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Entry bubble National Hobby Month

By: Nancy | January 08, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

Reading. Blogging. Gardening. Collecting piggy banks, or velvet paintings of sad clowns. piggy bank collection

Nearly anything can be a hobby. Celebrate your favorite pastimes and collections, revive old interests or begin new ones with your family during National Hobby Month.

The government web has lots of resources for stamp collectors, Civil War enthusiasts, coin collectors, and bird watchers. Take a look and see what info the government has about the things that interest you.

Me? I collect vintage Little Orphan Annie memorabilia and old time advertising, among other things. I enjoy baking for my coworkers and neighbors. I also fuss around in my garden with flowers and tomato plants—some of which actually survive my tender loving torture.

What are your hobbies?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: coins   hobby   nancy   stamps  

 

Entry bubble Kids and the Economy

By: Colleen | January 07, 2009 | Category: Money

Ok, so the economy has taken the same trajectory as Penn State in the Rose Bowl. This is not news to anyone. While the moneymedia is littered with doom and gloom, how do you explain to your kids what's going on?

It's tough to break down a nationwide situation for a child (shoot, I have a hard time wrapping my head around it), but it's never too early to start teaching them about personal finances and the value of the ol' dollar. Before you know it, they'll be applying for a mortgage—better show them how to be sure they can afford it!

The Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Finance Literacy has a really great pamphlet that covers kids grades K-12, and what they should know about finances, broken down by grade level. For example, a 4th grader should be able to explain the difference between a wage and a salary.

Are you getting hit with the classic, "I really need (*need* being the operative word) a ____" line? Here are some tips for telling your kids the facts about money. It helps you establish a budget for them, and provides guidance on establishing a fair and effective way to set up an allowance system for your kids.

Have your kids questioned the current economic situation? How do you best teach them about fiscal responsibility?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colleen   economy   kids   personal_finance   recession  

 

Entry bubble Caring for Your Pet

By: Joanne | January 06, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

close up of my cat's faceI know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’m pretty sure that our cat understands English. I’m not just talking about tone of voice stuff, but she knows what I’m talking about. When it’s my daughter’s bedtime, she comes running to me when I ask her if she’s ready to snuggle with Bailey, but last week she had a vet appointment and I spent 25 minutes searching the house from top to bottom and couldn’t find her anywhere. She heard me talking about the appointment that morning and even an open can of tuna couldn’t coax her out of her secret hiding spot.

She’s a naughty girl, but because we love her, I secretly rescheduled the appointment. When you have a pet that you care about, you want to care for her as well as you can. Keeping your pet healthy and pain free is best for them, but it’s important for your health as well since some animal diseases can be transferred to humans.

Routine veterinary care is pretty affordable for most of us, but if your pet develops an illness or gets an injury, the costs can be shocking. If you’re a pet owner, you may want to consider health insurance for your pet. I’ve never had pet insurance, but I have a friend whose beloved dog developed an autoimmune disorder and I’m certain that the vet bills were thousands of dollars. It’s pretty scary.

We’re not going to miss the vet appointment this week. This time I was smart and wrote it on the calendar but won’t mention it. I’m pretty sure she can’t read.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cat   dog   joanne   vet   veterinarian  

 

Entry bubble National Glaucoma Awareness Month

By: Jake | January 05, 2009 | Category: Health

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the world and it occurs when the fluid pressure inside the eyes gradually rises until it damages the optic nerve.

Nearly 2 million Americans age 40 and over suffer from glaucoma. Half of these people don't even know they have it since there are no symptoms. Luckily, glaucoma can be easily detected with a comprehensive eye exam. Early treatment, which includes prescription eye drops and sometimes surgery can prevent vision impairment and blindness.

Young people can get glaucoma and if someone in your family suffers from the disease, it puts you at greater risk. My grandfather has glaucoma so that puts me at risk. Since I am at risk, it is recommended I get my eyes tested every two years.

Find an eye care professional and get an eye exam scheduled today!

| Post a Comment | View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: blindness   glaucoma   jake   lost_eyesight  

 

Entry bubble Taming the Paper Jungle in 2009

By: Ginger | January 02, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

I am no longer a New Year’s resolution kind of person. My resolutions were always too strict and things I was destined to break. Instead of resolutions, I am setting a few life-friendly, good-for-me goals for 2009.

This past year things went, to use one of my favorite phrases, to hell in a handbasket. My once casually-organized office morphed into a jungle. In fact, the whole house has taken on jungle-like qualities, and I am not referring to the musical jungle in Disney’s production of the “Jungle Book.” My jungle is one of paper, clutter, and dust.

woman holding a green file folderUp until now, I have been too preoccupied with life events to care or to do anything about it. As I head into 2009, I know that this disorganized situation isn’t good for me and contributes to making me feel anxious. So, one of my 2009 goals is to slowly bring order and organization back into my personal life.

I have receipts, warranties, insurance documents, copies of bills, and a host of other bits of paper that all desperately need a good home or a toss in the circular file. Instead of rushing in and just tossing everything in a massive purge, I need a little guidance on what records and documents to keep readily available, which things to store, and what things it is safe to toss. “Preparing Your Household Records” is a great article with some helpful tips. It is especially important to get things in order with tax season coming up. Consumeraction.gov also has some great guidance on what consumer documentation should be kept and organized.

They say confession is good for the soul. One of my little secrets is that my husband and I were irresponsible and never got copies of our marriage certificate. We assume the justice of the peace who married us filed for it, but who knows. So, it is time to figure out how to get copies of that. “Where to Write for Vital Records” is a good place to start. This site tells you how to obtain marriage, life/death, or divorce certificates, and the good news is that most of these documents can be ordered online.

I am sure I am not the only person out there who needs to get a grip on the clutter. If you happen to be an organizationista (hmm, did I just make up a new word?) and have some suggestions or useful tips, drop me a line. And if anyone spots a toucan with a stapler, I think it is mine.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: ginger   organizing   paperwork   vital_records  

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