Submitted by I’m Right and You’re Wrong (ED. While this article talks about making Aliyah- or moving to Israel- the relevence is clear for anyone relocating to a new area)

There is a great article over at Aish.com written by Tara Eliwatt, about parenting and Aliyah( moving to Israel). She describes the ups and downs of making Aliyah with small children who have to try an integrate into the Israeli school system. Her Hebrew is non-existent and her kids are not much more fluent.

In an emotional moment for any parent she says, “I don’t want to leave him. I want to sit with him and talk to him and tell all the boys at the bus stop, “Hey — you’ve got to get to know this kid. He’s so bright and creative, and lots of fun to be with! He’s sensitive and thoughtful. He would be a great friend to have.” But they don’t speak English, and my Hebrew is poor at best. Instead, I drive the car slowly away, peering into the rear view window to see if he follows my advice.
I can’t blame him for not being assertive at the bus stop. I’m afraid to call Israeli mothers on the phone to arrange play dates for my kids. What if they don’t understand me? What if they don’t want their child playing with an American?”

Organizations that promote Aliyah, like Nefesh B’Nefesh, have done such a great job in helping olim get acclimated in Israel, whether it be helping finding a job, a suitable community, and/or easing bureaucratic red tape. Because of NBN’s success, we may forget that a major issue that is beyond the scope of any organization is helping children make new friends, and get comfortable in their new surroundings.

Eliwatt says that a well placed ice-cream cone, or a trip to the park can help ease the transition as it helps bring the family closer and remind all that they are in this together.

She concludes, “But at least a few times a week, (before I’ve lost my patience, raised my voice or done some other parenting faux pas), my daughter has looked at me with a sweet smile on her face, asking, “Why are you such a good mommy?”
I don’t recall ever hearing that question in America.
There is a sense in the family that “we’re all in this together.” And perhaps, in witnessing our children slowly acclimate to their new life, we are inspired to work harder to adapt and to accept the changes in our own lives.”

A must read article for anyone thinking of relocating to a new geographic area.

I had a client spooked by their family tree.

Why?

It was rumored that the great grandparents were first cousins. This truly horrified this individual. Well, you can’t look at this fact from this day and age. You must look at the past.

What do we know about the past?

Transportation wasn’t as it is now. Communities were smaller. Families were tighter and living close by each other. It was a different world.

So, don’t be too spooked if there is a first cousin marriage within your family. It happened.

I haven’t discovered this within my own family but boy did they push the limits. My family members just grazed by this rule multiple times.

This was proven to be a fact and not just a rumor. I discovered that the great grandmother was sent to live with her uncle and aunt as a teen with her younger brother after her mother and father passed away. Very sad news indeed but did explain an unknown tragedy within the family. From there, you can gather that her uncle’s eldest son and her fell in love and married.

I think the client was still spooked by this fact but the unearthed tragedy lessened the blow.

Do you have a first cousin marriage in your family tree?

Colleen M. Johnson, CMJ Office

Wear Clean Underwear!: A Fast, Fun, Friendly and Essential Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parentsis a terrific book written by California lawyer and mom, Alexis Martin Neely (and fellow champion of women financial empowerment).

The book today launched at #1 in all their categories and #2 on the Movers and Shakers list. It is a must read for you.
Alexis’s heartbreaking depiction of what will happen if you don’t designate guardians for your children is enough to make you cry. In fact, that is exactly the type of story people need to read to propel them into action. You love your children and want them to thrive not just survive if you don’t. Stop procrastinating and buy this terrific book to learn what to do in case the unthinkable were to happen.

For less than $15, you will not only get the straight information on everything you need to know to legally plan for the care of your kids and your money, but you will also get over $3000 worth of bonus gifts that Alexis has put together for you. But, to get the bonuses, you’ve got to buy the book TODAY!

And, don’t think this book is going to be depressing, hard to read or full of legal jargon. It’s just the opposite! As you can tell from the title, Alexis has made this topic entertaining,interesting and, yes, even a little bit fun.

By using an easy to read story-based format, Alexis walks you through three stories that guide you to all the right answers for your family.

Her book is a fast read and when you are done, you will know the exact next steps on what you need to do to make life as easy as possible for the people you love most if you were in an accident.

By the end, you will know exactly how easy it can be to legally plan for your family and she even gives you tons of free resources to get you started or fix what you’ve already got in place. This is a book you must read even if you think you’ve gotten everything taken care of.

Alexis discovered that of the 30% of parents who have taken action to legally plan for their kids and their money, most have made at least 1 of 6 common mistakes.

So, whether you’ve done legal planning or not, get a head start and order “Wear Clean Underwear: A Fast, Fun, Friendly - and Essential - Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents” right NOW by following this link to Amazon:

Wear Clean Underwear!: A Fast, Fun, Friendly and Essential Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents,

Tiffany Bass Bukow is the CEO & Founder of the #1 Personal Finance Website for Women and Families - www.msmoney.com. My life mission is to help people and the world thrive through creating companies that provide money, career and life skills education.

Being a single mom and still providing for yourself or your children can be a very stressful and frustrating experience. There are many problems in finances for single moms and loans for single moms but getting help isn’t always easy so there are some services you should be aware of.

Education loans can be very tough to pay back, should you have debts remaining on your student loans. This may force many moms to consolidate their payments, which will put them into debt for 10-30 years, but allow them to keep out of bankruptcy longer. If you have children who wish to obtain student loans, and you are a single mother, it is harder to get such loans for a few reasons. First, women usually make less money than men. If you are a single mom, you don’t have a partner’s help with income, and also learn less than a man would. You are also less likely to have enough collateral to prove that you can pay the loans back, and you are more likely to have previous debts to pay. Education loans and single moms obviously do not mix well together, as you can see.

Like education loans, automobile and home loans operate in the same manner. You are more likely to be rejected for a house rather than an apartment, since houses on average cost much more. Automobiles also put single moms at a disadvantage- since automobiles often break down, requiring more money be spent. This makes the odds that a single mother can pay back a loan less likely, as maintenance can eat up much of a single mother’s income.

Business loans are another subject that may cause single mothers to have trouble obtaining loans. This is increasingly harder than other loans, since businesses are extremely risky operations. The odds of maintaining a successful business is usually quite low for small business owners. Having sufficient collateral is again a problem with single mothers, forcing many to not get the needed business loans to start their own business. Single mothers usually have a lower credit score, since they incur more debts than other couples or single men on average. This will also lead to a lesser chance of getting approved by credit card companies, making the buying power of single mothers even more burdensome.

However, there are ways to influence or take advantage of situations in favor of single mothers. You may speak with the Department of Social Services for things such as welfare, food stamps, child support, medical programs, and child care assistance. These programs can be found in phone books, government agencies or on this website. There is a lot of paperwork to apply, and the waiting time can be very long. The wait is often worth it, since single moms need all the help they can get.

School lunch and breakfast programs should be taken advantage of. This is a federal program that gives reduced prices or even free lunches and breakfast to kids who attend school, and eat at the school. Other grants can help you in funding for food or even gas and heating bills. Churches often have programs to help as well, and you should explore all of these options for a better life for children a single mom may have. Reduced prescriptions and free counseling are also available to those who apply- so make sure you take advantage of such offers to the fullest.

When looking to improve your credit score, you should have family members or roommates split bills, and put some bills in your name. This will improve your dependability and credit rating. Also make sure that you stay away from penalties such as bounced checks, which can effectively ruin your credit. Doing this will eventually raise your credit score enough to gain some respect among loan specialists, which can bring you to a new step above where you previously were.

When you have better access to loans, you can get lower rates. You can better obtain a business loan, for example, with your improved credit rating. You may also co-sign loans with family members to add credit to your score- and regular payments will again boost it. In case you can not make a payment, the money is then billed to your family member- so either way the bank will most likely get its money. This is the best way to obtain a loan if you are not qualified enough, and doing so is one of the best ways to improve your credit.

Over all, single moms are at a disadvantage. Statistically, they will make less money and not qualify for loans. They will also have more poor living experiences, and will have less buying power. Following the previous steps will allow single moms to achieve a better way of life for them or their children, regardless of their standing in society’s hierarchy.

The goal of SingleMomFinancialHelp.com is to help women change the world through information and education. We are creating a support structure through which all women of the world can educate one another about where they have been, where they are right now and where they are going. With help from our site and the information and articles we distribute women will be more educated in finance, business, home matters, relationships, career and higher education.

October 5-11 is Fire Prevention Week. The theme is “Prevent Home Fires”. Clearing clutter in our homes is important as it creates space and peace of mind. It can also help to prevent fires. As we go about clearing clutter from room to room let’s take a look at some of the things we can do to keep our families and our homes safe from fires.

In the Liberty Lines newsletter from Liberty Mutual Insurance Company Glenn Richards, a former firefighter offers these tips on small appliances safety:

• Always follow the manufacturer’s operating instruction.

• Never use an appliance with a frayed, worn or damaged cord.

• Plug appliances directly into the outlet; avoid adapters and extension cords.

• Look for new safety features on appliances you buy. As a professional organizer I admit I am conscientious about clearing clutter in my home and in other people’s homes but I have used an appliance with a worn cord and I just taped it with electrical tape. And I use extension cords all the time. (Shame on me) I am turning over a new leaf starting right now.

• Don’t allow children to play with appliances.

• When buying small appliances, look for the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) mark. These have been tested by an independent laboratory for public safety and they meet applicable requirements.

• Unplug small appliances when not using them. You’ll save energy and won’t have to worry about whether you left them on when you leave home.

I had a friend who left her clothes iron on and left her home for four days. They felt very lucky their house hadn’t caught on fire. Even if the appliance has an auto shut-off feature, turn it off in case it malfunctions.

Do you have any experiences or way you have prevented fires in your home?

Marilyn Bohn is an energetic, lively, compassionate, hard working and creative organizer. She was born to organize! Before becoming a professional organizer she worked professionally in diverse environments. She is involved in her community, providing her clients with a broad base of experience and knowledge.  She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

Last week I was contacted by Paul Nelson from KSL, a Salt Lake City, Utah radio station. He had read an article I wrote on Child Proofing our Homes and asked if he could interview me for his radio show. Out of a 14 minute interview this is what was on his show which aired on October 7th:

Mr. Nelson quoted me as saying: professional organizer Marilyn Bohn said, “I can absolutely say, ‘Yes.’ If a home is terribly disorganized, it is much more unsafe for children”. Clearing clutter is very important when there are little children in the home, for safety sake.

Bohn is also a former child-abuse protection worker. She has seen cases of children getting hurt just from items being left lying around. Clearing clutter would certainly cut down the number of child neglect and abuse cases.

“Anything the child wants to get into. I’m thinking knives and other hazards in the kitchen, they could get into. Medicines are also a big problem, because often they are not kept away from children,” she said.

Bohn says she has seen cases when kids have become sick because families didn’t clean up after their pet thoroughly enough. She says the most important thing about child-proofing is just to do it. As a professional organizer she gives organizing ideas and organizing tips to parents with young children on how to child proof their homes for the safety of their children.

“It’s inexpensive, it doesn’t take a lot of time and it is so worth it,” she said.

This radio show was a great reminder for parents to child proof their homes. As a professional organizer I work with people to teach them how to de-clutter their homes for the safety of children.

Marilyn Bohn is an energetic, lively, compassionate, hard working and creative organizer. She was born to organize! Before becoming a professional organizer she worked professionally in diverse environments. She is involved in her community, providing her clients with a broad base of experience and knowledge.  She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

When you become a mother, you want to spend all your time with your precious newborn. Being the guiding force in your baby’s life is the most important thing! That’s why work at home moms are so happy with their jobs – working at home allows you to spend plenty of time with your children while still contributing to the household income.

Often mothers are expected or encouraged to go back to work as soon as the baby is old enough to be left with a babysitter or daycare. Some companies only allow six weeks of maternity leave, and that means you have, at the most, six weeks with your newborn child. Many mothers are rebelling against that old expectation and are working at home instead.

Being a work at home mom means you have more time for your family. If your child gets sick, you don’t have to take time off work and juggle appointments to take them to the doctor – you are home already, so you can do whatever your chosen business is, all the while holding your sick child close to you. If you need to make a run to the doctor, no problem! You set your own hours when you work at home, so you can shuffle your schedule to keep your child the priority.

Setting your own schedule can be a wonderful thing, as long as you’re organized enough to make it work! Being a work at home mom is not as easy as others might think it is. You have to be your own secretary, manager and accountant. You are handling not only the duties of a full-time parent, but also those of a full-time business owner. That’s a heavy load to carry!

But it’s worth it when you take a break from the work you love and look down to see your lovely little child smiling up at you, happy and content in the knowledge that you are there for them, all the time, no matter what. That’s a feeling that makes all the hard work seem easy, and makes you thankful that you took the steps to become a work at home mom.

Denise Bergeron

The goal of SingleMomFinancialHelp.com is to help women change the world through information and education. We are creating a support structure through which all women of the world can educate one another about where they have been, where they are right now and where they are going. With help from our site and the information and articles we distribute women will be more educated in finance, business, home matters, relationships, career and higher education.

When you’re talkin’ ’bout your generation, do you like to compare old-school vs. new-school technology savvy and habits? I know I enjoy having some fun with “olds” who think the Onion article about “The Google for Older Americans” is about a real site (my dad) or who equate computers with “the Devil” (my grandma).

Since September is Menopause Awareness Month, I thought I would share my own menopause memoir to commemorate the month.  I should warm my male readers that this post will contain information about my girlie parts, hormones and my periods menstrual cycles.  If you are squeamish of such topics or simply just not interested, then now would be a good time to click away.  However, if you stick around to read my post, you may learn a little more insight to the baffling female species.

Before children, my cycle was 21 days, but at the age of 34 after the birth of my second daughter, I began to have irregular periods.  For some cycles, my period would arrive 6 weeks later.  As you can imagine, these irregular period patterns would cause me to think I was pregnant, but then my old reliable Aunt Flo would finally arrive. 
About two years ago in the midst of this new pattern of irregular menstrual cycles, I became pregnant.  Unfortunately, the pregnancy was not viable and I lost my baby at 10 weeks, which was my first miscarriage and my first experience with all the awful symptoms that occur as a result, such as severe cramping and weeks of very heavy bleeding. 
Then, almost a year later to the date, I experienced another episode of severe heavy bleeding, which I thought I was another miscarriage.  I took a pregnancy test which read negative, but I doubted the accuracy of the test and tried 2 more tests which also read negative.  I began to think there was something more serious happening with me and I made an appointment with my obstetrician.

When I visited my OB, a number of tests were performed on me: a pregnancy test, blood work and an ultrasound.  As the other pregnancy tests already demonstrated, I was not pregnant.  Thyroid was also ruled out.  Nothing irregular showed up on my ultrasound.  So, what could be wrong with me? 

That’s when the nurse practitioner revealed to me news I was not ready to hear.  “You are experiencing pre-menopause.” 

*Freeze frame for dramatic effect and insert tragic climatic music.*

According to my NP, my heavy and irregular periods could only be explained by perimenopause.  It would not affect my ability to get pregnant, but simply my biological clock ticking and reminding me to get cracking if I want more children.

After I left the doctor’s office, I researched pre-menopause and I even recalled a show that Oprah did years ago about the topic.  When the episode aired, I remembered thinking what an unfortunate situation for these women in their thirties to face.  Who knew I would be one of those women? 

    
As I read the symptoms of perimenopause, it became a checklist for all my bizarre ailments over the past 2 years, particularly an increase in allergies and insomnia.  Even my poor sex-deprived DH would attest to my change in libido. 

Upon my research, I also discovered that perimenopause can occur 5-15 years prior to the onset of menopause.  I recalled my mother’s menopause experience.  My mother went through her change when I was teenager.  When I did the math, I realized my mom could have very well been my age when her symptoms of perimenopause surfaced.

As with everything else, diet and exercise seem to be the key to ward off the symptoms of perimenopause.  At the time of my menopause manifestation, I consumed a lot of Diet Dr. Pepper, so my first course of action was to replace my daily dose of diet soda with green tea.  I began to eat more flax seeds and other foods with Omega-3.  I added soy milk and soy beans to my diet.  I also limited my morning coffee to one cup.  I increased my number of work-out days from 3 days a week to 5 days. 

Within a week of changing my diet and increasing my exercise, I felt remarkably better.  My energy levels rose and my sleeping patterns improved.  My menstrual cycles became more regular and my menstrual flow gradually decreased.

It has been a year since my menopause manifestation.  By simply changing my diet and increasing my exercise routine, I feel I have found my own Fountain of Youth.

It’s a problem for all parents. You have 1000 things to accomplish in the day including a 9am meeting with a potential client. In order to make it to the meeting on time you need the morning routine to go like clockwork. Unfortunately, your children don’t have the same sense of urgency that you do, and refuse to get dressed. What should you do? Here are 3 tips from various bloggers, to help you get your children out of the house on time every morning.

Kathy Slattengren of Pricelessparenting believes that the child needs to see the benefit of getting ready for school on time. She writes: ” In order for her son to be self-motivated to get dressed quickly in the morning, he needed to see a benefit in doing so. The benefit could be eating breakfast, being able to dress at home instead of at preschool or having time for a story. Whatever the benefit, mom should let him know ahead of time and then follow through on it. Mom could say “Please join me for breakfast just as soon as you are dressed. Breakfast will be served until 7:30.” If he gets dressed quickly, he’ll have time for breakfast. However, if he’s slow then he’s likely to miss the 7:30 time frame and also breakfast. Mom can definitely expect an uproar if he misses breakfast. She might be comforted in knowing that he will not starve and he will probably change his behavior so as not to miss breakfast in the future. ”

Give a weekly reward is the advice from MommySavers. ” I try not to engage in a power struggle, just tell her that if she doesn’t want to get dressed she can go in her pjs or that she won’t get her reward on Fri if she doesn’t get moving. She gets a reward on Friday for not getting any reports home from school all week and I have added getting out the door without tantrums/fights. We having been making it out w/out fights, but we are still rushing (which she doesn’t like and gets grumpy) or late (which I don’t like and I get grumpy). Looking for suggestions so we are happier ppl in the morn!”

Prepare the night before is the lesson from Karaskids. Summarizing her success in getting her kids off to Sunday school she writes, ” I know what you are thinking…it sounds like chaos, and with a little planning it could run smoother. Did I mention that I am a major procrastinator??? Getting everything ready ahead of time really does not even cross my mind. But, this week was a little different. I decided to shower the night before. I also got the lesson printed off and everything ready. I laid out the boys clothes. This morning ran fairly smoothly. Todd took over as usual for breakfast. While everyone was eating I got myself dressed and ready. Then, I ate my breakfast and had the boys dress themselves. I dressed McKenna and did her hair. Todd was ready and we were out the door on time.”

If you have a tip you’d like to share with other BizzyWomen on how to make mornings less stressful, post a comment for all our readers to see.