Mom Is Teaching

This was originally written and posted on Purpl4 Trail but some things are just too good to mess with.  So, hang on as Purple Train entertains us once again.

PurpleTrail is a brand new way to organize and manage parties, get-togethers, events and meetings. With it’s fresh perspective, PurpleTrail brings together some of the best features and experiences to help you easily manage your event.

Short video Tour - http://purpletrail.com/pt2/cons/mkt/tour/

Since the trend has become save not spend our money, many of us aren’t going out as often as we’d like to.  But that doesn’t mean we have to fore go a social life completely!  Instead get innovative and find creative ways to stay in with your friends.  You can start by creating a dinner club.

A dinner club is a great way to keep in touch and get a meal out! Get a group of friends together that enjoy some great food and wine.  Rotate houses monthly.  The person hosting is responsible for a modest dinner and the guests are responsible for dessert and drinks. Establish some ground rules like the meal can’t cost over x amount per person and the wine can’t exceed x amount per bottle to keep everyone on the same page (and from going overboard!) You can bring the kids along and let them play or consider hiring one babysitter for all the kids as the adults enjoy a meal together. You can split the cost of the sitter with everyone who brings their children.

To much mix it up, try creating various themes like “Italian feast” and make Italian food, bring Italian wine and maybe a little gelato for dessert! Or  a ” comfort food”  theme where you serve mac n’ cheese, and some hot fudge sundays.

As for some activity ideas, you can play board games, watch family friendly movies or play some old favorites like charades or pictionary! Check out PurpleTrail’s printable games for some great group entertainment ideas!

Fabulous and Single? A dinner club is still a fantastic way to keep your social life going without spending your paychecks on $12 cocktails.  Each time your group meets, invite everyone to bring a friend, that way you are constantly meeting new people.

If you don’t want to make it a dinner club, make it a dessert club or wine club instead.  Any kind of club that everyone is interested in putting a little effort into will be fun.

Keep everyone on the same page by using PurpleTrail online invites.  It’s easy to communicate and coordinate a bring along list with PurpleTrail. Bon Appetite!

We’ve discussed public schools versus homeschools until at some point I think we’ve probably beat a dead horse.  But, hey, it is what it is.  So, what about a Private school versus a public school?  How do you all feel about that?

For me personally, it’s not an option.  There are a couple of private religious schools but the one I would opt for is a good 45 min drive one way and is mega super expensive.  And, thus, we are handling our child’s education through public schools…all be it quite grumpy about it most of the time, that’s just how it has to be.

So, what about you folks out there?  Are private schools an option?  Are private schools or even religious private schools an option for you?  Even those of you who homeschool, if there were a private school alternative, would you do it?

If you want to check out the article on Mama Source and see what folks over there are saying and you can even jump in and add some to it if you want.  One of the questions comes from someone from Malaysia who admits to being very confused about the education system here and well, that makes a bunch of us who are confused about public education here. 

And, of course, there’s the ever important pre-k for those folks in states like mine (Alabama) where pre-k is not a state funded program versus those where pre-k is a lottery funded (Georgia I know for sure- been there, taught that) system. 

Honestly, if I could stress one thing to each and every parent out there, it is to keep yourself abreast of all that is going on in your school, read those notes, no matter how many, how long, how short they are, read them, know what’s going on…..otherwise, I’d have never known about the candy reward program…….

What do you think?