In June, Jonathan will be 3.5 and Vivienne will be 1.5.

I thought I’d share some of the resources we’re using for Johnny’s pre-preschool as a part of Simple Homeschool’s Curriculum Fair 2012. He’ll have another year of preschool in 2013, and will start kindergarten in the fall of 2014 when he’s 5.

[This blog isn't turning into a homeschool blog. I'm just going to have a post or two on the topic, and maybe branch out on homeschool stuff elsewhere.]

I looked at a variety of resources and curricula for this age group — Timberdoodle, Sonlight, Before Five in a Row, Heart of Dakota, My Father’s World, ABC Jesus Loves Me…and plenty of blogs.

I don’t want this year to be academic. At all. I want it to be fun, no pressure, and just introducing some prek skills. I want to read great books with my kids, do simple (keyword SIMPLE!!) crafts with them, and explore the wonderful world around us.

I greatly appreciate The Wonderment Curriculum and How to Homeschool the Early Years for how I’m trying to model what I’m doing.

Children’s literature

I’m using book recommendations from Honey For a Child’s Heart*, and book lists from Ambleside Online, Before Five in a Row and Sonlight to get ideas of what we might enjoy reading together. Not all titles on the reading lists appeal to us, but it’s nice to have a starting point.

I created a Shelfari account for the kids so I could keep track of titles I want to find, titles we own, and which books we’ve already read.

I like owning children’s books. I’m working on acquiring books affordable (that’s a post for another day) and of course using the library for all we can.



My Father’s World

Preschool toddler package for 2-3 yo (I bought the first two of these items around the time my daughter was born for my son)

• Number Express — it’s a puzzle, train, and stacking counting tool. He likes it!
• Wee Sing Bible Songs — I’ve loaded these tracks ontoour toddler mp3 player* and it gets daily use, with a few favorites played over and over. Both kids like it.
• Shape and Color Sorter — I skipped this last year, though I can’t remember why. I included it with my order for other MFW things just this week. Vivienne will be able to use it later, but Johnny too.

Preschool package for 3-5 year olds

I bought the whole pack, and added an extra 8″ pegboard so each kid can have one.

When I first looked at these items, I was like, “meh.”  They just didn’t look that exciting at first. And then I thought I’d buy just a few of those items.

But the pack made an impression on me. I read reviews of the package and ultimately, I decided that these activities will help my kids learn a few preschool lessons without it being over-the-top academic. I like that I’ll be able to use it with both kids.

Timberdoodle

I love Timberdoodle for their fun, educational toy ideas. I’ve browsed their site for gift ideas for other kids, and my own. I didn’t go with a prepackaged core from them, but chose a few things.

Additional related posts:

1. Some plans and goals for 2012
2. Talking about money with my 3-year-old
3. Pittsburgh’s second annual financial education fair

When I first started my blog in 2007, I was able to draw on some skills I learned in college. My degree is a BA majoring in communications & culture, and I have a certificate in journalism.

But blogging also taught me quite a bit about websites and social media — things I really needed to learn on the job here.

I’m grateful that I’m now able to use my skills to do some work with my church’s website. My husband (the techie) and I are doing little improvements to the site’s appearance and function. We now have a social media presence and an e-newsletter for church members. Hopefully this will help our members stay informed of church activities, but also provide helpful information to visitors.

Recently, I interviewed a new church elder for the site. I did a phone interview and it was my first one in probably 4 years. Then, I wrote up a little profile story about him.

I was really rusty and it took me forever. It was fun, though!

I’m looking forward to doing more newsletters and web stuff for our church.

I’m grateful that the Lord has given me this background, and that He has found a place to put me to work.

I guess this project is one of the things that is keeping me a bit busy from this blog, hence me wanting to take a slower blogging pace.

(The other reason? My kids! Such a busy, fun age. They really need a lot of my attention and that’ll continue as we start preschool stuff at home.)

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers, one of my favorite blogs!

Additional related posts:

1. Our church is debt-free! (almost)

I’ve been busy lately and rather than let this blog stress me out, or scramble to post *something*, anything, I’ve decided it would be better for you and me if I just posted as I was inspired and had the time, rather than trying to follow some specific, self-imposed schedule.

You’re busy, too. Why should you have clutter-y posts from me if I’m not really into posting?

Your time is valuable.

So, I’m adopting a slower, easier view of this blog. I don’t need to take myself so seriously with blogging. It’s just not where I’m at right now.

I thought about reposting some things from the archives, but I figure if you wanted to read those posts, you could navigate to them on your own via my toolbar at the top.

[See series, archives, babies & your budget, and retirement guide.]

Lastly, if you’d still like to keep up with my posts whenever they do happen, please consider subscribing so you won’t have to click over to the site all the time. Along those lines, if you’d like blogs that post more often, feel free to unsubscribe. I’ll understand!

Additional related posts:

1. It’s ok to be ‘unfrugal’ once in awhile!

- Our counters are um…well, have a look for yourself:

Yeah. We’ve got money earmarked for replacing the counters and I hope to get that project going soon. We’ll pay a professional to install. I know we could in theory do it ourselves, but we think it’s worth paying someone who knows what they’re doing and has the time.

This charming area of counter space is right next to my sink. I washed dishes then wiped down the counters, and had to scrub just a little because something was stuck (this was an area where there was already faint chipping). And then huge pieces of the paint wore all the way down to the original. Hrmph. We have chipping on the island, too.

Bummer that it didn’t work out, but hey, on the bright side we haven’t painted our kitchen walls yet so now we can make sure it matches the new stuff.

- My seedlings? Dead. Time to buy some pre-grown plants. Or whatever they’re called.

- Shane just got word that his employer is cutting the education reimbursement program. So, if he wants his master’s, he’ll have to pay for it himself (for now). We know he can do 1-2 classes per year and we can claim a federal tax credit to cut our own expenses (assuming that’ll continue). Right now, he’s not going to enroll this year. Our kids are so young and busy — and since it doesn’t seem urgent, we’ll just wait and see if his employer brings it back.

We have some money in a 529 account in his name. We won’t add to it for now. If he never uses the money, we can just transfer it to our kids.

Did you see my guest post on Money Saving Mom this week? It’s called How to Stay Motivated When Paying off Debt.

My post on maxing out our IRAs in 2012 was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance and the Carnival of Retirement.

Additional related posts:

1. Monday misc. — updates on chipping counter tops, dropped phone calls, and more
2. Savings goal updates
3. Highlights and updates from 2011

My guest post, How to stay motivated when paying off debt, is up at Money Saving Mom today. I hope you’ll go check it out! I’ve included a few little tricks and motivational tools you can use to help you stay the course.

Some people have already commented on that post about their debt-payoff journey, and how they are a few years into it with many more years to go.

It’s rough. But it’s worth it.

Take a look at my friend Courtney, for instance. She and her husband have made huge progress, and she’s now past the two-year mark since I first started blogging about it. She still has a ways to go, but she’s making steady progress.

I think automating your finances can truly help, because you’re taking *you* out of the equation. I don’t have to stop and think about putting extra money toward retirement — it’s done for me. If I didn’t automate, I’d probably blow it one way or another. I’m human, and I’m not that good with money on my own.

Anyway.

If you’re new here, hi! Thanks for coming over.

Get to know me a little more over at my about page, and also read up on my money story, if you’re so inclined.

I don’t blog daily (this is one of the only times you’ll see two posts in one day here, heh!) so please consider subscribing to my blog via your RSS feed reader and/or liking me on Facebook to stay up-to-date.

Would love to hear your voice in the comments!

Additional related posts:

1. Reader question: How to get motivated to pay off debt?
2. Should we rent this apartment? Or stay put?
3. How to stay cool without air conditioning

Oh! My poor little Johnny. He fell and hit his head last night and clearly needed stitches. We had paramedics come out and dress the wound and tell us what to do, and then we drove to the ER. They stitched him up and he did so great!

He actually fell asleep during the stitches part, and before that he was content to just chill out and play games on my iPod. I’m considering it a miracle, because what 3-year-old goes to sleep on his own for that?! Later, I asked him about it and he said he was just closing his eyes for a minute.

No. He was snoozing. Woke up a few minutes after they were done, a little disoriented and wanting to know if it was time to go home yet. Yes!

He’ll be alright and I’m optimistic the scar will heal well.

I called our health insurance this morning to find out how far we were from reaching our deductible, and what the damage will be financially.

Our health insurance has a $4k deductible, which we have to reach before they start paying 90% of the balance from $4-8k. After $8k, they pay all of it. I hope we don’t ever have a medical year like that.

Shane’s employer contributes $2k to a health savings account, which is the first $2k used out of that $4k. And, we didn’t use all of those funds from 2011, so that rolled over.

Since Shane only worked at his company for part of the year in 2011, they gave us a pro-rated amount.

Looks like we’ll have about $900 or so out of pocket before we hit that $4k deductible.

The health insurance company couldn’t narrow it down further, since they need to wait for bills from the hospital and our follow-up visit from the family doc. I know ER visits are super-expensive for even the most mundane of things, so I’m betting we’ll have to pay enough to hit the deductible and possibly more beyond that.

We haven’t spent or allocated our income tax refund yet, so we’ll pay our medical bill from that.

I am just counting my blessings here. First, Johnny is going to be fine. It was scary, but it could have been much worse. I’m so thankful that he behaved well throughout (though his sister was a bit of a … toddler about it). I’m also thankful that we have health insurance, and that we will be able to pay our bill without it causing us hardship.

Additional related posts:

1. Why a medical flexible spending account will save you money: Part 1
2. The Unexpected Benefits of a Frugal Lifestyle

This is a guest post by Nathan Brown of Saveology, a site that offers savings and the latest news on att uverse internet.

While the news can tell me how the economy is improving, it’s hard to believe it. With costs rising on everything from everyday essentials to movie theater tickets, it’s more important than ever to cut corners wherever possible.

Switch Your Bank to a Credit Union: Switching from a well-known bank to a credit union (USAA, in fact) was the best thing I could have done. It truly did improve my financial situation. USAA does not charge you if you do not have a minimum balance, meaning if need be, you can have $5 in your account and not have to worry about being charged a fee. USAA also refunds ATM fees, which is a nice surprise at the end of the month if you withdraw cash often.

Get Paid to Shop: If you love shopping online then say hello to your new BFF: Ebates.com! Just log on and click on a link to your favorite online store (the have everything from Target and WalMart to Macy’s, DSW and even Expedia!), then make a purchase as you would regularly. Ebates is then paid a referral fee and will share the earnings with you; a ercentage (1%-25%) of the purchase price.

Bundle Utilities & Home Services: It’s natural to choose your home services based on the best (and cleverest) advertisements. While companies should get extra points for creativity, you should shop around – especially or phone, cable and internet packages, as those can get expensive (but we can’t live without ‘em!). Bundle plans are the best, as companies tend to offer killer discounts when you combine services.

The Library: Who knew you can find a plethora of useful services at your local library. You can borrow books, magazines and even burn CDs for cheap! Also, you can rent movies and print out any necessary documents for 10 cents a pop — versus paying $40+ for one ink cartridge!

Get Your Event Sponsored: Now, I know this isn’t for everyone, but I just had to give it a shout out because it’s such a creative way to save! If “This wedding was brought to you by Ebay” sounds tacky, hear me out; a couple who tied the knot a few years ago couldn’t afford the big wedding the always wanted, so they had a wedding sponsored by 25 of the biggest names (flowers by 1-800-Flowers, drinks provided by Snapple and coke, a venue at a Brooklyn minor league stadium and so on). The result? A $100,000 dream wedding!

How ‘bout you? Will you or have you used any of these saving tips?

Additional related posts:

1. 12 ways lemons can save you money
2. My favorite ways to save money in Pittsburgh
3. ‘Fruglier’ and ‘frugliest’ ways to save money

On Saturday, I went on a whirlwind errand run:

Returned a mouth guard to Walgreens for a full refund. I bought it because I had been having dental pain, but I couldn’t adjust it enough to be comfortable. It triggered a gag reflex and I couldn’t sleep while wearing it. I’m glad the manufacturer offered a 30-day moneyback guarantee.

Next stop: Starbucks. I haven’t been there in so long, it took me a minute to look over the menu. I got…a free coffee. I purchased a pound of Starbucks coffee from the grocery awhile ago, and noticed some text on the bottom of the bag. It said I could take the empty bag (within 30 days of the best-by date) to a Starbucks for a free 12 oz. coffee. So I did.

Next stop: Kohl’s to return three shirts that didn’t fit my husband. Well…let me back up. Two shirts didn’t fit. The third shirt? It was the exact same shirt that I bought for him awhile back. Same pattern. Same everything. He likes the shirt well enough, but he doesn’t need two.

Last stop: Walmart. Bought some seeds in a seed-growing pack. I’m going to try tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, basil and cilantro. All organic. Woo! They’re hanging out on my window sill right now, and with a little bit of luck I’ll have some sprouts soon enough. I’ll transfer them into pots and keep them on my patio (except for the herbs — those I’ll keep in my kitchen). That way, if we have a frost advisory I can move ask my husband to put them in the garage.

Some seeds hopefully growing on my window sill. Yes, my kitchen is still obnoxious bright red. Working on it!

Pretty sure the kits + pots + potting soil (which I’ve yet to buy) are way more expensive than it would cost me to just buy the produce at the farmer’s market. I spent about $15 on the seed kits and probably $30 or so on the pots. I know I can reuse the pots next year so that helps. Then again, it isn’t that hard to spend a lot on local organic produce so maybe it will be a decent financial move.

I don’t know a single thing about gardening. I haven’t bothered to learn much, except for reading the package of the seed kits I bought. I’m just going to see what happens with it. I’m hopeful I’ll have stuff to make a nice salad, and if not, well, whatever.

I don’t intend to have a small garden to save money, though if it ends up giving me a big ol bumper crop of tomatoes I’ll be happy about that. I’m doing this with the hopes of having delicious, fresh organic produce available to me. Plus, I think my son will get a huge kick out of watching our seeds turn into tomatoes.

I wanna get a lot done this week:

• Review my state & federal income taxes one more time before putting it in the mail. I can’t e-file this year. Bummer.
• Figure my Bethel Park, PA municipality income taxes one final time. It’s been almost a year since we started the move-back-to-Indiana process. Can’t believe it.
• Create my FLOP — financial life, one page document. My paperwork is just a disorganized mess and I need to create some order. I bought some more file folders and a fire-resistant box for my important stuff, and I just want to get it done so I don’t have to waste mental energy on it anymore.

Additional related posts:

1. Starting to stock up on supplies
2. A small herb garden
3. Carnival of Retirement #9: Like planting a garden

I saw this deal on MoneySavingMom about some cheap board games, so I thought I’d give it a shot. It has been a long time since I’ve stacked coupons anywhere (a store coupon with a manufacturer’s). I printed the coupons Crystal linked to and decided which games I wanted:

Chutes & Ladders $1.79 ($3 off Target printable coupon, $3 off manufacturer’s printable coupon). A different design from when I was a kid. The classic is better (always!) but I can’t argue with less than $2 for a brand-new board game.
Operation: $16.99 regular price, $3 off Target coupon, $5 off manufacturer’s printable making it $9. Batteries Not Included (4 AAA needed).

This game is updated from the version I had as a kid. Wacky sound effects, including some bathroom noises. Several modes of play. Silly. Johnny had fun tweezing the ailments out of the guy, and making the buzzer and sounds go off. Didn’t have the heart to tell him to not make the sound — that can come later.

Simon Flash: $15 -$5 manufacturer’s coupon -$3 Target coupon = $7. Haven’t tried this one yet. It’s for ages 8+ so I’m sure it will be a challenge for me.

Play-Doh Swirling Shake Shoppe: Regular $12, on sale for $9.99, used $3 off printable manufacturer’s coupon for final price of $6.99. There was a $3 Target coupon available for awhile but that’s gone. This set was a bit of a dud. Hard to get it to work. At least it came with 4 tubs of Play-Doh and some stampers, but overall I wouldn’t recommend this piece. Use the $3 off printable coupon for a 24-pack of Play-Doh instead.

I love board games, card games, and making up games as we go. We don’t have many for Johnny yet since he’s only 3, so I’m glad to be able to add some fun ones for cheap!

*Photos link to my Amazon affiliate link. See disclosure

Additional related posts:

1. Homemade board games
2. Renting before buying games to save money
3. Frugal fun

I went to the dentist recently — the first time I’ve been in for a check-up since I was pregnant with Vivienne.

We don’t have dental insurance, because Shane’s employer’s plan is expensive and doesn’t actually cover much. Instead, we bought a discount plan that costs about $130 per year. The catch? We have to go to specific providers.

I looked at the list of available dentists near me, and settled on a company that seems to have a nationwide presence. They advertise heavily and seem to have a volume business model.

I had x-rays and was passed off to the hygenist where she immediately asked if I had trouble with tooth sensitivity.

“Sometimes,” I told her, “when I have ice against my teeth.”

She rummaged through a cabinet and pulled out a tube of toothpaste for me to use. It was $27. For a tube of toothpaste! She went on to say, “You probably spend $5-6 per tube, and it might only last a few weeks. Just use a pea-sized amount out of this tube and it should last you four months.”

Though she wasn’t the best saleswoman, I thought I’d go ahead and buy the tube. Yes, I know. $27. I just have weak spots on my teeth and I’m prone to cavities. I’m also an easy sell, I’m ashamed to admit.

Then, she handed me an electric toothbrush and demonstrated the settings.

“How much do you think something like this might cost?” she asked.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe $50?” I guessed. She pointed up, looking uncomfortable. “$75?” Up some more.

“It’s normally $200, but we could give you a half-off coupon and you could get it for $99.”

Yay, I could get a toothbrush I didn’t even want for $99! No thanks. I may be an easy sell, but I’m not that easy.

She looked disappointed and then went to work scrubbing my teeth. Roughly. Ow.

The dentist came in and reviewed my x-rays with me. She told me there as a tiny cavity on one tooth, and she wanted to redo a filling. The filling had been giving me trouble, and it was difficult to floss that tooth.

Well. I went back to have those cavities repaired. The dentist said the one cavity was so itty-bitty, she was hesitant to even numb me — the shot would be more uncomfortable than the drill. I said bring it on, and to stop if I yell. I tried to remember some of my Hypnobabies stuff, heh. It was fine and over in a few seconds.

The other side of my mouth — the side that required her to take out a filling involving two teeth and replace it —  yowza. She numbed me and the shot hurt quite a bit. After the meds wore off, my jaw ached. I took ibuprofen and had relief. Still, at times I had intense pain on the entire side of my face, radiating all the way to my ear.

I went back to the dentist and she filed the filling down some more in case the bite was too high. She explained that the nerves inside the teeth were inflamed and it can take several weeks for them to totally chill out. Lovely! And seriously, several weeks? Wish I knew that beforehand. Not sure what I would have done differently, but it would have been helpful to know.

It has been about a month from the initial filling and I’ve gone from taking ibuprofen several times daily to once per day or not at all. Kind of ridiculous, but at least it helps get rid of the pain and lets me get on with my day. I haven’t needed it at all today and I’m hopeful it really was an angry nerve instead of something requiring a root canal. I’m not in the mood for that.

I do understand that the office is a business and they exist to make money. I was just uncomfortable with the upselling and the way they seemed to want to squeak more money out of me.

I plan on going somewhere else for my next cleaning.