Warning! The following may cure you of any desire to ever have kids. Being a stay-at-home mom at times can be horrible. How horrible? Well, there was more than once, I felt like getting in a car, driving off and never coming back. Sounds shocking?
Hey, this is an honest blog, I don’t hold back. Of course, I love my family and would never do that. I’m just trying to show you the level of utter frustration, that comes with small kids. Having just my daughter wasn’t so bad. But then we had our son when she was just 2.5 years old. Too close!
Oh boy, where to begin? He woke up 3 times per night till he was 2 years of age. You can imagine what that did to my already fragile female mind. 🙂 He also developed a blood curling squeal, which you had to hear to appreciate. One time he did it in my ear and I couldn’t hear for about 5 seconds. Also, from the very beginning he was on a quest to kill himself.
Now I know all kids are like that. But imagine the movie “Dumb and dumber”. My daughter would be the “dumb” and my son would be “dumber”. Much dumber. This is just an analogy. I am NOT saying my kids are dumb! So take it easy in the comments section. 🙂 He is a little better now at almost 3 years of age, but he still bites and hits me on a regular basis, as well as breaks everything in sight. Now there is nothing wrong with him, as far as we know. He is just high strong, opinionated with chutzpah galore. Sounds familiar?
Of course, the monotony of being a SAHM can also present a challenge, especially if you have a restless (read OCD) mind, like me. So to all of you male readers, and that’s most of you. Go and buy your wife or girlfriend some flowers. SAHM, working mom, or nor yet a mom, I don’t care. Believe it or not, there is a financial application to this rant, coming next week. Stay tuned!
Trip report.
This week I am doing something slightly different. Technically its not even us taking the trip, but my in-laws. And its not even a vacation per se. Since we live in Florida, we are relatively close to really nice beaches. And the kids just love digging in the sand. And what my husband and I really love, is when my wonderful in-laws take them to Coquina beach on Anna Maria island (1 hour away from us).
Most people who come to Florida usually head to Sarasota and more famous beaches. But I prefer Anna Maria and its laid back charm. The island also has a trolley, that you can use for free. Occasionally we just ride it to keep the kids entertained. You can find plenty of rentals on VRBO from budget to upscale.
When my in-laws take the kids out of town, my husband and I in turn get to take a nice break from the insanity. See the rant above. Occasionally we go out to eat or see a movie. Its nice not to have to hire a babysitter, but we would if we had to. I think its money well spent, provided you can trust the person.
I realize it may be hard to afford it if you are a middle class family, but I suggest you set some money aside just for that purpose. Perhaps use your cash sign-up bonuses for babysitting? Look at it as savings off future therapy bills. Plus, it may also save your marriage and help you avoid a costly divorce! 🙂
Miles and points.
1) Post on “The view from the wing” on 20 percent off United economy awards to Europe, though only for certain dates. LINK
2) Via Milenerd, now you can get a free ShopRunner account if you have an Amex card. A nice perk for families, since it gives free shipping benefit from many stores. LINK
3) Delta further devalues their award chart. Tickets to Hawaii are going up to 45000 instead of 40000 miles roundtrip currently. Honestly, not a big deal on its own because their awards are almost impossible to redeem. But it is a preview of things to come with other airlines. LINK to post with further details. Burn those miles!
4) Citi Thank You Preferred card bonus is increased again to 30000 points. The scheme is somewhat complicated though. The points can be redeemed for 300 dollars in gift cards, including Walmart. Its not a “hot” bonus, but not bad either, if you don’t care about miles.
If you have their CITI Thank You Premier card , the points can be pooled and redeemed for travel, netting more in value. See my “Best deals” page for more. Please, always check there first, before applying for any cards. This offer pays me commission.
5) A bit of an odd deal, but apparently you can get a free toilet seat via points rebate, plus 5 dollars per every 25 dollar gift card from Kmart. LINK
6) Up to 2500 AAdvantage miles bonus through their shopping portal. Only buy the stuff, you would anyway! LINK to “View from the wing”.
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.