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Adventures by Mom

Everything you need to know, but nobody tells you about when it comes to motherhood, marriage, and life in general.

March 13, 2018

Personal Finance – Control your money

Who remembers the commercial: ‘This is your brain on drugs’?

Today we are going to talk about money, math, and your brain on math about money.

**Try saying that three times fast!**

First of all a confession. I am not a math person. By that I mean I still pause to remember multiplication facts I have been trying to memorize since I was in the 4th grade. I’m seriously beginning to think that isn’t going to happen. 😉

Math has always been a thorn in my side and I detest having to use it with every single fiber in my being.

BUT

Two things make the world go round –

  1. Love – and all that goes with it 😉
  2. Money – which requires knowledge of Satan’s tool – math

So, if you are EVER EVER going to understand and use math – do it in the math arena. If you have trouble with the math get help! A financial planner might just be the answer to your math problems.

I read an interesting article recently to determine whether or not people understood math concepts with – or without help.

Insert face palm here. DUH!!! I hope they didn’t spend a lot of money on a stupid study like that because only Einstein would do better in math without help. And remember, this is the guy who didn’t remember to brush his hair in the morning so math ability without help isn’t everything, clearly. AND – who let him out of the house like that??

But, the research was done and lo, and behold, observe the shocking results:

21% of people were more relaxed doing math with help

28% stronger ability to understand concepts with help

20% less effort was needed to concentrate on math tasks with help

What does this Earth shattering scientific study mean to you?

It means you should consider a financial planner.

WARNING – A Financial Planner is NOT just for ‘rich’ people.

As a matter of fact, a financial planner makes even more sense for people who aren’t rich. We are the people who need to pay close attention to our money! For example, someone made of money like Paris Hilton hardly needs to worry about her money because she has plenty no matter what smart or stupid decision she makes about it.

Having enough money saved for retirement, college tuition, medical expenses, and life in general is not a happy accident. Being financially prepared for the future takes planning and attention.

Planning for your financial future can be hard and confusing, too. You don’t have to do it alone. Get some help to figure out how to make the MOST of your money.

Consider using a financial planner to:

*maximize your savings

*prepare for college tuition

*be ready for retirement

* have a fund for medical expenses

There are LOTS of financial planners to choose from. Sometimes their services can be free to you. Does your company offer one? Check with your bank to see if they can be of assistance.

piggy bank financial planning

Make your money WORK for you! Heaven knows you WORK for it! Make YOUR dreams come true.

control your finances

 

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March 6, 2018

Funny Words of Wisdom

Funny Words of Wisdom

Are you feeling wise today? Want to feel wise today? Get a chuckle out of these funny words of wisdom and pass along to any friends who also need a little bit of humor and wisdom in their life!Yoda funny words of wisdom

You know you’re a mom when you understand why Momma Bear’s porridge was cold.Funny words of wisdom, you know you're a mom when

Motherhood: Powered by love. Fueled by coffee. Sustained by wine.

I love cleaning up messes I didn’t make. That’s why I became a mom.

Behind every mom is a full basket of dirty laundry.

If exercising patience burned calories, I’d be a Victoria Secret model by now!funny words of wisdom, if exercising patience burned calories,

Mother: noun. 1. One person who does the world of twenty. For free. (See also: masochist, loony, saint)

I love all my children equally. Except for the one that sleeps. I love that one more.

Becoming a mother makes you realize you can do almost anything with one hand.

My hairdo is called, “I have kids.”

If a woman speaks and no one listens, her name is probably Mom.

Nothing is really lost until mom can’t find it.funny words of wisdom

Good moms let you lick the beaters. Great moms turn them off first.

My mom doesn’t just enjoy guilt trips. She runs the travel agency.

May your coffee be strong and your nap time long.

Cleaning house with the kids at home is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos.

Love quotes? We do, too! Add YOUR favorite quote to the comment below and we’ll add it.

CLICK here to read travel quotes from some of our favorite travel bloggers.

Thanks for joining us on this crazy MOM adventure. We want to hear from you! Tell us your crazy mom adventure stories.

Adventures by MOM

 

 

 

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February 27, 2018

Simple French Toast Recipe

French Toast Recipe  – A quick and easy breakfast that just looks fancy!

Simple french toast recipe on a plate

Breakfast can be quick and easy, or a huge ordeal. Don’t worry if cooking isn’t your forte because this simple French Toast recipe is quick and easy – anyone can whip up this delicious breakfast.

French toast looks like it was a huge ordeal to make, but it’s really easy! Don’t be intimated! You can make it for your family and friends. Some people like to sprinkle powdered sugar on French Toast. I know I do! My boys prefer to cover their toast in a lake of syrup. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

simple french toast recipe

A quick easy breakfast!

One top of this simple french toast recipe just add some fresh fruit like blackberries, or strawberries to sneak in those servings of fruits and veggies!

simple french toast recipe

Simple French Toast Recipe – Steps by step photo guide

I don’t know about you, but it helps if I can see what things are supposed to look like through the process.

simple French Toast recipe

What should all the steps look like?

Simple French Toast Recipe  – French Toast is not French!

Guess what! French toast is not French. The French actually call this type of breakfast ‘pain perdu’ which means lost bread. The bread is ‘lost’ because stale bread actually works best in this recipe than fresh bread.

Recipes for French toast date as early as the Roman Empire – early 5th century AD.

So, why do we call this recipe French toast instead of Roman toast or Lost Bread? Well, in 1724 the modern version of French toast was created by Joseph French.

So, why isn’t it called French’s toast? Mr. Joseph French was really good at creating wonderful breakfast creations but not so good at grammar. He forgot the apostrophe so his wonderful creation when down in history as French Toast and people everywhere think it was invented in France.

Simple French Toast Recipe – Powdered Sugar

Toppings can really ‘customize’ your french toast. Powdered sugar is a must in my house!

Get a really fine dusting of powdered sugar with this fancy sugar shaker called a dredge!
Simple French Toast Recipe – Syrup Choices

Don’t get locked in to just one flavor of syrup. Maple is a tried and true but syrup comes in so many wonderful flavors. Shake things up a bit and go for something new and different!


Try this pretty syrup dispenser to make it a fancy party!

If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it worked out! Post your thoughts and photos for us to see!

Simple french toast recipe on a plate

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February 20, 2018

Don’t Waste Money with Credit Cards

Waste Money – Are you making these costly mistakes?

save money series 2

Isn’t it awful to use the words ‘waste’ and ‘money’ in the same sentence? Don’t you work WAY too hard and spend WAY to many hours earning your money to waste any? It is crazy but true. Most people actually waste  some of their money.

Are the bills from Christmas STILL coming in? Bummed about how there is never enough money left over for the fun stuff in life? Worried about how to have enough money left over for retirement? College tuition? Travel?

You are NOT alone!

This, 2018, is the year to take control over your finances. Save money! Stop wasting money! HAVE money left over for the finer things in life. Yes, you, too, can manage your finances.

Piggy bank standing on money

First, if you missed the first article in this series – Step  1, helps you find out where your money is going!

CLICK HERE to read the first step in the Save Money Series.

Are you *gasp* wasting money?

Are you wasting money? piggy bank cash

Examine these common money wasters to see if you need to make a few chances that can add up to BIG savings over this year!

Waste Money – Credit Cards

We all know that Credit cards are a necessary evil. We use them for all sorts of reasons and life would be a lot more complicated without them. However; if you don’t play your cards right (English teacher humor there – pun intended) those little credit card devils can cause you a lot of heartache.

You don’t need to break up with your credit cards, but you might want to take along hard look at them to make the best choices possible for your family’s financial security.

Waste Money – How much debt?

We all know the best interest rate is the one you don’t pay because you pay off your credit card bill in full each month. If you are able to do that – Yeah you! because you would be in the very small minority.

The average credit card holder has a lot of debt they carry from month to month. Interestingly this amount varies by state.

States with the MOST credit card debt per person:

  1. Alaska  $10,091
  2. Wyoming  $8,979
  3. California  $8,917

States with the LEAST credit card debt per person:

  1. South Carolina  $5,406
  2. Rhode Island $5,387
  3. Maine  $5,346

When you carry a credit card balance from month to month you do 2 things:

  1. ADD charges each month from your regular spending
  2. ADD fees from interest

If you carry a credit card balance you are basically digging yourself a debt hold and you are making that hole deeper and deeper each month. OUCH!!

Waste Money – Credit Card Interest

Talk about highway robbery! Take a look at how much interest your credit card is charging you. I highly recommend sitting down before reading because that number could really big BIG! An adult beverage might make that number easier to absorb.

The average credit card interest rate is 12.5%. What does that mean? Well ‘average’ means there are credit cards that have much higher rates – like 27% and there are credit cards that have lower rates. See out the lowest interest rate you can find!

Thankfully the highest interest rates credit card companies can legally charge is 29.99%.

There is a lot of nitty gritty information regarding credit card APRs and interest rates. If you are so inclined,

CLICK HERE to read the mind numbing info on credit card interest rates.

When you are looking at credit cards, interest rates is only one part of the puzzle.

Consider these three things when choosing a credit card.

  1. interest rate
  2. rewards for spending
  3. yearly fee

CLICK HERE  to find a list of low interest credit cards.

Chase Slate looks especially good. It costs $0 to transfer your balance from your current card, 0% interest rates for 15 months (and during that time you can pay down your balance) and $0 yearly fee. Check out Chase Slate here to get all the nitty gritty rules.

****I get NO money for this information.****

We love rewards! Pick and choose the best credit card rewards for you. My favorite is getting miles for each purchase which we then use for travel.

CLICK HERE tips for How to Afford Travel

I HATE yearly fees. I’m just personally offended by them. I mean, I already pay them interest and they want me to pay to carry the card around in my wallet? Um, no thank you.

BUT

If you do the math (OMG – hate math even more than cooking) some of the credit cards that have yearly fees are so worth it. Bite the bullet and do the math. It will be worth it!

Waste Money – Examine your credit card bill

One of the money and soul sucking ways credit cards can get the best of you is through automatic billing.

Remember that $7.99 a month membership you bought to help your 2nd grader with spelling? Even if you don’t….the credit card remembers and your 2nd grader is now 16 years old. Stop paying for things you don’t need anymore.

Take one evening to sit down and go over your credit card bill in detail to find out how much you are accidentally paying this way. Chances are good it will add up to more than you think. Don’t feel bad if this is you! It is really easy in our super busy world to let things like this slip. No biggie.

Make a list of things you want to cancel so you can start the process. I say process because companies love getting money every month – forever- and do NOT make it easy to stop. Be prepared to call, wait, and send emails – more than once.

It will be painful but worth it! Personally,l I have found it hardest to get out of gym memberships (even after leaving the state where the gym is located), alarm company contracts and cable memberships. We have moved quite a bit over the last 17 years so I’ve had more than once chance to go through this lovely process.

BUT – who are they to think they can just keep taking your money forever? Show them who is boss of YOUR money and be persistent. It will pay off.

Waste Money – Choose Wisely

Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up about it if you realize now that you’ve made some mistakes with your money. Just move forward doing a better job now.

I love this quote by Maya Angelou

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”

So, now you know better so you can spend 2018 doing better with your money!

We’d love to hear all about your credit card experiences so leave your story below in the comments.

If you want to hear more from us, check out our sister blogs!

Pixie Dust Queen, Laura Buastian

Pixie Dust Queen – Disney Planning with Pixie Dust

The Educational Tourist in Athens

The Educational Tourist – Raise Global Citizens through Travel

 

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February 6, 2018

Mom adventure- Please don’t put popcorn in your ear.

Mom adventure

We all have our stories to tell, and battle scars to show. Do you have a story that involves an ER visit?

boy activities mom adventures with boys

Mom Adventure – Morgan is the boss.

When Harrison was four the mom adventure involved popcorn and ears.

After I got home from work, Harrison and I went to get the mail.  Our mailbox was at the end of the street. As we walked down the sidewalk, this was our conversation:

Me: So, how was your day?

Harrison: Bad.

Me: Why, what happened?

Harrison: I put popcorn in my ear.

Me: Why?

Harrison: Morgan told me to.

Me: Morgan is not the boss of you. You need to be the boss of yourself.

Harrison: Morgan is the boss. He said so.

Me: Did you tell Ms. B., your teacher?

Harrison: No, she would be mad.

Me: Did you tell Daddy?

Harrison: No, he would be mad.

Me: Is it still there? Does it hurt?

Harrison: It hurts if you touch it.

little boy with paint on his face

What do you mean I wasn’t supposed to paint my face?

Mom Adventure – Don’t panic. I’ve got this! Really, I’ve got this…..right?

My mom brain is trying not to panic with thoughts like:

I’m sure we can get the popcorn out. At least it wasn’t a pea, or bean, because those swell and get stuck! We can be thankful for the little things, right?

Thank goodness he told me. What if he didn’t tell anyone. How long would it have been in there? I’ve heard some horror stories that involve stench when something has been in there way, way too long!

After we made it back to the house, I got a flashlight. Yep. There was a popcorn kernel in his ear. You could see it, but not get to it. I was secretly hoping….I don’t know what but hoping there wasn’t a popcorn kernel in there!

little boy with candy in his nose

Look what I can fit in my nose!

Mom Adventure – Google How to Get Popcorn out of a Ear

Then the thoughts turned to: What could I use to get it out that wouldn’t push it farther in?

He tried standing on one leg and hopping up and down. You know, like when you are trying to get water out of your ears after swimming. No, it didn’t work.

We needed something with suction. The shop vac! I put the shop vac to my ear. It was suctiony, but it didn’t hurt. So I tried that. No luck.

The only thing left to do was call the doctor.

We ended up at the after hours clinic where our favorite pediatrician washed it out with a super size syringe of water.

Who would have thought a giant syringe of water would shoot the kernel right out of his ear? Clearly not me, or we’d have tried that at home before calling the doctor for FREE!

We can only hope he will not put anything else in his ears!

What has YOUR kiddo put in their ear?

You have come to the right spot to tell your mom adventure stories and enjoy ours. Let’s laugh together and share the magic of motherhood!

boy laughing

Mom Adventure – Did I hear that correctly?

Ears aren’t the only small space where you’ll find popcorn kernels and the like. When my daughter was three she was playing with Barbie in the living room. I was enjoying a very rare moment along in the nearby study emailing a friend when I heard them chatting away. How sweet, I thought, until I heard these words, “Daddy, I put a bone in my nose.”

My heart stopped.

My husband didn’t blink and I heard the conversation continue as I flew into the room. Dad didn’t know that the Barbie doll had a dog…and that dog had an itty bitty bone. I really suspected that itty bitty bone was now inside our daughter’s nose!

Mom Adventure – Yes, I heard that correctly.

Of course it was late evening. Of course it was the weekend. AND after taking a peek into cutie’s nose with a flashlight….of course that itty bitty bone was inside her nose.

Great. Now what?

Mom Adventure – Google and a call to the Dr.

Ok, I warn you now. Do NOT google ‘something stuck in the nose’ unless you have a REALLY strong stomach. I nearly threw up after doing that myself. GROSS! You think your kid stuck something weird in their nose. OH, you just have no idea what all google has photographs of.

Since googling ‘Help! My kids stuck something in their nose.” didn’t give me anything but a nauseous stomach. I called the pediatrician. Of course it was after hours ($$) but crazy they were open for some unknown reason and we raced to see them.

Mom Adventure – The Professional’s Opinion

So, after rushing to the pediatrician’s office, all the way there, thinking how lucky we are the office is still open we arrived. We laid out the preschooler on the table and started peering in her nose. I was so relived to get this professional opinion….drumroll, please.

“She has a toy bone stuck in her nose.”

Um, ya’ think? And….there wasn’t anything the pediatrician could do. Next stop – the ER.

Mom Adventure – The 2nd Professional’s Opinion

So now we are at the ER and it is getting late. It must have been a full moon, too, because even though it was an ER in the suburbs on Denver, there were some really….interesting…..things going on in the ER. Ew.

Once we were back in a room to see the dr where my daughter happily eats the popsicle they gave her and watches the Disney channel on the TV, I get the 2nd professional’s opinion,

“There is a toy bone stuck in her nose.”

OMG – ya’ think? And….nothing to be done here. Next stop = pediatric ENT.

boy wearing silly glasses

Who is that mystery boy?

Mom Adventure – The 3rd Professional’s Opinion

So now it is Monday morning and we are in the ENT’s office. The whole crew is with us – Dad and baby brother.

We get back in to the room to see the ENT and anxiously await the dr. The dr arrives, peers into the 3 year old’s nose, with a VERY long hose with a light on the end, and that is just as much fun for all as it sounds, and we get the 3rd professional’s opinion,

“There isn’t a toy bone stuck in her nose.”

What? Did you say...isn’t?? Yes…the bone is now gone.

Before we could breathe a sigh of relief we are told this might not be good news. What happened to that bone? If it came out the nose that would be good but if it got sucked back into the lungs that would be bad.

So…off for x-rays we went.

Mom Adventure – The 4th Professional’s Opinion

At this point, the little toy boy that belonged to Barbie’s dog is now costing an absolute fortune! To think of the trouble I went to keeping Barbie’s toys away from the baby when in the end it was the 3 yr old who stuck on in her nose! Who knew?

Oh, the joys of an x-ray for a 3 year old who does not like to be still and stuck on a cold table where mom can not go. We quietly and, as patiently as possible, waited for the 4 professional’s opinion,

“No bone in there.”

Ok, so now we breath a sigh of relieve. What happened to the bone is still a mystery. Thankfully, this is my ONLY story of something that got stuck in the kiddo!

What has your kid done? We’d love to hear all about it. Drop your story in the comments.

Funny words of wisdom, you know you're a mom when

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