Fixing others

One of the ongoing lessons for me in 2013 is that you cannot fix others and things around you. I like to fix things, provide advice and push people but that isn't always effective. I am in a helping profession that often requires me to do such things and sometimes I carry that over to my personal life.

Perhaps the largest, most agonizing battle I have fought all year. You see I want to fix a particular situation and I have even thought:

• If I lay down the foundation
• If I take away some of the hard work
• If I follow up
• If I spend 30 -40 minutes finding the solution

that maybe I can fix it.

Well, when I do all that I only frustrate both parties. I am also the type that when my solutions don't fix a problem, I walk away. I know that walking away is wrong but sometimes its to avoid saying things that should not be said.

I understand that this is my problem the need to fix someone or something that is out my control and realm of responsibility. In regards to this someone once told me that you can't drive a coal train with the caboose in front that there has to be a proper order to things. In the case of the train you need an engine, coal car and then the caboose. Any other way is ineffective, so just like the train me trying to push the caboose is just not going to work.

And then, I went to church and listened to a wonderful speaker. It's true we are all messed up people and no one is perfect. And something he said really resonated with me, if I am trying to fix someone it's more about me than them. That is so true, me trying to fix a situation, a person is more about me wanting that person to experience, to do the exact same things as me. From that standpoint it's selfish.

So in 2014, I have resolved not to try to fix this situation. I will avoid giving unwanted advice, shouldering any large part of the "work" and pray.  I think that will make the situation a lot bet.

Doing what you say you're going to do

I think by far my biggest challenge in my personal life is doing what I say and following up!

I am a woman of many ideas, thoughts and goals but unfortunately I never convert a vast majority. I don't know whether it's time management, laziness or lack of accountability. On the eve of my 30th trip around  the Sun, I have got to change!

So how can I fix this issue:

1. Handle the small tasks immediately. If it takes 5 mins or less do it now.

2. Build a specific time or schedule to get things done. With a toddler this maybe tough bc she loves to keep me on my toes. 

 3. Use technology to get things done. I have a calendar, email reminders and to do list and need to use effectively. 

4. Set realistic goals! I should not say yes to everything or try to do all this at once !
5. I read about an idea dump (a notebook ) for all the ideas you want to work on but don't have time. I plan to keep that handy and shelf good ideas later. 

At the end of day, it's hard to complete goals, tasks and chores with an incredibly active 14 mos old. Nonetheless my goal (here we go again) is each day work towards reaching my goals. I hope you do to...

Here is to a productive 2014!!

Maybe you are more Creative than you think! DIY Halloween Costume!

As a kid, art kept me off the honor roll! Yeah, I sucked and since then I have shunned all creative things, that is until I met my artist husband. He has always encouraged me to push myself and be creative!

Flash forward to present day and who would have thought I would be making my daughter's tutu!

That's right, I made my baby's complete halloween costume. It was quite easy!

So this costume cost under 15 bucks. I purchased the shirt and sewed on a Bumble Bee patch and ironed on a patch in the back. For the tutu, I used black and neon yellow tulle. I was able to score the headband antenna and voila.

What this taught me is not how artsy you think you are but with a bit of patience you can accomplish it. I must say that making her costume brought me a sense of pride. I already have her santa outfit planned.

Until next time...

What I am thankful for...this week

Well I know that its been about 3 mos since I last wrote. Much has to do with putting a lot of hours at work and a lot of hours at home.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, here are three things I am thankful and grateful for.

1. My baby is 1: I am so thankful that we cross the one year threshold. It was a long year filled with beautiful and very stressful moments. Every time, I look at my baby I remember there was a time when she couldn't lift her head up off the ground and now she is getting into everything. It's truly a joy to see my healthy, curious one year old running all over the place.

2. Bible Study: So I will make no qualms, I have been trying to get my path more in line with God. I try to attend church regularly and read bible plans. However, what I am most thankful for is finding this Women's Bible Study. It's on Thursday night and I always make an excuse each week, like I am too tired etc.  Yesterday, my husband said when I was making an excuse about being late and coming next week, he told me if you do that again you will never go. It was an awesome experience that allowed me to get a dose of the word during the week and meet new people. I cannot wait to go next week!

3. My Husband: In addition, to my baby girl's birthday, we also celebrated 3 years of marriage. I am so thankful for him, not to sound cheesy, but he makes up for where I lack. He encourages and believes in me more than I do in myself. I really feel that since being married he has helped me a better person. In return, we had some changes where he has left full time work and pursuing the business, so now I get to encourage and believe in him for a change.

I wanted to write this post because sometimes, I focus too much on the negatives and not on the positives. I am thankful for so much more but this morning this is what I am most thankful for.

Until next time..

The Balancing Act....

I haven't written in a while and I have been in the throws of work, home, and the business. Some days balancing all of these items are more difficult and discouraging. Other days I feel like I have it all under control. Nonetheless its really hard to find time to write as much as I would like to. 

So like I said balancing act makes rethink everything including my time management. After spending much of my time thinking about my "time", I realized that I am highly inefficient:

• I don't prepare my clothes the night before
• I didn't prepare bottles the night before
• I could not find one item per day on way to work i.e car keys, ID badge etc
• I wake up and peruse the internet for at least 15 mins
• I hit snooze three times at least
• I daydream

All these things were resulting in me doing a mad dash for the door on the way to work and then only getting more chaotic from there. So I had to take a step back and do the upset of what I was doing and it doesn't work everyday. I have read some great time management tips and decided what if I could do the opposite of what I did. So two weeks in and here is what I do

• Wake up 15 minutes earlier each week, my target time is to wake up at 5:45 a.m. to give me more time in the morning to workout  and eat breakfast etc.
• Write the day care check and make labels the night before.
• Make a family calendar and use a task list.
• Reevaluate my performance each week.

Its a work in progress, but I am trying to control the balance. How do you stay organized? What are your best time management tips?

Income divided by two

Here we go again.

Anyone who works in Corporate America or for someone else knows the constant fear of being let go. Well my household as experienced this for the second time in 9 mos. This has made me the primary breadwinner for a family of three. We did all the right things as we had an initial warning of this but have had to make some changes.

I am fortunate my salary can cover expenses with some "breathing" room, that my job is in career services/recruiting and we live frugally. There will be no major lifestyle changes but nonetheless all variable costs and excessive spending will be cut. Here are some changes :

• Packing Lunch, Coffee and Snacks- I am notorious for eating out, drive thru but know that I need to cut back and save that money for when we have team lunches.
• Limiting Driving
• Cutting back on entertainment expenses 
• Using groupon/livingsocial to have some "planned fun"
• Meal Planning

What I learned is that it can be tough but knowing that better opportunities are out there will get you through tough times. Also enjoy spending time with family and using this time to do free activities like parks, beaches and exercising.

Do you have any frugal ideas to help during this transition?

I'mma (wannabe) side hustla'

Sometimes I feel like there is more to life than the 9-5. Once, I had my daughter I became even more conscientious of living frugal, earning money and investing. It's to the point that I am constantly pulling out my calculator and thinking about how I can earn more pennies. I know where I want to be by 30 but coming up and following the plan is the problem.

Therefore, I need to pursue a side hustle or multiple side hustle. For those not familiar with side hustle to it means earning income from something other than your main job. To see some real life side hustlers check out  http://www.blackenterprise.com/tag/side-hustle/. I have been thinking about ideas that can bring my side hustle into fruition.

The first step is now that I have a tangible idea is to get organized. I will need to create a list of things that I need to do, such as website, plan of how to run the business, time management for client turnaround, certification etc. All while working my full time job (40-50 hours), caring for my infant daughter and trying to enjoy some of life. I know that its a sacrifice and will all be worth it. 

I have been studying what successful people do each day. So in the words of my husband, I am prepared to shut myself in, give up reality TV and dedicate those hours to my craft. I know that I must start small and work my way. 

Some questions, I have asked myself

• Am I willing to give up friends, tv?
• How will I cope with being tired?
• Is it worth, actively pursuing a side business and sacrificing time with my daughter?
• Can I do this?

In times of doubt, I am going to remember that everything I do is for the 6lb 6oz baby I gave birth to. I want her to have the stability and life that I did not have. That will remain my motivation when I get tired. I can't wait to reveal more as time goes by.

My Name is Alexis and I have commitment issues.

Hi my name is Alexis and I start projects but never finish them. I want to talk about a problem that I have struggled with my whole life and that is follow through. They say the first step is to admit there is a problem and its true, I am an idea woman but when it comes to doing it I struggle. Some days I feel like I am all over the place and that my divided attention has me so fragmented.

In my professional career when you admit to a weakness you must say what you are doing to fix the problems. I love that I have a million and one ideas but I do see that it sidetracks me into doing none. So my focus or refocus will be on committing to this blog and my social media presence.

• I will post on this blog at least 4x per week for the entire month of June.
• I will follow at least 10 people with similar content.
• I will use social media to promote my blog for better readership.
• Benchmark successful bloggers 

With my work schedule, baby schedule and other responsibilities, I know its going to be hard but I need to challenge myself. My goal is to be the best me and give 100 percent effort in all things that I do. So expect to see a range of topics from me, including student loans, budgets and quick recipes.

Road trip with baby...SOLO

With Kennedy now being 7 mos old, I feel that I have this parenting thing down but every now and then I get nervous to do something on my own. Well we are going on a road trip by ourselves. I am nervous and several questions are popping into my head:

• What if she gets hungry mid trip?
• What if I run into traffic?
• Will she be okay in the car seat?

To put my mind at ease, I am putting together a checklist of things to bring, logistics etc.

Items for Baby

• Car Seat
• Diaper bags
• Microwavable bottle sanitizer
• Stroller
• Infant Carrier
• 6 outfits 
• Socks
• Diapers
• bathtub
• Playmat
• Monitor
• Baby bullet
• Thermometer
• Toys
• Bathing Suit
• Baby Sunblock

Am I missing anything?  I know the list is going to grow but my plan is to start compiling all of this next week. What was helpful on your road trip with baby?

Homemade Baby Food

As a parent, I could not wait until we got to the solid food stage. I couldn't wait for my baby to experience taste, textures and flavors. I felt like I was reliving this experience through baby K. I decided after thorough research to make her baby food from scratch and well that is exactly what I done.

I realized that making baby food is fast, easy and frugal.

1. Every Sunday, I get enough produce for baby and this is what my shopping list looks like

• Bunch of bananas
•  2 sweet potatoes
• 2 Pears
• 2 Apples
• avocado
• 1 peach

2. I bring home produce and wash it thoroughly to remove any dirt and impurities. The next step is to peel of all skins and then wash each fruit or veggie again.

3. Steam all veggies and fruits (banana and avocado are good to go with out cooking). I use my rice cooker and steam all fruits and veggies until they are tender.

4. Blend steamed veggies/fruits and water to make purees.

5. Freeze veggies in ice tray and store.

I have gotten into the habit of making sweet potato my go to food because I can make a bunch on Sunday and heat them throughout the week. I make fruits every 2-3 days and rotate the fruits or blend them together.

It seems like it may be more work but it is cost effective and I know that she is not getting unneeded fillers and sugars.

I know that she may not keep the health lifestyle up forever but its the least I can do.

I found this site that is quiet helpful wholesomebabyfood.com

What types of baby food do you make?

Mommy Groups- Are they worth it?

Since I found out I was expecting a child, I could not wait to get involved in Mommy groups and dreamed of having all these mommy friends. Flash forward about 15 months and I have been to a couple mommy meets up but I am not so sure. So here is my take on the pros and cons.

Pros

It's great to talk to people who get it. Having a baby changes everything and I mean everything, from the length of time it takes to go to a grocery store to the constant worrying you do about your little one. This is a great place to bounce ideas, best practices (sorry work lingo) and swap stories. Generally, these mommy meetup groups are low cost or free and potential life long friends can be made. Thanks to a particular group I belong to, I have learned about several others on FB.

CONS

Generally the times of the meetups are not friendly for Working Moms. Most members are stay at home moms and thus available to meet at the park in the middle of the day. For us working Mommas this can be a barrier to being an active participant. Also be prepared for some strong opinions ranging from staying at home to people who formula feed. I do formula feed and sometimes I feel that people act as if I give my child powdered poison. (Another story  for another time but if your child does not eat in the hospital for over 36 hrs, you too wouldn't care that they were eating formula) Also, for those Mommas that are single this too may make the stay at home crowd seem unreliable.

All in all, I do not write these groups off because I do want to find friends for myself and Baby K. I would be lying if I said, I feel these groups are not inclusive of all types of people and opinions. I think for each new Momma its a personal choice. Perhaps one day I can set up my own diverse group that can accomodate the SAHM and the Working Mom.

For those looking to find a group in your neighborhood:

• Facebook
• Meetup
• Network - Go to local library story times, swim lessons and other community activities to meet moms.

Are you a member of a Mommy Group? How do you feel about Mom groups are they worth it?

Returning back to work...

I was "reorganized" out of my job, better known as LET GO, LAID OFF, CANNED and whatever else you call it, at 37.5 weeks pregnant.

During this time, I looked for work actively and delivered and cared for my baby girl full time. I am lucky to report that I am returning to work effective Monday, February 11th. I am mixed with emotions and can best sum them up to bittersweet. Thus I have been quickly adjusting to life back at work and taking care of my baby.

I would be crazy to say I am not having a major anxiety attack over the sudden changes. Some random thoughts through my head

• Will my baby forget that I am her mother?
• How will I balance work and wanting to spend time for her?
• How am I gonna wake up and get her out of the house at the same time?

To answer my own anxiety ridden questions, who forgets their mother..no one! To achieve work life balance, I have signed up for mommy and me classes, meetups and pretty much have scheduled my weekends to be all baby all day. Finally, organization and routine are the only way we will get out of the house on time.

I keep repeating, I am not the first mom/dad to go back to work and I won't be the last. Will it be hard, of course but I HAVE to get through it.

Looking forward to being a proud working MOM!

Help! I have no Mom Friends, is it important and how can I make some?

It is completely true that once you have a baby you will never go back to  the person you were pre-baby. Your life revolves around your Little One and as they start getting older you want to cultivate friends for them but what do you do if you have no mom friends.

I am in this situation, a lot of my friends do not have babies and therefore I feel a slight disconnect because this little person has me changed so much. I have never been one to require a lot of friends but since having K, I want to cultivate more relationships with fellow moms.

K had her first playdate with a friend of mine's daughter, the experience was nice for the babies but even better for the moms. Its a time to vent, asks for opinions on all things baby. In fact, we spent the majority talking about our little ones from diaper brand preferences to how many times a week we bathe them.

It was nice, having a familiar friend in the situation but of course I want K to have maximum exposure to babies. So I began looking for ways to meet other moms and I have had some mild success in meeting new people. I come from a background in Career Services and the single handed best way to land a job is to NETWORK. Well, I have taken that same philosophy and am networking my way into a few groups

1. Signed up for Living Social and Groupon
I signed up for both services before baby to go to restaurants and do adventurous things. However, I noticed that one offered a baby sensory class which engages her to play using all of her sensory. We attended the class and met a few other  moms and made a contact with a mom, who has a facebook group.

2. Facebook
There are several mom related groups on Facebook. The group I am a member of is a private group so locations, details cannot be seen. I have noticed that they have yet to do a meetup but at least I am in the loop.

3. Meetup.com
Similar to Facebook, there are several groups on their and meetsup are encouraged. K and I have our first meet up today at a local park. I will let you know how it goes.

All in all, its a bit awkward to build relations with random strangers. However, I have noticed that it is good to get out of my comfort zone and expose my daughter to new experiences.

Until next time.

How becoming a mom has changed me!

They are so many cliches about the moment they place your baby in your arms, how everything changes, how you will never be more in love than will you see s/he. It's true, I have never been in love more with anyone and I think about that moment every day. My daughter will be 4 mos and boy has she brought about changes. Here is my list on how becoming a mom has changed me.

• I am always TIRED! I don't think I have had a solid night's sleep since being pregnant. Sure, she sleeps through the night but I am so busy trying to get caught up on housework that I don't sleep.
• I have become more domesticated. Before Baby, I liked to cook but cleaning, finding things for the home were not my forte. Now, I am constantly looking at things for the home that keep it clean, organized or smelling great.
• I CLEAN daily. Like I said, I don't enjoy cleaning at all besides for the Kitchen, bathroom etc...Well having this baby I clean daily and have a routine. I must say I get satisfaction out of sweeping the tile daily.
• I MULTITASK. Yeah, I've heard it you can't really multitask but seriously I do. In the morning, my husband watches baby, I put bottle in warmer, walk the dog, feed the dog, take bottle out, change baby diaper and feed. 
• I HAVE DONE WHAT I SAID I WASN'T. Prior to baby, I had grandiose unrealistic expectations ideas of what I would never do. For Example, I was against COSLEEPING, guess who cosleeps sometimes...ME!
• I am searching for MOM FRIENDS. Again, I have always been shy and somewhat of a loner but since having baby, I have had a quest to find moms with babies. I feel that by making friends, I can bounce ideas, the babies can get together.
• DISORGANIZATION to ORGANIZING CHAOS. Before Baby, clutter and papers littered the house, bills got paid but not efficiently. Because spending time together as a family is so important, we have been streamlining our papers, filing away mail and trying to de-clutter our house one day at a time.

These are just a few ways that being a MOM has changed me. I do know that each day, I strive for better and I have a motivation so strong. I look forward to seeing the evolution of me, a year out, 2 years out and 18 years out.

Grocery Shopping, Meal Planning and Paying in Cash..oh my

When we were a dual income with a family size of two grocery shopping had no rules or limits. However in the last three months we went from a family of two to a family of 3 and sometimes 4 and one income so there has to be rules and limits.

Ever grocery shop and think you got it all only to realize that none of the stuff equates to meals? Well, this would happen to me several times and I would feel like I had nothing and race out to the store. Ever set a limit for the total amount of purchases only to go over and use your debit to cover purchases?

So I have made changes to my shopping techniques.

So first thing is first, I create a meal plan with common ingredients nothing worse than running midweek for some exotic ingredient.

The game plan for this week:

• Jambalaya- chicken, shrimp and sausage 
• Pot roast with potatoes
• Baked Chicken, rice and beans and steam veggies
• Spaghetti and Turkey meatballs (turkey because I found it bogo)
• Salmon, potatoes and steam veggies

This will keep me on track and under our budget of 80 bucks. Now that I have a working list, let's talk snacks.

I don't buy package cookies, cakes and prefer to make my own. I can usually buy the mixes cheaper and it seems better for you.

The only snack I splurge on is ice cream and I mean GOOOOOD ice cream.

Again for veggies and fruits I go to the local farmers market and this is a huge savings. I have a steamer so I can steam all my veggies. I learned how to make my own apple sauce so again I have saved on paying for packaging.


For Beverages, cleaning products, cheese and the like, I have to go to walmart to get the savings.


So I was able to do it all within my budget of 80 dollars this week, plus the coupons helped meet this goal.

Bottom line: I am no expert at grocery shopping but I am learning a few tricks of the trade and at the same time feeding my family quality food.

Baby Clothes Galore...

The biggest piece of advice to all New Moms and Expectant Moms is DON'T BUY ANY CLOTHES for your child. This will save you a bag of money that can be used elsewhere.

I am a proud mom of a 3 month old daughter and can state that we have not bought one stitch of clothing for my child yet. While I was working at my previous job a fellow coworker let me know that she had not bought any clothes for her almost 1 year old daughter because so many people had given her onesies, dresses, shoes, socks etc. She told me to focus on the big ticket items and leave the clothes for the friends and family.

With this advice in mind, my husband and I agreed that everyone loves to shop for a little girl, tons of headbands, dresses, cute onesies and bibs. So why not let friends and family have fun picking out the clothes and we stick to buying the stroller and etc.

We were fortunate to have several showers with tons of clothes at each. I quickly (after sending thank you notes) organized them by sizes keeping the newborn and 0-3 months out first and rotating her through the outfits. Then for Christmas, we were fortunate to receive clothes from size 6 months and up, so now she has a full wardrobe up until 24 mos.

Now, that my baby is growing we don't just hoard the clothes we share the wealth, I used instagram to give her clothes to those who may need it.

Bottom line is that a baby is costly and you have limited resources put your money where it is most needed.

Deals deals deals

Deals..

As a SAHM, there are few days I look forward to Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.

I love deals, coupons and discounts especially for grocery shopping. Since becoming a wife with my own "mini" household, I relish the opportunity to oversee all foods that we purchase. Growing up I would see my mom coupon, shop at 3 different grocery stores and knock of 50-60 off her bill consistently. As a kid, this was so embarrassing holding up the line to save some pennies here and there but now I see its well worth it.

Back to my favorite days of the week, Wednesday and Thursday my two grocers put out the circulars and Sunday the ads come out. Since having my little one, I get the Sunday paper delivered to me, scored sunday delivery for a year for just 10 bucks.

My usual grocery routine involves surveying the cupboards and basing meals on what we have. Shopping once a week, never hungry and trying to stick to my list. Since we function primarily on one income, I spend approximately 60 dollars per week for 2 people and 1 dog.

To make my dollar stretch here are my strategies ( you may have heard)

• Buy all produce at the Farmers Market, seriously I spend 18 max for all the apples, onions, green peppers and potatoes we can eat.
• Buy meat in bulk and separate to dinner portions and wrap and freeze.
• Buy juice, Milk, Eggs and all toiletries from Walmart because you can't beat the price.
• I stack my coupons for weeks and try to use them when the markets have a sale on them.
• I sign up with Kraft, Kellogs and Pillsbury for deals and recipe ideas.

My goal in the New Year is to meal plan more effectively and cut costs and waste down. Also as my little one grows, I want to make her baby food.

Until next time....

My Baby has what...Torticollis??

You spend 9 months (in my case 40 weeks and 3 days) hoping and praying that your baby will be perfect. In fact, I had several dreams that my baby would come out looking like an alien. I worried that I wasn't showing like a 9 month pregnant woman then something must be wrong.

Fast forward to when Ms. K was born, she had all ten toes and ten fingers, two eyes, one nose, well you get the point. She was perfectly healthy 6lbs 6oz little girl. I was relieved that she looked normal.

However at about 5 weeks, I began noticing something strange, she favored her right side, only looked to the left and her head never looked even on her neck. I decided maybe she needed time to develop and I would ask at the 2mos check up. At the check up, I showed the doctor and she explained my baby may have  congenital torticollis.

Basically, from the doctor's explanation and my hours of research on the Internet its a stiff neck. How the heck do you get congenital torticollis ? Well, you're born with it, some babies wedge themselves in a certain angle in the womb and therefore the muscles stiffen. This makes sense as my lil one every time we did an exam was always in the same position. She put herself head down from about 22 weeks and I guess she stayed that way.

So I took Ms. K to the physical therapist who confirmed the diagnosis and stated that with regular exercise she will be fine. Now I diligently, massage her neck, make sure she doesn't just look to the left or right.

The physical therapist says that it will take about 6 months to correct. I have been exercising for two weeks and so far a big difference she now looks right.

All in all, if she has to have something wrong, I am thankful its something like this and we caught it early.

Introducing your Dog to your Newborn

Before Baby K there was Baby Luke the furry Cockapoo. My husband and I got Luke as gift for Valentines Day so it was all him for a year and a half.

Once I found out I was pregnant, one of my biggest concerns was how Luke would react to the baby. Our cockapoo is loving and loyal but did I mention he is also a hyper show off who needs his time. He also sleeps in the room with us under the bed and I was terrified he would harm the baby. I began reading feverishly about how to introduce a Furry Friend to your Newborn.

So we came up with the following action plan

• Split up the walking duties from strictly me to my husband as well so he wouldn't be jealous of me spending so much time with baby.
• Mother in law brought home baby blanket so he could get smell.
• Let him sniff the newborn so it would be out of his system.
• Let someone other than mom introduce baby.
• Never leave baby unsupervised with the dog.

Overall, you have to know the temperament of your dog and how much is too much. The day we brought home the baby, Luke sniffed her car seat and was more interested in seeing me as he was very concerned when I left him. He did cry a few times when she cried. 

Fast forward 3 months, he is very protective of Baby K and sometimes gets a little to close to her play mat. However, I can say with 95 percent confidence that he would never harm her but still is not left alone with her ever.

How was introducing your pet to your Baby?

Is it too soon to save for College?

I am a new mommy, my daughter is almost 3 months old and now the debate starts on when to start saving for college.

My dad is a bit of a worry wart and has beat us over the head about beginning to think about this HUGE investment. In fact, in lieu of a typical gift such as a stroller or even some onesies, my parents let me know they rather help me set up a 529 plan.

Now as sleep deprived as I am, I find myself looking into 529 plans or prepaid plans. I was leaning towards the prepaid plan where you pay monthly installments of approx 300 dollars until your child is ready to attend college.

According to the Florida Prepaid Plan you lock in the price but can we make the 300 dollar payments, not with our current budget.

On the other hand a 529 plan lets you set up the plan for as little as 250 and then you decide how and when to make contributions. For example, you can use all the birthday and holiday money for your child. I know it may seem premature to start thinking about this but 2031 will be here before I know it and I have to think about my retirement.

Some useful links for college planning

• http://www.savingforcollege.com/
• http://www.myfloridaprepaid.com

Not sure which way we are going to go and I guess thats for another sleep deprived night. Have you thought about your kids college educations? If so how early did you start??

New Year's is a great time to put life in perspective

A little over 2 years ago.. I wrote following list. So now I am looking back to see what I did vs. what I didn't

"On the eve of my twenty sixth birthday, I am putting into perspective everything I want to do. I know this list may sound crazy but at least it gives me a launch pad or a starting point. My significant other (SO) he asked what if I didn't accomplish the list then what? Well the answer is who knows....but I will be sure to keep you updated..."

1. Begin my novel- started one...got through about 10 pages but back to the drawing board.
2. Find out what I really want to be when I grow up- still searching
3. Be debt free- in progress hoping by the eve of my 29th bday this will be accomplished
4. Own a home- Jan 2015 
5. Learn how to drive stick shift- NOPE
6. Run my own business- my Hubby and I run one together 
7. Run a 5k- signed up for one in FEB
8. Get my scuba diving license- NOPE 
9. Cook my own thanksgiving dinner from scratch- NOPE
10. Drive cross country -NOPE
11. Kick Anemia - NOPE
12. Start an e-trade account- NOPE
13. Go camping- NOPE
14. Volunteer- volunteered through a work related event does that count??
15. Go to New Yankee Stadium- NOPE
16. Control my emotions ( change my name to ice cube)- being pregnant would not allow me to do this
17. Finish the Harry Potter series- NOPE
18. Create my own family traditions- YEP
19. Be completely comfortable in my own skin
20. Learn how to speak Jamaican Patois- becoming better each day
21. Find an art activity that I am good at
22. Become a mom - 10/8/12 accomplished this 
23. Lessen my addiction to facebook, twitter, social networking sites
24. Become more tech savvy- depends on how you view this 
25. Read more
26. Strive to make every day a happy day- I try...

Another shot to get it right

Hi my name is Alexis...this must be my 4th blog. I start blogs get excited and then forget to post and ultimately ignore them.

I would like to think that I am above average writer and I should take to this like a duck to water but I guess not.

Since my last blog, I have been married over 2 years and have a 2.5 month old daughter. I have had a rapid career and now currently a SAHM for now.

Life is a never ending journey and for now I am just enjoying the ride.

So what will this blog reflect:

This blog will focus on being a wife and mom, trying to cut costs and create traditions for my family. I am seeking other moms for advice.