules.

Forget Balance…Let’s Juggle Instead is a post from Life Your Way

Will You Give What It Takes?

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:00:45 +0000

What are you willing to give to get what you want?

What you want is attainable, if you understand how to get there.

You may have a long way to climb to reach your goal, but that shouldn’t stop you.

Even Mount Everest has been conquered.

You see everything has a price.

There is an investment you have to make in order to get the return you desire.

Will you give what it takes?

Are you willing to put forth the effort, time and discipline to reach the top?

Defining What You Want

Life won’t just hand you what you want on a silver platter.

You are going to have to earn it.

Wishful thinking, desire and aspiration are simply not enough.

Eventually, if you are really serious, you have to roll up your sleeves and do the work.

You have to pay the price before you can reap the rewards.

So, what is it that you want?

Clearly defining what you really want comes first.

If you aren’t 100% sure, then start here to nail down what you are passionate about.

Counting the Cost

Once you know what you want, then count the cost.

For example, if you want to become a doctor, you are going to have to go to medical school. Of course, it goes even beyond that. You are going to have to prepare, get accepted and pay for medical school. Then you are going to have to complete your residency. It typically takes 10 to 15 years to become a doctor.

Obviously, these hurdles are high, but not insurmountable. There are plenty of doctors out there. They are the ones that paid the price. They gave what it took to join an elite group of professionals.

You may want to:

Start your own business
Get married
Change careers
Go to college
Reinvent yourself
Lose weight
Re-energize your marriage
Accumulate wealth
Write a book

It doesn’t matter. There is a path to get there. You just have to decide you are willing to pay the price.

Will you go to the extreme to get what you want or are you too comfortable?

Are you willing to work 70 to 80 hours per week to get your new business going?
Will you go to night school 3 nights per week to prepare yourself for a new profession?
How about hiring a personal trainer to help you lose weight?
Have you thought about moving to a new country to reinvent yourself?
What about paying for a writer’s workshop to hone your manuscript?
Maybe you need a life coach to hold you accountable and help you make those next steps?

What price is life demanding for what you want? Are you willing to pay it?

Again, you can achieve just about anything if you will agree to pay the price for it.

What is your level of commitment? Would you crawl across broken glass to get what you want?

You need to count the cost and decide how important this really is to you. Commit to it and it will be yours.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Talk is cheap.

Of course, you’re committed now (right?) so you are ready to move beyond just talk.

You know what you want and you know (at least generally) what it will take to get it.

Now is the time for action. This is where the rubber meets the road.

You need to formulate a specific plan and act on it – today.

Make some phone calls. Ask some questions. Sign up for something. Step off the cliff.

Do not let your lizard brain rob you of a great life. Push fear aside and get intentional.

Write down a specific list of small, but manageable tasks that you need to complete to move your dream forward and then start working down the list.

One of the biggest obstacles to getting started is feeling overwhelmed. Not knowing where to begin will paralyze you.

That’s why you need to make a list of simple to-dos.

You probably won’t be able to complete the whole picture of what it will take to get from here to there.

That’s okay. Just breakdown what you do know into the smallest, simplest steps possible.

Do the one small thing at the top of your list and keep going. Do the next thing on your list over and over again until you reach your goal.

It might take awhile. That’s okay. As long as you are willing to give what it takes to accomplish that one next thing, you are moving forward.

You have now joined a very small and special group of people that actually make what they want a reality.

Congratulations!

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Don’t Hate on 8 (Infographic)

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:38:33 +0000

In the last two months, fierce debates surrounding Windows 8 have taken place all over the web. While I haven’t tried out the consumer preview, I did get the chance to see it in action and it left me intrigued. To put it simply: the new operating system seems like a bold move for Microsoft. Modeled after today’s wildly successful smartphones, Windows 8 could prove to be a real gambit in the PC world.

We’ve put together an infographic that breaks down the improvements and new features on 8. I’m hardly a computer wiz, but reading up on Windows 8’s apps and cloud software sure makes me wonder how Microsoft’s big release will fare against Apple. Check out the graphic below and let us know if you think Windows 8 can gain some ground against Apple’s OSX!

Please share this graphic by embedding it on your site

How to Wear Bow Blouses

Wed, 23 May 2012 21:30:51 +0000

This is a trend I did not latch onto quickly. In fact, I still am reluctant to commit, although I’m getting there.

I remember when my mom wore bow blouses back in the late 70′s. When I first started seeing them pop up again a couple years ago, I said NO WAY JOSE! They conjured up horrible memories of curly perms gone bad.

But I’m coming around to the new, updated bow blouses. Nowadays they are usually made in soft, flowy fabrics, and you can tie them prim and proper high at the neck or loose and casual against the chest.

My mom always wore bow blouses with her business suits, but there are more modern ways to wear this trend.

Of course you can always wear a bow blouse with a pencil skirt for a classic look.

bow blouse and pencil skirt by jolynneshane

But even better, pair it with a pair of amazing jeans. Try something like this!

Modern Bow Blouse with Jeans by jolynneshane

Or for a super trendy look, try it with a pair of shorts!

bow blouse with shorts by jolynneshane

How do you feel about the bow blouse trend? Are you on board for this one? How do you wear your bow blouses??

	Jo-Lynne is a Christ follower, mom blogger, barefoot runner, style watcher, reluctant chauffeur, amateur photographer and aspiring locavore. She writes the award-winning lifestyle blog, Musings of a Housewife, and facilitates the social networking group, Philly Social Media Moms.

How to Wear Bow Blouses is a post from Life Your Way

5 Must Have Items for Your Camera Bag

Wed, 23 May 2012 19:01:31 +0000

The following post is from Amanda of Everyday Elements:

source: Everyday Elements

If you are a new owner of a DSLR, knowing everything you should have with you or what you may need come be overwhelming. Here are some things that always stay in my camera bag.

Extra Battery

It will happen eventually, a time when you have forgotten to charge your battery and then you get to an important event and you look down to see you have one bar left on the battery. Buy, charge and keep an extra battery in your bag and you will save yourself these “I should have known better” moments.

A little trick I do is label my batteries on the ends, so that I know one from the other. And, if battery starts to not hold a charge, it is easier for me to identify and replace.

Extra Memory Card

An extra memory card is a vital thing to keep in your bag because you may forget to upload your pictures from a previous event and when you get to your location, be it a birthday party or the Biltmore Estate, you will cry when you can only take 10 pictures because the space on your card is full. Having an extra memory card will keep that potential disaster from happening.

Lens End Cap and Body Cap

(I am grouping these two together because they are so similar)

This is one I’m sure you weren’t expecting. But, if you are at all like me, situations will arise when you end up needing an end cap to a lens or a body cap for your camera. I’m not saying they are often, but they do happen. And, those are items that when you need them, you really need them.

I ordered extras from B&H Photo so I can keep spares on my camera gear shelf and put the others in my camera bag.

Lens Cleaning Cloth or Lens Pen

You have this high dollar camera, you have worked hard to learn how to use it and then you forget to clean the lens and end up with dirt or smudges on it, which show through on your pictures. That can be such a hard pill to swallow!

Get a good lens cleaning cloth, or like me use a Lens Pen, and get in the habit of looking at your lens each time you take the cap off. This little 2 second step will save you so much time later in post processing.

Gray Card or Other White Balance Tool

Yes, I know you may be new to photography, but after you learn how to shoot in manual, I suggest trying to learn how to custom white balance. It may take you a minute or two to stop and do it, but will save you so much time and stress later.

I previously used a gray card, but just recently purchased an Expo Disc and I am quite pleased with it. I bought the 72mm so that I can use it for all my lenses. Gray cards come in all shapes and sizes. Do some research, ask your friends, ask on favorite photography Facebook pages, ask for recommendations. Just buy one and learn how to use it.

Are these items you already have in your bag? What else do you keep in your camera bag at all times?

	Amanda is a quirky, introverted mom of four who is passionate about helping others learn their cameras and editing software. She homeschools her four kids, ages 13 to 6, all of whom run away when they see her carrying her camera.

5 Must Have Items for Your Camera Bag is a post from Life Your Way

© 2010-2012 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Tech Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.

Overcoming the Stress of Having Kids in the Kitchen {Eat Well, Spend Less}

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:47:25 +0000

source: eyeliam

For this month’s Eat Well, Spend Less theme, we’re talking about kids in the kitchen…

Although I’m learning to enjoy my time in the kitchen, I still find it a bit stressful. I have to really focus and concentrate so that I don’t make stupid mistakes, and things that might seem obvious to someone with plenty of cooking experience often trip me up.

When you add four little girls to that mix who want to help, it often results in frustration for all of us.

And yet I want to have them in the kitchen with me — to help give them the skills and experience early, to bond over the meals we’re preparing and so that they can have a new appreciation for the food that we eat.

So, how do I balance these two things?

Surprisingly, it was my two-year-old daughter, who is affectionately known as “The Tyrant”, who taught me the answer.

Feeling left out when her big sisters go outside to play in the afternoons, she’s often stuck inside with me. To make this time special for her and not focus on what she’s missing out on, I started inviting her to help me with a variety of chores…sorting and folding laundry, cleaning up toys and, yes, cooking dinner.

And I realized that having just one 2-year-old in the kitchen to focus on — something that’s never happened in our house before because our two year old’s have always had a baby sister until this one! — is so much easier than even having two of the older girls in there.

One at a Time

While there are moms who are much better at managing multiple kids in the kitchen, I realized that, for me, sticking to just one helper at a time is the answer. Rather than trying to carry on multiple conversations and delegate jobs fairly to multiple children, one of my girls can help me each step of the way all by herself. It’s much more peaceful and becomes a treasured time for just the two of us.

As far as making sure everybody has a turn, I’m not big on following set schedules or rotations because life isn’t always fair and things don’t always work out in perfect order. Instead, I’ll invite one of the girls to help me in the kitchen, keeping in mind what other one-on-one time we’ve had recently, who may need extra mommy time that day and a million other factors. It’s not a perfect system (more like an anti-system…), but it works for us!

Teach Independent Skills

Another thing that’s really helped is a focus on teaching my girls skills that they can then do independently as we’re cooking together. Cracking a raw egg (or slicing a hard-boiled egg), cutting tomatoes, peeling carrots and measuring ingredients are actually really helpful when we’re making a meal, so it’s worth investing some time in teaching these skills so that my older girls can help prepare egg salad or a dinner salad, add and mix ingredients in a bowl and more.

Let Them Do Easy Tasks

Even my four year old can serve snacks to her sisters, and these kind of easy tasks are a great no-stress way to get kids involved in the kitchen and give them confidence for future tasks.

Easy tasks in our house include things like:

serving cookies, crackers and whole pieces of fruit
setting the table
getting ingredients out (and putting them away)
spreading peanut butter on bread or crackers

Invite Them to Keep You Company Even When They Can’t Help

Sometimes when I’m trying a new dish, I just can’t have the girls assisting because it’s too overwhelming forme. But that doesn’t mean they’re banned from the kitchen entirely. Instead, one of them will crawl up at the breakfast bar with something to color, and we chat while I’m cooking. They still get to spend time with mom, see the work that goes into preparing food and learn about various processes, ingredient choices, etc.

We’re all learning to enjoy and treasure our time in the kitchen together!

For more tips on involving your kids in the kitchen, check out the other Eat Well, Spend Less bloggers:

Aimee from Simple Bites
Amy from Kingdom First Mom
Carrie from Denver Bargains
Jessica from Life as Mom
Katie from Good Life Eats
Katie from Kitchen Stewardship
Shaina from Food for My Family
Tammy from Tammy’s Recipes

Do your kids help in the kitchen? How do you make that time stress-free for your family?

	Mandi Ehman is the founder and publisher behind Life…Your Way and the co-author of All in Good Time, as well as a wife and the homeschooling mom to four beautiful girls. She lives with her family on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia and loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Overcoming the Stress of Having Kids in the Kitchen {Eat Well, Spend Less} is a post from Life Your Way

© 2010-2012 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Food Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.

Should You Rebalance Your Portfolio or Let it Ride?

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:29:19 +0000

I read an email from a long time reader, Gerald, here at My Dollar Plan on two posts that were recently published. They are Why You Aren’t Earning What Your Mutual Fund Says You Are, in which I wrote that the average investor earns a much lower return than the market due to the fact that the average investor jumps in and out of funds as well as the market chasing returns. The second post is Madison’s 2012 Asset Allocation Update where she went into detail about rebalancing and shifting her investments from an 88/12 portfolio to a 70/30 portfolio.

From the Mailbag

Gerald was wondering if the two posts contradicted each other. The simple answer is no, the posts don’t contradict, but I can see where there could be some confusion. Gerald also asked:

I was always wondering which one was better re-allocating funds every year or leave in the fund and let it ride?

Stay Invested for the Long Term

The point of my post was that the average investor, even though they are investing for the long term, tends to chase returns. They do this by buying a mutual fund and holding it for a few months, not getting the return they want and selling out and buying another fund. Additionally, they will pull out of the market and “sit on the sidelines” with cash when the market is dropping or is overly volatile and then enter back in when things calm down. The problem with this is that they are missing out on days when the market rises.

Because of all of that moving between funds and in and out of the market, the average investor earns much less than they could if they would simply buy into a few low cost index funds and ride the market.

Rebalance Your Portfolio

Madison’s post on the other hand is something that should be done, but many investors do not do: rebalance their portfolios. Rebalancing involves looking at your investment allocation plan and making sure that your current allocation matches that plan. If it does not, then you need to sell some funds where you are overweight and buy into funds where you are underweight. In other words, it forces you to buy low and sell high since the overweight funds most likely outperformed the market while the underweight funds underperformed the market.

Ideally, you want to rebalance your portfolio twice per year, and as long as the allocations deviate from your plan by 5% or more. Rebalancing when your allocation is out of line by less than 5% is not really worth it.

Additionally, as you grow older or have changes to your life, you may need to do more than a simple rebalancing of your portfolio. This is more closely to what Madison did. Her old plan had her at 88% stocks and 12% bonds. She realized this was too risky for her, given her circumstances and dialed it down to a 70% stocks/ 30% bond portfolio. Her ultimate goal is to get to a 60%/ 40% allocation.

Realize that she is not jumping in and out of the market or moving around from fund to fund on a regular basis. She is re-allocating her portfolio once and is sticking with what she has.

Hopefully this clears up any confusion there was between these two posts. If anyone has any more questions, or needs me to clarify anything further, please reach out to us here at My Dollar Plan.

More Investment Resources

Written by Don

Click here to leave a comment on this article.
© My Dollar Plan

You May Be Surprised to Learn…

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:01:39 +0000

source: Mandi Ehman

…that I’ve traveled to Peru four times and to the Dominican Republic twice.

That’s me in the upper right-hand corner with the blond hair, circa 1998.

It’s not something I’ve had the opportunity to talk about often, but those six trips between 7th grade and my freshman year of college had a profound impact on who I am today.

During these short-term mission trips with our church, we partnered with local churches to serve the community in a variety of ways, including dental clinics, vacation Bible school, church building, volunteering at an orphanage and more.

I met, and fell in love with, hundreds of children throughout Peru and in a shanty town in the Dominican Republic called Santana.

I also…

hiked to the top of Machu Pichu
drank coca tea for altitude sickness
discovered the most amazing ice cream shop in Lima, Peru
tasted fried guinea pig
had my first taste of ceviche
performed various skits for churches and in city squares
built relationships with the locals that lasted from one year to the next
opened dozens of cards from my mom (one for each day I was gone, and each one ending with “Don’t drink the water!”)
and more.

Little Known Facts About Go Daddy

Go Daddy, the domain registrar I use to buy and manage all of my internet domains, wants to share some of the things they’re doing behind the scenes that you may not know about as well.

For example, did you know Go Daddy participated in the Get Radical Conference this past March, designed to empower women to maximize their life?

In addition, they actively employ and promote corporate women, including their chief human resources officer, VP of public relations, VP of marketing and many high-ranking employees in their legal department!

There’s a lot you don’t know about Go Daddy, including all the tools they have for bloggers! Check out GoDaddy.com to learn more.

Join the conversation for your chance to win 3-year unlimited 4GH hosting from Go Daddy.

Tell me, what’s a little known fact about you?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Go Daddy. The opinions and text are all mine.

You May Be Surprised to Learn… is a post from Life Your Way

14 Rules for Being YOU

Wed, 23 May 2012 04:27:26 +0000

Be yourself. Trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are. Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else. Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms. And above all, be true to YOU – if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.

Starting today…

Get your priorities straight. – Twenty years from now it won’t really matter what shoes you wore today, how your hair looked, or what brand of jeans you bought. What will matter is how you loved, what you learned and how you applied this knowledge.
Take full responsibility for your goals. – If you really want good things in your life to happen, you have to make them happen yourself. You can’t sit around and hope that somebody else will help you; you have to make your own future and not think that your destiny is tied to the actions and choices of others. Read Quitter.
Know your worth. – When someone treats you like you’re just one of many options, help them narrow their choice by removing yourself from (more…)

Gift Ideas for Frugal Graduates

Wed, 23 May 2012 01:39:15 +0000

To get the best financial start in life, many new graduates try to be as frugal as possible. If you know a graduate who is trying to pinch every penny, it’s nice to get them a graduation present that makes it easier to do so.

You don’t have to buy cheap gifts to make a frugal graduate happy. Instead, you should choose gifts that make it easier to live frugally. It’s an important distinction, and you may be at a loss when it comes to finding the right gifts. The following ideas are sure to help.

Entertainment Subscriptions

The graduate in your life may have canceled his cable subscription in order to save money. He probably won’t turn down a one-year subscription to Netflix or another entertainment service, though.

If the graduate you know likes to watch movies or listen to music, you might consider paying for a yearly subscription. It’s something that he wouldn’t buy for himself, but it’s sure to be greatly appreciated.

Dehydrators and Canning Kits

Graduates who have vegetable gardens are always looking for ways to make the most out of the veggies they grow. Canning things like tomatoes is a great way to save money, and it’s a lot of fun too. There are several canning kits out there, so you might want to get one for the graduate in your life.

A dehydrator is another great option. It can be used to dehydrate fruits, veggies and meats so that they can be enjoyed later. When great deals on meats and produce hit the store, those items can be purchased and dehydrated for enjoyment later. It’s a practical and frugal gift that the grad in your life is sure to love.

Compost Buckets

To live as frugally as possible, it’s important not to waste a thing. Many frugal people enjoy composting their food scraps and using the compost in their gardens. A compost bucket is a nice option because it can be used to store scraps until they can be taken out to the compost pile. It’s also something that a frugal person probably wouldn’t buy for himself, so he is sure to be thrilled when he is presented with one.

Gas Station Gift Cards

There are no two ways about it: Gas is expensive. Many frugal people try to commute by bicycle whenever possible, but most people need vehicles at least some of the time.

You can do your part to reduce the cost of filling up by giving the grad in your life a gas station gift card. Just make sure to get a card for a gas station that’s convenient for her.

Coupon Book

Keep your eyes peeled for those large coupon books that make the rounds every year. They are typically packed with coupons for local restaurants, stores and movie theaters. Frugal graduates usually try to avoid going out as much as possible because it’s so expensive, but everyone needs to have fun from time to time.

With a nice coupon book, the graduate in your life will feel less stressed about enjoying an occasional night out on the town.

Do-it-Yourself Machines

Treats like ice cream and cappuccinos can really add up over time, so frugal types tend to steer clear of ice cream shops and cafes. Why not give your graduate a do-it-yourself machine? There are machines out there that make ice cream, yogurt and other delicious treats.

Espresso machines are somewhat expensive, but making cappuccinos and espressos with them isn’t. A bread machine is another worthwhile option to consider. With the right machine, a frugal graduate will be able to make a wide range of tasty treats at home.

Warehouse Store Membership

Warehouse stores like Costco are a frugal person’s dream come true. However, penny-pinching types are often reluctant to splurge on the yearly membership fees. If there’s a warehouse membership store near where your graduate lives, buy her a membership. She is sure to get plenty of use out of it, and he’ll save a lot of money too.

As you can see, gifts for frugal graduates aren’t necessarily cheap. They are simply designed to help people live as frugally as possible. The frugal grad in your life is sure to be tickled by any one of the preceding gifts, so consider buying him one.

How to Splurge on a Budget

Tue, 22 May 2012 13:29:27 +0000

I’ll give you an intimate peek into our finances for a moment. My husband and I generally agree on finances. He is not uber-frugal like myself, but has a healthy respect for savings and loathes being in debt. When I met him he had paid off his college loans at 23 (that was a plus in my book!), was financially independent and had no other debt. On the other hand, my husband also enjoys a “toy” here and there. It’s one of these “toys” that we’ll be discussing today.

The Background

When Paul proposed to me and we sat down to have that first financial discussion, we calculated that collectively we were $25,000 in debt. On top of this, we wanted to get married sooner rather than later (in under a year), put a down payment on a home, and travel for as long as possible on our honeymoon in Austria. During this conversation, I brought up one of my own personal wishes. I knew firsthand how money can affect a relationship, and with marriage statistics being what they are, it was highly important for me to go into our marriage without debt. In my mind, if we took debt off the table, then there was one less obstacle for us to succeed. Thankfully, Paul agreed wholeheartedly. So we set out to buy a home, pay cash for our wedding and honeymoon, and pay off our $25,000 in debt (my student loans, his car, and our engagement ring) in 10 months (April the following year). It took us a little bit longer—4 additional months—but on September 10, 2010 we declared ourselves non-mortgage debt-free. What a day that was!

It hasn’t been completely smooth sailing since the debt-payoff as far as finances are concerned. We’ve had cars die, various appliance replacements, medical bills, etc. But all of these purchases have been with money, not with credit. On top of that, we have been able to save that extra cash flow and interest that had been going towards servicing those debts. So what is the problem?

What My Husband Really Wants

Paul has wanted a flat screen television for about three years now. It simply was not a priority when we were paying down debt, or when we got married, or when we did any other number of things (and I was perfectly comfortable with this), but we I don’t really have an excuse to vote him down now…except that it is just not a priority for me. I would much rather see that money in savings, or put towards something else for the house. I realize that I am not the sole person in this relationship, and that Paul has been quite patient about this. Three years is a long time, especially when we are in a financial situation (and have been) to be able to afford this upfront: we max out our retirement accounts each year, we have a healthy cash flow, put money consistently into savings each month, and have accumulated an 8 month emergency fund.

Would I be purchasing a flat screen television if I was by myself? No. But I am not by myself, and my husband and I have worked hard to be in a sturdy financial position. So here’s our alternative.

Our Compromise

In order for Paul to get what he wants (and has diligently waited and worked for), and me to not feel like I am watching precious savings going down the drain, we came up with a compromise. My husband can have his television, but the money for it must come from outside of our budget. What do I mean by this? Essentially, we need to “find” the money through rebates or refunds, extra freelance income, from selling items around the house, etc. No money can come from our cash flow, which is already earmarked for bills, savings, investments, and retirement. As long as we meet all of the numbers we normally do each month, then I will consider it “found” money.

We did this once before for our honeymoon, and it worked amazingly well. In September 2009 I made the goal of putting $2500 aside for our honeymoon using as little of our normal income as possible. By March, 2010, we had “found” an amazing $2334.78! This was from freelance work, bank account opening bonuses, selling stuff, wedding shower cash gifts, rebates, etc.

The Results – Did We “Find” the Cash?

Call it Law of Attraction or what you will but once again I am floored by the cash we were able to “find” and focus towards Paul’s wants. While he has not purchased the television yet, we are close to being able to do so. Here’s a rundown from the past several months:

Refund from our Natural Gas Company: Two months ago our natural gas company debited our account $169 in error (big error). That month we made up the shortfall and were still able to put the same amount into retirement and savings as previously agreed upon. So when we received the refund, I considered it “found” money.
Google Adsense Check: I reached the payout level of $100 over the last three month period from my blog and will be putting this check towards the television purchase.
Refund from our Closed Mortgage Account: Amazingly, we also received a $43.48 refund from our mortgage company after we refinanced our loan and they closed the previous account.
Rebate on an Appliance: In January our dishwasher went kaput. We saved up money for three months on top of our normal savings to purchase a new one with cash (we did not want to take any money from emergency savings). Surprisingly, we found that the manufacturer was having a rebate for the installation and delivery of any of their appliances the week we shopped (we had budgeted to pay for installation and delivery anyway because we don’t touch plumbing and we do not have a truck). This added about $130 onto the pile from short-term savings we had earmarked to spend.
Selling the Old A/C Unit in Our Garage: Two years ago we had to replace our central A/C unit after our home warranty had refurbished the inside (new compressor, new capacitor, new fan motor, etc.). I have been unlucky in selling it on Craigslist thus far, but we’ve had a few bites this time for around $175. Let’s hope it sells!

Potential Total: $617.48 (Actual total currently is $442.48)

This experience has taught us both so much. For me, I see that it is possible to meet everyone’s needs and wants with a little patience and smarts. For Paul, he has learned to be patient with his “toy” purchases, and learned that I am willing to compromise. Together, we learned that big ticket item purchases do not mean discontinuing our savings plan.

Of course, after the purchase I will definitely enjoy putting any future “found” money back into savings. What can I say? I’m a squirrel at heart—except my stockpile is at the bank.

Ways to Find Extra Money

Written by Amanda

Click here to leave a comment on this article.
© My Dollar Plan

Why PerkStreet’s Checking Account Beats Ally Bank AND ING’s Electric Orange

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:57:00 +0000

That’s a pretty bold statement but I believe that PerkStreet and their rewards checking account beats all other checking accounts … even the checking accounts from some pretty heavy hitters in the banking industry. It all boils down to rewards and even on the lowest rewards tier, PerkStreet just makes more sense for the vast majority of all people.

Ally Bank does have a great checking account with a lot of features in demand by many, many customers. ING Direct also has a great checking account. Ally has some great CDs and CD rates and I really love my Ally Raise Your Rate CD. ING carved out a great niche with their Electric Orange checking account after having one of the best savings accounts and they DO have a fabulous Kids Savings Account (sure beats a piggy bank).

These banks may pay interest on your checking account’s average daily balance but they don’t beat the rewards that customers can get from using their PerkStreet account to make their normal purchases using their debit card (non-PIN purchases).

For example:

PerkStreet

Spend just $300 week making your normal purchases like food, household items, clothing, utilities, etc and you’ll earn $156 with PerkStreet. Maintain over $5,000 in that account and you could earn even more. That doesn’t include PowerPerk Purchases where you get 5% cash back (up to $250/yr) on rotating categories, either.

Your earn rate is as follows:

1% unlimited cash back for all non-PIN debit card purchases (read Why Do I Get Rewarded for Non-Pin Debit Card Purchases?)
2% cash back on online purchases at: Amazon.com^®, iTunes^®, Target.com, Apple.com, Walmart.com and Bestbuy.com. Online purchase bonus perks are limited to $2,500 in spend every calendar year.
2% cash back in-store, when you have a Current Account Balance of $5,000 or more at: Walmart, Target^®, Best Buy^® & Apple^® stores. Offline purchase bonus perks limited to $2,500 in spend every calendar year.
2% unlimited cash back when you and a friend use your cards together at the same restaurant, bar or coffee shop. Transactions must occur within 60 minutes of each other to qualify.
5% cash back on special categories and merchants announced every month via Twitter (@perkstreet), on their Facebook page or other company communications. PowerPerks bonus perks limited to $5,000 in spend every calendar year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spends over $600 per week on purchases that could be put on a debit card. $601 in weekly non-PIN purchases can earn $563 in perks annually, including 1% cash back on purchases, up to $25 in the 2% online shopping bonus, up to $25 in 2% offline shopping bonus, and up to $200 in 5% PowerPerks bonuses. Obviously, if you spend more than that, you have the opportunity to earn more in cash back rewards.

Ally Bank

Maintain an average monthly balance of $5,000 in your Ally Bank checking account and you’ll earn a whopping $25 for the entire year … regardless of what you spend. Average $15,000 in your checking account and you’ll earn a bit higher interest rate but you’ll still only earn $135, just a fraction of what you’d earn with PerkStreet.

ING Electric Orange

ING makes a big deal about fees and their lack of them (for the record, the other banks have similar fee models and structures). Now, I hate fees as much as the next person, but with their paltry interest rates, you’d earn approximately $13 with a $5,000 balance, $37.50 with an average monthly balance of $15,000.

There are multiple opportunities to earn PerkStreet rewards

Even someone who claims to spend very little money each week has to purchase things like:

Food
Gasoline and transportation expenses
Medicines and health care
Utilities
Cell phone
Entertainment
Cosmetics
Paper products
Household products
Insurance
Haircuts or styling
Gifts

Why not get cash back from PerkStreet on those purchases?

Links to products or services may be affiliate links. See my disclosure policy on the site or on my About page.

Original post at http://www.thewisdomjournal.com/Blog/

Copyright The Wisdom Journal
All Rights Reserved

Today’s the 2nd Annual Ultimate Blog Swap!

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:00:53 +0000

Today is the second Ultimate Blog Swap, and I’m so excited by the quantity and quality of the blogs who are participating! With more than 100 blogs signed up for today’s swap, you’re sure to discover some new favorites along the way, so grab a cup of coffee, pick a random blog from the list below and start blog hopping!

Here’s how it works: Each blogger listed below is posting on another blog today and, in exchange, someone else is posting on their site! That means, theoretically, that you could start anywhere on the list and follow their Blog Swap links to find another great post and then another and then another.

Enjoy!

Do you want to be notified next time we do an Ultimate Blog Swap? Sign up here!

Today’s the 2nd Annual Ultimate Blog Swap! is a post from Life Your Way

Stop Normalizing Bad Habits: It Is Dangerous

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:00:21 +0000

Have you accepted certain bad habits as normal behavior?

You can bypass a quagmire of difficulties in your life by steering clear of this one tendency.

We all get sucked into it at one time or another.

We normalize bad habits.

We do this so we can stop feeling guilty for engaging in habits that we know ultimately harm us or others.

A little knowledge can go a long way toward defeating this hidden snare.

How You Normalize Bad Habits

You normalize bad behavior by adjusting your standards.

You accept what you once thought was unacceptable, wrong, mischievous or possibly even hurtful to be normal when it is not.

Perhaps you heard someone say it is okay and so you buy into their logic.

You might think to yourself one or more of the following:

I was just being a stick in the mud.
I was too judgmental.
I need to lighten up.
I must be getting old.
I just didn’t understand before.
I need to be more tolerant.

You start to modify your standard because you are getting some payoff.

In other words, your bad behavior produces some comfort that you desire and don’t want to stop receiving.

It could be physical comfort or the attention of another. It can be anything. You just know that if you don’t accept the bad behavior, the nice place you are in right now is going to evaporate.

This motivates you to normalize the behavior. I mean how comfortable can it be when there is that nagging little guilt in the back of your mind?

Normalizing and accepting the behavior as ordinary eliminates the guilt and frees you to proceed unabated.

Normalizing Is Dangerous

Normalizing a bad habit so it becomes acceptable behavior is dangerous.

Bad habits hold you back. They inhibit growth. They are roadblocks.

To overcome a bad habit, you must first be aware that you need to change. In other words, you have to see the habit as something that is bad.

Once a behavior is normalized in your mind, you no longer think of it as bad. It is just accepted. It becomes a part of your everyday life.

No harm. No foul. No guilt.

You will continue to repeat your bad habit and defend it to others indefinitely.

You will even become blind to the negative consequences your bad habit produces.

This is dangerous.

It is a downward spiral that won’t end until you hit bottom.

You’ve probably seen this sort of thing in the lives of others. You think, how can they go on like that? They seem completely oblivious to the mess all around them.

They have normalized the behavior. They are blind to it.

What bad behavior have you normalized in your life? What mess have you become blind to?

The danger is that it could rise up and smack you and you won’t even see it coming.

Some Areas Where We Normalize Bad Behavior

I will warn you right now. This is where the denial will begin.

Are you brave enough to do an honest self-evaluation? Can you take the blinders off for a few minutes? I should probably ask if you are willing to do this.

If so, then here are some common areas where we normalize bad habits:

1. Personal Finances

How much debt do you owe? Do you spend more than you earn every month? What is your net worth?

Do you even know the answers to these questions?

You can make all the excuses you want, but the reality is that you could be doing a better job of managing your money.

Hey, I’m familiar with all the bad habits in this area. You can even read about how I resisted solid money management for years.

I’m a walking, talking case study for normalizing bad behavior in this important area of life. But, I turned over a new leaf a few years ago.

If you’ve normalized bad habits related to your personal finances, then take a moment and read about my personal economic recovery.

2. Home Organization

Is your house overcrowded and full of clutter? When was the last time you had a garage sale?

We often normalize messy and disorganized surroundings. However, there is a cost to keeping all that stuff.

I challenge you to find the most extreme neat-freak that you know and have them walk through your house with you.

Ask them to point out places in your home where you could rid yourself of clutter.

Are you a hoarder? If not, then prove it.

3. Health and Fitness

Are you overweight? How often do you exercise? When was the last time you dared to look at yourself in the mirror – naked?

This has got to be the area where most of us have gone completely blind (by choice).

Over a third of Americans are obese. That’s one in three! I didn’t say overweight. I said obese.

However, we’ve normalized it. Bad eating is normal. A sedentary lifestyle is just the way we live.

Being fat is okay. In fact, it is politically incorrect to even call people fat now. See how it has been normalized?

The day of reckoning is coming. Unfortunately, for many, it will be in the emergency room. Don’t let it be you, get your mind right about fitness.

4. Job Performance

Are you 100% engaged at work or do you do just enough to get by? Do you rationalize your bad behavior as payback to your employer?

I know that there are many employers out there that take employees for granted.

But, I can tell you that being disengaged at work hurts you the most.

This is a serious mental hurdle that you need to get over. If you’ve normalized this behavior, then you need to face it and change your ways.

5. Relationships

Is there a trail of failed relationships in your past? Is there dysfunction in your family? Do you feel truly loved and accepted?

You know the old saying, “It’s not you, it’s me,” right? Perhaps, it really is you.

Maybe you’ve normalized some behavior that is seriously damaging your relationships. Or maybe you enable or unknowingly condone bad behavior in those around you.

You may be completely blind to this.

Take some time to look closely at the condition of your connections. If you see things that are out of whack, you should probably read how to keep a relationship before it is too late.

Normalizing Is Common, But Not Normal

You have to be constantly vigilant in your fight against normalizing bad habits.

Again, it is a very common tendency that I think we are all prone to.

Hopefully, this will wake you up and help you do a little reality check.

Where have you normalized bad behavior in your life? It is time to face up to it.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

Liza’s Delicious Brownies {Made from Scratch}

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:57:12 +0000

source: MalisaPrice.com

Today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at Christian Mommy Blogger about Baby Steps to Cooking from Scratch, and I’m excited to welcome Malisa from MalisaPrice.com to Life Your Way:

My hubster, Anthony, and I recently visited New York Citywhere we met Liza and her family. They opened their home to us and Liza served the most delicious brownies. She said they were really easy and generously gave me the recipe.

Liza’s original recipe called for a doctored-up brownie mix. I decided to use her fancy extras for a batch of brownies made from scratch. It took me four tries to perfect the brownies (hopefully our waistlines won’t suffer)!

They really are easy once you have a recipe to follow.

source: MalisaPrice.com

Liza’s Brownies

**adapted from Suzanne’s Best Brownies

Ingredients

10 tbsp. butter, unsalted (1 1/4 sticks)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 (10-12 oz.) bag chocolate chips (I used semisweet, use whatever you’d like)
1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray. You’ll also need a 9 x 13 pan for a water bath.

Combine the butter, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a heat proof bowl or double-boiler pan. Melt over simmering hot water, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to let the water boil or the chocolate might burn. When the butter is melted and the chocolate is smooth, remove from heat. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

If you used a double-boiler, pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Using a wooden spoon, add the vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring in between each addition.

Once the batter is shiny, add the flour and mix just until combined. Stir the entire mixture for about a minute with the wooden spoon. Add the chocolate chips and pecans. Pour the mixture into the 8 x 8 pan.

Place the 8 x 8 pan in the 9 x 13 pan. Add hot water to the larger pan, enough that it covers most of the smaller pan. Be very careful transferring the pans to and from the oven.

Bake for 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the brownie pan from the water bath and set on a wire rack to cool. The top of the brownies will be crisp and the inside will be moist. A perfect combination. Liza recommends freezing the brownies and serving with ice cream. We prefer to eat them right out of the pan.

Enjoy!

See all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants here.

What’s your favorite way to doctor up brownies? Do you start from a box mix or from scratch?

	Malisa blogs about her experiences as a married woman and a follower of Christ in the 21st Century at MalisaPrice.com, where she hopes to encourage and entertain her readers. Her favorite things include cooking and baking, although I modify almost every recipe to make it more healthy and tasty, and she’s also a craft enthusiast.

Liza’s Delicious Brownies {Made from Scratch} is a post from Life Your Way

7 Ways New Moms Can Go Green

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:56:20 +0000

source: Lori Ann

Today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at Tan/Green about Ways to Reduce the Trash in Your Garbage Can, and I’m excited to welcome Erin from The Humbled Homemaker to Life Your Way:

Up until a few years ago, I really didn’t think much about green living. To be honest, I balked at recycling and organic eating as fads, and I chalked off natural cleaning and body care products as something only the uber rich could afford.

Fast forward to June 2008. As I held my firstborn bundle of joy in my arms, I suddenly realized I was in charge of her well-being–from the food I fed her to what I put on her body to the environment I was helping sustain (or destroy) for her future.

And in those first few weeks of her life “going green” took on new meaning. It was no longer a fad. It was a necessity if I were going to best care for my daughter.

No, I didn’t dive in all at once, but that day I began baby steps to my journey as a new mom going green.

Are you a new mom looking for some green living baby steps? Check out 7 ways new moms can go green:

1. Breastfeed.

I know this is easier said than done for some women. There can be challenges like mastitis, thrush, and working, but if you can breastfeed, you’ll not only be providing your baby with the most natural food possible, but you’ll be saving waste on formula containers and bottles as well as the gas it takes to get to the store to buy those items–not to mention the electricity it takes to warm up bottles!

2. Use Cloth Diapers.

Now, I didn’t even consider using cloth diapers with my first. Even the thought turned my stomach. But when my first was not ready to potty train when my second daughter came along, I started crunching numbers and knew diapers might very well put us in the hole! Thankfully, I had several friends using cloth diapers who convinced me that they really are no grosser than using disposables. Sure, it might take slightly more time since you have to wash them, but the savings to your wallet and good stewardship to Creation are most definitely worth it! Besides, cloth diapers are way cuter and softer than disposables! (Line drying your diapers will make this step even greener.)

3. Make your own baby food.

When I buy baby food, I feel like I am wasting both money and packaging. Sure, I re-purpose old baby food jars, but at some point I have to recycle them, and then I feel bad for ever buying so many in the first place. Making your own baby food is very easy in a blender or food processor, and you don’t have to worry about all those excess jars!

4. Use natural care products on your baby’s skin.

With my first baby, I thought natural body wash and shampoo would be too pricey to try. Thus, I continued to use a conventional brand until my second came along. By that point, I realized the potential dangers of conventional soaps, and I was determined to avoid exposing my girls to those toxins! When my second was a few months old, I started making my own baby shampoo and wash. I also occasionally use Burt’s Bees–especially during the newborn stage.

5. Use natural care products on yourself.

The longer I’m a mom, the more I realize that taking care of myself is taking care of my girls. So in the past couple of years I’ve slowly been making the switch to natural skin and hair products. One of my favorite products to use is Mandi’s homemade deodorant. It’s super easy, and I always have the ingredients on hand! The best part? It actually works!

6. Switch to a whole foods diet.

When I first married, I scoured the grocery store for the cheapest food I could find. But when I became a mom, I realized that cheap does not always mean quality. And many times the cheap, convenience food I purchased was detrimental to our health–and the health of the planet. Now, my family still operates on a tight budget, but I’ve learned that switching from pre-prepared convenience foods to whole foods, like simple meat-and-produce dishes has served my family’s well-being, helped preserve the environment, and still kept my pocketbook intact.

7. Switch to environmentally-friendly cleaners.

With two (and three come August!) girls under the age of four, I am keenly aware that almost anything in our house may go into their mouths at one time or another. For that reason, I like to clean with non-toxic cleaners. I now use products like Norwex cloths and Crunchy Clean’s pure oxygen, and I make my own cleaners using mostly vinegar, water, baking soda, and essential oils. My go-to all-purpose cleaner is a very easy-to-make citrus cleaner.

See all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants here.

What are some ways you’ve gone green after becoming a mom?

Erin is a Jesus-loving, cloth diapering, natural birthing, (mostly) real-food eating, breastfeeding natural wife and mama to two little redheaded girls (with a 3rd on the way!). She writes for her local newspaper, blogs about her far-from-perfect homemaking at The Humbled Homemaker and edits eBooks at Your eBook Resource.

Ways to Reduce the Trash in Your Garbage Can

7 Ways New Moms Can Go Green is a post from Life Your Way

4 Tips to Staying Inspired While You Work from Home

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:56:18 +0000

source: Lisa Williams

Today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at Aubergine about Making Sure Your Blog Benefits Your Family, and I’m excited to welcome Martine from Dainty Mom to Life Your Way:

I’ve been working from home for a little under two years, and I love it. I suppose it’s because I’ve always been inspired by home, from the time I was still living in my mom’s well-appointed, thoughtfully-designed house, to the time I had a home of my own to appoint in the way that best fit my family.

As much as I enjoy being inspired by my home, I like being inspired by my work space. Being a mom, I need to be inspired as I work from home, five days a week. I’d like to share with you just four of these tips, which can help you get recharged and keep you motivated as you maintain that delicate balance of work, home management and family life.

1. Create an inspiring work space.

I’m a visual person. So, it’s important to me that my work space is beautiful and motivating. Earlier this year, I bought a simple yet pretty desk, hung an inspiring print above it, and prettified the tabletop with a vase of faux berries – happiness! Having a beautiful, inspired workspace is essential to staying productive when you’re working from home, especially since it’s proven that colors greatly influence mood, and even enhance productivity.

Quality light is also essential, so position your desk where there’s lots of natural light during the day, and, if you work at night, opt for warm-colored lighting. You’ll get work done faster and more efficiently when your space is visually stimulating and pleasant to your eyes.

2. Work elsewhere, occasionally.

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you need to stay at home every day to work. For me, as a writer, sometimes a change of scenery is necessary, especially if I’m working on creatives like ads or scripts. During these times, I like to escape to the coffee shop and do my work alone. I ask my husband or sometimes the grandparents (who are always willing to oblige!) to watch my son while I get two hours of power writing done. Afterwards, it feels incredibly rewarding to have been able to accomplish a chunk of work, and I’m excited to be reunited with my son and husband again.

3. Create relaxed spaces in your home.

Jane Austen said, “There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” And I totally agree. That’s why, in our little home, I make sure that work and rest areas are clearly defined so that real relaxation can happen when it’s needed. Both my husband and I work from home, so we’ve made it a rule to not take our laptops into the bedroom, for example. Furthermore, we’ve decorated our bedroom to look like a haven for relaxation, investing in pretty linens, a nice paint job, subtle lighting and light-colored furnishings.

Our living room, too, is dedicated to family time, reading, lounging, even meditating. My work space is actually in a small space between our living area and dining area, and when I’m not working on it, it doubles as part of the living-dining room décor when I remove everything utilitarian from it at the end of the day. Maintaining these relaxing spaces helps create different vibes within our home, so that we can consciously separate work from pleasure.

4. Keep focused with a work-at-home mission statement.

This is core to my being a work-at-home mom! Working from home requires the same skill set as running a small corporation, and having a mission statement to support my intention to work from home helps keep me on track, both as a worker and a family woman. Try making one for yourself, creating key points for those areas in your home and work life. (Here’s a sample of my own mission statement.) Refer back to your mission statement when work levels get toxic, or when you find yourself spending less and less time with your family.

The best way to stay inspired as a work-at-home mom – more than all these tips – is simply to never forget why you’re working from home. It’s not an option that most people have or are afforded with, so be thankful every day that you can be one. Reflect on the independence you have and be grateful for it; this gratitude will actually help make you a better worker.

How do you find inspiration while you’re working from home?

Martine de Luna is a wife, mom, and freelance writer. She’s the owner and editor of Dainty Mom, a tips and inspiration blog for work-at-home moms, which recently won the 2011 Philippine Blog Awards for Best Home and Parenting Blog. When she’s not making words awesome for her clients, Martine loves to cook, decorate the house, and spend days out of the house with her husband and toddler son. She lives in Manila, the Philippines.

4 Tips to Staying Inspired While You Work from Home is a post from Life Your Way

6 Expenses You Should Be Saving For

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:55:49 +0000

Source:401kcalculator

I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at For the Mommas about An Easy Way to Save for Irregular Expenses, and I’m excited to welcome Phoebe from Getting Freedom to Life Your Way:

Staying in control of your finances can be really hard, especially when you’re not prepared for the everyday. We’ve made countless monthly cash flow plans. Some we’ve used with great success, while others failed from the get go.
The failures all have one thing in common–we failed to plan for any future expenses. Major budget fail!

Home Repairs

Even if you live in a new home, home repairs are bound to happen. They could be as small as repairing a hot water heater to repairing your roof. Something small can really throw off your cash flow plan if you’ve not allowed for them. Our goal is to have the amount of our home insurance deductible in it’s own savings account.

If you are a renter with the goal of owning your own home, instead of saving for repairs that are covered by your landlord, why not put back money for your future down payment?

Car Repairs/Purchase

Think oil changes, flat tires, windshield repairs.

I don’t know about you, but even with new vehicles it seems car repairs are never ending. If you find yourself drowning in them it might be time for you to start putting money in a separate savings account so you can buy a new vehicle for cash.

Clothing Purchases/Haircuts

The money we spend on clothing and haircuts is often overlooked since it isn’t a regular expense. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a real expense! When I’ve not set aside money for clothing and haircuts, I find that I rob another budget category instead. Not only am I not being honest with myself, but I end up having no idea what I end up spending and in the process I mess up another category. Which will inevitably end up in failure. Either a total budget fail, or debt. Neither of which are pretty!

College

I know that there are varying opinions on whether to save for your child’s college education or not. My opinion:: If you’re in a position to save {even a little!}, go for it. At the average cost of $35,000 for one year of college, it’s highly unlikely that I’ll be able to save enough for all four of my children to attend college. Every little bit does help and starting them out on the right foot is important.

Retirement

You do not want to be working for all of your life–so plan now! As a general guideline, if you’re looking to retire when you’re 65, you need 6 times your annual income set aside in a retirement plan. Basically, you’d have to set aside 13% of your income for 30 years to fully fund your retirement account. That may mean cutting back in areas now so that you won’t be working later.

Unexpected

Let’s face it, life is full of the unexpected. It’s better to just plan for it so you it won’t derail your budget. A good round number for your emergency fund is $1000, although setting aside enough for 3-6 months worth of your living expenses is a safe way to ensure that if something were to happen to your income stream, your bills would still be paid.

See all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants here.

What other expenses do you save for?

In 2008, after discovering they were close to $40,000 in debt, Phoebe and her husband decided things needed to change. She found it her mission to find every single penny in their budget, and get freedom from the lender. Resources are slim in their rural area, so she’s had to get creative! Phoebe shares her joys of gardening, canning, cooking from scratch, and crafting {amongst other things} on her blog, Getting Freedom.

6 Expenses You Should Be Saving For is a post from Life Your Way

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10 Ways to Organize Clutter Hot Spots

Mon, 21 May 2012 22:30:34 +0000

As part of my role as an Official Apartment Guide Organizing Blogger, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to their Organize the Clutter Pinterest board.

Their entire Pinterest account is enough to make any organizer or decorator drool, but this board — with its nifty organizing solutions to corral and organize clutter — is my favorite.

Check out these cool solutions I found:

source: Classy Clutter

If you’re lacking in pantry space, this may just be the answer for you. ClassyClutter.com shows you how to build a skinny rolling shelf unit that sits next to your refrigerator for all of your cans and jars.

source: Erin's 2 Centz

Swapping seasonal clothes for growing kids is one of my least favorite activities. However, we use a system much like Erin’s, and it’s made a world of difference.

source: BHG.com

Whether they’re alphabetized or not, a shelf full of DVD cases can make a room or shelf feel cluttered. Try using pretty photo or storage boxes for your cases instead.

source: Random Thoughts of a Supermom

I love these labeled galvanized steel buckets for outdoor toy storage. My favorite label is “dirt”.

source: Mona Luna Design

Recycle an old frame for practical jewelry storage that looks pretty too!

surce: Unsophisticook

A little chalkboard paint and a few old baby food jars is all it takes to makeover your spice drawer. This setup is so much easier than the one I’ve got going on. How about you?

source: MSN

Add a few hooks and a bench to your entryway to keep it neat and organized through all of your comings and goings.

source: BHG.com

This is such a great idea, especially for younger children. Use garden baskets to hang toys on the wall where they can easily be gotten out — and put away!

source: beautyRIOT.com

Similar to the jewelry frame, this magnetic makeup frame is a great way to keep your makeup easily accessible and use vertical space rather than surface area.

source: iMOM

If you’re struggling to get your children on board with keeping your home clean, try setting up a “clutter jail”. Toys that are left out can be put into clutter jail and redeemed through various activities.

You can also follow Apartment Guide through your favorite social media networks (see above) for real-time tips and updates on making the most of your space and living on a budget!

What clutter hot spots are the biggest challenge in your home?

	Mandi Ehman is the founder and publisher behind Life Your Way and the co-author of All in Good Time, as well as a wife and the homeschooling mom to four beautiful girls. She lives with her family on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia and loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. have partnered with bloggers like me as Official Apartment Guide Bloggers. As part of this program, I have received compensation. They have not told me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

10 Ways to Organize Clutter Hot Spots is a post from Life Your Way

Start Digging out of Debt Today

Mon, 21 May 2012 19:00:41 +0000

The following post is from Christina of Northern Cheapskate:

photo credit: Tommy Sea

The best financial decision you can make is to never get into any debt.

If you’re like the majority of Americans, you’ve already botched that one. But you can do the next best thing:

Get out of debt now and stay out.

But how do you dig out of debt when the hole seems so deep? Start with these steps:

Assess the situation.

Sit down with all of your bills and statements and figure out exactly how much money you owe, who you owe, and how much interest you’re paying on each debt. As painful as this step can be, it’s critical for establishing a plan to get rid of your debt. Determine what you will have to do to get out of debt.

You should also do some soul searching to determine what lead to your debt problem. Too much house? Expensive cars? Bought lots of gadgets? Took a lot of vacations? Consider the emotions behind your spending decisions. Most people who are in debt have something else going on in their lives and use spending as a way to cope with that turmoil. Figure out what motivated you to spend beyond your means, and work on developing a new way to deal with those issues.

Stop spending money you don’t have.

It sounds so simple, but once you’ve got into the habit of using plastic or taking out loans, it can be a hard habit to break. Refuse to take on any more debt. Use cash for everything. Start stretching your budget by cooking at home, taking care of what you already have, and shopping secondhand stores and sales. Take advantage of all the free resources in your community and focus on free experiences instead of stuff.

Find money to throw at your debt. Sell some of your stuff, downsize to a smaller home, raise your insurance deductibles, or get a second job. Do whatever you can to bring in some extra money and apply it to your debt. Every little bit counts, so be sure to look for ways to save on both big things and the little things.

Establish a support system.

Get your entire family on board with your plans to get out of debt. Find friends and community members who are also working to become debt-free, and be sure to spend time with them. You won’t have to worry about “keeping up with the Jones” when you are all on a tight budget. You’ll find inspiration and support from those who share your journey. Read frugal living books and visit frugal living websites and online forums to find additional information and support to help you break the cycle of debt.

Stick with it.

It is really hard to get rid of debt. My husband and I slogged through $70,000 of student loans and car debt for seven years on mediocre salaries while we paid down our debt. It was hard to watch our friends take vacations and buy the latest gadgets while we ate dinner at home and watched movies we borrowed from the library. Becoming debt free (except for our mortgage) has been worth all the work. We now live in our dream home in the country, and I’m able to stay home with our kids.

I’ve learned that you can wallow in self pity, and denial and bad financial habits, or you can choose to change your life for the better.

No matter how hard it seems, stick with it. You’ll find more freedom – both financially and emotionally – then you ever dreamed possible when you are free from the shackles of debt.

Are you working to dig out of debt? How do you stay motivated?

	Christina Brown is the creator of Northern Cheapskate, a blog dedicated to frugal living through coupons, freebies, and money-saving ideas. She lives in the rural north woods of Minnesota where she clips coupons, pinches pennies, and chases her three boys (a 6-year-old and twin 4-year olds) as a stay-at-home mom.

Start Digging out of Debt Today is a post from Life Your Way

Homeschool-in-a-Box {Quick Tip}

Mon, 21 May 2012 16:30:13 +0000

source: Mandi Ehman

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be talking about homeschooling. I’ll be sharing my thoughts from my weekend visiting Peace Hill Press and Susan Wise Bauer, our 2012-2013 curriculum plan, how I’m balancing homeschooling and working, especially as we’re getting ready for our third daughter to start kindergarten in the fall, and more.

But before we jump in, I wanted to share my planning/organizing system with you, because this box is my sanity saver.

Although we have a homeschool room upstairs, we’ve found that we much prefer doing school downstairs on the main level — sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes in the master bedroom, sometimes outside.

I’m also a big fan of gathering materials ahead of time so that we’re not having to hunt for or gather them in the middle of school, and when we first started homeschooling, I used these handy scrapbooking organizers for all of our homeschooling stuff. I loved how convenient they were, but we outgrew the system as we added more workbooks and notebooks and games.

Then I received a set of these pretty Rubbermaid bento boxes last year, and I immediately knew that the big one would be perfect for all our homeschool stuff.

It doesn’t really matter what type of box you use, though, as long as it’s sturdy enough for the weight of your books and big enough to hold the things you need.

What I love about this system is that:

Our schoolwork is truly portable. I add/remove things every couple of weeks based on what we’re currently working on, and I could theoretically grab the box on my way out the door and have everything we need to do school for a few weeks. We’d run out of read-alouds after a week or so, but the rest of our curriculum stays in there pretty much all of the time. We take the box outside on nice days, and I’ve even taken it to my mom’s so that we can continue schooling when we’re staying there for a few days.

The books stay neat and organized. When I’ve used a shelf or cabinet or desk to hold our current homeschooling materials, they inevitably end up in stacks that are sliding all over the place. Because there is limited space in the box, there’s really only way to put things in it, and it keeps it naturally neat. (To some degree, at least. I do still have to clean it out every few weeks.)

Our supplies and extras are organized too. Using the small dividers inside the bento box (and a separate small bento box inside one corner), I’m able to keep pencils, pens, scissors, crayons, flashcards, games, etc. organized and convenient. I sharpen a big pile of pencils every weekend so we’re not running around looking for supplies when it’s school time.

The box serves as an extra work surface. When the lid is on the box, we’re also able to use it as a work service for working with manipulatives, writing in our journals, etc.

I’m not sure what we’re going to do when we add two more kids (and the extra journals and workbooks that entails) to the mix. But it’s the best system we’ve tried so far, and it’s working for us!

How do you organize your schoolwork for the week?

	Mandi Ehman is the founder and publisher behind Life…Your Way and the co-author of All in Good Time, as well as a wife and the homeschooling mom to four beautiful girls. She lives with her family on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia and loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Homeschool-in-a-Box {Quick Tip} is a post from Life Your Way

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