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Invest in their future on 529 Day!

May 25, 2020 by Rachel 29 Comments

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions herein are my own.

We have been on a roller coaster lately. Times of uncertainty have been upon us and our children are going through something that will forever change their lives. Their education has been transformed overnight. Parents are working harder than ever to keep up with working and schooling, whilst also planning for the future.

There isn’t just one way to educate

Education happens in so many ways. Over these last few months, I’ve come to not only appreciate my children’s educators even more, but I’ve also learned that education comes in so many forms. Playing outdoors, making kitchen science experiments, and even planting a garden are incredible ways of learning. My 7-year-old even took part in an online coding camp!

Education doesn’t stop at school

We all now know this (whether we wanted to or not!). Our children are always learning, always listening, and always growing. Literally every single part of their days are spent learning about the world around them. And it’s our job to help nurture the process of education.

Invest in your child’s future with Ohio’s 529 Plan

As an adult with a decent amount of student loan debt, I can attest to the fact that the cost of higher education can be daunting. Regardless of your child’s age, opening an account with Ohio’s 529 Plan right now is the perfect way to invest in their future education.

Ohio’s 529 Plan can be used across the country at both 2- and 4-year programs and technical schools. Using the College Saving Planner you can see how an investment of any amount today can truly help cover the cost of schooling later!

Your child doesn’t need to know what they want to be today. My son still says he wants to be a YouTuber. But tomorrow he may say he wants to be a video game engineer. And, heck! He’ll probably at some point say he wants to be an electrician. The point is, any financial investment in Ohio’s 529 Plan today will help him to be whatever his heart desires. He can use the funds for a 4-year school as an engineer, or he can use the funds towards a technical school to be an electrician.

You only need a few items to start the process of opening Ohio’s 529 Plan and you do not need to be a resident of the state of Ohio! In fact, if you are an out-of-state grandparent or relative of a child and would like to give the gift of education, this is a great way to start. You can open and contribute to the plan for the beneficiary of your choosing.

Ohio's 529 Plan - Invest with Confidence

What better time to make an investment in Ohio’s 529 Plan than on May 29th?!

May 29th, or “529 Day,” is a day to highlight the importance of higher education. Ohio’s 529 Plan has partnered with BlackRock Investments to host a webinar (which you can find here) to provide helpful tips on how to save and prepare for the future during a volatile market. The webinar is completely free and will provide you with all the tips to help you invest in your children’s future with confidence!

The benefits of investing in Ohio’s 529 Plan

Investing in Ohio’s 529 Plan means you’re accruing tax-free compound interest towards your future education expenses. You’ll also receive a tax deduction of up to $4,000 per year for each beneficiary. You can use this tool to see the real Cost of Waiting to see just how much your money can grow by investing in an Ohio’s 529 Plan versus a low-interest savings account.

But what about market turbulance?

Ohio’s 529 Plan has teamed up with BlackRock to discuss this very thing during a live webinar on May 28th. You can register for this webinar at no charge here.

Check out my video for information on how to get started!

Tell me — how many of you could use $250 to start your Ohio 529 Plan?!

PIN ME - Invest in your children's education with Ohio's 529 Plan

Giving Gifts that Give Back

November 29, 2019 by Rachel 19 Comments

After becoming a mom, one thing became crystal clear — Christmas is 100%, entirely about the children. Not just my children, but all children. This holiday season my children and I are using the spirit of Christmas and shopping at Gordman’s to give back to St. Jude’s.

I took my littlest helper to our local Gordman’s to grab some gifts while the big kids were in school. Since our main prerogative for this trip was a mission to give back, we picked up some toys at deep discounts to donate to our local children’s hospital. This week we are wrapping the gifts and my kids are going to turn them over to kids who will be stuck in the hospital for the holidays.

Bear’s That Care

I also purchased a couple of Bear’s That Care! Bears That Care is a partnership between Gordman’s and St. Jude’s Research Hospital. Gordman’s will donate $2 of each Bear sold this season to St. Jude’s. St. Jude’s believes that no family should have to worry about a medical bill while just trying to make sure their child lives.

How you can give back

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is December 3rd. Consider giving a donation to St. Jude’s Research Hospital this holiday season.

Use the hashtag #BearsThatCare

From now until December 31st, Gordman’s will donate $1 to St. Jude’s for every time you use the hashtag #BearsThatCare on Instagram. How easy is that? If you’re going to use hashtags, add this into your post!

toddler looking at camera with teddy bear

Shop at Gordman’s and buy a Bear

Shopping at Gordman’s for gifts is at a deep discount is a given; but while you’re there, consider picking up the St. Jude’s bear.

Teach your children the power of giving back

As parents, we are delivering lessons to our children daily. Make one of those lessons the tradition of giving back this holiday season. Help in a soup kitchen, deliver toys to the hospital, or donate to a food drive. However you choose to make a difference, get your children involved in the process.

Tell me — how are you going to give back this holiday season?

Gift Giving that Gives Back with Gordman's

Experience Holiday Family Fun at Pinecrest

November 25, 2019 by Rachel 34 Comments

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

Now that I’m a mom of three little kids, I’ve found that gift-giving to adults can be difficult, to say the least. We have two sets of grandparents to ‘buy’ for and, quite honestly, none of them need any more ‘stuff.’

But the act of gift-giving is still important. As is creating a magical holiday season for our children. So, as a family of 5, we are creating ways that our children can both have fun this season and make and create gifts that their relatives will enjoy for years to come.

Family-Friendly Events

There are so many opportunities for family fun at Pinecrest this holiday season.

Tomorrow, November 26th marks the beginning of Skate in Central Park and this event is open daily through January 5th, 2020! Bring your own skates, or rent at the rink!

If ice skating isn’t your thing, there are other events to check out. Mingle with Kringle while you’re out shopping, or check out the choreographed light show, Pinecrest Nights of Lights.

Check out the full holiday event schedule here.

Creative Gift-Giving

Gifts made with love are the best types of gifts, am I right? This year we decided to make all of our grandparents’ gifts at Pinecrest.

Color Me Mine

My kids ADORE painting. I, on the other hand, would prefer not to have them ruin my kitchen table. Color Me Mine brings both my desire for cleanliness and my children’s desire to paint together in perfect harmony!

Color Me Mine, a DIY paint-your-own pottery studio. Their options of pieces range from small to extra-large, and they offer over 60 colors.

My children took approximately five hundred minutes picking out their pieces to paint. But, where they lacked in decision making, they made up for in creativity.

I have to include major props to the employees of Pinecrest Color Me Mine. See, I had Mila with me and I was unable to be as hands-on with the big kids as I originally intended. But the employees helped my big littles bring their visions to fruition.

We picked up our finished pieces after the glazing process was complete (within just a few days). My kids are obsessed and they cannot wait to give them away as gifts to their grandparents.

The Candle Studio

Making candles is one of my favorite experiences. My kids have been dying to try their hand at it, so we decided to try The Candle Studio.

The employees at the Candle Studio were incredibly patient with my kids. They explained the steps from picking out their scents, to deciding on a container, and then mixing it all together. It was adorable to see them run back and forth to find scents they liked. It turns out they both like watermelon and bubble gum (shocker).

I sipped on a local craft beer as my kids decided the perfect watermelon to bubble gum ratio for each of their respective candles. Surprisingly, both of their candles smell different, despite both using the same two scents! Mixing is everything, friends!

I, on the other hand, mixed my own candle with a variation of hops and pine scent. Basically, it smells like Christmas beer.

I was surprised at how easy (and fun!) the Candle Studio was with young kids. I fully expected them to have zero interest and for me to be doing all of the work. But that wasn’t the case at all! They loved it. And just ninety-minutes later, we picked up our finished soy candles for the grandparents.

Making Memories Through Experiences

I know that these gifts aren’t extravagant, but they are perfect. Their grandparents will know full-well what kind of effort they put into these handcrafted presents. They will see the joy in the eyes of their grandchildren as they open up these gifts made by teeny hands.

The memories we’ve created will last a lifetime. Long after the soy candle has been burned down and well after the dust has settled on the unicorn tealight holder Remy made (sorry, Mimi — hope you like bright pink unicorn tealight holders! 😛 ).

Make your own memories this holiday season and discover all of the holiday magic at Pinecrest.

Fall Family Bucket List + Printable Checklist!

September 27, 2019 by Rachel 26 Comments

I’ve never been to keen on Summer. But Fall? Fall is my dream come true. It’s something that I’ve also passed on to my children. They love all things pumpkin, all things sweater, and all things

Instead of trying to meet impossible standards (thanks, Pinterest), try and focus on the simplicity of the season.

I’ve rounded up a small list of my favorite Fall Family Bucketlist Items for you to check out. Make sure to pin and save the printable below!

Visit a Pumpkin Patch

What could be more basic than a pumpkin patch?! Nothing! But that’s the beauty of the season. My husband and I bought our pumpkins from the store once. And, at the time, that was fine. But there’s just something about picking out your own pumpkin — flaws and all — that makes the carving and painting process that much more special.

Go on a Hayride

One of my favorite memories as a child is my families annual hayride. The hayride was actually a “haunted hayride” at our towns Century Village. Truth be told, it was always a bit spooky, but it was also incredibly fun.

Over the last several years, the little family of my own has done a more traditional hayride. And every year the kids love it more and more.

Does it matter that we’re only going through the pumpkin patch? Heck no! It’s amazing to them nonetheless.

Jump in a Leaf Pile

If I could name my top three most-despised adult chores they would rank the following: 1. Laundry. 2. Dishes. 3. Raking leaves.

Funny enough, until recently we’ve never had a large yard. But year after year we would spend countless hours raking (and blowing) the leaves in our yard. It felt like an impossible task, as there were always, always, more leaves to rake.

Now, with kids, I see things much differently. The idea of raking leaves actually brings me joy… because I know how much my kids love jumping into leaf piles.

Pumpkin Painting or Carving

I’m going to admit something to you right now — I am not great at carving pumpkins. And also? The whole process can be a bit exhausting.

The tracing, the gutting, the cutting… I’m not the best or most patient with this process. So there have been years where we opt for pumpkin painting instead. And guess what? The kids still adore it. That’s what I call a win-win, folks!

Trick-or-Treating

Okay, so maybe this one seems like a given. But when my kids were teeny I considered not taking them. And that would have been a huge mistake. There’s nothing cuter than a teeny tiny first-time trick-or-treater. It’s, like, a fact. Everyone will ooh and ahh over how cute your little pumpkin looks.

So suit them up, take them out for approximately 20-minutes, get a few pictures and a handful of candy, and call it a night.

Bake Cookies

I know that the holidays are generally the time for baking all of the things. But, for me, Christmas is just too busy of a season to truly enjoy baking. It feels more like a chore than a fun event.

Instead, my kids and I bake cookies and other treats in the Fall. We decorate cutout cookies to look like mummies and ghosts; throw together a Fall-themed trail mix; and snack on goodies like Chocolate-mummy-pretzel rods!

Apple Picking

I’m sure we’ve all recently seen the meme about buying apples from the store for $5 versus taking your family on a grand excursion to pick their own apples for $25, but there’s something to be said about seeing where our food comes from.

We are lucky to have several apple orchards within a few minutes of our house, so we’ll pick a nice day in early Fall (during honeycrisp season) and go to an orchard.

Drink Apple Cider

Is there anything better than warm, mulled, apple cider? The answer is no. Definitely not.

Grab a couple of mulled cider recipes from here and here and enjoy with the family on a cool, Fall evening.

Be sure to print this handy checklist to keep track of all of your Fall Family Fun!

Tell me — what’s your favorite Fall family activity?

Why Wait? Open an Ohio 529 Plan Today

September 19, 2019 by Rachel 50 Comments

September is already upon us and the school year is back in full swing! Moms everywhere are already tired of packing lunches, helping with homework, and scrambling for outfits every morning.

But the thing is is that the end of the school year will be here before we know it. And then another Summer will fly by. Then we’ll be starting another school year. And soon enough, those kids we were sending off to kindergarten will be graduating high school. It will all happen before we know it.

As a parent still struggling with their own student loan debt, I knew I wanted to set my own children up for success from the start. So Chad and I started a 529 Plan for Ari when he started school.

What is a 529 Plan?

A 529 Savings Plan is a lot like a 401k. It’s an easy, tax-friendly way to save for your children’s higher education. Ohio’s 529 Plan can be used across the country for 2-year and 4-year programs as well as technical schools.

Ohio’s 529 plan makes it incredibly easy to open and start saving for the future. They offer tools like the College Savings Planner to help you figure out how much your investment will impact your students’ future education. You can also check out this Cost Of Waiting Tool to see just how inaction can negatively impact your higher education finances.

Right now my first grader wants to be a YouTuber. But, heck, at his age I wanted to be a singer. Things change… quickly. In 5 years he may want to be a doctor or even a welder. Who knows.

But I do know that he will have options. He can decide whether a two or 4-year school is in his cards. He can decide if a trade school will be best for him.

It’s so easy to get started.

There are only a few things you truly need to start Ohio’s 529 plan.

Your ID, social security number, telephone number, address, your date of birth, and your mothers maiden name.
The telephone number, social security number, address, and date of birth of your successor (someone to take over the account should something happen to you).
And lastly, the date of birth, telephone number, address, and social security number of the person you’re saving for.

That’s it. Easy peasy, right? Exactly.

So why wait?

Don’t. Give your children the tools they need to be successful. Engage them in learning and nurture their passions. But also provide them with the financial support they will need in the future, now.

Click here to get started with your very own Ohio 529 Plan.

8 Tips For The Perfect Day Trip to Great Wolf Lodge

August 21, 2019 by Rachel 28 Comments

It’s nearly the end of Summer and here in the Midwest, that can only mean one thing — snow is just around the corner! While some may think that being in the Midwest means constant cold through the Winter months, the exact opposite can — and is! — true!

Did you know that Great Wolf Lodge now offers Day Passes for those who want to visit without staying in their hotel accommodations?

We recently took a day trip to our Sandusky Great Wolf Lodge to check it out. What we came back with was a SUPER good time and a LOT of tips for those planning a day trip for themselves.

Here’s what you need to know about a Day Trip to Great Wolf Lodge:

Arrive Early.
The waterpark hours change seasonally, so be sure to check your locations’ hours.
Arrive just when the waterpark is opening to avoid a rush. The folks who have stayed overnight are not yet up. Plus, that days’ check-ins haven’t arrived yet either.
Leave the towels at home!
The waterpark at Great Wolf Lodge has towels available for guests to use, so it’s not necessary to pack yours from home.
Have a plan for meals.
A day of fun at the waterpark will leave your children with a seemingly insatiable hunger. The good news is that GWL has a lot of options.
There are options for seated dining, quick dining in the park, and other options (like pizza!) in the resort itself.
As a family of 5, it was most cost-effective to just order a large pizza and a couple of sides for lunch. I kid you not, my picky eaters finished the. entire. pizza! Bonus points? It truly was delicious.
Check the daily schedule for activities.
Scheduled events range from character appearances to storytime. The event calendar changes daily, so check your location’s website for the can’t-miss land attractions. It will help to give a break from the water attractions.
Rent a locker.
Without a room to leave your belongings in, the easiest way to ensure that our belongings were safe while we were enjoying the attractions was to rent a locker.
The lockers were on-site in the waterpark, easily accessible, and made me feel so much better about the safety and security of my valuables.
Leave the puddle jumpers at home!
The waterpark is equipped with both lifevests and puddle jumpers for kids of all ages and sizes, so there is no need to bring any floatation devices from home.
Obviously, a lifejacket or puddle jumper doesn’t mean a child is 100% safe in the water (they never are — and you should always watch your children around water), but it does provide some small sense of relief regarding having a child in the water and on the water slides.
Wear sandals or flipflops.
Putting your shoes on and off to go between the waterpark and dry activities will definitely happen and there’s a fairly good chance you won’t be completely dry. I suggest wearing shoes such as flipflops or sandals.
Be prepared for exhausted children.
At the end of the day, your children will, without a doubt, be exhausted. Be prepared for your children to sleep on the way home.

My final tip — HAVE FUN! Well, that’s honestly the easiest part, right?

Want more information? Check out Great Wolf Lodge for pricing on Day Passes and overnight accommodations.