Archives for March 2017

Here are 8 of the Best Kids Books On Audible

March 27, 2017 | Leave a Comment

We all know reading to a child is paramount to his or her development. In my experience as a mother of two, I’m always on the hunt for fun, new ways to teach my kids. One of our favorite ways is listening to audiobooks. Therefore, I put together my top 10 list of the best kids books on Audible.

There are several benefits from audiobooks that I would like to share with you.

Kids learn to sit still. A byproduct of your children sitting in one place and paying attention to the narration of a book is that they’ll develop a stronger habit of sitting still. Even my two-year-old has shown improvement in his ability to sit quietly when the need arises. This comes in handy when you’re in a public place such as a waiting room or classroom.

Also, audiobooks expand a child’s vocabulary. Children are often introduced to new words in context and with their pronunciation. Often these books promote education, behavior, language, mathematics, etc. It also gives your child a fresh form of media besides a screen.

While reading to your child at bedtime is a vital bonding experience, audio books for kids create another dimension of imagination and education without the addictive side effects of screen time.

Let’s take a look at some great audio books my kids enjoyed over the last few years.

8 Memorable Audio Books for Kids of All Ages

EARLY LEARNERS – 0 to 5 years

1. “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper

Despite its small size, the little engine used the power of positive thinking to conquer a mountain. This lesson is great for every generation of kids and can be enjoyed on audio with the rich tones of Mike Ferreri narrating.

2. “The Peter Rabbit Collection” by Beatrix Potter

This beloved classic exposes your children to the adventures of Peter Rabbit and his woodland friends. On Audible.com, you can now enjoy the entire Peter Rabbit collection for a very low price.

3. “The Cat and the Hat and Other Dr. Seuss Favorites” by Dr. Seuss

What was your favorite Dr. Seuss book as a child? Well, now it might be available on Audible for your whole family to listen. These best-sellers have stood the test of time for six decades.

Not to mention, this collection of audible stories is narrated by:

Kelsey Grammar
John Cleese
Dustin Hoffman
Billy Crystal
And More…

GRADE-SCHOOLERS – 6 to 11 years

4. “The Wizard of Oz” by Frank L. Baum

This classic story is so enjoyable to listen to, due to the dynamic narration performed by award-winning actress, Anne Hathaway. She brings an “all-in” devotion to each character that will capture your kids’ attention (and yours, too!).

5. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling

Why am I putting one of the most popular children’s books on this list? Two words: Jim Dale. Never have you heard an audiobook until you’ve been read to by award-winning voice talent, Jim Dale. Even as an adult, I get a kick out of J.K. Rowling’s great storytelling and Dale’s diverse collection of voices for the memorable characters in Harry’s world.

If you believe your child is old enough for the thematic elements of this book, then give the audiobook a shot.

6. “The Kid Who Only Hit Homers” by Matt Christopher

Do you have a ball player in your family? I don’t know of anyone who wrote better sports books for middle readers than Matt Christopher. I’d finish a story, and feel a strong impulse to grab a ball and glove and speed off to the park.

One of Christopher’s most popular stories, “The Kid Who Only Hit Homers,” is available on audio with a full cast of narrators.

7. “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien

This dramatized audiobook is the narrated telling of Tolkien’s bedtime story about the adventures of Bilbo Baggins. Follow his journey with a whole slew of dwarves as they head toward the Misty Mountain in search of their long-lost treasure – guarded, of course, by a fire-breathing dragon.

8. “Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly

This is the true story of the African-American women who helped the United States win the space race. Shetterly’s book became a movie in 2016 and sends an important message to young people that their minds are precious, no matter their color or gender.

Reading is a delight that can last a lifetime. Help your child understand the many layers of literature and the skills he or she will need to get lost in a story and enjoy the endless worlds waiting on the pages.

Bonus Reading: “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Wants to Give Your Child a Free Book Every Month”

Got your own list of best kids books on Audible? We’d love to hear it!

If you’re a stay-at-home mom, make sure you bookmark or pin some of these great resources for later!

4 Creative Money Challenges for Kids

March 20, 2017 | 2 Comments

One of the biggest – and most important – hurdles parents face is that of teaching their kids to save money. In today’s instant gratification world, kids are often led to believe that spending is more beneficial than saving. It’s our job as parents and caregivers to teach them the benefits of saving over spending. By utilizing these money challenges for kids you can help your child learn the importance of saving money.

4 Creative Money Challenges for Kids

The 365-Day Money Challenge

The 365-Day Money Challenge has flexibility in both the amount of money you can use and when you earn it. The first step is to print out a chart that has 365 days of money amounts on it, starting with $.01 up to $3.65. Then, post the chart somewhere where your child will see it every day. Each morning when your child gets up, they pay their piggy bank or money jar an amount from the chart. When they pick a money amount to save, they then cross that amount off on the chart. Each money amount can only be used once throughout the year. By the end of the year, they’ll have saved $667.95!

Wants some ideas for how to help your child earn money? Check out these chores here.

The Matching Money Challenge

This money challenge will involve parents and/or grandparents as well. The first step is to have your child decorate a jar with a lid, such as a large canning jar. They can also use their own piggy bank. Each week your child will put in their bank the money they’ve earned through different sources. Money earned for chores or allowance, or money received from gifts are some ideas for finding money to save.

After the jar is filled up, parent and child bring the jar to the bank to deposit the money. When the money is counted, parents or grandparents match the amount the child has saved. The final deposit into your child’s savings account will be double what they have saved!

The 52-Week Savings Challenge

Similar to the 365-day challenge, this challenge requires kids to save money on a regular basis. First, they print out this chart. Each week has a money amount – payable in quarters – listed on the chart. Your child chooses which amount he or she wants to save each week, crossing that amount off as they go. By the end of the year, your child will have saved $344.50.

The Make-it-Your-Own Money Challenge

This challenge can be implemented in a number of different ways. The goal is to help kids improve their lives in some way or teach them that work produces income. The first step in this challenge is to determine a dollar amount payout. Parents can work with children to help decide how much they want to earn in a given time period. The challenge can be modified to work for every family’s budget and specific goals.

For instance, some kids may have a goal of earning $10 in a week. Others might want to earn more over a longer time period. It also helps to determine with your child why he or she wants to save. Having a reason for saving helps motivate kids to save more.

After you’ve determined how much to save and in what time period, parents create jobs or tasks with coordinating payouts. The “jobs” can consist of several different options, such as:

Doing chores around the house that are outside of normally assigned chores
Doing learning challenges such as reading books or completing math worksheets
Implementing healthy habits such as exercising or making healthy eating choices
Choosing to cut down on screen time in favor of reading or spending time with loved ones

The challenge can be customized to fit whatever goals your family or your child may have. As a bonus, your child will earn a reward them for achieving those goals.

Teaching kids to manage money well is just one of the things we can do to prepare them for independence. By helping our children develop a habit of saving money, we can prepare them to be financially responsible adults.

Got any money challenges for kids of your own to add? Drop it below!

Are you a stay-at-home mom? Check out these hot tips and pin one for later!

Blue Apron Review: Is This Meal Delivery Service Right for Your Family?

March 14, 2017 | Leave a Comment

Blue Apron’s meal delivery service was just the reboot my family needed to try fresh meals and food combinations we’d never experienced. As a mom, meal planning is a huge part of my week. Sometimes, I get stuck on autopilot with family favorites like pizza, tacos, or breakfast for dinner. Or peanut butter and jelly. We all know how much time and effort it takes to cook a new meal from scratch. So, here is a Blue Apron review.

And, we all know how much free time parents have…

What if someone just handed you a box of ingredients and a recipe so you could finally try out some new, healthy meals?

(That’s your cue, Blue Apron.)

Want to know what goes into cooking a Blue Apron meal? Check out these real families trying it out for the first time in this video.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdvnpdJ7RtE]

My Blue Apron Review: Is It Right for Your Family?

Trying Out Blue Apron

Blue Apron’s user-friendly website made it very easy to get started. I noticed there were options for specifying dietary preferences or restrictions. They assigned three meals to me:

Cheddar Cheeseburgers
Spicy Chicken Chili
Cajun Catfish

I’ll be honest. My first reaction was a furrowed brow. I’m not a huge spice fan, nor do I care much for cheeseburgers. (I’m so glad I didn’t have a choice with the meal selections, though. Keep reading to find out why!)

A box showed up on my doorstep a week later. My kids could barely contain their excitement. I was psyched, too.

Upon opening the box, we discovered colors and shapes and textures all waiting to be diced, sauteed, and garnished. It was delightful.

I loved the freshness of it all. It truly was a chance to cook gourmet meals from scratch as a family.

Each meal comes with clear instructions. The kids loved looking at the step-by-step pictures and matching the foods with them.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Blue Apron

With any review comes the honest observations of pros and cons. I feel it’s only right to share both sides of my experience with you.

BENEFITS

Blue Apron completely transformed my kitchen. The aroma of Cajun rice with red peppers cooking next to two catfish fillets with sauteed collard greens was a thrill for my senses. Also, the food was delicious. I’m so glad I didn’t get to decide what meals arrived because I would never have braved these new flavors. They weren’t kidding when they said food from scratch is best!

Blue Apron also gave me the gift of education. I was able to teach my children about the meals, the seasonings, the nutrition in each food, and so on. My daughter bragged to her friends, dolls, and everyone in earshot that she tried a radish for the first time (Blue Apron sent a recipe for a kale and radish salad). I love that my kid took pride in eating healthy food.

Note: My kids are too young for using a knife, but if you have older kids, this is a great opportunity to teach them some important food prep/kitchen safety skills they can carry into their own lives down the road.

DRAWBACKS

Every recipe had something spicy which didn’t work so well for my 2-year-old. If you have younger kids, you may need to keep leftovers handy or whip up something on the side. That did take more time and effort.

Also, the prep time before meals is fairly time-consuming. That makes sense with meals from scratch, but the estimated prep time on each recipe card was much shorter than what it took me to wash, dry, mince, and chop everything. With both kids hovering nearby and no sous-chef, it simply took extra time. Make sure you factor that in when you plan your evening so that you’re not serving dinner at 8:30 PM (that may or may not have happened on Day 1…).

The most obvious potential drawback is the expense. Family meals per week are between $70 and $140. That’s a significant investment many can’t afford to make. The health benefits could, however, be worth it in the long-term.

Blue Apron Review: My Conclusion

Blue Apron has become my unofficial culinary school. Since trying it, I’ve branched out and purchased new ingredients at the store like fresh salmon and, yes, catfish fillets.

Although my husband and I agree that Blue Apron isn’t something we can afford continually, I’d love to try it out with the kids when they’re a little older. What a great way to make some memories, learn an awesome skill, and eat healthier.

If you don’t think this is a good fit for your family, consider it for when the kids get older or give it as a housewarming or wedding gift.

Ready to give Blue Apron a try? Click here to get started. That link is also good for $30 dollars off your first order.

Full disclosure: I obtained three free meals for the purpose of reviewing Blue Apron. However, the opinions and thoughts shared below are entirely my own.

If you enjoyed this article please leave us a comment below or share it on social media.

Here are Blue Apron reviews from our friends, Budget and invest, Thousandaire and Cleverdude. And for a more holistic view on all the current meal kit vendors, be sure sure to check out top10.com!”

P.S. Are you a stay-at-home mom? Make sure you bookmark or pin some of these resources for later!

My Paribus Review: Is Paribus Receipt Fetcher the Next Money-Maker for Your Family?

March 6, 2017 | Leave a Comment

According to a Pew Research Center survey, 79 percent of Americans made online purchases in 2016. Fifty-one percent purchased something on their cell phones. Parents make up a massive percentage of those shoppers, so that’s why I’ve put together this Paribus review. It’s here to help you find ways to earn cash back on those online purchases this year.

My Paribus Review: Is Paribus Right for Your Family?

If you’re handy with your smartphone, you probably already use money-saving apps like RetailMeNot, Swagbucks, or Walmart’s Savings Catcher, but there’s a new kid in town called Paribus, and it’s different than any other app you’ve tried.

What Is Paribus?

Paribus is an app available to all Apple devices and is free to download. Every time you shop online, Paribus automatically scans your digital receipt to see if there are purchases eligible for cash back over the subsequent weeks.

For example, let’s say you bought your son a $60 LEGO kit at Walmart.com for his birthday last week, but you’ve just noticed the price dropped to $40! Paribus automatically contacts Walmart to find out if you can get that $20 refunded. If they agree, then you get 100% of that refund!

Not bad for doing basically nothing, right?

What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks to Using Paribus?

It goes with the territory that every new product has its pros and cons. Your days are filled with tending to kids, running your household, and keeping your head on straight. My job is to help you make an informed decision about products that may or may not benefit your family as honestly as I can.

Therefore, here are the benefits and drawbacks I observed when using Paribus.

BENEFITS

It’s free. From the moment you download the app to your first cash back alert, there are no charges or hidden fees. Although, you do have to spend money shopping online, obviously!

It could be great for the holidays. Last Christmas, I asked a group of moms to share their favorite way to go Christmas shopping and the majority answered, “Online.” If you rack up most of your holiday spending money with online retailers then you could be in for some cash back on some of those purchases.

DRAWBACKS

You have to share quite a bit of private information with Paribus. Like I said earlier, I want to be totally honest in this review, so I need to share one drawback that gave me considerate pause at first. Paribus will have authority to read, send, delete, and manage your email. They also request your Amazon login and password, as well as your credit card information.

I worked for years in fraud prevention at a financial institution, so those were automatic red flags to me. I dug in and researched user experiences since the app’s inception in 2014. Despite the scary amount of personal information, I did not read one report of fraudulent activity or compromised information from users.

I’m just reviewing this product as a consumer and don’t have authority to ensure this software is secure, but you can hear directly from Paribus and learn more details about how they handle our information via this CNBC report.

Watch out for hiccups. I experienced a technical bug when I tried to sync my Amazon account with Paribus. Upon further research, I discovered several other complaints about technical hiccups like that. I’m sure they’re updating and ironing out bumps all the time, but just be aware that those may cause some delays.

Not every purchase or store is eligible. A number of users complained that Paribus only pays back on eligible stores and purchases, so their cash back wasn’t as much as they hoped. Considering your family’s needs over the course of this year, you may want to evaluate where you’ll be shopping for them and how often. Paribus updates the list of eligible retailers regularly.

Paribus Review – Final Thoughts

The million dollar question is this: Did I actually get cash back using Paribus?

Not yet. I believe the reason is because I shop infrequently online and have only just started using Paribus.

Paribus is a free app that requires minimal upkeep, so if your alright with the parameters discussed throughout this article and you already shop online regularly, then it’s likely this app will make you some money. If you don’t shop a lot until Christmas, then it may still be helpful. If you just don’t shop a lot, ever, then you may not hear much chatter from Paribus.

Are money-saving apps like Paribus a wise replacement for good financial habits? Not at all. We use terms like “personal finance” and “financial living” because you must live out certain principles in order to succeed. Laying a foundation with things like budgeting, saving, and spending less than you make are far and away more important than using the right gadget or app. Are apps still helpful? Yes. But don’t let them tempt you to spend more than you intended to and wreck your foundation.

The Sign-Up Process

The following four steps taken directly from Paribus’ sign-up page will help you get started:

In other words:

Download the app.
Sync your info to Paribus.
Shop.
Get paid.

Where are some of your favorite online stores when you’re shopping for your family? Share one below!

This post was sponsored by Paribus.

P.S. Are you a stay-at-home mom? Make sure you bookmark or pin some of these resources for later!