Teaching Kids about Money

December 31, 2007 | Leave a Comment

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My husband and I had a “disagreement” today, doesn’t happen often, but today we both had very strong feelings on the subject of the kids and their money. Yes, the money each child has earned or saved from gifts.

It started when I had to run to the store to pick up formula and diapers for the baby. The kids asked to come and if they could buy something with their money. I replied that I was not out “shopping” but if there was something they wanted and they had enough of their own money they could get it.

Well, Drew in his typical fashion couldn’t find his wallet so that led to a melt down when I would not “spot” him money and he would pay me back. So only Taylor came with me and cruised the after Christmas sale aisles.

She found a toy that was $17.00 on sale and she had $20.00 so she wanted to buy this since she didn’t get any “toys” for Christmas. I admit, we didn’t really give her much of what I consider toys because she is at the in-between age of things being too young for her or what I consider inappropriate.

Well the disagreement started when we came home and my husband gave me the evil eye followed by some negative comments whispered under his breath. I can understand his point, it’s only one week after Christmas, did she really need something new? Right, got it.

BUT it was her money that she has worked hard to save and had chosen NOT to spend for the last three months while her brother has spent his money here and there on various trinkets and toys and she kept making the choice to save hers.

AND she was the one who at only eight years old helped me the most get ready for hosting Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This means she did more then my husband did to help me (he cleaned 2 bathrooms so it’s not like he did nothing) but she was a super helper doing chores that I never asked her and helping with her younger siblings while I did my chores.

Sooo yes, I let her spend her money on something she wanted. She considered each toy carefully and calculated her money and didn’t just pick up the first thing and want to buy it just to buy it.

Every night on the news you hear about Americans and credit card trouble or not learning how to deal with money. Then I remembered recently when I was out with a girlfriend and she told her daughter she didn’t have enough cash to buy something her 6 year old daughters response to her mom was “put it on the plastic!”.

This also brings up the valid point someone once stated in a conversation on public school curriculum. Schools focus on various math techniques that we know are “important” (but really, when will you use that in every day life) but fail to stress the importance of actual accounting or money managment skills that could prove useful for life. You may argue that kids learn this at home and don’t need it at school, but then the model of teaching sex ed at school blows that theory out of the water.

Then I remembered this website that I found called Independent Means and it has resources to teach kids about how to be financially responsible starting as early as 5 years old. In their own words this website states:

The IMI Vision: To help raise a new generation with skills that ensure financial self-reliance and well being, and values that support lives of purpose and passion.

Mission Statement: Independent Means strives to be the ultimate source of financial education and information.

The IMI Principles:

Financial competence is at the heart of true independence and self-reliance.
Financial education is economic self defense. An ability to make sound decisions throughout life requires basic skills and financial wisdom acquired through practice and experience.
Financial education is about character and values, not just the money. Mindful self-management of desires and values is essential to the stewardship of social, family, and capital assets.
Financial fluency begins in childhood and is a lifelong process, acquired through the iterative learning of the Ten Basic Money Skills

So use this resource and take a moment to check it out. It even has kids camps, maybe the kids will get more from camp then just a sunburn!

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life, Tips & Advice

The Results are in, winning holiday recipes are…

December 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Since I love to try new recipes while cooking and my husbands family is the best crowd to try the recipes on because 1. it is a big family 2. they will eat anything (pretty much) 3. they are totally honest on what they think of something and they won’t sugar coat it to spare my feelings.

Now, a few days after the food has been cleared away and here are the three recipes people are still talking about.

Onion Dip

I served these with sea salt and cracked pepper Cape Cod chips and bread. It was super easy to put together and I chopped all my onions a day before and bagged them so all I had to do was pull out the bag and throw the onions in a pan right before people started arriving.

1 1/3 lb med onions and coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs cooking oil
2 tsp fresh sage
1/3 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese (I think I used a bit more since I love it)
2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion

In a large skillet cook the chopped onions and salt in the cooking oil, uncovered, over medium low heat for 20 minutes or until very soft. Stir in sage and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and parmesan cheese. Transfer into a serving bowl and sprinkle with red onion and serve.

While this was a favorite I did take a little grief for breaking tradition. Every family gathering (for the last 11 years I think) I make the family and friends favorite of Onion Pita Bites. This is similiar to the above recipe except it has one cup chopped onions, one cup parmesan cheese, one cup mayo all mixed together. Then I top little triangles of pita bread with the mixture and broil until lightly browned. They are devoured before I get them off the cookie sheet. However, with the baby this year and of course, everyone always gravitates to the kitchen I decided to forgo the broiler and try the above recipe. I guess next year I’ll have to do both.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Saute half a cup of chopped onions in a pan with a couple Tbs of italian salad dressing. Once the onions are soft mix into your mashed sweet pototoes then fold in 1/2 a cup of sour cream. Yum. I could have eaten the entire bowl myself.

Overnight Turkey

I have a full house of people on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day so I prepped my Turkey during the day of Christmas Eve and placed it in my fridge. Around 10 p.m. Christmas Eve I moved the Turkey, pan and all, from the fridge into the oven with no worries of an extra mess and it leaves my ovens open for the ham and lasagna on Christmas Day.

I have no idea where this recipe originated from, my mother gave it to me and it is a copy of a copy with smudges and missing letters here and there but hey, it works and its delicious.

Rub turkey down with mixture of melted butter, couple shots of A1 sauce, some garlic, marjoram, and a little red wine. Salt and pepper it well and place in a large roasting pan. Put it into a very hot oven at 525 degrees, ok, for some reason my oven only goes to 500- thanks Thermador- so that has to work. Bake at this high temp for 45 minutes uncovered. This will singe all the juices into the bird.

Next, take out the bird and pour red wine over it until it is well doused. Soak a tea towel, cheese cloth or any towel that is NOT terry cloth in the red wine and when it is soaking wet lay it over the turkey covering the bird as well as you can. Hit the top with a little more red wine, I finished the bottle. Then cover it best you can with foil to make as airtight as possible.

Turn the oven down to 450 degrees and put the turkey back in the oven and let it cook for about an hour and half. Then turn off the oven- DO NOT OPEN the oven door- resist the tempation! Let it sit all night in the oven. In the morning, open the door and take the towel off the bird and ladle the juices over the turkey. Then heat it up for about an hour covered in a 400 degree oven. This will smell so good when you wake up!

For the Gravy: Remove the bird to the serving plate and skim off as much grease as you can, pour part of the juices into a blender and blend it with a little flour for thickening and return the mixture to the pan. Heat it until it slumbers adding salt and pepper or whatever is needed, maybe a little more wine, sour cream or milk to stretch the gravy.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life, Recipes

My Favorite Christmas Music

December 24, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Baby It’s Cold Outside

I really can’t stay - Baby it’s cold outside
I’ve got to go away - Baby it’s cold outside
This evening has been - Been hoping that you’d drop in
So very nice - I’ll hold your hands, they’re just like ice
My mother will start to worry - Beautiful, what’s your hurry
My father will be pacing the floor - Listen to the fireplace roar
So really I’d better scurry - Beautiful, please don’t hurry
Well Maybe just a half a drink more - Put some music on while I pour

The neighbors might think - Baby, it’s bad out there
Say, what’s in this drink - No cabs to be had out there
I wish I knew how - Your eyes are like starlight now
To break this spell - I’ll take your hat, your hair looks swell
I ought to say no, no, no, sir - Mind if I move a little closer
At least I’m gonna say that I tried - What’s the sense in hurting my pride
I really can’t stay - Baby don’t hold out
Ahh, but it’s cold outside

C’mon baby

I simply must go - Baby, it’s cold outside
The answer is no - Ooh baby, it’s cold outside
This welcome has been - I’m lucky that you dropped in
So nice and warm — Look out the window at that storm
My sister will be suspicious - Man, your lips look so delicious
My brother will be there at the door - Waves upon a tropical shore
My maiden aunt’s mind is vicious - Gosh your lips look delicious
Well maybe just a half a drink more - Never such a blizzard before

I’ve got to go home - Oh, baby, you’ll freeze out there
Say, lend me your comb - It’s up to your knees out there
You’ve really been grand - Your eyes are like starlight now
But don’t you see - How can you do this thing to me
There’s bound to be talk tomorrow - Making my life long sorrow
At least there will be plenty implied - If you caught pneumonia and died
I really can’t stay - Get over that old out
Ahh, but it’s cold outside

Baby it’s cold outside

Brr its cold…
It’s cold out there
Cant you stay awhile longer baby
Well… I really shouldn’t… alright

Make it worth your while baby
Ahh, do that again…

“Baby, Its Cold Outside” is a pop song with words and music by Frank Loesser. Loesser wrote the duet in 1944 and premiered the song with his wife at their Navarro Hotel housewarming party.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life

Go Away you flippin freaks

December 21, 2007 | Leave a Comment

You know, I just wanted to pop on today and do a quick post and I have over 100 comments in moderation and the majority are from the same freaks sending me the same spam over and over. You need to stop.

One- your making comments relevent to the post so your trying to disguise it.. ughhh… I’m not dumb… I know it’s you rewording the same spam message over and over…..

Two- your IP address is in your comment…. I know its you again….

Three- I Don’t have a penis and don’t plan to anytime soon so I really don’t need to enlarge it - not like I would have time to use it anyway….

Four- Your just ticking me off…. Go Away

Five- This goes for you Lego Guy and Baby Gift Basket website- I’m not going to approve you so move onto another blog victim of your useless pain in the ass comments

Six- I know this is unprofessional, but heck, my daily life is full of unprofessional dealings like wiping bums and smelling like spit up.. oh well… so be it.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life

A typical day of December chaos

December 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Time is running out… no time, no time, no time. My multi tasking is to the max, I’m not eating, I’m not sleeping, I need 10 more hours in a day and at least 1 would be nice where I could have a quiet moment to just think.

Today I started my day at 5:45 when the first boy was up. I inhaled two cups of coffee while making my To Do list, baby awake- change diaper, make and give her bottle, start making lunches for kids, go up and grab their clothes while telling them to get out of bed, bring their clothes downstairs and tell them to PLEASE get dressed. Make the husbands lunch while making various breakfast orders from toast and cereal to pb & j on a bagel to requests for marshmellows for breakfast. Lunches, reading folders, sneakers in backpacks check check. Count down starts five minutes to eight for snowpants and boots while getting little ones dressed to venture to bus stop (we can’t see bus stop from house so EVERYONE must go) Come back from bus stop and get ready for preschool drop off. Try to be as quick as possible during drop off and realize I never signed up for supplies for the school christmas party. add 20 cups to my shopping list in my head along with the red hots for second grade and a pound of cooked spagehtii for first grade.

OK back to house and clean up breakfast, to the computer to check emails and orders, start to pack orders… oops back upstairs to change into real clothes not yoga pants and sweatshirt…baby crying.. pick up and walk with baby… try to put baby down…. cry… pick up… try the swing.. starts to fall asleep in swing..whew! start to get work done again well here comes father in law walking across the yard.. dogs barking.. baby now crying again… receive various points of “insight” from father in law he leaves and try holding baby while printing shipping labels.. not working. OK I give up I’ll go do my errands until she falls asleep.

Start to turn around in driveway, no…no…no.. I’m stuck in the ice and snow, tires spinning. Out of the car, get the shovel start digging and spreading sand.. 10 minutes later back on track and justify that was my excerise for the day.

Get to the bank. Crap. Forgot the check and deposit slip on the counter. OK, next stop then I’ll back track. Grocery store for essentials that we’re low on, two stores looking for red hots for second grade gingerbread houses, no luck, drop off check to mechanic for fixing husbands truck, back to house for check and deposit slip, back to bank hurry hurry before the bus comes. OK an hour left before they arrive off the bus, how many presents can I get wrapped? Do a quick lock down of the presents in my bedroom and start pulling them out to wrap as fast as I can. I could win one of those wrapping contests, it’s for the kids, they don’t need to be perfect right?

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life

Holiday Shopping List for Kids

December 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment

We made our trip to see the pediatric behavioral optometrist today to have Taylors vision checked for the tracking issues that we think may be causing some of her reading difficulty.

While waiting I picked up a copy of their Holiday Shopping List, a suggestion of about 40 toys that are safe (your perception of safe may vary) and good for vision. I also noticed that most are also good for fine motor skills. I give complete credit to Vision Care Specialists in Southboro, MA for this list- for the full list click here and print it out!

However, I am proud to brag that this list features “good ole toys” that are the type of toys I like to buy anyway so I have a majority of these for the kids but did get the kids a few of the ones on the list we didn’t have yet. GOOD LUCK!

Lite Brite
Battleship- I spend many hours playing this against my six year old
Chalkboard- really, what can be simplier and let the imagination wander? Put this together with the “Harold and the Purple Crayon” book set and some fun chaulk and you have a perfect gift.
Tinker Toys
Erector set
Dot to Dot Coloring Books
Jigsaw puzzles
Indian beads for threading
Painting by Number
Toss Across (tic tac toe)
Memory
Checkers
Tiddlywinks- Oh I miss my grammy who I spent hours playing this game with!
Lincoln logs
Legos - we spend many family nights filled with building legos
Operation- we have the Simpsons version
Dance Dance Revolution
Finger Paints
Connect Four
Ring Toss- they have an affordable good indoor set in Oriental Trading
Card Games- crazy eights, old maid and uno are my favorites
Action Darts Velcro Board and covered balls- hmmm, I wonder if those foam dart guns count?
Dominoes

They had several more but I thought those were my top choices since they are winners in my family.

What about Rummikub?? MY personal all time favorite even though my husband tends to kick my butt most nights, I still love this game and my kids are getting good with the numbers.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Activities, Chaos of Life, Cool Finds

Snow Snow and More Snow

December 16, 2007 | 1 Comment

My three year old Dylan, the one that loves to work, couldn’t wait to get outside and start clearing the snow. I give the kid credit he shoveled both porches by himself… is this considered child labor?

He worked hard since this is what he looked like later in the day…

Dylan crashed after working hard

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life

A Personal Prayer

December 14, 2007 | Leave a Comment

God Bless you. May you rest in Peace.

My promise to you is strong, we will take care and surround your little girl with love when you can not.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life

Stringing Cranberries and Popcorn

December 13, 2007 | Leave a Comment

The picture perfect scene of stringing Craberries and Popcorn singing happily to Christmas carols never seems to work out in my house. Generally, someone ends up crying because they either manage to hurt themselves with the dullest needle I could find or crying from frustration as the popcorn continues to crumble in their fingers before sliding on the string.

This year, while preparing and dreading the thought of this project (but yes, I am determined to do this project every year….) my eyes glanced at the spool of thin gauge wire in my tool box. Hmmm…. I decided to try it while my kids and their cousin sat at the counter warming up after playing in the snow.

There was not one tear, even Dylan was able to string his own although he decided he doesn’t like “anberries” so popcorn only for him. This turned out to be a fun project that the kids enjoyed and since they range in ages from 3 to 8 it worked for each of them in making their own patterns as simple (popcorn only) or complicated as they wanted.

The wire actually made the garland stable and easy to hang. A win win holiday project for everyone, I just wish I had more then two bags of cranberries since they went thru them fast!

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life

Romantic Gift

December 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Today while working in the kitchen - today I made five pans of lasagna with meat, 4 lbs of pork chops, long grain rice, homemade applesauce, 3 lbs of green beans steamed and sealed, butternut squash baked and sealed and 2 lbs of carrots steamed, sugared and sealed- I had a little bit of time to let my mind wander.

I was thinking about Christmas and gifts and what gifts I remember getting that I remember most. I have been with my husband for 13 years, I moved in with him a little under a year after we started dating and we married 1 1/2 years later and started a family soon after.

My husband comes from a family that, well, I don’t know how to put it, that are not big celebration people? It has been one of our “couple adjustments” since my family always rejoiced and celebrated events like birthdays and all the holidays were special and called for decorations and special meals and getting dressed in your nice clothes even if it was “just” your family that was attending the celebration.

So today, while thinking of all of the gifts my husband has given me over the years. Maybe since I was in the kitchen and using the vacuum sealer that was my big gift last year or my bread maker that was the gift from the year before I decided that my most favorite gift was the year he gave me tickets to see Miss Saigon in the Boston Theater district.

He actually made the arrangements to stay in an older hotel for the night(this alone was amazing since my husband refuses to handle any sort of phone calls or arrangements.. really.. he won’t even call to order pizza) and he bought the tickets for the two of us, even though it was his least favorite thing to do.

We spent the night wandering the streets after the show, eating and drinking as we walked the winter streets and wandered thru the park until returning to our room very late at night.

Anyone that knows me, knows I am not one that wants or expects big gifts or expensive jewelry. Yes, I enjoyed the present of the actual show but more, I just appreciated the fact that he left his comfort zone that one year and made a daring choice to go “into the city” (even though it is only half hour away) and did something I never would have expected him to do. That was seven years ago and it still is the best gift I can remember.

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Posted by Kristen | Filed Under Chaos of Life