Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Blogging on Mommy Bloggers
So far this week seems to be dragging on. I'm not sure if its because I think spring should be around the corner or because I am officially over this cold weather.
When I started this blog I had such great ambitions to "fill the social net work about the funnies of being a working mom" and maybe throw out there some helpful tips on Real Estate in the process. But, it seems like I have not accomplished either one.
Not for lack of want, but lack of writing ability.
I decided to do a search on top mommy blogs, thinking it might give me some inspiration. "What are working mom's blogging about??" I asked myself, hoping to find some funny anecdotes, or work horror stories that might make some of mine not seem so terrible.
You know what I found? Nothing............ Maybe, if I had felt like browsing though 9 zillion blogs, I could have found something, but I like many moms, suffer from MUDD, (Motherhood Unintentional Distraction Disorder).
What I did find is that there is a TON of mommy blogs that have moms who do DIY everything, make meal plans 3 years in advance (all organic of course), remodel their homes with out contractors, have full time jobs and 10 kids. And on top of it all they find time for date nights with the hubby.
All I could think about reading these is "How in the heck do they do all this?!".
I mean, most of the time I am the queen of time frames! I'm so obsessed with them that I will think about times days in advance. Example: Had to travel for work last Wednesday, hubby decided to go (who by the way has no concept of time),I thought about what time to tell him for 3 days before hand so I would not be late! (which I still was because, again he has no concept of time).
So Mommy Blog World, here is my question to you: HOW DO YOU DO IT? How do you do get up in the morning make breakfast, pack lunches for all kids, take them to school, soccer practice, do 20 loads of laundry (washed, folded and put away) make freezer meals for 2 months and 4 DIY projects all in one day? Did you find an extra 12 hours in the day?
Hopefully anyone reading this won't think I'm a hater of these mommy bloggers! Its quite the opposite, I'm mesmerized by them.
PLEASE, PLEASE mommy bloggers, I am your Padawan! I'm willing and ready....oh wait gotta go pick up my kids....
Thursday, January 23, 2014
No, I'm not that mom
Before I had my kids I defiantly had a vision of what kind of mom I would be. And by this I mean I would be in restaurants where children were running around screaming with spaghetti plastered to every inch of themselves and think to myself, NEVER, never will I allow my future children to do this!
And to some extend I have managed that. When we go out to eat the kids are not allowed to wonder the restaurant and behave like hyenas. However I have had my moments in the grocery store where if I am not walking down the middle of the isle, my son has an amazing "wing span" and will grab anything and everything and throw it on the floor or in our cart.
I am very blessed in the sense that my office manager allows me to bring my kids to the office when I need to. Some days babysitters are just not available and I needed a job that would be sensitive to my situation. I'm also blessed that Real Estate affords me to do this.
Daphne has been coming to work with me literally since she was a month old. Jaxon as been a bit of a different story. He has come with me as well, but dynamite comes in small packages. He was not content sitting there watching videos. No, he is mostly about chaos and mess. Case in point:
But though out my journey thus far as a mom, I have come to the conclusion that, no I'm not that mom that I originally thought I would be.
I will end up giving my kids candy with high fructose corn syrup. I will give them cold pizza in the morning because I'm too rushed and too tired to make breakfast at 6 am. I will be giving my son chocolate milk in the mornings because that is the only way I can get him to drink milk period.
I have ended up picking up my daughter from school in my PJ's just because I was just to sick to think about what all the other mom's would think of me! (something that I also told myself I would never do!)
And in the end will my children remember the mom who gave them chocolate milk in the morning and they were happy, or will they be mad because I should have read labels and not given them No. 2 yellow dye in their mac & cheese?
For now, I like to think that they would be happy with the chocolate milk.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Summer 2013 Camping!!
I know its been quite a long time since I have been blogging, however I do have a good excuse. SUMMER!
Yes, not only is summer one of my busiest times of year Real Estate wise, its also the only time we have to really get out in full blown nature with the kids. We decided to take a whole 5 days this year and packed it up to the hills with the kids and some close friends for a camping trip! Had a wonderful time!
Yes, not only is summer one of my busiest times of year Real Estate wise, its also the only time we have to really get out in full blown nature with the kids. We decided to take a whole 5 days this year and packed it up to the hills with the kids and some close friends for a camping trip! Had a wonderful time!
This is La Jara Reservoir
Our camping spot overlooked this lovely piece of the mountains! We rode dirt bikes, did a little hiking, fishing, and Daphne got her first BB gun so Dad of course started the proper lessons:)
Jaxon was busy doing what ever he could, which was fine with me since usually I'm trying my best to keep him out of things at home. Here we see him with a wild beast of nature!! If you ever encounter one in the wild, PLEASE use extreme caution! lol
We took naps!
Played with GLOW STICKS!
And of course Daphne's art work had to be displayed for the next campers to enjoy. It was a blast watching her paint!
Jaxon saw his first double Rainbow! Reminds us of how precious God's promise is! What a great way to teach our children how fully He keeps his word!
Of course I had to tame the most wild creature found in the forest! Love!
And of course no camping trip would be complete with out friends/family!
Oh and at least one kid being dumped off a small motorcycle into a mud puddle....
Hope you and your family had a splendid summer making beautiful family memories!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Phrase of the day: "Mom Guilt"
It seems like lately the guilt monster has been creeping up on me. About what?
Lets see.....
Crazy work schedule
Why can I get my house sold so I can finish the other and take some stress away?
Not having physic abilities about what my 3 year old needs, 6 year old can at least tell me.
Was I too laxed in that discipline, was I too harsh?
Are the kids growing properly
Are the activities I have them involved in stimulating them enough?
Why is my 6 year old acting like a cartoon character one day and then asking to be a teenager the next?
Just wanting a break from kids, work, house, just wanting me time!
I know as a mom I am truly doing my best, and I do fall short. But does guilt really have any benefit?
NO! Guilt will not make things better, but 99.9% of the time, worse.
As you can see from the list above I can quite put my finger on EXACTLY what is making me feel most guilty. Maybe it's a combo of everything.
I read a blog by Jamee Tenzer about this very topic. Here are 3 tips she gave in order to help ease our guilt:
1) What are you feeling most guilty about? Be specific! Try to set aside some time to play that game or read that one book before bed.
2) Ask yourself if you feel guilty because you actually feel you should be doing something different or because you feel other people are judging you. This is a HUGE thing for me. Make peace with the idea that most mom's have their own "guilt's" they are dealing with and feeling judged, and are more than likely not thinking or judging you.
3) If you are feeling guilty, find an action you can take to turn the situation around. I know easier said than done. For example, Jamee said: "“I’m guilty because I’m not making dinners from scratch every night,” can be changed to “I’m going to add one more dinner each week that I make from scratch by planning it ahead of time and asking my partner and children to pitch in and help.”
And to all the Moms out there, keep doing a fantastic job!
Lets see.....
Crazy work schedule
Why can I get my house sold so I can finish the other and take some stress away?
Not having physic abilities about what my 3 year old needs, 6 year old can at least tell me.
Was I too laxed in that discipline, was I too harsh?
Are the kids growing properly
Are the activities I have them involved in stimulating them enough?
Why is my 6 year old acting like a cartoon character one day and then asking to be a teenager the next?
Just wanting a break from kids, work, house, just wanting me time!
I know as a mom I am truly doing my best, and I do fall short. But does guilt really have any benefit?
NO! Guilt will not make things better, but 99.9% of the time, worse.
As you can see from the list above I can quite put my finger on EXACTLY what is making me feel most guilty. Maybe it's a combo of everything.
I read a blog by Jamee Tenzer about this very topic. Here are 3 tips she gave in order to help ease our guilt:
1) What are you feeling most guilty about? Be specific! Try to set aside some time to play that game or read that one book before bed.
2) Ask yourself if you feel guilty because you actually feel you should be doing something different or because you feel other people are judging you. This is a HUGE thing for me. Make peace with the idea that most mom's have their own "guilt's" they are dealing with and feeling judged, and are more than likely not thinking or judging you.
3) If you are feeling guilty, find an action you can take to turn the situation around. I know easier said than done. For example, Jamee said: "“I’m guilty because I’m not making dinners from scratch every night,” can be changed to “I’m going to add one more dinner each week that I make from scratch by planning it ahead of time and asking my partner and children to pitch in and help.”
And to all the Moms out there, keep doing a fantastic job!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
"Up" in the air
Being a parent we can't help but get caught up in watching cartoons with our kids. And yes, there has been times when our kids have gone to bed, then Keith and I find ourselves still watching the cartoons. Something that, honestly, I hope I never grow out of! ;)
One fond memory I have is taking my daughter to see the movie "Up" in 2009. It was so cute, and made us both tear up a bit. Of course the "Realtor" in me started asking "Why didn't Carl just sell his house"!
After all he was offered double the last offer was, what seller wouldn't jump at that!?
Then I brought myself back to reality and told myself it was just a movie and to enjoy it with my daughter!
If I was a little more nerdy I could say, just for fun lets pretend this wasn't a fictional scenario and take a look at what would have happened if Carl had make the financially sound decision to sell his home to the developer. We would need to look at the location of the home, next the size of the home (ie: number of beds, baths, sq ft), lastly we would look at the price per sq ft of comparable homes.
It can be done, I've seen people do it! However, I prefer to keep the mind set that Carl was just as happy going on his adventure with Russell, never realizing the financial mistake he made.
If I was a little more nerdy I could say, just for fun lets pretend this wasn't a fictional scenario and take a look at what would have happened if Carl had make the financially sound decision to sell his home to the developer. We would need to look at the location of the home, next the size of the home (ie: number of beds, baths, sq ft), lastly we would look at the price per sq ft of comparable homes.
It can be done, I've seen people do it! However, I prefer to keep the mind set that Carl was just as happy going on his adventure with Russell, never realizing the financial mistake he made.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
~CREDIT TIPS~
A good credit score is important for more reasons than just obtaining new credit. These days, it can be factor in everything from landing a new job, to getting the best deals on your insurance policies.
1) A 100 Point Drop for One late Mortgage Payment? - Sad, but true! A single 30 day late mortgage loan payment can cause your score to drop by as much as 100 points. Credit scoring algorithms vary based on many factors and there are also instances where the damage can be even greater.
2) 90 Days Late - Not only can this shave 100 points and more from your score, but it can also take as long as 7 years to erase the penalty for this. This is certainly a situation you want to avoid and one of the best ways that you can do this is to maintain an emergency cash reserve account equal to at least 3 months of living expenses or more.
3) Adding Up The Cost - At the time, a single missed payment will only cost you a late fee, but when the expense really adds up is on your next loan or a missed opportunity. Low credit scores typically mean a higher rate and cost than can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra interest expense over the life of a loan.
4) Few Plan on This Happening - Yet it does. There are certainly things beyond our control such as accidents, illness, job loss, family issues, etc. At other times, it can just be carelessness or even the result of a hectic life. If you're prone to forgetting or don't have a scheduled time to sit down and pay bills, it can help to set up auto payment through your checking account or to put a perpetual reminder on your calendar.
Opportunities and needs come up sometimes when we least expect them. Allowing payments to be made late is not something that we can readily fix after the fact as little other than time will decrease the negative impact. Since we can't speed up time, this leaves prevention as the one sure remedy!
A good credit score is important for more reasons than just obtaining new credit. These days, it can be factor in everything from landing a new job, to getting the best deals on your insurance policies.
1) A 100 Point Drop for One late Mortgage Payment? - Sad, but true! A single 30 day late mortgage loan payment can cause your score to drop by as much as 100 points. Credit scoring algorithms vary based on many factors and there are also instances where the damage can be even greater.
2) 90 Days Late - Not only can this shave 100 points and more from your score, but it can also take as long as 7 years to erase the penalty for this. This is certainly a situation you want to avoid and one of the best ways that you can do this is to maintain an emergency cash reserve account equal to at least 3 months of living expenses or more.
3) Adding Up The Cost - At the time, a single missed payment will only cost you a late fee, but when the expense really adds up is on your next loan or a missed opportunity. Low credit scores typically mean a higher rate and cost than can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra interest expense over the life of a loan.
4) Few Plan on This Happening - Yet it does. There are certainly things beyond our control such as accidents, illness, job loss, family issues, etc. At other times, it can just be carelessness or even the result of a hectic life. If you're prone to forgetting or don't have a scheduled time to sit down and pay bills, it can help to set up auto payment through your checking account or to put a perpetual reminder on your calendar.
Opportunities and needs come up sometimes when we least expect them. Allowing payments to be made late is not something that we can readily fix after the fact as little other than time will decrease the negative impact. Since we can't speed up time, this leaves prevention as the one sure remedy!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Then & Now
Did you know that you can purchase a median price home today for a payment that can be lower than it was for the same home 30 years ago? Whats even more amazing is that when we consider that with inflation, that payment is much smaller percentage of average income than it was back then.
Let me give you an example, but please remember that these are for illustration purposes only. Prices are based on U.S. median average sales prices, rates are reflective of a 30 year fixed rate loan for 1981 and early in 2013, Principal and Interest payments are based on an 80% loan to value, taxes are based on a factor of 1.5% of the sales prices and insurance is based on a cost of $3 per $1000 of loan amount. Actual current rates, taxes, insurance, etc., can very at any time.
1981 Home 2013 Home
Median Priced Home was: $67,000 Median Priced Home: $176,800
30 Yr fixed Principal & Interest: $824 30 Yr. fixed Principal & Interest: $645
Taxes: $83.75 Taxes: $221
Insurance: $13.40 Insurance: $35.36
TOTAL PAYMENT: $921 TOTAL PAYMENT: $901
Income to Qualify: $36,855 Income to Qualify: $36,056
The down side to this? It won't last. Interest rates are at a historic low, and once the economy improves or the Fed takes its proverbial foot off the gas pedal, mortgage rates will rise again.
Are you ready to take advantage?
Let me give you an example, but please remember that these are for illustration purposes only. Prices are based on U.S. median average sales prices, rates are reflective of a 30 year fixed rate loan for 1981 and early in 2013, Principal and Interest payments are based on an 80% loan to value, taxes are based on a factor of 1.5% of the sales prices and insurance is based on a cost of $3 per $1000 of loan amount. Actual current rates, taxes, insurance, etc., can very at any time.
1981 Home 2013 Home
Median Priced Home was: $67,000 Median Priced Home: $176,800
30 Yr fixed Principal & Interest: $824 30 Yr. fixed Principal & Interest: $645
Taxes: $83.75 Taxes: $221
Insurance: $13.40 Insurance: $35.36
TOTAL PAYMENT: $921 TOTAL PAYMENT: $901
Income to Qualify: $36,855 Income to Qualify: $36,056
The down side to this? It won't last. Interest rates are at a historic low, and once the economy improves or the Fed takes its proverbial foot off the gas pedal, mortgage rates will rise again.
Are you ready to take advantage?
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