How to Throw Your Teen their Dream Sweet 16 Party

Sweet 16 parties used to simply consist of cake, gifts and maybe a giggly sleepover complete with chick flicks and prank calls to cute high school boys. But thanks to reality television and our celebrity-obsessed culture, today’s Sweet 16 parties look more like miniature, alcohol-free wedding celebrations, right down to costly party preparations, dress fittings and celebrity-inspired DJs and live performances.

All those added expenses are enough to keep a cash-conscious parent awake at night, especially in our currently shaky economic environment. Fortunately, there are plenty of budget-savvy ways to throw your little prince or princess his or her dream Sweet 16 party without dipping into your retirement account, or you child’s hard-earned college fund. To generate some extra cash in a pinch, visit plaingreenloans.com to avoid a potentially dangerous loan from a family member or friend. Once you’ve safely secured a party fund, follow these money-saving steps to throw your baby the best birthday on a smart budget!

Utilize Your Friendors

When your child gets married, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to drop huge chunks of cash on everything from a world-famous catering company to a celebrity cake baker, so why spend big on their birthday?
Save the budget for their future wedding, and utilize your favorite friendors! A friendor is a friend or family member that will happily cook, bake or snap photos pro bono. Always loved Aunt Kathy’s cupcakes? Commission her to create the perfect birthday cake in lieu of a pricey venue-provided one. Never see Cousin Anthony without his camera? Ask if he’d like to serve as official paparazzi for your child’s big day, and let him bring a friend as payment instead of dropping tons of money on a professional.

Let the Birthday Boy or Girl Shine

We’ve all seen examples of parents chasing down the hottest R&B artist or celebrity DJ to perform at their child’s extravagant Sweet 16. But A-list acts are a surefire budget buster, so leave the famous talent to the celebrities, and let your son or daughter take center stage!
Does your daughter love to sing? Hand her the mic during her party and let her belt out her best Lady Gaga. Is your son the best break-dancer in town? Let him showcase his talent on stage in front of all his friends!

Forgo Transportation

Instead of a lavish stretch limo or fancy party bus, drive the shuttle yourself in your trusty Dodge Grand Caravan or Honda CR-V. Decorate the windows in the birthday boy or girl’s favorite colors, and save big on transportation.
Keep these ideas in mind when planning that big birthday bash. You’ll be relieved to still have money in the bank, and your son or daughter will never know you managed such a great event on a wallet-friendly budget! Do you think we left anything off the list?


Filed Under: Best Green Practices for Kids, Environmental Awareness, Green Parenting Tagged With: , , ,

Do Something Special for Her This Mother’s Day

As a new dad, you know that things in your household have changed. There are diapers, bottles, and toys to deal with, and mom is often tired because she is up to feed the baby during the night. Because of the stress of taking care of a new baby, it’s understandable that you’ll want to do something great for the new mom on Mother’s Day. The important thing is to listen to what she really wants and needs, though, instead of just doing what you think that she’ll like. The kinds of things you really think she’ll enjoy might not be what she needs right now, especially with a new little one to care for. By being attentive to her needs, you can give her a great Mother’s Day gift.

Some time to herself in order to have a massage or get her nails done might be in order, and she also may want to spend all or part of her day just doing something with the baby. There are some great baby costumes online, and you can dress the little one up as a surprise for her special day. Picking flowers and offering the new mom breakfast in bed are good choices, too. You can also have a family picture taken, or just some special pictures of only mom and baby. No matter what, though, be sure to plan what the new mom wants to do, and don’t try to force her to ‘have fun’ in a way that she’s not interested in.

Taking care of a new baby is a lot of work, and recovery from giving birth takes time. You want the new mom to feel rested and renewed after her Mother’s Day treat, not even more stressed out because the day was busy. If you relax and take your cues from her, you can give her what she needs on her special day and every day.

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Gap Coupon Codes Save Parents Money

As parents you know that raising a child is one expensive endeavor. There is nothing that is cheap and no matter what age the child is there is always going to be something that is going to set you back a few dollars more than you could have bargained for. But what is nice is that in this day and age you have an endless supply of places to look for bargains online so no matter what part of life your child is going through you can find a price break to get you through it.

Your own expenses get heavy when you have a kid. Traveling to and from places can eat up the gas and buying clothes is expensive. Luckily there are Gap coupon codes online to help you out. There are many places online that will get you the right price on things for your kids.

When your child is young, still in the baby stage, the best place to look for help is through friends and family. There may be people who are just finishing with their kids in that stage and so they are willing to sell, or even give you, things like the crib or changing table for free. Resist the urge to need to have everything new. Your kid won’t remember if it was store bought or not.

If your kid is looking for school books there are more than enough second hand places online to get them. From big marketplaces to person to person marketplaces they should be able to find the textbooks they need. And here’s a tip: don’t hesitate to buy the international addition. It tends to be much cheaper and is the same exact version you would buy at the bookstore.

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Dating with adopted kids

Dating with kids is not an easy task. If you have adopted kids and  are looking for your life partner, you will have to be more careful. You must discuss the possibility of marriage and dating with your adopted children,and understand that they may not be ready for you to date anyone.  Adopted kids are more sensitive to all issues in their lives. You have to be  more attentive  to their feelings  and take  any decision which directly or indirectly affects your adopted kid into account.

First, you must take care of your adopted child’s emotional health even more when you are dating. Do not let them feel that your dates will affect your relationship with them. Adopted kids are more susceptible to insecurity. They may believe that you will stop caring them once you get married. It is hard for them to see you share your love with some one else so you will have to keep that in mind.

Secondly, you must choose your life partner really carefully when you have adopted a child.. Remember you are not alone; you have a responsibility on your shoulders. If you make any wrong or childish decision, this can affect your kids’ life as well.  You must select a guy who is ready to adjust himself  to you and the need of your adopted child.

Finally, you can find the right guy for you if you search through online dating websites. You can start with friendly chat. It is always better to tell the person about your responsibilities, and  you want him to share these with you. If he seems willing; then you can bring the guy to your home. Allow your child  spend some time with him. If after this meeting your child and your boyfriend both are happy, this may  mean you have found the right guy.

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