It’s hard to work redecorating into a family budget, but there are some surefire tips that the savvy homeowner knows – shopping online, or using a West Elm promo code, for instance. Being able to afford to redecorate your home takes a while to save up for if you really want to do it right. It is more then just working it into your budget, it is also saving money in many other places, to put away for those large expenditures. Furniture is expensive , but every now and then it is required to buy a piece or replace a piece.

NerdWallet’s Black Friday sales are a great way to be able to stick to your budget and save a lot of money on the big stuff. Lets face it, we all know that black friday is the best sale day of the year; add coupons into your wallet today and your savings can double. This makes a world of difference to your budget and what you are able to do with your redecorating, especially as the children get older and out grown those cute little kiddie rooms.

You kids can help you keep to that budget as well. Let them know that if they want their room redone, then it would be helpful for them to give up some of those extras for a little while. Explain to them that the money has to come from somewhere and still fit into the budget. Older children are much easier to impress with this as they can grasp the situation better. Most often they are willing to find ways to make money on their own, by cutting lawns or obtaining a part time job to help out. This is a good thing and teaches them responsibility and the value of a hard earned dollar.

When trying to stay within a budget, you should leave the credit cards at home and use cash as often as possible. This keeps you from making  spontaneous purchases that will over reach your budget. This is especially hard when you have kids and they are always asking for something when you are shopping. That five dollar item seems cheap until you add all of the five dollar items up at the end of the month. Leaving the children at home with your spouse or a family member when shopping is always a good idea. Then you don’t have to feel bad about saying no if they are not there to ask.

Make sure your spouse and you are on the same page when it comes to your budget, or it will never work. As money is the one thing that married couples argue over more then anything else, it only makes sense to create the budget together and then vow to stick to it. This will save many an argument over who can spend what if it is already laid down within the budget. You will have more harmony in your house if you are both in agreement to your budget.

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When used properly, I fully support the use of e collars for training. One of my dogs (my very large and stubborn Bullmastiff), actually responded well to training using an e collar, when other methods had been less effective.  As a dog lover and e collar supporter, I am happy to share the following post

~Jennifer

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The Dogtra Company produces e collars for dogs to cover every kind of training situation. The line of collars it offers covers small-breed pet training, a variety of sporting dog training and serious K-9 Police work. It is a member of the Electronic Collar Manufacturers Association (ECMA). Dogtra collars are suitable for training dogs that have a nuisance bark, steal food from the counter, pull their handler on walks or ignore the handler when they are called home or from the hunting field. If any of these situations occur, a Dogtra electronic collar is the solution. Dogtra offers their patented Exact-stim collar with stimulation control with and exact correction level for any dog’s temperament. Owners, who use this along with the attention getter non-stimulating pager/vibration feature, will have the tools they need to change their dog’s behavior. The major features of Dogtra electronic collars are: • Adjustable stimulation levels for the precise correction level with no jumps in between levels • Different stimulation types including nick and constant – nick is a rapid spurt of stimulation to attract the dog’s attention, and constant remains as long as the owner or trainer holds the button. Constant is used for stubborn dogs and very demanding training situations • A pager, which is non-stimulation collar that vibrates to get the attention of the dog • Various collar sizes • Low/medium output and low/high output stimulation for very small and large dogs • Fully waterproof • Ranges from one mile to 400 yards • Rapid charge battery • LCD screen to view the stimulation level • Belt clip

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It’s a beautiful day and the sun is shining… I started my day with a 3 mile run, pounding the dirt road, through the trees and passed the water, seeing the mountains, birds, and blue sky!  Got my music, got my sun, got my nature, got my Mizunos…What a way to start a great day! Some people wonder what drives a person to run…I see posts on facebook that say, “The only time you’ll ever see me running is if something is chasing me!”  Funny, but in my mind, there is always something chasing me, which regular exercise would throw an obstacle at! It’s age, excess weight, illness, boredom, etc… For me, exercise (whether you choose to run, bike, play baseball, or whatever) is necessary for overall wellness, for happiness.  Sure I have to force myself to do it at times, but I’m always happy once I’m doing it, and feeling great once I’m finished.  When it’s beautiful outside, and the sun is shining, and the birds are singing – that is added bonus and benefits.  Love my runs!

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There is no doubt the economic downturn created a serious downturn for my finances, and therefore, my credit score.  I’m not in the boat alone, as I am aware this economic crisis or recessions (whatever you opt to call it) has effected many people.  Climbing out of the pit left by this financial boom is difficult.  We’ve been down a long and difficult road since October of 2008, and are only now beginning to see progress.

Watching our credit report and credit score tank along with the bank balances, and everything else financial-related was not easy.  Recently we have recommitted to improving our credit score, which will take time, effort, and patience.  There is so much involved in cleaning up old derogatory marks. Some companies may be willing to work with you, while others may be more difficult.  Some companies may even agree to remove the derogatory mark altogether, while others refuse to budge.  Having professionals who know what they are doing, who have experience, and who can save you time, can be beneficial. Lexington law reviews is just one company which offers assistance in navigating through the time consuming and confusing credit “road to recovery”.

It is not simple. It is not “overnight”. Our goal is to see some serious improvement over the upcoming next year, and this, we hope to achieve by following a step by step strategic plan.  One day, hopefully sooner rather than later, our credit will be well on its way to recovery.

Making good financial decisions from here on forward is one positive goal we can all stand to make.  There is nothing we can do to change what’s occurred, what has passed.  We can, however, work strategically to financially heal, and work on a better brighter tomorrow, taking with us lessons learned.

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There are so many aspects that go into making your business a success.  Among them are reach, audience, customer service, quality products, and advertising.  Many years ago, when we started our flooring company, we learned very quickly that all of these aspects hold equal importance in overall success of a company.  Several months into our business, we decided we should have company shirts for the guys to wear on site, and that first entailed creation of a logo to place on those shirts.  We quickly found a company to work with us on designing a great and simple logo, which we could then use on all sorts of products, to promote our business.  Now this does not sound like a huge promotion, but if you think about a t-shirt with a logo it, a hat with a logo, a coffee mug…a pen – and the list goes on – think about just how many people that advertisement is reaching.

How many times have you walked into a bank or other type of business, and been offered a pen, with their logo on it.  Sure, everyone loves a free pen, but taking that pen makes you a sort of advertisement for that company, each time you use it.  Think about it. Sure, not everyone notices the pen you’re using, but if they’re cool pens, and there’s a cool logo on it, people will notice.

Not only were our guys wearing t-shirts with our logos on them to work, but they were sporting that advertisement when they stopped by the store for supplies, for gas, before and after work, and so forth.  So in effect they became walking advertisements.  The hats, they would sport all the time, working or not.

There are so many different products which could be advertising your business name and logo.  Ask yourself what items are widely used, and also seen by many?  Coffee mugs are a good option, and so are water bottles.  People tend to carry water bottles with them, so they’re actively showing the world their bottle.  Hats are a favorite of mine for the same reason.  Another good one is bags.  Pens are great because they are very low cost, and widely used and seen, though it may not scream at a person like a hat or sweatshirt.  Regardless of what quality logo products you choose to brand with your logo, make sure you pass ‘em out and get ‘em seen!

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This past Easter, my mom came to visit, which was super exciting for all of us!  She brought the little kids special gifts…a twist on the standard sock monkey!  These lil’ monkeys were custom and colorful, super cute!  The kids loved ‘em!  These were better than any store bought “bunny” Easter specials.  These were “special” made with love by Gramma!  Here’s how she did it – How to Make a Sock Monkey.

My mom has all kinds of talent when it comes to making, creating, sewing, and innovating.  She passed a lot of that on to my sister as well, and together, they inspire others, sharing their talents and showing how to create, with their How-To YouTube channel.  From standard sewing techniques to simple crochet, from fun vintage magnets to funky patched jeans, and from unique ultra soft scarves to adorable fashionable earrings…it’s all there!

In fact, she recently gave me a super cute bag she made. The bag is made from complimentary blue and green material, both patterned and solid, with cinched sides, and topped with a cute tie on the shoulder.  I’ve had the bag only a couple of weeks, and already received several random compliments on how cute it is!  Of course, you can switch out the fabric to any of your liking.  This is a TLC Inspirations Original!

Do you want an idea for an extra special gift for that extra special someone, made with extra special love, BY YOU?  Check it out, get some ideas, and be INSPIRED with TLC Inspirations How-To Tutorials…starring my Extra-Talented Mom and Sis!

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Those of you who have read my blog know I have half a dozen children, so I know a thing or two about breastfeeding.  In fact, my youngest three breastfed for nearly 2 years each, give or take a few months.  Doing the math, I’ve spent a good deal of time breastfeeding my babies.  For me, it came fairly easily.  I did have a difficult time with one of my children, because I was in a lot of pain every time he tried to latch on, and I almost gave up because I just didn’t think it would get any better, or that I could handle it.  With encouragement from my husband, I continued…and it did improve.

I understand it is not always easy for moms to breastfeed.  Factors range from baby’s inability to properly latch on, to mom’s discomfort or pain, to schedules for some moms, to insufficient or non-existent milk supply.  Some moms have trouble with their milk coming in.  Right after the baby is born, there is a few days of colostrum, and this appears brighter in color, and less in quantity, but it is very rich in nutrients for baby.  Then, the milk supply will start to come in.  This, on its own, can create discomfort for the new mom, and more difficulty for baby to latch on as well.

Overall there is a variety of factors and concerns moms have when it comes to breastfeeding.  It is not always easy to know where to turn.  Breastfeeding advice is available in abundance across the web, from many different sources.  It may be helpful to communicate with other moms about breastfeeding, or contact health professionals, or connect with lactating specialists.  I know when I was in the hospital, right after having my babies, there were resources available to me, including the consultation of lactation specialists.  There are also products available which can help relieve pain and discomfort from breastfeeding.  In my opinion, it is a decision that is very well worth the effort!

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Supermoms and superdads need super cars too!  Finding the best deal on used automobiles can be tricky, with all the options and dealers out there.  Walking through the door at the grocery store will distract you as you notice the magazines and car ads at the door.  Surfing the internet can be helpful, or it can be overwhelming, just depending on the number of listings, and what you want.

I think the one thing we can all agree on wanting to find, when it comes to used cars, is a good deal.  A good deal would mean a nice, quality vehicle, with an attractive price sticker attached.  Of course, dealerships for used cars vary greatly from state to state and from city to city.  You may be  looking for used cars in New York, or used cars Irving Texas.  Its really nice when you can find the used automobile website which also has its inventory listed right online, so you can conveniently look through their used car inventory from home.  Even better, is when you’re able to pre-qualify or apply for your loan, from the same comfortable place – at home.  Auto USA Texas is one such dealership in the big state, offering all of that on their website.  Perhaps you’re seeking a dealership which offers in house financing, or may have options available for people with less than perfect, or damaged, credit.  According to the website, Auto USA offers in house financing, in addition to their listed online inventory, and online application process.

We have gone through the vehicle shopping process more times than I can remember, and I know it can be challenging every time.  It is definitely helpful to use the internet as the grand resource tool that it is, and find a quality used car dealership near you, that offers all you are seeking – whether that includes their inventory list online, online loan application, or in house financing needs.  Seek and you shall find!  ;)

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If you have children, then you know the FIRST birthday is the one of the many special events.  Memories created and captured during that special celebration will be remembered and reflected upon for years to come.  Of course, you have to have the little birthday cake, and of course you have to allow for the SUPER cute SUPER mess that comes with letting them dive into their little cake!  Because that is where the BEST 1st Birthday photos come from!  Seeing the cute chubby cheeks, and smiling eyes, peeking through gobs of smeared pink or blue frosting, is AWESOME, and something every mom should experience!

But what about the theme?  How many themes are there to choose from?  What sort of birthday decor should you get?  Are there matching plates, birthday hats, and streamers?  Their 1st birthday party will be one of THE events of their sweet little childhood.  Granted, they may not completely remember the event themselves, but everyone else will…AND they most definitely will want all the details, and will want to look at every photo from that event, later in life.  My children spend hours looking at old photos from their childhood.  They love reliving those events through the photos and videos we captured them through.  So make their 1st birthday party one to remember!

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Such a great time of year, with sunshine starting to show more, flowers beginning to bloom, birds singing….and Easter!  The fun way to celebrate Easter for many children includes lots of Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts, Easter baskets, stuffed Easter bunnies, and more.  Every year, I have a tendency to rush out at the last minute to pick up all the fun treats for my children.  And kids will be kids – they really look forward to fun, and treats, and gifts – they just do.

So, in thinking ahead to Easter gift baskets, how much fun would it be to surprise them with personalized Easter gifts?  How about giving them cute sock bunnies (a twist to the traditional sock monkey), with their names on the front?  Or cute personalized Easter baskets?  From baskets to bunnies to Easter candy or cute personalized Easter egg shirts, Personalized Creations offers such a huge variety of personalized gifts.  So while this  may be something you have not previously thought of, but it is something that I think would make this year’s Easter gift baskets more memorable for the kids.  And while you’re there, you can check out all the other personalized gifts they offer, for all occasions, for any of your loved ones, and throughout the year, (they even offer those cute personalized “family of characters” car sticker decals…which I keep saying I’m going to get!)

Don’t forget to check out their special coupon and offers as well, http://www.personalcreations.com/coupon-codes.aspx which include saving 25% on a purchase of $75 or more, free shipping when you order $49 or more, among other savings options.

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