Are you & your child overscheduled?

Soccer. Dance. Gymnastics. Theater.

How many activities do your children do on a regular basis? One? Two? Five?

How frequently are you running your kids from activity “A” to activity “B” to activity “C”?

If someone looks up “Mom Taxi” in the dictionary will your face be there?

Think about the answers to those questions. The reason why I bring it up is because I’m hearing of more and more kids taking on a schedule that seems unrealistic and exhausting to me as an adult. I can only imagine what it must feel like as a kid. Who’s making the schedule? The kids or the parents? In many cases it’s both.

As parents I know we all want our kids to be well-rounded and try everything…blah, blah, blah. Many kids also want to do everything. But, does there come a point when it’s all just too much? Should we try to limit our kids’ activities so that they (and us) don’t get burnt out? If you ask me, the answer is yes.

When I was a kid I tried lots of sports although I wasn’t really athletic. I was also a cheerleader for a bit. I was a Girl Scout for even longer. I even played in the band up until high school. It may sound like a lot, but all those things weren’t happening simultaneously.I also had plenty of time to go outside to play and go to my friends’ houses and do all the other things kids do as kids. My mom wasn’t schlepping me all over town as if I were Miss Daisy. Somehow we managed to make it work. Somehow I think I turned out okay without hopping from activity to activity.

What changed?

When did we feel like we needed to get our kids into every program known to kiddie-kind? When did we suddenly spend more time in our cars than at home trying to squeeze in some quality family time?

My kids are only six and four and there are already so many activities available to them. Guess what? I make them pick and choose. My six year-old does soccer and Girl Scouts. That’s it. We don’t do dance. We don’t do gymnastics. We don’t do ice skating. Why? Because my child does not need to be in everything. My four-year-old chooses not do dance or gymnastics or anything else for that matter. She just wants to play soccer once she turns five! Guess what? I’m okay with that. It doesn’t make her lazy or boring. Both girls have plenty of time to play and just be kids. Does that mean they’re slackers? Certainly no. It means they’re kids.

We all know kids grow up too fast. That’s why I think it’s time to ease up on the over-scheduling and the mega activities. It’s okay to have a “free day”. It’s even okay to have a few. They may even enjoy it. You definitely will.

 

 

Save a Lot Giftcard Giveaway

Save a Lot is the place to get all of your necessities for the Big Game!  Go ahead and make the switch!  You won’t be sad that you did. Check out this giveaway The Mommy Rundown is helping out with!

The Giveaway:

How to Enter: Please use the Giveaway Tool below!
Prize: $25 Save a Lot Gift Card — 2 winners!

Dates: Starts January 20, 2016 9:00 pm EST.  Winner will be chosen February 3, 2016 11:59 pm EST.



Disclosure: Sweet Cheeks Adventures teamed up with Save a Lot for this giveaway. Other participating bloggers are not responsible for choosing the winner or shipment of product. They have not receive any compensation for this post. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. The winner will be chose at random by the Giveaway Tool and emailed. The winner must claim the prize within 48 hours or they risk forfeiting the prize.

Average Age of Moms is Now Older

How old were you when you had your first child? I was 30. Then I was 32 (almost 33) with my second. Apparently that is now older than the average. New stats show the average age of a first-time mom is now 26 years and four months. The new age is attributed to factors like the big drop in teen moms.

Other factors include the fact that many women are also staying in school older and getting married later in life. Many women are just enjoying life before they have kids. We all know how much life changes when you have kids. Besides the expenses, your entire lifestyle does a 180. You and your needs and wants are no longer taking a front seat. I can’t remember the last time I slept till 11 a.m. or binge watched Lifetime movies for an entire afternoon. I can’t remember not knowing the evening lineup of cartoons so that my kids can get some TV time in. These are things that happen when you have kids.

Looking back, I’m glad I waited. It gave me and my husband time to ourselves. It gave us time to take trips to places like Aruba and California. Those types of trips would be a little more difficult these days with two kids in tow (and probably less enjoyable)!

So, did you wait to have kids? If so, are you glad you did?

eBay vs. Consignment: What Every Momma Needs to Know

Okay, so it’s not time for spring cleaning. But, who says you can’t start the new year with some closet makeovers? Chances are your kids got new toys and clothes over the holidays. Maybe you got some things that you don’t necessarily want or need. So, what are you going to do with all of that stuff?

It may sound mean, but you can’t keep everything. Unless you want to be on “Hoarders”, there’s just no need to keep every toy your child has ever played with. There’s even no need to keep every dress you’ve ever worn to every wedding…especially if it doesn’t fit.

So, what’s a momma to do?

As I see it you have four options:

1. Donate to charity.

2. Give to someone who has a child younger than you and who can use it.

3. eBay it.

4. Consign it.

I admit, I do all four. While numbers 1 and 2 may leave you all warm and fuzzy inside, numbers 3 and 4 can earn you some extra cash. There’s nothing wrong with that! But, which is better, eBay or consignment shops? Sometimes it depends on what you’re selling. Other times it’s all about timing.

Here are some pros about selling on eBay:

1. You can usually make more money. Whether you choose the auction or buy it now option, you can usually make more money than at a consignment shop. Remember, consignment shops are doing the work for you. They will take a percentage. Sometimes the most random items in your mind, like a pair of children’s size 4 silver snow boots, will sell for nearly $10 when you list them for just $6. People get into bidding wars over some strange things! You can use this to your advantage.

2. Junk to you, treasure to another. Like I said above, something that you may classify as “junk” could be what another person has been searching high and low for. This is especially true with knick knacks and kitchen items. I once sold a cookie jar I never used to someone who happened to collect cookie jars. I thought it was pretty tacky and useless. She thought it was a gem. Go figure!

3. They calculate shipping. eBay takes the guess work out of the shipping costs. Many people worry they will end up paying more than the buyer paid for shipping. If you choose the “calculated shipping” option, there is a 99% chance you won’t get stuck. Even if you do, it’s usually under $1. Usually.

4. Money is easy to withdraw. Money earned from eBay usually goes into a PayPal account. You can use this money to buy other things online or you can transfer it to a bank account. The nice thing is that it is extra money that you never counted on but is there when you need it.

Here are a couple of cons about selling on eBay:

1. You do the work. Unlike a consignment shop, you are responsible for making sure the buyer gets the item. This means packing it, shipping it and getting to the post office to mail it in a timely fashion. Buyers don’t want to wait forever for an item; especially if they paid quickly. If you don’t have the time to invest in eBay selling, this may not be for you.

2. There are fees. Since eBay is acting like a personal store for all the world, it is going to take a cut. It all depends on how much you sell. At the end of the month, you’ll get an invoice. The amount is deducted from your PayPal account.

3. If you don’t sell it, it’s still yours. Unlike some consignment shops that donate unsold items, your unsold items are still yours. If you’ve tried a few times to sell something and it doesn’t sell you can either keep it, chuck it, or donate it.

If eBay is not your thing, you may be more of a consigning type of momma. Here are some pros about consignment shops.

1. They do the work. There’s no shipping or packing involved here. You just need to drop off your clean items, and the shop tries to sell it. Many shops will give your items 30 days to sell at full price. After that they get reduced. After that they get donated unless you want to go back and pick them up. The great thing is that if you don’t care about getting unsold items back, you never have to see your stuff again!

2. You may get paid up front. There are two consignment shops I use. At one you drop off your stuff and if it sells then you get paid. At the other one (kids’ clothes and toys) they pay you up front. So, whether your item sells or not, you are getting money. I tend to get more at the one where I have to wait for my items to sell. It makes sense. The other place is taking a chance that it will sell your stuff when you get paid first, so that’s probably why you won’t make as much.

3. You can earn credit towards other items. If you like to also shop at consignment shops, many give you a discount card that applies for selling and buying. You can often use what you’ve earned towards current purchases.

Here are a couple of cons about consigning

1. Seasonal Items Only. Unlike eBay where you can post any thing at any time of the year, many consignment shops are seasonal. So, if you’re cleaning the closet and find clothes for winter, spring, summer, and fall and it’s spring, all those other items will have to wait until their season. By that time, you may forget about them again or end up throwing them away. Some children’s consignment shops accept all clothes for all seasons all year long. Always be sure to check the rules.

2. You Have to Prepare Everything. Many consignment shops have rules about how they will accept items. Many want things on hangers. Others just want items folded nicely in clear bins. The process can get tedious. But, if you don’t mind, it could work for you in the long run.

3. Reclaiming Your Items & Keeping Track. At many places, if your items don’t sell, you have the option of coming to pick them up. But, that means going through the store to find it. This can also become tedious. If you don’t care what becomes of your items, you can just leave them there to be donated.

Those are just some of the pros and cons of both eBay and consignment shops. I like using them both for different types of things. Once you get into it, you may be surprised at just how much money is lying around your house in unused items!

 

 

$25 Dunkin’ Donuts mGift Card Giveaway

$25 Dunkin' Donuts mGift Card Giveaway

$25 Dunkin’ Donuts mGift Card Giveaway

Hosted By: Dorky’s Deals

Sponsor: Dunkin’ Donuts

Prize: $25 Dunkin’ Donuts mGift Card

Dates: 1/5/16 – 1/14/16

Open: to residents of the US, ages 18+

To help kick off the new year Dunkin’ Donuts has brought back their Chicken Apple Sausage Breakfast Sandwich for a limited time. The Dunkin’ Donuts’ Chicken Apple Sausage Breakfast Sandwich features a juicy split chicken sausage seasoned with spices and real apple, along with egg and reduced fat cheddar cheese served on an oven-toasted English muffin. At under 400 calories and packed with protein, the Chicken Apple Sausage Breakfast Sandwich is the perfect choice for a delicious, as well as health-conscious, breakfast on-the-go. In fact, since Dunkin’ Donuts offers breakfast all-day, the Chicken Apple Sausage Breakfast Sandwich is perfect for an on-the-go sandwich any time of day!

The best part is, you have a chance to win a $25 Dunkin’ Donuts mGift Card that you can use to try the new sandwich for yourself! The Mommy Rundown is helping to spread the word!

What is an mGift Card?
An mGift Card is a virtual Dunkin’ Donuts gift card that is sent through the Dunkin’ Mobile App.

Where can I get the Dunkin’ Mobile App?
You can download the app for free here. While you are at it, why not sign up for DDPerks as well? You get a free beverage just for signing-up!

Good luck!

$25 Dunkin’ Donuts mGift Card Giveaway

Terms & Conditions: The winner will be chosen randomly via Gleam and sent a Dunkin’ Donuts mGift Card via e-mail at the e-mail address provided. This giveaway is open to residents of the US, ages 18+ only. Participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. The sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment. This giveaway is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or any other social media. For any questions contact [email protected].

3 Resolutions Every Mother Should Make

Now that you’ve cleaned up the confetti and thrown away the champagne bottle, it’s time to look ahead to the new year. For some of us that means making resolutions. For others not making a resolution is your resolution. But, if you are one of those mommas looking to make a resolution, I’ve got three ideas you really should consider.

Lose weight? No.

Get Organized? No.

Spend More Time with Family? No.

Stop Gossiping? No.

So, if a momma doesn’t want to lose weight and clean her house, what could she possibly want to do in the new year?

For starters, limit your phone time. No, I’m not crazy. I’m including myself in this one. You don’t need to memorize everyone’s Facebook status or see everyone’s tweet pronto. You don’t need to accept every game invite. Playing Farmville 24/7 won’t make you a farmer. It just won’t. Your phone is not going to explode if you don’t check your e-mail every five minutes. The messages will be there.

If you’re like me, there’s just some unexplainable obsession with checking or being on your phone all the time. The hold that the tiny screen has on us is undeniable and sad at the same time. How many times has your child asked you to get off your phone? Raise your hand. I’m raising mine. How does that make you feel? It certainly doesn’t make me feel like a good parent.

If we spend less time on our phones, we’ll have time for real conversations. I’m not talking about text convos or snap chats. I’m talking about honest to goodness verbal interaction with another human being. I know, it’s crazy to imagine. I’m talking about having more quality time with our kids so they don’t have to compete with our phones.

So once you’ve limited your phone time, you can think about yelling less. After your child has used your hardwood floor as a canvas, it’s hard to not want to yell like a maniac. Trust me, I’ve been there. How about when you’ve asked your children to do something three times and they don’t even acknowledge that they’ve heard your voice? They’ll hear if you yell, right? They will, but what will it accomplish? You’re going to get even more mad.

I think as parents we sometimes forget that our kids are just that…kids. They don’t have the same reasoning skills as we do. They just want to have fun. They just want to be kids. Sometimes we may fall victim to wanting our kids to act more like adults than they should or than they are capable of. Raise your hand if this includes you. I’m raising mine. By yelling less, we can actually talk to them and think of other ways to remedy situations. In the process we can try to let them be kids. Maybe we can be kids sometimes too. Wouldn’t it be fun to just color like no one is watching?

Ok, so you’ve limited your phone time and yelled less, what’s left to do? How about take better care of yourself? Chances are you know or are one of those moms who doesn’t really take care of herself. Whether it’s keeping annual doctors’ visits or just making sure you get a haircut more than once a year, you need to take care of yourself. If you’re a hot mess from the inside out, how are you going to take care of your family? We all know the answer.

I’m not talking about being in full make-up when you’re hanging out at the bus stop. But, maybe brushing your hair and getting out of your PJs is a start? Taking better care of yourself doesn’t mean going shopping every week. But, maybe you don’t have to wear the flip-flops that are being held together with duct tape. Taking better care of yourself will not only make yourself feel better, it will also set an example for your kids. We all know kids are the biggest copiers ever.

While these are just three resolutions, they are not easy to keep. I’ll be practicing what I preach as I try to make these work in my life. What’s the worse that can happen? I’ll be having more real conversations without yelling while feeling better about myself. Not a bad way to start the new year.