Upromise: A great way to save for college

This week, we opened up a 529 plan for Max’s college. In lieu of gifts, we collected money from friends and family at his first birthday party. We are also contributing monthly from our bank account—very easy to set up!

Being a financial planner, I thought I knew all there was to know about 529 plans. BUT, I learned about something very exciting while doing a little research this week.

I discovered the Upromise program, and I love it! Basically, it is a company (sponsored by our dear friends at Sallie Mae) that helps parents, family, and friends save for college every time they shop online, or use the Upromise card at accepted retailers.

We already have a card we love and use for rewards (the Wells Fargo card that pays back 1% of what we spend directly to the principal on our mortgage). So, I did not sign up for another credit card through the Upromise program. But the credit card is only one aspect of the savings program. The other aspect is easy to participate in!

Here’s how it works.

- You link your 529 account to your Upromise account. (Easy!)

- When you shop online, visit www.Upromise.com first. From there, select the store you’d like to shop at. A new window will appear with the store’s website. Shop from there, and a certain percentage of what you spend will be earned for your 529 savings account.

It is basically a rewards program in which companies like Wal-mart, Babies R Us, Target (along with many, many others) reward you for shopping through the Upromise program.

I did it for the first time yesterday, and it was very smooth and easy. We needed a new car seat, and I finally found the one I wanted from Wal-Mart. So I went to the Upromise website, logged in, then clicked on Wal-Mart. A new window opened, I went through the process of purchasing what I needed, and 5% of the total cost will be contributed to Max’s 529 account.

It was that easy! Upromise is the smart way to save for college!

You can also invite friends and family to participate. For example, my mom signed up with max’s number. So if she purchases anything online through the program, a portion of HER purchased will also go to Max’s fund…. you see how this works………

The financial planner in me is so excited!! This is a great and easy opportunity to earn FREE money for college for anyone that shops online, anyway.

I was very impressed with the stores they have agreements with. Not limited at all! Stores such as Target, Wal-mart, Apple, Dell, Gap, The Children’s Place, Lowes, etc. etc.

As I mentioned, there is also a credit card they offer for additional bonuses. We opted out of that. But if you are looking for a good rewards program credit card, this sounds like a good idea.

For more information, visit their website by clicking on the banner below:

Deals of the Day! President’s Day at Zulily!

Zulily: President’s sale, starting at $1.99! Love this stuff because in one on-line order you can shop many brands!

Traveling with a baby

Recently we made the uptenth trip from Kentucky to WV, then back home again.

Since Max has been born, we’ve probably made this trip (I’ve lost count) but I’m guessing 18 times?

And each time, I never know exactly what to expect.

Most of the time, it is Max and me traveling the 6 hour (well, what SHOULD be a 6 hour) journey alone without David.

It’s something that we will continue to do for the next 4 years, so I figured he and I both better just get used to it. And that is exactly what’s happening. Each time, the trip seems easier, and honestly, he is very good in the car. I never want the car ride to scare us from traveling to see people we love and miss. I think it’s important to teach him that family is only a car ride away, and it’s always worth it in the end. Plus, we are already creating good memories of our mommy and max road trips!!

Here’s some travel trips I’ve found to help at different ages:

Newborn: This was definitely the hardest. Especially by myself. Luckily, it worked a little better with our Babywise schedule.

So, the whole trip was 6 hours and he ate every three. So I’d feed him before we left the house, play Justin Roberts in the car (guy’s a LIFE.SAVER.) and after about 30 minutes, he’d fall asleep until the next feeding.

Half way through the trip, if all went well, I’d pull over and nurse him in the car, change his diaper, and put him back in the seat to repeat the above process one more time until we got to KY.

Most of the time, this worked.

The problem with this age was the PACI!!!! He couldn’t fall asleep without it and he couldn’t put it in and out of his mouth by himself. If he was asleep, it was fine, but if he was trying to fall asleep and the paci fell out I’d have to pull over and replace. Finally, I got smart enough to keep about 5 pacis up front with me and I could pop one in his mouth without pulling over. Sometimes even those 5 paci’s would run out, and I’d have to pull over to recollect them all from the back seat.

So newborn age was most difficult. It also helped when I sang to him (but that was usually saved for last and his most fussy moments—wouldn’t keep him occupied but five minutes—enough to get to the next exit or so).

Age 6 months-10 months:

This got easier, because there was more than sleep and music to keep him occupied. I started handing him sippy cups of water which kept him occupied for awhile, along with toys.

Just like the paci’s, I’d keep about 8 toys up front with me that I could easily pass back to him as he dropped (or got bored with) his current toy.

Around 8 months, he got snacks like Mum Mums or puffs during the trip. Another 20 minutes or so of entertainment– I’ll take it!

The mirror has been the biggest help of all. It lets me know WHY he’s crying… which gave me comfort. If he was just crying because he’s going to sleep, fine. But if he’s choking on a puff, it’s time to pull over!

The mirror also entertained him. Lots of times I’d look back and he would just be “talking” to himself in the mirror, as content as could be.

At this age, he also took at least one 2 hour nap during the trip, which helped.

10 months- present:

We still do the music, toys, a nap, and also just “hanging out” (he does well for about 45 minutes with nothing at all… just looking out the window, or in the mirror). BUT, we’ve also added the most wonderful tool of all… a Portable DVD Player.

This thing is awesome! Great investment. We bought it at Target, and bought the portable DVD strap on from Amazon. When we bought our car, we debated about getting one with a built in DVD player, but actually decided a portable one would be better.

Since the AAP now suggesting kids stay rear facing for 2 years, he wouldn’t even be able to see the standard built in player for awhile— and we couldn’t wait that long! Plus, thinking long-term, we will probably always have a kid under age 2 for many years.

Since he’s been older, another thing we have done is to make longer stops. About half way through, we will stop for oatmeal at McDonalds, or at the mall and play on the indoor playground for a few minutes. It lets us both stretch our legs and get some fresh air.

Yesterday we stopped at the outlet malls and had lunch and shopped. It was a nice break. BUT, I will say that the danger of doing this is that it just stretches out the travel time even more. Yesterday we left KY at 9:30 am and didn’t get to WV until around 7 pm. Of course, we weren’t in the car the whole time, but it still felt like a much longer trip than normal, because the total length of time between point A and B.

More unsolicited advice… throw out your usual rules and make the car ride special! Max gets to watch Elmo a lot longer in the car than he’s allowed to at home. Same with snacks. So what! Whatever works and is fun! Routine and structure, I’ve found, don’t have their place on a road trip with a baby!

And my main advice, regardless of age, is to not be intimidated with the idea of traveling. Don’t miss getting to do something fun for YOU and YOUR BABY because you are too worried to attempt the journey. Pack the car and go to grandma’s! Or the beach! Or if you’re luckier than me, maybe grandma’s house IS at the beach!

College Fund for 1st Birthday Party

For Max’s first birthday party, we asked our guests for no gifts! After all, he’s only one year old, and is fortunate to have plenty of toys, clothes, books, and gadgets that any kid can hope for.

Instead, we told friends and family that if they wanted to do something, they could bring lose change or dollar bills to contribute to his college fund. (With all of daddy’s student loans, we better get started early!!)

I wrote this poem and included it as an insert in the guests’ invitations. I also printed it on a photo and placed it near a bucket for the change at his party. Some friends brought change and others gave money. He also got a few checks (our friends and family were tooooo generous!!)

I plan to do this for future parties as well. It’s a great way to teach our children about money—-that they don’t always need more “stuff” and that things like college and saving for your future are so important and necessary.

Tie Birthday Party!

For Max’s birthday, we had a wonderful party for friends and family! The theme was Tie, and I had a great time planning it! Here are some pics of some of the decor, desserts, food, etc. and a shot out to the wonderful people and stores that made it possible!

Front door of the party! A big blue tie was made out of the same wrapping paper I used as a runner for the food, dessert, and drink tables. The “Max is One” banner was made from a great Etsy shop, Kabe7. The same Etsy shop also made the Tie Birthday Banner below!

I made this banner and it was SO easy!! All I did was crop and edit some photos of Max to make an 8 X 10 of mostly his face only. Then we printed them in black and white on our home computer. To make them a bit thicker, I glued each one to card stock paper. I cut out the faces, and added scrap paper in the shape of a birthday hat to the top. The design on each hat is cut out muffin/cupcake holders. I added blue pom poms to the top, and attached each one to a string using clothes pins.

me, max, and david in front of his birthday banner (see below for a detailed pic of the banner…. also from Kabe7 Etsy shop!)

The dessert table! The blue runner is simply wrapping paper I bought from the craft store. Napkins from Hobby Lobby! And lanterns from Oriental Trading Company.

The whole theme of the party started when I found this Etsy shop, PaperandPigtails. I fell in love with all her “Little Guy in a Tie” theme. Also great for a little boy baby shower. She customized them to say “Max is One” and they turned out awesome!

Not only are these tie cookies ADORABLE they were also so yummy! They are from yet another Etsy shop, SugarFairies.

Tie birthday cake I made. This plate was from aunt julie and we will use it every year! Candle and confetti from Oriental Trading Company.

I ordered these Monkeys from Oriental Trading Company for Max’s friends/guests as party favors. The tags say “Thank You” and are also from PaperandPigtails. I also had a birthday book set up for his guests to sign… Dr. Suess’ “Happy Birthday To You” The paper ties around the jars are from a Martha Stewart template. There is also a poem set up next to a bucket, for friends and family to contribute to his college fund.

Paper also from PaperandPigtails

Food table, bow tie pb and banana sandwhiches. paper products from PaperandPigtails

Birthday hat purchased from Oriental Trading Company. It was not a hit!

Birthday boy happy with his cake! Bow tie from Etsy shop, TheBelleandtheBeau! Shirt and belt from Janie and Jack

Play time!

Invites from OhCreativeOne, Etsy shop

We had a great Birthday!!

See Max’s other First Birthday celebrations: here or here

Working in the office

My delay in recent posts has come from being even more busy than usual, as I spend two weeks working completely full time in the office (not in my home!)

The office I work with in Kentucky needed assistance for 2 weeks while one of the gals there is taking time off for a surgery. I agreed to do it because 1. I get to come to Louisville 2. It’s some extra money 3. it’s a change of scenery and 4. (and most importantly) I wanted to be a team player.

I KNOW that I am SO lucky to be in the situation I am in, working from home every day at a job I enjoy. I appreciate the offices that allow me to work with them, even though I’m not physically on site. Thus, to show some appreciation back, I wanted to help out and fulfill the favor they requested of me.

So far, being back in the office has been what I thought it would be. A nice change of pace, but also a reminder of how much I prefer working from home.

For two weeks, it is fun to “dress up” to go in the office, to enjoy the company of co-workers, and to not change one dirty diaper from the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, these “perks” still don’t outweigh the advantages of being a work from home mom.

Today is Tuesday of the first week, and I already miss Max. Today, I enjoyed breakfast, lunch, and dinner with him, and I still feel like I missed out a bit on his day. I know he is having a great time with Grandma and Grandpa, and also enjoying his change of scenery and routine.

I’m not sad while I’m at work, but mostly it’s because I know it’s only for two weeks. If I had to do this permanently, I wouldn’t be able to leave Max like this after getting used to seeing him all day long. I am sad that our family (me, max, and david) can’t be together and in the same city. I know David hates it! And so does this blog!! Working outside the home is really getting into my bloggin’ time

Deal of the Day! Opryland Resort nearly 50% off

I love Opryland!! It’s been a few years since I’ve been. I’d love to take Max there, it would be a great hotel for a kid!

Groupon has Opryland getaway right now for nearly half off! Woot Woot! Or should I say…. Yeeehhawww!!

Not enough time in the day?

I saw this quote the other day, and it really made me think:

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
― H. Jackson Brown Jr.

I started to think about the truth behind such a statement. While it’s probably not within the achievements of my own life to be thought of along side any of these very spectacular people, I could always be a better me. A better Sara.

Working from home AND being a stay at home mom is not easy! It seems obvious that like any working mother (or any mother at all for that reason) the biggest complaint is “not having enough hours in the day.”

So I started evaluating whether I use time as an excuse in my life. Sometimes it’s a reason…. and sometimes its an excuse.

For example, when it’s 8:00 at night and I realize I have done NO laundry even though practically everything we own needs washing, I sigh, feel guilt only momentarily, then tell myself or David, “I wanted to do laundry today, I just literally had no time!”

Really? Cause I got on Facebook.

I checked my email.

I rearranged the candles in our bathroom.

The truth in that case is that I did have time to do the laundry. I chose not to! It is the least favorite of my duties, and I always put it last. It’s fine that I didn’t get around to it that day….. what’s probably not fine is telling myself it’s because I didn’t have the time. I did. Time was merely my excuse.

There are other instances, when time is indeed my reason. For example, a friend of mine is planning our 10 year high school reunion and asked for my help. At first, I was all on board (I love planning parties!!) and volunteered to spearhead.

Then, reluctantly, I had to pass on taking such a large role in the process, because I knew the truth was that I didn’t have enough time to help. And that is the truth. It’s not throwing in some laundry… it’s months of planning…. calling venue sites, finding a caterer, contacting alum, etc, etc. Understandably, I chose to put the needs of my family first, and use whatever “extra time” I have in the day toward them, and not toward planning a reunion, even though I would have enjoyed being a part of that process.

So time for me is often a valid reason, and often merely an excuse.

I can’t make more hours in a day. There will always be 24. What I can do however, is choose wisely how I spend those 24 hours we all are privy to.

And you don’t have to look as iconically as Mother Theresa or Michelangelo to discover people who take advantage of their equally allotted time.

People that I respect and look up to are people like my sister, Jennifer. A peditrician at one of the best children’s hospitals in the country, and a pretty awesome mother of two (with one on the way!) She has 24 hours in her day. Just like you, just like me.

Or my own mother, who worked outside of the home when I grew up. With 4 girls, she was on the PTA, came to our classes to make gingerbread houses, lead the Booster Club, and almost always had a home made dinner on the table every night. That’s how she used her 24 hours.

Or my amazing husband!!! Who gets his butt kicked as a resident, then meets me and Max at the park to play, or comes home and gives his son a bath.

At the end of the day, I want to be proud of what I’ve accomplished during my 24 hours. And 90% of the time, I am! I’m hoping to increase that to 99%!

So, after all of this self evaluation, I decided to take some action. I am going to try to start getting up bright and early in the morning when David gets up for work.

I’ve done this for the past 3 days and I’ve really enjoyed it. Not initially when the alarm goes off, but once I’ve had my coffee. It’s time I can spend with David before he leaves, then by myself for an hour or so before Max wakes up.

This morning, we woke up at 5:00. It is now 6:47. So far today, I have cleaned the kitchen, checked and responded to personal email, put some laundry away, and David and I each took our physical for the life insurance we’ve applied for (yes, a lady from the lab came to our house at 5:20 a.m!)

Max will wake up any minute, and I will be ready for our day together!

As with any goal or resolution, I want to be realistic. I know it is not in me to do this every single day habitually. And that’s fine, because that’s not my intention. I’m striving for 2-3 times a week of waking up early.

It really does feel good!

So here is to my new self improvement goal to increase the productive hours of my day….. and….. there’s Max waking up………

Here we go!