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What To Consider Before You Move Cities

Moving is a big decision and one you shouldn’t take lightly. If you’re interested in moving to a new city and location then there are factors to think through and elements to consider before you do.

Moving is an investment of your time and money so before you pick up and go somewhere else you want to ensure that you’re going to be happy in your new location. If you decide too quickly and fail to do your homework then you may have regrets later on.

Cost of Housing & Living

You must consider the cost of housing and living before you move to a different city. You want to know how much you can afford and how moving will impact your budget. It’s essential that you work to live within your means and won’t feel stressed out by choosing a new location that may be more expensive. Check out Homes For Sale and what they’re going for in each neighborhood or area you’re considering before you commit.

Schools

If you have kids or are planning to have kids then you’ll want to know more about the school situation. Consider the quality of education you want your children to have and if the new city will be able to meet these expectations. Read reviews online and do your research to figure out if people seem satisfied with the schools in the location you’re considering moving to. You may even want to go visit and do a walk through and talk to parents and administrators before you decide to move.

Employment Opportunities

You’re going to need to make a living in your new location or city. Therefore, scope out and learn more about the employment opportunities that exist there. It may not be possible to keep your current job and relocate elsewhere so be willing to make a big change if necessary. You want to make sure there are plenty of positions available in what you do and specialize in and that you feel comfortable with the types of companies that are in the new city.

Things to Do

Life is about more than just working around the clock. You’re going to have free days and weekends to do as you please or to spend time with your kids. Therefore, you’ll want to know what there is to do for fun in your new city of choice. Think about your interests and what you like doing currently and if the city you’re thinking about moving to can offer a similar lifestyle that you have now, or maybe even more and better things to do. Consider the weather and if you like to have a change in seasons as well.

Conclusion

It’s important that you stop and think about and take into consideration all these things before moving to a new city. You’ll be much happier and more confident in your final decision when you don’t rush through the process and make a list of pros and cons you can refer to. Enlist input from your family members too to ensure you’re all on the same page.  

Useful Tips for Moms Who Run Businesses

Running a business and taking care of your kids effectively means that you have not one, but two full-time jobs and that can get pretty overwhelming even if you are superwoman, which is why I’ve put together some useful tips to help you juggle both roles and do a great job of it.

Create a quiet space to work

If you run your business from home, finding a quiet space to work is vital. Then you don’t have to worry about the kids saying something embarrassing on a conference call or the baby painting all over your important paperwork. This could be a corner of your bedroom, a shed in the garden, or if you can afford it, you could even think about finding temporary office space to ensure you have somewhere safe and quiet to work. If you really can’t find a totally family-free space to work, then at least let the family know your working hours and ensure they keep away during meetings and when other work is going on - a sign you can hang up, to let them know, may work well.

Whatever solution you find, make sure that you do find some quiet space, or running your business could be tougher than it needs to be.

Make time for yourself

It may seem like an impossible task, but if you want to be an effective mom and mompreneur, you need to avoid that executive burnout, and the way you do that is by scheduling some time for yourself. By spending a couple of hours at the spa or curled up reading a good book, you give yourself the headspace that you need to be an effective adult. Fail to make time for yourself and you’ll make mistakes at work and snap at home and that won’t do anyone any good.

You can say no

A lot of mompreneurs think that they need to say yes to every business opportunity that comes their way. They also feel like they need to say yes to every school event that they’re asked to attend. Neither is true. As a mompreneur, you can say no. Not every opportunity will fit into your life and that’s okay. You need to work out which opportunities are the most important; the most likely to be lucrative, and which are not worth it in the long-term. The same goes for school events and the like - work out which things will matter when you look back on them and which won’t and start saying no more often.

Outsource everything

Okay, so you probably won’t be able to outsource everything for both practical and financial reasons, but you can outsource a lot. From work stuff like bookkeeping and organizing your schedule to home tasks like cleaning the house and walking the dog, there are so many tasks that you can hand off to others, and doing so could help to make your life a whole lot more efficient and more importantly, give you a much better work-life balance.

 

Network

Being a mompreneur can leave you feeling isolated if you aren’t careful. Your whole life can end up being consumed by nothing but work and looking after the kids and it can leave you feeling deflated, which means you won’t be the best you can be at work or home. That’s why it’s a really good idea to network with other mompreneurs who get what you’re going through, and who can offer friendship and support. As well as being good for your mental health, you may meet some people who can put more business your way, and you could even end up creating your own childcare pools and the like, which will make your working life so much easier.

Be flexible

When you’re a mompreneur, it pays to have a flexible schedule and a flexible approach to your working life because you never know when the kids are going to get sick and need you or a million other things are going to go wrong. Being able to shuffle things around without too much drama will really help you out when these kinds of disasters hit.

Take it seriously

A lot of moms who run businesses look at their jobs as little more than hobbies. This is really sad and you should never undervalue yourself like that. If you want your business to be a real success, start treating it like the important corporate company it is and act accordingly.

I hope you find these tips useful for running a business while being a mom! 

Iconic Moments In Your Relationship Worth Celebrating

Many of us will agree that growing up we have the idyllic view of relationships. It might be that you take source from your own parents, or if that isn’t the case you may have got lost in the latest romantic novel or TV program growing up and have this ideal vision of what your future relationship will look like. Of course, for some of us, we will have kissed many frogs over the years. But for others, you find the one quite quickly. At some stage, you will have fallen head over heels for someone and started to think about your future together. 

There can be many moments throughout a relationship that you might think is an iconic moment. Some worth celebrating. Some that are set but yet poignant. As February is the month of love, it would be an ideal time to celebrate some of the iconic moments of any relationship moving forward. It may just excite you about what is to come in your life, or simply remind you of some of the best memories you have with your partner in crime. 

The moment you realize you have found the one

Nothing can really explain that moment when you realize you have met the one. It may happen on your first date, the first time you realized you loved them, or just in a simple moment of ordinary. When you know you just know apparently. It’s a strange one. But the moment itself is one to look back on and remember fondly. Many people celebrate that moment. They celebrate the first date, the date they said they loved one another, and it can be a day worth celebrating and certainly an iconic moment in your relationship. 

When you get engaged

The engagement can be a real iconic moment of your relationship. The look of admiration in each other's faces, the exchanging of gorgeous engagement rings, and even managing to capture the moment either on film or through photographs. It is the start of a real commitment to one another, and it is certainly an exciting time in any relationship. Whether it happened in some lavish event, or simply at home, you will remember the moment for a lifetime. 

When you get married

Getting married is a real whirlwind of emotions, wouldn't you agree? There is the whole hustle and bustle of wedding planning. Booking venues, sampling cakes, and trying on wedding dresses. All providing you with amazing memories and moments. Then you have the lead up to the big day and the emotions attached to it. Finally, you have the day, and it will certainly be one to remember. To the point where you will look back on it in months and years to come and just want to relive the moments all over again. Thankfully a wedding video or a photo album will give you that same thrill looking back over it. 

When you start a family

Finally, starting a family is also a great and iconic moment of your relationship. Nothing can prepare you for it. From the moment you get that positive pregnancy test, to the birth of your child, the emotional rollercoaster you start on is an adventure certainly not to be missed. Having a family is life-changing. It can be hard at times there is no denying that, and you realize just how strong you are. 

As you get older 

There is no denying that having a full life to look back on can be a thing worth celebrating. You may celebrate family holidays, reunions, and other things along the way. But there comes a time in any relationship as you get older where you need to start thinking about the future. One of you may be struggling with illness or a mental health issue, which could mean that you need to think about How To Get Power of Attorney. Of course, it can be a worrying time for all involved. Especially when it is your partner. But celebrating every moment moving forward is something worth noting. You will start to appreciate the little things. 

There are so many iconic moments of any relationship, and as you approach the end of your life it is always worth looking back on. But remember to think about celebrating these things as and when they happen and in the present day. 

Let’s hope that this has sent you down memory lane and reminded you of some of the best moments you have experienced.

When Is The Right Time To Give Your Child A Cell Phone?

Children are great at observation, and even if they don’t quite understand everything going on around them, they will certainly notice that the majority of adults – and some kids – have their own cell phones. They will, at first, be curious about what these things do and, then when they understand the way they work, they will want one for themselves. This can lead to very young children asking for their own phone, and parents becoming confused as to what they should do because, in many cases, the parents themselves won’t have come into contact with a cell phone until their teens or later. Essentially, this is the first generation who have grown up with cell phones since birth, so knowing how best to deal with the issue is difficult, to say the least. 

 

If you’re a parent who is unsure about when the right time to give your child a cell phone is, assuming you want them to have one at all, read on for some useful tips to help you decide.

Do They Need A Phone? 

Most children are going to want a phone, but do they need a phone? These are two different things, and it’s important to understand that want has nothing to do with this decision you have to make; need has a lot to do with it. 

 

Some kids will live in situations that might make cell phones a convenient option. This could be the fact that they split their time between two households and they need to keep in touch with their friends and family regularly. They might use public transport on their own a lot to get to school or other classes. They might have a health condition and a phone will help them stay safer. Take the ‘need’ aspect into account before the ‘want’ aspect and you can determine whether it’s vital or not. 

 

Maturity 

Each child will develop at a different rate, and a seven-year-old might be a lot more mature than an 11-year-old, despite their ages. This is another factor to think about when deciding whether your child is old enough for a phone. It’s sometimes less about their age and more about their maturity. 

 

Ask yourself if your child is responsible; can they take care of their possessions or do they often lose things or break things? Are they able to follow the rules or do they push against boundaries? This can certainly help to inform your decision. Remember, you can always start temporarily, limiting the time they spend on the phone and making sure they know that, if they misbehave, you will take it away again. Click here to read how to monitor your child’s cell phone to ensure they are following the rules. 

 

Cost 

Cell phones can be expensive. Even if the initial device is relatively cheap, the ongoing costs such as a contract or data can quickly add up. No matter how much your child might want a phone, and no matter how mature they might be, if it is going to be too much for the family to afford, then it will have to wait; there is no point in getting into debt over a cell phone. 

 

If this is the case, explain it to the child and see if there is anything they can do to help. They might be able to do some extra chores or use birthday or Christmas money or save up their pocket money so that they can put some money towards the phone; if it’s something they really want, they will happily comply. 

Time To Evaluate Your Child's Activities And Emotions

 

Photo: Unsplash

Teaching kids to communicate their needs clearly and to wait patiently are important life skills. As parents, we influence and teach our children at any given moment. We are not always aware of the power we have to influence a child's behavior, so sometimes the behavior we have taught is not the one we wanted to teach. An example of this is the ability to delay gratification. On one hand, we want the child to learn to wait and on the other hand, we rush to serve them. These skills can be complicated with communication and behavior disorders. Any issues with your child, such as a learning disability or autism, should be flagged early on to allow for early intervention. Some parents notice issues around the time of preschool. Here are some behaviors to observe:

Impatience has several manifestations

Attempt to snatch

The child will try to snatch the object instead of waiting and receiving it.

Demonstration of aggression

This can happen when the adult tries to set boundaries. This is a challenging situation that makes it difficult for the child to immediately get the item they want.

Over-independence

The child will try to take the item alone in creative ways, even in irrational situations. The child will ask many times, will not always recognize the actions of the parent, or will not be able to wait. The child will continue to ask until they receive what they want.

Losing focus / easily distracted

Moving from one activity to another - the child can ask for something and until the parent gets organized and brings them the object, the child becomes preoccupied with other things and generally forgets what they asked for. It is also possible that the child will ask for something in particular and after a moment will ask for something else.

A child can exhibit one of these behaviors when their environment (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, siblings) strives to satisfy their desires quickly.

Is communication the problem?

Generally, the goal is to teach the child to wait patiently and for you to be patient with them. When it comes to a child who has a communication problem, the reality is even more complex. In these cases, the parent does not always know what the child wants and the child in turn fails to describe and explain what they actually want. Communication disorders require professional diagnosis and treatment.

Autism is a very common issue in the world and some of the above problems may not be related to the spectrum at all, but as a parent is important to be aware of these symptoms as well as your child’s activities and behaviors. The more you can get to know your child, the better chance you'll have of being able to assist them. Once they are in school, they will be dealing with more stressful situations; therefore, teaching your kids how to communicate their needs clearly and delay gratification are valuable skills to have.

Kids Doing Their Own Laundry by Age 8--Here's How!

PIN THIS FOR LATER--> http://www.pinterest.com/pin/195765915026639789/

About me: Hey there! My name is Shauna Klippel. I have a wonderful husband and together we have seven children. While I love things like, vintage fashion, keeping organized and exercising, what I love even more is dedicating myself to this family we have created. Helping my children to be happy and successful in their lives is number one on the list for me right now. Together, my husband and I work hard to instill a good work ethic, love and spirituality in our children's lives and in our own lives as well. Part of what makes life busy is homeschool, frequent travels to San Francisco, and regular old household work that has to be done in order for our home to run happily and efficiently. And this is the life that I love the most! Check out my blog at klippel.blogspot.com.

Here I will share with you, tried and true tips and the belief I have behind having children do consistent "work" in their homes. 

Like most of us, as parents we are always looking for opportunities for our children to work. We want our children to be productive people. Gone are the days where we work from sun up to sun down, performing hard tasks that could actually be described as labor. Except for some, this just isn't our reality anymore. So, while manual labor may not be on the back porch, we can expect our children to do major household tasks such as laundry. And this is just what we've done. We've taught our children to do their own laundry from a young age and they are expected to do it weekly. Keep in mind that these tips are tried and true. And, I'm not going to share anything that's rocket science, really. Read on to find out how I get my kids to do their own laundry...it's really quite simple. 

Shauna's Four Oldest Kids

AGE 5:  

First off,

Getting Your Toddler (or Baby!) to Sleep In

How much would you pay to get your toddler or child to always sleep in (or at least happily stay in bed) until a decent hour? If your answer is $30, keep reading...

***UPDATE: Just used this clock successfully with my 10-month-old as well. I love my life.

Not too long ago, I was fighting the almost-daily battle of a two-year-old waking up too early. I found the most glorious solution and have been singing its praises so loudly and so often, I finally decided to write up a blog post so I can send a link rather than re-typing my explanation of this marvelous invention.

It's called the "Ok to Wake Children's Alarm Clock and Nightlight." Lauren recommended it to me a long time ago and I must admit, I hesitated several months before buying it ($30 isn't a fortune, but I'm pretty cheap and was skeptical it would work). By the time I got frustrated and exhausted enough to order it, I almost paid extra for the one-day shipping. In addition to a toddler, I had a newborn and was desperate for any extra sleep.

How It Works:

How to Lock App in iPhone or iPad so Kids Have to Stay in an App

This post has been moved to my new blog: Money Fit Moms.

Go to How to Lock App in iPhone or iPad so Kids Have to Stay in an App (in 3 Easy Steps).

My little guy using my iPhone. That OtterBox case has paid for itself MANY times. :)

My Favorite Things: Save on Diapers from Target, Power Salad Recipe, etc.

----------FOR MOMS----------  

1. Munchkin Nursery Projector and Sound System ($25 From Amazon)

I've had this puppy for over a year now and I am a FAN. I bought this to replace my son’s nap/bedtime sound machine that was nosily hobbling along on its last leg. I decided to spring for one with a projector and boy was I glad. This thing is awesome. The projector is

Saving For Kids' College Education—What You Need To Know: TOP 10 FAQs about 529 Plans

This post has been moved to my new blog Money Fit Moms.

See the updated blog post about Saving for College Here.

 

How to Cheaply Decorate a Kid's Room When You're Renting

I'll be honest- it is pretty hard for me to get motivated about decorating because we are (A) renting and (B) still in a phase of life where we seem to be moving every two years. Consequently, I tend to decorate in cheap ways that leave us with few holes in the wall to fill when we move out. (If you really want to decorate, like Lisa, check out this post.)

Enter Operation: Make Child's Room Less Prison-Like. 

1. I picked up some of those large decorative papers from Paper Source and cut them into the first letter of whatever they were depicting (i.e., "S" is for superhero, which I later realized also had aliens and monsters on it- if C gets nightmares, I guess I have only myself to blame).

Lettering like this is ideal for nursery rooms too. Financially preparing for kids can be difficult, but not if you budget and use ideas like this.

2. I grabbed some rolls of plain black and navy wrapping paper and traced and cut out a duplicate of the letter for a shadow effect. 

3. I printed the text in thick black letters for  "is for <insert word here>" on card stock and cut out the letters. I did this for each of my five big letters. Yes, this is the one time in my life I've coveted one of these bad boys. 

4. I bought some colored paper and printed out the alphabet and numbers one through ten using the outline style in word art. I also flipped them so they were backwards so the outline would be on the reverse side after cutting.

I used regular paper on the "is for guitars" because I was lazy. Not a good idea-- note the curling. Stick with cardstock or at least construction paper.

I finished off with some numbers around the faux "Mondrian" I made with painters tape. I did have to make a couple holes to hang that one...

5. I made billions of those little "tape doughnuts" out of masking tape and painters tape and hung everything up. Depending on the tape you use, the paint on the walls, and how long you leave them up there, you may need to be prepared to clean off some residue when you take them down. 

6. I wanted to put a rug on the floor, but wasn't interested in spending hundreds of dollars. Enter the IKEA play mat solution. I bought four of these cheap, fun mats and duct taped them together on the back side. For under $60 that gives you a large floor covering and play area in one. C has tried pulling them apart one or two times, but has mostly left them alone. We bought one first, and noticed when we went back to get the next three they had switched from round corners to square corners, which makes this work even better (no gap in the middle where they come together).

Also, please note that C is holding a financial calculator.

There you have it. A fun, cheap decorating solution for a kid's room in a rental.

Tell us -- How do you decorate when you're in a temporary living situation?