Things to do with kids when you are broke

When money is tight there are many things we can do to enjoy life and not break the bank.

Here are a few:

Gather the kids, friends, and friends’ kids for a scenic day hike or a walk. Do a little homework to 

find a good location and take time to talk with kids about what the hike will be like and what things to take along and why. Get them to help make a little home-made safety kit with a few bandages, wipes, and ointment. Take insect repellent and sunscreen and layers of clothing for changes in weather. Don’t forget a lunch – get them to help make it. Talk about the things you see on the hike. Ask them to tell you about things they have learned in school regarding the things they see. Or sing together on part of the walk.

If it is raining, stay home and make something that they like. When my children were young and they wanted a Fisher-Price Star Wars toy, and we didn’t have the money to buy one, I found some cardboard boxes and we made one together. It took a whole day, but they played with it for a long time and because they helped make it, they took care of it.

Go to a free or low cost museum. Sometimes there are small museums that offer a glimpse into things that you or your kids don’t know. It’s worth a peek and then talk about what you see and why they liked it or didn't like it. Make a bowl of popcorn and some hot chocolate and discuss what you learned and how the museum could be improved.

Sometimes the thoughts of owning things are more appealing than actually having them. When we look at what is really most important in our lives and take time to spend with the people we love, then we are rich, no matter how broke we are.

Betsy Hanscom is the owner of Maine Warmers. On her blog you can find out how to make your own rice or corn sock. If you have kids, get them to decorate a sock with felt or other fabric -- nothing metallic -- and make your own rice sock. If you are not broke and want a fun gift, especially for a child with arthritis, consider a gift of an Al-the-Gator heat wrap.

Living within a Budget

Over the years I have written a number of budgets, managed cash-flow, scrimped and saved, and made minor to major financial decisions -- both personal and business-related. Finding a balance between what is needed and what is available is always the trick. We have more wants than needs, and as the song goes, “You can’t always get what you want…  but if you try sometime, you just might find you get what you need.”

When money is tight I tend to first save on food. We don’t go out for dinner. At the end of the day, when I don’t feel like cooking and want something nutritious, instead of buying a pizza or going out, I stop at the grocery store and buy a green salad and a cooked chicken or frozen shrimp or even smoked salmon (depending on what I have to spend).

I used to go to the library frequently. There I could check out all kinds of books from cookbooks to 

fix-it-yourself books, some on how to sew, and others on writing and drawing. When the toilet broke or the faucet leaked I found out how to repair it in a book. If it needed a valve with a plumber’s expertise, then I called one in. In the long run it's less costly to have this kind of repair done correctly than it would to pay for the damage caused from a major water leak. Today, the Internet may offer the same solutions to do-it-yourself household repair.

Starting with a realistic budget is critical. Then finding ways to stick with it is the challenge. Engage the help of your partner if you have one because you will need his or her understanding to make it work. If only one lives within the budget and the other does not, there is sure to be some conflict.

Betsy Hanscom is the owner of Maine Warmers, LLC. She designs microwave heating pads in traditional and animal shapes.

Alternative Therapies for Knee Pain

I would like to participate in a new medical study regarding natural therapies to help sore knees.  According to Eve Jacobs in her article, Knee Deep in Holistic Alternatives, Rutgers Magazine (Winter 2014), Rutgers School of Health Related Professions is participating in a study to discover the effects of massage on knees. 

Our knees support our weight and carry us through so many daily activities they tend to wear out over time or become injured.  Those who suffer from osteoarthritis may be interested to know that massage – not just of the knees, but the whole body – may offer some relief. The idea is that by boosting out immune systems the effects of this condition may be alleviated. For the moment, surgery or drugs offer the only relief, but we'll be eager to learn the results of this study, and maybe consider having more routine massages.

I recently experienced knee pain from standing, with most of my considerable weight on one leg, for long periods of time. A bad choice was not wearing supportive shoes while standing. Once I corrected the posture and foot wear, I returned to exercising, a bit worried that I might do more damage. But after careful exercise, I found my knee was better. Keeping our joints and muscles moving is recommended by health professionals as a way to deal with arthritis.

Keeping blood circulating is important and that might be the reason for the theory that massage helps alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis in the knees. If that is the case, then a bit of heat treatment might help as well. Heat is known to stimulate circulation and improve flexibility.

Maine Warmers’ Knee Pack is a microwaveable heating pad that might be just the thing to bring comfort and blood circulation to the knee. For kids, and kids at heart, Maine Warmers offers an alligator and whale shaped Warmers, among other traditional and animal shaped heating pads that not only provide soothing heat, but bring a smile too. And a smile is healing in itself.

Art and Technology

Artists today can present their designs to the world through the Web. In the past two decades markets have expanded with the technology of computers and the Internet, changing the world of art and marketing. The Internet continues to grow in leaps and bounds, and will continue.

When web sites became well-known and used for shopping in the late 1990's, I saw an opportunity to

Microwave Hand Warmers

market to the world the simple little microwave heating pads I had been designing, making, and giving to friends and family members for years. 

If my father had not introduced me to computers I may not have started Maine Warmers.While taking a Web Site Development class at University of Southern Maine, the instructor kept telling us that a strong resume included good writing skills along with technology skills. An artist creates within technical limitations, and as technology grows the boundaries of what can be accomplished expands.

Due to computers, the internet, and hours of designing, photographing, learning how to run a business, and learning new technologies around web site marketing, I continue to make Maine Warmers microwave heating pads available online. They are sold throughout the US in gift stores and other venues. See our web site for store locations and all of Maine Warmers products on one page.

Unique and Decorative Body Warmers in Animal Shapes