Sesame Street Can Help Your Family Plan for Emergencies

Gone are the days when kids were taught to get under their desks in emergency drills at school. Now kids have the help of beloved friends that will teach them how to stay safe in an emergency and how to help their families plan for disasters. The lovely furry old Grover and others will present your child with key things that they should know and help them to learn it. For example, it is important for children to know their own full names, and there is a fun video that talks about this. You can take the lesson one step … Continue reading

Planning for a Frugal Retirement

I used to think about retirement as a time when you get to live luxuriously and spend all of the money that you spend so many years saving. As my dad got closer to retirement I got scared because I knew that he had not saved alot of money. I knew that he had spent all of his money on us, his kids. I wanted him to come live with my so that I could give him a comfortable retirement. He wanted not part of this. Instead he chose to live frugally and he is very comfortable and happy in … Continue reading

Make Sure to Plan for Emergencies

As single parents, we can get so wrapped up in just keeping all the balls we’re juggling in the air—caring for our child, work, household responsibilities—planning for emergencies can fall through the cracks. Sometimes, every day life can feel like such a crisis, it’s hard to imagine there could be “more” of an emergency out there! It is doubly important for single parents to make sure they have back-up and emergency contacts—just in case… Your child’s school, day care, or any place that he or she goes to play or “hang out” after school should have the emergency information. Who … Continue reading

Tornado Hits Alabama School

Tennessee and Alabama were no strangers to storms today. Schools in all surrounding counties, including mine, closed early. The students, teachers, and parents here in southern Tennessee were blessed. We safely loaded children either into the car with parents or on the school bus and sent them home without any problems. One school in the nearby state of Alabama was not so fortunate. At around 12:45 this afternoon, a tornado hit Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Alabama. The school stadium was destroyed. Cars in the parking lot were turned over and trees were tossed around. One hallway in the school … Continue reading

Planning For Emergencies: Grab-And-Go Bag

If you a regular reader of my blogs you know that I was living in New Orleans before Katrina and that I am returning home in June– just in time for the hurricane season to start. Although I have lived in the south all of my life and am all too familiar with the threat of hurricane’s, like many people, I never really prepared myself for having to actually leave the city. Like a lot of people, whenever there was a threat I would schlep to Winn Dixie and pick up a few goodies to eat, some batteries, candles, etc. … Continue reading

Financial Advice I Wish I Could Tell the Earlier Me

Once you get to a certain age, you are supposed to be wiser, right? While I’m not ready for the retirement home yet (I don’t think they would let me bring my three school-age kids), the fact is that I no longer have as many years ahead of me as I once did. I do have a little more wisdom than I did then, especially when it comes to financial strategy. It is too bad that we can’t go back in time, isn’t it and give my younger self some financial advice? If I could go back in time, I … Continue reading

Caution: Severe Weather Impending from Texas to Chicago

If you are not already aware, severe weather is in the forecast beginning today and possibly continuing for at least the next 36 hours. Much of the central part of the country is under threat of severe thunderstorms including lightning, large hail, damaging winds, possible long track tornadoes, and more flooding. From Texas to Illinois, it is paramount that people pay attention to weather forecasts as well as to conditions in their area. If you don’t already have one, it’s a good idea to pick up a weather radio, one that will alert you if dangerous weather is heading your … Continue reading

When a Stay-at-Home Mom Must Go to Work

If you are a mother (or father) who stays home with the children, you may not consider how important it might be to have a plan for having to provide for the family in the event of an emergency. However uncomfortable the topic may seem, it is important to consider what your family would do in the event of the death, disability, or job loss of the breadwinner. Stay-at-home parents must make sure to have a fall-back plan in the event that they must go to work. Be educated. Some women who get married and have children young do not … Continue reading

Preparing Your Child To Make A 9-1-1 Call

One of the first things I taught Tyler as soon as he learned his numbers was how to dial 9-1-1 for emergencies. I explained how important it was that he dial the number only when there was a problem such as if I became sick and he couldn’t wake me. If you haven’t taught your child how to use this lifesaving service, you definitely should. Don’t know where to start? Here are a few tips: (1) Make sure your child knows what constitutes an emergency. What’s an emergency to a young child may not actually be one. Give concrete examples … Continue reading

Five Things to Consider When Storing Food for Young Children

When you plan food storage for your family, you need to take into consideration the needs of your children. If you have infants, toddlers or preschoolers you may want to take the nutritional needs and eating habits of children that are so young. Here are five areas that you should consider. 1) If you are planning on having a baby you may want to stock up on formula (at least enough for emergencies when you cannot nurse), baby food, diapers and wipes. While you can make your own baby food certain vegetables are not as safe to use, and so … Continue reading