Tag Archives: Reliability

10 Must Have’s for Dorm Room Decorating

Dorm rooms have numerous restrictions when it comes to decorating. They can usually be worked around by purchasing lots of bedding and accessories to brighten up the room, but this year budgets are squeezed making imagination a necessity. 1. 3m removable hooks for hanging frames photographs from home and to hang other lightweight miscellaneous items. 2. Blue tack for hanging inexpensive posters and photographs. 3. Bed risers or cinder blocks to lift the bed so you can create storage underneath. Loft beds may be too much of an expense, but lifting the bed just a food or two can make … Continue reading →

Review: Disney Princess Enchanted Journey Video Game

Let’s face it, there aren’t too many video games out there that are created for girls, especially little girls. That is why we were so excited to spot this game at our local library. We usually check video games for our Wii from the library first. for our Wii. It is a lot less expensive than buying full games only to find that the play value wasn’t worth the money. But even after playing DPEJ, my daughter wanted to check it out again and again, even after solving the game. This game has all of the core princesses, as well … Continue reading →

Do You Lie to Your Kids?

For some moms and dads the question isn’t do you lie to your kids, but how often do you stretch the truth, and how low do you go when you decide to fib? Well, you can’t stoop much lower than the following dad, who gives the term “bad parenting” new meaning: Have you heard the one about the guy who used Craigslist to advertise for an actor to take the family dog for a walk, then come back and tell his kids the dog bolted? It’s no joke. A single dad trying to not look like a villain in the … Continue reading →

The Tough Job of Monitoring Media

Just as there are more tools to help monitor your child’s media use, there are also more opportunities for inappropriate material to sneak through. A prime time television program that is rated G may contain commercials for R rated movies. And a PG show, which most parents may consider harmless may actually imply promiscuous sexual activity. Programs aimed at preteens and teens are rife with young extramarital sex and bizarre out of the norm activity, such as partner swapping. A few shows may even introduce the concepts of voyeurism or even pedophilia. Take the recent Teen Choice Awards. While I … Continue reading →

Affording Health Care

Health care is a big topic of discussion right now. and now matter where you are on the subject of health care reform, the reality is that healthcare is very expensive. Here are some ways to reduce that cost. If you find yourself without insurance, if you can’t afford insurance, or if you can’t afford the bills with insurance, there are a few ways to help reduce the cost of going to the doctor. First of all, your best bet is to try to find some form of medical insurance. Living without insurance is like playing Russian roulette. You are … Continue reading →

Bagging Lunch

You know, there is more than one way to wrap a sandwich. With back to school approaching, I have been trying to think of some new ideas for bagged lunches. My son prefers them anyway, and we can save quite a bit of money by bagging it ourselves instead of paying for it at school. One of my biggest obstacles is what to actually put the food in. My son has a plastic container that fits a sandwich, but he often forgets to take it our of his bag when he gets home from school. One trick that works for … Continue reading →

Your Gifted Child Needs Support

If your child has been identified as gifted or is currently being evaluated, you might feel a little lost about navigating through the whole thing. How do you determine what is best for your child, where are the resources and support? One thing you will quickly find if you google “gifted resources” or “navigating gifted resources” is that there are a lot of websites to help parents. Unfortunately for those of us in the United States, most of those websites are by and for citizens of other countries. The few ones centered on the Unites States tend to be commercial … Continue reading →

Save on Back to School Clothes

We have already talked about saving money on back to school supplies, but now let us talk about saving money on back to school clothes. Here are my best tips for outfitting your kids without spending a lot of money. First, go through the closets. This is an essential first step so you know what you have available to you. Kids grow at different rates, and you might be surprised to find that you already have most of what you will need. There is nothing worse than buying five new pairs of pants only to find out that you already … Continue reading →

How to Spend Less on Toys 2

Take a look around your home right now and see what toys you have. If you are a grandparent and don’t have any toys in your home, think about all of the toys you might have purchased for those special kids. Add the cost of them up in your mind. An estimation is fine. Are your surprised by how much you have spent? The cost of toys is usually more than we realize. But rather than deprive your children of a fun childhood filled with toys, why not employ some strategies that will help you extend the life of those … Continue reading →

How Young is Too Young to Be Left Home Alone?

As our children begin to grow, we may be wondering when it is okay to leave them alone. How old should they be when you allow them to be home alone from the time they get home from school until you get home from work? Is it okay to go out for a date night and leave a child home in the evening? What about a simple walk around the block? How old can your child be when you leave him in the car to run into the store? Years ago, parents didn’t worry about such things, I think. I … Continue reading →