Ever have one of those weekends that you are both looking forward to and dreading all at once? We had that last weekend. Two kid’s birthdays in one day will do that to you. First up was our oldest daughter’s tenth birthday (happy b-day honey) where we took some of her friends to the roller rink and a party. Right after we raced home to get our son’s third birthday going (happy b-day dude). For our son’s we had family and friends over for appetizers, pizza, and cake. The little guy is three so he doesn’t need a full-blown party out somewhere. And having friends and family come over allows them to wish our daughter a happy birthday as well.
So it was a hectic weekend of cleaning, planning, running around, celebrating, cleaning… But the kids had a great time so it was all well worth it!
Hey, if you can plan it out, try not to have your kids a couple of days apart! It makes things real hectic.
Brother MFC 790CW Printer
Also wanted to mention a bit of productivity help I received some time ago – a Brother MFC-790CW All In One printer. Why is it productivity help? It has a scanner that allows me to make copies and scan to PDF (and other formats). I’m finding with tax time rolling up I’ve been putting receipts together like a madman, searching all over the place for them (I’m usually more organized but our move knocked me out of whack a bit). But recently I’ve been scanning receipts to PDF as I get them and putting them in a folder marked taxed on the computer. This way I don’t have to run around like a headless chicken looking for receipts come tax time! I’ve also been able to download forms, fill them out and sign them, then scan them to PDF and email them rather than snail mail them. Awesome! The printer has a fax function but I don’t have a phone line set up for it. Oh, I forgot one of the best features – it’s wireless! I use a laptop and usually sit at the dining room table. With our other printer I would have to carry the computer back to the printer to plug it in in order to print something out. Now I can hit print and get my documents when I need them (though actually my son loves to run to the printer and get them for me).
And now for some great articles I’ve come across since my last link-up:
How To Improve Your FICO Credit Scoreover at Amateur Asset Allocator
The Samurai Fund at Financial Samurai. FS asked fellow bloggers to pick stocks based on their site names to see if we, as a group, could do as well as the S&P 500. My stock is Berkshire Hathaway, BRK-A, as in Broke. We’re doing well so far. Follow along if you want to see how the experiment goes.
The Top 50 Get Out of Debt Blogs To Watch in 2010 at Evan Carmichael. Yeah, Free From Broke is up in there!
Check out InvestorGuide. Besides having great content on investing they have also started running some of my articles as a contributor. Give them a look!
Bundling: Paying Extra For Crap You Don’t Want at Weakonomi¢s
E-File 101- Options for the Fast and Simple Way to Electronically File Your Taxes at Think Your Way To Wealth
DIY Alternatives to Processed Foods that Save You Money at Steadfast Finances
Bachelor’s Guide to Savings at Single Guy Money
How to Invest Now With Little Money to Start at Personal Dividends
7 Money Lessons From Monopoly at Financial Highway
Control Your Spending With A Budget at Canadian Finance Blog
How Conan O’Brien Wants You to Succeed at Budgets are Sexy
How The Credit CARD Act Of 2009 Might Be A Bad Deal at Simple Debt-Free Finance
And here are a couple of carnivals Free From Broke took part in:
Carnival of Personal Finance – Support Haiti Edition at Million Dollar Journey
Festival of Frugality at Ultimate Money Blog
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the link!
.-= Ray @ Financial Highway´s last blog ..Frugal Valentines Day Gift Ideas =-.
You’re welcome.
Thanks for the mention. Sounds like you had a great weekend with your kids!
.-= Tom @ Canadian Finance Blog´s last blog ..How To Improve Your Home Security =-.
No prob. Yeah, it was a lot of fun!
Thanks for the nod FFB!
Oh – and I hear what you’re saying about the kids and craziness… my oldest daughter and my youngest daughter have their birthdays 5 years and 7 days apart! For now, their young enough that celebrating a combined party is cool, but in a few years that’s gonna change and a part of me kind of dreads it
.-= Joe´s last blog ..How Important Is Your Credit Score, Really? =-.
Yup, once my son is old enough to want a party of his own we’ll be in for it! And then later on we’ll have to make sure to balance the parties out as our youngest was born in July. Can’t have one party bigger or better than any others. But such is what happens when you have kids. It’s all good!
Rock on dude, thanks for the shout out!
Always here to help out good stuff!
Thanks for the mention, FFB!
You’re welcome!