Search Results for: blog our new neighbor

Coupon Countdown: Extreme Savings in Four Weeks

Would you like to start saving up to 90 percent off of your groceries? It is very possible, thanks to coupons and extreme saving strategies. In one month, you can leave the grocery store with a skip in your step instead of a grimace at your grocery receipt. Forget the expensive couponing classes and read this article instead! Week One: Find Serious Coupons While clipping your Sunday morning coupons might have saved you a little bit in the past, it is time to get serious. You want high-value coupons, and you want many of them. Don’t settle for one newspaper … Continue reading →

Four Ways to Downsize the Gimmies

Don’t let the “Gimmies” take over your home. Use the following advise to downsize the constant requests for stuff from your kids. Limit Media Exposure The number of commercial ads that our kids are exposed to on a daily basis is staggering. All of those ads have just one purpose, to sell us stuff, our kids included. The more ads our children are exposed to, the more things they will believe that they have to have. These ads are very clever at manipulating our children into never being satisfied and always wanting more. Limiting the media exposure our children receive … Continue reading →

Meeting the Neighbor Dogs: Part 2

A month or two ago I wrote about how the neighbor’s dog began visiting our yard during the day.  I thought maybe interacting with him could help Chihiro calm down about other dogs.  Unfortunately, I think the opposite has happened. I really should have known better.  Chihiro has been wary of other dogs ever since getting attacked by one (even though she won the fight, because the dog that started it was a little Puggle), so when teaching her to feel comfortable again around other dogs, I should take her to neutral territory with dogs I know and trust. For … Continue reading →

How to Encourage Children to Give Back

Each child should learn the importance of giving back, a lesson that will stay with him or her for a lifetime. Giving our children the opportunity to build character and become excellent human beings is one of the responsibilities and the pleasures of being a parent. Not to take away from the importance of this lesson for our children in the future, encouraging children to give back also has the added bonus of eliminating much of the “gimmies” for us parents, right here and now. Did you know that kids are instinctual givers? They are proud to give of themselves, … Continue reading →

How to Talk to Your Kids about the Economic Crisis

“How can I talk to my kids about the economic crisis?” It is a common question that most parents face today. As prices on consumable goods rise, from food and gas to the cable bill, and families feel themselves pinched, even the youngest children are starting to notice that things around them are changing. Neighbors and friends may be moving away, favorite stores and restaurants may be closing, and everyone seems to have to sacrifice something they enjoy just to get through this time. Parents should see this time in our history as a teaching moment, but the lessons should … Continue reading →

Growing Kids? Here are 5 Inexpensive Sources for Great Clothing

When the pants get too short and the shirts get too tight, you know it is time to invest in a whole new wardrobe for your kids. It can be a tough thing to swallow, spending lots of money on outfits that they will grow out of within a few short months. Things can get costly. Parents on a tight budget should take note of some off the beaten path sources for great kids clothing that will have the kids looking chic while the parents save money. 1. The clearance racks In July, you will find summer clothing marked from … Continue reading →

How Breaking Your Budget is Bad for Your Health

Here is another reason to stay on your budget. Breaking it can actually be bad for your health. Agonizing about how you are going to afford a new purchase can stay with you, even after you solve the problem. Researchers now say that our brains don’t like being in debt. Having fears about money affect our health long term. Whether we realize it or not, debt causes stress, and stress causes poor health. Stress and pain seem to register much more strongly than does pleasure. So, the next time you feel ready to break your budget, keep this in mind. … Continue reading →

Entertaining Your Little Ones

When you have little ones running around it can be hard to entertain them day in and day out. Their little attention spans require a wide range of activities to keep them busy and as a single mom running from one thing to the other all day it can be hard to think of simple things to keep them from getting bored during the day. I’m not sure what people did before the internet, but lucky for you, there are a ton of fun ideas to do with your kids, especially during the winter months when you can’t send them … Continue reading →

What to Do With Your Fall Leaves

Oh boy. It must be fall. There are leaves coming down everywhere, and everywhere people are raking them into piles. In our neighborhood, we have folks who come around in a big truck to take the leaves away. What? I want those leaves! What can you do with leaves, you might ask? Turn them into giant pumpkins. This might be a temporary solution, but if you have a lot of leaves they are perfect for slipping into a big orange garbage bag. Put a scary face onto the bag, and you have an instant giant Halloween decoration, no blowing up … Continue reading →

Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels

Disneyland and Disney World aren’t identical. One of the big ways they differ is in size; Disney World is much larger than Disneyland. Because of this there are far fewer hotels at Disneyland than Disney World; I can think of dozens in Orlando, but Disneyland has only three: the Disneyland Hotel, the Grand Californian, and Paradise Pier. Disneyland makes up for that by teaming up with several local Anaheim Hotels as part of its Good Neighbor program. A Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel isn’t officially a Disney hotel. Anyone can stay at them without going to the park (though I suppose … Continue reading →