Traveling to Hawaii is expensive. Add Disney’s Aulani Resort (twenty-one acres of Disney magic on O‘ahu’s western coastline) to the mix, and we are talking about crazy money. Having been there, I can say that it’s worth it! You don’t have to spend as much as you think, as there are a lot of ways…
The Rich Life
How I Get My Toddlers to Do Their Own Laundry
I have regularly involved my children in doing laundry for over a year now. Starting at about age 2 their laundry duties have gradually increased. Now that they are 3 and 5, they are doing the majority of their own laundry every week. Their duties include: Putting dirty laundry in the hamper. Helping me load…
Feed the Hungry: Stockings for the Homeless #LightTheWorld
My neighborhood is so wonderful. They have been very welcoming, kind, and have great attitudes about helping others. This area has been working for almost a year on shipping thousands of items to Zimbabwe in a large shipping container. The container had clothes, newborn packets for mothers with a lot of baby supplies, rubber snakes…
Medieval Birthday Party
Recently, my family and I attended the Medieval Times dinner and show in California. The kids who attended with us aged from 3-13 and they were all mesmerized—in fact, every child and adult in the arena that I observed and had a blast! This visit inspired my daughter’s Medieval Birthday Party. At the show Medieval…
Should I Have a Second Child? 7 Reasons Why Two Kids Are Better Than One
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of P&G. The opinions and text are all mine. My friends are just about to welcome their second baby. The first was quite an adjustment for them (as it usually is for most). They are a little nervous and apprehensive that this second one…
5 Surprisingly Easy Ways to Communicate with Your Spouse About Money—Without Having to Talk
The following 5 Surprisingly Easy Ways to Communicate with Your Spouse About Money—Without Having to Talk have helped my husband and I be in the ‘know’ of what’s going on with our finances without actually having to broach the topic in a conversation. Communicating with a spouse about money is sometimes tough. More often than…
2017 Halloween Costume Reveal + 5 Fun Halloween Activity Spots for Kids in Utah & Salt Lake Counties
I wanted to share with you our 2017 Halloween Costume Reveal + 5 Fun Halloween Activity Spots for Kids in Utah and Salt Lake Counties Halloween was so fun this year. Kids this age (just about 3 and 5) are so so fun during holidays. They are old enough to realize that they are doing…
How to Teach Your Toddlers to Work, Earn Money, and Become Frugal
Children thrive in environments where they learn to help, have skills to do things, and feel like they contribute. Children should be taught the concept of earning something through work at a young age. I have been learning by experience how to teach toddlers to work, earn money, and become frugal. My daughter, Aurora, is…
How to Cut Watermelon Smart
Everyone in my family loves watermelon! We are constantly eating it in the spring and summer time. Although I don’t love the drippy mess all over the kitchen floors, clothes, and faces, watermelon is totally worth it. In an effort to cut down on the mess and make eating watermelon a bit easier on us, I…
Dating Post Divorce
I’ve held off on writing about my dating post divorce experiences because I wasn’t sure how to. I am now married again to a wonderful man and together we are working through another phase of life: blending families. I’m ready to share my experiences. I thought many of these tips that I found extremely useful…
7 Natural Remedies For Swollen Feet During Pregnancy
There are many things that you will have to endure as you prepare to welcome your bundle of joy into this world. One of the most common pregnancy ailments is that of having swollen feet or what experts refer to as edema. Although normal swelling of the feet does not pose any significant danger to you or…
7 Extremely Effective Ways to Save Money Booking a Disney Cruise
Today, I welcome my friend and Disney Travel Expert Danielle who shares 7 extremely effective ways to save money booking a Disney Cruise below. The phrases “Disney Cruise” and “saving money” don’t typically go together! As a seasoned Disney cruiser (I’ve done 7) and as a busy, active travel agent I have…
9 Easy Ways to Teach and Practice Praying with Your Children
Growing up I really loved how my parents included us in prayers and taught us how to pray. It taught me gratitude (we always said thanks for what we had), it taught me humility (to ask for help and strength), and most importantly, it taught me that I was never alone (I knew there was…
Why Artificial Colors Could Be Making Your and Your Kids’ Lives Miserable
My family and I just got home from the local ice cream shop for a family activity on a Saturday night. My boys and I chose flavors like strawberry cheesecake, rainbow sherbet, superman, and birthday cake. Not my daughter. Her choices were extremely limited. She ended up with caramel. Not because caramel is her favorite…
Mom Stress: 15 Extremely Effective Ways to Deal
Recent studies show that chronic stress can lead to serious physical conditions such as stroke, hypertension and heart failure. That’s why it’s more important than ever to learn how to manage stress levels to live a healthier and longer life. However, when it comes to household and family-related stress, it can seem like there is…
Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You’re Not)
I had the book Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You’re Not) by Beth Kobliner show up on my doorstep the other day. I sat down in my living room and began to read through it. As an author of a financial book myself, I was excited to read another money guide for parents…
An Honest Review of the Owlet Baby Monitor
I have been fascinated by the Owlet sma rt sock for a very long time. It is designed to notify you if your baby’s oxygen levels or heart rate fall out of a preset range. I’ve heard mainly positive things and a few negative things about it. I asked my friend to use it for months and give…
#LIGHTtheWORLD Day 3: Jesus Helped Others to See and So Can You
I am so excited about the Christmas 2016 #LIGHTtheWORLD campaign. I joined and will be given 25 ways/ideas over the course of the next 25 days to try to be more like Jesus Christ. Each day there is a challenge to do something that Christ did in his life: feed the hungry, visit the sick, honor parents, etc. It…
25 Christ-Centered Christmas Activities
I love Christmas! It is such an amazing time of year. I mainly love it because of the fun traditions, the spirit of remembering and celebrating Jesus Christ, and the time I get to spend with loved ones. Almost all of my favorite Christmas memories and traditions have to do with celebrating Christ. Here are…
A Must-Have Item for Parents of Babies. Our Story & Review of the Owlet Baby Monitor
My cousin, Kerby, and his wife, Aubree, have been so kind to share with you their personal experience using the innovative Owlet Baby Monitor. Welcome, Aubree… Hi! Thanks for having me. First, I’ll describe what the Owlet Baby Monitor is/does, and then I’ll share our story which can be found in the ‘Our Story’ section…
How You Can Enrich the Lives of Refugee Children in Greece
There are over 60 million refugees worldwide. Half are children! Those of us who can help should seek to make a difference in these kids’ lives whose circumstances are very traumatic and bleak. My younger sister, Mandi, is a composer and lives in LA. She and a friend, Tiffany Hilliard, went to Greece (paying their own…
Free Financial Boot Camp for New Parents
Babies are the sweetest things, but they are expensive! The average baby costs over $15,000.00 in their first year. Diapers, clothing, formula (if you formula feed), gear, food, supplies, etc., all add up. When I was at about 6 months pregnant with my first, I had to go from full-time to part-time work due to health issues….
My Back-to-School ‘Must-Have’ Item
As a stay-at-home mom who also works from home, I need to have reliable internet with fast speeds. My children also appreciate good internet for their TV/streaming time. As a result, it really is a good possibility that all of us will often be connected to the internet at once. Thus, we really need a…
Back-to-School Lunches, Gifts, and Transitioning Tips
Going back to school is such a fun time of year for most children. I remember while growing up I looked forward to going back to school with great excitement. A few of the events I enjoyed were getting to know new teachers, having more opportunities available to me, buying new clothes, and switching to a more…
Types of Books That One to Two Year-Olds Love
I’ve noticed that certain types of books are preferred more than others at different age ranges. Below you will find the types of books both of my children absolutely love to read or have loved to read between the ages of 12-24 months. Pop up books. Books that have images pop up off of the page…
Day at the Park Packing List
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Wet Ones® hand wipes. The opinions and text are all mine. Hidden Valley Park is our favorite park to go to relax, play, and enjoy a great afternoon. My kids and I love it. We try to visit once if not twice a week….
Packing Tips for Kids
When I go out of town without my kids I like to pack their bags efficiently. This is so that those watching them know exactly what is what and where things are without having to dig. I’ve found packing in the following way really helps those who are watching my kids to have a stress-free experience. Further,…
Garage Sale Haul 3
My daughter just hit a growth spurt and grew out of her 18 month clothes. I was looking online for garage sales that were selling girl clothes and came across this one. When I arrived, I found that they were selling high-quality girl clothes for .25-.50 cents each!!! This is one of the BEST deals…
9 Tried and True Makeup Techniques + My Own Makeup Routine
When I was in jr. high, I made two very-best-friends: Lisa and Natalie. We loved spending time together. We had many similar interests but enough diversity that added a lot of spontaneity and fun. One thing we all had in common was an interest in makeup. Natalie was the only girl in her family. Lisa had…
5 Fun Playdates for Moms of Little Kids
I have a lot of friends with children who are around the same ages (18 months and 3). We love to get together for playdates and chat (or at least try to chat) while letting the children have fun. The following are a some of my favorite places to meet for playdates: 1- Go to the Park. Kids…
