Posts by jualrumahon:
15 Money Saving Tips For Families
March 4th, 2009There are many big and small ways to save money. Here are some money saving tips for families for these tough economic times and beyond:
1. If you use credit cards, switch to cards that pay you back – either cash dividends, miles, gas, or goods that you can actually use.
2. Cut your kid’s hair yourself – you can pick up an easy “how to” book at your local library. This money saving tip has the added bonus of flexibility and convenience – you can do it whenever you feel like it.
3. And speaking of the library – you can spend a lot of money on kids books without even realizing it. You see a book your kid really likes and it’s only $5.99 and before you know it you’re out $50. Most likely your kid will read it once or twice and get bored with it. Solution: get a library card and visit your local library on a regular basis. Many libraries also have Story Time and other fun activities for kids of all ages that will have your kids looking forward to the weekly visit.
4. You can save huge money by coloring your own hair or doing your own highlights. You can save about $50 for each color ( x 6 times a year = $300) and about $100 for highlights ( x 4 times a year = $400). It’s really easy to do once you get the hang of it. You can find kits with instructions at your local beauty supply store.
5. Take with you snacks and drinks for the kids on family outings (unless you go to a place that specifically prohibits outside food and beverages). Bring a bottle of water with you and fill it at the water fountain. Not only will you be saving money, but also time standing in long lines and ending up buying junk food and caffeinated sugary drinks you had no intention of buying in the first place.
6. Bake your own muffins, brownies and cakes (from a ready mix) – as a single mom with a full time job I always have to weigh cost savings vs. time savings. To me, If I have to slave over an elaborate cake for a few hours in the kitchen it’s not worth the money savings. But if I buy a ready mix and have a dozen cup cakes ready in minuets and save some money in the process, I’d give it a thumbs up. Better yet – let the kids do the mixing, and you’ve got another fun activity to add to your list.
7. Buy generic: prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, cleaning supplies, groceries, ink cartridges, and anything else you can find.
8. Let your kids wash your car – what kid would say ‘no’ to such a fun activity?
9. Instead of buying 3 extra large Pepperoni Pizzas for $60 for your kid’s birthday party, make little cute sandwiches with Turkey & Cheese and PB & J. Everybody will love them.
10. Cancel your gym membership and ride your bike with your kids.
11. Some people swear by the savings they get by switching from paper napkins to clothe napkins, but I’m not a big fan. You’d still have to spend money, energy and effort on washing, drying, folding and putting them away. Paper towels are just so easy that it’s hard for me to make a case for cloth napkins, but if you like the idea – go for it!
12. Same goes for making your own play doh – some mothers just love making it themselves and love the money savings, but for me it’s just too much work and not enough savings. But again, if you like the idea – go for it!
13. Only run your dishwasher and washing machine when they are full. Another oldie but goodie.
14. Switch your Premium Cable package to Basic package and get Netflix instead.
15. You can find and print free eCards on the Internet for all holidays and any kind of occasion. You can also have your kids make their own cards for Valentine’s Day, their buddies birthday parties, and holidays. Those Hallmark cards are SO expensive!
To find more tips, birthday clubs, coupons and discounts, please visit the “Cool Parents Resources” section of our “Cool Kids Places” website: http://www.cool-kids-places.com/parents-resources/articles/money-saving-tips-for-families.html.
Dee Adams is a mom to an 8 year old boy and the owner of Cool Kids Places, a website for parents looking for fun and interesting places to go with their kids.
Kids Birthday Party Places
January 4th, 2009Is it time to plan your kid’s birthday party again? Every year around that time you’re wondering – has it been a year already? What are we going to do THIS year? I don’t think I want 20 kids at my house again… so, what other options do we have?
If you’re that mom (or dad), here are some suggestions:
Build-A-Bear Workshop
For the kids who love Teddy Bears – this is the ultimate Teddy Bear birthday party. Kids get to choose a Teddy Bear (or any other animal within the price range selected) and give it a personality by stuffing it, fluffing it, giving it a voice, dressing it up, accessorizing it, and giving it a name. There is also a “Heart Ceremony” where each kid gets to choose a “heart” and make a wish, before placing it inside his animal.
Each kid gets a “Birth Certificate” with his Teddy Bear’s name, and a little cardboard house to take the Teddy Bear home as a goodie bag. Teddy bears, voices, clothes and accessories all vary in prices. You can designate a price range (starting at $10) for each one of the categories that suits your budget. Parties are for 6 kids or more and include a “party leader” who manages the party process and entertains the kids.
Chuck E. Cheese
Chuck E. Cheese is a chain of family entertainment centers and has been a kids’ favorite for many years. It offers indoor fun activities and games for kids of all ages. From play structures, tubes, slides and small rides to Air Hockey tables and arcade games.
Birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese are fun and affordable. Parties are scheduled throughout the day, every day, and combine playtime with party time. Party tables are decorated and set up by the Chuck E. Cheese staff (as well as clean up) and are reserved for 90 minuets.
Every party gets a birthday performance featuring “Chuck E. Cheese and his musical friends” who entertain the kids with a little song and dance show. In a typical party each kid gets Pizza, soft drink, cake and game tokens (number of tokens depends on the package you choose).
The birthday kid gets a collector’s cup, cotton candy, a crown, and a helium balloon. Additional party options such as extra cake, goodie bag, or collector’s cup are available for purchase. You can also bring your own cake and/or ice cream.
Golfland Entertainment Centers
There are currently 9 Golfland Entertainment Centers throughout California and Arizona. Each Golfland has a unique theme and many combine different kinds of attractions. Birthday party packages at Golfland and SunSplash entertainment centers vary for each location. Golfland Birthday Party package ranges between $8.50 – $12.99 per kid (depending on the location) and requires 10 kids minimum.
Basic package may include One round (18 holes) of miniature golf, pizza and soft drinks, arcade tokens, party supplies, and complimentary round of golf for the birthday kid.
The Sunsplash Birthday Party package is for kids 14 years old or younger, and require 10 kids minimum. Each package costs $23.00 per kid Monday – Thursday, and $24.00 per kid Friday – Sunday, and may include all day admission to Sunsplash Waterpark, Hamburger & fries or Pizza and a soft drink, party supplies, and complimentary Waterpark Pass for the Birthday Kid.
There are also add-ons and upgrades that can be purchased for each package (where available): Miniature Golf, Laser Tag, Race Cars, Bumper Boats, Golfland Waterslide, Golfland Arcade, Birthday cakes, Goodie bags, and Ice Cream.
LEGO
For kids 6 and older who love LEGO – this is a dream come true. This ultimate LEGO party offers 1 – 1.5 hours of creative play activity in the LEGO store. Each party is customized for the birthday kid and is led by LEGO party host.
There are different themes for boys and for girls to select from:
BIONICLE
LEGO Star Wars
Mosaics & Creator
LEGO Racers
LEGO CITY
Party package starts at $10 per child, and the minimum number of kids is 5. Each kid get to take home a goodie bag with a set of LEGO, and the birthday kid also gets a LEGO Birthday Brick.
My Gym Children’s Fitness Center
Each birthday party at My Gym is age appropriate and tailored to the birthday kid’s favorite activities and games. Birthday party packages vary from one location to another and may run for 1.5 – 2 hours.
Cost for each party also varies depending on the location and the number of kids, which can be from 15 – 25. Each package may include exclusive play in the gym and is facilitated by My Gym trained teachers.
Activities include games, gymnastics, Space Flight, puppets, rides, songs and other birthday festivities, where the birthday kid is at the heart of the celebration. All kids get to participate in all activities.
My Gym staff will setup and decorate the place, serve the refreshments and even clean up after the party. Party goodie bags can be added to the package at additional cost.
Pump It Up
Pump It Up offers indoor birthday party packages for kids ages 2 and up and features huge inflatable play structures in different shapes and sizes for climbing, sliding, jumping and playing. There are two birthday party packages to choose from:
“Classic party” is for up to 25 kids and “Mini-Classic Party” is for up to 14 kids. The kids get to spend some time in one play area, then move to another play area, and then at the party room.
Both Party packages include Color invitations, party supplies, supervision by trained staff during play time, and Party set up and clean up. Pump It Up goodie bags and inflated helium balloons can be added to each package for additional charge.
The Little Gym
Each birthday party at The Little Gym is tailored for the birthday kid and is facilitated by friendly staff. All parties feature fun activities with movement, and exclusive use of the gym for the duration of the party.
Birthday parties are 90 minutes long and can be scheduled for Saturday or Sunday. Birthday party packages vary for each location.
The cost for each party depends on the location and the number of kids, and may include Two staff members to facilitate the party, setup and cleanup, “The Little Gym” invitations, party supplies, and “The Little Gym” T-shirt for the birthday kid.
YMCA
The “YMCA” is a world-wide not-for-profit community service organization with a special emphasis on community development and
young people. The YMCA’s mission is building a healthy spirit, mind, and body and its motto is “We build strong kids, strong families, strong communities”.
Birthday party packages at the YMCA vary from one location to another. Depending on the facility, some parties may include swimming, games, and sports activities. Cost varies for each location.
For more details about each party place and photo gallery please visit the Birthday Party Places section of our website: http://www.cool-kids-places.com/birthday-party-places.html.
Dee Adams is a mom to a 7 year old boy and the owner of Cool Kids Places, a website for parents looking for fun and interesting places to go with their kids.
Being Jewish At Christmas
December 29th, 2008Mommy, can we get a Christmas tree? Asked me my then-4 year old son.
Seemingly a simple question, but I’ve been dreading it since my son was born.
I was born and raised in Israel. As a kid, I used to watch on TV the Christians arriving at their churches in Jerusalem and Bethlehem for services. That was the only exposure to Christmas I had in Israel. No Christmas tree, no presents, no Santa Clause… when I came to the US in my early twenties, I was astonished and amazed as I went through the Holiday season. Nothing I had known before had prepared me for it. The constant flow of chocolates and cookies at the insurance company I used to work for, the shopping craze, the parties, the colorful displays of Christmas trees everywhere, Santa clause in every store, and of course the “camaraderie” atmosphere of everyone around me. Everybody celebrated Christmas. Or at least so it seemed. It was everywhere. You couldn’t avoid it. You couldn’t hide from it. But at the same time – I couldn’t participate in all of it either. I did go to a party or two but still, it just wasn’t my holiday. I went through different stages over the years. At first I felt extremely uneasy when people said to me “Merry Christmas”. Everybody just assumed, or took it for granted, that you’re “one of them” – either Christian or Catholic or any other denomination that celebrated the birth of Jesus.
I felt the need to “fight back” – or I would be betraying myself, my parents, my identity. I used to reply – “I’m Jewish, I don’t celebrate Christmas” and watch their expression turned into amazement mixed with pity as they mumbled: “oh, sorry…” as if it had never occurred to them that there are people who didn’t celebrate Christmas. I always thought they felt sorry for me for not celebrating Christmas – almost like a flicker of a thought went through their mind of what would their lives be without Christmas. An unbearable thought… And then there were those who said it in a way of “oh, excuse mmmeee! I didn’t realize I was offending you by wishing you a Merry Christmas!”
As the years went by and I got more acclimated to the Christmas season, I started participating (and even enjoying) some of the festivities. I no longer felt the need to “fight back”, but I was still an outsider looking in. It still wasn’t my holiday.
When my son was born I started celebrating more of the Jewish holidays. Growing up in a Jewish state, I didn’t have to do anything in particular to celebrate the holidays. It was everywhere. Everyone around me were Jewish. But here it was different. I actually had to do something to actively celebrate being Jewish. I used to think that the freedom of religion included the freedom to not be religious. But when my son was born I wanted him to have a sense of religion, and naturally, it had to be Judaism. We started lighting the Menorah on Hanukkah and celebrating Passover with the traditional dinner.
One day my son came home from pre-school singing “Jingle Bells”. He was 4 years old and it was the week before Christmas. And then came the dreaded question – “can we have a Christmas tree?”. It was time for “the talk” – no, not the one about the birds and the bees, the one about a thing called “religion”. I sat him down and explained to him that we don’t celebrate Christmas because we’re Jewish. We celebrate Hanukkah instead. We light the menorah and sing Hanukkah songs instead of decorating a tree and singing Christmas carols. It was a confusing subject for a 4 year old to grasp. I watched his face change expressions, as he was processing the information. He was still confused. What does one have to do with the other? How come we can’t celebrate both? Yes, we celebrated Hanukkah last week, but what about Christmas next week? And does that mean Santa won’t be visiting our house? What about my presents? Have I not been a good boy all year?…
Hmmm. Didn’t think about that. What do I do now?! I posted a question to the single mothers group I belong to, asking for other mom’s perspective. Most replies came from fellow Jewish mothers and emphasized the various ways each celebrated Hanukkah. But that still didn’t address the problem. One Jewish mother, who’s daughter is half African American, said they celebrated “everything” – Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, and a few other.
I liked that idea. It got me thinking – what if I adapted it and started celebrating Christmas, Jewish style? Is that going to work with our religious identity? Are we breaking any religious or ethical rules? Or is it just that uncomfortable “Christmasy” feeling creeping up again? And what does it say about the strength of my conviction in right and wrong? Was it actually wrong?
After much consideration (and nagging from my son), I’ve decided to start “celebrating” Christmas, Jewish style. We went to the store and picked up a tree, got some decorations, came home and had some eggnog while decorating the tree. There were no discussions about Jesus or the meaning of Christmas, but there were presents under the tree from Santa on Christmas morning. My son was ecstatic. He was able to tell anybody who asked (pretty much everywhere we went) what he got for Christmas, instead of having to say – in a gloomy face – “Santa doesn’t come to our house – we’re Jewish…” or “we don’t celebrate Christmas” and get the “pity look” from everybody around him.
And when he grows up he’ll be able to tell his college buddies about the time “he” discovered there’s no Santa Clause…
Yes, peer pressure is a powerful thing. Although, not as powerful as a mother’s love for her son.
Dee Adams is a mom to a 7 year old boy and the owner of Cool Kids Places (http://www.cool-kids-places.com), a website for parents looking for fun and interesting places to go with their kids.