My first guest post! "10 Simple Ways to Save Money"

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to write a guest post for the ladies at the blog, Jenni and Jody. The post is 10 Simple Ways to Save Money.

Here is the first few lines of the post:

"It seems for our family that frugality is rooted in health, not only our own but the health of the planet. We save money both through the principles of recycling and reuse, and the ever-constant goal of eating well and staying healthy.Here are the ways in which our family lives frugally, most without expending a great deal of time and energy since there’s a limited supply of both."

Here is some information on Jodi and Jenny. They have a really neat blog with lots of good information, so go on over and check it out!

Jody and Jenni are two moms with nine children between them (ages 25 to 1). As radio show hosts, writers, speakers and co-founders of a non-traditional private school in Florida, they are deeply passionate about cultivating leaders and inspiring parents to raise their kids with the end result in mind.

As a parent, stop and think why you say "No"

Sometimes as a parent - and maybe more often when you parent a more spirited, more involved child - you can get in to the habit of saying "No." A lot.

In order to prevent a problem or to keep on track to get where you're going or whatever it is, it is so easy to just say "No" to something a child wants to do.

I started to say "No" to the situation pictured here yesterday, but then I stopped and considered why I was saying "No."

Someone was watering up the hill somewhere and there was a ribbon of water running down the street. Not a lot. Small enough Brady could block it with his foot and then eventually both feet, LOL.

When I stepped back and paused, I realized there wasn't enough water for him to get all wet and he wasn't trying to anyway. What he was trying to do was make a dam and it was working!

Pretty soon, when I stopped fussing at him, he got me involved too. Here I am using my foot as the dam and he has his little finger on a rock pretending to be a stranded guy, LOL. Then we'd move our feet quick and watch the held back water rush down. We also got to see where the water went when it met the obstacle of our feet.

This was a nice fun little moment for us. It was science. It was nature. And it was really okay. There was no reason to say "No," and I'm glad I stopped and thought before I pushed too hard. It's good sometimes to consider why we say what we say, and make sure there really is a good reason for it.

We're ready for summer at the office!

I'm very fortunate to be self-employed and can spend extra time with Brady in the summer.

Our unique schedule involves him spending 2 days a week at the office with us, 1 day with his grandmother and 2 days with our pastor's family. It really works out wonderfully for teaching and learning and growing.

I came up with a schedule for our days in the office that will include computer and Nintendo DS time, reading, spelling and handwriting time with Mom, free play time, errands, lunch, and doing office chores to earn extra money.

I was also blessed to have a wonderful 30-minute meeting with his 1st grade teacher and 2nd grade teacher this afternoon to get ready for next year. I'm not sure if it works this way in big cities, but in this small town I have been able to have a lot of communication with Brady's teachers.

His incoming teacher for next year suggested two great sites - Raz and Spellingcity -  for helping with reading and spelling, so we'll work on those throughout the summer to keep his skills sharp.

We're also doing two summer reading programs - the school library and the state of KS - to keep us on track. What are your plans for the summer?

More Freebies in my mailbox. Yippee!

I always like to share when I've gotten a mailbox full of freebies, just to let people know what's possible with very little online effort.

In this batch, I got a free can of cat food, free 2 liter of Pepsi, free single serve Tai Pei entree, Suave shampoo and conditioner, free vitamin and a small box of dog food.

Most of these are possible via The Money Saving Mom's blog as well as All You Daily Sample.

Prize Store is Reading Store for summer

Now that school is out for the summer, I sure didn't want to put away our Prize Store!

I think it's a good motivator for Brady and a nice way for him to earn some treats. So it will become The Reading Store for summer.

To the left are some high-dollar activities he can purchase, just one per week. I think he'll like that. And below is the pricing scheme I came up with.

Below that is the register and some photos of items I like to use in The Prize Store. I try and mix it up to keep it fresh :) Just added two Little Critter books for this week. He's excited!

ADHD: Famous sufferers & some encouragement

I'm not entirely certain the source of this, but it was reported in the magazine Psychology Today that people with ADHD are 300 percent more likely to start their own company. That's amazing.

I can certainly see where it would be true. I have often said that the qualities children with ADHD have are those prized in adulthood.

I did a little searching and found a list of some famous people who were diagnosed with ADHD who went on to do amazing things. It's encouraging. As I tell others about this, they tend to say, "I have no doubt Brady will be fine and go on to do great things."

I totally agree. But as Mom, it's my job to get him through 2nd grade now that 1st is over. Ha! One day at a time. One school year at a time. It's a balance. I don't want him to use his struggles as an excuse for bad choices, but I don't want him beat down by his struggles or other people either.

When I read things like this - and sit back and look at how really wonderful he is in so many ways - it begins to ease my worries. Brady, at 7, has such fabulous potential. And these guys with ADHD, I think they learn early on to overcome difficult things and to be persistent, and they are so creative and edgy, they will do things maybe no one else would when they grow up.

But for now, he holds my hand and snuggles with me and is my little boy. What he will become one day is in his hands and God's, with me given the honor of being his guide.

So here are those famous people:

TV & radio personality and political pundit Glenn Beck, is apparently very outspoken about his ADHD (he takes Vyvanse) and here's a conversation between him and Ty Pennington, the star of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, who is also an outspoken ADHD sufferer. 

Singer Justin Timberlake has revealed his struggle. The Grammy-winning singer said in an interview with Collider.com that he has "ADD mixed with OCD".

Star chef Jamie Oliver had ADHD as a child, but he told the Celebrities with Diseases website that healthy eating helps him manage it.

Probably one of the most outspoken and the first one I knew of was Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. According to the article, "he racked up 14 gold medals at the Athens and Beijing Olympics. But swimming isn't just a winning sport for Phelps; it's a way for him to cope with his ADHD."

Actor Jim Carrey has always been open about his ADHD, according to this article.

Sir Richard Branson is founder of Virgin and an adventurer. According to the article, he "has ADHD -- but that hasn't stopped him from owning a major airline, sending tourists into space, or building an underwater plane." His website says this about the company: "Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors ranging from mobile telephony, travel, financial services, leisure, music, holidays and health & wellness. Across its companies, Virgin employs approximately 50,000 people, in 34 countries."

Middle brother, Peter, on the Brady Bunch - Christopher Knight - "said on NCL.org that in watching energetic, quirky Peter, viewers were also watching Knight's public struggle with ADHD."

Comedian and host of Deal or No Deal  Howie Mandel is "known for his germ phobia -- but he's reported that he also deals with ADHD." I am so thankful to famous people who are willing to talk about their struggles.

Former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw was diagnosed with depression after he admitted he often had anxiety attacks before games. He also reported he has ADHD, and struggled even as a child.

This article has the following to say about Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinko's: "He flunked second grade, did poorly in high school, and got C's and D's in college. But that didn't stop Orfalea, who is dyslexic and has "ADD to the max," from becoming an entrepreneur. Instead, it motivated the curly, red-haired executive (nicknamed Kinko) to exceed everyone's expectations."

The same article says this about David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue Airways: ""I knew I had strengths that other people didn't have, and my parents reminded me of them when my teachers didn't see them," says Neeleman. "I can distill complicated facts and come up with simple solutions. I can look out on an industry with all kinds of problems and say, 'How can I do this better?' My ADD brain naturally searches for better ways of doing things."

Major league baseball star Pete Rose is yet another.

Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner "said on CHADD's (Children and Adults with ADHD) leadership blog that he struggled in grade school with attention issues, until he won a race in fifth grade." Another Olympian!

And lastly, actor and comedian, Bill Cosby.

After Oklahoma, little things don't matter....

It's really hard to feel sorry for yourself when you watch the devastation that unfolded in Oklahoma. When someone has lost a child, it's impossible to lament that your own struggles in school sometimes.

What would that parent give to have your struggles? Anything. Anything.

When these things happen, it teaches the rest of us that it can all be taken away in a second. It changes the way we live our lives. Don't squander it. Don't spend time focusing on what's wrong. Just deal with it, pour out love as you do, and know it will all work out.

When all is seemingly smooth in the world, it is so easy to get caught up in the daily battles. To feel as though things are hopeless. To become despondent and frustrated and upset. But this is just a season of our lives and it is a joy and blessing to go through them together.

Our problems today are not the end of the world. In Oklahoma, for some, it was.

It reminds me that I have to love and live like it will all work out in the end, and that today - good or bad or in between - is a gift as long as we are all together and safe.

ADHD: Find a parent advocacy center in your state

I thought I had posted this previously, but it seems I haven't. When Brady was having a rough couple of weeks at school recently, a good friend pointed me toward a parent advocacy center here in Kansas called Families Together.

I talked to a lady so wonderful and so supportive and so understanding that I choked up on the phone with her. I told her, "I talk to moms going through postpartum depression and this must be what they feel like!"

She has a child with ADHD and she also talks to many, many other parents going through the same thing. She gave me advice on when and if I want to have Brady evaluated for an IEP or 504 designation. She informed me of the steps I'd need to take and things to consider. She basically offered advice and support.

It's worth checking out if you have a similar agency in your state and you can do so by going to the Parent Center Network web page.

Below is from their "About" page:

The ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center (NPTAC)

The ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center (NPTAC) provides Parent Centers, Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs), with innovative technical assistance, up-to-date information, and high quality resources and materials. A major goal of the ALLIANCE National PTAC is to build the capacity of Parent Centers in order to improve results for children with disabilities ages 0 -26 in rural, urban and suburban areas and from underrepresented and under-served populations.

Fake choc-peanut butter-banana ice cream, YUM!

I found a recipe somewhere awhile back and finally made it. It is Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana "Ice Cream" though it's not really ice cream and you could make it totally dairy-free, though I added some milk. I like finding alternative ice creams because half of them at the store have egg, which Brady can't have. 

It's also healthier than regular ice cream! When our bananas get too soft, I will start cutting and freezing them for this purpose.

Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients (per serving):

1 frozen banana
3/4 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 to 1 Tbsp peanut butter

Directions:

Peel bananas and chop into several chunks. Freeze overnight or until solid. Dump half of bananas into blender. Add desired amounts of cocoa and peanut butter, and top with other half of bananas. Secure lid and pulse mixture, stopping to scrape down sides. At this point, I added some milk in because it wasn't getting smooth enough for my taste. You could add soy or rice milk if there is a milk allergy in your family. When it starts to become creamy, begin to do longer spurts of blending until the consistency of soft-serve ice cream is reached.

YUM! Brady loved it. My husband, whose not fond of banana-flavored stuff, even said it was surprisingly good. Just had a thought (via a comment) that you could also probably add a little vanilla or almond extract or maybe even a little strawberry milk powder instead of cocoa for a different taste.

Clover fields in Kansas, how beautiful

There are a few yellow clover fields we pass by one day a week and they are so beautiful and stunning, I just had to share even though it can never do it justice. There is such beauty in this quiet place if you only look.