The Family CEO

Simple Glass Jars

2012-05-17T03:22:30Z

I’m having a love affair with clear glass.

I love that it pretties up and shows off what’s inside.

I especially love these lidded glass canisters/jars.

It turns out they have a name — Heritage Hill Jars — and Anchor Hocking makes them.

I realize this reads like an ad, but it isn’t. No compensation has changed hands, although if Anchor Hocking wants to send me a couple or a hundred of these jars, I won’t complain.

Here are the things that makes these jars so awesome.

They’re available everywhere, including Wal-mart and Target. You can just pick them up and put them in your cart, right next to the lightbulbs and frozen pizza.
They’re cheap. At Wal-mart, the giant size is less then $10. The smaller size is $7 and change.
They’re made in the USA.
You can do anything with them. Anything.

Here’s what I mean about reason #4:

Joan at For the Love of a House uses them as cannisters in her New Hampshire kitchen. Oh, you’ve never been to For the Love of a House you say? You have to go. Right now. I’ll wait here.

For the Love of a House

Yvonne at StoneGable uses a big one for a cookie jar. Breakfast cookies, that is. StoneGable is a gloriously beautiful blog. You could get lost in all its wonderfulness for hours.

StoneGable

And Sarah at The Yellow Cape Cod uses them to make terrariums. Delightful terrariums. In the middle of winter even.

The Yellow Cape Cod

My favorite way to use these jars is to have them hold ordinary things that we use everyday. Things like these.

Not very special, right?

But that box of dog treats looks so much better when it’s dumped into an $8 jar.

And it’s handy too, because we get into that jar at least 15 times a day.

In fact, these two know to come running when they hear that jar lid clink.

They won’t allow us to photograph them together. It’s in their contract.

But they’re very disappointed when they hear the clink and we’re not getting out dog cookies, but a fresh bar of soap instead.

Or a scoop of laundry detergent.

See how those everyday things look so much better when you show them off a little?

Honestly, these simple jars make me so happy.

They take ordinary things like flour and cookies and plants and laundry detergent and bath soap and even dog treats and put them on display.

I really don’t think you can ever have to many.

Do you have any of these lidded jars? Did your mom? Or your grandma? How do you use them?

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Ouch

2012-05-16T18:00:57Z

It’s amazing how a routine Tuesday night can suddenly and dramatically become unroutine. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

The accident happened about a mile from my house, as I was coming home from a meeting.

Both the other driver and I thought we had green lights.

Since the police couldn’t locate any witnesses (kind of amazing, really, as it’s a busy intersection) they turned to the cameras that the city has installed there.

The footage showed that I did in fact have a green arrow. You cannot know how relieved I was.

The financial upside of what the cameras showed is that the other insurance company is accepting liability, so we won’t have a deductible to pay and our insurance record won’t take a hit.

Our debt reduction progress will, though.

We bought this van new 7 1/2 years ago. It has long been paid off and the plan was to drive it at least a few more years. When the insurance company totaled it we had to come up with a plan and fast.

We weighed different options, but quickly settled on the one that worked so well for us before: to buy something new, with good financing terms, and drive it for many years and miles after it’s paid off.

A mid-size SUV this time. My minivan days are behind me, I guess.

I’m a little surprised at how sad I was to see the van go. It has been a complete workhorse for us, hauling people and groceries and flats of flowers and tailgating tents and whatever else we needed it to haul.

It has moved this pretty girl back and forth to college twice.

Move-in day, Fall 2012

And my husband and I and two estate sale workers were once able to get this 8 foot couch in the van and completely close the hatch for the ride home.

But, it’s just a car, and in the end I’m grateful.

Grateful that cars today have airbags and that they work.

Grateful that everyone involved was wearing a seat belt.

Grateful that the only injuries were minor and came from those same airbags and seat belts.

Grateful that we had paid off so much debt that there was financial room in our lives for this hiccup.

Just grateful.

Fast, Fun and Frugal: A Themed Rotating Family Photo Display

2012-05-15T15:25:50Z

Do you display family photos around your house?

Do they tend to stay in the same groupings in the same spots on the same tabletops?

Same here.

But lately I’ve been having fun choosing pictures with a theme for this table in my entry way.

This month’s pictures are of our mothers and grandmothers, in honor of Mother’s Day.

Every member of our family walks by this table multiple times a day. And when I walk by I love glancing at the pictures because they’re ones I’m not used to seeing.

(Have you ever had something in the same spot in your house for so long, that you don’t even see it anymore?)

Once Mother’s Day is over, I’ll replace them with pictures of our fathers and grandfathers.

And the more I think about it, the more I find the possibilities for this rotating display are endless:

Wedding photos during an anniversary month.
Photos celebrating family members’ birthday months.
Christmas photos in December.
Dating/Wedding pictures for Valentine’s Day.

I’m sure there are more.

This is so easy to do, too. Some of these pictures I found and put in a frame for this display, but others I just pulled from other places in the house.

And they don’t even have to be perfect.

See that yellow mark on the picture in the front? Somebody drew on the picture at some point. I’m positive it was my sister and not me.

Do you decorate with family photos? What’s your favorite way to use them?

This post is part of The William Morris Project, One Project at a Time, and Frugal Fridays.

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A Raised Bed Garden in the City

2012-05-08T12:58:04Z

Centsational Girl is having a “Look What I Planted” party and I’m cheating just a bit. Because this post isn’t about what I planted, but what school children planted instead.

My husband and I stumbled on this charming garden of raised beds while in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City last weekend.

The plants were all spring varieties, like peas, herbs, and this lettuce.

I checked the website of the school and discovered that the kids did, indeed, do the planting.

Some of the beds were empty and I’m wondering if they’ll contain summer veggies later in the season.

I loved this bed of herbs.

We discovered the garden because it was right next to an art fair we were at, the Brookside Art Fair.

The Brookside Art Fair is held every Spring but this was our first time attending. I loved the neighborhood feel of it.

There were food stands, music, and lots of kids and dogs, which made it especially fun.

But the highlight for me was this unexpected garden in the middle of the city.

I love the look of raised beds, do you? Have you ever gardened with them?

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Book Club: Library Sale Edition

2012-05-12T22:48:19Z

Last month I stumbled up on a used book sale at the library. I spent a glorious hour or so picking through books while I listened to two volunteer library sale staffers talk a little too loudly about some library gossip. Loved that part. Nothing like a little entertainment with your book shopping.

Anyway, I ended up with this stack of books, and when I shared the picture on Facebook, many of you shared how much you love used book sales too, which inspired this post.

Lots of reading for $10!

The great thing about buying books on the cheap is that it’s no big deal if you don’t like them.

I know there are two schools of though on this, but I’m squarely in the school that doesn’t finish books that I’m not into. There are so many books in the world and so little time.

But, the fates must have really been with me that day, because I’ve read two of the books so far and really liked them both.

No One You Know

The first was No One You Know by Michelle Richmond.

I’ll let Amazon tell you about the plot:

All her life Ellie Enderlin had been known as Lila’s sister—until the day Lila, a top math student at Stanford, was murdered, and the shape of their family changed forever. Twenty years later, Ellie is a professional coffee buyer who has never put down roots. When, in a chance meeting, she comes into possession of the notebook that Lila carried everywhere, Ellie returns home to finally discover the truth about her sister’s death—a search that will lead her to Lila’s secret lover, to the motives and fate of a man who profited from their family’s grief, and ultimately to the deepest secrets even sisters keep from each other.

I know, right?

A murder, a secret lover, and family secrets.

And if you’re someone who thinks math is best left behind in high school, don’t let the math thing scare you off. The book is written from the point of view of Ellie, the non-math sister, and it’s all an integral part of the story.

Besides, you kind of learn a little something too. Even if you don’t really want to. Like when you watched Schoolhouse Rock as a kid.

I really, really liked this book. And even though I guessed the murderer as soon as he/she appeared in the book (and felt pretty smug about it), it didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all.

The Good Daughters

The second book was The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard.

Again, I’ll let Amazon do the honors:

They were born on the same day, in the same small New Hampshire hospital, into families that could hardly have been less alike.

Ruth Plank is an artist and a romantic with a rich, passionate, imaginative life. The last of five girls born to a gentle, caring farmer and his stolid wife, she yearns to soar beyond the confines of the land that has been her family’s birthright for generations.

Dana Dickerson is a scientist and realist whose faith is firmly planted in the natural world. Raised by a pair of capricious drifters who waste their lives on failed dreams, she longs for stability and rootedness.

Different in nearly every way, Ruth and Dana share a need to make sense of who they are and to find their places in a world in which neither has ever truly felt she belonged. They also share a love for Dana’s wild and beautiful older brother, Ray, who will leave an indelible mark on both their hearts.

The story is told from Ruth’s and Dana’s points of view, in alternating chapters. That’s always something I find annoying at first, but once I’m reading doesn’t seem to bother me.

There are some surprises in this book and I totally didn’t see them coming. Probably because I was so smug about figuring out the murderer in No One You Know ahead of time. But, just like No One You Know, I found myself wanting to pick the book up each night, instead of watching The Colbert Report, and that’s the sign of a good book to me.

Now for the backstory…

Joyce Maynard’s name was familiar to me, but I’d never read any of her books and didn’t really know who she was. So after reading her bio on the book jacket of The Good Daughters I Googled her.

Holy cow!

She was in a relationship with J.D. Salinger when she was 18 and he was 53. It ended suddenly and badly.

Also, her son is an actor that I’m too old to have heard of, but my daughter probably has. And she (Joyce Maynard, not my daughter) adopted two girls from Ethiopia when she was 55 and then had to find them a new family two years later when the adoption didn’t go well.

It makes the twists in The Good Daughters seem pretty tame by comparison.

Real Life Book Club Books

The other reading I’ve been doing are the books from my real life book club.

The real-life story behind The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is compelling. I listened to the author talk about it for an hour or so on Book TV once and I was riveted.

But I was only able to get through about half the book before I felt I knew enough and was ready to move on. Amazon reviewers overwhelming loved it though.

Our new book is Loving Frank, about Frank Lloyd Wright’s affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney.

I’m just a few pages in and can tell I’m going to love it. The story is fiction, but based on as much research as the author, Nancy Horan, could find about the pair.

It reminds me of another fiction based on fact novel that our book club read and I enjoyed, The Paris Wife by Paula McLain.

This time it’s about Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, who may have been the great love of his life.

Blog Reading

And finally, you may remember Zac Bissonnette, who did a Q&A with us about his book, Debt-Free U. Zac has a new book out — How to Be Richer, Smarter, and Better-Looking Than Your Parents – and his publisher was kind enough to send me a copy.

At least I think it was kind.

Zac’s book is really aimed at readers the ages of my kids, which makes my husband and me the less rich, less smart, and not as good looking parents.

So here’s what I’d love to know:

Do you like used book sales?
Do you finish books if you’re not into them?
Read anything good lately?

This post is part of Booking It at Life As Mom.

What Does College Cost? One Family’s Second Year Expenses

2012-05-04T14:33:22Z

Campanile @ The University of Kansas

Our goal is to pay cash for our kids’ college educations, so that neither they — nor we — have to take out loans. But we didn’t have a big education nest egg going in, so we’re doing it out of earned income or cash-flow.

Last year I broke down our daughter’s freshman year expenses item by item (see that list here). As I prepared to do the same this year, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that her sophomore year expenses were over $4000 less than the year before.

Here’s why:

Move-in day, Fall 2012

There were no one-time expenses for a computer or for dorm room equipment and supplies. That saved us $2300.

As it turns out, belonging to a sorority is quite a bit cheaper after the first year. $2200 cheaper, in fact.

Fees were down almost $700, largely because there were no first year fees for orientation, etc. There was also no cost for a parking pass, because she’s living in a sorority house instead of the dorm. And technology fees were lower too.

Book expenses were $400 cheaper this year than last. Lindsey rented a lot of her books this year, which may have accounted for the difference.

Move-in day, Fall 2012

A couple of things were more expensive:

The cost of her room was exactly the same as last year, but board was $1600 higher. That’s probably because last year there was a choice of meal plans in the dorm and we chose an inexpensive one. In the sorority, there’s one charge for everyone.

Tuition costs were up a few hundred dollars, due to one of her scholarships being a freshman year scholarship only.

Campanile Doorways

The Exact Breakdown

Tuition/Room & Board/Books: $10,824

Room = $3350
Tuition = $2980
Board (Meal Plan) = $3800
Books = $629
Workshops/Conferences = $65

Fees: $1298

Required Campus Fees = $858
Technology Fees = $290
Sports Combo Pass = $150

Sorority: $1049

Dues: $582
Moms/Dads Weekends, Family Day, Initiation Luncheon, etc. = $467

Total: $13,171

What’s Not Included:

Spending money – Lindsey is responsible for her own spending money so I don’t have costs for things like eating out, snacks, toiletries, school supplies, clothing, laundry, gas, etc.

The $150 student sports ticket is a great value for watching Kansas basketball.

How to Pay Cash for College

If you’re planning to send a child to college and want to avoid student loans, here are the things that have been helpful to us so far:

We chose an in-state school with low tuition costs. Our school – The University of Kansas – also offers a four year tuition compact so that we’re assured that tuition costs won’t rise during that time.

Lindsey applied for and was offered academic scholarships, which brought the tuition costs down even more. She’s required to maintain a certain GPA in order to keep her main scholarship each year.

Lindsey works during the summers and at times during the school year so that she can pay for incidentals. She’s also very frugal and a good steward of both her money and ours, which we appreciate.

A couple of years before Lindsey started college, I started setting aside my earnings from freelance writing/blogging into a account earmarked for her college expenses. Even though the amounts I receive are often small, faithfully saving each one and getting a slight head start has paid for much of her college costs.

Architectural detail on the KU campus.

So that’s a real-life look at one family’s second-year college expenses. Anything surprise you? Where are you at in the college process?

Note: If you’d like to read more about the college experience from both a student’s and a parent’s perspective, Lindsey and I blog weekly at Twice the College Advice on the U.S.News & World Report website. We’d love to have you join us there.

This post is part of Works for Me Wednesday, Frugal Fridays, Finer Things Friday, and Penny Pinchin Party.

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Going From Artificial to Real Houseplants

2012-04-27T04:12:18Z

The Nester has been talking houseplants.

Over the last few weeks she has shown off the plants in her home, shared her plant secrets, and talked about planters, terrariums, and even fairy gardens.

Now she’s asking us to show our plants and I’m taking her up on the challenge because — along with dragging things from the yard into the house – I’ve also been replacing some of the fake/silk/plastic/artificial plants and flowers in my house with real ones.

In other words, I’m trying to have less of this…

My dusty, obviously fake plant on a shelf.

…and more of what I’m about to share.

Why Have Real Plants in Your Home

There was a time when I didn’t bother with real plants because I thought they were hard to keep alive and I didn’t exactly enjoy trying to do it. But I’ve since come to appreciate the benefits of keeping live plants in the house:

Plants are air purifiers.

In fact, NASA studied the effectiveness of plants as interior air cleaners and came up with a top ten list, based on how effective the plants were and how easy they were to maintain. Here’s the list. (Hint: When in doubt, get a palm.)

Plants are beautiful.

Designer Lori Dennis even describes them as art:

“Because they grow and change, live plants are like sculpture that is always new and exciting. Even if you don’t have a lot of money for furniture and accessories, if you have a clean, uncluttered space with a plant or two, it always looks nice and feels like home.” – Lori Dennis

Plants are therapeutic.

Studies show that plants help with concentration and memory, speed up healing, reduce stress, and just generally make people happy.

I can attest to the fact that keeping a plant alive and watching it grow does result in a certain satisfaction that just buying an artificial plant or flower doesn’t.

What I’ve Learned About Plants So Far

While I’ll never be mistaken for a gardening guru, here are a few things I’ve learned since I’ve undertaken the great houseplant switch-out from artificial to authentic.

Consider what you like.

That may seem obvious, but it wasn’t to me at first. I thought a plant was a plant was a plant.

But when it comes to your home, plants are no different than curtains or pillows or artwork You’ll develop a taste for what you like and what you don’t.

I’ve learned that I like plants with small leaves, like this China Doll

China Doll

and this Weeping Fig.

Weeping Fig

(We had a close call with the fig plant; I nearly killed it right after I got it. I’m happy to report that it seems to be bouncing back.)

I learned that I don’t like tropical-looking plants, like this one

This plant wasn't my thing.

so I switched it out for Rosemary, because herbs are something I do like.

Rosemary

Buy them small.

Speaking of that Rosemary plant up there, can you tell how small it is?

Plants are so much cheaper when you buy them little. I like to pay for someone to get the plant started for me, but not much beyond that.

I often pick up $1.99 plants at the grocery store. At that price, they’re really, really tiny, but that’s okay. Because watching a plant grow is where that feeling of satisfaction comes in.

So unless you have an area that you need to fill with something ASAP, I would advise starting with itty bitty plants. And if you’re nervous about keeping a plant alive, a small one is less intimidating too.

Keep plants where you are.

I think it’d be great to have at least one live plant in every room of the house, but I’m starting with plants in the rooms we’re in most often. Not only do we enjoy them more, but I tend to notice more quickly when they’re droopy or dry looking.

And if you keep plants near a sink, it’s extra easy to throw them in, water them, and let them drain, all in the sink.

White Orchid

This orchid is in my bathroom and I’ve managed to keep it alive for almost two months now. I’m so proud.

I was crazy intimidated to buy an orchid, but the woman at the nursery advised me to keep it on the dry side and only water it once a week or so.

So far, so good but any other long-term care tips you have would be appreciated.

So there you have most of what I know about going from this…

Fake greens and berries(?) in an urn.

…to this.

Live evergreen bought as a Christmas decoration, now a full-time family room decoration.

And here’s a bonus tip straight from me to you: If you need a plant that you are virtually guaranteed to be able to keep alive, choose a Peace Lily.

I know because I’ve kept this Peace Lily — a gift given to us when my son was born — alive for almost 17 years.

Peace Lily

Even in it’s obviously neglected state, it just keeps on living and giving. (There’s one of those “As Seen on TV” water globes in the middle of all those leaves. It’s dry, I’m sure.)

So now it’s your turn. Is your thumb green or brown? Do you have a favorite houseplant or a tip for keeping them alive? Tell us about it in the comments.

P.S. If you’re on Pinterest, Nester has a Planty Board (cute name) and I have a Gardening Board (boring name) with lots of houseplants on it. I’d love to connect with you there.

Gardening Pinterest Board

This post is part of Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, The William Morris Project, Frugal Fridays, and One Project at a Time.

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Understanding Your Credit Score

2012-04-19T16:23:08Z

Wait!

I know that’s a boring title, but don’t click away.

This five minute video will explain your credit score in a very entertaining way.

Why should you care?

Because your credit score affects if you’ll be able to borrow money for almost anything, including a mortgage. It will probably affect your interest rate on the loan too.

And more and more your score is affecting other things in your life as well.

Things like:

Your insurance rates. Many insurance carriers use your credit score to determine — at least in part — what kind of an insurance risk you are. The higher the risk, the higher your rates.

Your ability to get a job. Some employers will pull a credit score before they make a job offer.

Your ability to rent a home. Some landlords pull credit scores before they enter into rental agreements with renters.

How much you’ll pay for utilities. Certain utilities are using credit scores to determine how much to charge for deposits and even utility rates.

So, seriously, watch the video.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll learn.

Okay, you’ll chuckle, and you won’t cry, but you’ll definitely learn.

The person in this video is Peter Werner, an attorney for a credit union in Bend, Oregon. He’s the brother of Sara from Go Gingham, who shared the video with her readers. (Thanks, Sara!)

Simplify Your Kitchen

2012-04-26T16:46:15Z

Centsational Girl is having a Kitchen Gadgets link party today and the timing couldn’t be better. My latest decluttering target has been the kitchen.

While sorting through what to keep and what to toss, I’ve noticed a few themes. Here’s what’s being shown the door:

Duplicates or extras or too many of something

These bowls are lovely. But I no longer have the plates that went with them and my dish obsession insures that I will never have a shortage of bowls of any kind.

Time to let somebody else get use out of them.

Coffee mugs, plastic cups, and water bottles are good candidates for the “we have too many/where did they all come from category” too. Is there a kitchen anywhere that couldn’t stand to get rid of a few of those?

Things that haven’t been used in a year or more

This Tupperware container is a perfectly good idea. It’s designed to keep fruit and vegetables fresh.

But I don’t use it. I have no idea why, but I have other bowls with lids that I always grab instead, so it’s time to free up the cabinet space this takes up.

Appliances and tools that only do one thing

Not long after writing this post I was making dinner and realized that my salad spinner only does one thing. So do my lemon juicer and my vegetable peeler and I’m definitely keeping those.

So let me revise this a little to say: appliances and tools that only do one thing unless they are used regularly and nothing else will do what they do nearly as well.

With that off my chest…

It all started when I donated a smoothie maker last month. I bought it several years ago as a Valentine’s Day present for my smoothie-loving daughter.

Never mind that it never got used (even when she’s home from college, she tends to buy her smoothies, not make them) but we have a blender that does exactly the same thing. So it was time to let the smoothie maker go.

This week’s donation includes more single use items:

The slicer thingy with the ridges (not it’s real name) that I only use to make cucumber slices pretty. Even that is rare so it’s not worth keeping for me.

The meatloaf pan that has holes in it to drain off the fat. I actually use this, but last week I watched the Pioneer Woman use a broiler pan for that very same thing on her cooking show. I’m embarrassed to admit how excited I was when I realized I could get rid of my meatloaf pan. So excited that I almost missed the fact that she completely covers the top of her meatloaf with slices of bacon. Bacon! I didn’t know that was even allowed.

The apple slicer was given a reprieve by my son who plucked it from the donation pile, used it on an apple right away and asked to keep it. He’d better plan on eating a lot of apples And maybe baking me a pie.

I promise you, having a kitchen stocked with only things that you actually use is just as good a feeling as having a closet full of only things that you actually wear. And realizing which things you don’t need or won’t use can prevent future buying mistakes.

Have you decluttered your kitchen lately? What suggestions or tips can you share?

This post is part of the Kitchen Gadget Link Party, Frugal Friday, The William Morris Project, and the Tuesday Link Party.

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Free Family Finance Courses by Email

2012-04-16T06:46:51Z

A couple of months ago, I announced that I had partnered with PerkStreet Financial to create a free email course: Taking Control of Your Family’s Finances.

Perkstreet is the bank I use to get 1% – 2% cash back on everything by using my PerkStreet debit (not credit) card. I put my perks toward paying off debt.

This post is a quick reminder that the email course is an ongoing one, meaning you can sign up at any time. My fellow PerkStreet bloggers, John and Brad, have also created free email courses on budgeting and getting out of debt. I have taken both of their courses and they’re great.

If you have an interest in any of those topics, you can sign up to take the courses via email. You do not have to be a PerkStreet customer; the courses are open to everyone.

This page on the PerkStreet website will give you more info.

Note: This post contains my referral links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.

The Family CEO

Simple Glass Jars

Related Posts:

Ouch

Related Posts:

Fast, Fun and Frugal: A Themed Rotating Family Photo Display

Related Posts:

A Raised Bed Garden in the City

Related Posts:

Book Club: Library Sale Edition

No One You Know

The Good Daughters

Real Life Book Club Books

Blog Reading

Related Posts:

What Does College Cost? One Family’s Second Year Expenses

The Exact Breakdown

How to Pay Cash for College

Related Posts:

Going From Artificial to Real Houseplants

Why Have Real Plants in Your Home

Plants are air purifiers.

Plants are beautiful.

Plants are therapeutic.

What I’ve Learned About Plants So Far

Consider what you like.

Buy them small.

Keep plants where you are.

Related Posts:

Understanding Your Credit Score

Related Posts:

Simplify Your Kitchen

Duplicates or extras or too many of something

Things that haven’t been used in a year or more

Appliances and tools that only do one thing

Related Posts:

Free Family Finance Courses by Email

Related Posts: