Looking ahead to 2011: Aspirations and Plans For New Possibilities In My Life #OWNtalk

This blog post is sponsored by TwitterMoms and OWN, Oprah Winfrey Network

Looking ahead to 2011, I see a lot of changes.  For the past six years, I've been a stay-at-home mom.  I am thankful for the opportunity to stay home with my daughter until she went to kindergarten and to be a full-time mom to my son.  With our daughter, I needed to work so I always was torn between work and raising her while my husband completed his degree.  When our son came along, my husband had literally just finished his degree (with 10 days to spare) and we already had plans to move from Pennsylvania to Virginia where he took a job that allowed me to stay home with the kids full-time.

Now, my baby will turn 6 this month and is well acclimated to school.  The time has come for me to move onto the next chapter of my life, which is re-entering the work force.  I had previously worked as a legal assistant, so I'm hoping to parlay those skills into something similar.  I must confess, I'm very nervous about the idea of going back to work full-time.  I'm a little out of the loop, though I've kept up with technology.  I worry that my 6 year hiatus (except for a short stint as a card merchandiser) will be held against me when I apply for jobs. 

One main motivation that we have to move is the school system.  Our schools rank quite low, though they are trying to improve them.  When your high school is scraping the barrel as being in the bottom 5% of your state and your elementary school isn't ranked much higher, you have to worry about the quality of the education your children are receiving.  Returning to work would mean we would be in a better position to move out of this school district into a better one.  Like many in the region, our home value decreased leaving us with breaking even at best or underwater by 10s of thousands of dollars at worst.  We believe that the best way to move is for me to get a job and save, save, save in case we need to bring money to the table when we finally do sell.

So, to ring in the new year, I've bought a program to help me update my resume over the holidays and I'll be hitting those after-Christmas sales for business attire.  I'll still be blogging, but perhaps a bit less often than I normally do.  So wish me luck that in 2011, I'll land a job that will help me reach the goal that I want most:  to move.  If you have any good advice for job interviews after spending years as a stay-at-home-mom, please leave them in the comments section. 

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network blogging program, for a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Tips for shopping for tech items this holiday season #StaplesHoliday.

This post is brought to you by Staples via TwitterMoms.

My family is very much into their gadgets.  My husband is a computer engineer and my kids have picked up his love for anything computer related.  They all are gamers too.  Me?  Not so much.  Anything they really want for Christmas or otherwise is a tech device.  As the principal shopper (and least geeky of all of us), it is up to me to find the best deal on the gadget they want.

1.  One thing that I do is compare prices.  Amazon is a favorite starting point for me, but their prices tend to vary.  Try Price Watch, which allows you to compare prices across multiple stores.  Some retailers offer tech gadgets and other merchandise online only.  That means that you won't see it at the store, so you have to specifically browse their site for the item to see what is available.  Often for me, this means a much better deal on bigger ticket items, like a Dsi XL, which we purchased recently.  I look for the lowest price and then look for a bundle to see if it is worth the extra money.

2.  Cyber Monday is a great day to shop, but I have found that if you follow sites like Slick Deals, every day is a Cyber Monday.  The deal-seeking community there always is on the look out for a deal or steal and is only too happy to report back to share the deal with other frugal minded people.  There is a forum there that discusses tech deals exclusively.

3.  Buying quality is a must. Every one wants to save a buck, but if you buy the cheapest MP3 player and it breaks a month later, you have to replace it or go without.  No one wants a gift that breaks.  For electronics specifically, we tend to stick with known, well trusted brand names.  A super low price tag on a tech gadget is usually a red flag to stay away, unless the item is a door buster at a Black Friday sale.

4.  Skip the warranty.  Most products come with a manufacturer warranty for a year anyway.  If you are truly afraid your product will break within the manufacturer's warranty period, you need to consider a different brand that you are more comfortable and confident owning.  Avoid that upcharge at the register, but be polite to the cashier.  They have to ask.

5.  Social Media is a tech gadget buyer's best friend!  Friend or Follow sites like Staples, Tiger Direct, New Egg, Game Stop, etc. on Twitter and Facebook.  Some deal info or coupon codes are released only via their social media accounts and the early bird gets the worm.  Online friending has its benefits.

Of all of the tips above, I like my last one best.  I have found so many great deals on tech products through social media.  Even if I'm not following a retailer, I keep my eyes on my twitter friends' tweets to find great deals too.  Speaking of following retailers on social media, if you want to keep tabs on Staples this holiday season for tech deals, please check out their Facebook and Twitter below.

More info: www.staples.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/staplestweets
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/staples


I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Staples blogging program, making me eligible for a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

My favorite road trip experience (and how I survived traveling w/kids) #DiscountTire

Family vacations are something that we look forward to.  They don't happen very often, but when they do, we want to make sure everything is perfect.  We have been to Disney twice.  The first time we flew down (my first time flying... ever!) and the second time we chose to drive down.  That second trip is one of my favorite road trip experiences.  It was not without some kid-squabbling, but overall, we managed to survive the road trip with our sanity intact!  We ate at a Cracker Barrel in North Carolina and the food wasn't that good.  We laughed every time we saw a Cracker Barrel sign the rest of the way --- and it seemed like there was one every 30 miles the whole way down I95.

We detoured into Daytona and AIA Beachfront Avenue was pretty deserted.  The kids wanted to see the Atlantic, and had never seen it before, so we stopped and walked to the beach.  We picked up some beach shells.  It was an overcast day, so a bit disappointing.  We tried again on our way back at a different spot on Daytona's beach, but didn't find anything other than a very scary area that made us very nervous.  This is what we get for not going during Spring Break, I guess! 

Aside from our misadventures in Daytona, our Disney trip was a complete blast.  The car ride wasn't so bad after all, though I think next time, I'll fly or find a train to the Sunshine State.

Here are a few of the things that we did to make the trip enjoyable for all.

1.  We made sure the car was roadworthy.  After all, we were traveling several hundred miles from home.  Our tires were in good condition and the car was a relatively new purchase.  We topped off the tanks - windshield wiper fluid and gas - and used the car's electronic sensors to ensure that our tires were optimally aired.  Since our minivan was purchased about two weeks before our departure, we hadn't driven it a very long distance.  So, we made sure that our towing coverage was adequate... just in case. 

2.  Part of the road worthiness of the car included making sure the DVD player was working correctly and that we packed batteries that could replace any in the headphones the kids were using.  A girl can only take cartoon dialogue for just so long, so this was a must.  In addition, we listened to our satellite radio on the way down, something very nice since we didn't have to try to find a new station every so often as we crossed from one state to another.  We also made sure we packed an equal number of videos for each kid so that neither had to watch too many "girl" or "boy" videos in a row.

3.  Perhaps not my daughter's favorite part of the trip was the homework.  Since we were going to be gone a whole week, we arranged to have her home work ahead of time.  We packed everything and took a small TV table with us so that she could work on her homework in the car on the way down.  This was good for us since we remembered how much of a struggle it was to get her to do any course work the last time we went to Disney.  So, this last time, we made sure she worked on the bulk of it while we were driving south.  Before we even arrived, she was almost finished.

4.  We weren't afraid to stop at unscheduled places.  We stopped several places along the way to get food and take in the local flora and fauna.  We never did stop at 'South of the Border', but we did tick off the miles as we got closer to it.  Maybe next time!  Those ubiquitous road signs are something that we will forever remember about our trip to Disney.

5.  Travel in your PJs!  We traveled mostly by day during the trip down and by night on the way back.  We had the kids change into their PJs to make stopping at the hotel a lot easier for us.  We also packed one bag of clothes to be taken in with us, and kept our toiletry bag handy.  This was very helpful for the short overnight stay and helped us to not have to unload everything, only to load it right back into the car the next day.  Since our son was still using Pull-ups overnight, we made sure he had one on at night to avoid any accidents.  Plus, it bought us a little time when there were long stretches of road between rest stops and he told us, not five minutes after passing one, that he had to go.... now!

Traveling with kids can be difficult, but I have found that planning ahead and making transitions from car to hotel the easiest possible goes a long way toward family harmony.  Have a safe and happy holiday traveling season!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Discount Tire blogging program, making me eligible to receive a $50 gift card and be entered for a chance to win a prize valued at $1,000. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Pinching Abe's 10 tips for smarter holiday shopping and gifting #ODSmartGifts

Christmas is a crazy time of year for me.  I am pretty much 100% responsible for the gift buying for the kids and other family members, so it is important that I start brainstorming ahead of time to think of gift ideas and also to keep an eye out for a good bargain.  I make it through (just barely!) each year and try harder the next year to make it more simple.  What have I done to make shopping for Christmas gifts smarter and easier?  Here's a brief list of 10 tips!

1.  Amazon Prime is my best friend.  Seriously.  I know, it costs $80 a year, but if your family is doesn't live within a reasonable drive, why pay to ship it twice?  Just buy your gifts online and have them shipped (usually free on Prime) to the gift recipients.  Let them know ahead of time.  My family doesn't mind wrapping their own gift -- or you can pay a little extra to get it wrapped.

2.  Get your gift ideas ahead of time and wait for the right sale.  I keep an eye out for gifts that I think would be perfect for family members as early as the summer.  I listen for phrases like "I sure could use a..." and commit it to memory or send myself an email.

3.  Cash back is my second best friend.  I shop almost exclusively with a Discover card and sign up for every promotional program that they offer to maximize my cash back bonus.  This year, I had earned over $200, which I converted into gift cards to give to my family.

4.  Another great thing about the cash back bonus is that you can also redeem gift cards for yourself.  This means that book your kid has to have you can buy at Borders, having traded in for a gift card where $20 cash back money gets you a $25 card.  Use some Borders coupons by email and now you're really maximizing your savings!  They have other cash back partners for shopping via Shop Discover, such as Office Depot, where you can buy those tech gadgets your hubby just has to have (and earn 5% cash back on your purchase.)

5.  Plan purchases to coincide with your coupons.  Why pay full price for that as-seen on TV product?  Bed Bath and Beyond carries a lot of those items and you can use the promotional coupons they mail you or you find in the Sunday paper to save 20% off those Perfect Fit Buttons that you think would be a great stocking stuffer.

6.  Hide your gifts, but not too well.  I am infamous for finding Christmas gifts and then finding them half way through the year.  My inability to remember where I hid them (or just simply losing them in the quagmire I call a closet) costs me money and stress last minute as I try to even out the gifts.  If you must hide, create a treasure map so you can find them later.

7.  Enter blog contests for prizes you can actually use or would make great gifts for someone!  This is very easy to do since I belong to several blogger groups.  Another thing you can do is visit Prizey.net and sort by type.  Don't forget twitter too - I often search for "low entries" +"giveaway" so that I can enter giveaways with low entries to enhance my chances to win.  A few months ago, I won a DVD set for babies, which I ended up giving to my neighbor, who gave it to her granddaughter.

8.  Skip Black Friday, unless you must have an item.  I will only venture out on Black Friday if I absolutely must get a deal.  Otherwise, I sit at home and wait for Cyber Monday deals so I don't have to fight the crowds or have to worry about people shopping out of my cart when my back is turned.

9.  Follow your favorite brands on Facebook and Twitter.  You can often find special promo codes that are only listed there for fans!  Before you hit that payment button, be sure you've exhausted all the venues for a promotional code.

10.  Finally, while you are paring down your own holiday shopping list for friends and family, don't forget to make one out for yourself.  If you like a gift you buy for someone, make a note of it on your own list and email it to your hubby.  He will thank you for it!

That's my 10 tips for smarter holiday shopping and gifting!  So far, so good.  I have picked up several smaller items thus far for the kids.  I'm not shy -- I even called my sister and raked her over the coals for a gift idea for my younger brother.  Sometimes it is hard to shop for family you don't see very often (I've never seen the inside of his apartment, so I have no idea of what he has/doesn't have).  So don't be shy - enlist a spy!


I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Office Depot blogging program, making me eligible to get a $40 Office Depot gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Sharing the fun with your kids - 10 ideas for things to do with your kids #TheHub.

Kids are only young once and we, as parents, really have only a short time to prepare them for their life as an adult when you think about it.  While we sometimes can get caught up in our own lives and interests, it is so important to carve out a time to have fun with your kids, even if it is just playing the license plate game in your car.  Kids remember the fun times (I sure do!) and having fun times that create memories for a life time don't always have to include a big, expensive trip to Disney.

Here are 10 ideas for incorporating fun (and play!) into your child's daily activities

1. When it is clean up time, set a timer and encourage your kids to beat the timer.  This makes cleaning up a game of sorts and everyone has to participate.  The kids can be putting their toys away while you hustle to fill the dishwasher (careful of those knives!).  At the end, come together and congratulate everyone on a job well done.


2. Make the time for family game night.  Kids love games and it can be a lot of fun playing both the updated and the older versions of games.  Take for instance Monopoly.  Back when I was a kid, we played til we ran out of money and then made our own!  Now, there's a Monopoly game without money, with transactions done electronically.  Talk about keeping up with the times!


3. Grocery store shopping is such a chore, but asking your kids to help you is something that can make it a little easier.  If you are looking for a particular brand of cereal, play a game of I Spy to see who can find it first.


4. Yard work is also a huge chore!  I personally hate doing it, but many hands make a light load.  Ask your kids to help you with clean up and offer to pay them a penny a stick.  This is particularly fun with little ones who haven't yet learned to ask for more.  The kids will get some exercise while you save your aching back. 


5. Starts with B:  This is a game we sometimes play at the dinner table when we are winding down our meal.  We ask our son who his 'Alpha Friend' is this week and whatever letter it happens to be, we ask him to name words that start with that letter.  This week it is B, so we'll be asking him to name some things that start with B.


6. What's ?:  This is something that my daughter asks from time to time.  She'll ask me what a word means or why something in the world is the way it is (why the sky is blue, for example.)  Rather than tell her (I really do know the answer to why the sky is blue!) I encourage her to Google for the answer.  It is nice to have someone tell you, but it can also be fun to explore and find the answer yourself.


7. Paper, Rock, Scissors:  Paper, rock, scissors has solved many problems in our household.  Who gets the dirty diaper?  We would shoot for it to make it more fair, knowing you had a 50-50 shot of getting out of diaper duty.  We do this now even with the kids because it helps to solve arguments when it comes down to who gets to watch their show on TV or who gets to sit next to Daddy at the restaurant. 


8. Play with the kids and the cats!  Family play time should include your pets.  The kids enjoy throwing play mice or noisy balls for the cats to chase.  Sometimes the cats are very playful and will jump high for toys, which is always fun to watch.  Taking the time for the whole family to play together with our animals teaches the kids that while it is nice to pet kitty, kitty enjoys good, clean fun too!


9. Cooking with the kids is also a fun thing to do because it is both educational and family time spent together.  When I allow our 9 year old to bake cookies, I encourage her to read the instructions thoroughly, measure properly and observe clean kitchen standards.  While cookies are nice to eat when someone else bakes them, there's a certain pride that goes with having made a yummy treat for the whole family to share.  Who doesn't love cookies? 


10. Sharing TV time with your kids - As a parent, I have found that I need to be very proactive in what my kids watch.  Some shows my 9 year old likes to watch include characters with traits that I do not want her to emulate (Sam on iCarly, who lies a lot, comes to mind.)  Perhaps my parents felt the same, but the TV of my generation was so much better.  Sex and drugs were not as prominently displayed on prime time and try to show our kids the shows that we grew up on.  We stream old TV on our Netflix and plan to check out a new channel that I recently found, the Hub.  Last night The Wonder Years was on, followed by Doogie Howser, M.D.  Good times!  I remember watching old Star Trek episodes with my dad.  It was something we shared together that I've never forgotten.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and The Hub blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.