One of those things

No one really wants to think about dying, but unfortunately it is, as they say, a fact of life. I think that once you have children you do start to consider what would happen to your family in the worst case scanario. Usually life insurance policies require some kind of medical exam. When I signed on for a term policy six years ago, someone came to my house and did a quick-and-dirty exam, took blood, etc. But there are people who are in search of term life insurance no exam required. Those policies are out there, too. It’s something that every parent should consider.

Working It

I do some freelance writing, as many people know, and I feel so lucky to have that skillset. Although it’s not always easy to find assignments that I’m qualified for (writing or editing), the markets are there. If I had more time I know I’d be able to get a few more clients, but for now, what I have is just fine. I love it because I can do it from anywhere. There are a lot of work at home jobs aside from writing that many at-home moms could do to make some extra money. The Internet has made finding the good ones a lot easier, that’s for sure!

One New Year’s Resolution Down!

One of my resolutions this year to lose 15 pounds. Last year I made the same resolution and it didn’t happen. But for whatever reason, this year I’ve been focussed and I did it! I still would like to lose 5-10 additional pounds, and I know I can do it. While some people opt to use weight-loss “helpers” like Miracle burn, I simply did it by watching what I eat and exercising. And it’s not like I’m going to the gym either — I choose a parking spot that is far from the store, I ride my recumbant bike for 20 min. every day. Supplements work great for some people, but I’m psyched that I was able to do it on my own.

Money Saving Mom

Just like most people, I try to scrimp and save however I can. I am lucky that I get paid to blog for a couple different sites and that helps contribute to our monthly income more than I could have imagined a year ago. I just happened to come across this blog called Money Saving Mom and wow — awesome tips on saving money. Crystal is like a money-saving genius. I kid you not. I love how she breaks down weekly flyers and shows you how to get the most out of them. I’m going to start using her tips for shopping at CVS — a place I never think of going to unless I need cough medicine! Anyway, I just wanted to pass that site along. Be sure to check it out!

What would we do without them?

We’re so spoiled these days aren’t we? Dishwashers, food processors, microwave ovens… Sometimes I think about how much I take these conveniences for granted and think about how it wasn’t all that long ago that everything was done without these aids. And ironically, even though we have these timesavers, in general people do less homecooking even though theoretically the kitchen gadgets should make it quicker and easier! I do cook a great deal and I find a lot of the pre-packaged stuff pretty gross, so a lot of these things really do save me time. (Because who can wait for a kettle to boil for tea at 5 AM when the micro can do it in 2 minutes?)

Superbug

Now, I am not normally a person who reacts (let alone overreacts) to news about various illnesses going around. Heck, I don’t even bother with a flu shot. But I have to be honest, this stuff about the strain of Staph that killed those students in Virginia has me a bit freaked out. From CNN:

A study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that MRSA infections occurred in nearly 95,000 Americans in 2005. Based on those figures, an estimated 18,650 people died due to their MRSA infection in 2005. That death rate is higher than the HIV/AIDS death rate for that year, and the number of MRSA related deaths is much higher than previously thought.

Most of the cases are found in hospitals, but it’s still scary that this is making its way into our schools — and scarier that school officials didn’t realize how dirty their facilities were! Ugh.

Go Sox!!!

I’m not a huge sports fan, but I have to be rooting for my Boston Red Sox right now! I hope they win tonight’s game. I’m originally from Massachusetts, so even though I now live in Yankees territory, I just can’t bring myself to switch teams. My great-uncle was a HUGE Sox fan, and would probably roll over in his grave if I suddenly started rooting for the Yanks. My husband isn’t into sports at all, so he really doesn’t care, LOL. If the Red Sox win, how cool would it be to get my hot little hands on world series tickets? It would never happen, but… I guess you never know. I love getting caught up in all the excitement and to see my team would be such fun.

Halloween Costumes

I have barely given any thought to the boys’ Halloween costumes this year and it’s only about two weeks away! For their birthdays, they each got a Spider-Man costume for dress up, so hopefully they will be happy to wear that. Chances are, N. won’t even be into Halloween. Trick-or-treat is past his bedtime, so I’m not sure what we’re going to do. I guess one of us can stay home and the other can take J. out in Rhinebeck. Our neighborhood is quite rural and there are no sidewalks, so we won’t be giving out candy because no one goes door-to-door. That’s one thing I miss about living in the suburbs. I *loved* seeing all the kids dressed up!

Fire up the Grille

No, no, silly. Not a barbeque grill! A grille for your pickup or SUV. Neither my husband nor myself really are car people, but we can appreciate a good looking vehicle when we see one. And I have to admit that a billet grille really does make your truck look nicer than the factory grille. It’s the little touches, you know?

School Binder

Just wanted to pass on a little idea. If you have school-aged children, I’m sure you are inundated with paperwork, permission slips, contact sheets, and so on. I know I am! The stack of paper was getting out of control, so I decided to take the “household notebook” idea and use it for a school notebook. First, I went through every sheet of paper that I’d shoved in my desk drawer. I threw out any old newsletters or notes. Then I divided the rest up: phone numbers/contact sheets; special classes (Jake goes to extra help for speech, so we have his evaluations); “what we did this week” (his teacher usually sends home a sheet detailing class activities); and reciepts (for extracurriculars, fundraisers, etc.). All I did was then organize each “topic” into a sheet protector and file it in the binder. Then, in the front pocket I have his lunch flags that let his teacher know if he his buying lunch or if he brought his lunch. It’s so easy having everything right there, neatly organized. And it barely took any effort at all.