Why you should pay off student loans now

Why you should pay off student loans now

Confession: I Couldn’t Do My Third Grade Son’s Homework

by Stacie Haight Connerty (blogs.babble.com)

There are times lately when I just feel overwhelmed as a parent. This mainly happens in the homework department.

My son is nine and is going into the 4th grade. Many times during this past school year (when he was in third grade) he needed help with his homework. And he asked me. Apparently, the dumb parent.
Now mind you I don’t really think that I am dumb although his third grade teacher may disagree with that statement (hopefully not to my face, though).

I have an MBA. I had a successful career as a marketing/human resources executive and I do pretty well as a professional blogger/social media consultant. I have done some really cool stuff.

But when it came to 3rd grade homework? I ended up Googling a lot more stuff that I would have ever thought I needed to. Stuff that I feel like I should probably know.

Math problems. English worksheets. History stuff. Forget being smarter than a fifth grader, I wasn’t even as smart as a third grader. It was embarrassing. It still is embarrassing.

I vaguely remember diagramming sentences back in the day which, by the way, I absolutely never ever did again outside of school. But I do remember doing it. I had a little trouble with diagramming this year. Many times I had to wait until my husband came home so he could help our son finish up. Mind you I sure didn’t want him checking my work from earlier.

So I am afraid that the few times my son’s homework was late this year was because his mother couldn’t find what she needed on Google. There were also times when I wrote notes to his teacher exclaiming that his homework seemed exceptionally hard for me and I asked were there any study guides that she recommended.

The thing is, this is only going to get harder. I am only going to feel dumber.

Please tell me I am not alone. I cannot be alone, right?

50 shades of snot: The real reason SAHMs are depressed

By Lela Davidson (http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com)

A recent Gallup poll found that stay-home moms are more depressed than working moms. No kidding? In related news, sales of wine and erotic fiction rise just after the last day of school. (I made that up. Call it women’s intuition.) No study needed to confirm that caring for children is grueling work.

Consider the daily onslaught: 50 shades of snot, 22 textures of poo, and 14 ways to embed yogurt into the carpet. Add in a complete lack of control over your schedule and long stretches of isolation from activities and people that bring you joy.

In the beginning, stay-home moms spend long hours covered in human waste, surrounded by slobbery plush toys, as well as the ever-present needs of children so young and demanding that the public school system won’t even take them yet.

Are you depressed yet?

When the children are old enough to go to school, the stay-home mom enjoys the briefest moment of relief — a few lone trips to the grocery store, some uninterrupted time at the gym, maybe a manicure — before struggling to find some meaningful personal purpose that fits nicely between morning drop-off and afternoon carpool.

Some mothers make the choice to stay home because they want to. For these moms, despite the challenges of the maternal workday, there is truly no place they would rather be.

Sara Merritt of Davidson, N.C., is a stay-at-home mom who wouldn’t have it any other way. “Before we had a child, I was determined to stay home with her full time.  After all, there's no one more qualified than me to care for my daughter.” Although she sometimes wonders what it would be like to re-enter the workforce, she hopes to keep the job she has now. “I couldn't bear to miss all the milestones in her childhood.”

Others of us chose the stay-home path for more practical reasons. If circumstances were different we’d be thrilled to delegate the play date in favor of negotiating a contract or making a sale.

"It can be isolating, especially, when you are stay-at-home mom. Feeling like you are in charge of this huge production can lead you to wonder if this 'raising of humans' is truly what your heart wanted," says stay-home mom Jasmine Banks, who has three kids and a masters in counseling. “I am in charge of health, nutrition, education, and making sure these people don’t grow into total jerks! It isn’t a vacation. It is a decision I made for my family that carries philosophical value for me and my husband." Banks doesn’t appreciate those who assume her days are easy.

“I’ve loaned my sanity and body to these kids!," she says. "Which explains why I sometimes sit in my closet with the door closed watching 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' hoping my kid doesn’t find me.”

I have been a stay-home mom, a working mom, and now a mom who works from home. But I sometimes envy mothers whose passion in life is raising children. I have been jealous of those who could gracefully bear the indignities of motherhood without resentment, depression and doubt. I salute those women who derive deep joy from the daily chores of child-rearing and home management, but I am not one of them.

These days in the evenings, after working, I am the one hiding in the bathroom with the steamy novel, counting the days until the kids go back to school.

Taste of the Gables 2012 - Westin Colonade

The city of Coral Gables kicked of Restaurant Week with its Taste of the Gables party Thursday evening, May 31 at the Westin Colonnade Hotel. Admission included sample tastings from 20 local restaurants and drinks by Bacardi.

Always a fantastic event and soo much food! My vote this year went to the Local. Their Wagyu Beef Carpaccio was to die for!

The Local my fav! Got my Vote!

Great Event!

Should the Children of the Extremely Wealthy Be Eligible for Scholarships?

Posted by amberdoty (blogs.babble.com)

Over the weekend an article on CNN caught my eye. It told the story of Justin Combs, the teenage son of Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, who as a result of success in academics and his talents on the high school football team, recently received a $54,000 merit-based scholarship to UCLA, where he will continue to play football.

The article posed the question of whether it was right for the Combs family to accept the scholarship in light of the fact that Forbes magazine recently named Sean Combs the wealthiest artist in hip hop. Should the children of the wealthy benefit from tax-payer dollars in the form of a scholarship to a school of which they are capable of paying full tuition, or should they refuse the money in hopes that it would be awarded to a child that otherwise could not afford to attend college?

My knee jerk reaction was that the Combs’ and families like them should absolutely refuse the scholarship. They should say “thanks, but no thanks” and allow the money to fall to someone in need, but after a little thought, I began to second-guess myself.

Wealthy father aside, I assume Justin Combs is like any other teenager who strives to excel at his schoolwork. He likely feels a great deal of pride in seeing his hard work on the field and in the classroom pay off. Is it really fair to ask him to give that up because his father is successful? Furthermore, as a society that rolls their eyes in disgust at spoiled teens with everything handed to them like those that appear on shows like MTV’s My Super Sweet Sixteen, who are we to then deny a teenager who, despite the fact that he was born into opulence, maintains an admirable work ethic?

All that being said, I’m still not sure what the right or wrong answer is here. What do you think? Is it in poor taste for wealthy families to accept scholarship money that could be awarded to those in financial need?

Out and About with EC's comments:  This boiled my blood! I heard this story today and I think it is the most absurd thing I have heard.  Why should Justin Combs not get offered a scholarship, why because his father is P.Diddy, because he's well to do - WRONG!  He was offered a scholarship because they saw his talents and his grades.  Does that not count for anything anymore? Wow, society is sad. Just because his father is a celebrity shouldn't deter a University or anyone for that matter to not give him what he deserves as long as he earns it the right way "with hardwork".  I would want the same benefits for my child if my family was wealthy and my wealth should never be a factor.  It's obvious that Justin Combs has talents! Good for him and the Combs family!  Come on people let's stop hating!

Summer Survival Guide '12

Summer, summer, summer .... It's here!

How will you spend it? Like a tourist, of course.

Here's our annual rundown on ideas for entertaining kids of all ages all summer long, indoors and out.  

Enjoy!
 
http://www.momsmiami.com/?a=profile&u=2&t=blog&blog_id=4393 

Father's Day Events - June 17

There are many ways to celebrate your Dad on Father's Day. Choose from the list of special Father's Day events in Miami, or just get an idea for something fun and relaxing to do together.

Check Out Harleys & Hotrods
June 17, 2012
Free car and motorcycle show held at Peterson's Harley Davidson of North Miami.

Attend a Car Show
June 17, 2012
The Father's Day Classic Car Show will be going on at Misner Park in Boca Raton.

Take a Father's Day Dinner Cruise
June 17, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Island Queen Cruises is offering a BBQ dinner cruise aboard the Venetian Lady. Reservations are required.

Visit Your Favorite Attraction
Enjoy a day of family fun at one of the best attractions for kids in Miami.

Spend a Day at the Beach
Relax and enjoy the sun and sand at one of the best beaches in Miami.

Take a Train Ride
Gold Coast Railroad Museum is offering free admission to Dad with the purchase of a child's admission.

Father's Day Barbeque@ Fairchild Tropical Garden

When: Sunday, June 17, 2012 from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Looking for something to do with dad on Father's Day? Treat him to a Texas inspired Barbeque Brunch from the award wining caterers, Creative Tastes.
Smoked bacon and sausage, pecan sticky buns, slow cooked beef brisket, "Cowboy" chicken wings, catfish, pork ribs and loads of Texas style fixin's are all on the menu at this tasty event.
View a full menu.
Price: $38 for adults, Children 5-12 are half-price and under 5 are free.
18% service charge and 7% Florida sales tax additional.
Call 305.256.8399 for reservations and more information.