Election Day! Civics and Kids

Across the US today, people are standing in lines at polling stations to do their civic duty and vote. There are elections at all levels of government except President - federal, state, and local. Schools across the country have been holding mock elections to teach the electoral collage process to students. But at our school, another lesson in civic duty is being learned. Our school's fifth grade class will soon visit Exchange City.

I visited Exchange City when I was in 5th grade - I loved it. The program has been going strong in Kansas City for over 30 years. I'm so excited for my son to finally get his turn to go. Students visit in a day long field trip where they each get a job, a paycheck, pay taxes, bills and sometimes fines (like speeding tickets, or in their case, running tickets.) Jobs consist of things like Bank Manager, Police Officer, Postal Carrier, Radio Station DJ, or even the City Judge.

The City Judge is the only position which must campaign to be elected for this office at school in the weeks prior to the field trip. The kids who choose to run make posters, and create slogans. It prepares them for the concepts of running for student council office in the next few years, once they get to middle school and high school. (Kids go to middle school starting in sixth grade where I live.) All other jobs require students to make a resume, apply for a first, second and third choice job and explain why they are qualified, and get references from two adults (not family.) There's a lot of work before the big day of the field trip itself.

It's an excellent program. I remember I learned so much that day. I had no idea how my parents' jobs and paychecks were affected by taxes and bills, it was eye opening. I had no idea how you have to budget your money, and how fines can eat up so much of a paycheck (I, was, er, ticketed several times for running and yelling, I remember. I think I ran out of money to buy snacks and candy at the store - although we did have sack lunches.)

Other cities have similar programs, though they may not all be attended through school field trips. Check for such a program in your area. Exchange City Kansas City also has a summer camp program - although the 2011 information isn't up yet.

Teaching kids about elections and how we vote in the US is crucial to their understanding of government and civics. But teaching them how to function in society and business is even more important. Things you can do at home to help keep your kids in the know:

• Have a conversation with your school age kids about money, how what you earn affects the family, how bills are paid, etc.
  
• Give allowance, either in exchange for chores or just because, and teach them to save for things they want like Lego sets and video games.
• Dave Ramsey, financial guru, radio host and author of Financial Peace University, has programs for kids to learn how to save and use money to avoid debt. He also has teen programs. (They are Christian based programs.)
• Check out Kids.gov, the official kids portal for the federal government

And finally, if your kids' school takes a field trip related to civics and or business such as Exchange City, make an effort to go along as a chaperone, so you can discuss later. The best thing we can teach our kids is how to be involved, by showing them.

The slippery slope of the digital age

My daughter started her facebook account almost two years ago, right after she graduated from middle school. She had already had her share of myspace and bebo accounts. And we had had our share of discussions and close-calls regarding what kind of information you share online. Like, don't put pictures of yourself up on the web that make you look like a skank.

I thought I had covered all my bases regarding parenting in the digital age. But there was one (really) big point I hadn't thought of: copyright infringement.

It seems innocent enough, right? A teenager really likes a picture of themselves, one that was taken at a studio. So they take a picture of it with their digital camera or cell phone and then post it to the web. If they're really sophisticated, they'll scan the picture. But...this is theft.

We had breached the topic during my daughter's 8th grade year. Her middle school was putting on The Sound of Music. The parent producer took orders ahead-of-time for video copies of the performance. It was well known that the profits from such sales went towards funding the next year's production. But there was a snag. The Rodgers & Hammerstein Library explicitly prohibits such recordings, audio or video, from being made for any reason. I'm not sure how the parent producer didn't know this, but I sure wasn't going to participate in something that I knew was copyright infringement. My daughter was confused and sure there must be a mistake. Afterall, parents don't do things that they know are wrong, right?

It's the slippery slope that we start down once we start bending the rules. I mean, what difference does it make whether I share this photo with my friends on facebook? Or reprint it on my printer at home to send to family? Or borrow my friends CD recordings to make copies for myself?

It took a bit of thinking on my part to figure out what our household should do. Should we live by the letter of the law or should we allow ourselves to fudge things once in awhile?

I chose to live by the letter of the law. I did so because I wanted to make sure my kids knew that lying and/or stealing is not ok, no matter what.

It's easy when our kids are young:

PARENT
Did you hit your sister?

CHILD
No.

PARENT
I saw you hit your sister. Lying is wrong.

It gets a little trickier when they get older. You're at Sears or JCPenney getting portraits taken and they have a price tag for having the digital images prepared for you and giving you the copyright. But you know that you can order only a few and then scan the images and make as many prints as you want at home. And you can put them up on facebook. And no one will know because you have your privacy settings done correctly. So your teen asks you if she can put her pictures up as her profile picture.

To justify it, say this. We live in Michigan and we're in a massive recession. Times are hard and no one can afford that copyright price. And no one really pays it. It's only there so that the store can make up their losses on people like me who are more tech-savvy.

[insert sound of screeching brakes here]

STOP.

With that, I taught my daughter that it's ok to steal and lie and cheat just as long as you don't get caught. In my opinion, it's the worst thing I want to teach my children.

It was there that I realized the little things do matter.

• It does matter that Sears portrait studio owns the digital image to the cute picture you want to share with your friends on facebook.
• It does matter that you're not supposed to copy music recordings even though you can pull it off technologically.
• It does matter that MySpace and Facebook doesn't allow individuals younger than 14 years old to have an account.
• It does matter that movie ratings should reflect the age of the viewer, regardless of whether that nascent viewer has seen worse content.
• It does matter that the legal age to light a cigarette is 18.
• It does matter that the legal drinking age is 21.

See how the slippery slope can lead you down the wrong path? How can I tell my children that honesty and integrity matter in one context but not in another? That theft is ok as long as you're not stealing something that you can touch?

Most people don't worry about too much. It's like buying knock-off Gucci bags in New York City. You do it fast and quick and easy and no one gets hurt. But I realized that someone DOES get hurt. My child's ability to form sound ethics is hurt, and that is a huge problem.

So we don't post pictures to facebook, or share them on email, or print them and hang them in our home, unless we have paid for the print or the right to reproduce the image. I would wholeheartedly encourage every parent to adopt the same policy for their house rules.

A contented bedtime treat

There's a restaurant in town that we used to frequent, way back before we had a baby again. Before the current recession set in. You know, the kind of place where you don't bring children and where you splurge on all the courses because you want to spend four hours looking across the table at your dining companion? For the most part, we like it because they serve up food that we can't manage to prepare at home. Gruyere custard served with handmade poppy seed crackers for starters, then confit of duck leg or bourbon pork tenderloin for an entree. They'd usually throw in a small bowl of butternut squash soup in the autumntime just because it's the perfect complement to any meal. We used to splurge on a bottle of wine since it was the only place we'd spend enough time dining to actually drink the whole bottle. It was always a good time.

For dessert, however, we always skipped their specialty of the house. They assured us it was made to order and delectable. We believed them. But the amazing dessert they urged us over and over to try was something we knew we could master just as well at home...and that we'd enjoy it far more at home. The masterpiece? A plate of freshly baked, warm cookies with two cups of warm milk.

Yes, baked cookies are a mainstay at our humble abode. Right now we have gingerbread men and triple chocolate chip cookies in stock. When I was younger, I was all for scarfing them down without discretion at any time of the day. It was my husband who taught me the fine art of savoring one or two along with a warm cup of milk before bedtime. It helps calm your body right before sleep and gives you a moment to be still and reflect.

Warm milk is easy; just put about 6 ounces in a coffee cup and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds on 20% power. For the cookies, I'll share a recipe. Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. This one is a bit labor more intensive than simple stuff, so try this when you want to enjoy time baking. The result is worth it! I didn't invent the recipe, though I can't remember where I found it. (I'm betting it's Martha Stewart for all the many, detailed steps.) If someone recognizes it and would like me to credit it, please let me know and I'll edit the post!

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Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

7 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (like chocolate chips)
1 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. boiling water
2 tbsp. water
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1) Line baking sheet(s) with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4" chunks, set aside. (Or alternatively, use 7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips and set aside.) In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa powder.

2) In a bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter until softened, about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

3) In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into batter mixture. Beat in baking soda-mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until dough firms. Mix in chocolate; turn out on a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1" thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

4) Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls; place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake about 12-13 minutes; take out of oven and press flat; bake 3 minutes longer; let cool 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Enjoy, and sleep tight.

10 Steps to a Successful Garage Sale

It's that time of year again: garage sales. Whether city-wide or neighborhood sales or just a lone sale, it's hard to avoid them.

My friends and I have been having a group sale for the past six years. We met in ECFE class when we all had little ones, and we've stuck it out as the kids have grown and more babies have come into the families. We've had anywhere from three to seven families involved over the years, and it's always a lot of fun, an excuse to get together, and a way to empty our homes of unneeded items.

Here's our recipe for a successful garage sale:

1: We hold our sale during the annual city-wide sales. That brings in the most traffic, and allows us to mark it on our calendars months ahead of time.

2: We hold it at the home of whomever lives in town (some of us are in the country) and has a garage. (Perhaps obvious, but necessary!)

3: Everyone has their strong suit. One provides the garage and hosts us. One has sawhorses and plywood for tables. We each round up as many card tables as we can. I store the tablecloths and hangers from year to year.

4: We have a hybrid system of pinned-on paper tags and stickers. The tags are removed and put into a jar, and are simple to count up at the end, making piles of $5. Some prefer stickers; we're an easy-going enough bunch that we make it all work. Each of us has an assigned color that we use from year to year.

5: We start setting up early in the week, and the sale pretty much consumes us. The final setup comes on Friday morning, and we usually end up selling things while we're still setting up.

6: Everyone pitches in and brings food and beverages. Our kids love playing together. We come and go during the sale, depending on other commitments, but we make sure there are two of us on duty at all times.

7: Someone usually volunteers to take things to the thrift store after the sale, so nothing has to come home again unless we want it to.

8: We work together to count up the tags and the money. If things don't come out exactly, we've made a pact to divide the profit or loss evenly.

9: The older kids help with the little ones during critical times.

10: We have fun! It's the only time of year that we're scheduled to get together and really catch up with each other.

This year we had four moms with twelve kids plus some of their friends. We each cleared some clutter out of our homes, and made a little extra cash so we can fill up the empty spaces!

Am I Saving Money or Spending Money? You Be The Judge

In this economic climate, most of us are looking for ways to save money, although I will admit that I’ve always tried to save money. Maybe it’s because I’m cheap. My husband would say that I spend a lot, but what I buy I buy mostly on sale or on clearance when I see it and then put it away for birthdays or Christmas. Our basement is chock-full of sale and clearance buys that I’ve stocked away for when I need it.

The down side of that is that sometimes I can’t find what I know I’ve bought. Or I forget what I’ve bought and instead of looking at my stash go out and buy something else that is not on sale.

But most of the time it does work well. I’m still reaping the rewards of buying cheap several years ago and storing toys for years. My oldest daughter just got her bigger bike that we’ve stored in our basement for years. It was a steal at $15, brand new. Although not as great a bike buy as the bike my son currently rides. I got it at Toys ‘R Us several years ago when they were going to be consolidating their stores with their Babies ‘R Us stores. They had a lot of stuff 90 % off. I spent many hours scouring the shelves for deals. K’s bike was fully assembled and I bought it for $5.99. Seriously! A $60 bike for $6! Those were the days my friends. I still have heavenly dreams about the deals I found there.

I’ve also tried to clip coupons. I will admit I’m pretty successful at finding the coupons and clipping them out. The part I really need to work on is the redeeming of those coupons! They sit in my purse until I clean out all the papers some months later and I find approximately 14 expired coupons. Sigh.

I attempt to plan menus at least one week in advance…sometimes up to three weeks in advance. This usually cuts down on the amount of groceries I buy since I’m not just randomly buying things in hopes that we’ll be able to make a meal of it.

We eat a lot of generic or store brand foods. In most cases we’ve found they taste just as good if not better than the national brands. Of course there are exceptions in which case I know to never buy that again and stick with the national brand!

We get take-out once a week if that. I can’t tell you the last time we actually ate at a restaurant as a family. It may have been when the baby was baptized. The truth is it’s not healthy to eat out in most cases and I’m the first to admit when I go out to eat I’ll choose probably the highest calorie item on the menu because I’m splurging. Eating out is expensive too. I look at menu prices and think I could buy a whole roast for our entire family for that money! I’m a total buzz-kill.

We rarely use stamps anymore; instead we use the Internet bill pay offered by our bank. Before the price of stamps goes up each time, I buy a bunch of those forever stamps at the lower price and they hold us for quite a while. I love it when stores offer online rebate redemption. I hate it when they don’t because the stamp cuts into my rebate.

I watch the gas prices and if I can wait a day or two to see if the price lowers I do. I try to fill my tank in the morning when the air temperature is cooler because I read somewhere that when the air temperature is warmer you don’t get as much gas for your money because the gas expands or something like that. Don’t ask me to explain science-sounding things! It seemed to be a valid argument to me at the time.

I have very, very rarely bought any item of clothing when it was not on sale. I prefer to buy things on clearance. I have bought items for my kids several sizes larger than they are currently. But how could I pass up $5 Levis just because my daughter isn’t a size 10 yet?

So tell me, am I sick or do other people do this type of thing? How are you saving money these days?

Does A Vegetable Garden Really Save You Money?

The money I'm spending for my vegetable garden is reaching astronomical proportions. Or is it? Will I recover the costs once the harvests start rolling in?

The seeds I ordered from Seeds of Change tacked on over $26.00 in shipping charges alone. Because many of their seeds are not available locally, I had no choice but to order them; plus Seeds of Change does important work in preserving our heirloom seeds, and our food supply, and I feel it's important to support the company. Here's my latest order:

1 BULK, LETTUCE, NEW RED FIRE - 1,000 SEEDS: 4.05
1 PACK, SQUASH, LADY GODIVA: 3.29
Shipping: 4.75
Total: 12.09

1 PACK, CALENDULA, RED SPLASH 2.59
1 PACK, CARROT, SCARLET NANTES 2.79
1 PACK, BROCCOLI, EARLY GREEN 2.59
1 PACK, CUCUMBER, SMART PICKLE 2.79
1 PACK, CUCUMBER, SWEET MARKETMORE 2.79
1 PACK, LETTUCE, SUCRINE 2.59
1 PACK, LETTUCE, LOOSELEAF, SIMPSON BLACK-SEEDED 2.59
1 PACK, SPINACH, AMERICA 2.59
1 PACK, SUMMER SQUASH, BLACK BEAUTY ZUCCHINI 2.59
1 PACK, PUMPKIN, HOWDEN 2.79
1 PACK, TOMATO, CHERRY, CHADWICK 2.59
1 PACK, TOMATO, PASTE, SAN MARZANO 2.59
1 PACK, CORN, SWEET, TRUE GOLD 2.79
Shipping: 9.14
Total $: 43.81

2 PACK, BEAN, SOYBEAN, EDAMAME SAYAMUSUME 5.58
Shipping: 12.96
Total $: 18.54
Order Recap:
Total Product $: 47.59
Net Product$: 47.59
Sales Tax: 0.00
Shipping: 26.85
Grand Total: 74.44

In addition, I have bought seeds packets at my grocery store:

Bush Sugar Baby Watermelon: $2.85
Watermelon Congo: (Just in case the sugar babies fall through) $2.85
Nasturtium: $1.69
Mesclun: $1.69
Mesclun, Green party mix: $2.19
Microgreens $1.89
Radish Seeds: $2.30
Carrot Seeds: $2.50
Free seeds, from last year include Jack and the Beanstalk, Beefsteak Tomatoes, pumpkins, green beans and more Nasturtiums.

Total: $13.16
So far, the total for seeds is: $$92.40

Soil:
This is a one-time investment, as next year, the compost I've made will eliminate the need to purchase good quality top soil: Total price $75.00

Weed Barrier:
A luxury, yes, but there will be weeks when I will be hundreds of miles away from the garden, so it must remain low-maintenance: $50.00 The label gives it a 10-year guarantee, so I expect to re-use the garden.

This brings my total so far to: $217.40. This figure does not include the stakes used to tie the beans for the fort, fertilizer, and chicken wire and Irish Spring soap that will be used later to deter pests and deer. Most of those items are already in the gargage left over from last year.

Next year, my costs will be lower, as in addition to the soil, many of the seeds bought this year will have left over seeds that I can store in the freezer and re-use next year.

At this point, who knows what the yield will be, but if we look at last year's results from the Get Rich Slowly blog, they showed a $600 profit from crop yield, against a $300 investment in the garden. I can only hope for similar results, and I'll try to count the produce as it leaves the garden, and compare that to the prices at the store. Of course, there are the year-round benefits, as we are still eating the green beans in the freezer harvested from last year's garden.

Still, who's to say what plant will actually make it? Farmers know well that the wrong weather conditions can destroy a crop. Last year's garden only produced two tomatoes for all of my efforts. Chipmunks were the main reason, as well as cool temperatures. This year, I'm moving the tomatoes to a hotter spot, and more chicken wire for the chipmunks.

I've managed to siphon down the work of garden so that the yucky stuff is gone: weed barriers have made weeding nonexistent, and newspapers eliminate the need to dig. But more important than the labor and the cost savings is the taste and convenience. Fresh snow peas, a salad waiting for you outside your door, and, hopefully, a fresh grown tomato, feeds the senses like nothing else.

The Elegant Tar-shjay Boo-tique

I’d like to say that I shop at Target because I’m supporting my state’s economy. I’m not sure how all that stuff works though when stores go national when they started in one state (which, I suppose is how they all have to start, right?) do they still pay state taxes to Minnesota or do they pay taxes in every state? Ah, who am I kidding? I really don’t care.

I shop at Target because it is a mere 3-minute drive from my home and that is saying something. Before Target, Best Buy and about 20 other stores opened just down the highway from us it was a major undertaking to go just pick up something at the store. The nearest store was a grueling 10-minute drive away, which was an awfully long drive for the girl who used to live less than 5 minutes from pretty much anywhere.

But this is a little misleading. I live in a city that is 100,000 strong yet still has a very small-town atmosphere. Even today with the city expanding by leaps and bounds (even with the economy such as it is) it generally takes no more than 20-minutes to get anywhere in the city even from the opposite end.* It is stranger to not run into anyone you know at any given store than to run into an acquaintance. It is not unheard of to run into more than one friend during a Target run.

It is only at Target that I have had men (and only men) who I do not know offer to take my cart in for me after I have loaded my purchases into my car.

It is at Target that my son ate ice melt and I had to fill out my first “incident report”. It is at Target that both of my older children have had major meltdowns, necessitating me carrying two crying, flailing children out under each arm while very, very pregnant. That day made me seriously question my parenting abilities let me tell you.

I’m fairly certain that the Baby thinks that Target is our second home.

But Target has afforded me some great deals as well. I’ve gotten things like a s’mores maker for $3 and a kid’s baseball glove for $4.95. Target clearance, hit at just the right time, is a truly wonderful thing.

However I can’t help but think it would be cheaper for our family if I just went in to Target once a week and threw cash in the air, then walked back out. It’s those darn Tollhouse cookies.

*Even if I could say even even more times, even though I could not think of even one other way to say what I wanted to say. Even.

Simple Thoughts About the Economy

So when I say, “I’ve decided to stop watching the economic reports on the news,” it’s a bit misleading.  I don’t really watch the news anyway.  I can’t remember the last time I saw the 6:00 news (do they still have that?) and, since my Kindergartener leaves the house at 7:15AM a couple of days a week, I’ve taken to missing the 11:00 broadcast, too.

Think I’m missing out?  Don’t fret.  I get the news, just not on TV.  I am, admittedly, a bit of a NY Times junkie.  Perhaps you knew that because of this or this or this.  No?  Okay, well, I admit it.  The thing I love about the newspaper or online news is that you can pick and choose.  You don’t have to sit down at the pre-assigned time and listen to the local anchors lead with Exciting Story of the Day.  If it’s 3 PM and you’re in the mood to find out the latest on Chris Brown and Rihanna, it’s a flip of a page away.  Thanks, Arts section.  At 9:00 PM when you’re wondering what the Op Eds had to say today, it’s as easy as pie. You can log right in and find out.  Want to check the latest on the NCAA?  Pick your time, hoopster fan.

Moreover, if you’re like me, you can skip the parts of the news you prefer to ignore for awhile.  How many people lost their job today?  How much did my top stocks go down?  Does my state still have the most unemployed people in the country?  Do I want to read this again?  No, I do not.

Okay, fine.  There is a part of me that wants to know. Even though it’s been a lot of years since I made a living there, I miss the business world and what happens in it still interests me.  I care about our economy and what’s happening to us and what it means for our children.  But I believe it will get better, and by “better” I don’t mean we’ll return to the same 'spend it all, as fast as you can, bigger, better, sparklier' mentality that has plagued us for the past couple of decades. 

I saw a very amusing video on youtube this morning, sent to me by a friend.  It’s a short clip of Conan interviewing comedian Louis CK.  I know everyone abhors the click over, but come on.  Click.  Just this once.  You’ll be glad you did.  He’s funny, but he’s got a really good point.  Then, if you’re feeling really generous, click back and tell us:  Do you agree?  What do you think?  

Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy:  CLICK HERE now

photo credit:  cursed thing

back to basics

Have you started to make changes in your family due to the changes in the economy? Have you noticed that your money is just not going as far (or like me, noticing that there is less money to work with) to make ends meet? Are you cutting back on expenses? Canceling that vacation? Skipping those trips through your fast foods favorites?

For our family, it is a little bit of everything (although there was no planned vacation yet this year). I am trying my best to do/buy what I can on a lower than normal budget. So far, the grocery store is where I can see the biggest difference. I've started doing all of the basic shopping at Aldi & the dollar stores. I can get most of all the staple food items at Aldi, and love saving a few extra dollars by getting the same cleaning/paper supplies from the dollar store that I can get at Kroger. I've also thought about better meal planning so I do not overbuy, or trying weekly(or even monthly) cooking, or possibly meal sharing with friends. I've also considered ordering from Angel Food Ministries. My Mom's friend sent me an e-mail about it last year and told me that everyone is eligible for this program, there are no income guidelines.

I also would like to get back to basics as far as our possessions go. We all have too many clothes, and our (too little) house is overflowing with toys...most of which just get moved around the house, not actually played with. I feel that in doing so, my kids will take more pride and what they do have & HOPE that they will take better care of their things.

This economic situation is not looking good, but I am really trying to find ways that it can change my family in positive ways. Our getting rid of things can help other families with less than what we have. Cutting back on expenses now may allow us to afford a vacation later in the year, even on our lower budget. Teaching my kids responsibility about needs vs. wants - it's the perfect time. I am learning these lessons right along side them...my Tim Horton's Coke is NOT a necessity :)

So what are you doing? Are you making some of these changes too?