This is why I have no friends

Lately I've been finding a lot of comfort in solitude. I've recently cut out a lot of
negative people, but am having trouble replacing them with some new, good friends. I'm really down to one person I see or speak to regularly, other then my two best friends who live 3 hours away. Unfortunately neither have kids, although we remain very like minded and still talk regularly.

This lack of friends is not because I'm horribly unlikeable (I hope) but more because I have trouble getting along with people long term. Acquaintances I see infrequently are great, but I cannot build lasting relationships.

The issue I've been finding is that most moms I've been interacting with are simply no fun. They have chosen one aspect of parenting to go crazy about and obsess. It's clear they have no life outside their home.

I am very lassies-faire about family issues. I have one breastfed kid, one formula fed one. I'm happy that I have a healthy baby even though my c-sections were misinformed. I want to cloth diaper baby #3. I love plastic. I love processed food. I love cooking from scratch. I make my own laundry soap.

I am having a hard time finding parents to connect with who are not extreme. Then again, I'm also having trouble finding intelligent people to communicate with.

I too am guilty of being less then fun, but am seriously working on that. I'm trying to use this alone time to work on myself. Then maybe I'll get to know some of those acquaintances and find like minded people are not so far away.

Until then I'm going to worry about more important things then other people!

Wrap-Up Wednesday - Local Free and Cheap Events

Here's what's going on this week in Cold Lake for families.

Daily

• Parent Link Center is open from 9am to 11:30pm
• Ages 0-6

Today, July 11th

• Parent Link Center Play in the Park - 12:00pm - 2:00pm
• Shipwreck Park Playground 4813 51Ave - Free - Ages 0-6, older siblings welcome

Thursday, July 12th

• Preschool Story Time
• Cold Lake North Library - 10:30am

Friday, July 13th

• Busy Little Hands Playgroup - 9:30-11:30am
• MFRC - At a cost of $1 per family, public and military - Ages 0-5

Monday, July 16th

• Busy Little Hands Playgroup - 9:30-11:30am
• MFRC - At a cost of $1 per family, public and military - Ages 0-5

If you know of or have any other events to add to this list please comment!

Too hot to update

At +40 with the humidity, it was too hot to post today. See you tomorrow!!

Money Monday - Work More

The single easiest way to have more money is to make more money, and for most people that involves working more.

If you and your spouse are already working 60 hour work weeks - this is not for you. Most of us are not working nearly that much. If you really want more money you will have to make a sacrifice and put in that extra time.

Here are some options:

1. Ask for overtime at your job
• This is by far the best way to get extra money since you get paid time and a half!
2. Ask to pick up more hours without overtime
• Your boss can work you up to 44 hours per week without paying overtime
3. If you are on salary, find out if you can work towards a bonus
4. If you can't work more at your job, find a second job
• Maybe your own business? 

My husband puts in the hours in our hours working an average 40 hour work week. I work a flexible schedule that changes with the company's work load. Right now without childcare I work a max of 3 hours a day, although I haven't been putting that in lately. I have made it my goal to dedicate one evening a week to extra work time in order to make more money.

If you are truly struggling for money it might be time to reconsider your career.

New Features!

Along with some sporadic posting, I'm starting a new regular series. It goes like this:

Money Mondays - Tips on saving money, increasing your income, or living on a budget.

Try- it Tuesdays - Giving frugal recipes and DIYs a go to see if you should too.

Wrap-up Wednesdays - Lists of local events as well as online freebies, deals, and more.

Thinking Thursdays - Personal reflection, inspirational stories, and other things to ponder.

Fun Fridays - Dedicated to cheap ways to play.

Silly Saturdays - A hunt for the silliest ways to spend and save money.

Sundays - Will be for goal setting and challenges - a new one each week!

Why I Want To Homeschool (A Logical Approach)

There's a lot of emotion behind why I want to homeschool but there are also many logical and persuasive reasons why it's a practical and good choice.

1. This is my main reason. School is an amazing waste of time. Yes you learn important things in school, but all the time wasted can condense the work day to an hour or two, leaving the rest of the day open to more interesting activities.

2. Children who are homeschooled score on average 30-40 points higher then public and even out score private school students.

3. The government of Alberta mandates that at least 50% of funding, or just over $800, must be given to the homeschool family to pay for curriculum, books, and other schooling related expenses. You must provide receipts so this really goes to the education.

4. You're under government regulation. You're still responsible to make use your child learns everything the government believes a child should know, and you can either follow the Alberta curriculum or develop one on your own. Your own will need approval.

5. There are alternatives to everything positive that conventional schooling has to offer. Social skills can be developed through homeschool meet ups, extra curricular activities, Internet friends, volunteering, and more.

6. You can really fill in where you see gaps in public education. I think kids don't get enough fitness in schools do we could add more of that to our day.

7. You can focus on what you need to.
Mastered it early? Great, move on. Stuck on a particular concept? Find alternatives to get it through. It allows children to truly learn.

8. It allows for flexibility. On a beautiful day you can take the lesson outdoors, or if you're going stir crazy in winter you can visit the library. You can plan a midweek vacation or in our case trip to a city that's 3 hours away to visit the science center or museum. Your kids can nap, you can work in the evening, or early in the morning. It's all up to you and the child.

9. There isn't nearly as much stress. Homeschooled children are not faced with the same struggles as those on the public system. They will not deal with as much peer pressure, bullying, stress about schoolwork (they'll get the help they need), failures (it will be done in a supporting environment), and social pressures. Even "normal" kids are faced with these issues. School will not "toughen them up" either. Some kids will excel socially at school, but they are just social kids who will excel in all settings.

10. This is a reiteration of #1 - Time. Time with your kids. Time for learning all kids of things. Time for socializing and learning those skills. Time for travel. Time for childhood. Time for families.

Now to just convince my husband. :(

10 Ideas for Summer Savings

It's summer, which means you're already sitting pretty with your heat and electricity bills lowered, but with the heat and longer days there's so many more ways to make the most of summer savings!

1. Use a clothesline 
• It's a pain in the winter but a nice change in summertime
2. Avoid using your oven
• This will keep the heat down and save on cooling costs
3. Plant a garden
• Even a few of your favourite veggies
4. Invest in a rain barrel
• Use it for watering your garden or let your kids play with this water instead
5. Garage sales
• Host your own to earn extra cash, or visit them to get your Christmas/Birthday shopping done on the cheap!
6. Bike or walk
• Enjoy the sun, get exercise, and save money on transportation costs!
7. Eat in season
• Fruits and veggies are in season right now, enjoy them fresh or freeze for the winter
8. Take advantage of free events
• Summertime always seems to be filled with different community events
9. Avoid anything that costs money for fun
• Think: beach, hiking, parks, camping, etc.
10. Start a new business 
• Maybe it's the nice weather, or the sunshine, but summer seems to give extra energy. Take advantage of this and start a business! Maybe you'll do direct sales, start a photography business, bake cakes, or whatever you're good at! With weddings and birthdays and summer parties, there's a lot more opportunity for growth that will last through the winter.

Homemade Iced Tea

Now that it's summer it's time to get your caffeine from cooler sources. Homemade iced tea is a very cheap and very easy drink to make.

Ingredients:
4 cups water
3 tea bags
3/4 cup sugar (more or less depending on taste)
Lemons (optional)

Heat water to boiling, add tea bags, cover and remove from heat. Steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, add sugar, and stir. Add lemon slices.

Serve chilled.

With a Little Help From My Friends

I cannot stress the importance of support enough when you're trying to spend less. All your fiends should know your goals. If they criticize they are not really your friends, but most will be helpful. If you turn down an expensive activity they'll know why.

More importantly they'll help you out. One of my friends read a previous post and saw how I have to buy a lot less Tim Horton's, so yesterday she brought me an iced cap.

Today the same friend brought me some clothes and will definitely freshen up my bare wardrobe.

This post is to say thank you and to remind everyone to get a little help from your friends, you'll get by that way.

Debt Visual

They're not pretty but they accomplish the visual. 1 rock for every $500. Ouch.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our 4th wedding anniversary and we're not doing anything. No fancy gifts, no dinner out. We can't afford it, and that's ok.

Every special day is shrouded in consumerism that is unnecessary and extravagant. The best anniversary gift I could receive is my husband getting on board with my frugal plan. He puts me in a position where I have to argue about his purchases, which is not fair. I need support in not spending money too, which I'm not getting.

Homemade Liquid Soap

1. Grate 3 bars of soap
2. Add 6-8 cups of water (6 for Dove, more for less moist brands)
3. Heat stirring occasionally until all the soap is melted
4. Pour into containers and let cool.
5. Cover and let set for 12-24 hours.
6. Add extra water if needed until you get a desired consultancy and pour into containers for use.

This costs me about 50cents per litre!

A New Budget

If you were to calculate things, how much money have you been living on a month? I'm not talking things like electricity, but your variable income like food, clothing, and toys.

In my area I'd say it's easily $1200+ for a family. I'm sure that's close to what we've been spending.

Well it's time to cut back, to scrimp and save. We have a few goals - Pay off debt, buy an oven, new iPhone for hubby, spending money for Disneyland, Christmas is only 6 months away - you get the idea.

Here's the budget:
$680/month.
$100 - Allowances for me and hubby (yes we only get $50 each)
$80 - Gas
$500 - Food, personal care, and everything else.
(The only personal care items we will be buying is deodorant for hubby and the ingredients for homemade items, which are cheap.)

It should be interesting!

To Delay or Buy Now?

So our oven is broken. Thankfully the stove still works and we have a microwave and BBQ, but we are kind of at a loss about what to do. Our oven is natural gas, which means finding a used one is damn near impossible. The cheapest I can find them new is for $550+tax.

This isn't the first time this year something important has broken. In April, our dryer died. We went as long as we could drying on free-standing racks (between rain, snow, and slush) and it paid off because my mother bought me a new one for my birthday.

The hardest part is not being able to bake - But I am going to whip up a banana loaf in the bread machine later, since the kids have been craving muffins.

It's going to go great with our newly tight budget!

10 Household Products I'm No Longer Buying

1. Body Wash
2. Laundry Soap
3. Household Cleaners of Any Kind
4. Dishwasher Detergent
5. Shampoo (Maybe)
6. Shave Gel
7. Toothpaste
8. Fabric Softener
9. Dryer sheets
10. Bubble Bath

And here's what I will be buying:

Dish soap, Borax, Baking Soda, Vinegar, Citric Acid, Bar Soap, and at $1 a bottle, Bleach.

Lemons

They say to make lemonade right?

Perfect for the summer, the lemons I've been dealt are these. I had to cut my work hours back down because my babysitter was no longer available and I am very nervous about leaving my kids with anyone. I have spent this extra time sleeping and throwing up, with my being 15 weeks pregnant and all. Yep, that's right, baby number 3.

With the intention to work just enough hours to qualify for maternity leave, we are once again back to only enjoying my part time income.

Lately I've been doing a lot of soul searching and I realized something. I am not the tightwad I want to be! I like to do frugal things, but I am a frugal spendthrift. That is, someone who spends all their money, but at least gets good deals while they do it.

The chaos of my life lately is what has prompted the lack of updates. While I'm still struggling with the nausea and fatigue of pregnancy, I only have a few more days until our big yard sale on Saturday. That means I need to finish going through my house.

This chaos and lack of focus is what has been causing my spendthrift behaviours too. After re-reading my favourite book  and also checking out this blog  I remembered what I want - and that is to be free. Free of clutter, free of debt, and free to spend time with my children. As kindergarten approaches for my oldest I have really been noticing just how fleeting time can be.

Now to get started.

---

Here's a recipe for the sugar cookie dough I was craving instead of a picture


1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
Enough milk to make soft


Enjoy!

Living it: The bad mom trend

So apparently the latest thing right now is women one upping each other on how bad of mothers they are. "Oh today my kid got the cookies but he was being quiet so I let him eat the whole box."

This is great for me since I'm a pretty bad mom. Don't get me wrong, my kids are well loved, cared for, and want for nothing. Then again, I'm disorganized, my house is a mess, and there are a lot of skills we need to work on. My four year old has major behavioral issues, and instead of takin extra time to address them I started working more.

Tomorrow morning my sitter is unavailable, but I still need to work. That means the kids will have unrestricted tv, video games, and food all morning. I will ignore them.

I have made it my goal to do better.. My first step is to relieve personal stress, which extra money will cure. Ti have 4/7 days in a week with my babies, and I will make it count.

As for the house work, well, that can wait until they move out.

Deliciously Frugal: Chicken Noodle Soup

This cost about $6 for the entire pot. Which works out to less then $1 per adult serving.

Ingredients:
- 5 cans of cheap chicken noodle soup (My Alymer brand was 40cents a can)
- 7 or 8 cans of water
- potatoes
- carrots
- celery
- peas
- onion
- rice
- spices (bay leaves, parsley, garlic, rosemary, thyme, whatever you like)

1. Chop up as many veggies as you want.
2. Pour soup and water in large pot or croc pot.
3. Add veggies, rice, and spices.
4. Simmer until veggies are done or until you get home if it's in the croc pot.

That's it! Just wing it. What a quick and easy way to dress up cheap soup, plus it's so healthy and cheap!

Working??

Things don't seem to be getting easier for my family financially so I'm considering doing something I have never wanted to do - work. Working from home can be extremely challenging with kids - I simply can't get everything done, and I certainly don't care for them efficiently while I'm trying to work.

So now I'm considering putting the kids in dreaded daycare (or in this case a private day home close to my house) in order to work a condensed work week. I'm going to ask my boss for a 33 hour work week over three days - Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. That would mean dropping off the kids at daycare around 7am, having my husband pick them up at 4:30 when the finishes work, while I finish up working until 6.

Although 11 hour days can be long, it would still be from home and I would still have four days a week with my kids. I have very stressed lately and having that time apart may do all of us some good.

It will take some careful planning and mildly suck, but it is the best thing for my family. This is quite a leap.

Insomnia

I have a little problem with insomnia. I'm constantly operating in an exhausted state, and just when I start to catch up on sleep - bam! Can't do it anymore. Now it's almost 1am and I'm sitting here. Today part of the reason is my son woke me up, I have back pain a cold/sore throat, and it's 2.5C hotter in this house then it should be (something I'm very unimpressed by).

What is the solution to insomnia? Apparently getting up and doing something is supposed to help. Sometimes it does - I relax and can go back to sleep. Other times I can wake up at 1 and fall back somewhere around 4:30. It makes for long nights and even longer days.

People with insomnia understand. People who haven't suffered sleeplessness like this can comprehend why. It's hard to complain about being tired because I "couldn't sleep." "Oh no, the children slept fine."

I wouldn't wish chronic fatigue on my enemies.

Asking for Help

Four and half years ago when my daughter was born I felt as if I had something to prove. I constantly felt as though people were holding me incompetent due to my age and regardless of reality I had something to prove, if only to myself. Well that baby girl who had to be born via emergency C-Section was only a bit of trouble at the start. Sure, she refused to breastfeed. Sure, she would cry when I went to work in the evenings the entire time I was absent. Sure, she never slept through the night or had a regular schedule. It was nothing I couldn't handle.

There is no moment where it went wrong - things changed to gradually I barely noticed. Everything that would have been a warning sign for future behaviour I dismissed as her being a spirited toddler. The running away from dance class, the boundless energy, the tantrums and arguments. Once she started preschool I noticed she was a bit.. More... Than the other kids. More intense. More energetic. More difficult. The teacher said it was a phase, she'd grow out of it.

She'll be four in October and things are getting worse. I am at a loss at how to discipline - how to make her listen to me. I have a two and a half year old son who is more capable of listening, being clean, and sitting still. I have tried everything - from talking, to time outs, to spanking - and nothing has helped. The only thing that seem s to work is counting followed by time out. It's great, except when I say "Wait here!" and she cannot resist the impulse to run into the street. "Don't get hit by a car, that's 1..." Not going to help.

Although it doesn't feel like it sometimes, I'm not a total failure. I am raising a loving and well meaning kid. It just seems she can't do what's expected of her. I have some concerns that her difficulties may be neurological. If they're simply a result of poor parenting, it's clear that I need a great deal of help.

I have arranged to meet with a psychologist next week for both assessment and assistance. It is humbling to ask for help but uplifting to be so close to understanding why things have been so challenging. We are hoping for positive change.

Organization

Today's post was supposed to be about making cute little bunnies out of children's socks. Unfortunately my rubber bands went missing and after a great deal of searching we were unable to find them. The brand new bag we just bought today. Not that  you could find anything in my house.

I threw my back out the other day and it's been very challenging to do any housework. I was away all weekend when I normally do the bulk of my cleaning so right now we are very behind. I cancelled this afternoon's playdate (read: incentive to clean) so I could go the chiropractor, which didn't help at all.

Then there's the kids - they haven't been able to stop making messes today. There is something hard-wired in their little minds that as soon as I'm incapacitated in some way or another it's the time to go crazy. Maybe I shouldn't be trying for a third child and 6+ months of throwing up.

The fact of the matter is this: if I don't get a handle on this soon it's not going to be good. The next couple of months will be crazy for me and we all need the sanity of an organized home that I can keep clean.

In the mean time I'll keep looking for those elastics.

Home Schooling

It's April, that means that it's about that time where all the kindergartens are having their open houses. This is great, because my daughter will turn 5 in October and be starting kindergarten this year. I've had a really hard time making the decision about which school to send her - not because the three main choices are fantastic schools, each with pros and cons, but because I have always wanted to home school.

A little background: I am not religious at all. I am not a hippie who wants to unschool. I am not on a power trip or overprotective, if anything I'm a bit too laid back in that department. My children a bright - but not incredibly advanced and I wouldn't suspect they could hit anything higher then the "mildly gifted" section I fall into (the one not all schools agree 'counts').

So why homeschool? It feels right. There is something appealing about being able to help my children be the best they can be. If they're struggling in a topic, we can enhance and focus on that area. If they excel we can move on quickly. We can spend more time leaning about all those cool things not covered in the Canadian curriculum while still teaching them everything they need to know.

My daughter has a few issues - I haven't gone for a diagnosis yet, out of both lack of confidence in the psychological field in my area, and the fact that I am against medication/this is none for what she may have. The challenges she faces, which is an inability to focus and explosive behaviours, will either improve or get much worse in a school setting.

Money will be tight - but the Alberta government offers funding for home school students. We would be following a curriculum created by a distance education school. My kids, if they were to homes school, would get high school diplomas the same as anyone else, only they would graduate with a lot more skills.

"Oh but they won't socialize!" that's what people keep telling me. There is a homeschooling support system. There are activities. There are playdates. There are plenty of antisocial kids in regular schools.

My husband has disagreed - he thinks school is the way to go, and I have agreed to try it. I can't home school without support. If it is the best thing for my daughter we'll see her excelling there, and that is my true end-goal. If it's not right, I work from home, so the home school option will always be there. Until then we'll keep learning at home. Things could change in the next 5 months.

March 1st

Today is March 1st. The bears on my tacky mom calendar are all hanging out in the park enjoying green grass and sunshine. Today it's snowing, there is still ample snow on the ground, it's cloudy, and a chilly -11°C outside. It's true that there's still another 20 days until Spring, but I am really jealous of those bears.

Despite the feeling of winter sill upon us, I have to focus on what's to come. By the time I do my next show the snow will be starting melt and people will be thinking Spring - which means I better have some springy things to sell. Today I'm coming up with some Earth Day craft kits for those who are a bit less... Crafty.

Quitting

I started selling Tupperware back in July of 2011. Although I haven't had great success, I've done well enough that the business has been justified. Just recently I was totally pumped and am putting together a big event next week, am attending a workshop this weekend, and had all these hopes and dreams. Then I started Stars 'n Stuff.

Stars 'n Stuff is something my mom and I have always had - we made crafts for annual Christmas craft sale. Recently we decided to take the business to the next level. We brought in products from suppliers, created a Facebook page, and are launching a home party plan in May. We already have a bunch of Facebook Likes and one party booking, not to mention two shows on the calendar where we will sell things on the spot and drum up new business.

A huge part of me feel done with the Tupperware business - I just want to cancel my event, skip on this weekend, and pursue Stars 'n Stuff to it's full potential. Of course, I'm still going this weekend, and I'm still having the event. Stars 'n Stuff will not be at the point where I can rely on it for awhile, and in the mean time my mom is away quite a bit so we can't do our parties.

Hopefully I'll be able to quit my day job soon.

What I did instead of actual work today.

Vintage Fabric

This fabulous vintage fabric cost just under $12 and is enough to make a table runner for me. I scored it off Ebay and am super excited for it arrive. I also found some cool skeleton keys for craft projects.

So many cool things out there.

Scrabble Tile Magnets

It may seem counter-intuitive to give away how things I sell are made, but it's neither that impressive nor rocket science. If you are lucky enough to find a copy of Scrabble at a thrift store, this can be made for about $1.50.


How to make your own:
Supplies:
- Scrabble Tiles
- Roll of flat magnets in relative size
- Hot glue gun


1. Pick out what letters you want to turn into magnets.
2. Cut the magnet roll into squares a bit smaller then the tile size.
3. Using a hot glue gun, glue the magnets to the back of the tiles. Hold together for a few seconds, then leave to dry. 


You can buy these from www.starsnstuff.com too.

DIY Easter Garland Papercraft

I was browsing some craft ideas on line this morning and stumbled upon these. Lacking a stockpile of paint chips, I decided scrapbooking paper would look really cute as Easter eggs. Here is the result:

How to make your own:

Supplies:
- Cardboard
- Pretty paper or paint
- Thick string or thin cord
- Mod Podge glue
- Big sewing needle or stylus

1. Download the template from here or draw your own egg and cut out.
2. Trace your template over and over again onto cardboard. I used corrugated cardboard for effect, but cereal boxes would work too.
3. Cut out your egg shapes out. If you want a kind of upcycled/modern look you can leave them as cardboard. If you're artistic you can paint them. If not...
4. Cut some coordinating scrapbooking paper into squares (rough measure with your eggs.)
5. I found each egg I cut out was a bit different, so I held the cardboard egg against the paper and cut around, trying to remove and sharp corners/bad cuts.
6. Using Mod Podge glue your paper to the cardboard and let dry.
7. Using either a big sewing needle or a stylus, poke holes and feed your cord through. You will need two holes, and start from the back as if you were sewing, that way everything will face forward. Note: I broke two sewing needles doing this because I couldn't find my stylus.
8. Continue sewing until your garland is at it's desired length, then hang.

The garland in the picture has 14 eggs. If you make this I would love to see, comment with a link or send me a picture!

Never Ending Housework

I have been cleaning for the past four hours or so, with several more left. My house lately has been so neglected and was/is a complete disaster. This is not entirely uncommon - On more then one occasion I have left things slide. Eventually it's enough to drive me crazy, or someone coming over, either way I start one of my big cleaning sprees.

First of all, it's remarkable how dirty things can get. I truly believe I have some of the messiest kids out there; they simply must destroy. So many things are not in there place and I can't understand how so many toys found their way to my bedroom.

Secondly, I cannot begin to describe how much everyone in my house try to work against me. Planning to get to it later, I left a pile clean blankets on the floor. Less then an hour later, I was in the process of taking some garbage out of my 2 year old's room when I walked in something wet - pee. Not uncommon in the home of a potty training toddler. I asked him if it was pee and he agreed, so I went to clean it up. As I was cleaning I heard crying from the living room, and I found my two year old had managed a bowl movement on his potty, on his feet, and on the floor. After putting him in the shower I walked back to the living room to clean up the carpet and stepped in something wet - a blanket. Turns out at some point one of the cats decided that would be a great place to pee. Also noteworthy, immediately following these events I took a shower, and came out to find 3 giant outside balls in the house, and my shelf/lamp tipped over.

I write this post now with the master bedroom/bath, my 2 year old's room, and the main bathroom cleaned. I only have about an hour left before I need to go buy a gift for a birthday party that's tonight, make the kids dinner, and get ready to go out.

Selling

Apart from raising kids, there is nothing more rewarding then working for yourself. There is just this feeling of pride, joy, and excitement every time I make a sale. Making money is a plus, but I really love the adrenaline rush. There is such a feeling of accomplishment when you spend a day at a show selling from your table - and every penny you earned is yours. Sure, we have to pay income tax, but every business move I make gets ME further.

I have two businesses, and in one I get to go to parties and give people tonnes of free stuff. In the other, I help them connect with products they love that were previously not available in this area. All around, I get to make people's lives better, and happy customers are a fabulous bonus. If you're considering it, I highly recommend giving self employment a try. Start with products you love or things you are talented and passionate about, and go from there. 

Working

A friend of mine recently started a discussion on Facebook - a mother of four young kids thinking of picking up a job that required 12 hour days and pays really well. Now this individual does not, by any stretch, NEED to work, but she has some financial goal in mind. To each their own.

But this got me thinking - my husband and I do not earn a great living by today's standards. In my opinion, we both make a decent wage, but there never seems to be enough. We have debt, we have to budget, do without, a wash Ziplock bags. Why? We have the greatest luxury in life - working from home and doing what we love. My husband loves his job. I only work part time, for the same company as my husband, freelancing, selling Tupperware, and starting a retail business. All of this keeps me VERY busy.

When I don't feel like working, I don't. When I'm sick, I take the day off. When he kids are sick, I can take care of them,  I never miss any "firsts", and I can do daytime and school activities with them. Recently I was asked to help out at the preschool Valentine's Day party. The party was on Wednesday, and it was the Friday before. At that time the teacher had not yet got any volunteers, and actually asked me if I would help. Of course, the only reason I didn't offer was to let someone else have a turn! Anyway, long story short, one other parent did come - out of 24 students.

Forget balance - being gone most of the day would leave me too exhausted to spend time with my kids in the evening. Sure - when I leave them I am happy to see them, but after working all day, how much would I have left? And then there's doing housework - when?

Eventually I'm hoping to turn my small business into a retail store, but if that happens and I have more young kids, they will be coming to work with me. My mom did it when I was little, and I didn't mind. I don't know if I ever will be wealthy, but I will be happy.

This is not a stab at working parents - I respect what you do, and just like those people who make great money running home daycares, it's not for me.

Housework

"When I get a bigger house, it will be more organized, and it will stay clean". This is my mantra. The truth is that despite my best intentions, my home never manages to stay clean. I am not striving for magazine shoot clean, or even very clean, just clean enough that if someone stops by unannounced I am not unbearably embarrassed. I am forever making excuses, but it does seem my friends and family have a knack for showing up on the worst of days. I clean, I really do. But it is extremely short lived.

So what happens? Take today, as an example. Yesterday morning we all got together and made the house pretty decent. Not perfect, but clean enough. We were out most of the morning, the kids napped the afternoon away, and we went swimming after dinner. The next morning greeted us with what wasn't cleaned up from the night before. It wasn't too bad. I sat down to work this morning only to find a lot to do that needed to be done - now. Flash forward four and half hours of ignoring my children while sitting on the computer. Sure I looked at their finished puzzles, broke up their fights, and read some instructions, but overall they entertained themselves. Apparently the most entertaining thing to them is making a mess.

The unfortunate trade off to needing to work - and doing it from home - is that the house is the playground and it suffers. As I write this it's nearly five, the kids are eating animal crackers while watching cartoons, and I have spent the afternoon working even more. Now I will try to ignore the mess while I play with my kids, knowing that some things are more important.

The view from where I've been perched most of the day (no I don't know what's on the floor):

Sick Kid

My little boy is sick. A two and a half year old quickly becomes a baby you rock him back to sleep. He's suffering from some sort of chest cold, with one of those nasty barking coughs. I would like to say that on this special occasion little one is sleeping in my bed, but he finds his way in here each and every night.

I am hoping, once little guy is all better, that we can start the battle that is operation: "stay in your own bed". Along with operation: "night toilet train my four year old" this should guarantee I receive the minimum amount of sleep possible.

Then again, with a husband, toddler, and cats in my bed, I haven't been getting much anyway.

Welcome

Welcome to... The new... The improved... The networkable Musing Mama Blog.

Join me as I journey through life's new adventures; The never-ending struggle of Motherhood, the thrill of starting a small retail business, the daily grind of working at home, the lifelong goal to complete a novel, and the unmanaged mess that is the home. Money struggles, discipline issues, electronic distractions, and so many more of life's obstacles. All of this while maintaining balance, love, and sanity.