Search Results for: blog theres no place like home 1

Must-Have Travel Accessory for Kids

I’ve spent the last eight years racking up more than 160,000 frequent flyer miles with my daughter during our annual jaunts from Wisconsin to Hawaii.  If all goes according to plan, we can get from our home to my parents’ house in roughly 18 hours. Of course, things rarely go according to plan. Honestly, I’ve lost track of how many hours I’ve spent in various airplanes and airports with a young child who would rather be anywhere other than in an airplane or airport. What I do recall are all of the mistakes I’ve made during those seemingly endless flights. … Continue reading →

Decorating With Love

Does your home reflect who you are or who a magazine says you should be? So many times I have left walls and shelves bare more concerned about finding the right decorations than finding decorations that tell you who I am. My home will never be featured in a magazine. Number one it only stays that clean for a minute after it’s done, the rest of the time is sort of messy chaos, in a friendly, happy way. Secondly, what I love, and what’s important to me aren’t necessarily the things other people love. Family is most important to me, … Continue reading →

Your Time Is Valuable Too

I struggle with saying no to people. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by people who are willing to help Hailey and I at the drop of a hat, and usually those are not the people who put me in a place where I feel guilty about saying no. Being a single mother means you have to rely on other people, people who are not your spouse or your child’s other parent. You have to swallow your pride often and ask for help when things get overwhelming. I have trouble asking for help, I don’t ever want to be … Continue reading →

Saving Money on a New House

One of the easiest ways to save on a mortgage is by making a substantial down payment. The larger your down payment, the less you will have to pay on a monthly basis. In most cases, home buyers are required to cough up at least 20 percent of a home loan in order to avoid Private Mortgage Insurance. Whereas it would be wonderful if we could all put down 20 to 30 percent of our dream home’s total price, many potential buyers struggle to come up with even half that. Fortunately, for many first-time homebuyers, down payment assistance is available. … Continue reading →

Mortgage Relief

Owning a home is still the American dream, but for many of us, that dream is slowly turning into a nightmare. We are all feeling the pinch of this economy. When I bought my home the payment was completely affordable but in the past several years as I’ve had to take pay cuts in order to keep my job, it’s becoming more and more difficult to make that payment every month. It seems that everyone is struggling right now. I know there are people who over extended themselves, bought more house than they could afford and now a majority of … Continue reading →

Home Ownership When You Are Single

It’s the American dream, owning your own home. When I was married we had a house built, when we got divorced he wanted it and I didn’t want to fight about it. My ex husband lost it a few years later and ruined my credit in the process. I thought I would never own a home, I so badly wanted Hailey to have a home, not an apartment to come home to. When you are single it is even more important that you don’t let someone talk you into a home that will stretch your budget. When you are still … Continue reading →

Home Sweet Home

It’s the American dream, owning your own home. When I was married we had a house built, when we got divorced he wanted it and I didn’t want to fight about it. My ex husband lost it a few years later and ruined my credit in the process. I thought I would never own a home, I so badly wanted Hailey to have a home, not an apartment to come home to. When you are single it is even more important that you don’t let someone talk you into a home that will stretch your budget. When you are still … Continue reading →

Tips For Securing A Mortgage

Getting a mortgage is not as easy as you might think. There are many things that could come between you and the financing that you need for your new home. I have collected information about some common mistakes that can hurt your chances of getting a mortgage so that you can avoid them. One thing that can hurt your chances of getting a mortgage is applying for other credit around the same time as the mortgage, such as a car loan or a new credit card. Also, job hopping makes lenders hesitant to approve a mortgage because they can not … Continue reading →

Have Fun at the Airport

It is possible. Of course, “fun” is a relative term. Whether your time at the airport is self-imposed or you got slammed by an airline like me (Bitter? Maybe.), then you might find the following information quite helpful. Believe it or not there are airports that are helping passengers pass the time with fun events, amenities and activities, such as: LAX Foodies have one more reason to welcome a layover at Los Angeles International Airport. Pink’s, the legendary Hollywood hot dog stand, just opened a branch of the popular eatery in the pre-security food court at the Tom Bradley International … Continue reading →

Passenger-Friendly Airports

Take it from someone who recently spent 13 hours straight at Chicago’s (in)famous O’Hare thanks to American Airlines’ lack of well engineered planes and even worse professional conduct, there’s only so much one can do in an airport before going stir crazy. Did I mention I was trapped at O’Hare with a tired, hungry and antsy kindergartner? Yeah. Thankfully, some U.S. airports are trying to become a bit more passenger-friendly. Granted, no one should be forced to sit in an airport for 13 hours straight, but if you ever find yourself in a wretched situation similar to mine, then aim … Continue reading →