by admin -

Curing the Summer Boredom Blues

I have a love/hate relationship with summer. I love the warm days, cool evenings, green grass and fireflies buzzing around our yard. What I don’t like about summer is the trouble my children get into when their days are not structured by our school work. Many homeschoolers school through the summer, we do too, but not full time. I need a break and I always think that I am going to get so much done in my free time, then September rolls around and I wonder, where did the time go? This summer is going to be different (I hope). I think I have come up with a way to keep the kids occupied as well as get things accomplished around the house.

First make a list (aren’t lists the best). The list should include all the goals/ projects you would like to accomplish this summer. Then cross off about half the things on your list, let’s be realistic about this.

Have your kids make a list of things they would like to do this summer. Be prepared for things like; motor cross through the desert, go to Disney, sky dive, etc… Then go through their list(s) and make it more realistic.

After you have written down your summer goals and figured out which ones can be accomplished come up with a plan. If your kids want to swim at the neighborhood pool, then tell them how many times they can expect to be taken to the pool each week. Then make it your priority to take them. There are probably many tasks on your list that can be done by your kids, let them know what is expected of them and give them a time frame in which to complete their jobs. What I have realized about my kids and many others, is that they don’t like to be surprised with work. My kids do pretty well with their known responsibilities. It is when I pile task after task on them with no end in sight that they get discouraged and attitudes take a turn for the worse very quickly.

Here is a practical example. One of my summer goals is to go through all of our videos/dvds and get rid of the ones we don’t watch or like anymore. That is a job I can assign to my children, since almost all of our movies are animated! I will let them know that this has become their responsibility and give them a date for completion. What I won’t do is walk into the room while they are watching a movie, step in front of the television and say, “I need you guys to sort through all our movies, now.” Obviously there are times when tasks need to be taken care of immediately, but that is not one of them.

If when you ask your kids what they want to do this summer they come up with either completely unrealistic expectations or they can’t think of anything, here are a few ideas to help them along.

  • Join the summer reading club at the library. My kids love this, especially because there is almost always prizes involved.
  • Visit a nursing home. Many of the residents are very lonely and would love to see the smiling faces of children.
  • If you are going on vacation, have your kids research the area you are going to and find something interesting they would like to see or do there.
  • If you are not going on vacation have your kids take a virtual vacation. Have them find a place they would like to visit and research it.
  • All those games in the back of your hall closet… play them.
  • Let your kids plan and cook a few meals a week.
  • Get a pen pal for your child.
  • Research movies that are also books, have your kids read the book and then watch the movie to compare.
  • Find unique places in your area and visit them.
  • Have your kids start a wildlife journal.
  • Find an elderly person your neighborhood and have your (older) child help them for a few hours a week. They could mow their yard, clean house, or just visit.
  • With supervision, kids can go around the neighborhood and pick up trash.
  • Get a membership to a local museum, zoo, aquarium.
  • Teach your child a life skill this summer, you can read about it here.

What do you plan to do with your kids this summer? Please share your ideas so we can all have a great summer!

 

by admin -

Girl’s room tackle

Have I mentioned that we are moving in one week? I am trying not to stress out about this move, I mean it is only across the street, but as with every other move I hate to move junk. There are few things I dislike more than opening up a box of something I didn’t want to begin with. So for the next two weeks, minus the 3 days I will be at the homeschool convention, I will be cleaning out my house, room by room. The past few days I have been working on the garage. Unfortunately, I forgot to take the before pictures, which might have been a good thing, it was a wreck. Anyway, I did get pictures of the homeschool books that I sorted in the garage. I started with 2 Rubbermaid bins, and 3 cardboard boxes full of school stuff. I managed to get it down to just the 2 Rubbermaid bins. I threw away a ton of stuff, found some books to sell at the used curriculum sale, and found a few things to put in our Goodwill pile, which has now taken over 2/3 of the minivan.

Books that are leaving my house in one way or another.

The Leftovers

After working for almost two days straight on the garage, (yes, it is that messy) I decided to tackle the girls’ room for a change of pace.

Before ( I realize there is a boy in the girls’ room, he wanted to show off his new toothbrush.)

After

For more tackles stop by 5 Minutes for Mom.

Visit Crystal’s blog for more Making your Home a Haven Monday.

by admin -

Thriving in the Military

My husband has been in the military for 20 years. He has worked his way up through the ranks, but when we first got married we were a poor enlisted family that did not know how to work the military system to our advantage. Here are some tips I have learned over the years on how to make it on one income in the military. 

 

  • Use the military healthcare system. I realize there are many of you who have horror stories about military doctors. I have them myself, but I also have them about civilian ones as well. There are great military doctors, you just have to be picky. In the military health care system they should pay for everything including some OTC drugs.  If you use a military pharmacy you can even request children’s Tylenol, Ibuprofen (childrens & adult), Claritin, Zyrtec, Robitussin, etc.  
  • Sign up for WIC.  I know not everyone agrees with WIC but it is something that we used many years ago and it really helped us to make ends meet during that time period. This site will explain the WIC program http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/.  There is probably a WIC office on base.  
  • Deployment benefits. Deployments are never fun, but if your spouse deploys make the most of this time. First of all most of the current deployments create a situation where your income is now tax free. There are also various deployment pays that your spouse will receive that are non taxable. Use that money to pay down any debt, or if you are debt free beef up your savings. There is also a savings program that allows you to invest up to 10,000 a year with a guaranteed 10% return on the investment.
  • Speaking of savings we have had many times in our military life where our pay has been wrong. Once it was a several thousand dollar mistake. You need to have an emergency fund. Having money in the bank can help you through moves, deployments, and promotions which tend to be the time when your pay can be inaccurate. 
  • Make sure you use the military to cover all other work related expenses.  For example, if your spouse has to take a cab home from the airport after a TDY, the military will reimburse them for it.  
  • Save money on kids stuff by using  hand me downs, e-bay, thrift shops (including the base thrift shop), yard sales (especially this time of year.)  Go early for the good deals.  Craigslist is also a great resource.  
  • Talk to First Sergeant if AF or Chief if Navy about money/financial  planning.   
  • If Air Force, visit the Family Support Center.  I think they may have changed the name of this to Airman Readiness Center or something. There is a place called Airman’s Attic with all kinds of free stuff. Some with free things including diapers, formula and clothing.  
  • Whenever you move, even if you have the military hire movers, do a partial DITY move. You can usually make a few hundred dollars just by weighing your vehicle and filling out a few forms. 
  • Increase the number of exemptions for taxes.  This creates more money in your pocket each pay period.
  • If you can live on post, this is almost always a better deal than renting. Everything is covered in your BAH including utilities. 
  • Shop at the commissary. There has been a lot of debate about whether or not the commissary is cheaper, but I have friends who have made price books and they agree that the commissary is cheaper. 
  • Many bases offer services for family members of deployed service members. I know that where I live the Army subsidizes drop in child care as well as gives discounts on tons of programs if the parent is deployed. 
  • Become a resident of state you are stationed if there is no income tax.
  • Utilize your local library for entertainment. Books, CDs, movies and activities for preschoolers are all available at the library for free. 
  • This would be long term, but, your spouse should start on their bachelors degree if they don’t have one already. Apply to Officer Training School or even a ROTC program somewhere.  Let the military pay for it all.  Take advantage of all the tuition assistant programs available. My husband got his commission through the Navy. The Navy paid his salary for 3 years while he got his bachelor’s degree. He also got his masters degree paid for by the Navy, as well as numerous certificates and certifications. 

These are just a few ways to thrive on a military income. I hope to continue this series throughout the summer.  Thanks to my friends and military spouses Liz and Nancy for helping me come up with these suggestions. 

For more frugal tips stop by Crystal’s blog. 
by admin -

Make a man’s shirt into a dress

I didn’t think I would have a sew crafty this week because I spent most of my time in the garden. However, I have been wanting to make the toddler dress out of the man’s shirt for a few months now, so I started it last night. I was going to post a tutorial, but this one is so good, I didn’t bother.

I did modify the design a little, but this was easy cheesy, as my kids like to say. I think even a non sewer could make this dress. It didn’t take me an hour, and that included dropping the ironing board on my toe and limping around the house for a while. The biggest challenge in finishing the dress, was that my daughter loved it so much she kept wanting to wear it before it was finished. Here are a few pictures, once again, she was dancing in most of them so it was hard to get a good shot.

Shirt


Dress

 

 

I can’t wait to find some more shirts so I can do this again, and again, and again….

Total cost was $2 for the shirt at the thrift store, I can’t wait for yard sale season to start and I can purchase shirts for a quarter!

 

by admin -

Patterned Dress

My machine is back and works like a dream. I am glad I made the decision to get it fixed, although I am still looking to upgrade sometime in the future.

I took the advice of many of you and decided to add a ribbon to the front of the dress to break up the fabric. I believe it did the trick because I just love the dress now!

Here is the before picture.

Here is the finished product, modeled today by my favorite two year old.

 

The ribbon makes all the difference. Thanks ladies for all the tips!

by admin -

A line dress

This week I made what was supposed to be a dress for my two year old. I have had this fabric since my 13 year old was 3. I had hoped to make her an Easter outfit years ago, but there was a small problem, I didn’t know how to sew. Anyway, I saved this fabric for 10 years and through 3 boys until I finally remembered it was under my bed last Friday. I pulled it out during the little girls’ nap time and made this dress. Since it was nap time, I didn’t get to measure my two year old so the dress ended up being pretty short and a little too big in the top.

Sorry for the side view, she did not want to face me, I think I made her nervous putting her on the counter.

But it fit my four year old great as a shirt! See, I knew there was benefit to having a bunch of kids.

I do have a bit of a dilemma that maybe all you crafters can help me with. I have a Singer sewing machine that is about 15 years old. I took it in to the repair shop because it was out of time, and when I got it back the tension was all messed up. I took it back again and it seemed like it was fixed, but now I am having tension problems again. It is either so tight you can’t pull the thread or so loose it won’t even sew.

I don’t want to take it back to the same place because I think they messed up the tension to begin with. Do I find another repair shop, do I get a new machine? If I get a new one, what should I be looking for? I don’t quilt (although I would like to learn), I sew clothes, pillows, and purses for the most part.

For those of you who spent the big bucks on a machine, do you think it was worth it? Any input is greatly appreciated.

by admin -

Commissary Shopping Tips

I received this email from a military spouse the other day…

I’m a new military wife (married last June), so I don’t even know what a case lot sale is. Can you please explain it to me?
We aren’t active duty right now, but I have a feeling we may be in the near future. The closest commissary to us is 40 minutes away (Carlisle Barracks in PA), and we probably wouldn’t go there except that my in-laws live in the same town as the commissary, so we attempt to pack a cooler or 2 and stock up when we can for the two of us. However, after that service charge is added and I tip the baggers, sometimes I feel like I haven’t really benefited by shopping there even after the “discount” deals I find! I’m definitely a coupon clipper and don’t care about brand names, but I still feel like after those extra costs and the price of gas, I can normally just shop at a local grocery store for the same $ or sometimes less. Maybe I’d see most cost saving if I were buying for a family instead of just the two of us. Any tips for commissary shopping?

First of all, a case lot sale is basically when the commissary sells items in Costco quantity at commissary prices. Commissaries usually have two or three case lot sales a year. The best deals sell out quickly at many stores so it is good to go the first day or two. You can also use coupons at a case lot sale, which will increase your savings. Much of the food at the case lot sale is prepared food, like canned fruits and veggies, boxed drinks, cereals, and snacks. They also have cleaning items and cleaning products for sale too. The thing to remember is that these are all sold in large quantities, you cannot separate them. You could go in with another military spouse to purchase the items.

As far as the surcharge, I think it depends on where you live, if this cuts into your savings. Certain states charge a sales tax on their food, so if you live in one of those states the surcharge probably doesn’t make a difference. I live in Maryland, which does not charge sales tax on food. The 5% charge may make a difference for someone who is driving an hour each way to the commissary and has to factor in the cost of fuel.

Tipping the baggers is a controversial topic, so I want to chose my words carefully. I always tip the baggers, but I do think it is hard to determine a fair amount. There are several factors to consider; weather, number of bags, distance to the vehicle. The more bags I have the higher the tip, but I have never tipped more than $5.

Now down to the really important stuff. Is the commissary really cheaper? I would have to say yes, item for item, pound for pound the commissary is cheaper. I only shop at other grocery stores when I am getting things for free, or close to free. There will be times when using double coupons and bogos, you will be able to beat the commissary’s price, but unless all your shopping, including meat and produce, is done that way you will save money overall at the commissary.

Here are some tips for getting the best deals at the commissary

Do not shop on a payday weekend. These are the busiest shopping days at the commissary. It is almost impossible to walk down the aisles, not to mention figure out coupons if you shop during this time.

Take advantage of the tear off coupons. These are the coupons that are attached to the shelves. Many times these coupons match up with items that are already on sale. Combining sales and coupons this way can almost get you items for free. For example, last month there were many rip off coupons in the taco aisle, and all the Old El Paso items were on sale. I bought 3 jars of salsa, 4 boxes of shells, 4 cans of refried beans and 2 seasoning canisters for $6.

Plan your menus around the Commissary sales. The Commissary rotates its sale items every two weeks, starting on Thursdays. I usually try to post the sales at the Grocery Gathering, but sometimes individual commissaries run their own specials so I don’t catch all the deals. You can look up your individual Commissary here.

If you live far from a Commissary, try making one bulk trip every 4 to 6 weeks. At one point we lived about an hour a way from the Commissary. I went every 4 weeks to purchase in bulk; milk, yogurt, formula, diapers, bread, cereal and meat. I would also pick up the groceries I needed for the week. As far as I know, stateside commissaries do not ration items so you can really stock up on things that are a great price.

The Commissary will save you more money if you live in a high cost of living area. I live in the D.C. metro area. There is no other store that can compete with the Commissary’s prices. I also found this to be the case when I lived in the Virginia Beach area. If you aren’t sure about your commissary savings try making a price book. This will help you to determine whether or not making an hour or so drive to the Commissary is worth your time and money.

What is your best Commissary shopping tip? Leave a comment and let us know.

The Happy Housewife

by admin -

Sewing a Long Skirt

This is the skirt I have been working on since the beginning of January. I am about to give up. I have ripped it apart 3 times and now I must rip it apart again. I can’t remember why I had to rip it apart the first time, but the second and third time it was because it was too big. The fabric is weird. It looks like corduroy but it is stretchy like Lycra. Each time I think I have it finished, it is way too big. I finally wore it the other day with a safety pin at the waist. Anyway, I hope to rip it apart again this week, because if I don’t do it soon, it will be too warm to wear it.

I only have one picture of the skirt since it was just too cold to stand outside and take a bunch of pictures.