CHRISTEPHI

As much as we love our parents, neither Hubby nor I grew up with particularly stellar financial management examples set before us.  Now o ur kids are still very young, but we have decided we want to teach them the proper way to view and manage money.  It's really important once we have identified a weak area in our own upbringing to seek out tools that will allow us to do better. This is why programs like the  Money Management Certification Program by FamilyMint were created. The Lowdown on FamilyMint FamilyMint was developed by two Michigan dads who saw the need for money management training in their own families, among their own children.  They worked together to create a program that would help instill financial habits in children that would last a lifetime.  They knew the program had to be something that would work long-term, because it takes time to develop information into behavior and behavior into habit.  They wanted something...

Freezing just about describes life around here lately.  Not only does it feel like this bitter cold weather will never end (I admit I was spoiled by living in Southern California for 8 years..."winter" is about a week long), but today a truck arrived from Nebraska Furniture Mart to deliver this: The romantic-looking photo is courtesy of my mad Paint Shop Pro skills.  The frozen veggie distribution is courtesy of Miss M.  The freezer itself is courtesy of Uncle Sam.  It pays to have a baby right at the end of the year!  I'm very excited to have the extra freezer space.  Now I can cook large and put away the extras for those days I just don't feel much like cooking.  I may have to invest in some good freezerware though.

Tunisian Crafts has some gorgeous handmade items for sale on eBay.  I have my eye on a couple of these Moroccan footstools to keep in my living room for extra seating and for putting my feet up while nursing E-boy.  They'd fit perfectly on either side of our wooden bench when not in use. I'd order a couple, but unfortunately today's mail brought two hefty medical bills (to the tune of $4,000!) and no white Ottobre envelope .  So I won't be making any purchases until I speak to our insurance company on Monday.  I didn't pay a penny when I had Miss M, not for the prenatal care, not for the hospitalization, nothing.  I don't know why I should be saddled with such high bills this time around.  Hopefully there's just been some mistake...keeping my fingers crossed!