Colossians 3:5 says “Don’t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry.”

Ouch. I’m pretty sure I’m materialistic even if I don’t want to be. And I’m teaching my kids to be materialistic and how to idolize “stuff”.

I have a fear of letting go of my “stuff”. What if I need it?

The bottom line is where is my heart? Where do I place my value? In God or possessions? Have I set up an idol above God?

Those are hard questions. Ones I don’t really want to answer.

Solution? One way to guard against greed is to be a giver. I can definitely be more of a giver and not a hoarder of what I have. I’d rather lay up my treasures in heaven than on earth.

I recently took my first trip as a single mom of 3 kids to Disney World. I wasn’t too scared since I have done a few mini trips to visit family. Even so, Disney World is a BIG undertaking for a single parent. I wanted to share one of the things that I learned about evenings.

If you stay in the parks late, figure out what you will do if the kids fall asleep on the way to the bus. I had not thought of this potential problem.

I have 1 child walking, who is clearly awake, but child #2 & #3 fell asleep each night in the stroller.

Dilemma: How do I fold the stroller up for the bus when I have 2 sleeping kids and only one of me?

Solution: My oldest was thankfully old enough to carry my youngest. She would be in charge of her. My #2 child? Well, I had no choice but to wake him up. By the last night, he would not wake up as easily and would be half asleep walking toward the bus, falling down, running into things, etc. Thankfully, on the last night, the family behind me guided my child to the bus.

That left me to fold up and carry the heavy double stroller onto the bus, hoping I wouldn’t fall over. I also had a loaded backpack on my back that was pretty heavy with our ponchos, fans, food, drinks, etc.

The buses were packed like sardines at night, so it was a very tight fit for me with my huge backpack and huge stroller. My kids and I would sometimes be separated because there might only be seats in the back, but I needed to stay in the front with my stroller. Nights were not fun.

On the last night, I received alot of help from the other guests. Someone carried my stroller on and off the bus for me. I actually had 2 people offer on the way off. God was watching over me and provided the help that I needed. That was the first time anyone offered to help me my entire trip, but it was the end of our trip when help was much appreciated. We were tired.

Today, I spent 4 hours at the bins and brought home 30lbs of clothing. I’m trying hard to find more within a short amount of time, but this seems to be average for me. I know I’m slow. I’m still looking things up on my phone. Some items I know will sell, but for some brands, I forget. That could be what’s slowing me down.

My typical schedule at the bins is source for 1.5 hours and then start sorting for rejects. I get there at opening so that I will get a cart – they are gone within hours by those who take 4 or 5. I’m usually mentally done by noon.

My “peave” for today: A lady was next to me busy picking clothes out of the bins. She kept moving toward me as if I wasn’t there and finally got right in front of me looking for and pulling clothes right from me, clearly crossing a boundary. Yes, it’s dog eat dog world at the bins, but most people are a little more respectful.

One of my finds from another visit:

A Floppy Seat Cover. My bins charge $.99/lb, so I got this for about $3 and sold it for $15+ shipping.

My heart’s desire is to continue to homeschool my three children even though I am now a single mom of three kids. Two are in elementary and one in PreK.

I’m not sure how I will be able to support myself, but I’m going to try. I know there are plenty of single moms and dads who make it work.

At first I thought I had to “settle” for a 8-5 job. I wasn’t sure how that would work since I haven’t worked in 15 years. However, I realized my desire is to stay home with my kids as much as I can. I want a flexible schedule to be there for them for whatever is going on. I also don’t want them in day care or before/after school care. I know how it feels to have both parents working outside the home. My parents weren’t available during the day for me.

As I started Googling “working from home” online, I came across the idea of selling on Amazon through their FBA program. It reasonated with me. I learned all I could about it and started about a year ago. Selling online is not new to me. I sold heavily in eBay before I had my first child 9 years ago. Because of this, I learned quickly.

My first summer, coincided with the first summer where my kids would be at their dad’s for 2 days at a time. I worked long hours going to thrift stores to find books to sell. Books are cheap and require less capital than other things. I used this time to experiment with selling.

Once school began, I struggled balancing it all. I hate to be working when my kids aret available, so I probably did less than I should or could have.

Over a year’s time, I have built my business to a point where there’s no turning back mentally. I can’t fathom doing anything else.

My business has grown, but not to a point where I can live off of what I make. I’ve made some adjustments and have started eBay on the side. Selling on eBay can give me a quick turn around of capital since capital has been a big issue. My capital is usually tied up in unsold inventory at Amazon. I don’t always have the money to buy more inventory to sell. eBay has helped a lot.

I look forward to seeing how much more my business will grow in the next year. I know more than I did and can use that to my advantage.

I’ve only stayed at a Deluxe Resort before. This was my first time staying at a Moderate and I was skeptical that I would love the Caribbean Beach Resort.

My Fears vs Reality
Fear: I wouldn’t feel like I was at Disney.

Reality: Since we would not be coming and going through a major building, there would be no Cast Members to see who would greet us each day. I was wrong. I still felt like I was at Disney. There were TV’s in the food court playing Disney cartoons. My kids loved them! I would walk through the gift shop each day to get to the food court, so I would see Disney and Cast Members each day greeting me.

Fear: Buses would be an issue.

Reality: I had heard that there would be a long wait for the buses. Because we stayed in Jamaica, we were first for bus pickup. Sometimes we were first for drop off too. It would just depend on the route the buses took back. The buses really weren’t that bad. I was pleased.

Fear: The room might be a tad too small.

Reality: The room size was doable. I did not go crazy or feel like I had no space. We had enough room to “park” the double stroller inside. The room size wasn’t too bad for a hotel room.

Fear: The walk would be too long to get anywhere on the property.

Reality: We stayed in Jamaica which was not too far from Old Port Royal where all the food was. The walk was not that bad with 3 kids. The walk to the bus wasn’t too bad either.

Pros & Cons of the Resort:

Cons:

• Few bath amenities. The resort only provided soap, shampoo and conditioner. It may have changed, but I remember lotion being offered at the Beach Resort. Only a minor detail.
• Smaller storage area. It seemed smaller than I remembered at the Deluxes.
• No enclosed closet – there is an open “closet” area near the sinks. We stowed our suitcases there, but it would’ve been nice to have it closed in. Even so, this isn’t a deal breaker.
• The pull down bed was a nice option, but it was a little high off the floor and I was afraid that my child would fall off. None of my kids were interested in sleeping on it. That said, it’s a good option for those families who could make use of it.

Pros:

• Food court. I love the food court option! At the Beach Club, there are only sit down restaurants. No where to grab a quick meal. Yes, they have a few food items in the gift shop, but it’s not the same. If we didn’t have a reservation somewhere, we had no where to eat at the Beach Club. At Caribbean Beach, I loved having the option to get food whenever I wanted and I liked the options provided. We did not get tired of the food since we didn’t eat there all the time.
• A sliding barn door option over the sink area. This gave more privacy for changing. Even though the sinks are sort of hidden in a deluxe, I liked having the barn door. You could close the barn doors and leave the door to the bathroom/shower open so that you felt like you had “more” room and not feel too claustrophobic in the small bathroom.
• I loved walking to the food court each morning. It was a quiet walk since I was up before the rush. At the Beach Club, I would sit on the balcony each morning wishing I could partake of the quiet stillness of morning. At the Caribbean Beach, I had to leave my room and walk outside to go get breakfast. I “had” to partake in the morning stillness. I loved it!
• The pool was nice. My son loved the pirate area. My oldest daughter loved the water slides. I liked that the slides were near the main pool area. At the Beach Club, the slide was some distance from the main pool and I had to walk over to it to supervise my children. Here, I could stay in the main pool and supervise the kids.

Would I stay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort again? Yes!

It’s a no brainer for me. I choose to stay on property for the benefits. The added cost of staying on property offsets the cost of the rental car plus the hassle of having to bring a car seat on the plane. I like the convenience of Magical Express plus the transportation in park (I know the buses are large enough to hold my double stroller).

Since finances are an issue, I was willing to stay in a Value Resort. However, I had my hesitations because I’ve only stayed in a Deluxe Resort. Will I be able to “downgrade”? Will I be ok there? Will I be miserable?

Things I was concerned about with a Value:
– I’ve heard that they can be loud
– The rooms are smaller
– The ambiance

I have 3 kids. I’m worried that I may go crazy with 4 of us in a room, all – by – myself. Every inch in a room is valuable, so would a larger room, even if it’s just a few inches, be better for me?

Should I seek a quieter resort? Will all the outside kid noise bother me since I could already be on edge with my own 3 kids?

But then there’s the cheaper cost of a Value. You can’t beat that.

Sigh….

What did I decide on?

I found a good rate for Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort- only a hundred more for our entire 5 night stay. It’s not a Deluxe, but it might be quieter and the rooms are “slightly” bigger. I haven’t stayed here before, but I hope that I will find it a good compromise. Spend a little more for a little more sanity. There are no guarantees, of course. But, I’ll try it.

My kids seemed to like this resort’s pool more than the Values. They are used to Stromalong Bay at the Beach Club. That’s what they remember and where they want to stay this time. I wish we could afford it. The Caribbean Beach Resort has a water slide that is appealing to them.

In the end, I’m excited to try a new resort! I will look at it as a new adventure for our family.

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I must be crazy. I’m planning a trip to Disney World with my 3 kids. The oldest is 7 and the youngest is 3. On my last trip, I was married and had the help of another adult. This time? Not so much. I might have a family member join me, but it’s not a given.

I love Disney and have been wanting to go back for awhile. I don’t want to let my singless get in the way. I want to live life! I don’t want to be confined. I have the privilege of being the main custodial parent of my children, so I don’t often get to do alot of “fun” things. I guess “fun” is relative. The “fun” of a single’s life without kids (like my ex) is different than the “fun” of a family with children.

Anyway, I wasn’t sure if I should go, but this is the perfect time age-wise for my kids (as if there isn’t a perfect time). My youngest LOVES Minnie Mouse. I can’t wait to see her excitement (or horror) when she finally meets her in person. I long for the memories we will make as a family.

When planning my trip, I have to be prepared for some challenges that I might face:

Challenge #1 – Hunger. I must bring snacks and remember to feed my kids are regular intervals. I can forget this in all the stuff going on.

Challenge #2 – Crankiness. Sometimes this is a result of being hungry (see Challenge #1) or being dehydrated. I need to remember to have them drink water often.

Challenge # 3 – Weather. I know my limitations. While the Value months are the best for saving money, it will be humid hot! I can barely stand it when I don’t have kids. Since I’m on my own, I know the humidity would zap my strength, the strength that I need to take care of my kids and push a double stroller around the park. So, I’ve decided to go when it’s not so humid, even if I have to pay more.

Challenge #4 – Keeping this trip as cheap as possible. Nothing is cheap with Disney, but if I can keep it cheap, that would work well with our budget. However, there is a balance to cheap vs just good plain sense. (That’s for another blog post.)

Challenge #5 – Fatigue. I don’t know how I’m going to make it on my own. I have hashimotos which makes me tired on a daily basis. Some days are better than others. But, I’m determined to do it.

Challenge #6 – Getting out the hotel door at a decent hour. It’s hard getting 3 kids ready on my own! You have to tell them multiple times to do one thing. I’m trying to train them to do what I say right away, to be responsible for their own well being, but it’s just not happening. They still take forever to get ready in the morning. On my last trip, we made it out the door by 10Am. That’s late for Disney! I want to be there are park opening this year and make the most of our trip. I’m not sure how that will work yet.

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When I was at my local Sprouts store, I spied this new “cheezecake” from Daiya. Because I am dairy free, I have not had cheesecake in awhile, so this new product looked appealing.

My only hesitation was that the brand was Daiya. I’ve tried their cheese and I can’t really get used to the different taste. Would the cheesecake taste similarly? But, cheesecake is not made with cheese, so maybe that’s a plus. Since this is sweet, maybe it would mask any bad tastes.  The cheesecake was a little pricey, like most gluten free sweets, but I bought it anyway. I couldn’t resist.

When I opened up the box, I found that it is a small cheesecake. I guess that’s normal and ok since I don’t need to eat alot anyway. It’s packaged in plastic to keep it fresh.

How did it taste? Yummy! It tasted like the real thing! It did not resemble the shredded Daiya cheese that I’ve tried in the past. I was definitely impressed. When eating it, I forgot that this was “fake” cheesecake.  This is something that I would buy again.

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Since my financial situation has changed, I’ve been frequenting thrift stores. As a newbie, I’ve noticed a few things:

1. Every thrift store has a different pricing structure. Some thrift stores charged higher prices than others. Each store will price things like books and clothes differently. Just because you bought a pot for $2 at one store, doesn’t mean that you’ll find it for that same price at others.
2. Things are not necessarily cheaper at a thrift store. I ran into a few high prices where I could almost get the same item brand new for the same price.
3. Some stores have a dressing room, some do not.
4. Some stores do not accept credit cards. I found the large chains like Arc and Goodwill do accept credit cards while some of the smaller stores did not. I would say that a majority do accept cards. Just prepared for that one or two that do not.
5. Items are color coded and on certain days of the week, a certain color may be half off.
6. In stores where the price is not listed on the item (like books), double check what your cashier charges you. I had some childrens books that were supposed to be $.50 each, but the cashier charged me the adult book price of $1.00. I didn’t catch it in time.
7. You can find some really good cheap treasures if you are there at the right time. It’s amazing what people give away!

This past weekend, I drove my 3 kids and I to visit a town in the mountains (Estes Park, CO). This is a huge accomplishment!

Why? Normally:

• I am scared to drive too far for fear of falling asleep
• I’m afraid to drive into the mountains because I get motion sick
• I’m afraid of the possibility of scary narrow roads in the mountains
• It’s too tiring to get 3 kids ready for an all day excursion
• We can’t seem to get out of the house before 10AM, which limits our day.
• I like staying home.

Now that I am a single parent, I feel more adventurous. I can’t be afraid or else I would do nothing.

Despite my thyroid still being off, I was feeling pretty clear headed for the first time in awhile and was actually able to get everything ready the night before. I printed the directions, got lunches ready, and packed bags.  Normally, I can’t think that far in advance. I used to be able to, but I have felt so brain foggy that it’s hard to think ahead.

We did get out the door around our usual 10AM time despite my goal of 9AM. Even though it was later than I wanted, I still plowed ahead with our plans. I wanted to get out and do something!

I think it took about 1.5-2 hours to get there. I made it! The roads were a little scary, but not too bad as long as I focused on the road and not the huge drops on the side of the road.

Rocky Mountain National Park was having a free day, which was the main reason for the trip. I braved the roads and drove quite far into the park. We couldn’t find any parking since it was so crowded, but I tried! Only on the way out did I happen to find one spot near a creek. My kids loved playing near the water, picking up sticks, running around, etc. I was surprised!

One good thing about the park on this particular day was the visitor’s center. It just happened to be Earth Day, so there were kid’s activities set up. My children loved it! Got some free homeschooling in!

We found a path near the Estes Park Visitor’s Center where my kids can ride their bikes. Next time we come, we will do this hike. I can’t believe that I’m thinking about a “next time”. I’ve always wanted to visit this area, but haven’t had the chance or nerve to. Now, I can’t wait to come back and explore more of Estes Park.

I figured I drove for maybe 4 hours. In light of that, perhaps I could do that 8 hour road trip I’ve been wanting to do sometime? 8 hours seems so daunting.

I’m ready to live life, explore, go on adventures and find the joy in living! I want to make memories with my children and for them to remember this time of life as fun.