In the day and age we live in where everything is instant and right at our fingertips with technology.  We can be impulsive and make wrong choices or choices that are not in the right time.  Have you heard the statements my eyes were bigger than my stomach.  Using the six month rule will ensure that your purchases are more deliberate and less impulsive.  Many times if you will wait six months before you make a large purchase, something better will come on the market, or you’ll realize it’s not exactly what you want or need at the time.

The six month rule has you save for six months the difference in payments when you want to make a larger purchase or upgrade.  For example, when you want to move from renting an apartment to renting a house or when you want to make an automobile purchase. 

If you currently rent an apartment and your rent payment is $1,000 a month and you plan on moving to a house where the rent will be $1,500 a month.  For six months you should make a $500 payment to yourself into a savings account. 

You want to do this for two reasons, first to prove to yourself and your budget that you can actually afford that additional $500 each month.  Placing it in a savings account and not once touching it, or withdrawing from it will show you that you can actually afford that increase in payment without it affecting your lifestyle.

Reason number two is after six months saving $500 each month you will have $3,000 saved, which you can use towards your deposit on your new place.  You can also use some of that money to purchase furniture or appliances you may need.  Going from an apartment to a larger house, you usually have a second living room you may need to furnish.  Many homes don’t come with a refrigerator or washing machine and dryer.  These are additional expenses that you need to think of when upgrading. 

The same principle works for upgrading your family vehicle or purchasing that boat you’ve had your eye on.  If you save for six months it establishes that you can afford the payment.  It also helps you have a down payment or a large chunk of money to place on the principal as soon as you make your purchase.  When you wait the six months you have time to take into consideration, is your insurance going to stay the same or increase.  Does the vehicle you are going to purchase get better or worse miles per gallon of gasoline.

Other benefits in waiting six months is it gives you time to research and shop around to ensure you are getting the best price for what you are purchasing.  It gives you time to discuss with your spouse and family the decision you are about to make and consider how it affects everyone in the family.

My husband and I utilized the six month rule when we moved from our first apartment to our first house and we are so grateful someone shared this great wisdom with us.  We were able to properly prepare for our move; we had the money for our deposit and also money to purchase the additional appliances and furniture for the house.  We were confident that we could afford the increase in rent each month. 

We have also utilized the six month rule in our vehicle purchases and again, it gave us time to shop around and pick out exactly what we wanted and would work for our family.  We were both on the same page on the amount we wanted to spend, so we were able to stand our ground and not be pressured by the sales people.  We had already waited six months, so when the salesman did not want to agree to our terms we were willing to walk away and guess what we got everything we wanted.  When your purchases are impulsive you sometimes fall under the pressure you feel from the sales person and get something you didn’t even want to begin with.

I highly recommend making the six month rule part of your life when desiring to make a larger purchase.  You will benefit greatly not only in your financial planning but also in your relationships.  Having time to discuss a larger purchase with your spouse and family fosters unity in your home, gives you time to consider the pros and cons to making your purchase and ensures less of those impulse purchases.

There is another variation of the six month rule that I will blog about next week.

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com

Six Month Rule-Part One

In the day and age we live in where everything is instant and right at our fingertips with technology.  We can be impulsive and make wrong choices or choices that are not in the right time.  Have you heard the statements my eyes were bigger than my stomach.  Using the six month rule will ensure that your purchases are more deliberate and less impulsive.  Many times if you will wait six months before you make a large purchase, something better will come on the market, or you’ll realize it’s not exactly what you want or need at the time.

The six month rule has you save for six months the difference in payments when you want to make a larger purchase or upgrade.  For example, when you want to move from renting an apartment to renting a house or when you want to make an automobile purchase. 

If you currently rent an apartment and your rent payment is $1,000 a month and you plan on moving to a house where the rent will be $1,500 a month.  For six months you should make a $500 payment to yourself into a savings account. 

You want to do this for two reasons, first to prove to yourself and your budget that you can actually afford that additional $500 each month.  Placing it in a savings account and not once touching it, or withdrawing from it will show you that you can actually afford that increase in payment without it affecting your lifestyle.

Reason number two is after six months saving $500 each month you will have $3,000 saved, which you can use towards your deposit on your new place.  You can also use some of that money to purchase furniture or appliances you may need.  Going from an apartment to a larger house, you usually have a second living room you may need to furnish.  Many homes don’t come with a refrigerator or washing machine and dryer.  These are additional expenses that you need to think of when upgrading. 

The same principle works for upgrading your family vehicle or purchasing that boat you’ve had your eye on.  If you save for six months it establishes that you can afford the payment.  It also helps you have a down payment or a large chunk of money to place on the principal as soon as you make your purchase.  When you wait the six months you have time to take into consideration, is your insurance going to stay the same or increase.  Does the vehicle you are going to purchase get better or worse miles per gallon of gasoline.

Other benefits in waiting six months is it gives you time to research and shop around to ensure you are getting the best price for what you are purchasing.  It gives you time to discuss with your spouse and family the decision you are about to make and consider how it affects everyone in the family.

My husband and I utilized the six month rule when we moved from our first apartment to our first house and we are so grateful someone shared this great wisdom with us.  We were able to properly prepare for our move; we had the money for our deposit and also money to purchase the additional appliances and furniture for the house.  We were confident that we could afford the increase in rent each month. 

We have also utilized the six month rule in our vehicle purchases and again, it gave us time to shop around and pick out exactly what we wanted and would work for our family.  We were both on the same page on the amount we wanted to spend, so we were able to stand our ground and not be pressured by the sales people.  We had already waited six months, so when the salesman did not want to agree to our terms we were willing to walk away and guess what we got everything we wanted.  When your purchases are impulsive you sometimes fall under the pressure you feel from the sales person and get something you didn’t even want to begin with.

I highly recommend making the six month rule part of your life when desiring to make a larger purchase.  You will benefit greatly not only in your financial planning but also in your relationships.  Having time to discuss a larger purchase with your spouse and family fosters unity in your home, gives you time to consider the pros and cons to making your purchase and ensures less of those impulse purchases.

There is another variation of the six month rule that I will blog about next week.

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com
Read more »
Bedtime routines are important and also special.  I know as a parent there are some nights that are not as easy as other nights.  I try and remind myself before I know it they won’t want me to tuck them in bed and read them that same story book we have read 10,000 times.  There are those nights when I am tired and don’t want to do anything, I would like just to sit and relax.  As I watch my boys, I’m reminded they are growing so fast and won’t always need me to pick out their pajamas and watch them as they play in the bath.  My oldest likes to shower all by himself, he likes to pick out his pajamas and even wants to read his own bedtime story at times.
 
I am grateful that my children have been good sleepers even from the very early days.  When they were newborns, that first week home, I remember breastfeeding every two hours, all three of my sons quickly moved to every four hours and then within the first couple of months they would sleep six hours at night, which was great.  As infants we usually put them down for bed at 10 PM and they would sleep until 4 AM when they were still nursing.  I nursed my boys until they were 9-10 months, once I moved them to formula they would sleep till 6 AM.

It was easy when they were babies, to feed, bathe and change them and they were ready for bed, we had a consistent bedtime routine.  I never really had to rock them to sleep or pat their backs, unless they weren’t feeling well which was rare or if I was in the rocking cuddling mood we moms have those moments when we rock them for us. 

Consistency is a key factor, if you can start your children when they are young with a bedtime routine I find they will continue to do well in a bedtime routine as they grow.  That being said, if you haven’t had a successful bedtime routine, you can start today.  It will take some time for them to get used to but it is possible to start a routine if you haven’t had one, or change the time frame you have been working with to have a battle free bedtime.

Our bedtime routine starts at 7 PM, we go upstairs to take baths and my oldest (who is seven) likes to shower.  We get into our pajamas and each one picks out a book to read.  Depending on how the night has gone, and if they aren’t interested in playing long in the bath they sometimes have time for a short show.  At these ages, I try to keep it to a Little Bear, Franklin, Peter Rabbit, or 3-2-1 Penguins.  Many of these episodes are 15 to 20 minutes long.  They usually have a snack before bath, sometimes we will do a snack during their show, then we brush teeth, read their stories, recite their memory verses, say their prayers, and lights out.  When our boys were little (infant to 3 years old), we usually played a music cd at bedtime.  My older boys go to sleep listening to the Adventures in Odyssey series, they love these stories that have character building traits within them. 

I know there are changes as they age and at different stages in life.  I found each of my boys when they were 4 years old that year before entering kindergarten, they struggled more with bedtime.  This is the time when they’d come downstairs multiple times, needing a drink of water, asking for another story, or some other request/delay tactic.  I also realized that they were taking 2 hour naps at pre-school and although they still needed at nap at this age.  It was much better at night if they only napped one hour.  If they didn’t nap at all they would be grouchy in the evening hours, but if they napped the full 2 hours they struggled with falling asleep at 8 PM.  Persistence would win out in this stage, there would be nights we would have to return our escapee back to his bed, there were nights with crying, pleading and bargaining, as we stood our ground, returned them to bed, reminded them even if you are not tired it’s bedtime, lay in your bed quietly and listen to your story it’s time for bed, he would get the idea we meant business and were not giving in.  I know this can be exhausting but with consistency and persistence you will reap the rewards.  The battle free nights will outnumber the nights of battle.

My two oldest boys share a room and the youngest has his own room, which works well for us.  My three year old will stay in his bed.  The two older boys like to play and talk to each other, especially in that transition stage of pre-school to kindergarten, so many times, if they kept playing and talking one of the boys would lay in mommy and daddy’s bed, most times within a few minutes of separation they would be fast asleep and then daddy can put him back in his bed.

As soon as my two oldest boys started kindergarten they are in full day kindergarten 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and they take no naps, they are ready for bed when 8 PM comes around making bedtime easy.  When my second born son, was at this stage I would remind myself and my husband at times when frustrated with him not wanting to go to sleep.  Remember Diego did the same thing at this age, we would remind him it’s time for bed, sometimes have to walk upstairs with him and tuck him back in bed, but that year goes by fast, I know it doesn’t always feel like that but it does.  Another thing that helped in this stage is if the weather permitted we would ride bikes, or jump on our backyard trampoline after dinner, to burn off some of that extra energy.  I love having a trampoline, it was one of the best gifts the boys received, unless it’s raining and sometimes even then, our trampoline gets used every day.

I am very grateful that my husband has been a huge help with the bedtime routine, if I have laundry to fold, or some work to do on the computer, he many times will help with baths, and getting the boys in bed.  We work great together, many times; one of us will straighten up downstairs, and get things ready for the next morning while the other one is giving baths.  Sometimes my husband travels for work this is a great reminder to me of the huge help he is.  If your spouse doesn’t normally help, don’t ask for help when you are frustrated and snap at them.  Wait till you are alone, or when you are lying in bed talking, mention how you would appreciate more help in the bedtime routine.  I know most mom’s and women have a list they do at night (laundry, loading or emptying the dishwasher, straightening, thawing out tomorrow’s dinner, pre-packing lunches, back packs, to do lists and so much more).  Husbands don’t always know we actually would like help, sometimes they think it’s just what we do.  Remember men are from Mars women are from Venus.  We are different and with a little loving conversation you can learn to understand and help each other.

Make bedtime routine a family affair it is easier with both parents on board assisting and realize they won’t always need you to rock them to sleep, read them bedtime stories and tuck them in.  Even if your baby will only fall asleep if you rock him to sleep, that will only be a year at the most, maybe two it will be gone before you know it.  Our kids grow so fast, enjoy this season rest assured as they grow, it gets easier, and they start to be big helpers.  My seven year old is a great helper, little brothers even want him to read the bedtime story and not always mom or dad and that is great, since we love to listen to him read.   

Keep the bedtime routine simple and consistent usually within a couple of weeks, the kids will help assist in the structure you put in place.  Give yourself ample time to do snack, bath, story time, and be in bed by 8 PM-8:30 PM, start at least one hour before you want them in their beds.  Prepare your kids as the evening winds down, letting them know they have 30 minutes and then we are taking baths and getting ready for bed.  Kids like to know what the plan is.  Keep working at it, remember persistence, give it some time to become part of their routine and stay calm.  Even if there is struggle from the kids, if you keep your calm, things will go a lot smoother, it’s okay to let them cry in their bed.  When you know they are bathed, fed and changed, they will be okay.   

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com

Bedtime Routine
Bedtime routines are important and also special.  I know as a parent there are some nights that are not as easy as other nights.  I try and remind myself before I know it they won’t want me to tuck them in bed and read them that same story book we have read 10,000 times.  There are those nights when I am tired and don’t want to do anything, I would like just to sit and relax.  As I watch my boys, I’m reminded they are growing so fast and won’t always need me to pick out their pajamas and watch them as they play in the bath.  My oldest likes to shower all by himself, he likes to pick out his pajamas and even wants to read his own bedtime story at times.
 
I am grateful that my children have been good sleepers even from the very early days.  When they were newborns, that first week home, I remember breastfeeding every two hours, all three of my sons quickly moved to every four hours and then within the first couple of months they would sleep six hours at night, which was great.  As infants we usually put them down for bed at 10 PM and they would sleep until 4 AM when they were still nursing.  I nursed my boys until they were 9-10 months, once I moved them to formula they would sleep till 6 AM.

It was easy when they were babies, to feed, bathe and change them and they were ready for bed, we had a consistent bedtime routine.  I never really had to rock them to sleep or pat their backs, unless they weren’t feeling well which was rare or if I was in the rocking cuddling mood we moms have those moments when we rock them for us. 

Consistency is a key factor, if you can start your children when they are young with a bedtime routine I find they will continue to do well in a bedtime routine as they grow.  That being said, if you haven’t had a successful bedtime routine, you can start today.  It will take some time for them to get used to but it is possible to start a routine if you haven’t had one, or change the time frame you have been working with to have a battle free bedtime.

Our bedtime routine starts at 7 PM, we go upstairs to take baths and my oldest (who is seven) likes to shower.  We get into our pajamas and each one picks out a book to read.  Depending on how the night has gone, and if they aren’t interested in playing long in the bath they sometimes have time for a short show.  At these ages, I try to keep it to a Little Bear, Franklin, Peter Rabbit, or 3-2-1 Penguins.  Many of these episodes are 15 to 20 minutes long.  They usually have a snack before bath, sometimes we will do a snack during their show, then we brush teeth, read their stories, recite their memory verses, say their prayers, and lights out.  When our boys were little (infant to 3 years old), we usually played a music cd at bedtime.  My older boys go to sleep listening to the Adventures in Odyssey series, they love these stories that have character building traits within them. 

I know there are changes as they age and at different stages in life.  I found each of my boys when they were 4 years old that year before entering kindergarten, they struggled more with bedtime.  This is the time when they’d come downstairs multiple times, needing a drink of water, asking for another story, or some other request/delay tactic.  I also realized that they were taking 2 hour naps at pre-school and although they still needed at nap at this age.  It was much better at night if they only napped one hour.  If they didn’t nap at all they would be grouchy in the evening hours, but if they napped the full 2 hours they struggled with falling asleep at 8 PM.  Persistence would win out in this stage, there would be nights we would have to return our escapee back to his bed, there were nights with crying, pleading and bargaining, as we stood our ground, returned them to bed, reminded them even if you are not tired it’s bedtime, lay in your bed quietly and listen to your story it’s time for bed, he would get the idea we meant business and were not giving in.  I know this can be exhausting but with consistency and persistence you will reap the rewards.  The battle free nights will outnumber the nights of battle.

My two oldest boys share a room and the youngest has his own room, which works well for us.  My three year old will stay in his bed.  The two older boys like to play and talk to each other, especially in that transition stage of pre-school to kindergarten, so many times, if they kept playing and talking one of the boys would lay in mommy and daddy’s bed, most times within a few minutes of separation they would be fast asleep and then daddy can put him back in his bed.

As soon as my two oldest boys started kindergarten they are in full day kindergarten 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and they take no naps, they are ready for bed when 8 PM comes around making bedtime easy.  When my second born son, was at this stage I would remind myself and my husband at times when frustrated with him not wanting to go to sleep.  Remember Diego did the same thing at this age, we would remind him it’s time for bed, sometimes have to walk upstairs with him and tuck him back in bed, but that year goes by fast, I know it doesn’t always feel like that but it does.  Another thing that helped in this stage is if the weather permitted we would ride bikes, or jump on our backyard trampoline after dinner, to burn off some of that extra energy.  I love having a trampoline, it was one of the best gifts the boys received, unless it’s raining and sometimes even then, our trampoline gets used every day.

I am very grateful that my husband has been a huge help with the bedtime routine, if I have laundry to fold, or some work to do on the computer, he many times will help with baths, and getting the boys in bed.  We work great together, many times; one of us will straighten up downstairs, and get things ready for the next morning while the other one is giving baths.  Sometimes my husband travels for work this is a great reminder to me of the huge help he is.  If your spouse doesn’t normally help, don’t ask for help when you are frustrated and snap at them.  Wait till you are alone, or when you are lying in bed talking, mention how you would appreciate more help in the bedtime routine.  I know most mom’s and women have a list they do at night (laundry, loading or emptying the dishwasher, straightening, thawing out tomorrow’s dinner, pre-packing lunches, back packs, to do lists and so much more).  Husbands don’t always know we actually would like help, sometimes they think it’s just what we do.  Remember men are from Mars women are from Venus.  We are different and with a little loving conversation you can learn to understand and help each other.

Make bedtime routine a family affair it is easier with both parents on board assisting and realize they won’t always need you to rock them to sleep, read them bedtime stories and tuck them in.  Even if your baby will only fall asleep if you rock him to sleep, that will only be a year at the most, maybe two it will be gone before you know it.  Our kids grow so fast, enjoy this season rest assured as they grow, it gets easier, and they start to be big helpers.  My seven year old is a great helper, little brothers even want him to read the bedtime story and not always mom or dad and that is great, since we love to listen to him read.   

Keep the bedtime routine simple and consistent usually within a couple of weeks, the kids will help assist in the structure you put in place.  Give yourself ample time to do snack, bath, story time, and be in bed by 8 PM-8:30 PM, start at least one hour before you want them in their beds.  Prepare your kids as the evening winds down, letting them know they have 30 minutes and then we are taking baths and getting ready for bed.  Kids like to know what the plan is.  Keep working at it, remember persistence, give it some time to become part of their routine and stay calm.  Even if there is struggle from the kids, if you keep your calm, things will go a lot smoother, it’s okay to let them cry in their bed.  When you know they are bathed, fed and changed, they will be okay.   

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com
Read more »

Today my family and I are volunteering at our “All Church Work Day”.  Our church hosts events like this throughout the year to provide an opportunity for us as members to get involved.  There can be a multitude of different tasks involved: painting and building maintenance work, cleaning and dusting, cleaning of children’s classrooms, organizing and preparing for upcoming events and so much more. 

I am writing this post to encourage you to get involved in your local church or other community organizations.  Whether you have five minutes or five hours giving back as a family not only makes a difference in the world we live in but strengthens your family unit.  Volunteering as a family helps teach your children kindness, compassion and the importance of community involvement. 

I am so grateful for the many opportunities I have had through volunteering at my church.  Not only have I learned a variety of different skills by volunteering, but you get to meet people in a new way.  When you are working on a project next to someone, you not only discuss the task at hand but learn about each other’s families, occupations and life stories.  During these volunteering opportunities I have learned parenting tips, marriage advice and so much more.  The same is true for your children, what better way for them to learn a new skill or meet new friends then by giving back.

With Autumn in the air and the holidays fast approaching start discussing and preparing your family now to get involved in your local church, community soup kitchen or Christmas toy drive. 

The months and days seem to be shorter and go by faster as winter approaches.  I’ve heard family and friends who have had a desire to volunteer with their children at a local soup kitchen or some other charitable organization, to only realize in January that they didn’t accomplish that goal. 

With school aged children, Christmas plays, family holiday gatherings, and  irregular schedules that these upcoming months have in store for us the time will go by faster than ever.  Start the conversation today, get the entire family involved. 

My boys are young but have participated in giving to others in a multitude of ways.  Last Christmas we participated with Operation Christmas Child with Samaritans Purse.  You put together a shoe box filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items.  The shoe boxes are collected by November 24th in order to distribute across the world in time for Christmas.  That is why it’s important to start the conversation with your family now.  My boys really enjoyed shopping for the items and packing the shoe boxes.

When you plan ahead to give back, you can prepare properly and it’s more enjoyable when you don’t feel rushed and unprepared.  You can start looking for toys and games to give to a local toy drive, and get your kids involved in shopping or making a list of what they would like to give back.  You can plan to donate a Thanksgiving Turkey and food to local food banks.  You can get involved in local community clean-ups and so much more.

Having these discussions as a family helps foster a giving attitude in your children.  We all are so very blessed.  It’s a great feeling to be able to give to others in need and train up your children to have the desire to give to others.  It will remind your children of the many things they have to be grateful for.  By volunteering as a family you are raising up the next generation of generosity. 

Here is a link to read more about Operation Christmas Child:
www.samaritanspurse.org

Here is a link to give involved with Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services:
www.sacramentofoodbank.org

Here is a link to my local church which is involved in giving back in a multitude of ways:  You can donate your time, money or resources:
www.familycc.org

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com

Volunteer – Give Back!

Today my family and I are volunteering at our “All Church Work Day”.  Our church hosts events like this throughout the year to provide an opportunity for us as members to get involved.  There can be a multitude of different tasks involved: painting and building maintenance work, cleaning and dusting, cleaning of children’s classrooms, organizing and preparing for upcoming events and so much more. 

I am writing this post to encourage you to get involved in your local church or other community organizations.  Whether you have five minutes or five hours giving back as a family not only makes a difference in the world we live in but strengthens your family unit.  Volunteering as a family helps teach your children kindness, compassion and the importance of community involvement. 

I am so grateful for the many opportunities I have had through volunteering at my church.  Not only have I learned a variety of different skills by volunteering, but you get to meet people in a new way.  When you are working on a project next to someone, you not only discuss the task at hand but learn about each other’s families, occupations and life stories.  During these volunteering opportunities I have learned parenting tips, marriage advice and so much more.  The same is true for your children, what better way for them to learn a new skill or meet new friends then by giving back.

With Autumn in the air and the holidays fast approaching start discussing and preparing your family now to get involved in your local church, community soup kitchen or Christmas toy drive. 

The months and days seem to be shorter and go by faster as winter approaches.  I’ve heard family and friends who have had a desire to volunteer with their children at a local soup kitchen or some other charitable organization, to only realize in January that they didn’t accomplish that goal. 

With school aged children, Christmas plays, family holiday gatherings, and  irregular schedules that these upcoming months have in store for us the time will go by faster than ever.  Start the conversation today, get the entire family involved. 

My boys are young but have participated in giving to others in a multitude of ways.  Last Christmas we participated with Operation Christmas Child with Samaritans Purse.  You put together a shoe box filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items.  The shoe boxes are collected by November 24th in order to distribute across the world in time for Christmas.  That is why it’s important to start the conversation with your family now.  My boys really enjoyed shopping for the items and packing the shoe boxes.

When you plan ahead to give back, you can prepare properly and it’s more enjoyable when you don’t feel rushed and unprepared.  You can start looking for toys and games to give to a local toy drive, and get your kids involved in shopping or making a list of what they would like to give back.  You can plan to donate a Thanksgiving Turkey and food to local food banks.  You can get involved in local community clean-ups and so much more.

Having these discussions as a family helps foster a giving attitude in your children.  We all are so very blessed.  It’s a great feeling to be able to give to others in need and train up your children to have the desire to give to others.  It will remind your children of the many things they have to be grateful for.  By volunteering as a family you are raising up the next generation of generosity. 

Here is a link to read more about Operation Christmas Child:
www.samaritanspurse.org

Here is a link to give involved with Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services:
www.sacramentofoodbank.org

Here is a link to my local church which is involved in giving back in a multitude of ways:  You can donate your time, money or resources:
www.familycc.org

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com
Read more »
One of the many reasons I love autumn and winter is SOUP!  I’ve never met a soup I didn’t like, and potato soup is one of my all-time favorites.  I’ve tried a variety of recipes for making potato soup and I find most recipes are quite similar. 

One year the day after Thanksgiving I found myself at Costco for some Black Friday deals and they were giving away a free Costco Cook Book.  I love cook books!  I would love to pull out one of my cook books and cook every single recipe inside it, just haven’t brought myself to do that yet.

Anyways back to my story, in the Costco cook book was a Potato Soup recipe so obviously that was one for sure I was going to try.  The recipe was great, remember me “I’ve never met a soup I didn’t like” but over the many times I’ve prepared it, I’ve changed things, added things, used what I’ve done from another recipe and voila below is how I make potato soup.

This is a great recipe to cook because if you are a working or busy mom, with a little prep work it’s easy to throw into the crock pot in the morning and when you come home dinner is done. 

Tip: Chop and dice all your ingredients the night before, place the diced potatoes and carrots in a bowl with water covering the potatoes.  Place in your refrigerator and in the morning you just need to throw everything in the crockpot.  Even the onions, chop and place in a Ziploc bag, and then everything is ready to go in the morning.

For a heartier meal you can serve with grilled cheese sandwiches, one of our favorites.

Potato Soup Recipe:
Ingredients:
6 Russet Potatoes, peeled, diced into bite size pieces
½ onion chopped diced (I usually use red onion)
Diced carrots (I usually use about 15 baby carrots)
1-10 ¾ ounce can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1-10 ¾ ounce can of Cream of Celery Soup
4 chicken bouillon cubes
4 cups of water
1-12 ounce can of Evaporated Milk (save for last couple of hours of cooking)
Last 1-2 hours of cooking, I mix ¼ cup of flour in a bowl with the can of evaporated milk whisk all the lumps out, and then pour this mixture in the crock pot to thicken the soup.
  1. Place all ingredients except the evaporated milk and toppings in a crock pot, cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or cook on high for 5 hours.
  2. Stir in evaporated milk and flour mixture for at least one hour, I prefer 2 hours before ready to serve.
  3. Garnish each serving with the toppings listed below.  Makes 8-10 servings.

Toppings for Garnish:
Shredded Cheese
Chopped cooked bacon
Sour Cream
Chives or Green Onion diced (I usually have green onion so I use that)

Optional:
The recipe above is my go to recipe and what I do most of the time.  Recently due to getting these recipe starter spice kits through couponing, I added one of these in.  Since it’s in my picture here I will list the spices.  Feel free to use or omit. 
Spices are: ½ tsp. Ground Black Pepper, 1 tsp. Minced Garlic, 1 tsp. Marjoram Leaves, ½ tsp. Oregano Leaves, ½ tsp. Crushed Rosemary Leaves and ½ tsp. Thyme Leaves.
Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.
www.BlogAboutItAll.com

Potato Soup Recipe
One of the many reasons I love autumn and winter is SOUP!  I’ve never met a soup I didn’t like, and potato soup is one of my all-time favorites.  I’ve tried a variety of recipes for making potato soup and I find most recipes are quite similar. 

One year the day after Thanksgiving I found myself at Costco for some Black Friday deals and they were giving away a free Costco Cook Book.  I love cook books!  I would love to pull out one of my cook books and cook every single recipe inside it, just haven’t brought myself to do that yet.

Anyways back to my story, in the Costco cook book was a Potato Soup recipe so obviously that was one for sure I was going to try.  The recipe was great, remember me “I’ve never met a soup I didn’t like” but over the many times I’ve prepared it, I’ve changed things, added things, used what I’ve done from another recipe and voila below is how I make potato soup.

This is a great recipe to cook because if you are a working or busy mom, with a little prep work it’s easy to throw into the crock pot in the morning and when you come home dinner is done. 

Tip: Chop and dice all your ingredients the night before, place the diced potatoes and carrots in a bowl with water covering the potatoes.  Place in your refrigerator and in the morning you just need to throw everything in the crockpot.  Even the onions, chop and place in a Ziploc bag, and then everything is ready to go in the morning.

For a heartier meal you can serve with grilled cheese sandwiches, one of our favorites.

Potato Soup Recipe:
Ingredients:
6 Russet Potatoes, peeled, diced into bite size pieces
½ onion chopped diced (I usually use red onion)
Diced carrots (I usually use about 15 baby carrots)
1-10 ¾ ounce can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1-10 ¾ ounce can of Cream of Celery Soup
4 chicken bouillon cubes
4 cups of water
1-12 ounce can of Evaporated Milk (save for last couple of hours of cooking)
Last 1-2 hours of cooking, I mix ¼ cup of flour in a bowl with the can of evaporated milk whisk all the lumps out, and then pour this mixture in the crock pot to thicken the soup.
  1. Place all ingredients except the evaporated milk and toppings in a crock pot, cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or cook on high for 5 hours.
  2. Stir in evaporated milk and flour mixture for at least one hour, I prefer 2 hours before ready to serve.
  3. Garnish each serving with the toppings listed below.  Makes 8-10 servings.

Toppings for Garnish:
Shredded Cheese
Chopped cooked bacon
Sour Cream
Chives or Green Onion diced (I usually have green onion so I use that)

Optional:
The recipe above is my go to recipe and what I do most of the time.  Recently due to getting these recipe starter spice kits through couponing, I added one of these in.  Since it’s in my picture here I will list the spices.  Feel free to use or omit. 
Spices are: ½ tsp. Ground Black Pepper, 1 tsp. Minced Garlic, 1 tsp. Marjoram Leaves, ½ tsp. Oregano Leaves, ½ tsp. Crushed Rosemary Leaves and ½ tsp. Thyme Leaves.
Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.
www.BlogAboutItAll.com

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In the beginning weeks, and months of marriage you are discovering each other in a whole new way.  When you live together, you see much more of each other and see all the habits and preferences that you may not have been aware of before living together.

You get to experience setting up a home, and realize you would place things in a different spot than your spouse.  You cook different, clean different, and are used to different brands of products, one not better or worse than the other just different. All that being said even after being married for a year we couldn’t be in the kitchen to cook eggs together. It frustrated both my husband and I because I thought he was being quite difficult and too particular in something as simple as eggs and he thought his way was the only way to cook an egg. We have since moved on from our egg debate, but not our egg salad differences, I’m all about spicing things up and adding flavor and he would prefer the regular and plain options.

Gratefully we haven’t had big blow out fights, in the eleven years we’ve been married, and it’s been less than a handful of times that my husband and I have had a fight.  Sure there are frustrations or things that I didn’t appreciate, but I’m talking about fights, you know the kind where you just don’t want to be in each other’s presence at that moment, I can only think of less than five times.  Which I believe this is true in our relationship because of this one question, 100 years from now will this matter?

One time in particular, it was in our second year of marriage, I couldn’t even tell you today what it was about, I just know I was upset about something, I was crying, and did not want to talk to him about whatever was going on.  I remember we were in the car together we pulled into our house garage and my husband told me I could not go into the house until we resolved this.  I remember saying to him I don’t want to talk about it.  I remember storming out of the car ready to go inside and lock myself in the room.  My husband stood in front of the door and held me and said "in 100 years from now is this even going to matter?"  At that moment it mattered, it was obviously a big deal, big enough to make me cry, but not big enough to even remember today what it was about.  Which makes my point exactly; in 100 years from now will this matter?

Early in our marriage my husband had made that statement to me and it stuck with me.  Life goes by so fast and we should enjoy every day that we have with our loved ones.  Tomorrow is not promised and if you can make the decision that every day you will treat your spouse as if it were the last day you were with them, your marriage would be different. 

I am in no way saying we are perfect at this; I have selfish moments just like everyone else.  But every time we begin to tiff about something, my husband’s voice pops in my head with that question “Jessica, 100 years from now is this going to matter?”  Immediately I go back to that very first time he said that to me, in our garage, I remember that he is my best friend, he is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, he has been there in joy and pain and nothing, absolutely nothing is worth holding a grudge and fighting over.

There have been times when I argue in my head, well it matters right now.  Why should I just let it go, why do I always seem to be the one that yields.  Just like our first fight that I blogged about here:  http://goo.gl/gRTKQB.  I have learned there is a difference between forgiving each other and brushing things under the rug, unresolved issues have a way of festering and becoming something larger.  It’s better to discuss whatever differences you have, maybe not always in the heat of the moment.  Many times what you are fighting about isn’t even the thing you are most angry at, rather the way something was said, or where it was said or done, in front of people or the timing of the situation.  Many times we fight because of inner turmoil’s, pressures, stresses that are going on inside of us and it really has nothing to do with what are spouse did or said, it’s everything else we feel we are up against and then this small insignificant thing takes place and we take it out on our spouse.

In the middle of your disagreement or frustration if you can step back and ask yourself, in 100 years will this matter?  I believe it will change the way you approach disagreements in your marriage.  Think on all the things you are grateful for in your spouse, think about who they are in your life and all the times they have been your hero. 

I once met a couple who had been married over 70 years and had never had a fight; they said when they married they “decided” they would not fight.  It is possible to have a peaceful marriage and walk in unity all of your days.  It really does come down to you deciding to choose love; to choose unity at all costs.  Choose to prefer each other over anyone and anything. 

It’s not about never getting your way or your preferences, as you both make this decision you will grow and learn to value each other’s voices and choices.  There have been times when my husband chose to surrender his preference and yield to mine.  Living this way not only benefits your marriage but your children and everyone you come in contact with.  When you are angry it usually carries over to how you interact with others everywhere you go.    

Practice this week, loving your spouse unconditionally, walking in unity, discussing any differences in a cool, calm and loving fashion.  Choose love and choose to think on all the positive attributes of your spouse.  When you have that moment ask yourself in 100 years from now will this matter?

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com

100 Years from Now
In the beginning weeks, and months of marriage you are discovering each other in a whole new way.  When you live together, you see much more of each other and see all the habits and preferences that you may not have been aware of before living together.

You get to experience setting up a home, and realize you would place things in a different spot than your spouse.  You cook different, clean different, and are used to different brands of products, one not better or worse than the other just different. All that being said even after being married for a year we couldn’t be in the kitchen to cook eggs together. It frustrated both my husband and I because I thought he was being quite difficult and too particular in something as simple as eggs and he thought his way was the only way to cook an egg. We have since moved on from our egg debate, but not our egg salad differences, I’m all about spicing things up and adding flavor and he would prefer the regular and plain options.

Gratefully we haven’t had big blow out fights, in the eleven years we’ve been married, and it’s been less than a handful of times that my husband and I have had a fight.  Sure there are frustrations or things that I didn’t appreciate, but I’m talking about fights, you know the kind where you just don’t want to be in each other’s presence at that moment, I can only think of less than five times.  Which I believe this is true in our relationship because of this one question, 100 years from now will this matter?

One time in particular, it was in our second year of marriage, I couldn’t even tell you today what it was about, I just know I was upset about something, I was crying, and did not want to talk to him about whatever was going on.  I remember we were in the car together we pulled into our house garage and my husband told me I could not go into the house until we resolved this.  I remember saying to him I don’t want to talk about it.  I remember storming out of the car ready to go inside and lock myself in the room.  My husband stood in front of the door and held me and said "in 100 years from now is this even going to matter?"  At that moment it mattered, it was obviously a big deal, big enough to make me cry, but not big enough to even remember today what it was about.  Which makes my point exactly; in 100 years from now will this matter?

Early in our marriage my husband had made that statement to me and it stuck with me.  Life goes by so fast and we should enjoy every day that we have with our loved ones.  Tomorrow is not promised and if you can make the decision that every day you will treat your spouse as if it were the last day you were with them, your marriage would be different. 

I am in no way saying we are perfect at this; I have selfish moments just like everyone else.  But every time we begin to tiff about something, my husband’s voice pops in my head with that question “Jessica, 100 years from now is this going to matter?”  Immediately I go back to that very first time he said that to me, in our garage, I remember that he is my best friend, he is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, he has been there in joy and pain and nothing, absolutely nothing is worth holding a grudge and fighting over.

There have been times when I argue in my head, well it matters right now.  Why should I just let it go, why do I always seem to be the one that yields.  Just like our first fight that I blogged about here:  http://goo.gl/gRTKQB.  I have learned there is a difference between forgiving each other and brushing things under the rug, unresolved issues have a way of festering and becoming something larger.  It’s better to discuss whatever differences you have, maybe not always in the heat of the moment.  Many times what you are fighting about isn’t even the thing you are most angry at, rather the way something was said, or where it was said or done, in front of people or the timing of the situation.  Many times we fight because of inner turmoil’s, pressures, stresses that are going on inside of us and it really has nothing to do with what are spouse did or said, it’s everything else we feel we are up against and then this small insignificant thing takes place and we take it out on our spouse.

In the middle of your disagreement or frustration if you can step back and ask yourself, in 100 years will this matter?  I believe it will change the way you approach disagreements in your marriage.  Think on all the things you are grateful for in your spouse, think about who they are in your life and all the times they have been your hero. 

I once met a couple who had been married over 70 years and had never had a fight; they said when they married they “decided” they would not fight.  It is possible to have a peaceful marriage and walk in unity all of your days.  It really does come down to you deciding to choose love; to choose unity at all costs.  Choose to prefer each other over anyone and anything. 

It’s not about never getting your way or your preferences, as you both make this decision you will grow and learn to value each other’s voices and choices.  There have been times when my husband chose to surrender his preference and yield to mine.  Living this way not only benefits your marriage but your children and everyone you come in contact with.  When you are angry it usually carries over to how you interact with others everywhere you go.    

Practice this week, loving your spouse unconditionally, walking in unity, discussing any differences in a cool, calm and loving fashion.  Choose love and choose to think on all the positive attributes of your spouse.  When you have that moment ask yourself in 100 years from now will this matter?

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com
Read more »
As parents we desire for our children to be honest, not cheat, lie, or steal.  I recently had a conversation with my seven year old about lying.  He likes to say things to his brothers and then say “I was only joking”.  Also this past week, someone threw a pillow at the three year old, who was knocked over and crying and when I asked who threw the pillow, the two older children did not want to own up to it.  It took some coercion to get to the truth.

I had a big conversation about telling lies and how it can lead to big trouble.  I explained the problem with telling little lies is it leads to bigger lies.  We discussed once you tell a lie you then have to remember the lie you told to keep it going and life becomes more difficult than it needs to be.

I also went on to say that people can go to jail for lying in court and lying to certain people.  I believe I conveyed the extreme consequences that come from telling lies, by the look on their little faces.  I hope if I train them when they are young to always tell the truth even if it comes with consequences they will live a life of honesty.

I went on to explain that as their mom I love them and don’t want them to be in trouble, but more important is for them to always tell the truth.  I also explained that I would rather them admit they made a mistake or made a wrong choice than to lie to me about it.  I explained the importance of asking for forgiveness when you do something wrong.  I shared with them about a time when I was younger and I lied and got in big trouble with my parents and the times I admitted my wrong choice and the forgiveness I received.

When I was growing up, I remember my parents telling me that if I did something wrong and came to them with the truth, yes I probably would have a form of punishment and a lecture, but if I was caught by them in the middle of my lie or sneaking around, or worse someone coming and bringing it to their attention, the punishment would be greater.

I appreciated this relationship I had with my parents.  I knew that I could always talk to my parents about anything even wrong choices I made and they would listen and help me realize the consequences of my actions with love and forgiveness.

Someone once told me they pray that their children are caught when doing things wrong.  When you think you get away with the wrong choices you make you are more likely to continue making wrong choices because you think you got away with it.  When you are caught lying, stealing or whatever it may be on a continual basis you are more likely to stop.  So I have adopted this prayer as a parent as well.  For their benefit I pray my children are caught when they do something wrong.

Having a discussion with your children about honesty is very important.  Children need to know that you love them no matter what they do and that you will love and forgive them for mistakes they make, with the emphasis on honesty.  They can admit when they make a mistake and ask forgiveness.  They need to know they can talk to you about anything.  Children need to know that you also made mistakes when you were younger and had consequences for those mistakes. 

I don’t have this parenting thing down perfect but I know that God has entrusted these little ones to me to mold, shape and train them in the way they should go.  I have good days and bad days as a mom, I have days when I speak with great patience and have great teaching conversations and I have days where I lose my temper and am not the greatest example I could be. 

To set a good example we also should admit to our children when we blow it and ask them to forgive us, so they can see us putting into practice what we ask them to do.  I have gone back to my children and apologized for the way I’ve reacted to a situation.   I have apologized to my children for getting angry and explained to them that I am not angry at them but at the situation. 

Along with praying for my children to be caught, I also pray that God bridge the gap between the love that I give them and the love they need.  We don’t always get it right as parents but we can trust God to make up the difference.  It is a great privilege and responsibility to have these little minds, hearts and spirits and I am so grateful to have the help of God, family and friends in teaching and training our children.  We don’t have to parent alone.  We can pray for God to have the right influences and relationships in their lives.  That God would bring people with strengths that we might not have to be role models in their lives.

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com

Children and Honesty
As parents we desire for our children to be honest, not cheat, lie, or steal.  I recently had a conversation with my seven year old about lying.  He likes to say things to his brothers and then say “I was only joking”.  Also this past week, someone threw a pillow at the three year old, who was knocked over and crying and when I asked who threw the pillow, the two older children did not want to own up to it.  It took some coercion to get to the truth.

I had a big conversation about telling lies and how it can lead to big trouble.  I explained the problem with telling little lies is it leads to bigger lies.  We discussed once you tell a lie you then have to remember the lie you told to keep it going and life becomes more difficult than it needs to be.

I also went on to say that people can go to jail for lying in court and lying to certain people.  I believe I conveyed the extreme consequences that come from telling lies, by the look on their little faces.  I hope if I train them when they are young to always tell the truth even if it comes with consequences they will live a life of honesty.

I went on to explain that as their mom I love them and don’t want them to be in trouble, but more important is for them to always tell the truth.  I also explained that I would rather them admit they made a mistake or made a wrong choice than to lie to me about it.  I explained the importance of asking for forgiveness when you do something wrong.  I shared with them about a time when I was younger and I lied and got in big trouble with my parents and the times I admitted my wrong choice and the forgiveness I received.

When I was growing up, I remember my parents telling me that if I did something wrong and came to them with the truth, yes I probably would have a form of punishment and a lecture, but if I was caught by them in the middle of my lie or sneaking around, or worse someone coming and bringing it to their attention, the punishment would be greater.

I appreciated this relationship I had with my parents.  I knew that I could always talk to my parents about anything even wrong choices I made and they would listen and help me realize the consequences of my actions with love and forgiveness.

Someone once told me they pray that their children are caught when doing things wrong.  When you think you get away with the wrong choices you make you are more likely to continue making wrong choices because you think you got away with it.  When you are caught lying, stealing or whatever it may be on a continual basis you are more likely to stop.  So I have adopted this prayer as a parent as well.  For their benefit I pray my children are caught when they do something wrong.

Having a discussion with your children about honesty is very important.  Children need to know that you love them no matter what they do and that you will love and forgive them for mistakes they make, with the emphasis on honesty.  They can admit when they make a mistake and ask forgiveness.  They need to know they can talk to you about anything.  Children need to know that you also made mistakes when you were younger and had consequences for those mistakes. 

I don’t have this parenting thing down perfect but I know that God has entrusted these little ones to me to mold, shape and train them in the way they should go.  I have good days and bad days as a mom, I have days when I speak with great patience and have great teaching conversations and I have days where I lose my temper and am not the greatest example I could be. 

To set a good example we also should admit to our children when we blow it and ask them to forgive us, so they can see us putting into practice what we ask them to do.  I have gone back to my children and apologized for the way I’ve reacted to a situation.   I have apologized to my children for getting angry and explained to them that I am not angry at them but at the situation. 

Along with praying for my children to be caught, I also pray that God bridge the gap between the love that I give them and the love they need.  We don’t always get it right as parents but we can trust God to make up the difference.  It is a great privilege and responsibility to have these little minds, hearts and spirits and I am so grateful to have the help of God, family and friends in teaching and training our children.  We don’t have to parent alone.  We can pray for God to have the right influences and relationships in their lives.  That God would bring people with strengths that we might not have to be role models in their lives.

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com
Read more »
If you need help sticking to your budget the Envelope System works wonders. It is a proven statistic that people spend more money when paying with credit cards and debit cards verses paying with cash.  When you are paying with cash you are more likely to think about what you are purchasing. 

How does it work?
You create envelopes for different categories of your budget: Groceries, Entertainment, Clothing, Vehicle Registration, Vacation, Christmas, etc.

You then place the amount you have allotted in your budget for each category in cash in each envelope.  For example, if your budget has you spending $400 a month on groceries.  If you are paid once a month when you receive your pay check you place $400 in the grocery envelope.  If you are paid twice a month than $200 from each paycheck goes into that envelope.  When you go to the grocery store, take your grocery envelope and use only that cash, once the envelope is empty that’s it, no additional spending on groceries for that month. 

Using the envelope system makes your budget more visual and more hands on, you are aware of the money in the envelope dwindling each time you spend from it.  You see in the middle of the month how much you have left to spend on groceries, which will encourage you to plan better to stretch those dollars.  Instead of just swiping your debit and credit cards whenever you stop and not having any idea of what you are spending on food until the end of the month.

If you have debt you want to pay off or if you are on a limited budget, I believe the envelope system is a must.  Working the envelope system will help you stick to your budget.  A great part is, say you budget to spend $400 a month on groceries, but one month you only spend $300, with that left over $100 you can apply that towards your debt.  If you have no debt, and don’t see how you can save for vacation, then when you have that leftover $100 you can put that in a vacation envelope.  Using the envelope system will cause you to try to think out of the box on how you use your money, so you can have more of it left over to spend on the fun stuff. 

Another thing to keep in mind when using the envelope system is each time you spend out of your envelope, you should keep the receipt in the envelope, this way, you can track on your actual budget sheet your actual spending.  I have seen people also write on the back of the envelope, the date and amount they spent in that category, but then each month you need to use new envelopes if you write all over it, that is why I have placed the receipts in the envelope until I sit down each week to go over my budget and write those expenditures on my budget sheet.  Another tip is to use different colored envelopes for each category, this way it’s easy to tell the difference between each one. 

Part of using the envelope system is to curb your spending and instill discipline in your spending habits.  Do not steal or “borrow” from the other envelopes.  If you have spent all your grocery money for the month but want to go to the store, don’t borrow money from the clothing envelope.  You will thank yourself in the long run, when you need back to school clothes or need a new outfit for an event you are attending, and you actually have money set apart for clothing. 

If you are debt free, don’t eliminate yourself from using the envelope system, it’s a great way to plan and prepare for things that you don’t necessarily pay every month, but still need to plan for like Auto Registration Renewals, and Annual or Quarterly Insurance Premiums.  When that annual or quarterly bill arrives, you have money set aside for it instead of having to come up with that bigger payment all of a sudden.  It’s also a great system to set aside money for gifts, when you or your children are invited to birthday parties you have money that you budget each month to spend on gifts. 

I encourage people when desiring to use the envelope system to start with just a few categories.  I think the best categories for this system are groceries, gas for your vehicles, and your entertainment budget.  You don’t necessarily need an envelope for your utilities as long as you prepare for that in your bank account and on your budget sheet.  This eliminates the extra work of withdrawing cash for your electric bill, then re-depositing that money, to make your payment.  If you will use the envelope system for at least the items you use your debit card for and credit cards for, you will see the difference it makes in your spending habits.  This way you don’t have 50 envelopes but a handful to manage.   

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com

Envelope System
If you need help sticking to your budget the Envelope System works wonders. It is a proven statistic that people spend more money when paying with credit cards and debit cards verses paying with cash.  When you are paying with cash you are more likely to think about what you are purchasing. 

How does it work?
You create envelopes for different categories of your budget: Groceries, Entertainment, Clothing, Vehicle Registration, Vacation, Christmas, etc.

You then place the amount you have allotted in your budget for each category in cash in each envelope.  For example, if your budget has you spending $400 a month on groceries.  If you are paid once a month when you receive your pay check you place $400 in the grocery envelope.  If you are paid twice a month than $200 from each paycheck goes into that envelope.  When you go to the grocery store, take your grocery envelope and use only that cash, once the envelope is empty that’s it, no additional spending on groceries for that month. 

Using the envelope system makes your budget more visual and more hands on, you are aware of the money in the envelope dwindling each time you spend from it.  You see in the middle of the month how much you have left to spend on groceries, which will encourage you to plan better to stretch those dollars.  Instead of just swiping your debit and credit cards whenever you stop and not having any idea of what you are spending on food until the end of the month.

If you have debt you want to pay off or if you are on a limited budget, I believe the envelope system is a must.  Working the envelope system will help you stick to your budget.  A great part is, say you budget to spend $400 a month on groceries, but one month you only spend $300, with that left over $100 you can apply that towards your debt.  If you have no debt, and don’t see how you can save for vacation, then when you have that leftover $100 you can put that in a vacation envelope.  Using the envelope system will cause you to try to think out of the box on how you use your money, so you can have more of it left over to spend on the fun stuff. 

Another thing to keep in mind when using the envelope system is each time you spend out of your envelope, you should keep the receipt in the envelope, this way, you can track on your actual budget sheet your actual spending.  I have seen people also write on the back of the envelope, the date and amount they spent in that category, but then each month you need to use new envelopes if you write all over it, that is why I have placed the receipts in the envelope until I sit down each week to go over my budget and write those expenditures on my budget sheet.  Another tip is to use different colored envelopes for each category, this way it’s easy to tell the difference between each one. 

Part of using the envelope system is to curb your spending and instill discipline in your spending habits.  Do not steal or “borrow” from the other envelopes.  If you have spent all your grocery money for the month but want to go to the store, don’t borrow money from the clothing envelope.  You will thank yourself in the long run, when you need back to school clothes or need a new outfit for an event you are attending, and you actually have money set apart for clothing. 

If you are debt free, don’t eliminate yourself from using the envelope system, it’s a great way to plan and prepare for things that you don’t necessarily pay every month, but still need to plan for like Auto Registration Renewals, and Annual or Quarterly Insurance Premiums.  When that annual or quarterly bill arrives, you have money set aside for it instead of having to come up with that bigger payment all of a sudden.  It’s also a great system to set aside money for gifts, when you or your children are invited to birthday parties you have money that you budget each month to spend on gifts. 

I encourage people when desiring to use the envelope system to start with just a few categories.  I think the best categories for this system are groceries, gas for your vehicles, and your entertainment budget.  You don’t necessarily need an envelope for your utilities as long as you prepare for that in your bank account and on your budget sheet.  This eliminates the extra work of withdrawing cash for your electric bill, then re-depositing that money, to make your payment.  If you will use the envelope system for at least the items you use your debit card for and credit cards for, you will see the difference it makes in your spending habits.  This way you don’t have 50 envelopes but a handful to manage.   

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.

www.BlogAboutItAll.com
Read more »
One of my little grocery shopping helpers.
A great way to save money and gain some much needed sanity is to have a Menu Plan.  It’s been my experience that when I don’t menu plan, preparing dinner is not as fun.  I end up making more trips to the grocery store, and you know even when you go to the grocery store with a list many times other things have a way of finding their way in your cart that you were not planning on purchasing.  And if you are like me I usually have a little one with me who is asking for something that’s not on the list so if I can avoid multiple unnecessary trips it not only saves me time and gas money but also picking up unnecessary items.

There are times when I don’t want to menu plan and it seems like work or I run out of ideas of what to cook.  I find though once I sit down to make it happen then it’s much easier then I made it out to be in my mind.  Just commit to get started and plan the upcoming week, don’t overwhelm yourself.  Don’t do it alone, get the family involved.  Ask your husband and kids, what their favorite dishes that you prepare are.  Ask your friends, what are there go to meals and of course there is always Pinterest, where you kind find an unlimited amount of ideas for menu planning.  I also like to use www.allrecipes.com when I need an idea for my menu.  At All Recipes they have a place where you can search for recipes based off the ingredients you already have.

I like to menu plan for the entire month ahead of time, but that doesn’t always happen so at the very least if I don’t have a master plan for the month I plan ahead for the week.  This enables me to make a grocery list of what items I need to pick up from the store.  Then I am only making one trip to the grocery store instead of running in for something I forgot.  Pick the day that works best for you to menu plan for the upcoming week, make your grocery list and then go shop for those items.  For some people the weekend works great, you have the weekend off from work, you maybe have someone home to watch the kids so you can go to the store alone.  For others, it might work better to menu plan Wednesday to Wednesday or another day.  Wednesday is when most grocery store sales start, pick whatever works for you and your schedule.

Another advantage to menu planning is many times we have the items to make a great meal already in our refrigerator and cupboards.  You may just need to purchase the fresh produce and meat to go with the pantry staples you already have.  Part of my menu planning strategy is to look through my cupboards and refrigerator/freezer to see what I already have to work with.  This also keeps me from allowing food items to go bad.  How many times have you purchased some fresh produce or meat because it’s on sale, to only let it go to waste, because you didn’t use it that week?

Most families I know have a handful of meals that they eat quite often, meals that everyone in the family enjoys, this is great, these are easy to plan for and meals you cook with great confidence.  Keep these meals in a constant rotation in your menu planning.  Then leave room for new recipes that you would like to try and things you like to have once in a while. 

A great thing to keep in mind when Menu Planning is your leftovers.  My husband is not a big leftover fan; I love leftovers and will have them for lunch the next couple of days.  Even though my husband doesn’t enjoy leftovers that much, I find if I can repurpose them into another similar meal, they will be eaten and not go to waste.  For example if you have left over baked chicken, then chop that chicken up and put it in a pasta dish or chicken tacos.  If you have left over steak, you can slice the steak, put it with bell peppers and spices and turn it into fajitas.  Think of something you can change your leftovers into.
I love double ad Wednesdays at Sprouts!

I also find in Menu Planning I eat healthier.  When meals are planned out ahead of time and preparation is made, then I don’t have that temptation to eat frozen food, and junk food.  It’s usually due to not planning and preparing that I end up grabbing for whatever is quick to prepare which sometimes means not the healthiest choices.  When you plan ahead meals can be both quick and healthy, with a little pre-planning.

With a family many times you have other weekly evening events to attend.  These are great times to make something that takes less preparation or to put your crock pot to use.  Tuesday evenings is our mid-week service at church so I usually try to make something that is quick and easy like Tacos, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Stir Fry.  These are quick to cook and easy clean-up. 

When I first started menu planning I used to print out monthly calendars and use those for our meal planning.  I now find that using the calendar I already have in my kitchen, with family birthdates and school field trips posted works much better.  It’s my master calendar that has any upcoming events, this way it’s is all in one place, and I can keep those other dates in mind when menu planning.  I also like using my master calendar for everything because then I can flip through the previous months to see what we cooked and ate in the months past.  When I was printing out additional papers, then I either had to file those papers somewhere or I ended up throwing them away. 

Keep different types of meals in mind when Menu Planning: Mexican Food, Italian Food, Chinese Food, American Food, most people have a favorite dish in each of these categories.  Also keep in mind variety: Pork, Poultry, Fish, Beef, Vegetarian, etc.  Go through your grocery store ads, find out what’s on sale for that week and menu plan based on what is in season.  Not only will you eat fresh and seasonal food, but you will save money.


Well I hope I have encouraged and inspired you to menu plan!  Start with those meals you love to cook and your family loves to eat, plan those out on specific days first.  Then add in meals that take greater preparation and clean up on the evenings you have more time to spend at home.  And then there is always date night, one less night to plan to cook ;-)  

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.
www.BlogAboutItAll.com

Menu Planning
One of my little grocery shopping helpers.
A great way to save money and gain some much needed sanity is to have a Menu Plan.  It’s been my experience that when I don’t menu plan, preparing dinner is not as fun.  I end up making more trips to the grocery store, and you know even when you go to the grocery store with a list many times other things have a way of finding their way in your cart that you were not planning on purchasing.  And if you are like me I usually have a little one with me who is asking for something that’s not on the list so if I can avoid multiple unnecessary trips it not only saves me time and gas money but also picking up unnecessary items.

There are times when I don’t want to menu plan and it seems like work or I run out of ideas of what to cook.  I find though once I sit down to make it happen then it’s much easier then I made it out to be in my mind.  Just commit to get started and plan the upcoming week, don’t overwhelm yourself.  Don’t do it alone, get the family involved.  Ask your husband and kids, what their favorite dishes that you prepare are.  Ask your friends, what are there go to meals and of course there is always Pinterest, where you kind find an unlimited amount of ideas for menu planning.  I also like to use www.allrecipes.com when I need an idea for my menu.  At All Recipes they have a place where you can search for recipes based off the ingredients you already have.

I like to menu plan for the entire month ahead of time, but that doesn’t always happen so at the very least if I don’t have a master plan for the month I plan ahead for the week.  This enables me to make a grocery list of what items I need to pick up from the store.  Then I am only making one trip to the grocery store instead of running in for something I forgot.  Pick the day that works best for you to menu plan for the upcoming week, make your grocery list and then go shop for those items.  For some people the weekend works great, you have the weekend off from work, you maybe have someone home to watch the kids so you can go to the store alone.  For others, it might work better to menu plan Wednesday to Wednesday or another day.  Wednesday is when most grocery store sales start, pick whatever works for you and your schedule.

Another advantage to menu planning is many times we have the items to make a great meal already in our refrigerator and cupboards.  You may just need to purchase the fresh produce and meat to go with the pantry staples you already have.  Part of my menu planning strategy is to look through my cupboards and refrigerator/freezer to see what I already have to work with.  This also keeps me from allowing food items to go bad.  How many times have you purchased some fresh produce or meat because it’s on sale, to only let it go to waste, because you didn’t use it that week?

Most families I know have a handful of meals that they eat quite often, meals that everyone in the family enjoys, this is great, these are easy to plan for and meals you cook with great confidence.  Keep these meals in a constant rotation in your menu planning.  Then leave room for new recipes that you would like to try and things you like to have once in a while. 

A great thing to keep in mind when Menu Planning is your leftovers.  My husband is not a big leftover fan; I love leftovers and will have them for lunch the next couple of days.  Even though my husband doesn’t enjoy leftovers that much, I find if I can repurpose them into another similar meal, they will be eaten and not go to waste.  For example if you have left over baked chicken, then chop that chicken up and put it in a pasta dish or chicken tacos.  If you have left over steak, you can slice the steak, put it with bell peppers and spices and turn it into fajitas.  Think of something you can change your leftovers into.
I love double ad Wednesdays at Sprouts!

I also find in Menu Planning I eat healthier.  When meals are planned out ahead of time and preparation is made, then I don’t have that temptation to eat frozen food, and junk food.  It’s usually due to not planning and preparing that I end up grabbing for whatever is quick to prepare which sometimes means not the healthiest choices.  When you plan ahead meals can be both quick and healthy, with a little pre-planning.

With a family many times you have other weekly evening events to attend.  These are great times to make something that takes less preparation or to put your crock pot to use.  Tuesday evenings is our mid-week service at church so I usually try to make something that is quick and easy like Tacos, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Stir Fry.  These are quick to cook and easy clean-up. 

When I first started menu planning I used to print out monthly calendars and use those for our meal planning.  I now find that using the calendar I already have in my kitchen, with family birthdates and school field trips posted works much better.  It’s my master calendar that has any upcoming events, this way it’s is all in one place, and I can keep those other dates in mind when menu planning.  I also like using my master calendar for everything because then I can flip through the previous months to see what we cooked and ate in the months past.  When I was printing out additional papers, then I either had to file those papers somewhere or I ended up throwing them away. 

Keep different types of meals in mind when Menu Planning: Mexican Food, Italian Food, Chinese Food, American Food, most people have a favorite dish in each of these categories.  Also keep in mind variety: Pork, Poultry, Fish, Beef, Vegetarian, etc.  Go through your grocery store ads, find out what’s on sale for that week and menu plan based on what is in season.  Not only will you eat fresh and seasonal food, but you will save money.


Well I hope I have encouraged and inspired you to menu plan!  Start with those meals you love to cook and your family loves to eat, plan those out on specific days first.  Then add in meals that take greater preparation and clean up on the evenings you have more time to spend at home.  And then there is always date night, one less night to plan to cook ;-)  

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.
www.BlogAboutItAll.com
Read more »

National Back to Church Sunday is this Sunday, September 21, 2014.  Last weekend I blogged about how I was invited to church.  You can read that post here:
http://theblogaboutitall.blogspot.com/2014/09/national-back-to-church-sunday.html

This week I am going to elaborate on how my life has changed as a result of receiving Jesus as my Savior and attending church.

Have you heard the new song by Chris Tomlin “Jesus Loves Me”?  From the album “Love Ran Red” I love the lyrics, very simple yet so empowering.  Very fitting to share in regards to receiving Jesus in my life.

I was lost
I was in chains
The world had a hold of me

My heart was a stone
I was covered in shame
When He came for me

I couldn't run, couldn't run from His presence
I couldn't run, couldn't run from His arms

Jesus, He loves me, He loves me, He is for me
Jesus, how can it be, He loves me, He is for me

And it was a fire
Deep in my soul
I'll never be the same

I stepped out of the dark
And into the light
When He called my name

I couldn't run, couldn't run from His presence
I couldn't run, couldn't run from His arms

He holds the stars and He holds my heart
With healing hands that bear the scars
The rugged cross where He died for me
My only hope, my everything

That was me I was lost and in chains, the world had a hold on me at a young 15 years old.  Growing up, my parents did drugs and drank alcohol quite frequently.  I don’t want to say they were alcoholics but most days my dad had a Budweiser in his hand and most definitely every weekend.  

My parents were great parents don’t get me wrong, they made sure we went to school, I always had a roof over my head and food in our cupboards, my dad always had a job and provided well for our family, my mom faithfully had dinner on the table everyday promptly at 5 PM.  My mom was a stay at home mom until we kids were all older although she frequently had a side job going on, where she would clean houses while we were at school, or where she babysat other peoples kids from the neighborhood, or made homemade Mexican food and sold it at construction sites.

I was 15 when I accepted the Lord and I had already tried alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes and was definitely headed in the wrong direction.  I graduated high school and was married a virgin, which was a rare occurrence throughout my extended family and would probably not be true if I had not accepted Jesus as my Savior.

As a young girl like so many other young people I was searching for hope for my future.  I wanted to be different, I wanted to do something with my life, I didn’t want to be another pregnant teenage statistic.  I wondered what I was going to do when I graduated, who I was going to marry, how I was going to meet my prince charming, etc.  I was concerned about my parents, getting a divorce and their drinking and drug usage.  I had a friend in Jr. High School whose mom was killed by a drunk driver, I wondered what if my parents brought that on someone else, or what if that happened to them with the lifestyle they lived.  In attending school you go through many campaigns of say no to drugs, I had at one time flushed my parent’s marijuana down the toilet, I had asked my mom to quit on a number of occasions. 

Me as a toddler being dedicated to the Lord.
Gratefully I couldn’t run, I couldn’t hide from His presence.  There is a scripture I John 4:19 that reads “we love Him, because he first loved us.”  I vividly see this in my life.  Throughout the years everywhere we moved we would meet people who planted the seed of salvation in our lives.  We frequently encountered people who invited us to church and even as a teenager before I received Jesus I babysat for a Christian family who took me to church with them and to a Christian Concert where I heard the message of Christ.  When I look back over my life I see the hand of God’s protection, guidance and love over me.  My grandmother from my mother’s side dedicated me to the Lord when I was a toddler; she had permission from my mom who really had no idea what she allowed my grandmother to do; inviting God to have his way in my life, committing me to the Lord. 

Pictured above my husband & kids with my parents and siblings.
In light of National Back to Church Sunday, never stop inviting your friends, family, and neighbors to church, they don’t always come with the first invite, and even after attending a service, they might not turn their life over to Christ.  The scripture talks about one planting the seed, one watering the seed, and God bringing the increase.   It was many years before I actually received Jesus as my Savior, but when I did He turned my entire world around.  I was saved from a life of promiscuity, drugs and alcohol.  My parents were miraculously saved and delivered from drugs and alcohol, and everything changed in our life for the better.  My parents’ marriage greatly improved, their finances increased, my parents have experienced the favor and blessing of God in their life in every area.  As a teenage girl I frequently had kidney infections, and extreme back pain, I was completely healed of those and so many other physical ailments over the years.  God holds the stars and He holds my heart with healing hands He bears the scars. 

If you feel hopeless know there is a God who loves you and has a plan for your life.  No matter how wrecked your life may seem, He can heal, restore and make things brand new for you.  He has made many of my dreams come true and has given me dreams I could have never dreamed possible on my own.

If you are a Christian I know from experience we sometimes lose sight of sharing our story, we sometimes get caught up in our scurried schedules and forget to be aware of those around us, who at one time we were also like, lost, in shame, and in need of a Savior.  Remember even the most put together people who seem to have it all still need Jesus.  Allow the Lord to lead you in inviting someone to church with you, if that’s when you are at the park with your kids or standing in line at the grocery store.  I am grateful for National Back to Church Sunday provoking the conversation over social media and throughout churches across America but let’s not just think about inviting someone to church this month only but every day. 

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.
www.BlogAboutItAll.com

#MyChurchStory

National Back to Church Sunday is this Sunday, September 21, 2014.  Last weekend I blogged about how I was invited to church.  You can read that post here:
http://theblogaboutitall.blogspot.com/2014/09/national-back-to-church-sunday.html

This week I am going to elaborate on how my life has changed as a result of receiving Jesus as my Savior and attending church.

Have you heard the new song by Chris Tomlin “Jesus Loves Me”?  From the album “Love Ran Red” I love the lyrics, very simple yet so empowering.  Very fitting to share in regards to receiving Jesus in my life.

I was lost
I was in chains
The world had a hold of me

My heart was a stone
I was covered in shame
When He came for me

I couldn't run, couldn't run from His presence
I couldn't run, couldn't run from His arms

Jesus, He loves me, He loves me, He is for me
Jesus, how can it be, He loves me, He is for me

And it was a fire
Deep in my soul
I'll never be the same

I stepped out of the dark
And into the light
When He called my name

I couldn't run, couldn't run from His presence
I couldn't run, couldn't run from His arms

He holds the stars and He holds my heart
With healing hands that bear the scars
The rugged cross where He died for me
My only hope, my everything

That was me I was lost and in chains, the world had a hold on me at a young 15 years old.  Growing up, my parents did drugs and drank alcohol quite frequently.  I don’t want to say they were alcoholics but most days my dad had a Budweiser in his hand and most definitely every weekend.  

My parents were great parents don’t get me wrong, they made sure we went to school, I always had a roof over my head and food in our cupboards, my dad always had a job and provided well for our family, my mom faithfully had dinner on the table everyday promptly at 5 PM.  My mom was a stay at home mom until we kids were all older although she frequently had a side job going on, where she would clean houses while we were at school, or where she babysat other peoples kids from the neighborhood, or made homemade Mexican food and sold it at construction sites.

I was 15 when I accepted the Lord and I had already tried alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes and was definitely headed in the wrong direction.  I graduated high school and was married a virgin, which was a rare occurrence throughout my extended family and would probably not be true if I had not accepted Jesus as my Savior.

As a young girl like so many other young people I was searching for hope for my future.  I wanted to be different, I wanted to do something with my life, I didn’t want to be another pregnant teenage statistic.  I wondered what I was going to do when I graduated, who I was going to marry, how I was going to meet my prince charming, etc.  I was concerned about my parents, getting a divorce and their drinking and drug usage.  I had a friend in Jr. High School whose mom was killed by a drunk driver, I wondered what if my parents brought that on someone else, or what if that happened to them with the lifestyle they lived.  In attending school you go through many campaigns of say no to drugs, I had at one time flushed my parent’s marijuana down the toilet, I had asked my mom to quit on a number of occasions. 

Me as a toddler being dedicated to the Lord.
Gratefully I couldn’t run, I couldn’t hide from His presence.  There is a scripture I John 4:19 that reads “we love Him, because he first loved us.”  I vividly see this in my life.  Throughout the years everywhere we moved we would meet people who planted the seed of salvation in our lives.  We frequently encountered people who invited us to church and even as a teenager before I received Jesus I babysat for a Christian family who took me to church with them and to a Christian Concert where I heard the message of Christ.  When I look back over my life I see the hand of God’s protection, guidance and love over me.  My grandmother from my mother’s side dedicated me to the Lord when I was a toddler; she had permission from my mom who really had no idea what she allowed my grandmother to do; inviting God to have his way in my life, committing me to the Lord. 

Pictured above my husband & kids with my parents and siblings.
In light of National Back to Church Sunday, never stop inviting your friends, family, and neighbors to church, they don’t always come with the first invite, and even after attending a service, they might not turn their life over to Christ.  The scripture talks about one planting the seed, one watering the seed, and God bringing the increase.   It was many years before I actually received Jesus as my Savior, but when I did He turned my entire world around.  I was saved from a life of promiscuity, drugs and alcohol.  My parents were miraculously saved and delivered from drugs and alcohol, and everything changed in our life for the better.  My parents’ marriage greatly improved, their finances increased, my parents have experienced the favor and blessing of God in their life in every area.  As a teenage girl I frequently had kidney infections, and extreme back pain, I was completely healed of those and so many other physical ailments over the years.  God holds the stars and He holds my heart with healing hands He bears the scars. 

If you feel hopeless know there is a God who loves you and has a plan for your life.  No matter how wrecked your life may seem, He can heal, restore and make things brand new for you.  He has made many of my dreams come true and has given me dreams I could have never dreamed possible on my own.

If you are a Christian I know from experience we sometimes lose sight of sharing our story, we sometimes get caught up in our scurried schedules and forget to be aware of those around us, who at one time we were also like, lost, in shame, and in need of a Savior.  Remember even the most put together people who seem to have it all still need Jesus.  Allow the Lord to lead you in inviting someone to church with you, if that’s when you are at the park with your kids or standing in line at the grocery store.  I am grateful for National Back to Church Sunday provoking the conversation over social media and throughout churches across America but let’s not just think about inviting someone to church this month only but every day. 

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.
www.BlogAboutItAll.com
Read more »
With three boys I am daily reminding them to keep their hands and feet to themselves.  They like to wrestle, jump on each other and someone daily seems to be making unwanted contact with the other. 

These little angels hit....never!
This past week my youngest son who is three hit another child in his class.  Now if it was one of the children in the class that is always hitting the other children I probably wouldn’t have given it much thought, not that it is okay to hit for any reason.  But he hit a child who I know to be quite passive, quiet and very nice.  I felt so bad for the other child and thought “why did you hit him?”  “What could he have possibly done to you?”  Of course I reminded him that it is not nice to hit anyone, and not okay to push or kick our friends.  I asked him if he liked it when someone hit him and tried to remind him that we do not hit for any reason, but I am sure I’ll be having this conversation with him tomorrow in regards to his brothers.


Well this incident reminded me of the time my first born was bit by another child in class, and not just a bite mark with temporary teeth marks left on the skin, there was a quarter size chunk taken out of his cheek, he had just turned two and was just moved into the two year old classroom from the nursery and one year olds. 

I went to pick up my child from his class; he wasn’t crying just playing with toys.  I immediately saw the band aid across his face.  The teacher quickly came over and sincerely apologized for my child being bit and I completely understand and thankfully understood then too as a new mom that as a teacher in a class with multiple children it happens, you can’t always prevent a bite, or someone toppling over.  I have worked in the nursery at my church, volunteered in the class rooms with 5-12 year olds and it happens there too, not biting but scuffles be that physical or emotional by words exchanged.  I currently teach the twos and threes Sunday School class with my child in it, I’ll write about that another time.

As I carried my son who was bit out to the car I began to cry, I didn’t cry because I was mad at the other child or mad at that child’s parents, I didn’t even give that any thought.  Side note I am so grateful the teachers didn’t call me back to class immediately when it happened if I went back to the class while he was crying I would have fell apart, it would have broken my heart even more.  I cried because I felt so bad for him, that he had to experience pain.  I cried because as a mom I want to protect my children from hurtful things happening to them.  I thought what could I have done different, did I prepare him to enter the two year old class.  I try to pray protection over my children whenever they go somewhere so I was retracing in my mind did I pray today before I dropped him off at class.  Remember not only was this was my first child but naturally I am an over thinker.  My husband often reminds me to stop overthinking every situation.

This wasn’t a naïve first time mom emotion though, I have had this emotion recently when I watched my middle son feel excluded from a group of kids and just a couple of days ago when two of my boys were horse playing and one was pushed into the TV stand and obtained a gash on his cheek my heart aches for the pain they are experiencing.  As moms we desire for our children to be happy and safe at all times we want to protect them from experiencing pain.  As a mom of three boys I realize there will be scratches and bruises I have seen plenty of that. 

In writing this post I hope I encourage you.  No matter how much we train our children to not bite, hit other kids, or have tantrums.  Sometimes it happens, sometimes they have had a rough day, sometimes they are reacting to change taking place at home or reacting to the stress and pressures that their parents are experiencing and sometimes they are just being kids learning how to handle their emotions and actions.  We can’t always prevent our children from being hurt and we can’t always prevent our children from being the one that hits or bites another child.  But we can use each situation as a learning opportunity, we can encourage our kids that they are loved and wanted if they are the ones hurt and we can encourage and train our kids that this kind of behavior is not okay if they are the one hurting someone else. 

When your child does hit or bite another child don’t avoid the parents because of embarrassment, rather apologize, have your child apologize.  As a parent who has experienced both, my child being hit and bit and as a parent who has had my child hit someone else’s child.  I think it’s so much better to address the situation then to avoid it.  I know children need to work out their own conflicts at times, and each situation is different.  But it is nice and refreshing when I see a parent having their child apologize for inappropriate behavior instead of just looking the other way or just picking up and abandoning the incident with no acknowledgment. 

Thanks for reading as I embrace a new upcoming week of reminding my boys to keep their hands and feet to themselves.  I am reminded of how important repetition is in parenting, even though it’s not always fun kind of like laundry and cleaning “wash, rinse, and repeat.”

www.BlogAboutItAll.com

When Your Child Hits or is Hit by Another Child
With three boys I am daily reminding them to keep their hands and feet to themselves.  They like to wrestle, jump on each other and someone daily seems to be making unwanted contact with the other. 

These little angels hit....never!
This past week my youngest son who is three hit another child in his class.  Now if it was one of the children in the class that is always hitting the other children I probably wouldn’t have given it much thought, not that it is okay to hit for any reason.  But he hit a child who I know to be quite passive, quiet and very nice.  I felt so bad for the other child and thought “why did you hit him?”  “What could he have possibly done to you?”  Of course I reminded him that it is not nice to hit anyone, and not okay to push or kick our friends.  I asked him if he liked it when someone hit him and tried to remind him that we do not hit for any reason, but I am sure I’ll be having this conversation with him tomorrow in regards to his brothers.


Well this incident reminded me of the time my first born was bit by another child in class, and not just a bite mark with temporary teeth marks left on the skin, there was a quarter size chunk taken out of his cheek, he had just turned two and was just moved into the two year old classroom from the nursery and one year olds. 

I went to pick up my child from his class; he wasn’t crying just playing with toys.  I immediately saw the band aid across his face.  The teacher quickly came over and sincerely apologized for my child being bit and I completely understand and thankfully understood then too as a new mom that as a teacher in a class with multiple children it happens, you can’t always prevent a bite, or someone toppling over.  I have worked in the nursery at my church, volunteered in the class rooms with 5-12 year olds and it happens there too, not biting but scuffles be that physical or emotional by words exchanged.  I currently teach the twos and threes Sunday School class with my child in it, I’ll write about that another time.

As I carried my son who was bit out to the car I began to cry, I didn’t cry because I was mad at the other child or mad at that child’s parents, I didn’t even give that any thought.  Side note I am so grateful the teachers didn’t call me back to class immediately when it happened if I went back to the class while he was crying I would have fell apart, it would have broken my heart even more.  I cried because I felt so bad for him, that he had to experience pain.  I cried because as a mom I want to protect my children from hurtful things happening to them.  I thought what could I have done different, did I prepare him to enter the two year old class.  I try to pray protection over my children whenever they go somewhere so I was retracing in my mind did I pray today before I dropped him off at class.  Remember not only was this was my first child but naturally I am an over thinker.  My husband often reminds me to stop overthinking every situation.

This wasn’t a naïve first time mom emotion though, I have had this emotion recently when I watched my middle son feel excluded from a group of kids and just a couple of days ago when two of my boys were horse playing and one was pushed into the TV stand and obtained a gash on his cheek my heart aches for the pain they are experiencing.  As moms we desire for our children to be happy and safe at all times we want to protect them from experiencing pain.  As a mom of three boys I realize there will be scratches and bruises I have seen plenty of that. 

In writing this post I hope I encourage you.  No matter how much we train our children to not bite, hit other kids, or have tantrums.  Sometimes it happens, sometimes they have had a rough day, sometimes they are reacting to change taking place at home or reacting to the stress and pressures that their parents are experiencing and sometimes they are just being kids learning how to handle their emotions and actions.  We can’t always prevent our children from being hurt and we can’t always prevent our children from being the one that hits or bites another child.  But we can use each situation as a learning opportunity, we can encourage our kids that they are loved and wanted if they are the ones hurt and we can encourage and train our kids that this kind of behavior is not okay if they are the one hurting someone else. 

When your child does hit or bite another child don’t avoid the parents because of embarrassment, rather apologize, have your child apologize.  As a parent who has experienced both, my child being hit and bit and as a parent who has had my child hit someone else’s child.  I think it’s so much better to address the situation then to avoid it.  I know children need to work out their own conflicts at times, and each situation is different.  But it is nice and refreshing when I see a parent having their child apologize for inappropriate behavior instead of just looking the other way or just picking up and abandoning the incident with no acknowledgment. 

Thanks for reading as I embrace a new upcoming week of reminding my boys to keep their hands and feet to themselves.  I am reminded of how important repetition is in parenting, even though it’s not always fun kind of like laundry and cleaning “wash, rinse, and repeat.”

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