It is fairly easy to create a family budget but the hard part is sticking to it.  With the demands of all the wants and needs of kids, it can be challenging to keep a close eye on your money matters. Here are some simple tips to save money and help you stick to your family budget:

1 -  Plan meals before shopping – Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. You will want to buy everything you see on the shelves. You may think it’s silly, but you will be amazed at the results if you try it.  If you plan your meals before you head to the grocery store, you will have a detailed list of the items you need to purchase. Be sure to stick to the items that are on the list.

2 – Buy off-brand products – Most off-brand products taste much the same as their counterparts. There are a few, like mayonnaise for example, that taste slightly different. For the most part, if you are trying to stick to a budget, buying off-brand products can save you a lot of money. And don’t forget to clip and use coupons, too!

3 -  Bring your lunch to work – Be sure to do the math. If you spend a minimum of $5.00 per day on lunch (that’s a cheap lunch!), at the end of the week, you’ve racked up $25.00. With gas prices on the rise every day, that extra $25.00 could come in handy if you drive to work, too. Instead of eating out, fix your lunch to bring with you.
Take Care,
Aurelia Williams

P.S. Discover how to live on a budget and save money without giving up al lof the things that you love –> http://www.reallifesolutions.net/budget_living.HTML

Please pick up your toys. Put your shoes away. OUCH, was that a LEGO I just stepped on? 

We’ve all been there. The never-ending battle of getting our children to clean their rooms.  Does it seem like the toys, clothes and items in your child’s  room multiply overnight? 

Here are a few tips that you can use to keep your sanity and your child’s room in check:

1.  Use flat, storage bins that are made for under the bed storage.  You can use these to store anything from dolls, sporting goods, artwork or clothing.

2.  Use rounded hooks in the closet or on the walls for hanging clothes, backpacks, hats, etc. You can also hang buckets that hold small toys or other little things.
For more tips on how to organize your kid’s room, visit http://reallifesolutions.net/personal/tips-to-declutter.html
 

Self esteem is an important quality for all children to have. As parents, one of your many jobs is to help your child develop good self esteem.

Here are a few tips you can use to boost the self esteem of your child(ren):

1. Model good self-esteem: Express through your actions and words that you respect yourself. Children are wonderful at imitating what they see and hear. 
2. Create positive routines: Young children need routines to help them to feel secure and competent.
3. Spend time with your child: Remember quality is more important than quantity. Even if you spend just 30 minutes with your child one on one — playing games, taking walks or having long bedtime chats, spending time with your child shows them that you value their company.

I’ve found a great resource for parents that is filled with Ready to Use Self-Esteem Activities for Young Children.  This remarkable resource provides over 220 illustrated activities to help young children:

- feel good about themselves
- develop friendships
- celebrate diversity
- accept changes

For easy use, all activities include a specific purpose, materials and step-by-step directions and are organized into six sections.  Be sure to check it out –>  http://www.reallifesolutions.net/kid-selfesteem.HTML

Take Care,
Aurelia Williams

Ah, dating. It’s a part of every teen’s life. It’s also a source of stress for most parents when their child reaches this pivotal point. It doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are a few tips to help you keep the fear at bay when your teenager starts dating.

Age: More than a Number
Just because it seems like everyone other parent on the planet is letting their teen date, doesn’t mean you have to. Especially if your teen isn’t ready. Keep an eye out for signs that your teen is really ready to date. Dating shouldn’t be based on age alone. Take into consideration maturity and not just physical maturity. Emotional and mental maturities are more important when your teen starts dating.

Open Communication
Keep the lines of communication open. Talk to your teen and be honest about your feelings. Listen to their feelings as well. You might be surprised to find that they are just as scared as you are. Also, don’t immediately go off the deep end the first time you hear the phrase “Check her out!” or “He’s hot!” Be there for your teen when they experience the good and the bad of their dating experiences.

Groups Dates
If you are uncomfortable letting your teen go on a one on one date, try letting them go with a group the first few of times. Even if the group is split up in pairs, it still allows your teen to feel like he/she fits in, but you’ll have the safety of knowing that it’s not just your teen against one other if something were to go wrong. Public places, such as bowling alleys or miniature golf courses are a great option for group dates.

Respect all Around
Teach your teen to respect the opposite sex long before they begin dating. Remember, they can’t respect someone else before they respect themselves. Make sure your teen truly respects him/her before allowing them to date.

Rules
Set rules before your teen begins dating and stick with them. The days of courting and getting permission may be gone, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to know who your teen is with, where they are going, how they are getting there, and when they’ll be home. Set a curfew that you feel comfortable with and keep in mind any laws in your area when doing so. Just because your town’s curfew may be midnight, doesn’t mean your teen should stay out that late if you aren’t comfortable with it. However, an 8 o’clock curfew won’t go over well at all and will likely lead to rebellion from your teen at some point. Find a happy medium that you are both comfortable with.

Need more free tips on parenting teenagers? Parenting My Teen Podcast discusses this and other teen issues parents face. You can also pick up the Parenting My Teen Oath while you’re there

I found a great guide that is designed to help you learn how to organize your life in order to get more time for yourself & your family. <== Sounds great doesn’t it?

It’s no secret that life as a mom can be one hectic roller-coaster ride. You’re the head chef, cleaner, chauffeur, planner and event organizer. When all the members of your family rely on you to keep them organized…something’s gotta give.

In the ‘Organizing Your Life To Find More Time’ guide you will be given simple steps to follow and incorporate into your life that will give you the gift of more time and less stress.

Take a look at the ’Moms Talk Guide To Organizing Your Life‘ and see all that is has to offer.
 
Here’s to becoming more organized
 

Entertaining your children when school is out for the summer can become quite expensive, especially if you enroll them in pricey summer camps for a large portion of the time. However, many parents feel that the alternative is to have their children sulking on the couch while moaning about how bored they are, especially if friends are all attending camps. Actually, there are plenty of ways to have cheap summer fun with your kids. Why not try a few of these budget friendly ideas?

Your local YMCA is a family oriented place with plenty of great activities. Your children can go swimming, take a variety of classes and even attend day camps for a very reasonable price. Most YMCA’s have family memberships, which makes the classes more affordable for families with several children. If you don’t have a YMCA close by, check with your local parks and recreation department to see if they are offering events for children and families during the summer months. Many times, they offer low cost art, sports and even cooking classes for kids.

Another great way for your kids to have fun this summer is to set up events in your own backyard. Have them put together a circus. After they’ve practiced the event and have the ring set up, friends and family can make up an audience to view the final result. Don’t forget to add some games and serve some refreshments that match the theme, such as popcorn and corndogs. If your children don’t like the circus, suggest that they put on a play, hold a pet show or set up a fair.

If your children like collecting things, they can make a natural history museum in a spare corner of the house. Then, you can take field trips to local places so that they can create their museum exhibits. Take them on nature hikes so that they can make rubbings of tree bark and leaves. Let them take photos of local wildlife and flowers, but be sure that you don‘t actually take home any wildflowers, since these plants may be endangered. Go to the beach and collect interesting shells and bits of sea glass or visit the areas where your local rock hounds hang out. If you have prolific gardens or you can get permission for them to pick some flowers in someone else’s garden, your children can also press flowers and mount them as part of the display.

If your children are budding entrepreneurs, they may have more fun making money. Why not try a good old-fashioned lemonade stand? Just be sure your town or city doesn’t have any ordinances that would prohibit it before the kids set up. If they need to clean out their closets and toy chests, suggest that they combine the lemonade stand with a yard sale.

Finally, don’t forget about gardening. Growing their own produce can be fun for kids, especially when they discover a two foot long zucchini hiding in the garden bed.

P.S. For more suggestions on finding more joy in your daily life (loaded with examples and action steps) take a look at Journey to Joy:  http://www.reallifecoaching.net/journeytojoy.shtml

Entertaining your children when school is out for the summer can become quite expensive, especially if you enroll them in pricey summer camps for a large portion of the time. However, many parents feel that the alternative is to have their children sulking on the couch while moaning about how bored they are, especially if friends are all attending camps. Actually, there are plenty of ways to have cheap summer fun with your kids. Why not try a few of these budget friendly ideas?

Your local YMCA is a family oriented place with plenty of great activities. Your children can go swimming, take a variety of classes and even attend day camps for a very reasonable price. Most YMCA’s have family memberships, which makes the classes more affordable for families with several children. If you don’t have a YMCA close by, check with your local parks and recreation department to see if they are offering events for children and families during the summer months. Many times, they offer low cost art, sports and even cooking classes for kids.

Another great way for your kids to have fun this summer is to set up events in your own backyard. Have them put together a circus. After they’ve practiced the event and have the ring set up, friends and family can make up an audience to view the final result. Don’t forget to add some games and serve some refreshments that match the theme, such as popcorn and corndogs. If your children don’t like the circus, suggest that they put on a play, hold a pet show or set up a fair.

If your children like collecting things, they can make a natural history museum in a spare corner of the house. Then, you can take field trips to local places so that they can create their museum exhibits. Take them on nature hikes so that they can make rubbings of tree bark and leaves. Let them take photos of local wildlife and flowers, but be sure that you don‘t actually take home any wildflowers, since these plants may be endangered. Go to the beach and collect interesting shells and bits of sea glass or visit the areas where your local rock hounds hang out. If you have prolific gardens or you can get permission for them to pick some flowers in someone else’s garden, your children can also press flowers and mount them as part of the display.

If your children are budding entrepreneurs, they may have more fun making money. Why not try a good old-fashioned lemonade stand? Just be sure your town or city doesn’t have any ordinances that would prohibit it before the kids set up. If they need to clean out their closets and toy chests, suggest that they combine the lemonade stand with a yard sale.

Finally, don’t forget about gardening. Growing their own produce can be fun for kids, especially when they discover a two foot long zucchini hiding in the garden bed.

Visit  Real Life Solutions, your resource for free positive parenting tips and information.

For moms who work from home, balancing the home and business sides of their lives can feel downright impossible, especially when the reason they began working from home was so they could spend more time with family. However, many home businesses actually fail because moms don’t manage to balance business and home life. How can you juggle your family’s needs, your business needs and occasionally find some time for your needs without being a super hero?

The first thing any mom should do to achieve balance is to get the family involved. If your children and husband support you, you will find that they interrupt less often and are more likely to pitch in to get household chores done. You’re probably thinking that will happen the day the moon turns to blue cheese, right? However, if you mention that you need to get a major project done and will be able to buy a pizza and rent a video when you are paid, you may be surprised at how quickly everyone pitches in to help out.

If you have young children, they may not be able to understand the concept of waiting for a reward. To get your younger children involved, try explaining what you are doing in very simple terms and having them help you. Set up a small desk or table for your toddlers and add crayons and paper so they can help you with your work by drawing some pictures or writing a letter. Children that are a bit older can put stamps on envelopes and seal them, paperclip papers together or do other simple organizational tasks.

Of course, no matter how supportive your family and friends are, they are not going to be happy if you work 15 hours a day. Make sure that you ask for uninterrupted time to do your job or run your business, but also make sure that you schedule time for your family and friends. While you are making up that schedule, don’t forget your significant other. If you sit at your computer all evening after the children are tucked away for the night, you may end up with some serious relationship issues!

Once your family and friends are involved and you’ve scheduled time for them in your life, it is time to consider a few ways to make the most of your valuable work time. While you may be tempted to work non-stop during the time you have dedicated to your business, you should actually try to take some breaks. Taking a half-hour walk or having lunch away from your desk can really help you recharge your mind and keeps your body from growing stiff and tired. When you sit back down, you can do so with a clearer view of your goals and fresh energy and focus.

Also, don’t be afraid to make a “to do” list for your business. Write the four or five items you absolutely must do on your list and promise yourself that you will get them done before you visit your favorite forums or check your email. This can really help you get more work accomplished in less time.

So, although you may not have super powers, you can still have a home life, a business life and some time for yourself. The next time you are feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath, ask your family for some help and try out a few of these great ideas for balancing your life.

Visit Real Life Solutions, a Family Resource site that helps you lead an emotionally healthier & less stressful life.

I love nothing more than sharing great free tips and resources with you and boy-oh-boy do I have a doozy here.  It is just about summer time and it is time to bring Sexy Back if you haven’t seen it in awhile (smile)

The Hot Mama Makeover – Is a totally free 35-page guide to give any mom the confidence boost she needs.

It is free and offers a step by step guide for moms to want to feel just a tad sexier and more confident.

Be sure to grab your free Hot Mama Makeover here: http://www.reallifesolutions.net/HotMama.HTML I read the entire thing and fully enjoyed it and learned a lot!

Enjoy -

Aurelia Williams
(A Hot Mama)