Three things

What are three things that are overdue in your house?

1. We need to get a new house, that's the first one.
2. But we're still waiting to get that perfect lot for it. We found a few contenders but there's always a problem with it. Either too far or too expensive.
3. Most importantly, we need to raise the money for ALL of it.

"I Want...." Wednesday #40

This weeks question is:

What do you want to do for the 4th?
We really do not celebrate the 4th of July as we have our Independence Day but I always try and get a great deal on these 4th of July sales! I love online shopping! The deals are just unbelievable that it feels wrong not to take advantage. :)

On Stock Trading

Even though the stock market remains to be a shaky industry to be in right now, there are still many who invest in stock options. There is a now a better, easier and faster way to manage stocks - PowerOptions! It provides the essential data you need to invest with stock options. It is the only internet-based data provider that gives investors SmartSearchXL®, a patented decision support technology that identifies the highest return option trades. Since it is patented, you won't find it anywhere else. You can do more with stock trading - find, compare and analyze stock options faster, thereby, making money faster too!

Tuesday's Tip Jar

For mommies who are groping for ways to keep your children entertained during summer while they are always at the house, here are some tips:

[1] Movie Matinees
When we went to see the latest release it was always in the early afternoon when the prices were discounted. Each child was given a limit as to what they could spend on snacks. While I know bringing food into the theater was frowned upon, I often did it. I had a special purse that was large enough to hold candy, cookies and sippy cups. The kids would get excited when they saw that bag on the kitchen counter because they knew it was movie day.

[2] Make Your Own Water Park
Kids are the best at having fun with a water hose and a piece of plastic. A slippy slide isn't expensive but it's small and when you have multiple children all wanting to use it at once, it can become a fight to the finish as to who gets to slide first or more often.

[3] Search the Internet for Local Fairs and Festivals
Children love to explore, so going to a local event is the prefect place for that. I used the buddy system when taking the children to fairs and street festivals. They were to always be together, no matter what. Mostly until they were in their mid teens they had to be within my view but the buddy system worked well for me at all age levels.

These are cheap too, if I might add.

Month-Long Birthday Celebration

Turning 30 has never been this happy or expensive. I've been celebrating with friends and family for the whole month now and even if I get to spend, I'm happy I get to celebrate it with them. It seems my party will extend up to July though. I haven't met my Mommy Blogger friends (MBAP) for a celebration. It is good that I share my birthday month with three other mommies - Jane, Jacqui and Jody - so we get to share in the treat too :)

Higher Learning Online

While most work online nowadays to save money on transportation and employers on additional office resources, schooling also going mainstream. It seems going online or on the web is the easiest and most convenient thing to do. Capella University, an accredited online university that is know to have the best masteral programs on the web, recently launched podcasts 15 minutes in length featuring students who share their experience with the university. If you are interested, Capella University offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, psychology, public health, and public safety, and bachelor’s degree programs in business, information technology, and public safety.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com

Best Thing

What is the best thing about your weekend so far?
I had a great weekend because I officially turned 25 (and from there will stop counting years, FYI) and had a great and hearty lunch with my family. I was also able to go to a museum, something that I have been wanting to go to ever since. Good food, great company, nice place = great weekend.
Join here: http://thatsmyanswer.com/

Eight medicines you shouldn't give your preschooler

Young children are much more likely than adults to have adverse drug reactions, so giving your preschooler prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medication – even "herbal" medicines – is serious business. Here are some medicines you shouldn't give your 2- to 4-year-old
1. Aspirin
2. Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines
3. Anti-nausea medications
4. Adult medications
5. Any medication prescribed for someone else or for another condition
6. Anything expired
7. Extra acetaminophen
8. Chinese herb ma huang (ephedra or ephedrine)
Cautionary note: Chewables

Weather and Travel

The weather has been terrifying and strangely erratic lately. It sure can be traced to global warming. For this reason, weddings, beach trips and anything involving events held outdoors are hard to plan. The popular destination weddings in the Caribbean I hope are not suffering. The line of Karisma Hotels along the Riviera Maya, El Dorado Royale Spa Resort (adults only), El Dorado Seaside Suites (adults only), Azul Beach (family-friendly) and Azul Blue (family-friendly) and Hidden Beach Resort (naturalist), are sure open year-long round but are always busy during summer season on cold countries.I would want to try taking the family to Azul Blue Resort someday.

Title: Way to Raise a Confident Daughter

1. Encourage assertiveness.
2. Be specific in your compliments.
3. Make your praise match reality.
4. Help her understand why she sometimes gets left out.
5. Encourage competence.
6. Encourage her to play sports if she wants to.
7. Don't make assumptions about her strengths and weaknesses.
8. Encourage a healthy body image.
9. Prepare her for sexism.
10. Point out positive female role models.