HappyGoMommy!

Money Doesn't Grow on Trees....

And for that very reason, I'm running a simple "Saving Smart" series right here on my blog starting tomorrow, October 1st, and running for 10 days!  :) We'll cover ways to cut costs on everything from kids' clothes to eating out, to wills and budgets. I have spoken to many groups about saving money and ways to budget and will be sharing some of my tips with you here. This is simple personal finance at its finest - nothing about stocks, 401Ks, bonds, or Wall Street. Just simple, mom-to-mom finance tips you can easily implement.

You won't want to miss it! Please spread the word and check in each day! And if you have something specific you would like me to address, please email me or leave a comment. Thanks!

Pardon the Interruption...

For this political post. :)

I love politics. I enjoy debating. I love hearing other's views and sharing mine. I'm a Christian-Conservative-Right-Winger, but also lean very strongly towards Libertarianism. (Not sure where you stand or what your views are called? Take this very, very short quiz to find out.) I want LESS government involvement and MORE personal responsibility in this world. Go figure. It's really not that complicated!

I'm disgusted (like many) at Washington D.C.'s role in the current banking "crisis" and wish they would let capitalism run its course. Yes, that means companies will fail. Yes, people will lose money (ummm....that's why stocks are still called "high-risk," "low-risk," etc...it's still a RISK!). Yes, many will be unable to get loans. GO FIGURE. Many people have been borrowing and spending more than they should anyway. God even told us in the Bible that borrowing is bad.

I compare the bailouts to parenting. As parents, we commonly hear that kids need to fail. They need to learn from their mistakes. Parents should not coddle their kids. We should let them learn and grow and not hover. It's the same way in our economy! Unless we allow companies to fail, they will not learn from their mistakes and we will be right back where we are now in the future.

If you are confused about what's going on in our economy currently, I would love to answer your questions. Even respectfully debate with you if you feel differently. :)  One of the best things I have read on the subject comes from Joel Stein, a writer for the LA Times. I agree wholeheartedly with his column. You can read it here - and don't worry, it's very understandable even if you don't understand what is going on. :)

100 Things About HappyGoMommy

Just so you know what makes me tick. :) And because I am way behind in posting! Let me know which fact # surprised you most about me!!

1. I love life.

2. I love God and thank Him every day for the life, health and family I've been given.

3. I had a fantastic childhood.

4. I once had a splinter in my backside from scootching along the bleacher seats in fourth grade.

5. It was about an inch and a half long.

6. I stepped on a sea urchin in Barbados while on a mission trip.

5. To get the spines out of my toes, the native hospital put hot candle wax on my toes, let it harden, and peeled off the wax, thus pulling out part of the spines.

6. There were 13 spines in my left foot.

7. They applied hot candle wax to my toes multiple times.

8. I don't like shots.

9. I really, really don't like going to the dentist.

10. I have an amazing husband who is an awesome father.

11. We have three great kids.

12. One was a surprise. :)

13. I wish we had more kids.

14. I am eternal optimist.

15. I love to read.

16. We homeschool.

17. I've been married since 1998.

18. Eighteen is my favorite number.

19. Three is my husband's favorite number.

20. I don't think my kids have favorite numbers yet.  :)

21. I slept with a stuffed, white teddy bear until I went away to college.

22. I graduated with honors from Slippery Rock University.

23. Yes, there is such a school.

24. No, it is not in Arkansas.

25. I organized a group of women to play Bunco and we loved it but no longer meet.

25. We didn't know know what to call ourselves - "Bunco Babes?" "Bunco Bimbos?"

26. It was really just an excuse to eat and talk and eat and laugh and talk some more (and eat some more).

27. I love my friends.

28. Everyone in my family likes to cook and watch Food Network.

29. Especially Ace of Cakes.

30. I like control.

31. I can be bossy (goes with the control thing).

32. I have been working very hard to be more submissive to my husband.

33. Yes, it's Biblical.

34. And no, he's not making me.  :)

35. He doesn't have control issues. :)

36. I am a Certified Athletic Trainer. A medical professional.

37. Nationally certified, state licensed and everything. (Well, I was....but I just recently let it expire because instead....)

38. I chose to be a mommy & NOT go back to athletic training. Ever.

39. I stay home and teach my kids.

40. It's much more fulfilling. :)

41. And I don't have to wake up to an alarm clock! (Even though I do most days.)

42. I met my husband skiing. He fell and grabbed my boobs. He says it was an accident.

43. I don't think so. :)

44. I love the Steelers. (If you don't follow football, just know this: the Steelers are five-time Super Bowl champs!)

45. Yes, I really understand football and can follow the game.

46. Baseball, too.

47. I got great lessons from my cute hubby. :)

48. I scrapbook.

49. I wish I made more time to scrapbook.

50. I absolutely love to snuggle with my kids.

51. We are a (mostly) one-income family and because of this, I like making our money s-t-r-e-t-c-h.

52. I like to save lots of money.

53. But it would be fun to win the lottery.  :)

54. Too bad I don't play!

55. I've traveled to almost all of the 50 states.

56. And France, England, Mexico, Canada, Barbados and Wales.

57. Mostly due to family vacations growing up.

58. I really want to go to Africa.

59. And Alaska.

60. I can say the alphabet backwards.

61. Quickly! "Z, Y, X, W, V, U....."

62. I like to use my laptop.

63. And blog - though I don't do it enough!

64. I love politices.

65. I'm not a fan of Democrats.

66. Or socialism.

67. I believe capitalism works and is best for our society.

68. I like to budget our money.

69. I enjoy listening to Dave Ramsey and hope to see him live someday with Brad.

70. I don't mow.

71. I enjoy raking leaves and trimming shrubs.

72. I hate pulling weeds.

73. I love getting mail and sending cards.

74. My birthday is November 6th.

75. Really, it should be a national holiday. :)

76. I am very fortunate to have both of my parents still living, as well as three of my grandparents.

77. I like logic.

78. I love logic puzzles.

79. Especially Sudoku!

80. I rarely do dishes, but...

81. I do laundry nearly everyday.

82. I plan to go back to work someday.

83. I just can't figure out what I want to do - I love everything!

84. I love the smell of freshly washed kids.

85. I love family events and spending time with my extended family.

86. Are you still paying attention? If so, thanks for reading this far!!

87. I place a high value on honesty and don't like being lied to.

88. I also place a high value on committments and following through on your word.

89. I read too much. (Is that possible?)

90. I especially love magazines - everything from Newsweek to People to Mothering to Above Rubies.

91. One of my favorite things to do is go out to eat with family or friends and spend time chatting!

92. I'm very thankful that I live in such a homeschool-friendly area.

93. But I really wish I lived somewhere more beautiful (like Colorado, Utah or Washington!).

94. I'm addicted to Facebook.

95. I've been with my husband for over 13 years. Still goin' strong...

96. I used to be a camp counselor.

97. I lettered in band, speech and football in high school!

98. I'd like to live in a home in the country.

99. We are working towards that goal as a family. :)

100. I wouldn't trade my life for anything!

Western PA Trip

The past 10 days have been a whirlwind of craziness for us! The bad news? Our car broke down ($500+ to fix it!), my computer crashed (THANK YOU Stone Computer for recovering most of my files & especially my photos - I love you!!), our two home phones died, our upstairs TV conked out (now fixed), and our printer was on the fritz! The good news?? All is well now and no one is sick, injured, etc.! Just minor speed bumps on the road of life!

The good news? We still managed to fit in a four-day trip to western PA - a beautiful place! Love all the hills! We took a short trip there to visit our college town - Slippery Rock. It was fun to be back with our kids and walk around campus. Man - we felt old!! We also ate at a favorite restaurant from our dating days - Rachel's - and it was as good as ever!

This is a photo of my dorm - it is now co-ed! Big change for little SRU! My old room is the window you see in the top left corner. I had a single room from my sophomore year on and absolutely loved it! Great memories from this place. :)

We then spent part of our day in Grove City, PA at the large outlet mall before heading to Pittsburgh for a few days.

We spent the next two days with Brad's mom in Pittsburgh and had a nice time just visiting and spending time with her. She was also kind enough to watch the kids so we could enjoy a night out! The real reason for our trip was because I had given tickets to Brad for a performance of The Chief, a one-man show about the former owner of the Steelers.

He has wanted to see the play for years, and I did some research last spring and found out that this is the last season they would be showing it. So we headed out for a nice dinner before the show (just us!) and then walked downtown for about an hour before the show started. Brad loved the play - I thought it was a bit boring until the end - but as a Steelers fan, I am glad I saw it!

So it's been a whirlwind of activity in our home lately - but we are enjoying life and God has continued to protect us and provide for our every need.

Cool Video

Found this via my friend Ted's blog. It's a short video about Tim Tebow.

If you don't know who Tim Tebow is, he is a great college football player and plays for the Florida Gators. He was also homeschooled. :) He won the Heismann Trophy in 2007, and he's a great athlete and a great Christian. Enjoy this clip.

Something New...

This week's theme for Homeschool Memoirs is "Something New." Here is how they define the theme: 

Planning your homeschool is a lot of fun, especially if you’re going to be trying something new. Just like finding a shiny new penny you’re excited to use it....This week I hope you’ll share something new you’re using, why you’ve decided to use it, and if you have used it how you like it. Make sure to include the publishing information and where you got it from so others can look into if they like.

I've already shared a lot about our curriculum for the year here, and most of what we are using we have used (and liked!) before in the past! But one new thing I have added this year is Spelling Time.

It is an online spelling program which Riley can do completely independently. It frees up some of my time to work with Quinn, and also gives her experience with typing and working on the computer. I really love their site and the way it is set up; I just hate that there is a fee for it. Ugh! I design my own spelling lists for Riley and then put in the words at the beginning of the week. Each day, she does a different exercise with her spelling words. She earns credits doing the exercises which she can use to play games on their site. At the end of the week, there is a quiz on Thursday and a test on Friday.

They also email me her results (even though she's already told me by the time I get them!). :)  It's a fun little program which Riley and I have both enjoyed adding to our school year. 

(BTW - This isn't meant to sound like an advertisement! Unless they want to give me a free year's subscription or something!)

Yes, friends....

THIS is the shirt I need! It's currently snack break time at our house and a quick survey of our house quickly tells me that this shirt is true! Off to work I go....

I'm an Addict...

I'm in love with Facebook and connecting to old friends! It's fun and a great way to find old friends from childhood (check), high school (check), college (check), old boyfriends (check), and friends from now (check). I also enjoy reading my friends' status updates and challenging my friends to Sudoku competitions. I'm batting a thousand (that means 100% for you non-baseball fans) so far - want to challenge me? I'd love it!!

If you are currently on Facebook and know my real name, please feel free to add me! :) Here's a peek at my "flair" (buttons to express my personality/views) from Facebook! (Click on it to see it larger.)

Bad Day...

It was a bad day at our house today :( UGH! Just lots of whining, temper tantrums, etc. Even an evening walk for the whole family was crummy because of whining. Fortunately tomorrow is a new day! :) As Riley said tonight at dinner, "Mom, I think everyone just needs a good sleep tonight." Too cute! I coudn't have said it better myself!

My Better Half :)

I love my husband. He's my best friend and I still enjoy being around him! We don't argue very often, but when we do, we are both stubborn and passionate about it! I found this meme via another blog and thought I would share it here so you can learn more about Brad!

1. Who is your man? He's Brad, a graphic designer for a newspaper and a magazine. He loves sports, family and being goofy. He's extremely quick-witted. He's loyal and hard-working. I don't know anyone who doesn't get along with Brad; he is easy to like! He is a sports nut & hates spiders. :)

2. How long have you been together? We've been married for 10 years.

3. How long dated? We dated for over three years before we got married as we wanted to finish college before we got married.

4. How old is your man? 33

5. Who eats more? He does. But I can give him a run for his money when it comes to popcorn!

6. Who said "I love you" first? I did. We were on a day trip to Washington DC (from Pittsburgh) and had been dating for about two months. It seemed like the right time!

7. Who is taller? He is...by 8 inches!

8. Who sings better? He does - by far! Really, neither one of us can sing very well, but listening to me sing is torture!

9. Who is smarter? Good question. He would say him and I would say me! We've had this discussion many times - how do you define 'smart?' He would kill me in a trivia contest and I would destroy him in a logic test!

10. Whose temper is worse? His.

11. Who does the laundry? I do. And in full disclosure, he does almost all of our dishes! It's been a long-standing agreement for nearly 10 years! It works for us.

12. Who takes out the garbage? He does. Always. Thanks, babe!

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Him. Sometimes both of us. :) We sleep close. (More than you probably wanted to know.)

14. Who pays the bills? I do. I'm more organized and I actually enjoy taking care of our finances. He knows where all of our money goes, though, and we make our budget together.

15. Who is better with the computer?Define better! I can type faster; he can fix problems with the computer. I can navigate the internet better; he is the master of tons of design programs on the computer! We're both fast at multi-tasking on the computer.

16. Who mows the lawn? He does. Always. I haven't had to mow a lawn since I left home! Thanks again, babe.

17. Who cooks dinner? I do just about all of the time, but if I need him to make a meal - he does a fantastic job (I married a good one!). We both like to try new recipes.

18. Who drives when you are together? He does just about all of the time. I drive occasionally at night or for small portions of long trips. But he enjoys driving and our rule is that if you are driving - you get to control the radio and the temperature. And he likes to listen to sports! I don't mind at all; I can get a thousand other things done in the car while he drives (reading, paying bills, working on our schedule, making to-do lists, etc.)

19. Who pays when you go out? We pay cash or use our debit card. It's all our money together (even though he's the one really making the money!).

20. Who is most stubborn? I am. But we are both very stubborn.

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I am. I don't like arguments to continue and will apologize first just to get it over with.

22. Whose parents do you see the most? Mine - we only live a mile from them and we are unfortunately over five hours away from Brad's mom. :(

23. Who kissed who first? He kissed me first. It was awkward. Bad timing - I was talking and he just kissed me!  It got better quickly! :)

24. Who asked who out? I asked Brad out on our first date. But he paid (told you I married a good one!); he's such a gentleman! He even had to roll his change to gather enough money to go out on a date. We were poor in college.

25. Who proposed? He did. Twice. :)

26. Who is the most sensitive? I am....by far! He is very tough-skinned. I wish I was more like him in this way.

27. Who has more friends? Hmmm...we both have an assortment of friends - I probably have more just because I know so many other women through the kids' activities/schooling/etc.

28. Who has more siblings? We both have one. I have on brother, and he has one sister.

29. Who wears the pants in the family? He does now. I like control and being in charge and tried that for at least the first half of our marriage. Didn't work so well! Now, I've learned more and am working more on being more submissive to him. I figure, hey - it's God's plan - it has to be a better idea than MY way!

30. How did you meet? We met snow skiing in western Pennsylvania. I knew how to ski; he didn't. I tried to teach him and he kept "falling" on me. Hmmm...  :)