Summer Fun

Dear Mrs. G,
Now that School is out and my children are all home for the summer, I am facing a dilemma and I hope you can help. My husband's salary was cut but he was able to maintain his job, but with the cut in salary, we have no money to take the kids on a Summer vacation. Historically we have been able to take a vacation each summer and have visited many fun and exciting places. Now there will be nothing for them to return to school in August to write about. What can I do that will make up for not providing a vacation for the kids this year?

Signed,
House full of kids and nowhere to go.

Dear House full,
I guess I tend to look on the optimistic side of life, and I am thinking you are looking at this in the wrong way. Just because you can't travel to a destination, doesn't mean you can't make your children's summer vacation fun and exciting. One thing that I have learned in life is that there are so many unvisited places, and very close by where people live. There are places to hike, bike, picnic, fish, boat, swim, and that's just the start of adventure. By being creative you can personally design a jam packed, fun filled summer vacation without having to spend much money.

Each city and state has a visitors or tourist bureau that has pamphlets on what to do in the state. The Internet is loaded with ideas as well if you just do a little research and find out what there is to do around you. I wish I knew where you lived so that I could look up your states resources. Day trips are a blast if you plan well. One time as a child, my parents took my family on a drive to an area where we picnicked and looked for arrow heads. It was hot, but Mom packed plenty of koolaid, and sandwiched and fruit and we really had quite an adventure. Another time, we took a drive to a field of poppies and took beautiful photos and hiked around the area seeing old ruins of the past that still had remnants there.
Another time we took out tent up a canyon and stayed over night by the river and fished, hiked, threw rocks in the river, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. I remember hiking up to a waterfall, and then on to a cave where there were stalactite's and stalagmites and it was so exciting.

I remember the time we took our family on an hour and a half journey to see a theater in the pines portrayal of how the early settlers arrived in that area. It was well done and all of us enjoyed it. Swimming trips to the local pool really don't cost much and when we looked into a summer membership, it cut the cost almost in half for my family.

Other surrounding Cities as well as yours, probably has their own city celebrations complete with carnival, parade, programs, contests and so forth. Find out when they are and pick the events that you would like to go to.

Want to stay cool....Water fun is always fun for kids. Turn on the sprinklers and let them run through them. Put a sprinkler under the trampoline and jump and get wet. Make your own slip and slide from plastic tarp and let the sprinkler water it down. Kids will have so much fun sliding down the wet tarp. Fill up water balloons and play water Volleyball with towels to launch and catch the balloons. Make your own kites and go fly them. Fold paper airplanes and have contests to see who can fly them the furtherest. Buy a block of ice and find a hill to go iceblocking on.

There are plenty of free things to do if you look for them, and the newspapers generally display a page where there are community events. Many cities have outdoor concerts with the local children's groups, city symphonies, or other fun. Have you even thought about having movie night with your kids and their friends outside and actually taking the television or if you have a projector, outside and making popcorn to much on. Be sure to take out sleeping bags and either sleep in your pup tents or on top of the trampoline or even on the grass in your yard. Make it fun and tell ghost stories before bed. You can make your home the funnest place to be if you just get creative and do it. Budget your food for these day trips and outdoor adventures as part of your food budget so that you don't have to come up with extra money for the food.

I hope you have caught the vision of what I am suggesting. You may not be stimulating the economy by paying for hotels, or tickets on airlines, or tickets into amusement parks, but you will be stimulating your children with fun activities, and these are the things that they will remember. Your kids will have so many summer events and adventures, you children will have to go back to school to rest up from all the fun, and have to really think hard to pick the funnest one to write about what they did in the summer!

Happy Summer fun!

Mrs. G

50 + Job Seeker

On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 11:07 AM, someone wrote:I am going through a slump and money is very tight. I am over 50 and looking for the first job that I have had since I started having a family. What do I do? How do I look for a job? What if I don't have a degree, how do I promote myself and get hired? I am pretty scared, but in times like these, my fear is more for not having a house to live in, food on my table, ability to pay bills and even drive a car. This is something that I must do, but I need some advice. PLEASE HELP!

Sincerely,
50+ job seeker

MRS. G's RESPONSE:
Never fear... Mrs. G is here! Let's hope I can help you. I have recently gone through a very similar situation in my own home, where my husband's career of being self employed has basically bottomed out due to the companies he has been serving, have failed. He had to seek other employment for himself and so have I. Actually I created this blog as an attempt to help myself and my husband. Since I have been doing what you are asking, and yes it is a bit scary to step outside of the comfort zone that you have been in for such a long time, it can be done.

First, look to yourself and your strengths. Even though you have been a stay at home Mom for many years, you have developed in many ways. Certainly raising children, being a cook, cleaner, chauffeur, tutor, bill payer, and all of the other things you have done while raising your family have taught you something. Look to what you know. Did you learn how to use the computer and a calculator or 10 key? Did you learn how to organize your time to fit in soccer games, Prom, Church service, and all the other things? Did you learn how to budget your money and teach your children how to save? Did you learn how to use the computer when you found out that if you didn't technology and your children will pass you buy? Did you ever teach a class, crafts, music, cub scouts or otherwise? How well do you type, and better still.... how fast can you do it? Are you literate? Did you read to your children, take them to the library and know you way around the file system there? How about writing? Have you ever helped your child write a prize winning essay or have you ever attempted to write in your journal and found out as you reread it, that you are a pretty insightful and talented writer? What about cooking? Did you ever consider yourself as a short order cook? Have you ever designed or decorated or even organized a school party, family reunion, daughters wedding or better yet, a class reunion?

See.... if you think about it, just because you were a stay at home Mom, doesn't mean that you have no marketable skills. From only the few questions I asked, you could have the ability to work in a variety of vocations such as House cleaning, cooking or waitressing, book keeping or simple accounting or office work, Computer related job or City or Arts council offered class teaching. How about using your musical talent in teaching, or music writing, or even dust off your violin or flute and join the symphony? How about being a librarian, or writing your first children's book or novel. Could you be a photographer, or an event planner, or into organizational jobs? Many, many possibilities await you.

Update your resume and don't be afraid to mention those non paid talents and abilities and don't be afraid to brag about your accomplishments as who else will if you don't.

Make your resume stand out from all the others in some way. There are tons of sites on the Internet that can help you build a strong resume.

Take a look at yourself and make sure you look tidy, neat and like someone who would fit into the job that you are applying for and dress the part. You might need to go get an updated haircut, and relearn how to wear makeup to be the best you.

When you get an interview, only you can sell yourself. Be positive, and cheerful and smile. You have to sell your qualities to get the job that they might be giving to an 18 year old. Be gracious and studied on the company you are interviewing with.

I could go on and on, but let's just say that you can get any job anyone else can get, but you will have to work a little harder, but that is ok and as they say..."If it's worth having it's worth working for."

Congratulations on the new forward moving steps you are taking in your life. I have every confidence in the world in you and feel certain that you can do whatever you put your mind to doing. Let me know how things work out with your new job! Remember the power in positive thinking!!!

Sincerely and Best Wishes,
Mrs. G