Where Does your Gas Money Come From?

Every time you put gas in your vehicle, it seems to be costing you a lot more money. Gas prices are going up so fast that some of us have gotten the brainset that it’s just another costly nuisance and there is nothing we can do about it except keep digging into our wallet and paying for it.

Let’s face it. We have kids and we have lives. We can’t just exist within walking distance. We need to shop, get the kids to school, maybe even get to work. Then, there are the extra curricular activities, community responsibilities, social contacts to keep up with.

Moms spend a lot of time behind the wheel and that seems to be costing us more money every day.Where is the money coming from? Families with kids most often aren’t blessed with a lot of disposable income. There is always a purchase to be made. The kids always feel that they need something. We always feel that our kids need something. Then, there are our own needs.

Do you dig into the food budget to cover that rising gas expense? Are you canceling your entertainment night? Have you quit renting movies?  Is your emergency fund being drained? The extra money for gas has to be coming from somewhere.

A little trick that might help you reduce the amount of money you expend every week might let you give your budget a break. Maybe the miles you put on your car aren’t really smart miles. Figure out how to determine what can be changed in your driving habits that will save you money by reading Does the Cost of Gas Make you Green?

Sometimes we need to use every trick in the book just to help us manage.

Your Gardening Buddy

Are the kids keeping you too busy to attend to your garden? It seems like they always know the least convenient times to demand attention. Muddy hands aren't the best for taking care of the needs of the children, but mom needs some time to relax, too. Gardening is a soothing process that rewards you with beauty or even produce.

Get your kids involved in gardening so that you have longer periods of time to attend to the plants while still spending quality time with your family. You may be thinking that this would be one way to get help with the weeding, but the kids need to do more than that to keep their interest in gardening high.

On hot days, let the kids water the garden and don't pay attention to the fact that they are getting wet in the process. This is a reward that they will even do some drudge work for.

If you have room, give them each a small plot to plant and take care of. Most kids enjoy watching their own garden grow just as much as adult gardeners do. If you don't have the room or the kids are too young, introduce them to container garden. Even a single flower or green bean plant in a pot can keep their interest high as you attend to your own lawn tasks.

Buy some clay pots and acrylic craft paints and let the kids decorate the pots on a rainy afternoon. If you don't think the kids are patient enough to stay interested until plant seeds germinate, take them to the nursery to choose their own plants, or dig one up from your own garden to share.

Gifts for Moms 'Mommy Friends'

Is one of the moms doing more than her fair share? Has she covered your duties as classroom volunteer or picked up your child to host play dates at her home with regularity? 

A busy mom appreciates the other mothers who step up, fill in and don't seem to keep score. A token of appreciation from you would probably be appreciated, and few mothers would take offense at receiving an herb garden in a planter. You can give a living herb garden, or make up a kit if you have a friend with a green thumb.

There are a lot of attractive herb garden containers to choose from. A plain container in a basket, a personally decorated planter (especially if it can be decorated by grandkids), or my favorite, the strawberry planter, all make good container gardens for herbs.

If you’re making an herb garden kit, be sure to add enough sterile potting soil mix to fill the container. Put it in a plastic baggie and wrap it up in burlap. To make the soil look all earthy and natural, decorate it by tying it off with raffia.

Add packets of quality seeds, and don’t forget a marker for each kind of herb included. Darling markers can be purchased at most dollar stores if you don’t want to make your own.

Add enough gravel to cover the bottom of the planting container. Wrap it up in burlap and tie with raffia like you did with the potting soil. Make sure you mark what it is. Tuck the gravel kit into a small watering can and stick it in the container.

To finish off the herb garden kit, add a soil scoop, snipers, fertilizer and gloves.

If you’re planning to meet your helpful mom friend, go ahead and plant the seeds now so you can present mom with a living herb garden as a gift. You might want to make two. Use one for a gift and keep one for your own kitchen. Use it as a quick and easy source for cooking herbs and teas, scented greenery for the window sill, or with a little creativity with plant container decoration, the tiny herb garden will make a beautiful centerpiece for the kitchen table.

Dealing with Negative People

Don’t you just love it when people come into your home and immediately start giving you helpful hints on how things could be made easier for you as you’re struggling with keeping the kids entertained and out of the way while trying to make your guests comfortable?

Sometimes it a family member who just seems to look for something to comment on at every opportunity. We all know people who don’t seem to notice the things that they like, only the things that could be improved on.

It would be nice if we could just walk away or refuse them entry into our homes. But sometimes we just have to make the best of the situation because these people are an important part of our lives and we do cherish them, even with that little flaw in their personality.

Don’t let these little comments stress you out. There is always the chance that the comment was not meant as a judgment.  If you allow yourself to become defensive you’ll just enable the conversation to continue and it may escalate into a big verbal disagreement with hard feelings on both sides. Instead, try to steer the conversation away with the following tricks.

Ask them to help you with something. Send them on a search for a misplaced item that one of the kids is clamoring for or ask if they would start a pot of coffee.

Smile at them and ask if they’d like refreshment.

Find another task that needs your immediate attention and remove yourself from the conversation. Maybe the baby needs to be changed or food has to be retrieved from the freezer.

If, instead of commenting, the person asks you a question that you don’t want to answer, remember that all questions don’t have to be addressed. Stay in control. Be bold and ask them why they are asking you that.

If the person seems like they really are making a judgment about the way you do things, minimize the fuss and let them know that your way seems to be working right now, but if you have problems in the future you’ll remember to bring them up. You can also compliment the person by letting them know that you recognize the thought that they have given the situation.

Remember that it’s your home and your family. Your instincts as a mom usually serve you best. If you are really doing something wrong, your gut will let you know as soon as someone brings it to your attention, and you’ll take the time to listen. But in the meantime, don’t let negatives from others interfere in your home and family.