Managing & Saving Money With Our Children & @MassMutual

As a high school student, I was discussing my future plans with my parents only to find out that no money had been put away for further education. I was stunned and worried that I would not be able to afford college, even though I knew I wanted to go. Luckily, I was able to get a scholarship and only had to pay for living expenses and books, but they still added up quickly. For this reason, I had to get a job and worked my way through college. For these reasons, I am thinking ahead for my own children. I want them to have many college choices and not to feel like they need to worry about expenses when the time comes for them to graduate high school.

The day I graduated from UGA many years ago!

MassMutual found that 74% of parents believe it is a never too early to start saving for their children's college fund and that's exactly how I feel. Of course, it is overwhelming to think about saving, especially in this economy. I, like many other moms, worry about my husband's business and our ability to provide for our children. My husband started his law firm in January, so we put off saving during that time, thinking later would be better for us. However, I am learning that there may never be a "better" time and we could easily put off saving money with the many excuses we can make. Saving money each month is always last on the list of priorities, but this really needs to change for our family. It's hard to know where to start first, I know, which is why MassMutual is a great place to start, providing tips and helpful information about planning your financial future.

Josiah's first day of preschool! He'll be ready for college in the blink of an eye!

Each year brings about the opportunity for a fresh start and that is exactly what we are taking advantage of for 2013. With our new business and a move to a new place, this is our chance to really make a difference and start planning for our future. It's so important to also teach our children about money management. Our children learn from us, so it is very important to set a good example for them. In fact, with us homeschooling, Josiah's favorite subject has quickly become math. He loves learning numbers and, now that he is also learning about money, this is the perfect time to teach him about managing his money, saving it and setting priorities. So far, I think we've done a pretty good job. He's been doing chores to earn money and was so excited to add $45 to his savings account this month! I'm so proud of him for being so interested in saving up for things he really wants and for being so interested in math.

Do you often think about your financial security and saving for the future? Well, MassMutual's State of the American Mom, a new research study, revealed that many Moms want to provide financially for our families, but where do we begin? We aren't the only ones who feel this way, which is why MassMutual put together a very helpful quiz just for moms. It helps assess your financial attitude and helps moms make small steps to saving for the future:

Take the Quiz

I took the quiz and my results say I am an Eager DIY-er! This means that although I am not happy with my current financial situation, I am eager to make a change I need to make more attainable short-term goals that progresses to bigger long-term goals. That is definitely a correct assessment! What are your results?

You can also check out the MassMutual website to read more and to find a representative near you! You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest news.

I wrote this post as participation in in a blog tour for Mom Central on behalf of MassMutual and received compensation in the form of an Amazon gift code to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Make The Most Out of Your Vacation With Embassy Suites Hotels & Sweepstakes

Vacations are rare occasions for our little family, so we do our best to make the most of each and every one! With kids, I have found it is best to research and plan ahead of time for the vacation so you can have a schedule to make sure the kids are always having fun and there is never a dull moment! This way we have a great time during the trip and they are talking about it for months afterwards. This keeps them excited for the next vacation, too! We are so excited to be working with Mom Central as an Embassy Suites Ambassador this summer and will be taking a weekend vacation to the Buckhead Embassy Suites in Atlanta, Georgia very soon!

The beautiful atrium at the Buckhead Embassy Suites

Embassy Suites recently surveyed parents about their vacationing habits and found that 56% of families consider themselves "vacation dabblers", which means they take a few days here and there throughout the year to vacation and 13% consider themselves "vacation extenders", making use of holidays and other days off of school/work to take vacation without taking time off.  I can definitely relate to this, especially because there are always hurdles to jump through to make traveling as a family possible. As the survey found, 22% of parents said work definitely interferes with vacation planning , 22% say school and other activities for the kids makes it difficult to plan and another 22% say that they may be able to plan dates, but it's hard to coordinate with spouses/partners. This is always something we have to take into account and work, more than not, is what gets in our way because my husband's job is pretty much 24/7.

During the year we definitely dabble with our vacations, taking a day or two here and there, when work and school permits. Holidays and teacher's work days make it so much easier to coordinate and actually gives us a chance to visit places nearby that we otherwise wouldn't. We've visited Chattanooga during 3-day weekends several times so we can see the aquarium and children's museum, which makes for a perfect short vacation with the kids. We've also visited Atlanta so we could see the aquarium, children's museum, LegoLand and more. There are so many things to do nearby that we can always find a fun place to visit without driving all day. These shorter trips are easier to plan, which ends up being less stressful for us and enjoyable for everyone.

As I mentioned, we try to make the most out of every trip we take! This is very important for us as a family, so we try to plan fun activities that are also educational, so that they kids can not only enjoy the experience, but take something away from it. Embassy Suites has partnered with Dr. Biali, a health and happiness expert, to help families make the most out of every vacation or "more-imize" their vacation! Dr. Biali wants your vacation to bring happiness, fun and relaxation. I agree with all of her recommendations and had to share a few with you!

Tips to More-imize your Vacation!

Our last beach vacation view!

1. Vacation isn't just about the time you are away. Looking forward to an impending vacation improves attitude and makes it easier to get through work. I always look forward to our trips because it gives all of us something to look forward to as a family. By the time the big day comes for us to leave, we are all excited about getting on the road, even if that means spending a few hours in the car!

2. Use your vacation days to "relax and do something fun - not to run around and do errands all day"! Do something to actually enjoy the vacation. Don't just stay on the computer or worry about work. Have fun and don't overdo it. Even if you plan activities, don't plan too many. You don't want the vacation to become stressful. Enjoy it!

3. Make your vacation  budget go further by staying at a hotel like Embassy Suites! You get more for your money (more space in your suite, breakfast, complimentary drinks/snacks, etc.) and can either save money or use the extra money saved for other activities!

The reason we vacation every year-- to see these beautiful smiles!

My own tip would be to plan ahead, schedule some fun activities, but to also plan relaxation time as Dr. Biali suggests. In addition, take time after the vacation to talk with the kids. Find out what they found more enjoyable, what they didn't like and what they would love to do again. This will help them remember their trip and look forward to an even better trip next time!

Want to Win a Vacation?

Be sure to enter the "366 Days of More" Sweepstakes on the Embassy Suites Facebook Page to win 2 free nights, one for yourself and one for a friend! Then enter the "Get More Vacation Sweepstakes" from now until July 20th! Just "like" the Facebook page and upload a picture of your family's "vacation face" for a chance to win not only a week-long vacation at Embassy Suites Hotels, but $10,000 cash! Wouldn't that be awesome?!

We will be taking our vacation at Embassy Suites very soon and I can't wait to tell you all about it! So, stay tuned for more info about Embassy Suites and what their amazing hotel offers guests year-round. Be sure to follow Embassy Suites on Twitter to keep up with all the latest news.


Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in an Ambassador Program by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Embassy Suites Hotels and received a one-night complimentary stay at an Embassy Suites Hotel to facilitate my reviews and a promotional item to thank me the taking the time to participate.

Celebrate Nursing with Johnson & Johnson's Amazing Nurses Contest

Do you know there is currently a shortage of nurses in the healthcare field? Nationwide there are over 100,000 vacant nursing positions and that number is expected to grow exponentially by the year 2020. I considered become a nurse when in college and, if I could go back, I would definitely change my field of study to nursing. I think someone who considers the nursing field must feel passionately about the job because is it can be tough and selfless, but very rewarding, too. I would love a job giving me the ability to help others each and every day. When people are living longer these days and our world population continues to grow, there really is no other way around it: we need more nurses! However, nursing is considered a highly regarded profession and in a 2011 Gallup Poll, the public voted nurses #1 for "honesty and ethical standards of various professions" for the 8th consecutive year!

Do you know a nurse that has made a difference in your life or the life of a friend/family member? Johnson & Johnson's Amazing Nurses Contest gives you the chance to give that nurse the recognition they so greatly deserve. All you need to do is go to the Amazing Nurses website or the J&J Amazing Nurses Nursing Notes Facebook App to tell the story about how the amazing nurse impacted your life or the life of another. It's a simple process and maybe your special nurse will win! If they do win, they get to attend the 2012 CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute show in Los Angeles, California with a guest, courtesy of CNN! They will also be honored in a video profile which will be screened before a live audience at the show AND featured on the Nursing Notes by Johnson & Johnson Facebook page! So, please take a few minutes to write your story!

My mother-in-law, Jenny, has been a nurse for several years and has made a difference in many lives, including my own. It's hard to narrow it down to just one thing she has done for us over the years, but the one that sticks out in my mind the most is when I gave birth to Josiah. She came to the hospital and stayed with us until the baby was born, which ended up being over 23 hours! My husband was still in school and I was just working a part-time job before going back to grad school, so we were already struggling to pay bills before Josiah came along. Jenny helped us prepare for the baby, get the essential items we needed and even threw us a baby shower! I ended up having an emergency c-section since Josiah didn't want to come out and I was so thankful for her help. Moving around was painful and trying to take complete care of Josiah was just out of the question. Jenny helped coach us on everything we needed to do, from giving our newborn baths and breastfeeding to changing diapers and sleeping when the baby sleeps. She ended up staying with us for the week, which I think was amazing because she put everything else on hold to be with us, help us and love on her new grandson. She's such a wonderful mother-in-law and nurse!

Nurses give so much to their patients- comfort, care and skill. This is the time to encourage others to consider this career choice and to celebrate those who are already nurses. Do your part to give back and thank a nurse who has done something for you, a friend or family member by submitting them in the Amazing Nurses Contest. Just click the links above to submit your story about an amazing nurse!

 I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom CentralConsulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.