Extreme weather and emergencies can take us by surprise. Being prepared can help you take action when you need to whether it’s bad weather that has you hunkering down or an emergency that has you leaving home in a hurry. We’ve had our fair share of issues including power outages and storms, so I share some ways […]
Tips to Survive Daylight Saving Time
We all dread it. The day that we lose an hour of sleep every year-daylight saving time. While I definitely appreciate the extra hour of sunshine, I am not a fan of losing sleep. Maybe it’s because of the four kids that kept me up many nights, but I LOVE sleep. I need a good […]
How to Create a Disney World Surprise Word Puzzle and Riddle
We love to surprise our kids with fun and adventure, but sometimes you can’t surprise your kids completely. We had set plans that the kids knew about, but we still wanted to surprise them. We knew we’d be taking a trip to Disney World as part of the Disney Social Media Moms conference, but we […]
How to make a blow-out last for 5 days
I recently sat down with my stylist – literally, in her chair as we do – and rather than taking out my Kindle and indulging in 30 minutes of relaxation with a book, I opted to take out my notebook and pen and conduct an interview. “Rachel, oh queen of blow-outs, how can I get […]
How To Stock the Pantry
I’ve been purchasing extras of our staples on sale, as well as buying in bulk. I occasionally purchase things from a local buying club, Frontier, or by the case at our local whole foods store (they offer a 10% discount on cases). I also try to stock up when I am near a Trader Joe’s […]
How To Tame the Mail
One of the easiest ways to tame the legions of trees in your mailbox from falling is to stop getting so much mail. This will decrease what you bring in so you have less to sort and less to pile. AND it saves a lot of money, since it removes temptation in the form of […]
3 Steps to Make An Emergency Fund
Turn on any financial news show and the host, say a Suze Orman or a Carmen Wong Ulrich, will mention an emergency fund. It’s always stressed that your emergency fund (aka the EF) should be 3-6 months expenses. Based on savings rates in the US few people have even a few weeks expenses set […]
How to Tame the Paperwork
The start of a new year is the perfect time to declutter your finances, and get all your paperwork organized. You can get all your year-end docs ready, and file your taxes early (get your money sooner! or at least know what you owe), and start the year fresh. After reading about Stephanie’s piles of […]
Keep it Simple at Christmas
This year more than ever before I’m trying to keep the holidays simple. With 4 kids you’d think we spend a lot on Christmas, but we manage to keep it cheap by using these 5 simple strategies. 1. Pay attention to what the kids you are shopping for like. Usually a few times a year I […]
How to Host a Sweet Swap
I attended my new favorite Holiday Party this year. A Sweet Swap. It was organized by a friend who did a fabulous job of sending out invites, getting everyone to RSVP on time, and getting us to tell her what we were making. She hosted and fed us yummy soup, bread and salad along with […]
