Search Results for: blog the importance of family time

The Importance of Listening

How could I possibly resist listening to this adorable angel? My daughter’s smile can light up a room, but her insanely long recaps of lunchroom drama between five girls, a shoe, a note and some other item that I have no earthly idea about, are far from illuminating. In fact, her convoluted conspectuses often make my ears burn, though the pain could actually be my brain frying, as I try to decipher what green socks and Eggplant Parmesan  have to do with how she fared on Friday’s spelling test. I try to make sense of it all, but I’m old. … Continue reading →

The Importance of Menu Planning

We save more money when I practice menu planning. I have to admit that far too often, I just wing it with figuring out what is going to be for dinner, and that tends to lead to more spending, either because we decide to go out to eat, we use up the more expensive convenience foods we keep on hand for emergencies, or we ignore our pantry or fridge and have more expired food. Since one of my goals this year is to stay on track with grocery spending, I am adding regular menu planning to the list of practices. … Continue reading →

Time to Get Your Flu Shot

I am a big believer in flu shots. Every year, I sign myself, my kids and my husband up for this important inoculation. While last year was one of the mildest flu seasons on record, don’t expect the same for this year. Two new flu strains have emerged, and fortunately, this year’s vaccine is ready to get you protected. While a flu shot is now recommended for almost everyone over the age of six months, studies show that many people are still reluctant to get their. In fact only about 52 percent of children and just 39 percent of adults … Continue reading →

Saving Time On Your To Do List

My to do list is becoming a novel. For every thing I scratch off three others take it’s place. Keeping house is never ending and just when you think you are caught up there is one more thing to do. I’m a huge list maker. I have lists for everything including those odd chores around the house that don’t have to be done all the time. I’m always looking for ways to get my lists done faster so I can enjoy my home and time with my family. The best way to cut down that list is to delegate it. … Continue reading →

The Importance of First Impressions

We all know how important first impressions are in the business world, but the phrase is just as relevant in the world of scrapbooking. The cover of a scrapbook speaks volumes for what’s inside the album and the person responsible for crafting it. Fortunately, there are no hard and fast rules that dictate how you have to put together a scrapbook cover; however, there are a number of popular techniques that make wonderful first impressions. For example, one of my favorite ways to decorate a scrapbook cover is with a photo collage. This is a great option if you are … Continue reading →

Family Relationships Are The Present Expression Of Family History

While family trees and genealogy research are important tools for learning about one’s family history, relationships with those family members that are still living are the means by which we develop our own understanding of what the word “family” means. Brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, grandparents, and others whom we refer to as “family” make up a group of people that we are taught from birth are special to us. As we grow and develop relationships with these people, we learn more about them and they do in fact become special to us. I have always enjoyed the relationships … Continue reading →

Value Your Time – Part 2

This is the second part of my series on dealing with time issues in your home-based business. In my last blog, I discussed tackling time-wasters and distractions. In today’s blog, I am going to address the importance of valuing your time. What I mean by this is placing greater importance on how you spend your time instead of trying to be superwoman or superman. I’ll be honest. I am not impressed when someone rattles off how busy they are. My eyes start to glaze over when someone goes on and on about how they never have time for fun, enjoyable … Continue reading →

Holidays, Travel, and Family Expectations

Holidays can be tricky for anyone, in any family situation. Married couples without kids, however, face a special conundrum: with whom to spend the day(s)? Again, this can be tough for anyone, but childless marrieds face a particular pressure: you don’t have kids, so it falls to you to drive sometimes long distances to attend the family get-together. Of course that returns us to the initial question: with whose family do we spend the holidays? We pick one side of the family for Thanksgiving and the other for Easter, because Jon’s parents and my parents live far enough away from … Continue reading →

Importance of a Safety Net

If you are a tight rope walker you know how important a safety net is, but everyone needs a safety net, not just circus performers. I’ve read time and again that everyone should have $500 in an emergency account. In the grand scheme of things $500 isn’t a lot of money, but when you are living paycheck to paycheck the amount may seem unreachable. I’ve learned lately how important that $500 is and how much it’s saved me in the long run. First, my dog needed surgery, it was $800 but that $500 sitting in the savings account sure helped … Continue reading →

The Importance of Preserving Precious Memories

This month marks the 10th anniversary of my grandfather’s death. He was an incredible man who made a huge difference in our family’s life. Fortunately, he was a collector and an even more enthusiastic photographer. He actually ran his own professional photo studio for a while before getting into real estate. He didn’t live long enough to meet his great-grandchildren, but his memory lives on in the scrapbooks my mom and I have made over the years. However, without all of the photos he took and the ones that were snapped of him, we could never have crafted the memory … Continue reading →