the financial elephant in the room

this is a sponsored post for upromise.com. all thoughts and opinions are my own.

i have five children. that means five mouths to feed, five kids to clothe, five different extracurricular activities and five other little lives to pay for every day of their lives. don't get me wrong. i love my sweet, little people. they make my life what it is. still, it can be challenging to get through one season at a time, let alone plan for the future.

my kids are going to college. that's just the way it is. we don't ever use the word "if" when we speak about their collegiate futures. we simply say "when." a college education opens the door to a world of possibilities for my kiddos and we want them to have every opportunity possible. we are counting on a college education for each one of our five. as the days pass too quickly, we are realizing the approach of that education is coming faster and faster. 

we are doing little things as we can to save for our children's college educations but, let's face it, sometimes bills take priority over saving for the future. we surely cannot be alone in this. there seems to be a giant elephant in the room, a financial hole that many of us have but no one wants to talk about.

it's time to bring the financial elephant out of hiding and address it for what it is.

it is okay. 

many, many of us are in the same boat. my husband managed to pay his way through college. i took out student loans. we survived and we are none the worse for it. if i can save for my kids’ college, that's fantastic. if i can't save enough, that's okay too. they can still get an education and they will survive.

saving a little is better than saving none at all.

we do not have excessive amounts of money to be putting aside for our children's college funds. still, we have to recognize that small beginnings over time can add up. we are going to be thankful that we are able to set money aside, regardless of how much or little.

there are things you can get for free (yes, i said free!)

my kids are going to be gunning for scholarships. i went to college for free for a few years on scholarships. they will be applying for them in droves. 

beyond that, we have been taking advantage of another savings program that costs us *nothing at all* beyond what we’d be spending any way!!! you heard me right. upromise is free to use, and the cash back you get from your everyday spending can be transferred right to your child's college fund. 

when my husband and i were living in South America, we discovered upromise.com. this amazing company gives you a certain percentage of every dollar you spend while online shopping at participating partner stores. before clicking to buy from certain stores, first sign into upromise.com and then click through that site to do your online shopping. stores will give you a percentage of your purchase into an online upromise account that can be transferred into a college savings account. how great is that? i love to online shop! i love anthropologie.com, jcrew.com, 6pm online for shoes, amazon for almost everything, travelocity and hotels.com for travel... dozens of stores where i already shop are willing to give me cash back for my kid's college fund through upromise. amazing, right? 

there is also a way to earn more for your upromise account. if you are purchasing a house and use a century 21 realtor that you find through upromise.com, that realtor will give you half of their commission back into your upromise account, up to one and a half percent of your home price. can you say "gold mine?" seriously, it's crazy not to be doing this. so far with our upromise account we have gotten thousands in cash back towards college. little bits add up to big college savings! 

address the elephant

so, what are you waiting for? ignoring your financial “elephant in the room” won't make it go away. it's time to take a baby step toward planning. if you haven't begun, start by opening a upromise account. if you want to save more, make a baby step today. an education is always worthwhile. we are doing what we can to prepare and we are believing our five kids will walk across a podium one day with their college diplomas. how about you?

upromise by sallie mae is looking to start financial “elephant in the room” conversations among families, and have created a #myfinancialelephant facebook tab. you can also share your financial elephants on twitter @upromise with the #myfinancialelephant hashtag. join the conversation!

someday...part 3

someday. someday i'll wake up to a quiet house and this parenting business will all be in the rear view mirror. for now, i just dream of someday. 

someday part 1 and someday part 2

1. someday i'll be able to go the bathroom without returning to find this.

2. someday my laundry room won't look like this.

3. someday i won't find rocks in the washing machine.

4) someday i'll walk into the living room without finding mysterious spots on my sofa.

5) someday my kids will actually bring their shoes in from outside before a three day batch of rain.

6) someday i won't be forced to retrieve sippy cups thrown under adjacent cars.

7) someday my daughter will know that taking a pair of scissors and stabbing a brand new aerobed not once but twice might not be the best idea.

8) someday i will return from putting clean clothes away without finding a toddler playing in toilet water...all over the entryway.

9) someday my kids clothes won't appear with mysterious stains...all over them.

10) someday my son will eat a cookie without this happening on the one day i forgot to bring baby wipes.

someday...a girl can dream can't she? if you have pictures of your "somedays," send them our way. it's good to know we're not alone.

my army of women

my husband has been working a lot lately. with his law enforcement job, it is anyone's guess when or if he'll be home on any given night. normally i can handle the masses but yesterday was a different story. my toddler was on day four of a raging fever and that night, while my husband was out chasing some bad men, my daughter got sick as well. i was up all night with the pair of them. as 7:00 AM rolled around and my other three stirred, i knew i was in need of reinforcements. i'd used the last of the fever reducers over night and there was no way i was going to be able to drag all five to the store.

i contemplated what i could do...leave them at home? take a couple of them? wait until my husband magically returned from work? i wanted to be self-sufficient but when it came right down to it, i knew it was time to wave the white flag of surrender and see if there was anyone who might be willing to help a mom out. i posted this to facebook:

that was it. a simple cry for help in the middle of my sleep deprived morning. i figured someone had to be heading for the store during the day. still, it was hard for me to press send. it was hard to admit i needed help. i liked feeling like i was the rocking mother of five. and yet, when it came right down to it, i figured between the killing of my pride and a trip with five kids to the store, i'd bury my pride and stay at home.

the crazy thing? the response. within minutes someone offered to pick up the medicine. i thought the flurry of messages would end after that but that was just the beginning. there was this:

and this...

and this...

and this...

and those were just the facebook messages. by the afternoon, there were 36 facebook messages offering help. there were several texts from friends. not only did i get the two bottles of medicine, but my favorite drink from starbucks. someone else brought me juice and a party tray of chicken nuggets and fruit from chick-fil-a for lunch. i had three offers for dinner, two people who just came and dropped off food. countless others texted me throughout the day to see how i was.

my friends from out of the area chimed in on facebook too. their responses?

it's hard to believe places like this exist. i was and am still honestly awed by it all. what a remarkable group of people surround me, right? they truly are some of the greatest people on earth, in the greatest neighborhood on earth, from the greatest church on earth, in the greatest town on earth. i know i am blessed.

the more i got to thinking, though, the more i realized that this is how life is supposed to be. we are supposed to count on each other. we are supposed to live in community with one another, support one another, come along side one another, do life with one another. we're supposed to be honest, and vulnerable, and put our pride aside. the miraculous happens when we put aside the facebook and instagram version of ourselves and take a few minutes to just be real. the results are magical.

i may still be sleep deprived. i may still have two sick kids. my husband may still be a walking zombie. but i'm not alone. i'm surrounded by an army of amazing women who have my back. and just like that, am invincible. i think i may just go conquer the world. 

for more, read: no mom is an island and don't block my blessing.

diy: playtime door signs

i have five kids and i live in a neighborhood absolutely full of school aged children. that means a lot of knocks on the front door asking if someone inside is free to play. don't get me wrong, i love that my children have playmates and that there is no shortage of activity at our house. it truly brings me joy. still, there were just some moments when playtime is not going to happen. there is often homework to be done, chores that need attention and extra curricular activities that mean that any given day may not work for playtime. i found myself making trips to the door more often than i wanted to so i decided to craft up some simple door signs to help all the kids know when we have a green light for playtime and when we may need to try another day. these really are extremely easy to make and they have made all the difference for a peaceful afternoon any day of the week.

here is a step by step for my signs so you can make your own.

start with unfinished boards. i found these at hobby lobby for a couple of dollars each.

step one: paint each board a different color. i used red, yellow and green on purpose. if kids aren't reading yet they generally know that red means stop, yellow means wait (or caution) and green means go. i figured i'd help the non-readers learn the signs as well.

step two: i wanted to add some extra color and fun to my boards so i tore up some fun paper and adhered it to the boards using mod podge. 

step three: once the mod podge has had time to dry, i used a stencil and a huge black sharpie to write on the words. 

step four: lastly, i drilled two holes, one on each side of the board, large enough for me to push some ribbon through. after tying knots on each side of the board, they were ready to hang.

we store our signs inside our coat closet door, ready for use each day. they fit right over our outside door wreath hook everyday we use them. 

my days are numbered

our "someday..." posts have resonated with moms everywhere. you name a mom who doesn't dream of what life will be like "someday," and i can pretty much guarantee that we are not friends. parenting is hard. anyone who tells you differently is lying. it's exhausting. it is filled with moments when you want to shake your fists at someone and scream, "why?" it is the hardest thing you will ever do and there are days when i dream that i can see a light at the end of this very long parenting tunnel.

with five kids, that tunnel has gotten longer and longer. we are, however, for the first time ever, at a place where we have finally said, "we are done having kids." it was a long time coming and the truth is, i am grateful to be at a place where i can say that i am happy with five. i don't feel like something is missing. i'm content with what i have. that, too, has been a long time coming and i am thankful to finally feel that way.

now, for the first time in my life, i am on the other side of babydom. i will never again be pregnant. i won't have to go through nursing again. my body, such as it is, is officially my own again and i am relishing some of the great things that come from saying goodbye to infants and toddlers. i am nearing the end of an 11 year relationship with diaper changing. i no longer have to scrub out baby bottles. the poor, rickety crib is holding on for a couple of remaining months until we move on to the final "big-boy bed." the bib drawer will soon be a thing of the past. huge infant paraphernalia is slowly being consigned or given away. our house is turning into a big kid house. i almost don't know what to do with myself.

part of the transition is liberating. my grocery budget alone jumps with each new stage. no formula to buy? money for other things! no diapers to buy? how about a starbucks? that poopy diaper bucket just outside our garage door? that thing will soon be a thing of the past! some things are truly fantastic.

there are other moments when the loss of it all makes me feel like i cannot catch my breath. my fifth born is going through a bit of separation anxiety. lately he has cried every night when i put him to bed. with my first ones, i would have let them cry it out. with my last one, i go back in there every night and hold and rock my last baby. i am all too aware what happens next. i have seen the transition that happens when friends become cooler than parents. i have seen the look of embarrassment when i walk into my fifth grader's classroom. i have seen big hair bows give way to pony tails. i have seen tutu's and tiaras stuffed into the bottoms of drawers and thomas trains left pushed into the back of closets. i have watched as hugs and kisses have become less frequent and information about their days has to be pried from them.

don't get me wrong. i am grateful for the next stages as well. i love seeing the people my kids are becoming. i love the big belly laughs around the dinner table when we all get the same joke and can laugh in unison. i love spending bits of my day with them and seeing the world through the eyes of my growing children. still, they don't quite fit in my lap like they once did. they won't lay their heads on my shoulder and let me rock them to sleep. those days are quickly fading, even for number five. and so, my days are numbered. i once heard that with children, the days are long but the years are short. this has become painfully and wonderfully true, simultaneously. so, i'm determined to love the new stage we are entering. still, if my toddler wants to be rocked to sleep, i won't miss a night of it. when there is an expiration date, the moments and the memories become that much sweeter. i will hold onto them for as long as i can.

diy: christmas hand print pot holders

this christmas, i wanted to come up with a cute handmade gift for the boys to give to family. these hand print pot holders were pretty east to make, inexpensive and turned out even more adorable than i expected. take the time to try this out before christmas. i know these will be a huge hit with the grandparents for sure and i can't wait to see their faces when they open them. 

supplies:

•pot holders --i purchased these at my local dollar store--they were 2 for $1.

•fabric paint - you can find these in any craft store. the colors i used were:      green, yellow, red, blue, tan and black.

•paint brushes

•a little patience :-)

directions:

for each design, i simply painted the boys entire hand one solid color and then carefully placed it onto the pot holder. be sure to use pressure to ensure a solid print. the only design where the entire hand was not painted one solid color was the santa pot holder. for that design, i painted their hand prints 3 colors to represent the hat, face and beard of santa. here is an example of how their santa hands looked before making the hand print onto the pot holder:

after making the hand prints, allow them to dry fully before painting on the details.

the details can be the hardest part. some of the designs i had in mind ended up being a little labor intensive. in my opinion, the easiest designs are the tree and santa. the most labor intensive was the snowmen...but how cute did they turn out?! 

feel free to use my designs or come up with your own. this project was so much fun and the boys are so excited to give their special hand print pot holders to their family. which one is *your* favorite?

hand, foot and mouth, tylenol and smiling faces

i have received information and products from mcneil consumer healthcare division of mcneil ppc, inc., the makers of TYLENOL. the opinions stated are my own. this is a sponsored post for shespeaks.

my fifth born is one of the happiest kids around. don't get me wrong, he can create a disaster faster than i can return a text but he is usually pretty darn happy in the process. 

a couple of weeks ago i could not figure him out. he was fussy at breakfast, refused to eat (very atypical for him) and was generally out of sorts. while playing with some blocks after breakfast, he dropped a block on one of his fingers and came walking to me so i could give his hand a kiss. here's what his little hand looked like.

the next day his feet were covered too. when i looked inside his little mouth, there were blisters everywhere. no wonder the poor guy didn't want to eat.

this wasn't my first rodeo. as the youngest of five, my fifth born got the jaded, "shake it off" mom. still, i had never had experience with hand, foot and mouth disease. i had seen pictures of heather's kids covered in blisters so i knew what to expect. still, i called the pediatrician for some specifics. her information was simple. it's just a virus. it will heal on it's own. just keep the tylenol flowing. 

with a lot of cuddles, some very messy popsicles and a steady flow of medicine, as per the excellent pediatricians predictions, my happy baby was back. his precious smile was all the more sweet because i had missed it while it was gone. let's be honest, his smile also meant that the work of a sick baby was over for me. it was a huge relief. yes, in a few short days, my fifth born  was back to this.

...and this...

...and, yep, even this...

yes, wellness is a double edged sword. still, i am grateful for healthy, happy kiddos. 

the greatest thing about taking care of my sick children is knowing that they are learning how to care for others when i care for them. i didn't realize how much they had learned until i had a migraine headache one afternoon. my sweet boys jumped into action (my daughter was at gymnastics, lest she read this one day and think i have left her out.) my oldest told me to go and lie down. my third born six year old took over watching the little boys and cleaning the family room. the sweet boy even vacuumed the floor. while he was busy working, my oldest made me a tray and brought it into me in the adjoining room. it held a cup of tea, a bowl of grapes, a get well/instruction note, and a cup full of TYLENOL. 

i was so happy. they got it. there is joy in making someone else feel better. it was one of those rare moments in parenting when you see the smallest glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, when you think, "maybe, just maybe they'll leave my house one day as loving, responsible human beings." for one brief moment they understood that there is joy in caring for someone well. there is joy when someone can smile after an illness. what a precious thing for me to see in my sons. i don't think i've ever been more proud.

the makers of TYLENOL recently launched the "SMILING IT FORWARD" campaign. bringing a smile to someone else enables them to bring smiles to others. as a part of this campaign, they are donating $1.00 to CHILDREN'S HEALTH FUND up to $100,000 for every picture uploaded to:

 https://www.smilingitforward.com

the donation will help pay for children in need to see a physician when they are sick. take a minute of your day and help tylenol spread some smiles to children in need by putting up a picture of one of your happy, healthy little ones today.

I have received information and products from McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., the makers of TYLENOL®. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks.