Myrtle Beach Activities

by | Aug 9, 2012

Beachfront Relaxation…Hold the Jellyfish Please

Our beach time was fun. It was so nice to be near the water and hear the roar. As you can see from the pictures, the kids had more fun playing in the sand than in the ocean.

One thing I didn’t like was the jellyfish that floated in the water. They gave me the heeby-jeebies…(insert shivers). They were all on the beach every morning and we could see them while playing in the water. I’m not sure why there were so close to the shore but I didn’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling from them.

Miniature Golf Fun and Friendly Competition

What would a trip be without a little fun? We went to the Adventure Falls miniature golf course that was on the main strip. The kids and I love this game and the friendly competition.

There were two courses to choose from. So we chose the least crowded one to begin our competition. I got a couple of holes in one and I think each of the kids got one as well. That sent up simultaneous cheers and boos.

The guy running the place was super friendly. He told us about and up and coming singer from Myrtle Beach that lives in Atlanta now. She is kind of young but is recording (probably finished now) a new album. Too bad I can’t remember her name…

Overall the trip was fun. I will definitely go back again in a few years. I think next year we will try either The Outter Banks in North Carolina or Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Both are reasonable distances from Atlanta and by then my daughter will know how to drive and can help lighten that load.

Myrtle Beach Spring Fun and Sun

Myrtle Beach Spring Fun and Sun

by | Aug 8, 2012

I am finally getting around to posting photos from my trip to Myrtle Beach back in April. The kids and I visited because we really wanted to go to the beach that was close to home. It had to be economical and fun so I set out to find a great place for Spring Break 2012.

Looking for Great Travel Deals

I am a deal/discount queen when it comes to travel. I do not believe in paying full price for accommodations, rentals, or airfare so I will scour the web for the best deal. So I checked out Hotwire.com and BetterBidding.com to find a hotel or resort on the beach. That was my criteria. Anywhere we stayed had to be walking distance to the beach.

Bidding on a hotel can be nerve-wracking if you don’t know what to do. The prices look so tempting but I learned through a lot of research to look for clues into the kind of hotel I’d be getting.

Setting My Criteria for the Perfect Spring Break Destination

So my criteria was for a hotel, preferably a resort, on the beach. I also had to have wi-fi, a balcony, double beds, and cheap but quality eats in the hotel or nearby.

I found a couple of resorts within my price range on Hotwire but before I reserved it I went to BetterBidding.com to look at the forums. People who have bid on rooms reveal the name of the hotel in these forums. It is based on the state and city you are planning to visit. I found out the resort could be one of two places. I Googled the hotel and decided I could live with it. I placed my bid over at Hotwire and moved ahead with my plans.

Getting to Myrtle Beach

The kids and I packed up and drove to Myrtle Beach. We traveled for about five hours and were so happy to see the ocean! Our resort, Surfside Beach Resort wasn’t exactly luxurious but it was nice enough for our purpose. We were right on the beach, the rooms had double bed, there was wi-fi (though spotty), there was a balcony, and there were places to eat nearby.

 

The Surfside Beach Community

The area of Myrtle Beach where we stayed was called Surfside Beach. It is a sleepy little town lined with beach houses facing the ocean. It was nice, quiet and clean. Along the ocean were only two or three hotels. There was the Holiday Inn resort and our resort.

Surfside is known for it’s determination to keep the towering commercial hotels out and maintain a cozy family atmosphere. We could see the larger hotels in the distance but were happy to not be caught in the spring break traffic and noise that was probably overwhelming that part of Myrtle Beach.

Getting in “Me Time”

I got up early to watch the sunrise and walk on the beach for a little “me time” on the first morning. The kids slept in and enjoyed the break from school. The weather was warm but more on the cool side the first couple of days. Eventually the sun came out to heat things up and we got to go on the beach and enjoy the waves. We finally got to the ocean.

Stay tuned to read about our Activities and Food Adventures in other posts.

Tips for Teaching Kids Finance Management

Tips for Teaching Kids Finance Management

by | Aug 6, 2012

Kids who learn about finance management early in life are more likely to be financially responsible as adults. Young children might not need to know about mutual funds and mortgages, but they are smart enough to start learning about the value of money. Teaching your child about the importance of saving money and working hard to get it will give him a solid foundation for making the right financial decisions in the future. Kids learn best when they have no idea that they are learning, so it’s important to come up with fun ways to teach them about serious subjects like finance. Depending on your child’s age and interests, there are a few effective and exciting ideas you can try to get him interested in learning the basics of money management.

Since it’s a little too early for your child to keep track of savings at your bank’s local branch, get him started with a piggy bank. To a child, a piggy bank is essentially the same thing as a savings account. Encouraging a child how to use one is a great way to teach him how banks work and why saving money is important. Ask your child to put some of the money he earns into the piggy bank instead of spending it. After he collects a good amount, take him to the toy or candy store for a reward. Let him pick out whatever he wants to buy because he earned it. It’s a good idea to give your child some extra money as an interest on his savings. It’s an easy way to teach your kid that saving pays off in the long run and leads to better rewards than spending a little money at a time on smaller things.

Make sure that you are giving your child money for a job well done and not just to fill up his piggy bank. Have your child do light household chores to teach him the value of money. It’s important to show young kids that every little bit of money requires hard work. You can have your child clean his room or help you out in the kitchen. Give him age-appropriate tasks that won’t be too overwhelming. Make sure that your child connects the work he is doing with money by giving him a small payment immediately after he is done. Try to use change, so it’s easier for your kid to put a portion of his reward into the piggy bank. Older children can get money in bills as long as you use small denominations.

It’s important to let your child spend a little money after he earns it instead of putting everything into the piggy bank to keep him interested in making more. If you are teaching your child finance management, chances are that he is old enough to count. Spend some time counting money together, and come up with financial goals. Setting objectives will give your kid a chance to practice both math and financial responsibility. Most importantly, always set a good example by taking control of your own finances and slowly teaching your child how to make the right financial decisions as he gets older.

Naomi Esterly believes that it’s never too early to teach kids the value of money. In this guest post she provides practical lessons on how to get them started with finance management. These are the very same things she’s taught her kids and she hopes that you’d find it useful too. When she’s not penny-pinching she is a freelance writer. 

Gabby Douglas’ Mom Natalie Hawkins is a Champion Too!

Gabby Douglas’ Mom Natalie Hawkins is a Champion Too!

by | Aug 3, 2012

 

Watching Gabby Douglas win the Gold in the Women’s Gymnastics completion in London was such a heartwarming and proud moment for me. This young lady is beyond phenomenal, yet she is humble and gives all praise to God for her talent and winning. Her mother taught her valuable life lessons that has taken her far and helped her reach the pinnacle of success at such a young age.

The Anguish of Letting Go

As a mother with a 16 year old daughter, I can relate to the anguish Gabby’s mom, Natalie Hawkins, probably felt. She made the tough decision to send her daughter thousands of miles from home to get the best training from Coach Chow. She spent time and money helping her child pursue her dreams of becoming a world class gymnast.

Then Gabby wanted to give up,

Gabby felt homesick and wanted to move back to Virginia. But this time, Mom wouldn’t let her. “She told me, life is not easy, you have to fight and just refuse to quit,” Gabby remembers.

The hard work paid off and now Gabby is a triple winner. She won Olympic gold in the team and individual competitions and is the first African-American girl to win these honors.

Sacrificing for Excellence

My daughter is pursuing a modeling and acting career. I’ve invested time and money to make this dream come true for her. It is something I know will pay off in more ways than one. The financial reward will be wonderful, but more importantly the skills and self-discipline my daughter is learning is priceless.

The Secret Ingredient to Success

I see this in Gabby and all the other gymnast that competed in the 2012 London Olympic Games. How can you get that far without self-control and self-discipline? I cannot see them getting as far as they did had they been spoiled and lazy.

Epic Fails in Parenting the Next Generation

Parenting kids these days is challenging with all the negative influences and focus on material gain and entertainment seeking mentality. We live in the most advanced age, yet most kids seem aimless and out of control. Parents give their kids everything on a silver platter whether they can afford it or not. The result is an entitlement mentality in an entire generation!

Great Parenting Still Exists

Of course it’s not all doom and gloom for the world’s future. There are still parents out there like Natalie Hawkins and other dedicated moms (and dads) who instill a solid foundation of self-control and discipline in their children. Like these parents, I am one who is determined to teach (and model) these crucial traits as well the most important thing in the world… LOVE!!!

Image courtesy of US Weekly

Quick Budget Plan for Single Moms

Quick Budget Plan for Single Moms

by | Aug 2, 2012

I cannot express enough the ease of creating a budget if you have the right tools. For some it’s frustrating and complicated.

I have also taken the simplistic approach. I don’t have time for complicated and convoluted spreadsheets. Ugghhh!!!

So I take a sheet of paper and list all my income. Then I list my major household expenses. I add them all up and get the total. I take the total and subtract it from my income total to see what I have left. Very simple.

If I’m over or in the red, meaning more expenses than income I make adjustments or find a way to make more income. Working overtime helped or doing a side gig.

Getting Fancy with Budgets

A few years ago I learned that a budget should or could be created using percentages. Each household category gets a percentage of your income.

That is too much for my mommy brain, but I did come across a budget calulator tool by Crown Financial ministries.

It’s a simple, yet handy calculator that will give you a picture of what your budget could look like no matter how much income you have.

Just put in your yearly income and it will tell you how much you should budget for each category. Simple. Easy. Quick.

Of course you can adjust things but it’s a great way to get started.