The AP has moved a wire story about how to cut your budget around the holidays that I pored over with much enthusiasm, until I realized that it was filled with useful tips like, give to charity throughout the year instead of a bunch at the holidays and limit your outings to just one or two special plays like "The Nutcracker." Hmm.
The only tip on there that I considered useful for lower/middle class us was try making more holiday gifts this year and offer to see a friend and go out for lunch and a movie instead of swapping gifts, as your time is more precious than stuff anyway. I totally agree with the sentiment of this idea, but in my book, lunch and a movie is still quite expensive.
We most certainly won't be spending that much on any one person on our list. It's so huge that we're trying to keep it between $5-10 per person, but it's getting hard. I've spent $15 on my mom, and I still feel bad because I'd love to be able to afford to get her more. There's a DVD out there that I know she'd love ...
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Never buy a car the same day you start looking!
We realize now that we were pretty dumb to wander onto a new car lot after we'd been married for just two months. I was still in school and my husband was working full time, and had just gotten another job on the side. Our "just looking" trip ended with us buying a brand new car. We didn't know what we were doing at all. We didn't haggle the price, or even try to walk away. We let them bully us around and then we had car payments we couldn't afford. Thankfully, we at least like the car! That was five years ago, and our car is still providing everything we need. But we often think to the future, when we will have another baby (or two!) and our little Mazda will be on its last legs.
We both know a lot more now than we did then, and there's no way that we'd pay full price for a new car ever again. I mean, for one thing, you can do some shopping on line and come up with a Honda Car Quote so that you can at least walk in there and say, "Well, I saw that exact same car online for this price" and then you'll know if they are trying to rip you off. We also might just go with a used car next time. Especially if we can find one for cheap that will serve our needs. I shudder to think of myself driving some sort of gas-guzzling mini-van or SUV someday, but it may be unavoidable. If we end up with three kids, we just won't all fit in a Mazda Protege anymore.
We both know a lot more now than we did then, and there's no way that we'd pay full price for a new car ever again. I mean, for one thing, you can do some shopping on line and come up with a Honda Car Quote so that you can at least walk in there and say, "Well, I saw that exact same car online for this price" and then you'll know if they are trying to rip you off. We also might just go with a used car next time. Especially if we can find one for cheap that will serve our needs. I shudder to think of myself driving some sort of gas-guzzling mini-van or SUV someday, but it may be unavoidable. If we end up with three kids, we just won't all fit in a Mazda Protege anymore.
Toddler talk
Ben is starting to try to talk in the beat and structure of adult conversation, but he has no idea what he's doing, so you get things like this.
"Mama lap hold you pick up you computer time mama you play please"
Even if you translate every you to a me, it still is iffy on the making sense scale. I mean, his meaning is clear: "Mama, may I sit in your lap and play on the computer please?" but he's got a long way to go before the grammar, syntax and agreement are all there. And its not like I'm complaining that my not-even-2-year-old son doesn't speak in perfect English. It's just funny to leap from baby talk "Mama up peese. Computer peese" to the rhytem of adult language. I wonder what inspired him to start trying so hard to talk like us? Regardless, its totally cute.
"Mama lap hold you pick up you computer time mama you play please"
Even if you translate every you to a me, it still is iffy on the making sense scale. I mean, his meaning is clear: "Mama, may I sit in your lap and play on the computer please?" but he's got a long way to go before the grammar, syntax and agreement are all there. And its not like I'm complaining that my not-even-2-year-old son doesn't speak in perfect English. It's just funny to leap from baby talk "Mama up peese. Computer peese" to the rhytem of adult language. I wonder what inspired him to start trying so hard to talk like us? Regardless, its totally cute.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Show your smile!
My history with my teeth is shady at best. After having more fillings than I have teeth (some on baby teeth and many teeth have been drilled more than once) three crowns and a root canal, it’s a wee bit of an understatement to say that my teeth are sensitive.
I don’t bite popsicles or ice cream and I most certainly can’t chew ice the way my husband does! (Not that it’s something I aspire to do anyway.)
And to make my story even crazier, I hate mint. Yes, that’s right, every time I go to the dentist’s office, I have to put in special requests for bubble gum flavored polish and cinnamon floss. I’ve spent my whole life wishing that they’d make some sort of toothpaste that isn’t mint flavored, but also doesn’t come with a bunch of cartoons on the container.
I was thrilled to try out Biotene’s new toothpaste, if not a little concerned about the taste. Imagine how thrilled I was to learn that it really has no flavor at all. After I finished brushing with it, my teeth didn’t taste like anything in particular, they just tasted clean. I’ve used other sensitive toothpastes before, but tend not to keep them around the house because they have all these drug warnings on them about not letting children younger than 12 use them at all. But this Biotene product is just as safe as a regular toothpaste. The back just says supervise children ages 2-6 to minimize swallowing and only give them a pea-sized amount.
Considering how often my (nearly) 2-year-old gets into the toothpaste drawer, this was good to hear. He loves to use Mama’s toothpaste as well, so I will be happy to share this one with him. It doesn’t even have a strong flavor or scent that might turn him off.
As for my teeth, they feel happy and clean, but without any funky chemical aftertaste. I liked this toothpaste so much that after I use up my sample tube, I will go out and purchase more. It is really hard to live with sensitive teeth. Biotene doesn’t just mask the problem, it helps resolve it.
I don’t bite popsicles or ice cream and I most certainly can’t chew ice the way my husband does! (Not that it’s something I aspire to do anyway.)
And to make my story even crazier, I hate mint. Yes, that’s right, every time I go to the dentist’s office, I have to put in special requests for bubble gum flavored polish and cinnamon floss. I’ve spent my whole life wishing that they’d make some sort of toothpaste that isn’t mint flavored, but also doesn’t come with a bunch of cartoons on the container.
I was thrilled to try out Biotene’s new toothpaste, if not a little concerned about the taste. Imagine how thrilled I was to learn that it really has no flavor at all. After I finished brushing with it, my teeth didn’t taste like anything in particular, they just tasted clean. I’ve used other sensitive toothpastes before, but tend not to keep them around the house because they have all these drug warnings on them about not letting children younger than 12 use them at all. But this Biotene product is just as safe as a regular toothpaste. The back just says supervise children ages 2-6 to minimize swallowing and only give them a pea-sized amount.
Considering how often my (nearly) 2-year-old gets into the toothpaste drawer, this was good to hear. He loves to use Mama’s toothpaste as well, so I will be happy to share this one with him. It doesn’t even have a strong flavor or scent that might turn him off.
As for my teeth, they feel happy and clean, but without any funky chemical aftertaste. I liked this toothpaste so much that after I use up my sample tube, I will go out and purchase more. It is really hard to live with sensitive teeth. Biotene doesn’t just mask the problem, it helps resolve it.
But my kid is so smart!
My stepmom sent this to me. It's been bugging me all day, in that I feel frustrated and defensive but can't see why I should. I mean, I want to be like, "Dude I was reading at age 2 and I turned out great!" but that's the dumbest thing in the world to say. I was also formula-fed, and that doesn't mean that its OK just because I got lucky and didn't suffer any problems. I am the first person to research these types of thnigs, cosleeping, nursing, letting little kids be little and all that jazz. But I'm so freaking proud that Ben is so smart and that he is not even two and knows so many letters already: B, o, f, and sometimes a and n. We read to him all the time. Isn't that what ALL the experts say? Read to your kids? Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is like his favorite book on the planet. I mean, I'm all for creative art play and playdough and stuff.
I dunno. I think I'm feeling this discontent because she's probably right and I'm probably not going to change anything which is going to make me feel guilty in the long run. I guess.
letter:
Hi Suz,
I found the information about early vs later reading. It basically has to do with where the child is developmentally. Young children are very imaginative and think in pictures – if you cut this short by moving too soon to reading and other ‘left brain’ activities, then you start losing some of that lovely, imaginative quality to their lives.
What I have found is that parents should ‘follow’ their child, just like you did with breast-feeding; wait to ‘teach’ reading until he is developmentally ready.
Here is part of the article about Waldorf education, and more importantly, about what is going on with kids at what age. Of course, they also don’t have kids watch any TV until I can’t remember – 7 or 8?
It is your decision of course – I just wanted to make this material available to you and Stephen, because the culture around us all tends to say: ‘teach em early’. Just like it says ‘put them in their own bed from day 1’ and other stuff.
An Introduction to Waldorf Education
Don’t Rush the Young Child
Storytelling, songs, rhythmical games, handwork, painting, singing, and lots of free play with toys that lend themselves to many uses, help to develop both imaginative forces and social skills. A child lives with a constantly growing mastery of the physical world. In these early years, a young child’s thought has a pictorial and dreamy quality, quite unlike the thinking of an adult. Formative forces are still working to mold the young body and brain. At about age seven, these forces are freed to develop memory and intellect. Prematurely awakening a child’s intellect by asking the child to focus on academics in what should be the imitative phase, means that full development of imaginative powers will be hampered. The child will become less truly himself.
The value of early academics has never been proven, but its harm has been clearly documented by such internationally recognized psychologists as David Elkind and educators such as A. C. Harwood. No two children are alike in the way they learn. Reading, like walking, speaking, and thinking, appears when the child is mature enough to integrate all the skills needed. True, reading can be hurried, but there is a cost: emotionally, psychologically, and/or academically.
A study by the Gesell Institute measured reading skills of children who began reading at age 3 to 5, against the skills of children who began reading much later, at age 6 to 8. The study found that by the third grade both groups of children had similar skill level, but the children who began reading later had a much greater interest in exploring reading.
Waiting until a child is in first grade before starting academic work has obvious advantages for an average or slow child who needs the time to gain maturity before beginning reading or math. But what to do with the bright child who wants to start writing or reading at age three or four? Here is a chance to share their excitement and declare “You will be able to learn all about that when you get to first grade!”. You need not sit down and give the children formal lessons at a young age, merely because they are interested in letters and numbers. There are many letter and number games for young children that can provide satisfaction. Songs with rhymes counting can also be an endless source of delight to the young child.Tell a story or read from one book at a sitting, allowing the child to fully enter into the mood of each story.
I dunno. I think I'm feeling this discontent because she's probably right and I'm probably not going to change anything which is going to make me feel guilty in the long run. I guess.
letter:
Hi Suz,
I found the information about early vs later reading. It basically has to do with where the child is developmentally. Young children are very imaginative and think in pictures – if you cut this short by moving too soon to reading and other ‘left brain’ activities, then you start losing some of that lovely, imaginative quality to their lives.
What I have found is that parents should ‘follow’ their child, just like you did with breast-feeding; wait to ‘teach’ reading until he is developmentally ready.
Here is part of the article about Waldorf education, and more importantly, about what is going on with kids at what age. Of course, they also don’t have kids watch any TV until I can’t remember – 7 or 8?
It is your decision of course – I just wanted to make this material available to you and Stephen, because the culture around us all tends to say: ‘teach em early’. Just like it says ‘put them in their own bed from day 1’ and other stuff.
An Introduction to Waldorf Education
Don’t Rush the Young Child
Storytelling, songs, rhythmical games, handwork, painting, singing, and lots of free play with toys that lend themselves to many uses, help to develop both imaginative forces and social skills. A child lives with a constantly growing mastery of the physical world. In these early years, a young child’s thought has a pictorial and dreamy quality, quite unlike the thinking of an adult. Formative forces are still working to mold the young body and brain. At about age seven, these forces are freed to develop memory and intellect. Prematurely awakening a child’s intellect by asking the child to focus on academics in what should be the imitative phase, means that full development of imaginative powers will be hampered. The child will become less truly himself.
The value of early academics has never been proven, but its harm has been clearly documented by such internationally recognized psychologists as David Elkind and educators such as A. C. Harwood. No two children are alike in the way they learn. Reading, like walking, speaking, and thinking, appears when the child is mature enough to integrate all the skills needed. True, reading can be hurried, but there is a cost: emotionally, psychologically, and/or academically.
A study by the Gesell Institute measured reading skills of children who began reading at age 3 to 5, against the skills of children who began reading much later, at age 6 to 8. The study found that by the third grade both groups of children had similar skill level, but the children who began reading later had a much greater interest in exploring reading.
Waiting until a child is in first grade before starting academic work has obvious advantages for an average or slow child who needs the time to gain maturity before beginning reading or math. But what to do with the bright child who wants to start writing or reading at age three or four? Here is a chance to share their excitement and declare “You will be able to learn all about that when you get to first grade!”. You need not sit down and give the children formal lessons at a young age, merely because they are interested in letters and numbers. There are many letter and number games for young children that can provide satisfaction. Songs with rhymes counting can also be an endless source of delight to the young child.Tell a story or read from one book at a sitting, allowing the child to fully enter into the mood of each story.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
I'm floored!
I am so impressed with iFLOOR for offering a $1,000,000 warranty to protect customers who have had problems with their flooring and were told that the warrenty didn't apply because they purchased the flooring online! I would be so mad if something happened to our brand new bamboo floor and we were told our warrenty didn't apply. We did not get our floor online, but I do get a lot of other things there. It's scary to think that a big purchase would be excluded because of where you shop. It's the exact same floor, you know? This press release explains how iFLOOR is going out of their way to protect their customers. Good for them!
iFLOOR, America's largest online flooring retailer, today announced a $1,000,000 limited warranty designed to protect its customers from predatory manufacturer policies that exclude warranty coverage from online purchases.
The policy, which goes into effect immediately, offers up to one million dollars of coverage in the event that a customer's warranty claim is denied specifically because they made their purchase online. It is complimentary for every iFLOOR customer, and protects the buyer under the same terms as the original product warranty.
iFLOOR, Inc. CEO, Steve Simonson, came up with the program to combat "scare tactics" used by manufacturers of hardwood floors and laminate flooring. "Their idea is to discourage you from buying at a discount!" wrote Simonson in his blog "It's About Flooring". "This is not right! You deserve to save money! So we're going to take care of this problem once and for all."
And it would appear that federal law is on his side. Section 108 of the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Act, states that, "In general, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty."
Under iFLOOR's new warranty, a key provision allows for iFLOOR to "seek justice" on behalf of the customer in the event of legal action. According to Simonson, "I'm putting iFLOOR's money where my mouth is."
About iFLOOR, Inc. *Since 1998, iFLOOR.com has been the leading online and retail flooring company, with 36 local retail stores nationwide offering more than 70,000 products, including hardwood floors, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring and cork floors. iFLOOR.com is the largest online flooring retailer according to Internet Retailer Magazine, and was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for the past three years. Committed to quality customer service, superior selection and friendly expert advice, iFLOOR.com enables customers to buy flooring both online and in its retail stores at a substantial savings over traditional retailers. For more information about iFLOOR, please visit www.iFLOOR.com.
###
iFLOOR, America's largest online flooring retailer, today announced a $1,000,000 limited warranty designed to protect its customers from predatory manufacturer policies that exclude warranty coverage from online purchases.
The policy, which goes into effect immediately, offers up to one million dollars of coverage in the event that a customer's warranty claim is denied specifically because they made their purchase online. It is complimentary for every iFLOOR customer, and protects the buyer under the same terms as the original product warranty.
iFLOOR, Inc. CEO, Steve Simonson, came up with the program to combat "scare tactics" used by manufacturers of hardwood floors and laminate flooring. "Their idea is to discourage you from buying at a discount!" wrote Simonson in his blog "It's About Flooring". "This is not right! You deserve to save money! So we're going to take care of this problem once and for all."
And it would appear that federal law is on his side. Section 108 of the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Act, states that, "In general, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty."
Under iFLOOR's new warranty, a key provision allows for iFLOOR to "seek justice" on behalf of the customer in the event of legal action. According to Simonson, "I'm putting iFLOOR's money where my mouth is."
About iFLOOR, Inc. *Since 1998, iFLOOR.com has been the leading online and retail flooring company, with 36 local retail stores nationwide offering more than 70,000 products, including hardwood floors, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring and cork floors. iFLOOR.com is the largest online flooring retailer according to Internet Retailer Magazine, and was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for the past three years. Committed to quality customer service, superior selection and friendly expert advice, iFLOOR.com enables customers to buy flooring both online and in its retail stores at a substantial savings over traditional retailers. For more information about iFLOOR, please visit www.iFLOOR.com.
###
I am taking the afternoon OFF!
I'm burning up my overtime, which is sad, because if you're going to work 9 and a half hours on a Saturday, it might be nice to get paid for it. But at the same time, if I put 11 hours or more of OT on my timecard, work would flip, and I did miss out on spending that Saturday with my family. So instead of two weekend days off, I got Sunday and Tuesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon. Sometime having the afternoon off is better anyway, because it feels like you're playing hooky. My husband suggested to me that if I went in early (ensuring I'd be done soon enough to take the afternoon off) I could take a nap with Ben. But then I decided to get coffee this morning (mmm ... pumkin spice! and I don't even have to feel bad financialy because I got a ton of Starbucks giftcards for my birthday) so now I'm not really that tired. Plus, I went to bed early too. It's really really nice to not be tired. So I will be enjoying the afternoon with my family. It's hard to be poor, but its also a balance. No one has to be poor if they're willing to sell their souls and become workaholics, but then what's the point of the money, you know? You have to have the time to enjoy yourself and raise your kid too.
:-)
:-)
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