Search Results for: midwest us families

Beach Getaways for Budget-Conscious Travelers

Spring arrives next week, though you’d never know it by the freezing cold temperatures and fresh snow falling in much of the Midwest and Central Plains.  If you are dreaming of ditching the ice in order to splish, splash into spring, consider the following beach deals that won’t wipeout your travel budget: Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach:  From now through May 1, 2013, the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach is offering a money-saving “Beach Spring Break Package,” which includes complimentary breakfast for two adults and two children and use of the hotel’s beach accessories (umbrella, two beach chairs and four … Continue reading →

Budget Busting Babies

Have you ever sat down and calculated how much money you’ve spent raising your child? Think about it; if you crunched the numbers from the moment you first discovered you were pregnant until today, the amount of cash you’ve likely dropped on your precious bundle of joy probably exceeds five figures. It’s no surprise that the cost associated with raising kids is a hot topic among parents. So much so that you can visit just about any baby-centric website these days and calculate how much a child will set you back financially. For example, Babycenter.com features a handy dandy calculator … Continue reading →

To Grandmother’s House We Go

Will you be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house this year? If not, then you will be among the millions of Americans who will be traveling this week in order to eat Thanksgiving dinner at Grandmother’s house, (or the house of another relative). How we travel, and the cost of a typical Thanksgiving dinner, has changed over the years. When I was a little kid, there wasn’t a specific Thanksgiving dinner tradition. If my mother decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner, than we would have it at home. My grandmother, (my father’s mother), lived with us, which made it easy to … Continue reading →

More Families Seek Public Health Insurance for Children

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Research shows that more and more families are relying on public forms of health insurance in order to provide their children with health insurance coverage. This growing trend is connected to the unemployment rate, and the current economy. Large budget cuts to these programs would financially devastate many families. It seems to be a growing trend. Research that was done by the Carsey Institute, at the University of New Hampshire, shows that there has been an increase in the number of families that are using public forms of health insurance in order to provide their children with health insurance coverage. … Continue reading →

The Cussing Conundrum

My daughter attends a very small Catholic school in a fairly small Midwestern town. As a parent volunteer I am often called upon to help out with recess duty. Most days are pretty uneventful, but the other day I was treated to an earful when a fourth grade boy got sideswiped by an overzealous fifth grader and unleashed a health dose of spicy language. The school has strict rules about cursing, swearing and using the Lord’s name in vain. However, this kid’s ire got the best of him and he let loose a few zingers that would make some sailors … Continue reading →

Chickenlicious Comfort Food

In our home chicken is king. You can’t beat the bird’s price, flavor, and its versatility. What’s more, my kid loves it, which means I am spared a night’s worth of cajoling, bribing and threatening, when chicken is on the menu. Chicken is also an excellent addition to popular comfort foods, such as soups and casseroles. This winter has been especially harsh in the Upper Midwest, so we’ve relied on comfort foods to help warm up. The following Chickenlicious dishes are among our favorites: PARMESAN CHICKEN SOUP Ingredients: 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 boneless chicken breasts, diced in to bite … Continue reading →

Fun Projects to Keep Kids Busy During Summer Break

In Hawaii public school kids headed back to class last week. Meanwhile, parochial schools in the Atlanta area open for the new school year in less than two weeks. But here in the Midwest, public school students don’t begin classes until September 8th. For parents, that means four more weeks of summer, and subsequently, an additional month’s worth of hearing: “Mom, I’m bored!” If you are looking for simple boredom busters to help get through the rest of August, consider the following fun ideas: EDIBLE DIRT Ingredients: 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 (8-ounce) Cool Whip 1 cup powdered … Continue reading →

Free Family Fun in the Midwest

If you are a budget conscious family, who lives in the Midwest and can’t spend a bundle to fly to a coastal community this summer, you don’t have to miss out on seasonal fun. In fact, you don’t have to spend a single dime to have a blast at any of the following free attractions: WISCONSIN A few months ago my little town in rural Wisconsin was buzzing with excitement thanks to a visit by Hollywood hunk Johnny Depp. The award-winning actor was in the Dairy State with his pal Christian Bale to film the movie “Public Enemies.” The flick … Continue reading →

August Scrapbooking Month in Review

I cannot believe it is already September. Our children are back to school, today is Labor day and fall is officially on its way. The year is simply flying by and before we know it we are going to be sipping apple cider and watching the leaves change colors. In the Midwest we are already experiencing unseasonably cool weather. Here is what happened in the scrapbooking blog in the month of August. See if you missed anything. How to Get Your Scrap Space More Organized There is nothing more inspiring than sitting down to scrapbook in an organized space. However, … Continue reading →

Super Summer Fun: Wet and Wild Waterparks (Midwest)

In a previous blog I briefly described the devastating toll the recent Midwest floods took on tourist hot spots such as the Wisconsin Dells. At the time I wrote that entry managers at the resort’s largest waterparks were desperately trying to get the word out that they were still open for business and looking to entertain the legions of families that flock to the Dells on an annual basis. I’ll have more details on the impact the floods are having on the region in a future blog, but in this post I want to continue with my series on the … Continue reading →