Create The Perfect Homework Station on a Budget!
Kids are either already back in school or headed back soon and that means the homework is going to start rolling in. I’ve found the perfect place to create a homework space in our home and it’s been working well for us. Your personal homework space should be relaxing and inspiring as well as comfortable! Here’s what you need to create your own homework station on a budget!
Work Space: Create a space specifically for homework. This could be the kitchen table, but I wanted a place where they’d only be working on homework, hoping they’d be able to concentrate better. So I bought some wood at the local hardware store, sanded and stained it then attached it to the wall with some shelve supports. It was a quick DIY project and one that didn’t cost to much.
Have your supplies within reach: Depending on what school year your kids are in you’ll need different supplies. We’re in elementary school so I thought it’d be important to have the standard pencils and pens but also colored pencils, crayons and scissors.
Place a garbage near by: I don’t like paper clutter so this was important to keeping the area and their backpacks organized. Hopefully it will get used. You could easily make it a recycling bin as well for the kids to put only their papers to be recycled in. This will help with keeping your area organized and inviting.
Have the computer easily accessible: now a days a lot of homework is done online. Make the computer easily accessible and have your print attached and ready to go for the school year. Don’t forget while getting the rest of your school supplies to pick up printer ink and paper.
Have good seating: no one wants to be uncomfortable while doing homework. Get some good chairs that they’ll be comfortable in but also ones that force them to sit up and not fall asleep. I found these chairs at IKEA and they’re actually pretty comfortable and not out of our budget. You can easily find chairs at the DI or a garage sale that you can pick up for cheap.
And last but not least try finding a relaxing scent. I love running my diffuser while my kids are studying. I’ll put some calming and relaxing scents inside while they have their homework out.
Are you ready for your kids to go back to school? What tips and tricks do you have when it comes to getting homework done?
5 Steps to a More Productive Day
Are you wanting to accomplish more today? How often have you let the day pass by without completing all that you know you can complete?
If you are looking for tips on improving your productivity, check out these tricks and see how much more you can accomplish today:
- Wake up earlier. I’ll admit it, I am a morning person, I love being awake before the rest of my family because it is so peaceful! Seriously I get a lot of stuff done during the early morning hours while it is quiet and I don’t have little ones under my feet. I also spend a little bit of time each morning just enjoying the silence.
- Exercise. Start your day by doing a little bit (or a lot) of exercise and see how much it can affect your productivity. It may be tiring while you do it, but exercise is actually a great way to boost your energy.
- Don’t turn on the TV. If you easily get sucked into the news or other TV programs, do something to avoid that. DON’T TURN IT ON. Once I stopped watching news in the morning I began having a significant amount more time each day to accomplish the things I needed to do.
- Avoid Screen Time. Unless you are needing to catch up on your computer work, avoid screen time. Especially when you factor in social media, it is just too easy to get sucked into your phone or computer and before you know it, you have wasted hours of your day.
- Eat a healthy breakfast. Eating a good, nutritious breakfast can go far toward helping you be your most productive self. The food you choose to start your day with can make the difference in your energy levels and can help keep you fueled for hours, so choose wisely.
What is your favorite trick to staying productive?
5 Things You Should Buy Before Summer is Over
Can you believe how fast Summer has flown by? We still technically have over a month of Summer left though, so not all hope is lost! Did you know that there are certain items that you should invest in during certain periods of the year?
If you are wondering what you should be investing your money right now, here are 5 things you should buy before Summer is over:
School Supplies. Okay, so this one is probably a given, but Summer is THE time to buy school supplies, because of all of the back to school sales. Right now you can find many school supplies for just pennies. So stock up now people! With any luck, you won’t have to buy them again until next year!
Summer Clothes. You have probably started seeing clearance racks full of Summer clothes. That means that this is the right time to buy clothes for next Summer. I was walking through Walmart the other day and spotted an entire rack full of tank tops for $1 each! I stocked up for my daughter and I and now we have all the tanks we will need for laying through the Fall and Winter.
Laptops. Studies have shown that during August and September, laptop prices drop by up to 25%. That means that if you need a new computer, now is the time to buy!
Shoes. Shoes are at the biggest discounts in August, likely because of all of the back to school sales. Be sure to grab shoes for your kids to wear throughout the year at these sales.
Outdoor Furniture. I know, I know, you are planning to put your outdoor furniture up for the season soon, but you know what? Right now is THE best time to buy it. I have been seeing it in stores for 50% or more off because stores are trying to make room for their Fall merchandise.
Pour Over Coffee Kettle $16.99!
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The BEST Homemade Ice Cream Recipe
During the hot summer all I want to do is sit in the shade outside and eat a big bowl of ice cream. I don’t even care what flavor. Just cold, yummy ice cream. Anyone else? I’ve found out that homemade ice cream has that yummy taste that brings be back to my childhood and reminds me of these summer nights. I just love it. Here is a recipe that I’m sure you’ll enjoy!
Homemade Ice Cream
1 quart half and half
1 pint heavy cream
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
whole milk
chopped candy bars of your choice to add in- (5) peanut butter cups, or (5) Snickers or (5) Butterfingers
- In a bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients until sugar is dissolving.
- Pour that mixture into your ice cream maker freezer container.
- Add whole milk to the fill line.
- Start your ice cream maker according to your machines directions.
- After about 20 minutes or so, check for a slightly thick consistency and add in your chopped candy bars. Then continue until done.
- Enjoy!
Everything You Need to Know About The Solar Eclipse & Why You Should Watch It!
You’ve probably seen lots of deals for the solar eclipse! From fun t-shirts to glasses everyone is gearing up for the big day! So what is a solar eclipse? This is when the sun is completely covered by the moon causing certain areas in the US to be black for a few short minutes and it’s all happening Monday, August 21st! So why am I making sure you guys know about this?
While a solar eclipse happen often with usually a total of 2 a year this will be the first total solar eclipse visible from anywhere on mainland United States since the total solar eclipse in March 1979. So this is something you might see only a few times in your life span! Here’s some things you need to keep in mind when it comes to getting ready for the solar eclipse and watching it.
First off if you’re going to be watching the Solar Eclipse it’s VERY IMPORTANT that you get eye protection. You’ve probably seen some deals posted and if you haven’t snagged some yet make sure you do so soon. I’m betting the closer we get to August 21st the harder it’s going to get to find some. If you don’t want to purchase glasses, there are other options you can google like the cereal box option.
Also if you’re going to be photographing this event make sure your camera (or phone) has the right equipment. With your phone you should be ok but always check with your manufacture but all higher end cameras will need a solar filter to protect your camera.
It all depends on where you live what kind of experience you’ll have. If you’re really into getting the best “seats” you’ll want to head to the path of totality which runs from Oregon to Charleston. Don’t worry though, if you don’t have the time or money to make the road trip, you’ll still be able to see at least a partial eclipse. If you head over to this awesome site you’ll be able to see a cool interactive map that will tell you what you will see in your area. There are also tons of viewing events happening around the country as well as many that will be streaming live if you’re not able to catch it.
And don’t forget to snag your Solar Eclipse souvenirs you can wear on the big day. I’ve seen some fun t-shirts including the cute ones on Jane yesterday!
To know when the best time is to see the Solar Eclipse you can head over to this site and enter you zip code! So are you going to be watching??
How to Celebrate Halloween on the Cheap
Halloween is coming up!! Okay, I know we are still technically in Summer, but Halloween will sneak up on us before we know it. Let’s all get prepared, shall we?
If you want to plan now to keep yourself from blowing your budget, check out these tips below on how to celebrate Halloween on the cheap:
Swap Costumes. Do you have friends with kids? Why not have a costume swap with them. Your kids won’t be wearing the same costume they did last year, but you won’t have to buy them either.
Homemade costumes. Check out Pinterest or do a good Google search for costume ideas and you will found thousands and thousands of costume ideas, many of which are low cost and super easy.
Use coupons. Coupons, coupons, coupons! I know we are always preaching coupons around here, but that is for good reason! They help you save money on just about everything, holidays included. You can look for Halloween City coupons to save money on costumes, look for craft store coupons to save money on decorations and costume necessities and don’t forget to check out our site for candy coupons for your candy bucket.
Thrift Store Shopping. You can save a lot of money on your costumes and decor by shopping at thrift stores for oftentimes pennies on the dollar. Be sure and check Goodwill and similar stores as well as they often carry brand new merchandise.
Dollar Store Shopping. Halloween decor isn’t up long at all so you don’t have to worry about the quality of your decorations. For this reason, I highly suggest shopping at the dollar stores for much of your decor.
Get your pumpkins at farm stands. Farm stand produce is often far less expensive than grocery store produce. Last year I was able to buy 4 pumpkins for just $8, which was the cost of 2 at the grocery store!
4 Tips for Making Sure the Kids Eat Healthy When They Go Back to School
Back to school time is so busy that we often look for the easiest and quickest way to get stuff done, this often translates to meal times and packing lunches. It seems like a pretty easy option to just pack up bagged chips and prepackaged meat/cheese/cracker meals for your kids instead of preparing them a healthy lunch, but is that what you should do? Kids need the best nutrition possible to help them have better days and energy to learn and play.
So, how can you help? Well, here are 4 tips for making sure that the kids eat healthy when the go back to school:
Preparing in advance. On Sunday, allow yourself an hour or two to prepare lunches for the week ahead. This will save you from having to rush to put things together each morning.
Buy good containers and lunchboxes. Having good food storage containers and quality lunchboxes is imperative to having healthy lunches throughout the week. You might even consider investing in bento boxes for the kids as they keep all of the foods very well organized. Also, make sure that you get good ice packs for their lunchboxes so that you know the food will stay cold throughout the day.
Pack what the kids want. Give your kids healthy options and find out what they prefer. If you pack healthy stuff that they like, they will be more likely to eat it and be happy about it.
Use insulated, reusable water bottles. Instead of sending your kids will sugary drinks every day, but them a good quality insulated water bottle and send them with cold water each day. Kids will be more likely to drink their daily recommended amount of water if it is nice and cold and they don’t have to go to the water fountain.
Make Prepping for Back to School Easier with These Tips
Kids across the country are getting ready to go back to school. So instead of letting it sneak up on you, why not be prepared? So here are 4 tips on how to make preparing for back to school easier for everybody.
Get back into your schedule
Almost all kids take advantage of summer when it comes to bedtime, so it’s about time to start getting back into that routine. Another thing to get used to is mealtime. Kids always have a food schedule at school. There is a designated time for lunch for everybody every day. So find out what time they eat at school, and try to make sure they eat at that time every day.
Have all supplies ready and organized
It’s always a good idea to have everything ready ahead of time, and the sooner the better. Make sure you try to buy everything they need a month or two ahead of time. It saves money and the stress of last minute shopping. Plus keeping everything organized makes it easier to realize what you do and don’t have for the school year.
Do a tour of the school if you aren’t familiar with it
A tour of the school is always a good idea to do for anxious children. It can ease the nerves and help them feel more ready for school. It’s also a good idea for the parents to do because it can help you feel more comfortable with where your kids are gonna be on a daily basis.
Print schedules
If you have High school or Middle School children, making sure they know their schedule is imperative to ease the anxiety of the “what-ifs”. Printing the schedules out in advance is a great way to avoid these stresses. Kids may not admit it, but they like having a schedule for things. It almost always makes them feel better about going back to school.
5 Awesome Last Minute Summer Getaway Ideas
Summer is quickly coming to an end. Can you believe it? If you still want to squeeze in a quick summer getaway before school starts, it’s still possible and there are so many fun things to do. Here are 5 awesome last minute summer getaways that will definitely bring those fun long lasting memories.
- Visit a National Park. There are so many national parks around the nation. Pick one that you have never been to and plan a quick visit. If you are taking kids with you, be sure to check out the Junior Ranger program. It will keep them entertained as you explore!
- Visit a new County or State Fair. This is the time for fairs around the country and they are so much fun. Find a new city or county fair that you have never been to. This can be a weekend adventure or even a day trip.
- Visit a Relative. Find a relative that you don’t visit very often and plan a trip to their town. Find things to do nearby and explore a new area as well as getting reacquainted with family.
- Visit a Ski Resort. Even though there won’t be any snow, you will find ski resorts to be so fun during the summer. You can usually find better priced hotel rooms at ski resorts as well. Look at their website for additional activities which usually involve bike riding, hiking and more.
- Visit your College Campus. Yes, bring back those college memories. Grab your family and head to your Alma mater. Walk around the campus and reminisce with stories of the good old days. Stay for the weekend or do this as a day trip!
Tips to Keep You Sane During Back to School!
Who’s ready to send the kids back to school? If you’re like me you’ve been ready for a couple weeks now! We’ve had lots of summer fun but it’s time! That also means schedules get a little crazy, we have homework to keep track of, events to remember to get it and everything else. I start to go a little insane with everything. Here are a few tips to keep you sane while you head back to school.
- Use a planner – Either digital or paper style is fine but have a place you can keep everything written down at. This way you’ll keep everyone’s schedules together and won’t forget about the important events you need to be to.
- Don’t over commit yourself – There’s so many extra curricular activities that I want my kids to try out but I often have to remind myself one or maybe two is good.
- Get organized – when you’re organized it’s easier to keep track of your schedules, paperwork, dinner menus and more. This will also save you from picking up last minute drive through dinners or stopping by the store for things you might have forgotten.
- Keep your technology charged – Sounds weird but if you’re using your phone as your planner you’ll want to make sure it’s charged. I also find myself needing to make calls throughout the day or my kids need to get a hold of me.
- Don’t procrastinate – I am a procrastinater and it’s gotten me in trouble and stressed out sometimes. So from making sure you have everything for your first day of school to ordering textbooks and other essentials, don’t procrastinate.
- Lay out your outfit the night before – I can’t tell you how much stress this takes out of our mornings! Even down to their socks, make sure everything is pulled out and ready for the morning. Get their backpacks by the door and shoes set out!
- Take a break – Don’t loose your sanity with all the back to school stress and things to do. Make sure you take time for yourself to relax. Wither it’s reading a book, baking up a yummy treat, getting a massage, make the time to relax.
- Stay positive – We all know when mom isn’t happy, no one is happy! Your attitude can make all the difference for you and your kids to have a good day! Send them off with a cheerful smile and kiss and try to stay positive about the changes they’re going throw too.
I hope everyone has a great school year!!
5 Ways You Can Save on Your Phone Bill
It seems like we all have a nightmare story about our cell phone bill. If your bill is anything like mine, it is way too high! In my household, we have my husband and me, plus two kids with phones and I feel like I could buy a car with a lower payment than our phone bill sometimes. I have been checking to see what all we can do to bring down the prices though and have succeeding to some degree.
If you want to see how you can change your bill, here are 5 ways you can save on your phone bill:
- Call and ask for discounts. First and foremost, call your cell phone provider and see if you qualify for any discounts. I did this and was able to save $10 per month on my bill. Yeah, it’s only $10, but that adds up to over $100 saved per year!
- Look into employer discounts. If you work at a large company there is a good chance that you will qualify for a discount through your phone company. Again, just be sure to call and ask. We did this and we got an 18% discount on our bill because of my husband’s employer.
- Switch to prepay. There are some really great pre-paid plans out there these days. You can find Unlimited data pre-paid plans for $50 or less per month. These are often not ideal if you use a lot of data because after a certain usage (usually 5gb-10gb) it switches to 3g or 2g which slows your significantly.
- Buy used phones or pay outright. Stop buying phones through your provider. This typically adds $20+ per month to your bill to pay for it. Instead look at buying the phones outright. I often look for used in excellent condition phones and buy that way. There are enough people out there that have to have the newest and the best phones that you can easily find a late model, excellent condition phone at a discount.
- Ditch the smartphone. Have you considered going back to the good ol’ days of non-smartphones? A phone that you use simply for phone calls or texts will save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a single year.
Low Cost, Fun Fall Activities for your Family
Fall will be here before we know it and I know you and the family want to have some fun! That being said, I know y’all are on a budget too! So, what are you going to do to keep the fun of summer alive during the Fall when schedules get even busier?
Well, I have put together a little list of things that you and the family can do together to have fun together while keeping your budget under control.
- Go for a Walk. This one may seem a little on the boring side, but it’s not! With the gorgeous Fall colors that start to fill up our outdoor spaces, taking a walk together can be beautiful fun!
- Take in a game. Check out your local high school football team. High school football is always fun to watch and the entrance fees are often minimal. Be sure to eat dinner before you go so you aren’t tempted by that concession stand.
- Go apple picking. If you have a local apple farm, pack up the kids and head out for a day of apple picking. It really is a lot of fun to pick your own food, the fruit is generally much cheaper than when you buy it in store, plus you can stock up! There is also something quite magical about knowing that the food you are eating, you picked yourself. It is a good lesson for the kids.
- Puddle Jumping. If you get any rain during your Fall weather, be sure to slip on some rubber boots and a raincoat and just go jump in the puddles. It is a ton of fun and the kids will have a memory that will last forever.
- Go leaf collecting. While you are out on your Fall walk, why not take some breaks along the way and collect leaves. It’s fun to see the beauty in nature, plus these leaves can be used for some fun arts and crafts projects for you and the kids.
What is your favorite Fall activity?
How to Save on Your Teen’s Clothes for Back to School!
School will be starting soon, and I don’t think any of us want to go broke buying school clothes for our teenagers, am I right? So here are some places that you can buy your teens stylish clothes, without going broke in the process.
Ross Dress for Less
Ross is definitely a great option for school clothes shopping for both boys and girls. They carry some really great brands and styles, and almost always at lower prices than you will find elsewhere. They have many different selections of clothing styles to choose from so you could shop there for the sporty teen, the girly teen, and pretty much any other teen.
Goodwill
Frankly, you really can’t go wrong buying used clothing. Goodwill pretty much has it all. They carry pretty much all brands and clothing types, and they normally sell their clothing for a very reasonable price. Plus, every week there is a certain tag color sale which means that the clothing is 50% off of the marked price.
Plato’s Closet
Again, used clothing is always a great way to go. Plato’s closet is very selective of the clothes they choose to carry. In order to accept clothing, it must be in great shape and only the best brands. There is a very big selection of clothes for both male and female customers. They always sell their clothes for a very good price, and they usually last a very long time.
Kohls, JCPenney, etc.
I know these stores probably aren’t the first places that come to mind when you’re thinking about shopping on a budget, but there’s almost always great coupons available for all of these places. Plus these stores always have super cute clothes for pretty much any teen. Be sure to check out their clearance too, which can often be stacked with coupons! Cute clothes, coupons, and clearance, is there really anything else that you can ask for?
Amazon Hiring Thousands of People in 1 Day
Next Wednesday, August 2nd, Amazon is planning on making thousands of on-site job offers. The big holiday season is coming soon and Amazon wants to be ahead of the game. With all of the new hires now, Amazon won’t be competing with other retailers later when hiring seasonal workers. Amazon wants to fill 50,000 job openings and most of them in that one day. Nearly 40,000 of those jobs will be full time. “Amazon Jobs Day” is what they are calling this hiring event will take place in Amazon centers around the nation.
The hiring events will take place from 8 a.m. until noon local time in Baltimore, Maryland; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Etna, Ohio; Fall River, Massachusetts; Hebron, Kentucky; Kenosha, Wisconsin; Kent, Washington; Robbinsville, New Jersey; Romeoville, Illinois; and Whitestown, Indiana. They will also have off-site events for part-time opportunities in Buffalo, New York and Oklahoma City.