ThreeJars

I was given an opportunity to use the site ThreeJars for a while and review it.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to teach my six year old daughter, Noodle, about money.  She currently doesn’t get an allowance and probably doesn’t know a thing about money.  She knows it exists, she knows we go to work to earn it, but it really doesn’t mean anything to her.  She doesn’t even really ever see money change hands.  We usually use our debit cards to pay for everything.  I rarely carry cash.

So we sat down together one night and talked about money.  I told her that she could earn money by doing chores around the house.  I told her it’s called an allowance.  We then talked about a website we could use that would help us keep track of it.  She’s into computer games right now, so I thought that might help motivate her.

We went to www.ThreeJars.com and set up an account.  It was so easy.  I quickly set up my account, then reviewed some of the information they provide.  There are many helpful tips including what amounts may be appropriate for different ages, allocation tips, chore suggestions.  We breezed through setting up how much money she would get and which chores she would do.  Noodle seemed very excited to get started.  She even went and marked Friday as Pay Day on her calendar.

We then set up Noodle’s part of the account.  She gets her own login ID and password.  She can view how much money she has in each of her three jars – Save, Spend and Share.  She can send me messages asking to make more money by doing special projects.  I really like the fact that anytime she changes anything or makes a request I get an email either letting me know or asking me to approve it.

All in all, I think ThreeJars is a great website and a great resource for parents.  We will continue to use it.  I do think at this stage, Noodle is a little too young and we aren’t fully utilizing all the aspects and benefits of the site.  She still needs me to help her navigate the site, read a lot of the site to her and help her send messages, so I’m not sure she needs her own login at this point.  It would probably be much better for kids about 2-3 years older than Noodle.  It is nice to be able to have the conversation and lessons on money flowing when we log on together.  For that reason, I consider it a very valuable tool.

**Disclaimer:  I was provided an opportunity to use and review ThreeJars thanks to CecilyK at www.CecilyKellogg.com

Too Many Cooks

When I first picked up my copy of Too Many Cooks: Kitchen Adventures with 1 Mom, 4 Kids, and 102 Recipes by Emily Franklin I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it or if I could even relate to the story or the author.   According to the back cover of the book it is “A memoir of testing, tasting and discovery in the kitchen.” 

Well anyone that knows me knows I have nothing to do with kitchens!  I don’t enjoy cooking, mostly since I don’t know where to start.  My few attempts to make new meals for my family have flopped, and that’s putting it kindly!  I am also quite picky and rarely try new foods.

Once I started reading this book I was hooked.  I loved Emily Franklin’s tales of cooking and getting her four children to try new foods.  If anything, her story took me back to childhood and my own mother, who loves to cook, trying to get the four of us to try the things she made.  My poor mother.  I can now sympathize with what she must have gone through trying to get us to eat new foods and try our vegetables.

I was intrigued by Franklin’s method of introducing new foods to her kids.  She pairs a new food with a familiar food, taste, flavor or texture.  That seems so simple and makes so much sense, yet I never thought to do that with my own children.  I think it is a much better idea than my parents had when they told us we were having our favorite dish, chicken parmagiana.  After a bite or two, we thought something was wrong with our chicken.  Problem was, it was EGGPLANT parmagiana!   I wouldn’t advocate lying to your kids to get them to try something.  I still won’t touch eggplant parmagiana.

I also enjoyed her stories outside of the kitchen.  One point she relays a story about a vacation they took to visit some friends for a summer vacation.  The house was plagued with bats and they had to do bat checks each night.  This cracked me up!  For a while I made my husband do bat checks each night.  The reason why sounds made up, but I assure you it’s true.

The first year we moved into our house was exciting.  We decorated for everything.  Every holiday was exciting.  Come Halloween, we did it up with lights, pumpkins, witches.  You name it we had it.  We bought TONS of candy in preparation for all the little Trick-or-Treaters in the neighborhood.  The kids finally stopped coming by around 9 o’clock.  We shut out the lights and settled into the family room to watch TV and talk about all the cute kids we saw. 

Right about then, something buzzed over our heads.  I screamed and yelled, “WHAT WAS THAT??”  Hubs tells me it was probably a bird that got in and started to go in the living room after it.  Of course it comes back and I start screaming again.  IT’S A BAT!!  ON HALLOWEEN.  This had to be some sort of sick practical joke, right? 

Wrong.  It was a real bat.  It was in our house.  I was freaking out.

Once the bat did another loop and flew back into the front of the house, I ran out the back door and locked myself in the car in the driveway.  I proceeded to call Hubs on his cell phone every 30 seconds to see if he caught it yet.  I did not move from that spot until my husband emerged victorious from the house.  I’m sure the neighbors must have thought we were nuts that night. 

Ahhh, memories.

**Disclaimer: I received this book as a member of The Bloggers' Book Club from the author, Emily Franklin.

Review: ABC City Guides for Kids

We received a few of the ABC City Guides for Kids to check out.  As soon as they came in the mail, the kids were super excited to see them.  These cute guides for children go through the alphabet with a photograph (sometimes more than one) for each letter representing places in the city for kids to see.

The first one they wanted to look at was to Orlando City Guide.  We go there just about every other year, so they were excited to see some of the places they recognized.  We also picked out a few new places we didn't know about to go visit the next time we head to Orlando.

We also found many places we would like to visit (and again didn't know were there) in Lancaster County, PA.  We are thinking about planning a trip to Dutch Wonderland, and maybe taking a ride on the Strasburg Railroad.


The girls absolutely love looking at these books.  They will sit and look at the pictures often prompting conversations about things we did while on vacation or what they would like to do on another vacation.  The books are the perfect size for little hands.  They would also fit nicely in a purse or day bag to take along with you.  They are great for toddlers, preschoolers and young children.  We love them and will be picking up the Philadelphia one soon!