Bryson came up to me last week, a single penny sitting in the palm of his outstretched hand. "I found a quarter, Mom. I can buy a race car." "That's a penny, kid... and it won't buy you anything." He just turned four and he knows one thing: money buys toys. He has no idea how hard his daddy works for that money to buy his toys. He doesn't know that his Pop has a savings account for him. He doesn't know the difference between a penny a quarter. We've got a ways to go. Thanks goodness he's only four. I didn't know much about money either until Justin and I bought our first home.  Since then, we have used credit cards, paid them off, used them again, sold a house, bought another house, and found Dave Ramsey.  Our attitude toward money has changed a lot in less than 5 years.  We've learned through trial and error and we've learned how to talk about money with one another. When I think about what I want to teach our children about money, it's simple and yet complicated.  I want … [Read more...]

We all hope it won’t happen to us, but sometimes a car accident can put a hold on your plans for the day. And if getting in an accident isn’t frustrating enough, the process for filing a car insurance claim can be confusing and drawn out if you’re not prepared for how the system works. This guide will help navigate the ins and outs of filing your first insurance claim after a car accident.   Step 1: The insurance claim is filed If you’re in a car accident, the first thing you should do is determine whether anyone needs medical attention. Once the situation is stable, gather the other driver’s insurance information and contact your insurance provider as soon as possible. You’ll be assigned a claims adjuster who will be responsible for coordinating the insurance claim. Make sure to file a police report as well; it’s the best way for your insurance company to understand the events of the car accident.   Step 2: Property damage is … [Read more...]

When I purchased my iPhone 4s, I bought a case the same day.  The case arrived a day after the phone and you can bet in that 24 hour period, I guarded my vulnerable iPhone with my life.  I didn't let my kids touch it and I barely touched it myself.  LOL I wish I could say I did the same for the HTC Doid Incredible, but I didn't.  With so much on my mind, a broken leg & ankle, etc. ordering a case totally slipped my mind.  Until less than a month later, when I simultaneously broke my toe and dropped the Incredible.  (Yes, this has been the year of brokenness for me, it seems.) Let's just say that while the HTC Doid Incredible is a nice phone, it doesn't get along too well with tile floors. I still use it, but thankfully it isn't my main phone.  I've learned that I am definitely an iPhone girl, but I do adore the big screen on the HTC Droid Incredible.  I've heard awesome things about the Samsung Galaxy S3 too. What is your favorite phone case?  I'm currently using an … [Read more...]

I am co-hosting a Twitter party with the National Pork Board and The Motherhood in honor of Nutrition Month!  Keep your healthy habits on track this year with a lean diet that includes simple and tasty pork recipes – like the ones I tried and posted here on my blog throughout the month of February.  Join us at the #PorkPledge Good and Good for You Twitter Party for great tips, trivia and prizes! When: Tuesday, March 13, 7-8 p.m. ET Where: The party will take place on Twitter, using the #PorkPledge hashtag. Who: The National Pork Board (@AllAboutPork) and The Motherhood (@theMotherhood) will be hosting. Prizes:  Five prize packs will be given away throughout the hour, based on responses to trivia questions.  They will be filled with pork coupons and other items to help you live a healthier lifestyle (such as a meat thermometer, reusable water bottle and reusable grocery bag). RSVP: Let us know if you’ll be there! Click this link and press the red “yes” … [Read more...]

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. We've been blessed that my husband's job has a fantastic insurance plan.  There was a 90 day period of time when insurance troubles brought me to tears more than once.  It was the first time I had ever been without insurance.  Bryson was 5 months old and my husband's job had been jerked out from under him when the automotive industry took a huge hit during the recession.  You've heard the story from many people, I'm sure.  We were just one family of millions.  Thankfully, we had no major medical problems in that 3 month period and we've had insurance since.  I had no idea about programs like Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. Prescription Savings Club membership is risk free. If you don't save more than the cost of your membership during the course of the year of your membership, then they will even refund the difference. For $35 a year, a family membership … [Read more...]

Kids love sharing everything from toys to snacks to germs but their comes a point in every kid's life that they realize that they have things that are theirs and no-one else's. Yes, we all know that feeling the first time they say that something is 'mine' and it will only worse from their. It's only a matter of time until they decide to capture personal space for themselves whether there's space to go around or not. If you have kids sharing a room and one or both of them is past the point of sharing that space then you're probably at the end of your wits about how to make enough space that they can both be happy and comfortable. Don't fret, just free up half of the room by stacking their beds on top of each other. Twin over full bunk beds can be a unique and fun way to give your kids a personal space all to themselves without having to free up a whole separate room to separate them. With the space constraints parents face more and more each day, bunk beds can be the solution to … [Read more...]