Cutting the cable

Who needs cable anyway?  I thought I did.  But guess what?  I don’t!  We have been talking about for the last year.  Why?  Because Google Fiber keeps raising our bill.  We did our research.  Talked to some friends.  And two weeks ago, we did it.  It is one the best decision we have ever made.  Not only are we saving ourselves $100 a month BUT we also get to watch all of the TV we want to …  just like we did before.  Actually, we have more options than before.

So, if you are like me and worried about how to do it and what will I miss.  I’m here to help you out!

Step 1:  Go to Walmart, Target, etc and buy an antenna and a Roku.  If you live in the suburbs, you are fine to go with the cheap antenna.  If you live in a more rural area, you are going to have to spend a little more on that antenna.  But it will still save you in the long run.  As far as the Roku, the $29 one is all that you need.  Do you really need to talk to your remote?  Well, if you do – you will need to spend a little more.  They other thing to consider is if you have an old tube TV, you can get the $35 Roku with the composite cables and it will work great.  We have one tube TV, hooked it up, and everything worked fine.

Step 2:  You don’t have to call your cable provider yet.  Just disconnect the cable from the TV.  Hook the antenna and Roku up and go through the set up.  For the antenna, you will need to scan to get your local channels.  For the Roku, you will need to enter some information.  It’s easy, just follow the screen.

Step 3:  Set all of the Roku channels you want.  The one that I do recommend is Sling TV.  This gets you some basic cable channels and some sports channels.  If you need your HGTV or you Fox Sports/ ESPN – than you need Sling!  Most of the channels have a 7 day free trial so you can test it out.  We did this and after 2 days decided that this was going to be awesome!

Step 4:  Call your cable provider and cancel your TV cable (not your internet – you will still need that!)

So our monthly bill went from $190 to $90 (internet ($50) + Sling TV ($20) + Fox Soccer Matchpass ($20).  Yes, that last one is a necessity in our house!

Just think what you could do with an extra $1200 a year!  So, are you ready to start saving your money?  Do it … today!

Top 10 ways to survive your son’s adolescent years.

1. Wine.  We will just start with this one.  It helps anything!
2. Deodorant – for him, not you.  Make sure you do this for his teacher too.  She is the one that has to be stuck in a room with him after PE & recess.  And most classrooms are pretty warm – are you getting the picture yet?
3. Be OK with mistakes.  Yours.  His.   Don’t expect perfection.  And let them learn from their mistakes.
4. Patience.  Lots and lots.  And lots and lots.
5.  Take time for yourself.  Regain your sanity.  Girls night out.  Long bubble baths.  Movie by yourself.
6. Remember that your child, in some way, inherited your traits.  That personality – yep, some of it came from you.  You must own up to it!
7. You were once a tween too.  (Sorry, mom! God, I was bad!)
8. Realize that boy drama does exist.  If you are thinking that you are exempt from drama because you have a son, you are sadly mistaken.  It’s real.  It’s there every. single. day.
9. Only keep healthy food in your house.  Keep in mind, they will eat you out of a paycheck.  But if you only have healthy food then it’s a win-win situation!  Ha, mind tricks!
10. Oh yeah, did I mention wine?

Enjoy it now.  One day he will be walking in the front door and his voice will start to crack.  Then you will start to reflect back on life when it was “easy”!

Keep it Simple

What if everyone in this world did this every single day.  Your neighbors. Your friends. Your enemies.  This world would be a different place.  It would be a place where we wouldn’t have to worry.  I can picture it now!

So be nice to everyone. You never know someone’s story.  They could’ve had a bad day. They could’ve. Their child maybe didn’t behave this morning. Maybe their health isn’t so good. You never now. So just be nice. 

Do what’s right. We are adults, we know the difference. There is right. And there is wrong. What side do you want to be on? You may think it’s a little white lie. You may think that it is it going to hurt anyone. Whatever it might be – just remember to do what’s right!

Smile.  It increases your face value. It could make someone’s day. It can make your day.  When someone walks by you – flash a smile and see what happens!  You may be surprised!

What will you do today to change tomorrow?

The Days are …

Raising kids, I have always heard the phrase “the days are long but the years are short”.  And it’s true.  The years are short.  But now, it seams like the days are getting shorter and shorter too.  Get the kids off to school.  Go to work.  Come home from school/work.  Go to practice.  Eat dinner.  Homework.  Go to bed.  It seams like from “get the kids off to school” to “go to bed”, it’s becoming one, big blur.

So many times throughout the day, I just want to hit the pause button.  And then you know that button that is next to the pause button, the one with the play sign with the line under it.  I’m sure there is some name for it – oh yeah, it’s the slow motion button.  I want one of those in my life too.  I want everything to slow down for minute.  I want to stop and talk, and listen, and just be in the moment.  I want to watch my children grow by the centimeters and not by the inches.   I want to enjoy the small expressions of joy just as much as the big ones!

Don’t blink, right?

 

The art of listening … as a parent

When your children are younger, they may go on and on about something so trivial to you.  But to them, it’s the MOST important thing in their life – EVER!  You may want to continue doing whatever you are doing.  The dishes. Reading a book. Playing on your phone.  But stop.  Just for a moment.  And let them talk … whether it’s about their favorite toy, show, or their favorite place way, way out in the galaxy, a million miles away.  Whatever it is – listen, just listen.  Have eye contact with them.  Have facial expression.  Show them that you are engaged in their story.
Why?  Because when they grow up and become adolescents, teenagers, adults.  They will talk you about the big things in life that are important – relationships, friends, jobs, health.  

Today I am grateful for every Pokémon, Bakugan, and Angry Bird story ever told to me!

Start each day with a grateful heart.

Grab a journal.  Write it down.  Big or small, it doesn’t matter.  Yes, it does matter.  It all matters.  Because it is you!  

gratitude

4 ways to celebrate November

We tend to go from Halloween straight to Christmas.  Now is a great time to focus on each and every day and enjoy November!

1) Be Grateful.  Be Thankful. Everyday.  Don’t forget the small things that make you happy.  Don’t focus on the worries that follow you.  Take a deep breath and just live in the moment.

2) Start a November family tradition.  The hustle & bustle of December is right around the corner. Take this month to create memories with your family & friends!  Let November be the calm to your December crazy.

3) Get outside.  Open your front door, step outside, and enjoy the cool, crisp air.  Listening to leaves crackling as you walk down the sidewalk.  Take in all of the sounds fall has to offer!

4) Cook!  So many delicious fall recipes that seem to disappear once the first snow hits. Apple cinnamon cider. Pecan pie. Pumpkin anything. Crockpot goodness. Caramel apples. The list goes on and on!

Happy November! 

Make Good Choices

Every day I send my kids off to school with one piece of wisdom.  “Make good choices.”  As they turn back to me with a half smile smirk, I know they just hear words coming out of my mouth.  But deep down, it is my hope, that they know what I mean.  What I really mean.  And that I am being serious in a non-serious tone.

Every day, they can choose to do something bad or they can choose to do something good.  They can choose to not listen to their teacher or they can choose to listen and learn from her.  They can choose to be nice to the boy in the corner that is having a rough day.  They can choose to fight hard for that grade.  And most importantly, they can choose to find joy in their day.  And look at all of the wonderful things that they get to surround themselves with …. a warm building, friends, good teachers, food, water, books, opportunities.

I want them to know that making good choices will make them happy.  It will show that they are brave.  It will show that they are purposeful.  It will show that they are living an intentional life leading them in all of the right directions.

We can’t control our children and what they do every moment of every day, but we can make sure that they have all of the right tools to make sure they know right from wrong.  

 

 

Pumpkins!

Just a few more weeks until Halloween and the question remains … when do I go get my pumpkins? And where do I go get my pumpkins? I’m so tempted to hit the easy button and just go to Sam’s Club and get those big pumpkins that they have the big bins for $4.98. Stock up kids! But what fun is that! There’s no hay bales. There’s no corn maze. There’s no large pumpkin bouncy pillow. It’s just a big ‘ole warehouse that has big ‘ole pumpkins.

Today would’ve been a perfect day to venture out to the pumpkin patch. But guess what … it’s raining. And who likes to go to the pumpkin patch when it’s raining. Walking through the fields and fields of pumpkins in the mud. Dragging the pumpkins back to the car and loading them up. Getting mud and dirt all over my nice, clean car. Why, why do we do this? Because it’s tradition and it’s fun and the kids faces light up when we do it. They really enjoy finding the biggest pumpkin out in the field. And the joy they get when they load up that pumpkin into the wheelbarrow and lug it out to the car … it’s priceless! Then they let it sit on the front porch for days and days knowing that they searched long and hard for that one wonderful pumpkin

So, while the easy button sounds nice, traditions will always win! Even though my boys are getting older, there is still the thrill of the pumpkin hunt. And until that thrill is gone (and maybe afterwards) … this tradition will always remain!!!