caitlinsmom
-
Posts
1,582 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Classifieds
Store
Posts posted by caitlinsmom
-
-
the United States where would you go and what would you see? Anything goes- shopping malls, historic sites, natural wonders, etc.
PS The kids will be joining you if that happens to change your plans.
-
Come visit! I'll show you around. You'll LOVE it here!!!!!!
I may take you up on it. :)
We talked about a road trip next summer. Seems like a great place to visit regardless of what we decide to do. :)
-
Man, by the ages of your kids I'd live to have you move in on my street! But....it doesn't sound like Phoenix is your town. :sad:
:) I used to summer in Tuscon and I was afraid I would melt. I am a freckle faced red head that burns at the thought of seeing the sun. I flew into Phoenix once. I was sun burnt before we hit the freeway. Nope the sw is not for me.
Laramie, WY. It has everything on your list.... except for, possibly, the large secular and Christian homeschooling groups. There is a large LDS population here though. Additionally, there is no income tax here, and the property taxes are extremely low. Add to that the fact that it's a University town, and you've got a pretty nice community. We've been very happy here!It's been years since I was in Laramie. Is it sad that I forget that WY exists except when I'm in Yellowstone Park? Adding to my list to check out. Thanks for the reminder.
-
Kim, we are in Eagle River, AK. Huge LDS and homeschooling population. Community sports, theater, dance. Multiple public homeschool programs with allotments for curric and extracurric activities. Check out ideafamilies.org.
No state tax, and after a year you're eligible for the annual permanent fund dividend. Housing cost is middle of the road, cost-wise. You do tend to get less for the money, imo.
I read about the Galena school district years ago. What a great program they have going there. I would love to have that kind of money available to get curriculum and supplies. That program alone is a point for Alaska. :)
I spent some time looking at houses in Eagle River today. Wow, lovely! The views are amazing. What is the wildlife like? Or rather, how does gardening work out during the summer? Does the wildlife make their claim before humans? I grow a huge vegetable garden every summer. If I have to take certain steps to make sure it gets to the table then I need to know. :)
-
You could come here. We have all that except the museums. But they are close by in Canada.
Chucki- I have been eyeing The County for years! Gorgeous up there. I talked with one of the realtors in town, he gave me the impression that those of us from "away" weren't very welcome. :) Any truth to that?
You really want to stay away from California!I have to admit, you would have to pay me many millions of dollars to consider Ca. I lived there as a kid and still have PTSD. :D
-
Move to Alaska! Anchorage or Eagle River would fit all your qualifications!
Big LDS community (well, big for Alaska!). Lots of homeschoolers, both secular and religous, great business environment, perfect weather - not too cold and hardly ever above 75. Most years have tons of snow.
We thought about Fairbanks years ago, just before moving here. I had never considered Anchorage. Whats the city like? I had read that housing was outrageous, any truth to that. Where is Eagle River?
Off to research....
-
If you don't want heat above 80, steer clear of New Jersey. :D
:D Once upon a time I wanted to live in NJ. It lasted for about 60 seconds. lol
-
We put our business up for sale this month. Once it sells we will have a nice nest egg, no debt and the ability to move anywhere in the country we want. Right now we are in Idaho which has served us well for the last 7 years. However we are playing with the idea of moving some place else for the fun of it.
Here are the things we would like:
*A small town (or at least a small town outside of a city)
*Large homeschooling population
*Religious and secular hs groups. (This is a big one as we are LDS and most religious hs groups that require a statement of faith will not let us participate)
*Cool weather. Lots of snow is ok, heat above 80's no way.
*Fun community activities, community sports, museums, etc.
So if your area fits that, please share the details. :)
-
Yes, I forgot to mention the childproofing stuff. They agreed not to ding me for not already having cabinet locks, doorknob covers, baby gates, etc., if I promised to get them before any mobile kids came home.
I never would have thought of this honestly. I have all of our vitamins on the top shelf in our bathroom but there isn't a single cabinet lock in this house. I have never used that kind of safety thing. This is a good one to know.
I need to check out smoke detectors too. :)
We are hoping to adopt an older boy (turns 16 next month). The application we filled out was huge! It asked for everything from childhood memories to sexuality through adulthood. I think it took us each 30 min to fill out each portion.
Honestly the only thing I am truly worried about is the financial portion. We can cover our expenses each month but sometimes its tight. We own our own business, one that's seasonal at that, so there are some months where things get pretty thin. We prepare all through summer as best we can but still. I hope it does not keep us from being qualified. All needs are met as well as bill, just not a lot of extra ykwim? Our biggest concern when we decided to take an older child was being able to afford them. Teens cost more no way around it. I mentioned this to the case worker when I talked with her this week. She then informed me that they come with a stipend to cover their costs, until their 18th birthday. I had no idea that it was something that continued even after they were adopted. That kind of soothed my worries, knowing we could still pay for sports, counseling, and other needs without being a drain during the winter months.
Thank you all for the input. I hate people coming into my house with the intent to inspect and judge, no matter how good the cause may be. Just makes me twitchy. :)
-
We are going to be adopting through our states foster care system. We will be taking PRIDE classes here in the next couple of weeks. Once we begin those they will also begin the home study.
What goes on during a home study? What kind of questions are asked? What kind of information do they look at (personal, financial etc)? What are they looking for in the home?
Really any experience, suggestions, advice you can share would be great.
-
I cook or make our food. There will never be fixing of food here. :) it's like nails on a chalk board to me lol.
-
Some games and apps have a check box that says "allow access to post on your behalf" and "access your profile and friends" or something to that extent. I know some of these games and apps are just virus in disguise. They do post randomly and often information that is not accurate.
For example I had one that posted my top profile viewers. It posted multiple things on my wall listing people I don't. I deleted the app and it stopped.
-
I am your target group. I am overweight and having some health issues because of it. Because I have no insurance coverage right now, I have struggling finding good advice from a real live person. My doctor won't refer me to other specialist because I don't have insurance. I can't afford them out of pocket. The stuff at health food stores is overwhelming. Sometimes the information online is overwhelming. However, mine is not from self esteem, or guilt. Part was brought on by hormones, medical proceedures, and then pure laziness. I don't feel guilty, but I would like some help. Now living under the poverty level making healthy food choices and paying bills is really really difficult at times. I have had to visit food banks to stretch our pantry lately and by the time you receive cases of carbs (rice, bread, ramen noodles, ice cream, and cokes) from each one that you try to incorporate into meals... well, it is just plain hard. That being said, I would more likely come to you in person for a small fee, or to a local support group for a small fee for the advice you are offering. I would love to have the support of others near me, women like me, help finding the best deals locally while working with a very limited food budget, and so on. Finding and altering clothing is an issue for me. I stopped make-up due to expense. I would not be interested in a weekly email however.
Thank you for this response. You gave me a few great ideas to start implementing on a local level. If you don't mind, I may PM you to ask a few questions in the future.
-
Here's some things that stick out to me. Feel free to ignore at will as I'm probably not your demographic:
- I'm not going to pay for nutritional advice if I'm feeling guilty about being overweight.
- people who are overweight because of poor food choices AND don't know any better, may have low budgets to change that choice. You might consider offering a class through a food pantry or other outsource options like that. I don't want to be condemned for my food choices if you don't give me the power to change. If I'm on WIC or food benefits, my options may be limited. You might outline some stores in your area that take food benefits cards.
- you might need to back end the nutritional advice so people don't get immediately defensive. If you walk in with the attitude "you're fat because you don't eat well and I will save you from that" you'll just make people defensive. I don't mean that you will or you do that, I'm just saying you'll have to tread carefully so people don't receive that impression.
- It sounds like you want to reach women who are dealing with health or self-esteem issues. I think you should add some "dressing" to that. I'd be more apt to sign up for a class on dressing the real sized woman, how to maintain your looks when your time is limited, hair styling. IOW add something to address the outward appearance so people feel up to dealing with the inner part of their psyche. You also have to have people you trust in order to get good feedback and referrals. I don't know many women who are going to say "Wow, I felt so horrible about myself and now I'm better and can eat better." Instead if you show them something external they can use that as a talking point to a friend. For a class like this word of mouth is going to be very important.
- As another poster mentioned you're going to need a hook to get people to sign up. Tired, stressed, and overrworked women are going to need a reason to go out of the way to do something for themselves.
- I would reconsider having new lessons available on Monday. I'd probably switch it to Sunday. It's easier to get a few minutes to myself on Sunday when dh is home and we're having some down time before the week begins. Mondays are hectic and even with one child sometimes I'm doing good to get a pizza in the oven for dinner. If I know the class is open on Monday, I'm assuming they can pick it up anytime they want, it's going to low priority. Then I forget about it, then it's Wednesday and I forget again, then it's the end of the week and I've never even logged on. I feel guilty and don't come back. :lol:
- I would find a group and offer them a free class in exchange for their feedback. Pick people who have some influence, if you can, and will be happy to be used as referrals.
HTH
Hmm some very good points in this. I need to think some of this through.
A very good point about Sundays. I always take Sunday evening to myself because dh is available. Thanks for pointing this out.
My goal is not to address the weight issue really but the surrounding complications such as high blood pressure. I am in the camp that a woman can have a full figure and be completely healthy as long as she is active, eating healthy(ier), and paying attention to herself. I am targeting overweight women mainly because they have weight related issues that can be managed with small dietary changes and exercise. I am not about to tell them what to eat but rather give them information that will help them make better informed choices. A common complaint is that a Dr. pats a patients knee and says "You need to start cutting out salt and getting more water" (or whatever the advice may be). That leaves a lot of people struggling especially when it comes to labeling.
But all that said, you have given me a whole other perspective to think about. This is the reason I posted here, I knew I would get a full perspective so I can make wise choices.
I appreciate it everyone.
-
Yep, you've come to the wrong place for a focus group. :D
We're generally a library-loving, research-it-to-death, do-it-ourselves kinda bunch.
Which is exactly why I posted here. I was hoping that I wasn't completely off base. :D Glad to know I've got it right this time.
-
Thank you all for your responses. You have brought up a few things that I had not thought about before. I will need to make a few adjustments to my materials. I hadn't thought of how my own biases would effect the course especially regarding food. I will have to make sure I tackle that part in a little different manner than I had planned.
However you've also confirmed a few things I already figured. This program would be for moms who have no interest in looking for the information in a handful of books. My target wants it quick, easy, and everything together for her. :) Basically a non-WTM mom lol.
-
I voted other. I've done a lot of self-improvement over the years, but I find I rarely agree with one person on everything. I would want to know a summary of your beliefs before I started. While I might agree with your nutritional outlook, I might not agree with your spiritual basis.
Honestly, with the plethora of information out there for free, I'd have a hard time paying for a 6 week class.
What's your target demographic?
My target is women who are overweight because of low quality food choices. Women who have read and heard that "xyz" is unhealthy but they don't necessarily know why. They don't have a lot of time to read because they feel guilty taking time for themselves. They give so much to others that their spirituality, self care, mental wellness takes a back seat. Because of all these factors they find themselves in an endless "blah" phase with health that continues to slowly go down hill. My target woman is motivated by guilt a lot of the time but wants to change and develop a voice of her own.
The point of this course (its the introductory course) is for the women to start noticing negative patterns in their lives and to being making small changes to lay a foundation for a higher quality life. The course isn't set up to teach any one specific mode of nutrition, spirituality, etc. Food information is presented in a factual way rather than in line with any one specific diet. Women are encouraged to grow in their own method of spirituality as a way to be more in balance.
-
I would really love your opinion!
-
We own a carpet cleaning company that we bought last year. It has been a trial and a blessing all at once.
While we make money all year round, it is very seasonal in that the bulk majority of our business happens April through October. This makes the winter months pretty lean. We also inherited a lot of debt with the business that have made it impossible to save for the winter months. Each month our income varies widely, it's usually feast or famine around here. The stress is hard to deal with at times. I am thankful that we have a good relationship as I think the stress would crack others with a bad relationship.
All that said, my dh makes a very good hourly rate, better than he would ever do working for someone else. We have more time together as a family which is a huge bonus to me. We have lots of options for trade so even though we do not have insurance, we are still able to have things like dental and eye care.
We have been happy with the decision to take on the business. It was a decision that had to be made in 24 hours. We have been pleased even in times of stress. My dh can't imagine going back to work for someone else. While the stress can mount there is satisfaction in knowing that the business is growing because of us and for us, not someone else.
We now have the business for sale so that we may move onto new things. If it doesn't sell we won't be upset.
-
I have started a business that offers e-classes that cover whole body health and wellness. Some of the topics covered are real food, physical health, spiritual growth, etc. The course is set to be 6 weeks, with lesson modules available on Mondays. I have my target audience narrowed down but I wanted to see if I am correct in my assumptions.
My two questions are....
1. Would you be interested in taking an online self paced self improvement class?
2. How much are you willing to spend?
TIA.
-
We have another forum thread discussing early impressions of a Well-Planned Day.
I've searched but can't find the mentioned thread. Anyone have the link? I really want to hear others impressions of the program.
-
Subbing...
I was on Costco's photo website the other day and they have many famous prints that you can order directly from them in whatever size you choose. And they're pretty inexpensive.
Perfect! They have the artisits I had planned for next year. Thanks for mentioning this. I would never have looked at Costco.
-
I have implemented a lot of Montessori ideas into our daily routine. I love the entire concept and philosophy. I would recommend checking out Counting Coconuts. She is a Montessori teacher who home schools her son.
Also if you want a bunch of great links you can check my homeschool board on pinterest. I have quite a few links from trained Montessori teachers turned home school moms.
I have read a lot of the books out there and while most have some good information, they don't break it down quickly enough for me. I have lots of email lists I subscribe to, youtube channels I watch, and websites that I pay attention to. Have a visual model to see has helped to bring it all to life for me.
Good luck.
-
I was told this with my last 2 births. All mine have been c-section with each getting progressively more high risk for me.
I was told that each time you have a c-section the scar tissue builds up but because it is a nice and smooth cut, the scar tissue isn't as strong as the original wall (basically not enough jagged points to cause a strong tissue layer). With each section that scar tissue is built again over a place that has already been compromised. After each section a Dr will make the incision just a little different at the ends as this is the point where the tissue is the weakest. As you have more babies and your uterus naturally looses its tone and is stretched with pregnancy, the tissue becomes compromised even more. This leads to most doctors saying things like "It was so thin.." Most doctors have an issue with the contraction part of birth more than the being pregnant. The theory is that the scar tissue can not handle the contraction and therefore will rip and rupture. Hence the reason that most are not allowed to vbac.
With my last two sections I was told I was so lucky because the tissue was too thin. I can't decide if it really was compromised or if my Dr. said it because he knew I had planned home births. ;) There is research to show the idea is bogus and some to back it up. Who knows.
If you could spend 6 months travelling...
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
:grouphug: