A New Year, Once Again- What Wont You Do?_

Congratulations to all who have had the opportunity to come across my blog. That means two things:
1. You have lived through the end of the world, according to the Mayans.
2. You have sense of humor and a desire to read my post.
Both of these are good. Now that we have another chance at a new year, I hope that many of you have had an opportunity to make some New Years resolutions. I failed to make any resolutions this year- except for one.
Writing is my passion,  however, by the way my blog has been seriously neglected, you may think otherwise. I vow to make at least two new weekly additions to the Frugal Blogging Mom. I promise to post content that is in my opinion, beneficial to those that want to make a change. I will seek ways to make life simpler, and in the challenging economic times, more fun and affordable. I hope that you frequent my post and take what you find into heart.

Use Creativity to get Little People to clean up

Saving Time and Energy While Teaching Responsibility. I can honestly say that I am not the most organized person in our home. I admit that I am just as guilty of leaving things strewn about the home as my children are. As a parent though, you want to teach your kids to have some sense of organization. This skill carries a lot of weight in the simple everyday world. Not only do organized individuals seem to have better relationships, it also plays a part in being FRUGAL. Hey times are tight and by saving as much money as possible, you can still run a frugal household while remaining on a budget. Part of being frugal with kids means that a parent needs to teach their children how to take care of the things they own. Kids learn this by picking up their belongings and storing them in appropriate places. While many parents, myself included, like to spend as little as possible on storage containers, an attractive toy box that is well made is a smart investment. Most of these boxes also double as a sitting area. In order to save your time and energy, the child MUST clean their own mess, clearly this allows us parents more time for more important events, you know, like cleaning other areas of the home, cooking, washing laundry or *gasp* actually finding a little piece of heaven and enjoying a moment of silence while we sip a relaxing beverage and read the latest worldly happenings. It can be a difficult task to get a child to start picking up after them self. Here are a few tricks that you might find useful when you make the decision to teach your kids the art of responsibility:

Toss The Trash
I know, you think I'm crazy, you may be thinking "I paid money for those toys, now I'm going to throw them and "save money??" Here me out. When I say toss the trash, you know I don't mean literally. I simply mean that we need to give our children a set amount of time to pick up. Depending on the amount of destruction, one might need to set a realistic time limit. I for example would need to allow several days for the toys to be picked up. (just kidding.)Remember to place any abandoned toys (toys that haven't been picked up) into the garbage bag. These toys are now "gone" and no longer available to play with for a determined amount of time.

  Make a List
Try making a list of toy categories. Have the child put up the toys that fall into that category at the moment. This transforms the normal "clean up your toys" routine into a treasure hunt. After the child picks up a group of toys, have a snack or read a book before the next batch of toys are picked up.

Play Dress Up
Not with yourself or the kids, but the play area. Kids that are allowed to decorate their own personal space are more likely to take care of it. Decorate the toy box, and help them think of neat ways to make their own custom private area. A play tent or small playhouse is a good start. This allows children to believe that they have their own home inside the home, by watching the organizing skills of a parent, it could encourage organizing.

A clean and organized home is much simpler to keep frugal than one that is full of disarray. Besides, kids that clean up after them self make a good impression. What tricks do you use to get your kids to clean up?

The Meaning of Tranquility.

Everyonce in a while I feel a need to escape the confines of the house, to pull myself away from my writing And take a break from the mommy job, and this is where I go- the Skunk River in Mt. Pleasant Iowa. Luckily I was  able to reunite with my best friend, soon to be husband and we can enjoy fishing together. There's nothing like putting in a full day on writing assignments, waiting for him to get home so that we can relax while enjoying mother nature at its finest.
We came out last night around 7 o'clock, caught 6 nice size channel cats while watching the sunset over the water. AMAZING.
I have to admit that coming back home to Iowa has been the best decision that I have made in quite awhile. Thanks to my other half, I've made more progress in my writing venture then I ever have before. Thanks to this I am able to stay at home and  write, making it possible to spend quiet evenings like this with my love. I just hope we catch another catfish as big as we did last night.

Starting Weekly Reads at Amazon.com: Macy's Turn

Greetings! I have started a new avenue in my writing career. I have recently self published a story called Macy's Turn on Amazon. From here out I will be working on one short story a week, consisting of different genera. This week is Macy's Turn, a story based on a woman that takes matters into her own hands to escape the physical and emotional abuse of her boyfriend.
I wrote this story based on the emotions that I have experienced from my past toxic relationships. Both women and men have been involved in toxic relationships, and I'm sure that many can relate to this story. While the ending may be a little harsh, I feel the General tone is captured quite well. Go to Amazon.com And search for Macys Turn. It's a free read until May 11th at midnight.
to find this and other stories that will be available weekly. Next weeks addition? A campfire story that will leave you thinking.

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My New Shadow

Against my better judgement, I went out and picked up a new dog, a puppy actually. I have always wanted a rat terrier, they have been known to have a good reputation and they are adorable as pups. This pup seems to be housebroke at eight-weeks old. Is this possible? I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't living it. Jasper is one cool rat terrier.

rat terriers are not for those who want a quiet, slow-do nothing dog. They are full of energy and love to play. Don't let the size, (or lack of) these dogs fool you, even thou they make for a good apartment size dog, they still need exercise. to keep a rat terrier healthy and happy, 30 minutes of vigorous play is recommended. This could prove to be burdensome for my freelancing, but with a dog like this I'm sure.everything will work out just fine.

How To Avoid the Break Down of Trust

Trust is defined as a firm reliance on the integrity or ability of a person or thing. All relationships are built around trust, personal, business or family- all relationships are built on trust. Unfortunately, once the foundation of trust has been broken, it can take an enormous amount of time to get it back. Here are five ways that trust can be shaken, and how to prevent it.

Secrecy

By far the biggest trust killer of all is living in secrecy. Once a person falls into the trap of hiding something, wither it be an action, a conversation or embarrassing moment, trust will begin to crumble. It may not happen immediately, but sooner or later no matter how big or small, secrets will be exposed and the trust will fade. Think of secrecy as an invisible blanket. Once you harbor a tiny little secret within yourself, you establish a barrier between yourself and your partner. Eventually, the invisible blanket becomes physical, and the one you keep the secrets from will notice a change, even the slightest change is enough to throw up a red flag, and once the flag is thrown the distrust comes into play. When you trust someone, you depend on their ability to understand and support your actions. Keep in mind that the person that is involved needs to have the same trust in you as you do them. Keeping conversations open and sharing feelings and emotions is a way to build trust.

Acting

A person can lose trust from the behavior or body language of another. When having a conversation with someone you care for and an opinion is sought, say what you mean. When asked a question, resist the temptation to save face. If you disagree with a comment, although you may say you agree, your body language will clearly state your honest opinion. When someone sees the conflict between mind and body, it become clear that they're not being honest and the red flag appears again.

Unmet needs.

In general, we become involved in a relationship to have our needs met. In a healthy trusting relationship, you should be able to clearly state your needs to your partner. If you feel a resistance in sharing your needs, it may send a signal that you're hiding something from your partner. Maybe your partner will start to feel that some of your needs are being met in other ways, and here we go, the red flag falls once again. Find sometime and search yourself. What exactly are your needs to feel fulfilled in a relationship? Do you feel a need for more conversation? Do you need to be cuddled more on the couch while watching a movie? Do you need a spicier bedroom romp? Repressing your needs can also cause the blanket effect, and may cause you to withhold some emotions to your partner. Set some time for yourself and establish your needs and then discuss them with your other half.

Avoidance

At some point in every relationship, there is a time where there is going to be something you just don't want to discuss. This is under

Sustainable, but a hindrance at the same time. Avoiding a situation brings out the dreaded blanket barrier. Your partner will clearly be able to see that there is something bothering you, and what do you suppose they will think when you avoid the problem? They're going to assume the worst. To build trust, you need to be ready to embrace confrontation. Be willing to communicate delicate situations and be ready to seek a healthy solution to the problems, open communication develops trust.

Individuality

Among all things in building trust, remain yourself. Never go into a relationship trying to please the other person if it makes you bend your character. Be honest with yourself and your partner at the start. A relationship is built on honesty. If you find yourself in a relationship where you have to pretend to be someone else, you're being dishonest to yourself and your partner. You will find yourself becoming uneasy in situations because you're not allowed to cope with the situation on a normal level. The uneasiness will most certainly be noticed by your partner and when the truth comes out, questions to why you deceived them will develop.

Keeping a relationship healthy means having a high level of trust. Using the above tips may help you foster a deeper relationship.

When Words Arent Enough

There comes a point in every relationship, no matter how in love you are with someone, there’s going to be some kind of strain. Maybe someone doesn’t feel like their being listened to, or maybe there’s not enough affection. Eventually every relationship is going to hit a speed bump. There are several important aspects to healthy relationships. The first one I believe is communication. Communication doesn’t always have to be verbal speaking The eyes are the key to your soul. There are many times that two people can convey an unspoken language simply by using their eyes. The way a person looks at another can have very strong emotional effects. When a person looks at their mate with an unbridled desire, the other will receive the emotion mentally. The same holds true to negative or angry energy, be careful what vibes you send to your other half. Physical touch is also another mode of non-verbal communication. This doesn’t mean a simple hug; Dig deeper to the emotional side, a back rub, or more personal and sensual rub down is an excellent way to communicate feelings and desires. Close body contact when unexpected can reignite a smoldering spark. For example, when your significant other was doing the dishes, or watching television, when was the last time you wrapped your arms around them first, or engaged in a snuggle session on the couch. Close physical contact with a loving attitude releases natural feel good endorphins. Written communication, close to spoken but in another form is usually received willingly. Remember the love letters that were once shared when the romance was new? Writing a letter and expressing your value of the other person will help reunite the love flow. Make sure you include the things you love and admire about them, the things you miss and the things that you look forwards to in your future. Meeting the physical needs of a partner expresses an unselfish attitude. Maybe a person isn’t in the mood for an erotic encounter; this doesn’t mean that you should ignore the wants of your partner. There are many ways to meet the sexual needs of your partner without having sex. Take the time and get to know your partners body and find what different triggers will help them in their time of need. Showing them that you are more than happy to help them with their needs before yours will help deepen a relationship.

Changing the monster within

Being a parent with a strong willed child is a frusterating experience. Not being able to go out to public places because your afraid of how your child is going to throw a fit is almost depressing. For all my parent friends who have strong willed kids, here are 5 ways to encourage more desired behavior
1.Praise.
Kids truly do seek to please their parents, with everything that is going on in this crazy hectic world, we sometimes forget how important it is to give praise when it is due. Make sure the praise is genuine, and avoid flat praise, what I mean about flat praise is be specific about the behavior you are pleased with.
Use: I really like the way you shared your toys with Sam
not: Thanks for being good
2.Ignore the trivial
I use to have a really hard time picking my battles with my kids. It seemed that every time they had a problem, no matter how small it was it had an amazing way of turning into something huge. I have learned that if they are not in the process of destroying something, harming themselves or others, let them be. When a fight breaks out over a toy, let them know how silly it is to be fighting over one particular toy while there are other toys to play with, and then walk away, let them work it out. The odds are in our favor that when they observe us not throwing a fuss over it, neither will they.
3.Use rewards
Many friends of mine (including myself) have fallen into the trap of giving their kids a toy when they have been well behaved. That may be fine for some, but could also lead to the child constantly expecting some physical reward a toy, a choice of candy. This leading to the gimme gimmeies. A better idea? How about kids choice?

If you could do one thing with Mommy, what would it be?
If you could take one friend to do something special what would you want to do?
If you could make something, what would it be?
Instead of rewarding them with something physical, help them build a memory.
4.Stop complaining.
No one likes to be around a constant complainer. One of my worst traits was constantly finding something not quite done to my satisfaction,
The rooms were clean, but the bookshelf was a mess
The floor was vaccumed, but someone forgot to move a chair
clothes were folded but not put up
it was the small things that kept me grumbling, some people think that constant nagging will lead to better results, studies have shown that the more you nag, the more it effects a childs self esteem, and kids with low self esteem seem to be the ones more prone to problems. Dont sweat the small things, and you and your kids will have a much better time in the company of others, as well as have a happier home in the end. I learned a lot from a book called 21 days to a happy child, things that really opened my eyes. For those of you that are like me, and feel bad about the way you would yell and scream at your kids like I did mine, there is relief, If your tired of waking up in the morning to the same routine, your nerves are as frazzled as mine and you have a genuine concern for your childs future, this book is for you, find 21 Days to A Happy child Click Here!

I cant believe she ate it

One more day of my kiddo refusing to eat is going to make me pull my hair out. Why is it so hard to get kids to eat things that are healthy for them? UUUUUggghghgh!!!!!!!

i made myself suffer through Fifi and the flower tots, wonderpets (always cute) and the weird one with the little asian girl, kni hi kailin? I know I'm way off with the spelling, so shoot me. After all that you would thing I could catch a little break! does anyone have any ideas on how to get a picky toddler to eat? Feel free to email me and give me some more ideas instead of the ones I have already tried, which includes

• Finger sandwiches of various assortments
• letting her make her own lunch
• putting smaller than usual portions on her plate
• making a surprise picnic with a menu she created

That's just a few of the things I have attempted to get my picky toddler to eat healthy food. So, any ideas on what I could do?

Asthma, inhaler no more!

Uuuuugh, here we are again in the pre-asthma months for Bri. Seems the hardest months on her are from January to April, I suppose its all the fluctuating temperatures and over active spores going hay wire.
I can be grateful that her asthma isn't soo severe that we have had many trips to the ER. The one was bad enough for me. I did learn a couple secrets to keep her breathing problems at bay for the most part. I'm a firm believer of natural remedies also.


1. Honey is one of the best well known treatments for asthma. Not just a great additive for honey butter spread, studies have shown that inhaling the fumes from a honey jar help thin the mucus in your nose. Eating a teaspoon of honey will thin the mucus in our lungs, giving us relief in breathing with out using an inhaler.

Lemons, not only used in a homemade furniture polish! Lemons are loaded with vitamin C, we all know what vitamin C does for us. The lemon treatment serves two purposes.

2. Lemon is a natural antiseptic that when mixed 1 teaspoon to a 8 ounce glass of water has been proven to knock out the bad germs that hide in our mucus membranes, which cuts back on the possibility of infections, lemon is another one of natures miracles that thins mucus.

There are many home remedies for natural asthma treatments, for more ideas to help alleviate the agony of breathlessness, I recommend reading Susan Milliars ebook, Dramatic Asthma Relief Click Here!. Get a free report of why the costly, harmful medications that we put in our bodies aren't really effective to treat an asthma attack.

Twilight at night review

My Daughter and I recently got in to see the Twilight saga, after weeks of being sold out I was overjoyed to actually get a ticket.
This sequal is well worth the money, after watching a documentary on how they got the special effects worked into the movie, it was even more enjoyable to see it. The love between Belle and Edward is still so intense that you can actually FEEL the emotion, not surprising considering the two of them have such a profound relationship off screen of New Moon. it was heart breaking to watch Edward push Belle away, and I was a little confused as to why he would do such a thing when they knew that olivia was still on the prowl seeking revenge.
The ending was left well opwn for a possible future sequal? The question that Edward asked Belle, what could her reply to that be, and where is Olivia? Is the friendship bwtween Jacob and Belle over for good? Seems as if it might be headed that way, what do you think? Definitly a must see for romance seekers, in my opinion as this is a movie that portrays passion between two lovers on a extreamly emotional leval. Twilight, New moon, was awesome.

Babies and Blackberries

I was looking for something to get my 4 year old daughter for Christmas. One of my better habits involves finding toys for her that will stimulate her mind, and also is a little challenging so that she needs my help once in a while.
I changed to Verizon a couple of months ago, and picked up a blackberry that i am absolutely in love with, i use it for my blogging, and researching different article ideas. Yes I was smitten by my Blackberry. This is probably the main reason I was delighted when i went to amazon and found out that they had a little blackberry for kid
s. How sweet, she can text and learn letters and numbers while she is being just like mommy, I thought it was so cute that i would include a link for it and then you guys could check it out too! its really cute. let me know what you think

Black Friday not for me!

I was seriously entertaining getting up out of my warm and cozy bed this morning to join the throng of people waiting to bust the doors down to get the best early morning deals. This however, did not happen. It was 10 am before i was rousted out of my slumber. After talking to several people, I was kind of glad I didnt go. They said that the sales werent there this year. i have heard alot of the sales are taking place online, and believe me, i would much rather stay in the comfort of my home and search online rather than be surrounded by a stressed out, over tired angry mob. I dont know how many of you shop on amazon, but on scrolling through the sales they have, I found quite a bit on there, just thought you may want to see, heres the link.
shop for kids

Do you look online?

Cooler months have swept the country. Summer is gone, and the chilly temps have left most of us housebound, trapped with our beloved little angels that have begun to use to couch as trampolines, the walls as massive tapestries for the emerging artist, and the family cat has been used as a manequin for the newest baby doll fashion show.
It gets harder and harder to keep active minds entertained long enough to give us a moments peace, after searching endlessly, I came across a good toddler activity site that I find worthy of sharing. Toddlertoddler.com. Not One of the cuter activities is the virtual zoo. My 4 year old absolutely loves going to the zoo. I thought it was really neat that the toddler toddler.com website included a zoo that my little excitement seeker could enjoy while I cooked supper, folded laundry, or enjoyed a quiet cup of good bean coffee. After all, any quiet time for a busy mom is heaven.
Cute crafts are also included in the toddler mix, We really enjoyed making a copper memorial, after our goldfish copper ran off with the wonder pets. Sadly he went to sleep and never woke up. One of the crafts was making a mini aquarium, check it out here. Let me know what you think of this site, and share your favorite so I can explore more creative ideas with my little one.

The best part of waking up.

I woke up to my 4 year old prying my eyes open and telling me to wake up. What a beautiful start to a wonderful Tuesday morning. I have truely been blessed to have a child that wakes in the morning with a cheery and loveable attitude.
After she's been up for a little, and has charged her batteries a little more with a tastey sugar coated cereal, her little head spins and I need more than just a cup off coffee to keep up. Still, I love waking up to see her beautiful smile, the smell of the fall air, and yes, even occasionally some floating cheerios in my cup.

A time for change

My 13 year old and I have been doing battle for some time now, and quite honestly, well im about to loose my mind. so I did some searching and came across this sleeping angels cd which teaches us to make use of our childrens subconcious minds by piping positive affirmation into their sleeping minds. studies have shown that this kind of treatment is beneficial to instill positive behavior into our childrens minds, much similar to listening to Bach when we are pregnant. isnt a good attitude and positive self image worht the time for your child? subconcious attitude improvement here

When I was told that frequent intimate conversation sustained relationships, I was stumped. I love to write, and even with the passion of creative writing, I noticed that letters I wrote were a little on the dry side, I didn’t seem to be expressing my deeper emotions on paper like I would like to.. So I searched and found this eBook on writing a romantic letter. Written by a MAN (good googily moogily)when his wife was struggling with a chronic illness that robbed her of her independence. Mr. Bordi, desperate to give his love the joy and happiness he knew she craved decided to take up the much appreciated but often neglected art of writing his wife frequent heartfelt letters of passion and adoration.
For those of us that truly understand the importance of keeping emotion flowing in our relationships, this book does a fine job of showing us how to do more then just put pen to the paper. See for yourself the difference a letter can make. Check it out and let me know how it works for you.http://Learn how to romance with pen and paper here

Dont ignore the obvious

My oldest daughter and I do not have what I describe as the perfect Mother-Daughter relationship. I honestly cannot say that I know many parents with a 13 year old daughter that have the "perfect" relationship. If you do, congratulations as you have been blessed.
With the troubled relationship in mind, a red flag went up when I was standing in front of my machine at work and I get a text message from her.
"Call me"
fallowed by
"call me now-911"
She and my youngest, who will shortly be turning 4, were at the babysitters. You may ask yourself why do I make my 13 year old go to a babysitter. For 2 reasons.

1. I have a 16 year old son at home, and if I leave the 13 year old and the 16 year old at home together, odds are that I probably wouldn't have a house to come home to at the end of my shift.
2. What fallows should be good enough reason if #1 wasn't.

Both of my girls on numerous occasions had asked me not to go to work, or to find someone else to watch them. BIG RED TRUCK!!!!!
When a kid asks to NOT go to someones house, ummmm..... ya need to find out why.
Don't just assume your child is unhappy because they aren't getting there way, and they don't want to fallow the rules. I had the unfortunate event of having my 3 year old grabbed and shaken, while evidently being screamed at for throwing a teddy bear at the tv. I don't know about you guys, but that news made this mama bear a little bit on the psychotic side. on top of that, when my daughter was texting me, she was informed that she was no longer allowed to use the phone.
WHAT????????
I don't mean to scare you, but you really need to check in on people. I would encourage talking to the contacts, past families they have cared for. I would even encourage a back ground check, they are relatively inexpensive. Talk to the neighbors also. That may seem a little extreme, if so then ya I am over protective. But think about this, would you rather be an over protective parent, or take the chance on being one of those who shoulda, woulda, coulda?
P.S. I did leave work immediately and rescued my kiddos. How the babysitter remained unscathed, the big man above only knows. Thanks be to him for reigning his love down on me and taming my quick temper.

Surviving the working mom rat race

I should be sleeping, but my addiction to writing has kept me up into the wee hours of the morning. Funny how time flies bye so fast when our doing the things you enjoy. I can jump on the computer at 9 after the house has been put to sleep, and what seems like 30 minutes later is actually 3 hours later. The sun rises early and my mommy job begins.
Few people actually understand the hectic lifestyle of a single working mom. Its crazy! My next blog will be simple meals to pack for the baby-sitter. They should be yummy!