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When you think, sedans, you might think Ford, Chevy, etc.  But did you know that Porsche has a vehicle that can seat a family?  I did actually know about this but I tend to forget, did you know Ford made a sports car?  Here are some vehicles that surprise me, see if they were new to you too.

Ford — When I think of Ford I think of models like the F150 or the focus.  But did you know Ford made a sports car called the Ford GT?  It’s true. It’s actually a pretty nice looking vehicle.  Search it yourself and see.

BMW — When I think of BMW vehicles I think of classy, Upper Middle Class or Upper Class attainable.  I also generally think they’re meant for couples with no kids or the 4 people families.  I don’t think of BMW for families of more than 4 but I would be wrong.  BMW makes the X5 SUV which can seat up to 6 people with all the bells and whistles you would expect from BMW as well as the price tag.

Porsche– When I think of Porsche, I think of a two seater luxury sports car.  I would dismiss the Porsche Cayenne in that presumption.  It seats up to 5 and has a surprisingly big trunk space.  You can check out my guest post on Porschetowson.com for more about the Porsche Cayenne.

Kia — When I think of Kia, I think of affordable cars and suvs.  What I did not realize is that Kia offers a luxury vehicle that STARTS at $59K called the K900 A far shot from their Kia Forte starting at $15K.

SmartCar — yep the tiny affordable, gas friendly cars.  Did you know they make a convertible version called the SmartCar Cabriolet?  yea, I have honestly not seen the convertibles yet.

Mitsubishi – speaking of tiny affordable gas friendly cars, did you know Mistubishi makes their own green car called the i-MiEV?  Yea it’s listed as the most affordable ELECTRIC car.  I didn’t even know Mitsubishi made an electric car.  this one can seat 4 which is a bit roomier than some green vehicles and this one gets 112 MPGs! If I didn’t have a family of 6 I’d be all over this.

 

This is a bit of a curveball post from my usual but I think it’s an important subject.  It’s something I feel drawn to write.  Everyone seems to be talking about Robin Williams.  Inevitably the discussion of depression comes up.  As I read comments on articles they are everything from condolences, to criticisms.  Everyone seems to have their own opinions of what depression is.  IF you don’t have depression, it would be extremely difficult to understand.  Depression isn’t something you can just “snap out of”.  Depression isn’t just being sad over a friend moving away. Sure it might trigger the initial onset but sometimes, nothing at all seems to trigger the downward spiral.  There are some that are just in a constant state of depression and have to take each day and figure out how they’re going to get through it.  Unfortunately I’ve known people like that.  Many aren’t here today to add to this conversation.

I don’t always remember having depression.  I remember having loads of energy and playing outside all day as a kid.  I remember little things made me happy.  I don’t remember the weight that is depression at that time.I don’t really remember when I started “feeling depressed” the feeling is very physical.  I would bet many feel it different ways.  For me, it feels like I’m locked out of my house on a dark cold rainy day, with no money, and not knowing anyone in the area and would have to wait there until I can either figure out a way to get in or find help.  There’s a weight, a heaviness.  There is a feeling of little hope.  When it gets really bad I feel like I have no one.  When I hear people say negative things to me at that time, it kind of just confirms my thoughts.   I get a feeling of worthlessness at times, it just depends on what’s going on in my head at the time. I might feel like a bad mother for essentially no reason, I might feel like I suck at my job because of an unfortunate string of events, things like that.  Mine is worse in the fall and winter than any other time.  Used to call it seasonal depression but now it’s pretty much all the time.

I realize I’m lucky though.  I’ve never really gotten to the point that I didn’t feel I would rather not be here anymore.  I’ve always been able to pull myself up at some point whether on my own or talking with my doctor. My depression is not as bad as some.  I don’t talk about it.  I don’t want someone to overreact.  Or worse, say negative things to me that just would not help the situation.  Mostly I just get feelings of feeling isolated.  Which is funny (not really) with having 4 kids and being married.  I have a few family members close.  If I went to their house they’d welcome me in.  I know they would.

I’ve turned into an introvert.  I wasn’t always.  In elementary school I remember being thrilled to be the lead in the school play in 2nd grade.  I had lots of friends and was outspoken. Then we switched elementary schools after 3rd grade.  I was put in a class with hardly anyone from my old school.  I felt like I was starting over.  I didn’t make friends as easy here.  2 girls I thought were my friends only kept me around to have someone to make fun of.  Whether it was hormones changing in everyone or whatever I was bullied through middle school.  I was very skinny.  I had a very  high metabolism, I was active, and ate whatever I wanted.  But for this reason I was bullied almost relentlessly by older girls almost my whole 7th grade year.  I was called anorexic, asked if I wore clothes from the little girls department, was even threatened because a girl felt that my chair wasn’t pushed in far enough at the lunch room table, seriously, that happened.   I never talked to anyone about it.  I was embarrassed to be “that kid”.  The girls that bullied me were much more “popular” than I.  My friends distanced themselves from me at times because they didn’t want to be the next victim.  I couldn’t blame them. I started withdrawing and didn’t trust anyone.  Peers then started saying I was a bitch, stuck up, and anti-social.  I couldn’t win.  But at least being stuck up and a bitch meant people left me alone.  I did have a few friends.  Some I thought were friends really weren’t.  Perhaps this is when it all started, I’d say it was a fair bet.  I remember a convo with one peer from high school after we graduated.  We never really talked in school.  He told me he had liked me but was afraid to talk to me because he thought I was stuck up.

Still after reading that paragraph there will be those that say I just needed to stand up for myself, or move on, get over it.  But with depression it’s not that easy.  Probably my darkest point was while I was pregnant with my 2nd son.  My oldest son was only about 16 months old. I found out my husband at the time was cheating on me.  (Yet another betrayal) this set forth a string of events.  We tried to make it work for a while but couldn’t.  We were having financial issues at that time with threats of foreclosures, repossessions, our utilities had been cut off a few times.  We separated, then divorced, went through a very ugly custody battle that lasted years, and also during this time my mother’s cancer not only returned but metastisized.  My boys and I moved in with my parents because I couldn’t afford to go anywhere else between the cost of daycare and attorneys.  My dad did most of my mom’s care giving but I needed to step in and help too.  This whole part of my life was extremely overwhelming.  I barely slept, I was on edge.  sometimes I wondered if it really mattered if I wouldn’t be here anymore. The straw that broke the camels back was when my car was repossessed. My ex hadn’t been paying his half of the chapter 13 bankruptcy we had agreed upon.  I remember collapsing on the floor just crying and crying.  My parents stood over me yelling at me to knock it off or they were going to take me to the hospital.

Even with all this I’ve written.  I never realized I was depressed.  I just assumed I was stressed, too much on my plate.  I finally decided to make a doctor’s appt.  assuming I was going in to tell him I thought I was an insomniac. My conversation at my appointment went something like this:

Me:  I ache all over, I can’t sleep, I have no energy and no motivation.

My doctor: “Do you have any stressers in your life right now?”

Me  I couldn’t help but give a sarcastic chuckle and say “I’m going through a divorce, I’m going through a custody battle, my mom has cancer…” he stopped me, I didn’t even get into the financial dealings part.

My doctor: “That’s enough, I think you’re depressed”

I looked at him for a moment.  I don’t know why I never considered I could be depressed.  There was always this stigma to me, to be labeled with a mental health issue for the rest of your life.  I know it’s an ignorant thought looking back but that’s honestly how I felt.  My doctor said to me. “I want you to try this medication. It’s for anxiety and depression.  Just try it for a few months.  If you don’t like it, you don’t have to take it anymore.” I was reluctant.  I wasn’t on any medications.  I wasn’t keen on the idea of taking a medication daily.  He assured me it was a small dose.  I started taking it.  Within a couple weeks, I started feeling a change. I found some motivation. I didn’t want to hide in my room.  I interacted with my kids more.  Even my parents told me the change they saw in me.  That’s when I lost the stigma and realized making that doctor’s appointment was probably the best thing I’ve ever done for myself health wise.  Again, depression is different for everyone.  Some never find relief with medication.  I was lucky here too.  I still have my dark times. I’ve learned how to deal.  I’ve learned when to talk to my doctor.  I do little things for pick-me-ups here and there.

That’s a snapshot of my story.  Realize that you can’t just look at someone and know they’re depressed.  Sometimes the assumptions we make about people are totally wrong and add to the mess.  One thing I learned with my situation is you never know what others are dealing with.  I try to make it a point to say something nice OUT LOUD to someone each day.  In this world it seems people are much quicker to complain than compliment.  People find it easier to criticize someone than to pick someone up.  So bring that quiet girl at the office a cup of coffee and tell her you thought about her.  Tell that mother at the playground she’s doing a great job, tell your husband you appreciate him today, fill out a feedback form at the restaurant or hospital and give a compliment to an employee by name.  You never know who just might need that pick me up. You might just give someone another day.

This is what depression looks like. I don’t have to be crying or locked in my room to be depressed.

 

 

Have you ever wanted to dye rice?  Why you may ask, would one do that? There could be a number of reasons why.  Use dyed rice to make textured pictures, use them to make find-it jars, put it in a bin and allow your children to play with it like sand or add objects to the bin for a find it game at home.  You can also use it as a type of “sand art” material.

I always wanted to know how to do this.  Turns out, it’s really pretty simple.

What you need:

–Resealable freezer bags

–uncooked white rice

–food dye

–vinegar

–empty jar or container for mixing color

 

You can make as much as you like but I’ll tell you the directions I used.  You can make as many colors as you want.  Put one cup of rice into a bag.  In an empty jar (baby food jar, small food storage container, etc) mix 4 tablespoons of vinegar and food coloring (you can add as much coloring as you like for the amount of color you want.)  put a lid on the container and shake it to mix.  Dump the color mixture into the bag of white rice and shake the bag.  The kids just love doing the shaking.  After you’ve covered the rice well you’ll  need to let the rice dry.  You can do this by spreading it on a non-stick baking sheet or baking sheet with wax paper.  Once dry your rice is ready for whatever craft, art, or sensory activity you have in mind.

Check out my guest post for some affordable craft ideas with your kids.

 

I just wrote a guest post about things to see in Philadelphia.  I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Philadelphia a few times.  One time I stayed for a work assignment for 2 months.  I remember the first time I ever went to Philadelphia a number of people name one place in particular to get a good authentic Philly cheese steak.  My first taste and I was hooked.  So I’m gonna share some of these places with you.

1.  Jim’s  Steaks –  This is one of the first places that always comes up.  They have several locations but one is on the popular South Street.  Where you can also find great entertainment, many cultural flavors, and great shopping.  Jim’s Steaks is said to be one of the best but expect to wait if you want to try one of these cheese steaks. I had the pleasure of trying one of these one of my first visits to Philly and it’s something I’ll  never forget.  You know how they say scents and flavors can take you back to a certain moment.  This is one for me, it was a class field trip to Philadelphia.

2.  Steak and Hoagie Factory in Hatfield, PA –  When I did my 2 month assignment in Philadelphia I stayed in a north east suburb called Hatfield.  There is where I discovered the Steak and Hoagie Factory. I thought these were so good that I went there about every other week.  I wanted to go more but you know I was concerned about my arteries and all lol.  They have other yummy menu items too.

3. Geno’s – when asking around about where to get a good Philly Cheese steak this name often comes up in conversation.  I’ll be honest I’ve not personally tried it but it’s in just about every top ten list.

4.  Sonny’s Famous Steaks –  If you’re visiting Philadelphia to take in the history then you can stop by here while checking out the Liberty Bell.  Sounds like a win-win to me.

What is your favorite place to get a Philly Cheese Steak?

 

I recently did a post about a “Pay Per Performance” Chore Chart.  This is a good way to teach kids about earning money.  Once they have the money though how do you teach them to use it wisely.  This is something I struggled with myself.  I got my kids to earn the money they got but once it hit their hot little hands it was gone in a flash.  Then they were asking for stuff in the store and I’d break down and buy them a little treat or think, well they earned it.  Wrong, all that taught them was that if they spend all their money mommy will still get them stuff.

The biggest hurdle for me personally was learning to say no and sticking to it.  Instead of lecturing them for nagging me about stuff in the store, I’d simply ask “Did you bring your money?”  Most of the time their answer was no or “I have it but I’m saving up for a video game”.  This is good, this is progress.  After a while they stopped asking me for stuff at the store and started setting goals.  Which brings me to my next point.

Setting goals.  The kids might like to go out and buy cheap dollar tree toys or an impulse buy at the the grocery store but the excitement of that item rarely lasts. Something like a video game, a bike, a game system, even a new Nerf gun, that usually lasts a little longer has a more lasting impression.  If your kids get a smaller allowance (say $10 or $20 every two weeks) it would take them quite some time to save up for a new bike or a trampoline.  It would seem almost an impossible task for kids and they may give up before they reach their goal.  I countered this offer with the kids.  You want a new bike?  You save up half the cost of the bike you want and I’ll pay the other half.  It’s still a lot of money for a kid to save but it keeps them on task. You can even budget that yourself and say I’ll pay half, up to $60 on my end, for  a new bike” So if your kids have their eye sites on a $500 bike you’re not stuck with a $250 surprise.  But if you’re budget allows for that, then go for it.  We’re actually dealing with this now with my oldest son.  He wanted a new bike.  He saved $55 of his own money, I paid the other half and this is what he got.  He chose the bike in the budget allowed.  We also talk to our kids about figuring taxes.  They’re learned to do this in their heads at this point.  They know they have to cover the cost of the item AND tax.

 Lead by Example – If your kids are seeing you out shopping daily or frequently buying unnecessary things they may think that’s ok. Make sure you talk to your kids about paying important things first and setting money aside then the rest you can have fun with.  Teach kids the better bargains in the store.  When they ask for a certain toy, comparison shop online and let them see the price differences.  They’ll definitely want to spend less to keep more of their allowance.

Teach Them the Difference Between Want and Need –  You’ve probably heard it, especially with your teens “I NEED Under Armour shoes, everyone else has them” No dear, you don’t NEED Under Armour shoes, you need shoes, you WANT Under Armour.  Maybe they think they NEED a cell phone.  In today’s day and age, that might be true, but it might not be too.  You know what’s best for your family.  I also occasionally read my kids stories when I see things online or articles in magazines regarding underprivileged children.  Yes I’ve shown my kids pictures of the starving kids in Africa.  I’ve also had them help pick out toys for Toys for Tots at Christmas time, go through their clothes to donate to local families who lost everything in a fire, etc.  I use these opportunities to talk to my kids about how lucky we are and how our every day conveniences are only a dream to some.

I could write a lot about budgeting for adults and families.  I’m sure I will.  In the mean time, you can read my guest post at reedmantollchryslerdodgejeepram.com blog on how to shop for a vehicle for a family of 6. Yes staying on budget is important but so is getting the right vehicle for your family. I spent nearly a year researching vehicles with things I wanted, needed, budget friendly, best gas mileage for the size, and appropriate for my family.

What are your tips for teaching your kids to budget?