Ditch the Joneses Book Review

Ditch the Joneses, Discover your Family, How to Thrive on Less than Two Incomes by Cathi Brese Doebler is a book about planning, learning and adapting to living on one income. The author is a Mom who knew before she even had children that she wanted to be a stay at home mom. She and her husband started making plans before her boys were born so that the could survive and thrive on one income. By planning and understanding what it takes she started to do more and more research on others desires to stay home and their struggles. Doebler took this information and started teaching classes to other parents on how they could try to be home with their families more.

In the introduction she says that this book is for parents who:

• Desire to reduce their hours to part-time
• Desire to stay at home full-time
• Desire to explore new ideas with time and financial management
  
• Desire to consider options while deciding on their family's lifestyle

Throughout this book Doebler talks about everything from Planning before your first child is born, the savings you actually do make by staying home and not paying for childcare and work expenses, ways to save money when you are home, and how to keep in touch with the business world if/when you want to return to work. She also talks about defending your decision to those who may not understand your desire to stay home. When I left the corporate world I knew that there were people who would not understand why I would want to be home 24/7 with little children when I had this great paying job and daily adult interaction. This book reminded me that there are always going to be people who don't understand your decision to stay home and that you have to do what makes you happy, not everyone else. Doebler also points out the importance of continuing to network in order to maintain future employment opportunities, reaching out your community as well as spending time with other new parents. Even though you chose to stay home with your children does not mean that you have to cut out everyone who is not in the same situation as you may be. Keeping in touch is the key to future options.
I really like how she also touches on how to keep your sanity when you do cut your hours or stay home. She reminds you that you cannot do it all and to take time to ease into your new situation. Not to assume now that you are home that you can attack that "to do" list in a week. You are home to raise your children and be there for them, not necessarily there to make sure your house looks like Martha Stewart's house (my words not hers).
This is a great book and resource for parents wanting and hoping to make that leap into a one income family. It is a reminder that we are lucky to be able to stay home and that there are so many others out there that want to be in your shoes. With the right planning and resources in most cases it can be done, this book can help you achieve that goal.

You can buy Ditch the Joneses, Discover your Family, How to Thrive on Less than Two Incomes by Cathi Brese Doebler on Amazon or you can get the Nook Book version at Barnes & Noble.

Im Dont Feel Well. I Want My Mommy!

During our event my son has gotten sick and really had his first cough with a really runny nose. I did not realize how hard it is to be sick myself and take care of my little one. I have been feeling so run down and exhausted. But I had a moment of awareness that made me feel like wow I am lucky he adores me so much that he wants only me to hold him.
I know for me anytime I was sick as a kid I wanted my mom. She didn't have to anything just be in the room or near me. Sometimes when I stayed home form school sick she would get me grapes and french bread, two of my favorite things! It always made me feel better and feel special. Even if I was so sick it made her sick she never complained or wavered in her being my mommy! After I moved out of my parents house if I got sick I would want my mom then too! My sister and I laughed about that today that as adults and moms we still want Mom if we don't feel well.
I want to be that kind of mom to my son. I want him to know that not matter how I feel I am cheery and all his when he needs me. It was about 3 am the other night when I had my moment of awareness. My son and I were both coughing and blowing our noses and he sighed then laid his head on my lap. I ran my hand along his head over and over like a sweet little cat and he feel asleep. That's all he wanted was me to just be there, to be his comfort when he was uncomfortable. Since that night even thought I feel not so good I am being chipper and his hero when his nose is running or he just needs a hug. I forget sometimes I am what he needs, what he wants and who he looks for when he needs something. Its my gift in life to be his hero!

The World of Eric Carle Touch-and-Feel Stroller Cards Review

The World of Eric Carle Touch-and-Feel Stroller Cards are easy to attach touch and feel picture cards for children. Each set has 5 double-sided cards with textures and pictures . It is easy to attach to a your stroller, backpack, or diaper bag. You can enjoy your outing without worrying that your child is dropping his or her toy on the ground as you walk away not even knowing it is gone until you get to the car. Been there done that!

Very cute idea with very cute pictures. The animals include a Sheep, Panda Bear, Fish, Hippo and a Caterpillar! My son loves to touch the animals and I like that he is learning that things have texture. I would recommend this to other parents who have left behind many toys behind because you could not attach them to your stroller or diaper bag! Chronicle Books makes the Touch and Feel Stroller Cards also in Julius! and Big Trucks and Diggers.

To find out more about the cute products made by Chronicle Books you can follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook.

** I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free the item in this post for review purposes.

Crafty Mama Book and Brain Quest Review and Giveaway

As a new stay at home mom I am always looking for crafts and projects or tools to help us learn expand our minds. The Crafty Mama Book and Brain Quest did just that for us. Brain Quest are a popular and fun way to teach your children a variety of things in life, they are like flashcards but better. There are connected together at the top and you open them like up and they fan out a paint wheel or a hand fan. Brain Quest caters to all ages, it starts at ages 2-3 all the way up to 12-13. They also have specific subjects like Math, Reading and African American  History. My son loves to learn and show me how smart he is. We got out the Brain Quest to see exactly what the cards had on them. The questions were very age appropriate and my son was a genius (of coarse)! The 1st card has the questions and the card to follow shows the answers, it gives your child a visual to and confirmation that they got it right. I loved that! There we such a variety of questions and Molly the Mouse appears throughout the game! It comes with 2 sets per package. We were looking at the next stage of cards that my son would need and I cannot wait to get them for him. I also see that they have workbooks as well, we need those for sure. The Brain Quest Workbooks were the winners of the 2010 Teachers' Choice Award.



Crafty Mama is a craft book by Abby Pecoriello, a stay at home Mom who is super crafty. She started off doing craft projects like bedazzling her daughters T-shirts for fun as a new Mom. Now she gives classes and has published the book Crafty Mama. The book boasts 49 fast, fabulous, foolproof (baby & toddler) projects in this great book. I have to admit I love crafty ideas and I want to be crafty. I really think that my heart is craftier then my crafting abilities. It seems like I may be lacking the ability to craft as well as I would like. As I looked through this book I am seeing how easy it really can be! Each project has pictures and step by step instructions as well as a "rate it" section that tells you the cost, time, skill and How ga-ga they'll go over it and the list of supplies for each project. Easy for the craft impaired like me :) All of the projects are things that anyone would love to make as well as have. A few of my favorites are the tie-dye items, the fleece hats, the easy bows for girls, baby wipes covers, and the hanger covers. They would all be fun projects to do at a play date or even something to do with your older children as a project for the day. Great book with great ideas! I recommend Crafty Mama to everyone who wants to tap into their crafty side!



GIVEAWAY:

For our Moms Leaving the Workforce event Workman Publishing has generously offered one lucky reader the chance to win one copy of Crafty Mama and one copy of Brain Quest for 3-4 year olds.

Here is how to enter the giveaway.
MANDATORY Entry:
LIKE Workman Publishing on facebook

*Leave your email address in your comment so I can contact the winner*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry.
If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Follow Me on GFC (right top corner) +2
-Follow The Coupon Queen Bee on Twitter +1
-Like The Coupon Queen Bee on Facebook +1
-Follow Workman Publishing on twitter +2
-Visit Workman Publishing and tell me another book you would like to have +2
-Enter any of the other giveaways during the Moms Leaving the Workforce event  and leave a comment on which giveaway you entered. +2 for every giveaway you enter.
-Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link +5

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts March, 22 2011 and ends on April 2, 2011 at midnight PST.  Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. I was sent a free copy of both the books mentioned in the post from the publisher for my review.

Winners For March Madness Giveaways

Winners for the March Madness Blog Hop Giveaway. Congrats on winning and thank you everyone who entered. Don't forget we have a ton of giveaways going on right now for our Moms Leaving the Workforce event. You can view the giveaways here.

I will be emailing the winners shortly and you have 48 hours to respond. Congrats!




3Pack of Kids DVDs Winner:

Naomi said...

entered the dance book giveaway mamamia0022 @ ...........dot com

Dance First. Think Later. Book Winner:

Wendi said...

I like you on FB sasie9@.......com