2016 Holiday Gift Ideas for Busy Moms

You are a busy mom, but you also have friends who are moms and just as busy. This holiday season I’m sharing the perfect last minute and stocking stuffer gift ideas. They are just what the...

Read the rest over at RichSingleMomma.com

Summer Road Trip Safety Tips

This weekend is the beginning of summer travel and road trips!

With the help of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) I want to share a few Summer Road Trip Safety Tips. I created a short video you can check out below but I really want you to get the main idea so your summer can be fun and safe.

NHTSA offers the following safety recommendations before taking to the road:

Regular maintenance: Tune-ups, oil changes, battery checks, and tire rotations go a long way toward preventing breakdowns before they happen. If your vehicle has been serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, it should be in good shape and ready to travel. If not, or you don’t know the service history of the vehicle you plan to drive, schedule a preventive maintenance check-up with your mechanic. View NHTSA’s interactive summer driving tips

Don’t drink and drive: Every 52 minutes, someone is killed in a drunk driving crash. Be responsible and don’t drink and drive. If you plan to drink, choose a designed driver before going out. Last year, NHTSA announced a new mobile app designed to help people who have been drinking get a safe ride home

Buckle seat belts: All drivers and passengers should wear seat belts when traveling in a vehicle. Research has found that lap/shoulder seat belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passengers by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent.

Protect child passengers: Research on the effectiveness of child safety seats has found them to reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants (younger than 1 year old) and 54 percent for toddlers (up to 4 years old) in passenger cars. If you’re traveling with children, remember the best way to protect them in a car is to put them in the correct child safety seat for their size and age. All children 13 and younger should ride in the back seat. Visit Parent’s Central for more information on child passenger safety.

Avoid distraction: Distraction accounts for approximately 10 percent of fatal crashes and 18 percent of injuries – all preventable. Distracted driving can be anything that pulls your attention away from diving, including cell phone use, texting while driving, eating, drinking, and using in-vehicle technologies and portable electronic devices.

Observe “Move Over” Laws: Move over and change lanes to give safe clearance to law enforcement officers assisting motorists on the side of the road. It’s the law in all 50 states.

Stay connected with NHTSA: Search for open recalls with VIN look up | Download the Safercar Mobile App for Apple or Android devices | Receive recall alerts by email | Visit us on Facebook.com/NHTSA | Follow us on Twitter.com/NHTSAgov | Watch 5-Star Safety Ratings crash tests on http://ift.tt/1bk8RzZ | SaferCar.gov

If you are on Twitter join the safety to talk about tire safety. Join us for the Tire Wise Twitter chat on Thursday, May 28, at 3 p.m. ET.

The post Summer Road Trip Safety Tips appeared first on Rich Single Momma.

[Infographic] Single Moms Can Learn CPR the Easy Way

The Red Cross offers online learning programs for CPR training . These programs display pictures, diagrams, easy-to-understand explanations and more. Of course, if you prefer the traditional classroom setting to learn CPR then you can choose that as well.

A quick way to remember CPR is by what is known as the “ABC” steps. A stands for Airway, B stands for Breathing and C stands for Circulation.

The airway step is when you place the child flat on the ground and then slightly tilt their head backwards. This is the proper position to perform CPR, which leads us to the breathing step.

Breathe into the child’s mouth in order to force air into their lungs.

After that, you want to get circulation into their heart by performing chest compressions. This will restore blood flow throughout their system after their heart stops beating.

Repeat the breathing and circulation steps until the child responds. The American Heart Association is constantly posting changes to their CPR guidelines, so you will want to stay updated on those as often as possible.

Of course, always remember to call 9-1-1 before using CPR because you will want emergency paramedics to get there as soon as possible. CPR is meant to be a temporary revival of the child until professionals can get there and follow their own advanced medical procedures.

Infographic Source

How Water Saves Me Money

Today I came across a site that will help me track my goals. One of my goals is to drink more water but I am one of those people who struggle to be consistent with my goals. I have good ideas and good intentions but it does not always work out like I expected.

I’m sure you’ve heard that drinking water is very good for your body.

Did you know your body is 70% water? It’s true. So it makes sense to stay hydrated, right?

The benefits of drinking water are not only good for your body but also your bank account.

Just think about it for a minute…If your body is healthy from drinking water you will have fewer health problems and reasons to visit the doctor.

When your body is in good health you don’t have to worry about medical bills, expensive special diet, prescriptions, etc. This is not only true for the present but also for the future when you are advancing in years.

As I advance in years I need more reminders. I use my calendars (yes I have multiple), my smartphone, and now my goal tracking tool to help me to remember the important things in my life, in this case drinking more water.

So today I begin tracking my water intake with my goal tracker. The goal is to drink four bottles of water. Each bottle is 20 ounces so that’s 2.5 eight ounce cups per bottle.

So, four bottles equals a little over the recommended eight cups of water per day. I’ll drink two bottles before noon and two bottles after noon.

It’s not difficult for me to keep this water drinking schedule, especially if the water is cool. I drink out with a straw much better and often have some on hand. With my tracker I can see my progress and reward myself with little treats each week.

In the long run my body and my bank account with thank me :-)

Practical Pampering for Single Parents

What do you get when you wear the hat of mother, father, nurse, teacher, employee, chef, and chauffer? One tired single mom is what you get. Picture an eight-armed; four-legged woman with a haggard face, furrowed brow, and drooping shoulders and you just might be looking at yourself. Too often single moms are so worn out from doing it all that they forget about caring for themselves. I have fallen into the super mom trap many times to count and I am sure you have too. 

Finding the time to pamper yourself is difficult at times, not to mention expensive, but I am going to share a few great ways to get your needs met without breaking the bank. All it will take is a few clicks of your mouse, a phone call, and a minimum of an hour of your time. 

So where can you get pampered at rock-bottom prices? Where can you get your hair and nails done for less than $20 bucks? Where can you get a 30 -60 minute massages or facials for under $45 dollars? Need a shampoo and cut for under $15? Well it is possible and likely right around the corner from your home or job. I love being pampered this way but I often don’t have a wad of money to plunk down for these services. I’m thinking technical colleges and universities. 

I got turned on about these cheap, but quality services when I was a teenager. My mom attended cosmetology school and I would go and get my hair done for as little as $5. Getting services through a beauty school, technical college, or university is a wonder alternative to going to a regular and more expensive service provider. 

To find schools in my area, I googled a service school I wanted including my city and state. For example I entered “beauty school Atlanta, Ga” and received several hits. I clicked on the links to the school and located the services page on the site. On this page I was able to find out the services they offered, prices, hours of operation, and a telephone number. It was very easy to do and now I am calling to book my first visit. 

I couldn’t believe how reasonable the prices were. The best thing is that there are so many services you can get this way. You can get spa-type services like massages, manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing body scrubs, etc at a fraction of upscale spa prices. Get you hair shampooed, cut, colored, or processed for next to nothing and you can feel comfortable because, though students perform the services, the experienced instructor is there to assist the entire time.

You can even get health services like dental exams and cleanings, optometry exams, and basically any service there is a school for. Visit your local and surrounding technical college and university website and see what programs of study they offer then contact then to see if they offer services to the public. This is the most affordable to get treated like a queen at pauper prices. Happy pampering!

Practical Pampering for Single Parents

What do you get when you wear the hat of mother, father, nurse, teacher, employee, chef, and chauffer? One tired single mom is what you get. Picture an eight-armed; four-legged woman with a haggard face, furrowed brow, and drooping shoulders and you just might be looking at yourself. Too often single moms are so worn out from doing it all that they forget about caring for themselves. I have fallen into the super mom trap many times to count and I am sure you have too. 

Finding the time to pamper yourself is difficult at times, not to mention expensive, but I am going to share a few great ways to get your needs met without breaking the bank. All it will take is a few clicks of your mouse, a phone call, and a minimum of an hour of your time. 

So where can you get pampered at rock-bottom prices? Where can you get your hair and nails done for less than $20 bucks? Where can you get a 30 -60 minute massages or facials for under $45 dollars? Need a shampoo and cut for under $15? Well it is possible and likely right around the corner from your home or job. I love being pampered this way but I often don’t have a wad of money to plunk down for these services. I’m thinking technical colleges and universities. 

I got turned on about these cheap, but quality services when I was a teenager. My mom attended cosmetology school and I would go and get my hair done for as little as $5. Getting services through a beauty school, technical college, or university is a wonder alternative to going to a regular and more expensive service provider. 

To find schools in my area, I googled a service school I wanted including my city and state. For example I entered “beauty school Atlanta, Ga” and received several hits. I clicked on the links to the school and located the services page on the site. On this page I was able to find out the services they offered, prices, hours of operation, and a telephone number. It was very easy to do and now I am calling to book my first visit. 

I couldn’t believe how reasonable the prices were. The best thing is that there are so many services you can get this way. You can get spa-type services like massages, manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing body scrubs, etc at a fraction of upscale spa prices. Get you hair shampooed, cut, colored, or processed for next to nothing and you can feel comfortable because, though students perform the services, the experienced instructor is there to assist the entire time.

You can even get health services like dental exams and cleanings, optometry exams, and basically any service there is a school for. Visit your local and surrounding technical college and university website and see what programs of study they offer then contact then to see if they offer services to the public. This is the most affordable to get treated like a queen at pauper prices. Happy pampering!

Free Women’s Health Calendar

Single moms can be the worst at taking care of their health, don’t you agree? It’s easy to get run down from all the running around. The result is one worn out single momma. I have trouble making and keeping doctor’s appointments. It just seems like there is not enough time in the day or week to do it. To make matters worse, I just moved to a new city so I haven’t found a doctor to go to.

Free Women’s Health Calendar

Single moms can be the worst at taking care of their health, don’t you agree? It’s easy to get run down from all the running around. The result is one worn out single momma. I have trouble making and keeping doctor’s appointments. It just seems like there is not enough time in the day or week to do it. To make matters worse, I just moved to a new city so I haven’t found a doctor to go to.

Happy New Year! Design a New Life

Greeting to all my single mom friends! We made it into a new year and there is so much in store for us all. I am excited about my future and have been planning and planning out what I will accomplish this year. Have you been doing the same? I hope so.

It’s not enough to hope and wish that things will change in your life this year. You have to make the plans and make the opportunities. I think we’ve been conditioned to think that the wishing and hoping will change things but in reality it won’t. You have to know what you want then plan for it.

Happy New Year! Design a New Life

Greeting to all my single mom friends! We made it into a new year and there is so much in store for us all. I am excited about my future and have been planning and planning out what I will accomplish this year. Have you been doing the same? I hope so.

It’s not enough to hope and wish that things will change in your life this year. You have to make the plans and make the opportunities. I think we’ve been conditioned to think that the wishing and hoping will change things but in reality it won’t. You have to know what you want then plan for it.

Single Mom Breastfeeding: Save Money and Bond with Baby

*This post is mainly for single moms who are currently pregnant, but you can read it too.

New single moms face many fears about their ability to be a good parent without a husband. When I was pregnant with my daughter I was scared and unsure about how to take care of this new life. I read a lot of books and prepared my mind for the task. I knew that I wanted to nurture my child and have a close bond with her because I didn't have that with my mother.

In my reading about breastfeeding I learned that it is a great way to bond with my baby and give her the best start in life. So I made the decision and gathered books from the library about breastfeeding. I won't go into the details about how I did it but you can read about it over at Sexy Nursing Bras after reading this post ;-).

Single Mom Breastfeeding: Save Money and Bond with Baby

*This post is mainly for single moms who are currently pregnant, but you can read it too.

New single moms face many fears about their ability to be a good parent without a husband. When I was pregnant with my daughter I was scared and unsure about how to take care of this new life. I read a lot of books and prepared my mind for the task. I knew that I wanted to nurture my child and have a close bond with her because I didn't have that with my mother.

In my reading about breastfeeding I learned that it is a great way to bond with my baby and give her the best start in life. So I made the decision and gathered books from the library about breastfeeding. I won't go into the details about how I did it but you can read about it over at Sexy Nursing Bras after reading this post ;-).

Single Mom Health: Feeling Stressed? Can’t Sleep?

I came across Morning Mom’s blog and she had a question about insomnia. I was able to answer here question about what to use to get some sleep because I’ve been there. As single moms we have so much to think about and worry about. Our minds start to race, especially in highly stressful times so sleep becomes illusive. We may fall asleep but can’t stay asleep or sleep just won’t come at all.

To get to sleep I do several things as listed below. Give them a try if you are ever facing insomnia. They will likely help. They are non-habit forming and have been used for centuries.

Lavender
I suggest that you get some lavender. It can be lavender essential oil, lotion, and candles. I use this when I have insomnia and it works well without poisoning my body with medication.

Valerian Root
I've also use Valerian herb. It comes in capsule form and though it doesn't smell great it also helps you relax enough to fall asleep. For more information about this herb

With these two natural remedies you will be sleeping like a baby.

Writing
The most important thing is to find out why your mind is racing. You probably already know but it is helpful to really focus your mind on it then WRITE it down.

Writing does wonders. It empties your mind because as long as the thoughts are running rampant in your head you will never get rest. Do what is called stream of consciousness writing. Just write until you can't write another word. After you are done you will be exhausted and able to rest.

Single Mom Health: Feeling Stressed? Can’t Sleep?

I came across Morning Mom’s blog and she had a question about insomnia. I was able to answer here question about what to use to get some sleep because I’ve been there. As single moms we have so much to think about and worry about. Our minds start to race, especially in highly stressful times so sleep becomes illusive. We may fall asleep but can’t stay asleep or sleep just won’t come at all.

To get to sleep I do several things as listed below. Give them a try if you are ever facing insomnia. They will likely help. They are non-habit forming and have been used for centuries.

Lavender
I suggest that you get some lavender. It can be lavender essential oil, lotion, and candles. I use this when I have insomnia and it works well without poisoning my body with medication.

Valerian Root
I've also use Valerian herb. It comes in capsule form and though it doesn't smell great it also helps you relax enough to fall asleep. For more information about this herb

With these two natural remedies you will be sleeping like a baby.

Writing
The most important thing is to find out why your mind is racing. You probably already know but it is helpful to really focus your mind on it then WRITE it down.

Writing does wonders. It empties your mind because as long as the thoughts are running rampant in your head you will never get rest. Do what is called stream of consciousness writing. Just write until you can't write another word. After you are done you will be exhausted and able to rest.

Single Mom Health - Preventing Winter Illness Naturally

The cold and flu season is closing in fast. My kids are already having sinus problems and flu-like symptoms. I am not interested in having sick kids this year so I am reaching back to the old home remedies my mother and grandmother used. I’ll share them with you.

For some these remedies may seem too easy or too far fetched to work, but I have been using them off and on for years and they work. I’ve tried to modernize and use the over-the-counter meds but I just end up feeling worse. Maybe it’s my low tolerance for drugs, but it seems my colds (and the kid’s) last longer with OTC medications.

As single moms we have to stay healthy because there is no one else around to pass the responsibility to. So here is what my mom and grandmother taught me to use.

Single Mom Health - Preventing Winter Illness Naturally

The cold and flu season is closing in fast. My kids are already having sinus problems and flu-like symptoms. I am not interested in having sick kids this year so I am reaching back to the old home remedies my mother and grandmother used. I’ll share them with you.

For some these remedies may seem too easy or too far fetched to work, but I have been using them off and on for years and they work. I’ve tried to modernize and use the over-the-counter meds but I just end up feeling worse. Maybe it’s my low tolerance for drugs, but it seems my colds (and the kid’s) last longer with OTC medications.

As single moms we have to stay healthy because there is no one else around to pass the responsibility to. So here is what my mom and grandmother taught me to use.

Single Mom's Guide to Free Online Reading

I am a big reader so I am always on the look out for a good book. Lately though I haven’t had much time to sit down and read but I am thrilled when I find a new book source, especially if it’s free. There are a few online resources for free books. You have to read them online but it’s free so all the better.

Project Gutenberg – If you haven’t been to this website you are missing out on a lot of great literature. They list other books as well, but if your child has to do a report on a literary figure or classic book this is the place to go. All of the books listed are in the public domain and are free to download. If you are an enterprising person you could even re-publish a few of your favorites, add a foreword, and include relevant resources. Rebecca over at Certain Way did this with The Science of Getting Rich. She gives the book away but offers other products that tie into the purpose of the book. Okay I am getting off on a tangent.

Here are a couple more places online to read books for free.

Daily Lit – This website offers free books to members (it’s free to join). You select the book you want to read and they send you a chapter a day to your email. So you get a chapter in your inbox each day. They also have more recent books for a price. You may find something you like well enough to order but the free books are just fine.

Here is an article that list 23 more places to read books online for free. Happy reading!

What are you attracting?

What are you attracting into your life right now? Is it love ? Hate? Bad relationships? A terrible work environment? Your feelings, whether positive or negative determines what comes into your life?

Mobile post sent by SamanthaG using Utterz.  Replies.

Hydrogen Peroxide - Natures Cheap and All-around Sanitizer

I have been using Hydogen Peroxide for years now. My mom used it when I was a little girl whenever I scraped my leg or arms. It stung for a minute and bubbled up but it worked. I never got infections and it healed pretty well.

A couple years ago I found out that Hydrogen Peroxide has many more benefits than I could have imagined. It gets out blood stains, disinfects tooth brushes, is a great mouth wash and tooth whitener, and so much more. Do a search on the "benefits of Hydrogen Peroxide" and you many websites will come up that tells you in much more detail than I can. But here is what I came up with and summarize.

Hydrogen peroxide is the world's most natural effective
sanitizer. Why? Because it is the only anti-germicidal
agent composed entirely of water and oxygen.

The chemical formula for hydrogen peroxide is H202, and
the body produces it naturally when in a state of
optimal health. When the body becomes weak or diseased,
it is unable to produce the high amounts of H202 needed
to kill off infection and when the body is unable to
fight off infection, disease results.

H202 works by creating an environment of intensive
oxidation, which can be described as a type of chemical
reaction which causes the breakdown of organic
substances. H202 is vital for maintaining the body's
natural health. In fact, the effectiveness of
penicillin is related to its capacity to rejuvenate the
level of H202 in the body. In essence, penicillin works
by helping the body build up enough H202 to fight off
bacteria and viruses. Most harmful bacteria are
anaerobic, which means they can not survive in a highly
oxygenated environment.

Newer research suggests that we need certain levels of
hydrogen peroxide in order to facilitate normal
chemical reactions and to maintain the proper balance
of good bacteria in our system. Good bacteria are
generally aerobic, which means they will function well
in oxygen rich environments.

Aside from the health benefits of hydrogen peroxide,
there are many other uses for this "wonder" compound.
Anecdotal information suggests that hydrogen peroxide
can be used all over the house, in the following ways:

1) To clean and sanitize the kitchen. Use a 3%
solution to refresh counters and sanitize lunch boxes.


2) To clean vegetables and fruits. Add 1/4 cup of H2O2
to a sink of cold water. Add vegetables and fruits wash
thoroughly and rinse with cool water. This will prolong
the freshness and taste.

3) Wound care. Bathing or misting a wound with hydrogen
peroxide will help clean it while it speeds healing.

4) For your toothbrush. Soaking your toothbrush in
hydrogen peroxide between uses will keep it clean and
prevent transfer of germs. This would be particularly
helpful when your or someone in your family has a cold
or the flu.

5) As an astringent. Dabbing hydrogen peroxide on
pimples or acne will have you on your way to clearer
skin.

These are just a few of the many ways you can use
hydrogen peroxide in and around your home. There are
many others. Some people swear that ingestion of small
amounts of food grade, diluted hydrogen peroxide
provides complete body cleansing. (But only do this
under a doctor's supervision). People also use it to
help household plants grow, and to sprout seeds for new
plantings. The variety and possible uses make hydrogen
peroxide a "must-have" for a well stocked house.

No matter how you choose to use it, it's clear that
regular use of H202 will keep your house fresh and your
family healthy.

Rich Single Momma

Hydrogen Peroxide - Natures Cheap and All-around Sanitizer

I have been using Hydogen Peroxide for years now. My mom used it when I was a little girl whenever I scraped my leg or arms. It stung for a minute and bubbled up but it worked. I never got infections and it healed pretty well.

A couple years ago I found out that Hydrogen Peroxide has many more benefits than I could have imagined. It gets out blood stains, disinfects tooth brushes, is a great mouth wash and tooth whitener, and so much more. Do a search on the "benefits of Hydrogen Peroxide" and you many websites will come up that tells you in much more detail than I can. But here is what I came up with and summarize.

Hydrogen peroxide is the world's most natural effective
sanitizer. Why? Because it is the only anti-germicidal
agent composed entirely of water and oxygen.

The chemical formula for hydrogen peroxide is H202, and
the body produces it naturally when in a state of
optimal health. When the body becomes weak or diseased,
it is unable to produce the high amounts of H202 needed
to kill off infection and when the body is unable to
fight off infection, disease results.

H202 works by creating an environment of intensive
oxidation, which can be described as a type of chemical
reaction which causes the breakdown of organic
substances. H202 is vital for maintaining the body's
natural health. In fact, the effectiveness of
penicillin is related to its capacity to rejuvenate the
level of H202 in the body. In essence, penicillin works
by helping the body build up enough H202 to fight off
bacteria and viruses. Most harmful bacteria are
anaerobic, which means they can not survive in a highly
oxygenated environment.

Newer research suggests that we need certain levels of
hydrogen peroxide in order to facilitate normal
chemical reactions and to maintain the proper balance
of good bacteria in our system. Good bacteria are
generally aerobic, which means they will function well
in oxygen rich environments.

Aside from the health benefits of hydrogen peroxide,
there are many other uses for this "wonder" compound.
Anecdotal information suggests that hydrogen peroxide
can be used all over the house, in the following ways:

1) To clean and sanitize the kitchen. Use a 3%
solution to refresh counters and sanitize lunch boxes.


2) To clean vegetables and fruits. Add 1/4 cup of H2O2
to a sink of cold water. Add vegetables and fruits wash
thoroughly and rinse with cool water. This will prolong
the freshness and taste.

3) Wound care. Bathing or misting a wound with hydrogen
peroxide will help clean it while it speeds healing.

4) For your toothbrush. Soaking your toothbrush in
hydrogen peroxide between uses will keep it clean and
prevent transfer of germs. This would be particularly
helpful when your or someone in your family has a cold
or the flu.

5) As an astringent. Dabbing hydrogen peroxide on
pimples or acne will have you on your way to clearer
skin.

These are just a few of the many ways you can use
hydrogen peroxide in and around your home. There are
many others. Some people swear that ingestion of small
amounts of food grade, diluted hydrogen peroxide
provides complete body cleansing. (But only do this
under a doctor's supervision). People also use it to
help household plants grow, and to sprout seeds for new
plantings. The variety and possible uses make hydrogen
peroxide a "must-have" for a well stocked house.

No matter how you choose to use it, it's clear that
regular use of H202 will keep your house fresh and your
family healthy.

Rich Single Momma