With tax time upon us, I've read many articles about Stay at Home Mom's and the question of whether or not they should get some sort of a tax break. There are tax breaks offered to those who pay for childcare and work outside of the home, however stay at home parents do not have that same benefit. I for one do not think it's fair...how about you? Do you think Stay at home moms/dads who stay home and care for their children should receive a childcare tax credit of some kind?
The consensus seems to be an overwhelming yes among those who have given their opinions on the issue (both working parents and stay at home parents included). In fact, many of the articles and sites I came across also offered information pertaining to the "worth" of a stay at home mom/dad and what their salary would/should be. The most interesting was found over at Salary.com. They have put together a Mom Salary Wizard (for both working moms and stay at home moms) to help calculate the work each does and the wage they should fairly earn. It was just interesting to see, and I thought I'd pass it along for fun. They make it possible to print off the "Mom Paycheck" calculated in the end, which could serve as a neat Mother's Day Gift even?!?
Before being pregnant with Kaelyn, I have to admit that I wasn't aware of the harmful effects many of our daily cleaning products have on our health. I don't even think it was so much that I didn't know, I guess I just never thought about it before. Then, when I became pregnant, and now having her here with us...my complete mindset has changed. I am now all for Green cleaning products that are safe to use for the sake of our health and hers.
One of my favorite brands, and one I'm still becoming more and more familiar with is Seventh Generation. I love knowing that the products I'm using are not harmful to our health. Not only are their cleaning products great, but the baby products they offer like their chlorine-free wipes, are amazing! If you've never tried them, you definitely should. In fact, it not only can be a healthy decision to make for your family, but one that will save you money as well. If you visit their website, you can sign up for an account and gain access to many useful coupons. I recently came across this option and thought I'd pass it along.
I have to say, once I became a mom I thought of everything in an entirely different way. Throughout my pregnancy I found myself more aware of what I was eating, as well as what I was using on my body. Everything from lotions to foods...I knew that I needed to provide the very best start to life for our little one that I possibly could. Then, after having Kaelyn, I did the same thing with the things I use on her and the foods I feed her. I search for everything from BPA free eating utensils and tableware to organic foods and organic skin and body care products.
One of our favorite brands of supplies to use on Kaelyn is Earth Mama Angel Baby® Organics! If you've never heard of them or tried them, you really should! They offer natural pregnancy products, baby products, and postpartum products that you won't find anywhere else! Using this line of products has really put my mind at ease knowing that I am using the very best shampoos, body washes, diaper salves, etc for her. Whether it's items like this, or stretch mark oil and breastfeeding care products....Earth Mama Angel Baby® Organics has it all! It's definitely worth the money to use something that's 100% safe for me and Kaelyn.
I don't often have a lot of time to read anything but my Bible and devotionals...I'm sure others, especially busy parents can relate. However, when contacted by Glass Road Public Relations to read and review Daniel's Den by Brandt Dodson, I decided that I was going to take a little "me time" each day and see what it was all about. After all, I enjoy a Christian fiction story...especially when it's a thriller like this one! Having heard many great things about this book and knowing what a 'page turner' it is...you can imagine it sparked my curiosity and had me indulging in "me time" even longer each day than I had expected! The reviews don't lie...this book is definitely a thriller and one that has you flipping page after page, not wanting to put the book down. I guess you could say this probably isn't the best thing when you're a busy stay at home mom and wife who is trying to get a million things done in one day...but after having read it, I decided that it's nice to have some time each day to do something relaxing like this. In fact, I may just begin reading more often! Who knows?!
Even though I could probably write pages about this book, I don't want to give it all away in case there are others as anxious to read it as I was. For those who haven't heard of Daniel's Den though, I thought it would be a good idea to give you a brief synopsis of what the story entails and why it's a MUST read!
As the reader you're thrown into the life of a very busy and successful stock analyst in New Orleans as well as that of Laura Sky, who runs a small B&B in the Shenendoah Valley with her young son Andy after having lost her husband to cancer and her parents when she was younger. Although Daniel and Laura are as opposite as they come, their lives were brought together when Daniel stays in her B&B, as he runs for his life. He has some very powerful people after him after being accused of a murder he did not commit. In his search for answers he is lead to Laura who he believes has ties to this situation. Together they now must work and try to let the truth be known, all while running from the men who want them dead! They discover how important it is to depend on God, the One who will never abandon them!
I would definitely recommend this 'page turner' to anyone who enjoys a story of hope, and one that has you wanting to know what will happen next until the very end! It lacks a bit of the "romantic element" that I so enjoy in stories, however all in all it's definitely one many will enjoy! I know I did!
