Things Not to Say to Your Wife Song

Working Moms & Their Children

I read over this story on Today Moms.

"A new study that tracked nearly 19,000 British children found that little girls with stay-at-home mothers were twice as likely to develop emotional or behavioral problems by age 5 as girls with working moms."


McMunn and her colleagues determined that the healthiest kids, in terms of emotional and behavioral development, were those with two parents in the household, both of whom worked. And that was regardless of maternal education level and household income.


Mom’s job wasn’t always good news. Boys from households where the mom was the sole breadwinner were more likely to display emotional and behavioral problems such as aggressiveness, hyperactivity or withdrawn behavior.


But in cases where the dad was employed, boys with stay-at-home moms were twice as likely to develop behavior and emotional as those with working moms. That difference was greatly diminished, however, once the researchers accounted for maternal depression.


Sounds like work makes moms happier, which leads to more well adjusted kids. 
*I would add that work makes moms happier if they want to be working. I have definitely found this true for me. I also find that I need a balance of work and life at home- like about 10 hours of class/work a week. Seriously, I come home excited and rejuvenated. It's great for me.

“There may be something that is very important for girls about seeing their mother participating in society outside the home.”


I think this study is kind of cool. Probably because it's supportive of what I do and I like the idea of women being well-rounded and being able to perform well inside and outside of the home.

$9.99 Each Way Airfare

Right now, through Spirit Air you can travel round trip PDX-LAS for about $40 after taxes and fees. There are few other airports involved. The dates are kind of random, but maybe for a Halloween visit or something.

2 Memory Foam Pillows for $22 Total Shipped

We love Memory Foam pillows!

You get a $10 credit if you're new which brings the price down to $22 Total for two memory foam pillows.

3 Men's Suits for $179.99 Total (B1G2)

My dad told me about this deal. Thanks dad!

http://www.kgstores.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Nav_11153_10053_-1_N____/@/N-1z13xh9Z3/Ne-au/more-390?cm_vc=63111&cm_sp=MensDivision-_-Hero-_-ShopMens

20 Reasons You Are Not Getting the Same Results as You See on TLC Extreme Couponing

I've only seen this show once. And I was amazed... but skeptical. Who has that kind of time?

Side note: I just turned the TV on and Extreme Couponing happens to be on with Jaime who is one that committed coupon fraud.... Why is TLC still airing an episode when they KNOW this girl committed fraud? Odd.

http://thethriftycouple.com/2011/09/28/20-reasons-you-are-not-getting-the-same-results-as-the-tlc-extreme-couponing/

1. They are emailing companies directly for free coupons – Many of the Extreme Couponers said it themselves “I emailed this company and they sent me FREE or very high value coupons!“  This is truly a great way to try free products, but a company is not going to continue sending you these free coupons.  If you knew you were going to be on the show, you’d probably starting sending those requests ASAP so that you collect as many free product coupons to make your results for that ONE shopping trip much better.

2. Coupon fraud and using coupons on wrong items - There was some blatant misuse of coupons with the intention of not using them on the intended products just to make the numbers look better and to be able to show the lowest prices  – but it was wrong, not real and certainly not ethical.  Savings does not and should not come from fraudulent activity.  You can see one specific Extreme Couponer who committed fraud from this Youtube video.  

3. Number of coupon inserts – We don’t all have a resource where we can literally get an unlimited amount of coupon inserts (and we have no clue how some of those Extreme Couponers are getting them). In our area, we buy the weekend newspapers to get the inserts.  Our local newspapers do not even contain the Red Plum Insert – we only get one copy in the mail each week.  Most of us run into these limitations, and if you are like us you can’t even get the inserts from friends or family either as they are all couponers too 

In our area, there aren’t any extra inserts easily available.  We have talked with employees at our local newspapers about this (as we would love to find a resource for a large number of inserts to pass around too!) and each one has explicitly told us that they are under contract with Smart Source and Procter and Gamble (the two companies offering inserts in our local newspapers) to only distribute inserts to paid subscribers of the newspapers.  In fact, we and many of our friends have delivered newspapers for extra money, and we were required to turn those extra Sunday papers and inserts back over to the paper.  Our numbers had to line up so they wouldn’t break their contract with Smart Source or Procter and Gamble in guaranteeing that only real subscribers were receiving the inserts.  Now we are not sure if this same rule applies across the country but it would only make sense.  So how they are getting that many inserts would sure be nice to know – but of course they are not disclosing!

4. Printing methods – We also noticed the large numbers of the same printable coupons.  In order to do this without photo copying (which is coupon fraud), they would need to have access to many, many computers as you are generally only able to print a maximum of two of each coupon from each computer.  The average person only has a small number ofcomputers in their household, so some of these really hot high-value printable couponswould most likely only be a handful per household instead of dozens.

Again, if we were getting ready for a show like TLC Extreme Couponing, we would find access to any and all computers that we could to print as many of those hot printablecoupons, but this isn’t possible for everyday lifestyle couponing.

5. Reusable bags – This isn’t playing a huge factor to their savings, but it is a contributor nonetheless! We noticed that several of the extreme couponers had dozens of reuseable bags with each of those bags taking another few cents off the total.  Its not a bad idea to use them to save money over a long period of time, but the initial investment in literally dozens and dozens of those bags at $1.00 or more each is not considered although the few dollars deducted off the end is.

6. Stacking with ecoupons – There are ecoupon resources such as Shortcuts andCellFire that have similar or even the same coupons as the paper coupons.  These are manufacturer coupons and they technically cannot be stacked. However, in some of the earlier episodes of the show the stores’ computer systems did not have a way to detect both the ecoupon and the paper coupon and was giving double discounts (we have never recommended that policy).

Probably mostly due to the popularity of Extreme Couponing, the stores computer systems have been reprogrammed to not allow both coupons to be deducted.  If an ecoupon was used, a manufacturer paper coupon cannot also be used and the register will beep alerting the cashier of a duplicate.

7. Using previously obtained catalinas – This struck us especially in a few episodes.  We noticed that many of the Extreme Couponers were using catalinas to help bring their totals lower.  What is a catalina?  It is not referring to the island or the salad dressing!  A Catalina is coupon that prints at the register.  It looks somewhat like a receipt, but skinnier and longer with thicker paper.  It is the same thing that prints at Walgreens when they have their register rewards.  Now while this is a perfectly legitimate way to save, the way that you get these is by making a previous qualified purchase and the large numbers of used catalinas cannot be a regular method of saving.

For example, there could be a catalina for $5 when you buy 3 cereals.  You earn this catalina for buying those three cereals and then you can use it on your next transaction where you will see that additional $5 savings.  During many of the checkouts, we saw a large number of catalinas passed to the cashier (and the register on one episode showing several $20 coupons being deducted?!).   The only way we know to do this is by accumulating these catalinas from several previous transactions (and who knows whether or not they received deals on those initial products to earn the catalina) in the form of several dollars (potentially hundreds) in savings just from the catalinas redeemed.

8. Double coupons – Many stores do not double coupons (e.g. making a .50 coupon worth $1.00).  We do not have the privilege in our area of doubling coupons on a regular basis and many other people do not receive double coupons in their area.  This would have a HUGE affect on the results people would get (as well as the amount of free and overage items possible!).

9. Stores breaking their own policies – This somewhat goes along with point #8 (lifting the limit on the amount of double coupons for the show but sticking with the rules for everyone else), but for the publicity for the TLC Extreme Couponing show, many stores were breaking their own policies just for the sake of publicity.  There is no possibility of the regular “non-reality-TV-show-star” being able to get away with breaking the same rules.  Some of these rules include limiting the number of items you can buy, limiting the number of coupons you can double, limiting the number of coupons you can use in total, just to name a few (there can be many as each store has different policies).

10. Holding out all the good coupons for the trip – This is just an assumption on our part, but probably a pretty accurate one.  If we were preparing to go on TLC Extreme Couponing, we would hold onto all of the free product coupons, the high value coupons, etc. for this one trip.  If you have seen the show you have heard time and again every Extreme Couponer state “This is the biggest shopping trip I have ever done.”  It only makes sense that you would not have that amounts of coupons to use each week or even on a regular basis.

11. Store stock – This is really a big one.  We are not sure if you have tried to get the latest deals in your area, but our local stores are not able to keep stock. Each week there is usually a handful of deals we cannot get because the store’s shelves are just clean wiped out – especially on the items that are free, money makers or just plain cheap!  For this show, many of them admitted to arranging with the store before hand to have the stock available for the filming of the show.  We can’t all arrange with the stores to keep the stock just for each of us to come in and buy by the hoards!

12.  Purchasing coupons – There is a way that we know of where many of the Extreme Couponers are getting enough coupons to make these excessive trips. They are purchasing inserts or individual coupons from coupon-clipping services.  In some cases, there are reports that many of them spent hundreds on these coupons.  This significant expense is not calculated  in their totals.  All you see is the result of using the coupons – not the expense to obtain them.

13. Not always huge sales – There is not a rock bottom sale every week.  There are great deals very frequently and most often weekly, but to hit those huge rock bottom sales where many items come out close-to-nothing has only happened for us a few times a year.  You can see our shopping trip results that we post to see you can clearly catch great deals by running around town, but those “once in a few months sales event” are really just that!

14. Store limits – Many stores themselves have limits on how many of the same items you can buy or how many coupons you can use. Again, just like stated in point #9, many stores set their policies aside for the taping of the show.

15. Coupon limits – Some manufacturers, such as Procter and Gamble, have now placed a limit on how many of their coupons you can redeem per shopping trip.  Procter and Gamble coupons state in the fine print “limit of 4 like coupons.”

16. Not just buying for the sake of the sale – How many times during the season did you see and hear an Extreme Couponer buying large quantities of an item they don’t use or didn’t care for.  Why would they buy it?  Granted, we have and encourage buying products you might not use yourself when they are cheap to donate to those in need – which is fantastic – and some Extreme Couponers did this.  But many were buying things that they would never use and KEEP IT in their storage just for the sake of bragging about the great deals they received! But it is not a deal unless you have a use for it or will give it to someone in need.

17. No or minimal perishables – Many of the Extreme Couponers had very little or no perishable items (meats, dairy, produce, breads, etc.).  These items are a challenge to get a good deal on, but you can’t avoid buying them on a regular basis.  This will always affect your bottom line and make your savings much less when you actually include them in your transaction. As we all know, they cannot live off of what they bought!

18. Store coupon policies – Everyone is going to have a different experience just based on their local store’s policies.  Unfortunately there is not one universal approach, or set of rules or policies at each store.  You can take two identical shopping trips and end up with different results in different areas, just based on your local area.  There isn’t a way around this.  Some people live in a very coupon friendly area, where others not so much!

19. Not being able to do multiple transactions – In many of the circumstances, the Extreme Couponers were having to do multiple transactions on the same shopping trip to achieve their results (and to roll catalina coupons one after another).  Many stores will not allow multiple transactions, so in those cases, those couponers would not receive the same results!

20. Most stores do not allow overage – In addition, to the previous 19 points, one final thing that we wanted to point out, many stores do not allow an overage on a coupon.  Many of the Extreme Couponers were able to achieve their results by buying 50 or 100 of an item that was going to give them a $0.50 overage each. This gives them an extra $25 – $50 to work with by just buying that one item – most had several of these types of overages to apply to their balance.  The reality is, if your store does not allow overages then this whole concept goes out the window! You would just receive that item for free (they would either adjust the coupon value or the price of the item to make the item free instead of giving you the overage) but not having the extra amount to work with.  This would have a great affect on your results!

Harry Potter Gift Set

Harry Potter Years 1-7 Part 1 Gift Set [Blu-ray] $49.99 (Orig $135)
Harry Potter Years 1-7 Part 1 Gift Set [DVD] $29.99 (Orig $79)


This is a great deal for a Christmas present.

Breastmilk & Formula Ingredients

http://www.bcbabyfriendly.ca/whatsinbreastmilkposter.pdf

I don't even know what most of this stuff is/does, but kinda a cool list.

76-7-103

76-7-103. Adultery
     (1) A married person commits adultery when he voluntarily has sex with a person who is not his spouse.
     (2)Adultery is a Class B misdemeanor.

76-7-104.   Fornication.
     (1) Any unmarried person who shall voluntarily engage in sexual intercourse with another is guilty of fornication.
     (2) Fornication is a class B misdemeanor.

Aaron just taught me that these are actually laws in the state of Utah. He's learning some pretty cool stuff.

And just in case you're wondering, bestiality is also a class B misdemeanor

What to say and what NOT to say when talking to kids about weight

http://moms.today.com/_news/2011/09/14/7746147-what-to-say-and-what-not-to-say-when-talking-to-kids-about-weight

1. DO talk about living a healthier lifestyle. Explain that making healthier eating choices will fuel your child’s body for school and fun and that getting physical activity and enough sleep will energize him.
DON’T talk about losing weight or dieting. Placing the focus on weight loss or diets can contribute to eating-disordered thoughts and behaviors. In addition, kids need a wide range of foods to be healthy, but diets don’t provide this; balanced choices do. Don’t make any forbidden, as there is a place for all foods in a healthy lifestyle.

2. DO make it a family affair. Tell your child that everyone in the family will work together to live a healthier lifestyle and encourage him or her to learn about healthy habits on their own and in a fun way by visiting www.fit.webmd.com.
DON’T single out one child. It will be too difficult for a child to make healthy changes if she is the only one eating healthy and exercising.

3. DO talk to your child about making sure he gets enough sleep and has adequate time to relax. When kids are sleep deprived or stressed, it is difficult for them to keep a healthy weight
DON’T pack your child’s schedule so full of activity that there is no time for unstructured play. All kids need downtime to play actively and creatively. Having the opportunity to do so will help your child relax and unwind in order to get a good night’s sleep.

4. DO make exercise fun. Explain that exercise can be play – like bike riding and playing in the park. When your child realizes this, she will be happy about moving her body.
DON’T tell your child that he must exercise every day. Instead, tell him that you will begin to plan fun ‘moving’ activities so the whole family can get healthier together.

5. DO tell your child that you love her inside and out. Reinforce that you are proud of her and tell her that, even if it takes a while to become successful at making healthier choices, you will support her as she tries.
DON’T tell your child she is ‘fat’ or ‘overweight’. Also, resist the urge to ask her to ‘try harder’ or ‘work at it more’ – or similar phrases. Your child will hear only the negatives. It is tough to become healthier, so your child needs as much support and positive feedback as possible.

For more tips and advice, including how to speak to kids of specific ages – and what to do if you suspect your child is being bullied about his or her weight – please visit www.webmd.com/raisingfitkids. 

Halloween Costumes under $20

Walmart has HUGE list of Costumes for both Boys and Girls for $20 or less!  Plus, all get free shipping as well!

Breastfeeding While Sick

Many women believe that if they have a cold or the flu, they should not breastfeed their baby. This is not true-the only maternal illness that is a contraindication to breastfeeding is HIV. Breast milk contains immune properties such as secretory IgA, which helps the baby to fight off infections. In addition to this, when a mother is exposed to, or has a viral or bacterial infection, her body reacts by producing specific antibodies in her blood. These antibodies help to fight off the infection in the mother. Similar antibodies will be produced in her breast milk to help fight off that specific infection in the baby. In reality, it is even more important to breastfeed when you are sick with a cold or the flu, in order to help your baby fight off infection.


References:
Maternal Antibodies in Breast Milk Protect the Child from Enterovirus Infections.
Pediatrics, 2007 May: 119(5). 941-6.
Sadeharju K. Knip M. et al.
Anti-infective Properties of Human Milk.
J Nutrition 2008: 138(9): 1801-1806S.
Chirico G. Marzollo R. Cortinovis S. Fonte C. Gasparoni A.

via

Amazon Student

You can sign up for Amazon Student and get Amazon Prime Benefits (Including Free two-day shipping, Free release date delivery on videos, games etc) for FREE for six months. I'm pretty sure you can just sign up again in 6 months if you're still a student. It's totally worth it!


If you're not a student, but you're a caregiver or happen to buy lots of things for children you can still get Amazon Mom which gives you a lot of the same perks. Your Prime membership just gets extended 1 month for every $25 you spend on baby/kid items (up to one year. I'm not sure how you renew afterward.).

Americans Growing Intolerant of Children?

A restaurant in Pittsburg recently banned children under 6 from their restaurant.
"They've just become too much of a bother to other customers...This is a three-part issue. One is the increasing number of small babies that can’t be controlled. They can’t be quiet and really they can’t be expected to.” The second factor is kindergarten-aged kids who “have shown increasingly poor manners.” And lastly he blames parents, who “act like we’re the ones being offensive” when staff members ask them to calm their children down.
A survey at the bottom of the article says 44% would like to have all children removed from all restaurants. 3% say no, never. The remaining 53% say it depends on the restaurant.

There have been airlines recently to ban children from areas of the aircraft and are talking of banning children from certain flights completely.

I also read an article about how permissive parents breed bratty children. It states that children aren't to be treated as the "center of the universe" and how if you're a good parent you wouldn't have to repeat yourself more than once. The author says they don't want to hear your child on an airplane, in a restaurant or in a grocery store. Yes, sure, it'd be nice to go to the grocery store child-free sometimes, but really?! The real kicker here is that the author has children.

I don't know about you, but I can't always predict what mood by child's going to be in. We might have to rush dinner really fast. I doubt that he will always listen to me the first time I ask him to do something or that "the look" will get him to do what I want. There's only so much as a parent that I can "control". Every kid has his/her own temperament and tolerance. This is even evident as a newborn.

I think that our children should be the center of our universe. We should teach them manners. We should teach them true principles. We should be good examples to them. We should encourage them to be socially active and expose them to varying aspects and environments in the world. We should be with them as much as possible and show and share our unconditional love for them.

I realize this is a bit scatter-brained, but it was just so interesting to me and I had to get something out about it.

Check out The Parents Corner for some great Parenting Tips.

IUDs for Birth Control May Cut Cervical Cancer Risk

Check out this article which sums up some findings from a meta-analysis with over 20,000 participants in 14 countries:
http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/news/20110912/iud-for-birth-control-may-cut-cervical-cancer-risk

Media Literacy

I was talking the other day with a young teenage girl about ads we see daily. I was explaining to her about how images can be changed and "photoshopped". She knew they could be retouched, but didn't really know how much. Just for fun I showed her a few before and after pictures of models being retouched. She was shocked! We walked by a magazine rack and she picked one up and looked and said "She has no lines from smiling! How is that possible?" I was so proud. I wish more young people were aware of this false sense of "perfect" bodies depicted in the media.


That liquefy effect in the video is crazy!

100 Years of Style in 2 Minutes

Huggies Jean Diapers

This is a HOT Deal for diapers and if you can make it to a ToysRus/BabiesRus, or even make the purchase online, it is one of the better deals you will see on diapers.  And, it will save you a ton!
Today and Tomorrow, the Huggies Jeans Diapers are only $5.00 per Jumbo Pack.
Plus, use the $2.00 off Huggies Coupon from the 8/14/11 SS insert (Your area might have received a $1.00 or $1.50 off coupon instead)
Total cost as low as $3.00 per Jumbo Pack of diapers!
Since we usually see a limited quantity of these types of deals at BabiesRus, you might want to actually make this purchase online instead.  Your total will be $5.00 plus any tax your state has!  It isn’t as great as the $3.00 price.  But $5.00 is STILL a killer deal!  If you do make this purchase online, you can choose free ship to store.  That way, you can save on the shipping costs and just show up at your BabiesRus when your shipment arrives.  It is guaranteed that way!


(Thanks The Thrifty Couple)

Bad Mom Day

It's one of those days.

Thoughts that have crossed my mind today:

Why isn't there a sleep button on my child to make him go to sleep?

Why won't he nap longer than 45 minutes?

Why is today the day I had to make my statistic model? Why did I procrastinate?

Aaaaaaaaaaah!

This mom clingy stage is flattering, but so exhausting.

Wonder what I can make and eat in less than 5 minutes.

I wonder if it's possible to go to the bathroom while holding him.

Can I just suck all the snot out of his nose and make him better?

Maybe I can prop him upright in his crib so he'll sleep and still be able to breathe.

Thank goodness it's still warm outside so we can go for a walk.

Thank goodness for other moms!!

Moments that Matter Most

"We would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most.


Diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior of the world. That is why “we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, … that [we] may know to what source [we] may look for a remission of [our] sins.” ⁸ In the complexity, confusion, and rush of modern living, this is the “more excellent way.” 


Of Things that Matter Most- President Uchtdorf

The do not love that do not show their love

"Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.” We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed." 


President Monson
Finding Joy In the Journey

Gifts of the Heart Exchange

What: Gifts of the Heart Exchange

Who: Student families (any university/college)

Date: Saturday, September 10, 2011

Time: 11am-12:30

Where: Wymount Church building 1600 N. 900 E. Provo

You can bring donations of clothing/gear in GOOD condition to donate and pass along




I scored about 5 outfits for Aidan last time. Everything is free. There's usually a line to start, but it goes SO fast. Bring a bag if you can.