Jingle Bells Jingle Bells

It's that time of year where tv channels begin to blast your children with the latest trends. The weather threatens your whole families wardrobe into being replaced, heating bills go up and life in general becomes more complicated. How are you going to handle this Holiday season. You can start by writing down the things that you expect to occur. Plan for them so that when things begin to change, you will be prepared. Start gathering some ideas about gifts for your children. Begin to sort through their clothes that are out of season. Make some extra cash and sell them on craigslist or ebay. Have a yard sale before the weather gets too cold. Find ways to incorporate your children into the changes that cooler weather brings. Most people are familiar with spring cleaning, well have you heard of fall cleaning? Have your children go through all of their toys and get rid of all broken items and donate any toys that are still in good condition. Get them in the spirit of giving and at the same time you can make room for the gifts that are sure to come their way. Do the same thing with your kids clothing. Start a clothing swap amongst your family and friends. Pass on clothing that is too small for your own children while collecting things that they can fit from another friend or family member. Prepare your home for the weather change. Make sure your house is insulated properly. Winterize your vehicles. Stock up on winter food staples so that on those cold dreary days, you wont have to run out for anything. Start collecting gifts for the unexpected guests that you are sure to encounter. A small thoughtful gift goes a long way.

First week back to school

It went smoothly. My son likes his new teacher and has mostly the same friends as he did last year in class. This year, my son is in the 3rd grade and wants to fit in with his friends. It is amazing how quickly they grow up and begin to learn about what other people think of them. Although I did get my son a few "popular" items, he understands, or at least he nodded his head, that people should like him for what's inside and not what's outside. How do you teach your kids to love themselves regardless of who else does?

What's a single mother to do?

What is a single mom to do when you have bills and can't find a decent traditional job? For me, it means getting creative and finding alternative ways to make money. I have two toddlers and unfortunately I can't afford to just put them in daycare and go right to work. In my area, daycare costs just as much as the average minimum wage job pays. Try 400+ per month per child. How can a single mother can be tough when you have to find work based upon how much your daycare bill is expected to be.

To fill the void, I have been doing something called ChaCha. It is a home based job and I don't need to worry about daycare because I do it from my computer and I don't have to use the phone. You can go to www.ChaCha.com and sign up to be a guide. For a referral, just send me a message and I will be sure to give you one.

I have also been doing something called MTurk. You can go to www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome to find out more about this. I get to be with my kids and when I am surfing the net on their downtime, I can make money. If you have any other suggestions for single mothers, please let me know.

How do You do it?

How do single mothers do it? That is a question that I find myself asking all the time. How do I do it? The truth is that I really don't know. I do what I have to do in order that my kids survive and have the best childhood that they can have. I hardly get enough sleep, My house gets to be a mess sometimes with toys in every room. Sometimes my kids eat cereal for dinner because that is what they want and I am not in the mood to argue.

Once you become a single mother, by which ever route, there is a type of strength that just builds within you. You can go for hours on just the energy of knowing that you are doing what is best for your family. That may mean running from appointment to school to work to meeting to school to daycare to the gym to the grocery store and then home all within a few hours of sunlight that the day has to offer. Single moms should renamed super moms.

Tell me some stories about how you as a single mom(read Super Mom) do it. Have you ever had one of those awesomely productive days where you got so much accomplished that you just wanted to shake your own hand. Share your stories, maybe we can learn something from you.