Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Getting Motivated
Weekends can be hard.
As I look back on the weekend with my Monday eyes, I can see that things could have gone better. I also recognized where we are going wrong with our weekends. I am just too tired and we are trying to pack too much into every weekend.
This past weekend my girls had dance classes in the morning. That is where things go bad. My oldest girl has decided that she doens't like jazz class anymore but doesn't know why BUT still wants to quit. I don't want her to quit. I think it is important that she finish the year, there is only two months left. Although, those two months could kill us both but I want her to follow through. She wanted to sign up for jazz not me. And we had a beaut appointment to go to and then the girls had a birthday party to go to. By the time the party was over it was 6:30, all that was left was dinner and bedtime. I was exhausted by the end of the day. Wiped really. Saturday's are always the days when I just fall down from a week of very little sleep.
Sunday was a day to sleep in and hang around in my P.J's and a cup of coffee. It actually started out great. The kids slept in. The youngest came into our room at 8 o'clock and the oldest came in at 9. Sweet. Then they watched a movie in the play room and ate breakfast while I watched a chick flick on T.V. and ate my breakfast. A nice slow morning. Then the kids ventured outside and the day really began. Friends from down the street came to call and my kids didn't come back into the house until 6 oclock. I was out with them too.
As a result of that busy weekend, my oldest had a terrible sleep last night. That means Mommy had a terrible sleep last night. When we got up this morning my oldest wasn't feeling well and ended up staying home from school.
My motivation message today is not to do too much. I think I over compensate on the weekends, trying to make up for all the days that I work during the week. I work evenings so I miss out on a lot with my girls and they miss out a lot not being able to play with friends after school. I think it is important to spend time but not to over do it. I am going to try to pace myself and my girls. It will be hard to do I am sure. I will keep you posted to let you know how it goes.
As I look back on the weekend with my Monday eyes, I can see that things could have gone better. I also recognized where we are going wrong with our weekends. I am just too tired and we are trying to pack too much into every weekend.
This past weekend my girls had dance classes in the morning. That is where things go bad. My oldest girl has decided that she doens't like jazz class anymore but doesn't know why BUT still wants to quit. I don't want her to quit. I think it is important that she finish the year, there is only two months left. Although, those two months could kill us both but I want her to follow through. She wanted to sign up for jazz not me. And we had a beaut appointment to go to and then the girls had a birthday party to go to. By the time the party was over it was 6:30, all that was left was dinner and bedtime. I was exhausted by the end of the day. Wiped really. Saturday's are always the days when I just fall down from a week of very little sleep.
Sunday was a day to sleep in and hang around in my P.J's and a cup of coffee. It actually started out great. The kids slept in. The youngest came into our room at 8 o'clock and the oldest came in at 9. Sweet. Then they watched a movie in the play room and ate breakfast while I watched a chick flick on T.V. and ate my breakfast. A nice slow morning. Then the kids ventured outside and the day really began. Friends from down the street came to call and my kids didn't come back into the house until 6 oclock. I was out with them too.
As a result of that busy weekend, my oldest had a terrible sleep last night. That means Mommy had a terrible sleep last night. When we got up this morning my oldest wasn't feeling well and ended up staying home from school.
My motivation message today is not to do too much. I think I over compensate on the weekends, trying to make up for all the days that I work during the week. I work evenings so I miss out on a lot with my girls and they miss out a lot not being able to play with friends after school. I think it is important to spend time but not to over do it. I am going to try to pace myself and my girls. It will be hard to do I am sure. I will keep you posted to let you know how it goes.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
MUCH NEEDED REST
OK, so Motivation Monday has turned out to be Motivation Tuesday this week. Monday was a holiday here in Ontairo. It was Family Day. It is a relatively new holiday and I have to say when it was first introduced a few years ago it seemed a bit silly. Although, who would look down on an extra holiday in a really dreary winter month.
I have to say that Family Day is a much need day off. And I actually spent the day with my family. It was great. The kids played together at home. It was a nice break for them. The T.V. was off and they were just playing using their imagination. They can be so creative. They also took some time to make birthday cards for their cousin. It was her 23rd birthday. We joined several other family members for a birthday dinner. It was a great time. There was 14 people at the dinner. A much needed meal to reconect.
It seems as our lives get busier we have less time with family. When I was a little girl we would drive to Toronto it seemed at least once a month to have Sunday dinner at my grandparents. It was a great time. My Nanny, as we called her, always had great treats for us. My Grampy always had flavoured pop and ice cream in the basement fridge. It was a large Sunday sit down meal. Sometimes my Nanny would play the piano after dinner. On the way home we always made my parents drive home on the Gardiner so we could see all the light up billboard signs at night. It was the perfect ending to the day. We lived in the suburbs and the big city lights were exciting for us as small children.
Now that I am a Mom, I realize how important it is to stay connected with your family. Grandparents are very important. Sunday dinners are a great way to stay connected, to talk and to learn about what has happened in the past week and what everyone is looking forward to in the week to come.
Family Day was a true family day for me. The long weekend allowed me to recharge my batteries and get some much needed rest.
I have to say that Family Day is a much need day off. And I actually spent the day with my family. It was great. The kids played together at home. It was a nice break for them. The T.V. was off and they were just playing using their imagination. They can be so creative. They also took some time to make birthday cards for their cousin. It was her 23rd birthday. We joined several other family members for a birthday dinner. It was a great time. There was 14 people at the dinner. A much needed meal to reconect.
It seems as our lives get busier we have less time with family. When I was a little girl we would drive to Toronto it seemed at least once a month to have Sunday dinner at my grandparents. It was a great time. My Nanny, as we called her, always had great treats for us. My Grampy always had flavoured pop and ice cream in the basement fridge. It was a large Sunday sit down meal. Sometimes my Nanny would play the piano after dinner. On the way home we always made my parents drive home on the Gardiner so we could see all the light up billboard signs at night. It was the perfect ending to the day. We lived in the suburbs and the big city lights were exciting for us as small children.
Now that I am a Mom, I realize how important it is to stay connected with your family. Grandparents are very important. Sunday dinners are a great way to stay connected, to talk and to learn about what has happened in the past week and what everyone is looking forward to in the week to come.
Family Day was a true family day for me. The long weekend allowed me to recharge my batteries and get some much needed rest.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
MOTIVATION MONDAY
I don't knnow about the rest of you but I often find Mondays hard. Weekends are often busy and it is hard to get into routine Monday morning. It is back to work and school and that can be a challenge for me.
Weekends are the only days of the week that I can actually get to bed before 2 am. I work evenings until midnight. The hour long drive home is tiring and by the time I make lunches for the next day and do a little tidy up and sit for a few minutes it's 2 a.m. soon enough. I try to use the weekends to get some sleep, the sleep that I have missed out on during the week. I find the older I get, and the longer I go with little sleep the dumber I get. I think I am losing brain cells as I type right now. I could really use a nap but as usual I have work to do, and I am not talking about house work ( although there is that to do too!). I am talking about an article that I haven't started writing that needs to be done today. I am hoping that writing this post will help me get warmed up. OK, it is more like I am procrastinating, what's your point!
So on Motivation Monday I want to talk about things that help me stay motivated and even the things that I find challenging about staying motivated. This is all going to help me stay on track and continue to work towards changing my life and my famililes life. It was my non resolution resolution. I wanted to do something more than just make a resolution, like lose weight or work less, two things I would love to see happen but it is about more than that. It is about a total life shift.
Now that I have reminded myself about what I want to do and why I need to stay motivated, I want to share a great book that I read that helped me think about how I think, the little voice I hear in my head, and how to work toward being a better person. It is called the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
It was a book that really spoke to me. It is short and easy to read but more importantly it had ideas that made sense to me. It is based on four basic agreements that we make with ourselves.
1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
Weekends are the only days of the week that I can actually get to bed before 2 am. I work evenings until midnight. The hour long drive home is tiring and by the time I make lunches for the next day and do a little tidy up and sit for a few minutes it's 2 a.m. soon enough. I try to use the weekends to get some sleep, the sleep that I have missed out on during the week. I find the older I get, and the longer I go with little sleep the dumber I get. I think I am losing brain cells as I type right now. I could really use a nap but as usual I have work to do, and I am not talking about house work ( although there is that to do too!). I am talking about an article that I haven't started writing that needs to be done today. I am hoping that writing this post will help me get warmed up. OK, it is more like I am procrastinating, what's your point!
So on Motivation Monday I want to talk about things that help me stay motivated and even the things that I find challenging about staying motivated. This is all going to help me stay on track and continue to work towards changing my life and my famililes life. It was my non resolution resolution. I wanted to do something more than just make a resolution, like lose weight or work less, two things I would love to see happen but it is about more than that. It is about a total life shift.
Now that I have reminded myself about what I want to do and why I need to stay motivated, I want to share a great book that I read that helped me think about how I think, the little voice I hear in my head, and how to work toward being a better person. It is called the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
It was a book that really spoke to me. It is short and easy to read but more importantly it had ideas that made sense to me. It is based on four basic agreements that we make with ourselves.
1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
Friday, January 29, 2010
FRUGAL FRIDAY - planning for baby
Bringing baby home without the bacon
by Christy Laverty
As printed in the Fall 2008 issue of Urbanbaby & Toddler magazine
http://www.urbanbaby.ca/
Having a baby is a big life change. It is a time of excitement and anticipation. There is so much to do: shopping, taking folic acid, prepping the nursery. But many forget to plan financially for the arrival of your bundle of joy.
Children are expensive. Statistics show the first 12 months of a baby’s life can cost more than $10,000. What about all those years after?
Gayla Cook, branch manager at Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, and mom to 13-month-old Evan, says planning ahead is the key. “It’s the best advice but it’s hard to follow. If you can plan ahead, if you can make some small decisions ahead of time, it will eliminate the extra stress, the financial stress.”
Cook admits money is the last thing any new parent wants to worry about when baby gets home.
The first thing to do, says Cook, is find out if you qualify for Employment Insurance (EI). There are a lot of people who just don’t know the requirements. It’s a good idea to do this when you are thinking about getting pregnant, or at least early on so you can make a financial plan. “If you are eligible for employment insurance, the basic benefit rate is 55 percent of your average insured earnings up to a yearly maximum insurable amount of $41,100. This means you can receive a taxable maximum payment of $435 per week,” says Cook.
Then it’s time to get a budget together. Cook says it’s important to first find out what you are spending before baby arrives, where the money goes and what are the discretionary things that maybe you can live without. Remember, you could be living on a lot less than you are used to. You also need to start factoring in all those additional baby costs, like diapers, wipes and clothes.
That is exactly what Krista Boyak and her husband did before their 13-month-old daughter Sophia arrived. “We kept track of our receipts for a month to see where our money was really going. We even kept track of parking meters, coffee, and all the little stuff.” Boyak, who is home with her daughter, says they try to stick to a budget and, every once in a while, they monitor their spending to see if they are really on track.
Cook says when you are planning a budget remember that EI payments are usually issued within 28 days from the claiming filing day. That means there will be a two-week unpaid waiting period before the benefits kick in. There is a relatively easy and painless way to start stashing away cash for your maternity or parental leave, she says. “I set up an automatic special term deposit. Only on my payday, every two weeks, $100 or $50 went into this term deposit and it made a little bit of interest, more interest than if it were in a savings account. I just knew in the back of my mind that was there and that would help me.”
Automatic deposits were key for Brad Scott and his wife Tracey before six-month-old daughter Imogen arrived. Scott says using automatic deposits into a savings account really helped. Scott has some advice for would-be parents: “Use automatic payments to pay down your debt and put some money aside so you’re prepared for the drastic cut in pay.”
Mike Dezell, and his wife Jennifer, did start stashing away money before their son Samuel arrived. “During Jennifer’s pregnancy she began to put a portion of her pay cheque aside each month in a ‘For Baby Only’ account,” says Dezell. He and his wife wanted their son to be cared for at home until he turns two and that is why Dezell is now a stay-at-home Dad. “Jennifer took a full-year leave from her work and after then it was up to me.” Dezell has his own landscape construction business, so he closed up shop this past January to begin his year at home with Sam. He admits that while having a child was the best thing they have ever done, it was much more than they thought it would be, in every way, including expenses. “We’ve actually begun to operate within a budget for the first time in our lives, in the last two months,” Dezell says.
Finally Gayla Cook says parents should buy life and/or disability insurance. “Disability in particular,” says Cook. “The chance of you being killed is very slim, but the chance of you getting into a car accident and hurting your back are quite high and then now you are off work.” She says it’s all about protecting your family. “No one wants to talk about it, no one wants to spend the money, but it could be absolutely the most critical thing that you do.”
A little financial planning can go a long way.
by Christy Laverty
As printed in the Fall 2008 issue of Urbanbaby & Toddler magazine
http://www.urbanbaby.ca/
Having a baby is a big life change. It is a time of excitement and anticipation. There is so much to do: shopping, taking folic acid, prepping the nursery. But many forget to plan financially for the arrival of your bundle of joy.
Children are expensive. Statistics show the first 12 months of a baby’s life can cost more than $10,000. What about all those years after?
Gayla Cook, branch manager at Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, and mom to 13-month-old Evan, says planning ahead is the key. “It’s the best advice but it’s hard to follow. If you can plan ahead, if you can make some small decisions ahead of time, it will eliminate the extra stress, the financial stress.”
Cook admits money is the last thing any new parent wants to worry about when baby gets home.
The first thing to do, says Cook, is find out if you qualify for Employment Insurance (EI). There are a lot of people who just don’t know the requirements. It’s a good idea to do this when you are thinking about getting pregnant, or at least early on so you can make a financial plan. “If you are eligible for employment insurance, the basic benefit rate is 55 percent of your average insured earnings up to a yearly maximum insurable amount of $41,100. This means you can receive a taxable maximum payment of $435 per week,” says Cook.
Then it’s time to get a budget together. Cook says it’s important to first find out what you are spending before baby arrives, where the money goes and what are the discretionary things that maybe you can live without. Remember, you could be living on a lot less than you are used to. You also need to start factoring in all those additional baby costs, like diapers, wipes and clothes.
That is exactly what Krista Boyak and her husband did before their 13-month-old daughter Sophia arrived. “We kept track of our receipts for a month to see where our money was really going. We even kept track of parking meters, coffee, and all the little stuff.” Boyak, who is home with her daughter, says they try to stick to a budget and, every once in a while, they monitor their spending to see if they are really on track.
Cook says when you are planning a budget remember that EI payments are usually issued within 28 days from the claiming filing day. That means there will be a two-week unpaid waiting period before the benefits kick in. There is a relatively easy and painless way to start stashing away cash for your maternity or parental leave, she says. “I set up an automatic special term deposit. Only on my payday, every two weeks, $100 or $50 went into this term deposit and it made a little bit of interest, more interest than if it were in a savings account. I just knew in the back of my mind that was there and that would help me.”
Automatic deposits were key for Brad Scott and his wife Tracey before six-month-old daughter Imogen arrived. Scott says using automatic deposits into a savings account really helped. Scott has some advice for would-be parents: “Use automatic payments to pay down your debt and put some money aside so you’re prepared for the drastic cut in pay.”
Mike Dezell, and his wife Jennifer, did start stashing away money before their son Samuel arrived. “During Jennifer’s pregnancy she began to put a portion of her pay cheque aside each month in a ‘For Baby Only’ account,” says Dezell. He and his wife wanted their son to be cared for at home until he turns two and that is why Dezell is now a stay-at-home Dad. “Jennifer took a full-year leave from her work and after then it was up to me.” Dezell has his own landscape construction business, so he closed up shop this past January to begin his year at home with Sam. He admits that while having a child was the best thing they have ever done, it was much more than they thought it would be, in every way, including expenses. “We’ve actually begun to operate within a budget for the first time in our lives, in the last two months,” Dezell says.
Finally Gayla Cook says parents should buy life and/or disability insurance. “Disability in particular,” says Cook. “The chance of you being killed is very slim, but the chance of you getting into a car accident and hurting your back are quite high and then now you are off work.” She says it’s all about protecting your family. “No one wants to talk about it, no one wants to spend the money, but it could be absolutely the most critical thing that you do.”
A little financial planning can go a long way.
FRUGAL FRIDAY
So this week I was doing my best to curb my spending. I am making coffee at home instead of buy a coffee and treat every day. I am also trying harder to plan our dinners and making sure that we go to the grocery store instead of the fast food joint. These are small steps that I think will add up in the long run. It is about changing habits.
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