Search Results for: first car

Creating First Day of School Memories

In less than two weeks, my three children head back to school. This year is the first year that my youngest will be in school all day away from home. The moment he gets on the bus will be bittersweet, of course, but I’ll be sure to document it well with photographs of his beaming face as he embraces what it means to be a big boy. One tradition that I started when my first-born went off on the bus for the first time was to take a short video of him, standing by a certain rock in the yard … Continue reading →

Maternity Care in the U.S.

The recent birth of the royal prince cost $15,000.  That sounds like a lot, right?  It is, but it’s only half the cost of a birth in America.  That’s right: the average price of a birth — in a normal hospital, not a luxury wing — in the U.S. is $30,000.  That makes us, according to an in-depth article by The New York Times, the nation that pays the most for maternity care.  Yet, we also have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the developed world.  It seems like these two things should counter one another, but in … Continue reading →

Medication and the First Trimester

At the beginning of the week I cautioned against going off medication when you get pregnant.  Now I want to write a follow-up, because it actually is important to know any potential dangers with medicine and the first trimester. As a rule I’ve avoided reading lists of dangers, side effects, and rare pregnancy and birth problems.  They’ll just cause me unnecessary stress, and since pregnant women usually see their doctors at least once a month, I trust mine to keep me informed about anything that will actually/is actually affecting me.  But it is important to know that the first trimester … Continue reading →

Crazy for Cards

I remember when I got my first set of business cards.  I was elected as a member of the Hawaii State Board of Education and scored a box of fancy schmancy cards featuring a border of gold foil. I was 17 years old, though the cards made me feel at least 27. Since then, I’ve subsequently obtained more than a dozen other business cards from the myriad of companies which I’ve been gainfully employed. Whether you are a Fortune 500 CEO or running a small home business, having an official card to hand out to present and future clients is vital. … Continue reading →

Jewel-Osco Drops Their Preferred Card

Posted on by

Another major grocery store has decided to say goodbye to its Preferred Card. Albertson’s has done it. Now, Jewel-Osco has done the same thing. Does your family shop for groceries at one of these stores? If so, you won’t have to dig through your purse for the Preferred Card anymore. Loyalty cards were once a hot item. I cannot recall exactly when, but all of a sudden, it seemed like every grocery store had its own, special, loyalty card. The purpose of it was to reward customers who were frequent shoppers by giving them exclusive deals. In general, loyalty cards … Continue reading →

FInancial Lessons I Learned from Selling a Car

Want me to tell you what I recently learned from selling a car? Actually it was two vehicles, In the past two weeks. One was an SUV and the other a pick up truck. It was an interesting experience. Our normal modus operandi is to purchase a car and then maintain it until it basically turns into dust, so selling cars is pretty new to both my husband and myself. So why did we do it and what did I learn in the process? Be Prepared to Seize an Opportunity There is something called an opportunity cost that can work … Continue reading →

How to Make the Decision to Work from Home While Caring for Others

Working from home can give you the freedom to do many of the things that are important to you. If you want to be able to care for an ill or aging parent or spouse, or a child or other relative with special needs, working from home might be a good way to balance working with being available to care for your loved ones. Also, if you are ill or have a disability that might prevent you from working a full time job outside of the home, working from home can make work accessible to you on a schedule that … Continue reading →

Medi-Cal and the Affordable Care Act

Part of the Affordable Care Act includes the ability for states to choose to expand their Medicaid program. In California, the program is called Medi-Cal. There have been problems with this program in the past. Here is a brief summary of what California is planning to do in regards to the expansion. In December of 2012, a U.S. Court of Appeals made a decision about a situation that had been going on since sometime in 2009. The state of California cut the reimbursement rate for doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers who treated patients who were covered by Medi-Cal. … Continue reading →

Preparing for Blake’s First Birthday

As Blake’s first birthday approaches, I am both excited and filled with dread. I am excited to celebrate our little guy with our friends and family, to formally acknowledge that he is crossing the line from infancy to toddlerhood. The thought of preparing a special meal and baking a beautiful cake is exciting, too. I’m also thrilled about the theme that I have picked out – since Blake was born two hours after St. Patrick’s Day, I have decided to go with a St. Patrick’s Day themed birthday party. Yes, I am fully aware that St. Patrick’s Day is more of … Continue reading →

Dental Care is Important During Pregnancy

You already know how important it is to get regular medical care during your pregnancy, but did you know that it is also very important to make sure that you get regular dental care as well? A few things can happen during pregnancy that can affect your oral health. What’s more, your oral health can also have an impact on the health of your baby. Morning sickness can be tough on your teeth in a couple of ways. First of all, many women report that the taste of their toothpaste can bring on a bout of vomiting. The easy solution … Continue reading →