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A Worthwhile Investment?

It is rare that I have an hour alone (with my eyes open) let alone four. But a recent airline flight afforded me the opportunity to have four hours alone; no phone, internet, or television, just me. (Well just me and my iPod, I don’t do silence)

It got me thinking about time and how it is a commodity just like money. Often we focus on the things in our life we can touch – money, food, cars, stuff. We think a lot about how to better manage our money, how to eat better, how to get better gas mileage, or how to organize the school books.

I think we don’t spend a lot of time considering how we invest our time. I know for me, many times I wake up and there is already a crisis in my house. Someone has wet the bed, thrown up, or dropped a gallon of milk on the kitchen floor. Sometimes it feels like you put on your armor and jump into battle every morning.

As I sat on the flight, alone, I realized I want to be more intentional with my time. What is most important to me? For me it is:

  • Faith
  • Husband
  • Kids
  • Family
  • Homeschool
  • Friends
  • Church

Do my days reflect my priorities? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I have found that if  my priorities get mixed up my days don’t go very well. Whenever I try to put something first that shouldn’t be the day falls apart.

Twenty years from now what time investments will have big returns? My portfolio needs an adjustment, how about yours?

by admin -

Traveling with Children

surviving a road trip with kids

Most of our family vacations involve driving south on I-95 to visit family in Florida. My children have spent many, many hours in the car going to Grandma’s house. Early Monday morning we head out to visit family in Texas. We haven’t made the Florida to Texas drive in many years, but I do remember that I-10 is long…..While not every trip has been a breeze, there are some things we do to help make those hours on the road a bit easier.

Plan Trips Around Your Best Driving Times

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Don’t try and start your trip at 4 am if you usually don’t wake until 9 am. And don’t plan on driving all night if you normally go to bed at 8pm. While we try to plan trips around our children’s schedule, the most important person is the driver.

Make a List/ Check it Twice

A few days before our trip I usually create a list of all the things we need to pack and all the things we need to load in the car. As we are loading the car I check the items off the list. The times I don’t make a list I always forget something.

Plan the Seating Arrangements Before You Get on the Road

If you have two children who don’t get along inside the house, chances are they will not get along during a 12 hour road trip. If you have a choice, seat children with a buddy. In our house that almost always means older kids sit with a younger one.

Pack Goodie Bags for the Kids

Hit the Dollar Store before your trip and make goodie bags for each of your children. We bring things like stickers, notebooks, pencils, books, small toys and treats. Target sells travel versions of classic games, so if your children are older this might be a fun option too.

Bring Chargers and Extra Batteries

iPods, Gameboys, Leapsters, and other electronic toys are much more effective if they work! Pack spare batteries and make sure you have all the chargers in the car before you leave.

Make Music and Movies a Family Decision

We have a portable DVD player we bring on long trips. Each child helps select the movies. During the trip they take turns picking the movies to watch. This reduces arguments and keeps everyone happy on the road.

Use Coupons and Stock Up on all Those Prepackaged Items You Normally Wouldn’t Buy

Snack packs and juice boxes are great for the road. My kids think they are getting a treat and it is less expensive than buying them a Happy Meal on the road.

Make the Most of Your Stops

For many years we would stop at restaurants for lunch and then wonder why our children suddenly couldn’t behave at a restaurant. After sitting in the car for several hours the last thing my children wanted to do was sit still at a restaurant!

We now bring almost all our food with us in the car and stop at rest areas along the way. I pack a frisbee or soccer ball and they run around for 30 or 40 minutes while mom and dad eat lunch at the picnic tables. Once they are tired and worn out we put them back in the car and they eat their lunch on the road.

Invest in Some Travel Luxuries

Two things I never travel without are the electric cooler and power inverter. While there was an initial investment it has made our road trips so much easier. My electric cooler has its own inverter so we can take it from car to hotel room on the extra long trips.

Don’t Forget the Classics

Remember the days before iPods, portable DVD players, and hand held video games? Audio books are a great way to pass the time and are something the whole family can enjoy. My kids love the Jonathan Park series and the Jim Weiss Audio Books. These CDs are interesting enough to keep mom and dad’s attention too. There are also the classic road trip games such as License-Plate Bingo, I Spy, or The Alphabet Game.

Enjoy the Road

For most families the road trip is a means to an end. It isn’t about enjoying your time in the car, it is about getting to your destination as fast as possible! If you can, enjoy your journey. Point out landmarks, stop along the way. Have a conversation with your kids. Sing songs, tell jokes, and remember to laugh. Some our best road trip memories were made because we took the extra time to stop and enjoy the road.

A Few Travel Resources

How to Prepare for Your Next Vacation: A day by day guide to help you get ready for your next trip.

Car Travel Activities for Kids: You can never have too many ideas for activities in the car. If you don’t use them on this trip, save them for next year.

by admin -

Bible in 90 Days Giveaway

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, there is another Bible in 90 Days group starting July 5, 2010. This program is hosted by my sister-in-law, Amy who blogs at Mom’s Toolbox. If you want to participate in the summer group, sign up on her website.

There are two ways you can read through the Bible in 90 Days. You can follow the reading plan using your own bible, or you can purchase the Bible in 90 Days bible. I prefer the 90 Days bible because it is easier to read and has large print. 🙂

The folks at The Bible in 90 Days have given me one 90 Day Bible to give to one of my readers who would like to participate in the summer reading group.

To enter to win the bible please leave a comment. Giveaway ends June 23, 2010.

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Cleaning Kid’s Dirty Fingernails

If your kids are like mine, they come in from playing outside and their hands are filthy! I don’t mind them getting dirty, but I do mind dirty hand prints on my walls and furniture. My kids do a pretty good job of washing their hands but they don’t do a great job of getting all the dirt out from under their fingernails.

I keep a cheap scrub brush next to the sink so the kids can scrub their little fingers when they come inside. This scrubber works great for adults too. When we had our garden I would use the scrubber to get all the dirt off my hands and fingernails as well. I think they cost less than a dollar and they last forever.

by admin -

Six Impossible Things and an Alice in Wonderland Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Mandy!

It has been many years since I read the book Alice in Wonderland, but I remember the story being full of talking animals, crazy queens, and a shrinking girl. As I child I loved the story of Alice and was curious to see Tim Burton’s take on the story.

The new movie Alice in Wonderland finds Alice, now 19, back in Wonderland. There is much debate by the characters in Wonderland if Alice is the real “Alice” and even Alice herself doesn’t seem to remember being there before. Once in Wonderland, Alice needs to rescue a myriad of characters from the Red Queen and keep herself from losing her own head.

My older children loved this movie as it was packed with action and adventure and is visually amazing. There are numerous scary scenes so I would not recommend it for young children unless you have previewed it first.

At one point Alice says, “Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” I smiled when she said that line, as I tend to wake up believing each day will be a great day, even if that seems impossible!  I believe there will be no fighting between siblings,  no scraped knees or stubbed toes, everyone will remember to share, pick up their toys, and finish their school with a cheerful attitude. Some days we achieve the impossible, others we miss the mark, but I have faith for each day we are given.

Alice in Wonderland was released on DVD and Blu-ray June 1, 2010. Disney has given me an Alice In Wonderland Combo Pack, which includes the film on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Download to giveaway to one of my readers. To be entered to win leave a comment letting me know an impossible thing you believe before breakfast. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents and ends June 9, 2010.

by admin -

Memorial Day Giveaway from Inspired Gifts

I absolutely LOVE photo books. It is a great way for those of us who don’t have a lot of time to make lasting albums filled with memories of family and friends. For our military families, photo books are great gifts for those who are deployed. I know when my husband was in Iraq I took pictures of the kids every day. I didn’t want him to miss a thing. If I had known how easy it is to make a photo book, I would have made him one for each month and sent it to him as a gift. Photo books can also be a great way to document your time at different duty stations and make a great retirement gift.

You can make a photo book on the Inspired Gifts website in less than an hour by uploading your photos and then arranging them in an album. The program will even arrange the photos for you if you are short on time. It is easy to upload your photos and they have a huge variety of photo gifts; hard cover books, themed books, greeting cards, day planners, journals and more. I am thinking this might be the best way to give my four youngest kids baby books!

In order to celebrate Memorial Day and Father’s Day, the folks at Inspired Gifts would like to give away an 8×8 photo book to one of my military readers. I am in the middle of creating one and I am loving it!

To enter:

The giveaway is open to military and their family members only.

Visit the Inspired Gifts website then comment on this post about your favorite item.

For additional entries follow Inspired Gifts on Twitter, Facebook, or their blog.

Leave an additional comment for each entry.

This giveaway ends June 13, 2010.

Thanks to MommyPR & Inspired Gifts for Sponsoring this Review and Giveaway opportunity and supporting our troops!

by admin -

Free Admission for Military and Family to Over 600 Blue Star Museums

free military admission

This year, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, active duty military and their immediate family members will receive free admission to over 600 Blue Star Museums, located in all 50 states.

According to the Blue Star Museum website:

  • If you are active duty military personnel and/or an immediate family member – spouse or child – to gain free access, please show either a Geneva Conventions CAC ID or a DD Form 1173 ID card at the museum admissions desk.
  • Immediate family members under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an appropriate ID holder.
  • Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program, so check with the museum directly.

Free admission is available to the service member and up to five immediate family members. You can find out more information on the Blue Star Museum FAQ page as well as a list of participating museums.

This is an amazing opportunity for our military families. I thought this would be a great opportunity for all those families PCS’ing this summer to break up their travel with some free museum trips. It is also a great way to try out museums before you commit to purchasing a membership.

Thank you Blue Star Museums and the National Endowment for the Arts for supporting our military and their families!

by admin -

Purposeful Relationships

When my oldest child was a toddler I felt very alone. My husband took our only car to work each day and I was stuck at home with few friends and little support. These were the days of dial-up internet and 14k modems, so finding support on the web was not an option…

Read more of my article about purposeful relationships over on the BornFree Mom site.