I'm Hungry........

Let's face it getting dinner on the table can be a huge challenge, whether you are a stay at home parent or a parent that works outside of the home.
For those that stay at home it's- how am I going to get dinner made with the kids running all over?
For those who work the "9-5"- you don't get home until let's say 5:30- how do you get dinner on the table before 8? The kids have to get in bed at a reasonable time- there's no time to make dinner. (I mean after work you have pick up the kids, get home get everyone in the house, change your clothes, figure out what's for dinner & then actually make dinner.)

This is when many people say- order pizza, or stop by & pick something (fast food, deli, etc.) We all know that eating out (ordering in) can get expensive -more than $20 a meal! Check out these numbers:

- In 1995 27% of America's meals & snacks were "away from home." -
www.fns.usda.gov/cga/PressReleases/1999/PR-0060.html

-"In the next decade, more than half the average household food budget will be spent on meals bought outside the home compared with 25 percent in 1955" -www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/09/national/main2073726.shtml

-"The average American family today eats out approximately three times a week. For a family of four, that can add up to $300 or $400 per month, or even more, taking a huge bite out of the monthly grocery budget. " www.essortment.com/career/spendlessdinin_sfef.html


SO what can we do about it?

A few years ago I found an Awesome company whose mission is "to bring families back to the dinner table" by providing quick, easy, affordable meals solutions. I tell you what -they are AWESOME! You can even make up a personal meal plan for your family. When my family started planning meals- we save a TON of money because we were no longer stopping by the grocery store every night to pick something up for dinner. We also eat less take out meals now. Check it out by clicking on the link!

"Chic on a Shoestring"

Everything you need for your family at an "affordable" price! Affordable - you got my attention! I get really frustrated when I see & hear these headlines because every has a different idea of what affordable is.

I saw part of a morning show the other day & they were talking about an outfit that "only" cost $100. Well-- let me tell you 1 outfit for $100 is not what I consider affordable. For $100 I should get at least 3-4 outfits. After all I so have to buy clothes for my children & still have money left to feed them.

Sorry

I apologize for not posting regularly I am no longer allowed to do so at work & so I have to find time at home. What a total shame, as I have several posts started & need to finish them before I actually publish them.

Keep watching I will get them done. (someday.....sooon.)

Chicken Pox

Well, it finally happened. After all my hoping & "exposing" the rest of my children finally got the chickenpox! Yea- I'm done with them. (We were on "vacation"- camping!)



I can't help but wondering: "Why are so many parents scared of the chicken pox?"

I have to laugh when people see children with chickenpox & "freak out." Stay away from my kids! Well, you know what, you aren't protecting your children any by not exposing them. It has been proven that adults that get the chicken pox have a more difficult time dealing with the illness. It's a "normal" childhood disease & with the "invention" of fever reducers (Tylenol,
Motrin, etc.) the majority of children have no complications from the illness.

I just sit & wonder why don't parents take more responsibility for the health of their children? Many of stand idly by as a doctor tells us what is best & what is normal we don't research any of it we simply agree with whatever we are told. We as parents are afraid to to speak up for our children even when our gut feeling tells us something is not right. For some reason we don't want to spend the time researching things ourselves.


People ask me, "Why don't you just get them the shot?"

My answer to that question is actually quite long & consists of several things:

Why do you waste your money on a false sense of "security?" Because all the pharmaceutical companies, schools, & doctors are scaring parents into thinking they MUST get this vaccine for their children? Why would they do that- because it's good business, it's what pays their bills. Obviously, the drug companies are making money form it but so are some doctors. How, you ask- well some doctors have been known to get "kick-backs" (something similar to a commission) for every prescription they write for a particular medicine.


I didn't get my children the "vaccine" for several reasons including the following:

• Children can still get the illness (I know several children that got the vaccine & they got the chickenpox worse than any of my children, who got them from head to toe.)
• It isn't proven to protect them for a life time
• Once they have the vaccine (or disease) they can get shingles- so why expose them to another "uncomfortable" disease? Keep them protected form shingles until they actually have the chickenpox.

My oldest child got them on her 1st birthday & I thought that was the best age to get them. Due to personal experience I have changed my mind. The age my children were when they had the chickenpox: 5 months, 1 year, 3 yrs, 5 yrs 9months, 8yrs. By far the easiest age to deal with them is what I consider the "prime time."

5 months - 2yrs is the "prime" age for children to get the chickenpox. They are not too young & yet they are just young enough. Let me explain: during this age range the children aren't too bothered by the illness. They don't scratch or whine about them like the older kids do. They are young enough that they keep themselves busy & have their minds on other things, so they don't scratch.