Friday Funnies!

Don't we all need a little humor on Fridays?

Anya happened to see that I got a new razor in the shower because it was a different color. When she saw it, she asked my husband, "Did Mommy get a new leg scratcher?"

 

 

 

 

Comment with something funny your child has said!

 

 

Thrifty Thursday: Use Your Credit Card, Part 1

That's right. The title of this post says to "use your credit card." I must say that with a word of caution, though. If you are one of those people who cannot control yourself and have an unhealthy obsession with the way your credit card sounds as you swipe it in the machine at the store, then this tip might not be for you.

However, if you are one of those perfectionist, Type A personalities who can't stand for her bills not to be paid in full each month, then you could really make some money by using your credit card.

First, make sure your credit card has some kind of rewards program. Sometimes these programs are in the form of airline miles, points, or actual cash, among other things. If your card does not have a program like this, I would strongly consider getting rid of it and finding one that does. There are tons of cards out there that offer incentives for you to use them. One thing to be sure of, though, is that they do not have an annual fee. Some credit cards do still have these, so be sure to clarify that a card does not have one before signing up for one.

After you have applied and been accepted for your new card, then you can start accumulating rewards. We charge almost everything and get quite a bit of money back through these rewards program. Then, once you have accumulated a certain number of points, cash, or whatever, you can often redeem them for money or gift cards (or whatever the company's incentive happens to be).

The key to this is that you DO have to pay the credit card bill in full each month. If you don't, then the credit card companies win, folks. If you cannot (or know you will not) pay off your bill in full each month, then I would not recommend doing this. This only works if you pay it off each month, and that means you have to keep track of how much you have charged. No, you can't just go out on a shopping spree with your brand new shiny card and swipe it anywhere you please. Check out your purchases online and make sure you know how much you have on the card and how much you can reasonably pay off each month.

Stay tuned for Part 2 to find out how we make hundreds of dollars each year doing this!

My Top 10 Baby Items: #1

It seems like everyone I know is having a baby, and of course, I just had one. Even though Felix is my second child, we still had to rack our brains about what we needed this time around, what we already had, and what we needed to buy. It's amazing how fast 3 years goes by and how much we had forgotten over that span of time. Therefore, I have put together a list of my Top 10 Baby Items that we simply could not do without.

1. Breast pump

If you plan to breastfeed your baby and will be working at all after the baby is born, even part time, you will definitely need a breast pump. And you will definitely want an electric one (not a manual), unless you are ok with developing carpal tunnel. After seeing the prices of everything baby-related, you will totally be tempted to cheap out on this item, as some of them are $300 or more, depending on what you get. But believe me, you will want to get a good one.

Here's why.

When you are away from your baby and cannot nurse him/her, your breast pump not only allows you to pump your breast milk to feed the baby while you are gone, but it also is meant to stimulate your breasts to produce milk. If you do not pump regularly or pump enough milk, it can cause a drop in your supply which can eventually result in not having enough milk for the baby when he/she is around to eat. Therefore, you want something that will do the job right.

There are numerous brands to choose from. I personally have a Medela Advanced Pump in Style similar to this one. Yes, it was expensive, but you can always wait for them to go on sale or wait for a coupon. Babies R' Us sends out coupons frequently. There are lots of others on the market as well, so be sure to do your research. Whatever you get, I recommend a double pump so you can pump both sides at the same time and not have to do just one at a time. I also would not spend the extra money on a hands-free pump, as there are bustiers you can buy that will make them hands free and they are cheaper than the extra money it costs to buy a hands free pump.

Feel free to comment with any other pumps you have had experience with.

Friday Funnies

Don't we all need a little humor on Fridays?

I spend a few days a week at home with my kids, and while we are home, Anya and I always joke that Felix is "our boy" and not a "Daddy's boy." We tease Daddy about that a lot. A week or two ago, Anya told her Grandma that "Felix isn't Daddy's." That's when I realized that I need to clarify more what I mean when I joke with her!

 

 

 

Feel free to comment with something funny your child has said!

 

When She Woke: A Book Review

I don't normally write reviews of all the books I read, but this is one that I just finished this past week. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan is about a girl living in a futuristic world in which abortion is completely illegal and is considered murder. Furthermore, when someone commits a crime, whether it be murder, theft, etc., they are "chromed," or given an injection that turns their skin a color that represents their crimes. For example, murderers are turned red. In the book, Hannah has an unauthorized relationship with someone she is not supposed to be with and ends up pregnant. Instead of discussing it with the father, Hannah makes the decision to find a doctor who will perform the abortion in secret. Unfortunately, she is caught and given a murder sentence. The book is her experience as a "Chrome" in a society that categorizes her abortion as murder.

While the story was entertaining and an interesting one to ponder, I felt it was very one-sided. For example, Hannah describes the abortion doctor as compassionate and caring while every other doctor mentioned was sterile and cold-hearted. The book got very "preachy" as it went on, and I often got the feeling that the author's intention with her book was simply to preach and not just entertain.

As someone who is very much against abortion (though I can understand and have mixed feelings about possible exceptions due to things like rape, incest, etc.), it was difficult for me to read about a young girl who felt her only choice was to kill the unborn child inside her. That being said, the author did recognize the mixed feelings and troubling thoughts a mother must feel after aborting her child. I don't necessarily believe that abortion was Hannah's best choice in this situation, but I do appreciate the conflicting emotions described in the book.

Has anyone else read this book? Any thoughts?

Adventures in Crop Sharing: Greens

This year, our family joined up with another family to buy a partial share of a crop share (a CSA) in our area. This is our first experience with a crop share, and so far, we are really enjoying the weekly supply of vegetables (and some fruits) and trying out new vegetables and recipes. In this series, I will share some of our experiences.

Greens...

I never knew how many different kinds of greens and lettuce there really was in the world. We have certainly gotten an education on this. So far, some of the greens we have gotten from the CSA include kale (different kinds, too!), lettuce, red leaf lettuce, mustard greens, bok choy, beet tops/greens, spinach, and red rain. Of course, we have had lettuce and spinach before, but the rest have all been fairly new to us. Here's what we have done with some of the "new" greens.

Red leaf lettuce: We used this in salads.
Mustard greens: We used this in salads and wraps. We found it had a little kick to it and the flavor went a long way. They were also good in omelets.
Bok choy: We used this in salads and stir fry.
Red rain: We had this in salads and stir fry. It is apparently an Asian green and is used in a lot of stir fry recipes.
Beet tops/greens: We discovered that beet tops tasted great in omelets!

Changes!

As you have probably noticed, I am making some changes to my blog, including the title and the web address. I want to continue writing posts about my goals and some of the things going on with my family, but I also want to include more posts about natural birthing, breastfeeding, being a mom, cooking, saving money, and a variety of other things. Please let me know if there is anything in particular that you are interested in learning more about!