Its a Hero

life on a budget

Christmas, Credit, and Focusing on What’s Important this Holiday Season

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Thank you CreditRepair.com for sponsoring this post. CreditRepair.com’s team understands that a credit score is not just a number; it’s a lifestyle.

Being an adult, unfortunately, does not come with a handbook on how to “be.” I can’t speak for everyone, but I can tell you this — I’ve learned the hard way. With practically everything.

My personal credit journey.

I partially blame my struggles on the fact that I just didn’t understand privilege. I was a child of two very hard-working parents. We didn’t take lavish vacations, but we did take vacations. I recently recounted my childhood with a friend. We were talking about how we didn’t know how hard our parents worked and how lucky we were. We were happy to have had our vacations and to not want for anything, but we also didn’t realize the privilege that was afforded to us.

I’m not blaming that on my struggle. No, I created my problems. But I’ve made the mistake of not knowing my parents struggles twice now. I expected to just HAVE. Because that’s what you do. You work and you get, right? Well factor in a mountain of student loan debt (we’re talking Mount Everest) and a desire to fit in? And we have a problem.

The first time I rebuilt my credit on my own (with the guidance of my dad — thanks, Dad!). But fast-forward many years, a husband, and a child later, and it took a bit more help.

kids on a couch

A cry for help.

The second time around I decided I truly needed help. I used CreditRepair.com to help me get my finances in order, get me back on track, and find a clear plan for the future. CreditRepair.com is a leading provider of credit report repair services in the United States. They are a team of credit professionals who educate and empower individuals to achieve the credit scores they deserve. I worked hard, made lifestyle changes, and made plans for my future. I knew I owed it to my growing family to repair my credit and create a better life.

woman with a baby

The holiday spirit.

Part of my struggle with the holidays is the fact that EVERYONE wants to do something extravagant. But I’m beyond that. My number one rule is to NOT go into debt for the holidays. In the end, we’re all exchanging (likely or almost) equally priced treats for one another.

But at what expense? I don’t want my financial security to be ruined because I’m trying to keep up with superficial gift giving. We are all adults. When we want something we work, we save, and we purchase it. And if there’s something that you desperately want, you will get it.

I would rather see the joy on the faces of my children when we are able to take a fun vacation to the beach or go to an event with them. I would rather build memories than give superficial gifts. They will know love and they will know how much the holidays mean. But they will also know that it is more important to avoid financial disaster and avoid going into debt than to celebrate any holiday.

kids with mickey

A quest for financial literacy.

Financial literacy should absolutely be a point of discussion in families, schools, and even work environments, but it isn’t. Until it is, we need to rely on outside resources. CreditRepair.com is there to help.

Your credit score is not written in stone, and you are more than a credit score. CreditRepair.com will help empower  you to work on your credit score, enjoy your life, and make small lifestyle changes to help you achieve your dreams! But your credit won’t fix itself. Get help from CreditRepair.com today with a free consultation and kickstart your credit repair efforts.

Whatever you do this holiday season, please remember that no holiday ‘cheer’ is worth going into debt for. Let’s build our credit scores together with CreditRepair.com.

Getting your credit back on track with creditrepair.com

Kid-Friendly Holiday Decorating Tips

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This post has been sponsored by Big Lots. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Does anyone else feel like for all of the Christmas songs there should be at least a couple tunes for Thanksgiving? I, for one, am beyond excited to have our family over for our first Thanksgiving in our forever home. Our century-old farmhouse is the perfect place to host and decorate for this special occasion.

In our family, Thanksgiving officially kicks off the holiday season. We all have to be separate places on Christmas morning, but for Thanksgiving, we are always together. This years’ total attendance will be 6 adults, 5 (young) children, and 3 dogs.

I picked up all of the necessary decorations and table settings at Big Lots. They’re both adorable and kid-friendly — on a budget. The rustic holiday look with buffalo check, burlap accents, and red vintage feel was exactly what we need to keep the farmhouse-feel.

Big Lots Kid Friendly Decorating Tips

Kid-Friendly Holiday Decorating Tips:

Limit the breakables.

Instead of trying to keep breakable decorations away from my littles, I just eliminate them almost entirely. The items I’ve decorated with are sturdy, inexpensive, and made of soft or plastic materials. No glass here!

buffalo check living room decor

Get them involved.

Want your kids to respect the items you decorate with? Have them help you pick out the items at Big Lots! Getting them involved in the process gets them excited to have the items displayed in your home.

woman sitting on couch with coffee mug

Also? Kids love holiday chores. Get them excited to have company over by enlisting their help setting the table! My kids treat it like a craft project. They get to ‘put together’ all of the seats, plates, and settings.

woman sipping from coffee mug

Don’t take it too seriously.

I know so many people who take their holiday decorating to a whole other level. That’s great, but it also can set you up for major disappointment when something is out of place or doesn’t look right.

hot cocoa in front of christmas tree

Instead, have fun with it. Do you want to put your tree up now? Go for it! You don’t want to stick to one theme? Then don’t! The holidays should be a fun and happy time for everyone. So let it be.

If decorating farmhouse chic isn’t your thing, Big Lots also has a super gorgeous blue and gold line of decor as well as a colorful line! So something for everyone!

christmas living room

What’s your favorite holiday decor trend this season?

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Smoothies, Foodies, and the Vitamix Ascent Series Launch //

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In my constant search for balance in motherhood (and life) I have made certain concessions for the sake of time. For instance, we often forego eggs, toast, and cereal for breakfast in lieu of something we can take on-the-go — like smoothies.

I’m guilty of occasionally using those pre-made frozen smoothie fruit mixes. Yes, I know it’s basically nonsense because it’s just a mix of frozen fruit and still requires me to do the work of blending it all together. But, balance, friends. Lucky for me, we have been using a Vitamix for all the blending, chopping, and dicing in our home for the last 7 years!

So when I was asked to attend the launch of the newest Vitamix Ascent Series at their Solon, Ohio store, I was beyond excited!

Of all of the blogger events I’ve been to, this was quite possibly the most well put together event of all time! We were greeted at the door by the Vitamix store team and we were immediately handed a delicious cocktail, crafted by the Spotted Owl‘s very own Will Hollingsworth!

From there we snacked on mouthwatering appetizers, all made in the newest Vitamix! These Pork Belly Sliders on Brioche were absolutely heavenly!

After seriously munching (and by munching I mean devouring…) on all of this delicious food, we were given the rundown on the newest Vitamix Ascent Series blenders.

Even as a seasoned Vitamix user I learned so much! For instance, I was under the impression that we had to use a dry canister and blade to make our own seasoning or flour; but that simply isn’t true! Unless you’re making a lot — like, a lot — at once, even the regular Vitamix blade can handle it!

To call my bluff, they decided to make powdered sugar right in front of my eyes (PS. how was I so naïve to not know that powdered sugar is legit just sugar ground up into, well, powder?? Don’t judge me,  ya’ll.). Oh, and then they mixed up some ice cream in, like, three seconds (because, yum).

And I was happy to learn that Vitamix really stands true to it’s brand of being a family company with huge ties to the community. Vitamix is built and serviced all within a 200-mile radius! And, for those who may not be familiar, Vitamix offers an incredible warranty program on both their new and refurbished models! Our old Vitamix was a refurbished model and when the motor went, we just shipped it in and it was repaired within a couple of weeks and sent right back to us — at no cost!

In addition, the Vitamix Store offers help and assistance with all of your Vitamix needs. If you have questions abotu techniques? Come into the store. Questions about recipes? Come into the store! They also hold weekly in-store events and culinary classes to help you make the most of your Vitamix!

Seriously the best customer service from any company I’ve had any sort of contact with. 

If you are considering purchasing a Vitamix of your own, I strongly urge you to go check out their store this weekend! The Vitamix Store in Solon is running a huge sale this weekend, March 3rd and 4th, starting at just $199.95!

If you want visual proof at what can be done in a Vitamix (other than smoothies!) check out this delicious soup I made in my new Vitamix! It’s Maple Sweet Potato Soup — and the recipe is straight from The Vitamix Cookbook!

At the end of the day, I think this new Vitamix and I are going to create a more-balanced life for the whole family. Not only do I feel a teeny bit less guilty about feeding the kiddos smoothies every morning, but it’s helping me to break out of my comfort zone and make new dishes (like this soup) that I otherwise would be too nervous to do. So thank you Vitamix and my friends over at the Vitamix Store for such a fun event and fun new toys!

 

Disclosure: At the end of the night I was gifted with my very own Vitamix Ascent Series A3500, the Vitamix Cookbook, a Simply Blending spices ‘cookbook,’ and culinary classes for 2 at the Vitamix Store, in exchange for my honest review of the evening and of the new Vitamix Ascent Series A3500.

 

Saving Money in the New Year // Direct Energy Savings in Ohio!

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itsahero-DE
Winter has hit us in Ohio, finally! Last year was especially cold. And even though El Niño helped to delay winter this year; it’s definitely, definitely here. And we refuse to let our energy bill skyrocket because of it.

And one way of doing so is by reevaluating our electricity rates and finding if we can, first and foremost, save there.

  1. Compare costs. Ohio residents should contact Direct Energy this month to see what special offers they have available. Save up to 14%* over DP&L’s electricity rate, and up to 10%* over Duke Energy’s electricity rate. There’s more! Save up to *5% over The Illuminating Company’s electricity rate, and up to 3%* over Ohio Edison’s electricity rate!
  2. Make sure your windows and doors are energy efficient. If they aren’t, look into replacing them in the Spring! But in the meantime, use window shrink film to keep as much heat in your home as possible!
  3. Unplug appliances when not in use. Guys. This is a major one in our house! We have something plugged into nearly every outlet in our home. Are these things always on? Absolutely not. But they are still using energy!

We’ve definitely been actively doing these things in hopes of saving a few bucks this winter! In addition, we use our wood burning stove when we are home — and we only burn Eco-bricks, which are made up of sawdust, are CO2 neutral, and burn longer than wood. It also helps that Direct Energy offers a fixed-rate energy plan: so our electricity rate won’t fluctuate throughout your contract term. They’re also the only energy provider to be a part of Plenti. You can earn rewards every month with Plenti!
Just go to their website and plug in your zip code!

 

*All savings refers to the current difference between Direct Energy’s fixed rate offer and the Utility’s current Fixed Rate for Basic Service as of January 8, 2016, and does not include any other component of the electricity bill. Utility rates are subject to change and there may be no savings following the respective official utility rate change date. Direct Energy’s fixed rates include electricity supply charges only and excludes delivery/transmission charges, taxes, and all other utility-related charges. Offer is limited and valid for new residential customers only.

 

Budget Friendly Valentine’s Day Date Ideas For Parents //

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Valentine’s Day takes on a much different feel when you are a busy parent. To be honest, Valentine’s Day is, and always has been, just another day. It’s especially easy to see it this way as a parent. Which is why this year it’s extra important to me to at least make this day a little bit special. It’s way too easy to get wrapped up in everyday life.

Here are 5 budget friendly Valentine’s Day date ideas with parents in mind:

itsahero_vday
1. Movie Date Night In. Put a firm time on the kids’ bedtimes for just this one night. Make it non-negotiable. Rent a Redbox movie and some popcorn from the local theater (you heard me — go into the theater just to get popcorn! Sure this seems silly; but it will make your at-home date feel a little bit more like an actual date); pick up your favorite fizzy beverage at the grocery store and head home for a movie-theater-esque date!

Honestly, we try and do this on the regular. We are both huge movie buffs and the addition of actual movie theater popcorn really make these nights feel more like dates. We used to go to the movies at least once a week; but since Ari was born we rarely make it.

2. Game Night. In fact, have a couple of friends that are new parents? Invite them over, too! Chances are there Valentine’s Day is going to be even more low-key than yours is planned to be. You can keep that tiny baby entertained while everyone plays a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity.

We very rarely have a chance to sit down and have fun together at home. When we’re home there’s always something that needs to be done; something that needs to be tended to; a child that needs your attention. Set it all aside for game night. Laugh with your spouse and your friends.

3. Canvas painting and wine session! One of my favorite things to do is go to wine and canvas painting classes. But those: 1. pricey; and 2. require a sitter. So create your own at home! All you need is a vision (which you can find instructional painting videos on YouTube), two canvases, some paint, and a bottle of wine. After the kids go to bed, you have your own studio set up!

4. Have an old-school video game match. Think Nintendo 64’s Wave Race or Mario Kart. Or even a Just Dance match! It’s a great way to challenge your spouse in a little friendly competition.

5. Cook a meal together and have a romantic late-night dinner. With intention. That’s the key. I don’t mean just cook dinner; cause as a busy parent that really just means rushing to feed your kid in the evening. Feed your kids, obviously; but after the kids are asleep, actually cook together — with purpose. Then, enjoy your delicious creation with a little living room floor picnic. No cell phones; no TV; no distractions. Just conversation and a good meal.