Money Management..for an {almost} 4 year old

So since it has been so long since I've posted, I figured I'd give everyone a {little} update on our life before I jumped into a new post! Me and Rueben are extremely happy in life right now. Me & Patrick have been together for almost a year, and Rue goes to an excellent daycare just a few doors down from where we live. I work at the 4-H/Extension Office with my mom, where I'm a Program Assistant. I LOVE my job, most of the time LOL. Working with my mom can get stressful, but overall we do great.

ANYWAYS.. yesterday we had a district meeting, where we learned about all kinds of stuff going on in the upcoming school year. One of our guest speakers talked about a curriculum we have called "Your Money, Your Future." Well some of his points really hit home with me. Since as of now, I only work part-time (usually 24 hrs a week), I don't make enough to really save anything. Whenever I do get to work extra hours, or get any extra money at all, it *usually* gets spent. I've wanted to start saving for a long time, especially to have a little cushion for Rue when he gets older, but never have enough extra.

One of the points that was made was that the old curriculum said that you should spend 80% of your income, save 10%, and share 10%. Well this confused a lot of kids. They asked why they have to spend all 80% of their "spend" fund. This is just a guideline! So the new curriculum (since it's designed for kids) says that it should be 40-50-10 (spend, save, share).
My idea is to mold this guideline into something that works for US. My weekly checks will still be spent on bills, until I get some extra income coming in, but Rueben will start to get an "allowance" for the chores that he helps me with. I will give him .10 per chore, and whenever he has a dollar (or more) saved up in a small change purse, we will count it out, leaving 40% of it where he can spend it, 50% in his piggy bank where I will put it in an account for him when he has enough, and 10% will be "shared". Although I'm not sure yet what I will do with his share account, whether it will be given to charity, or used to buy supplies to share with friends at school. That will be decided sometime soon.

Rueben will turn 4 in on Sept 15, and I just hope that I'm not starting this too early. (Or too late... hmm...) I want him to learn the value of a dollar early, and although he hasn't gotten to the stage YET where he wants a toy every time we go somewhere, I imagine it's coming soon.

Me on the other hand, will split any extra income I have pretty much  the same way, but put half for Rue in his savings account, and half for me in my savings account. I have GOT to have a cushion in case of emergency, which I don't have now.

What does everyone think? :)

I'm still alive!

Hi everyone, just wanted to give a quick update on our life right now. Me and my fiance split up back in May, so I moved back home to Georgia to live with my family. Me & Rueben are happy, and I work, go to school, and am the sole provider for him as of now. I have a new man in my life who makes both of us very happy, his name is Patrick :) I had a lot of scars from the past 5 years, but I am finally starting to work through them. I hope to start posting more often, and really cannot wait to get some of my crafts posted (whenever I can work on them again!).

just a little message...

Disasters

I can't keep my eyes off the screen from watching videos of the damage, and actual tornadoes, from last night's storm. I am clear across the country, but almost my entire family is in Georgia. Thankfully, they are in Southeast GA, so they are all okay, with just strong winds & rain. It breaks my heart to see all the damage, and to watch the death/injury tolls rise. The videos of the tornadoes themselves are terrifying. Please keep the families affected by these storms in your thoughts, prayers, and hearts as everyone copes with loss of homes, belongings, and most importantly, loved ones.

This is the page that I most recently read.. the last video has the most information, the first 2 are videos of the hurricanes. http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110428/ts_yblog_thelookout/watch-tuscaloosas-terrifying-tornado

Tuesday Hops

I also have a new Twitter account for this page... follow me at MH_keepstitchin

     

just a little message...

Mama to 4 Blessings is hosting a giveaway!!

Mama to 4 Blessings is hosting a giveaway for a Cool Zooey Fliptop & E-Z Freeze Snack Time!! These are great cups for those young kids or toddlers in your life!!

          

Go here to enter!!

5 Question Friday!!

1. What is your favorite Easter tradition?

Dying eggs & spending time with family :)

2. Are you a "shower" or a "long, hot bath" kind of person?

ahh,... the days of long, hot baths!! I would most definitely love a long hot bath, but alas, between my 2 year old trying to climb in with me, and being way to tall for a normal tub (I feel scrunched!) I don't take baths very often!

3. Can you parallel park and if so when is the last time you did it?

The last time I paralleled parked was almost 4 years ago when I got my license... and I aced it--100!! :) Not that I could do it now though.... 

4. What is your favorite Easter candy?

I don't really have a favorite, but I love anything with creamy chocolate (not hard-melt it if you have to!) or soft caramel!

5. Easter: do you go all out with the Easter Bunny or focus on the religious part of the holiday?

When I was younger & lived close to my family, we went all out on both aspects, special dresses, church with the whole family, huge dinner at my great-grandma's, special baskets, candy, egg hunts, family pics, etc. But now that we live 1700 miles from pretty much everyone we know, we're staying home!

FFCM is trying to get to 1000 followers... with a GIVEAWAY!

Free Stuff, Fun Sites, Contests, & More is trying to make it to 1000 followers by hosting a great giveaway! Until she gets to 1000 followers, or 4/24 (whichever comes LAST) you can enter her giveaway for a great swag bag worth AT LEAST $50!! I was follower #950... so hurry up before this giveaway is gone! Go to FFCM to enter!!

5 Minutes for Mom is hosting a HUGE Mother's Day giveaway from today (April 21) through May 8th!!

All kinds of things are being given away, from chocolates to strollers to a new laptop!!

Check it out :)

My First Blog Award!!

Thanks to Lisa at Planet Weidknecht for giving me this award!!

The Rules After Accepting this Award:

-Thank the person who awarded you

-Divulge 7 things about yourself

-Award 15 discovered bloggers

7 things about me...

-I spend most days at home in sweatpants & tshirts

-My favorite food in the world is really cheesy squash casserole

-I want to visit Italy someday

-I wish I had an endless supply of gift cards just for crafting!

-I prefer to watch TV shows rather than movies

-I can't wait to have more babies :)

-I used to be a great writer, not so much anymore! I need some inspiration :)

My 15 Discovered Bloggers are... (in no particular order)

1. Divine Moments

2. A Journal for Jubal

3. Adventures of a Crispy Mama

4. Alyssa's Book Shelf

5. Aroma Luna

6. Bored Mommy

7. Change. Wash. Repeat.

8. Confessions of an Earthy Young Mom

9. Fabric Junkie

10. Happiest When Crafting

11. Hoot Designs

12. I took the road less traveled

13. The Real Housewife of Nowhere

14. The Flying Penguin

15. The Artsy Mama

Heavenly Savings & miYim are hosting a giveaway...

For an adorable Cat in the Hat plush doll!

Go here to enter!

Vacation!

In less than 3 weeks, me & Rueben will be going to visit family in GA for a month! I am so excited :) This is my second time flying with him, and last time was a complete disaster! We left the week before Thanksgiving last year, and our flight was scheduled for early in the morning (I don't remember the exact time). Well the night before, we got our first BIG snowfall of the year, and all the roads out of town were closed. You see, where we live, there are like 3 roads out of town, all interstates. So they had police cars sitting at the entrances blocking anybody from access. So I was on the phone & internet all night trying to see when the roads would be clear & if Delta would be able to get me on the next flight. (Of course we can, as long as you pay $100 extra per ticket for the fee!") Well we missed the next flight, too, and finally got there like 45 minutes before the second flight was supposed to go out. I sat at the ticket counter arguing forever with the lady about everything, because Delta had finally said they wouldn't charge me the $200 because it wasn't my fault I missed the flight, and who finally apologized and didn't make me pay the $200 or any baggage fees...WHOO-HOO! Only problem was, I had about 15 minutes to run from one end of the airport to the other, and go through security with a 2 year old... AGGHHH!
Well I made it, barely, but I was red faced & winded from running with him. They had to let me switch seats with someone because there weren't 2 seats left beside each other, so we ended up with me in the aisle and him in the middle. Well he was decent for the first half of the flight, but towards the end, he started kicking the guy sleeping by the window, or pulling on his shirt, coloring on the trays, kicking and screaming wanting to get in the floor, etc. It was terrible! When we finally landed & got off the plane, I called my mom (who was picking us up), who was stuck in Atlanta traffic :( So I waited at the baggage carousel for like an hour, waiting on her, and looking for my one suitcase. It was pretty obvious, it's black with huge flipflops all over it (as you can tell, I didn't want it to get lost). Well guess what? It did! Apparently, the lady at the ticket counter didn't think I would make it to the flight, so she put my bag on the next plane.... So when my mom finally got to the airport, we were stuck in Atlanta for over 3 hours waiting on the next flight to come in with my bag. Then they couldn't find it for like ever, & when I almost blew my top, it mysteriously showed up! Seriously, my eyebrow twitched like the whole 4 hours back to her house. I was THAT stressed out...


So anyways, I am hoping to be more prepared this time around. Rueben has an iXL that he got for Christmas, I am trying my hardest to load my iPod up with free shows that he would like, and I've been working on a quiet book with stuff I have around the house. It's not the best, most people make theirs out of fabric and/or felt, but mine is mostly construction paper, with a small felt board in the back. I added a few ziploc bags with holes punched in the sides to hold his felt pieces. I'm hoping between all this stuff, a few trains, his blanket, and drinks and snacks. He will be entertained. All I'm bringing for myself is my e-reader, which unless he falls asleep, I probably won't use anyway. Wish me luck :)


Also, while I'm in GA, I don't know how much I will be posting. I don't have any review books coming for now, because I won't be home to get them, but other posts, I'm just not sure yet what internet access I will have. My moms internet is always messed up, but hopefully there will be someone coming to fix it before I get there, that way we can Skype with Terry some. Then when I get back, I have less than 3 weeks before Terry graduates and we move, so I will be packing up our house. Hopefully I can still get on here though :) 


Just a few notes...
Keeping You in Stitches now has a Facebook page! This is the link. I only have 5 fans on here :( Please add me!
I also have a page set up for my business, go here to 'like'. If you are interested in ordering anything, you can e-mail me at mh_stitchesoflove@yahoo.com or message/comment me on this blog or on the FB page.

GA Bulldogs Blanket

So lately I have been working on a GA Bulldogs baby blanket.. I was so nervous about doing this because the G is mostly curves, and most of the specialty blankets I've done consisted of mostly straight lines... It's for a friend from high school, and she ordered it for her little girl she will be having late summer :) Here is a picture of what I've done so far...

What do you think?

Little Man Update :)

Well I haven't done this before... but I did originally start this blog for my little man... So I figured I would give a little update on how he's been... Even though he's not much of a little man anymore :(


Medical Stuff...
Rueben turned 31 months old this past Friday (April 15). When we went to the doctor Thursday for a checkup & some late immunizations, he weighed 33.25 lbs & is 37 inches tall!! He's a big guy :) That is 1 1/4 lbs & 1/2 inch taller than just a month ago! It makes me so sad that he will be 3 in less than 5 short months :( That means he should be starting school next year (unless his birthday is too late? Sept. 15.. does anybody know what the usual cut-off date is?) 


A few things he likes to do & say...
CHOO-CHOO!!! This is your new favorite word!! You are obsessed with Thomas the Train..he's your favorite toy!! You have about 6 trains, and  you play with them all the time!! I wanted to take you to a Thomas show this summer, but I think you're still a little too young, so maybe next year! We just love pointing out the train on the few occasions that we pass it on the highway, and you get so excited :)
You are doing pretty good with your potty-training. You don't have night accidents anymore, and are completely in underwear!! You still think it's funny too potty on the floor at home sometimes, but always do great when we are out & about. We are so proud of you!
Another new word is MINE... I do not like this one!! You also like to tell me to SHOO when I'm trying to get something from you that you don't need to have... you say SHOO, MINE!! And although I try not to, I can't help but giggle sometimes :) I'm so proud that you're finally starting to talk more!
You know where everything is in each cabinet, and you definitely let us know when you want something! While you don't usually tell us what you want, you tell us to "Mon!" (Come on) and wave your hand toward the kitchen or wherever you want us to go. Then you go straight to the cabinet you want, and we show you everything in it... And you tell us Nuh-uh or Hmm depending on what you want :)
We are going on your second plane trip in just 3 weeks! Me & you are taking a trip to GA for about a month to visit family.. hopefully this time goes better! Last time, we got snowed in, so when we missed our first flight, Mommy got very stressed out! Hopefully this time I will be more prepared & since it will be in May, hopefully no snow! I've made you a quiet book, and we will take your iXL and some trains for the flight... I'm also considering buying the tv stations for a little extra entertainment :)

In My Mailbox #2

I haven't posted this in a few books, but I have several books that I have received (for free) from SheKnows Points & Prizes, and one for review from Blogging for Books.

I received this book from Blogging for Books, and you can read my review here.

I received this book from SheKnows (at a great discount!). Lately, they have been having weekly deals on books, sometimes going from 100,000 points down to 10,000!! This one is called The Laird Who Loved Me by Karen Hawkins, and here is what the back cover says....

Handsome Alexander MacLean enjoyed his intoxicating flirtation with lovely Caitlyn Hurst... until she embarrassed him in fron of the entire ton. Orchestrating Caitlyn's attendance at a fashionable house party. Alexander plots her downfall. But to his fury, her charm and wit thwart his plan to ruin her.

Her disastrous London season left Caitlyn filled with regret and determined to make things right with Alexander. She's delighted to find him at the house party to which she's unexpectedly invited--but it's clear that the sexy, arrogant Highlander hasn't forgiven her. So Caitlyn comes up with a bold scheme, proposing an unusual contest drawn from legend: each must compete a set of "mythic" tasks. If Caitlyn succeeds, Alexander promises to relent and forgive her previous rash behavior; if he succeeds, she will join him in his bed! But can Caitlyn force Alexander to give up his quest for vengeance without giving up her heart in return?

Another SheKnows book! Queen of the Night by J.A. Jance--Back cover synopsis...

Every summer, the Queen of the Night flower blooms in the Arizona desert--a sacred event commemorated throughout the Tohono O'odham Nation. But this year, one couple's celebration is prematurely destroyed by gunfire...and the sole witness to the carnage is a little girl who has lost the only family she's ever known.

Dr. Lani Walker recognizes the trauma of her own childhood reflected in her devastated young patient. Joining Dan Pardee--a member of the unorthodox Shadow Wolves border patrol--Lani vows to keep the child safe while tracking down a ruthless killer. Meanwhile, Lani's adoptive father, retired homicide detective Brandon Walker, sees a break in his investigation of the long unsolved murder of an Arizona State University coed--while his wife, Diana Ladd, relives terrible memories of a man whose death haunts her still.

Last but not least, Feel the Heat by Cindy Gerard.

A Race for Survival...

Bold, blonde Defense Intelligence officer B.J. Chase isn't exactly thrilled when she's summoned from personal leave to investigate an alarming national security breach--until the suspicious death of a government official blows her covert mission sky-high.

Turns Into a Pulse-Pounding Adventure...

Gorgeous Black Ops bad boy Raphael Mendoza always feared his family's dark history would haunt him. But he never expected it might hold the key to dismantling a rogue weapons system. Now with cool B.J. Chase posing as his hot babe fiancée, he returns to his uncle in Colombia to convince him he can be trusted with the family's dirtiest business secrets.

...And Ignites a Passionate Fire.

Carrying out a deception among ruthless killers brings Rafe and B.J. too close to ignore the smoldering heat between them. Now, they must work together as the closest of partners as the countdown to international catastrophe closes in...

Weekend Blog Hops!

     

Dinosaur Train DVD Giveaway!

Mama to 4 Blessings is hosting a giveaway for the  DINOSAUR TRAIN - PTERANODON FAMILY WORLD TOUR ADVENTURES DVD!!! Rueben just loves this show, we watch it on Netflix all the time! It's very educational, but also a lot of fun to watch! And it's a great show for parents too--it's not annoying like a lot of kids shows these days!!


Go here to enter!! I did :)

Friday Hops!

 

  

1. What is your favorite sign of spring? Being able to wear short sleeve shirts & light jackets--I hate bulky clothes!

2. What was your best birthday ever? I really don't remember.. I know that I had a lot of fun at my 7th birthday though :) I had a water/slumber party with all my best girlfriends!

3. What is your favorite dessert? Ohh.. this is a hard one! I love chocolate, especially in creamy pies or moist cakes!

4. What is the best excuse you've ever used to get out of a ticket? I've only been pulled over one time in my life (on the way to school) and just told him I didn't want to be late!

5. Do you wake up before your alarm, with your alarm, or after hitting snooze several times? I'm a SAHM, so I usually just wake up whenever Rueben wakes up or if I have an appointment, then I wake up with my alarm!

A few questions... :)

Hey everyone!! I'm trying to get back on the blogging bandwagon after being extremely sick for over a week now, but first I have a few questions :)

First, I've had a few people ask me about paying for some of my craft items with Paypal... well I don't have a Paypal yet, and I'm just wondering if that is a legit way to accept & transfer money, or if it comes with a lot of problems? I don't have my own bank account, so I thought this might be a good way to take orders without people having to send cash or money orders. Please let me know if you have any experience with Paypal (good or bad!) by either commenting here or e-mailing me at mh_stitchesoflove@yahoo.com

Second, farther in the future, I would be interested in reviewing products through my blog. I already review books through Blogging for Books, but I am interested in trying out other stuff! If you do this, or know how I can sign up, please let me know! I've tried using CrowdTap, but I'm more interested in receiving a product to review &/or give away, rather than hosting products. Again, please comment here or e-mail me at mh_stitchesoflove@yahoo.com if you have any experience with reviews, or know how I can get involved.

Thank you all :)