parenting – Page 10 – Luv Saving Money

16th Birthday Gift Ideas

16th birthdays are a big deal. For many that means they’re now allowed to get their permit and start driver’s training. But the idea of buying a car for a 16th birthday present isn’t always within reach. Here are a few other great ideas for 16th birthday gifts.

Drivers Education classes – This will not only give your child more experience with driving but also give you a nice discount when they finally get their driver’s license. We did this for our oldest son. I wrote about the benefits of drivers education classes here.
AAA membership – another sensible gift that will help with towing, road side assistance, and when they lock their keys in the car. This also gives a little more peace of mind for the parents.
Gas gift cards – with their new driving freedoms comes new expenses. Gas gift cards gets them in the habit of filling the tank when they take the vehicle especially when they’re on a tight budget.
Car Wash gift certificates – if they did happen to get a vehicle for their 16th birthday they’ll want to take care of it. Car wash gift cards will give them a little more motivation to take care of the outside
Car Safety kits -my son actually got a car safety kit for his birthday from his aunt. It contained things like flares, bandaids, road triangles, and more. He said he really appreciated that gift
Car care kits – Armor All makes car care kits to keep your car clean inside and out. My son actually said he’d like to have one because he enjoys cleaning the car. I always did too at that age.
Car oriented gift bags/gift baskets with small items like a key chain, air freshener, driving sunglasses, ice scraper, etc.
Maintenance gift cards – Places like Jiffy Lube or Pep Boys offer gift cards so your new driver can take care of an oil change, windshield wipers, tires, or whatever maintenance they need.

This post does contain some affiliate links. I will get a small commission from sales made through my post.

Back To School Bus Safety Reminder

My kids will be starting back to school towards the end of this month. My heart always breaks at the stories of kids that get hit by cars getting on or off the bus. As a parent I think there are things we can do to help our kids too.

When possible watch your kids until the get on the bus. Especially elementary school age. I do this not just because of the danger of getting hit by a car but also because of the kidnapping stories too. (So much to worry about anymore right?)

Teaching our kids about looking both ways before crossing the street. My kids don’t have to cross the road. They’re picked up at the bottom of our driveway but lot kids do have to cross at least one street to get to their bus stop or get home.

Password. I’ll be honest this isn’t one thing we’ve established yet but I really need to. I’ve heard stories of kids avoiding stranger danger because of using a password. The idea is to use a word they’ll remember and if someone tries to pick them up they ask them for the password. IF they don’t know they password the kid knows not to go with them.

Avoid putting your child’s name on their clothing and backpacks where it’s visible. I label my kids items but I’ll put it inside the backpack, inside their shoes, or on the tag of their shirt.

For driving safety tips for back to school check out my post on reedman toll blog.

I’ve Changed My Attitude About Summer School Work Packets, Here’s Why..

I have so many mixed mommy emotions about my kids in school. My kids attend public school in a small town. The school has consistently had high ratings in the state. Most of the teachers are either teachers I had myself or were people I grew up with that became teachers. I feel like the odd ball out though when I say I don’t look forward to back to school. See, I LOVE having my kids home for the summer. Having them home for the summer means I feel like I have more leisurely time with them. There’s no mad rushes to get off the bus, do homework, eat supper, and run out the door for a practice or school event.

I always cringe at the end of the school year posts of parents dreading summer vacation. Teachers with post saying “tag your it”. I felt like there was something wrong with me counting the days down until I can spend all day with my kids. Yes my kids can drive me crazy, yes my kids can be loud, make messes, and get into mischief. But I realize one day all of it will be gone and I’ll miss it. Now as we prepare for another school year, I’m sad that my kids will have to go back to school. Sure they don’t seem to mind. Yes it’s necessary. Yes I’ve considered homeschooling but it just doesn’t seem right for us.

More than once my kids have brought home a thick envelope filled with school worksheets, journals, and lessons the teacher felt they should do over the summer. More often than not, I tossed it to the side only to be forgotten about. My kids got bogged down with homework during the school year I’m not going to do that to them over the summer!

But, this year my daughter brought home the ole summer packet and again I considered tossing it to the side and forgetting about it. But initially, it became used strictly for unplug time. Worried about brain drain I’d have them read or do the school work packets. I found my daughter actually enjoyed doing hers.

Then as I observed her and oversaw the activity, I realized what concepts she had already become rusty with. One that we struggled with today was counting by 2’s (she just finished Kindergarten). Then I realized the value of these packets. She had a journal to keep for the summer and she couldn’t wait to write about her trip the the movies, her time at soccer camp, and the fireworks on the 4th of July.

I realized my youngest son hadn’t brought a summer packet home so I searched for a summer reading program for him that would give incentive for him to read. He’s already read 6 books this summer. Another 2 books and he gets a free book with this program. It gave him a goal, a purpose. My son honestly enjoys reading anyway but there seems to be a new motivation with the program.

We also add in our own hands on and education activities like our trip to the National Aviary, learning about local history, crafts, and more. If I’m to be honest, I think the summer school work packet has given me a new found interest in finding activities that correlate with what she need to review. I realize it gives my daughter a good start to the school year. While I still dread sending my babies away for 8 hours a day, at least I’ll know I did the best I could to make it a smooth transition.

Windber Recreation Park – Summer Staycation Series in Western PA

So far we’ve previewed the Pittsburgh Children’s Film Festival, took a visit to the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, attended Challenger Sport Soccer Camp, and we’ve been enjoying the local recreation park.

Windber Recreation park known as Windber rec or simply “the rec” has a lot to offer for a leisurely low cost day. With tons to do on any day of the week and even more to do with special events like Wings and Waves, Windber Wine in the Park, and much more.

The park offers picnic tables and charcoal grills that can be used for a spur-of-the-moment picnic. There are also plenty of pavilions that can be rented for parties, reunions, and other events. From small pavilions to the enclosed dance hall with kitchen. Pavilion rental information is here.

As far as things to keep you entertained there is a nature trail, skate park, playground, volleyball nets, basketball court, tennis courts, and a fenced dog park. Many local enjoy walking or jogging the park for exercise. There are restroom facilities throughout the park. One of the big draws in the summer is the public pool that features a twisty slide and two shot gun slides. There are also changing facilities, showers, restrooms, and a concession stand available in the swimming area. Note: you can not bring coolers larger than 14″ inches into the pool area. We like to pack a small cooler bag with a drink and light snack when we swim. They do have lifeguards on duty.

Special events like the Wings and Waves in a popular event that brings in local eateries to offer a selection of wings to try and you vote on your favorites. Each Thursday 3 new eateries offer 3 different flavors of wings each. Buy a ticket to try a dozen wings of any flavor you’d like then enjoy an evening swim.

For local residents, getting a pool pass is well worth it especially when the days get hot. If you purchase one the end of April or early May you can get it at a discount. To visit for the pool for a day it’s $6 for adults and $5 for children. We invested in a pool pass this year and it has paid off for us. We are visiting 2 to 3 days a week at least as weather permits.

You could easily make a day out of the Windber Recreation park. Walk the nature trail, let the kids play at the playground, have lunch at one of the picnic tables, then go swimming. Or maybe play some basketball or tennis.

The Windber Recreation Park is the guaranteed low budget fun in the Johnstown, PA area.

Best Deals on Bulk School Supplies + Coupon

It’s after the 4th of July which means you’ll start seeing back to school advertising everywhere. I have 4 kids all in school. This school year I will have a senior, a sophomore, a 4th grader, and a 1st grader. Back to school shopping can be a big expense. Backpacks are reused if they’re not too ratty, school supply needs are assessed, and deals are hunted.

There are also opportunities to donate for back to school causes. One of the radio stations near us does something called “stuff the bus” where they collect school supplies for kids in need in our area. I love to be able to donate too.

DollarDays makes it easy to get the supplies I need for all four of my kids, have items to donate, and still save money. That’s because DollarDays offers budget friendly school supplies in bulk with great savings.

All this stuff came from DollarDays. DollarDays doesn’t just offer back to school supplies though. You can find party supplies, office supplies, handout items, clothing and shoes, baby supplies, and more. Dollar Days is perfect for:

Teachers that want to stock up for their classroom
Daycare and pre-schools
Homeschool parents
large families that needs to stock up on supplies
School supply donations
Club and groups crafting supplies
Event planning
business supplies
more
If DollarDays sounds like something that interests you, I have a 10% off coupon for you! Use coupon code: LUVSAVINGMONEY Go through this link to use coupon code and visit DollarDays

Find all the DollarDays deals on Dealspotr

I received a product sampling in order to complete this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.