Just recently, I wrote about PNC Bank and Sesame Street teaming up to teach children about spending, sharing and saving money and now more institutions are following suit.  It’s good to see that most people are finally realizing that teaching our young ones about money is just as important as potty-training.

In a day and age where our children our constantly bombarded with advertisements filled with messages like “you want me,” “buy me,” “this is the best toy ever,” teaching financial consciousness is harder than ever.  Plus, truth be told, many kids get what they want, when they want it.

The whole idea of saving money is not only necessary, but it’s a great life tool.  As an individual, you set goals, meet goals, and make new ones (plus, who wants to live paycheck-to-paycheck, even after retirement).  But what if you don’t have wise spending habits or you don’t know how to allocate the money that you have?  It becomes a major problem.

With the economy taking a toll on millions of families, there’s no better time to educate our little ones on wise spending habits, setting long-term goals for saving money, and being able to learn about sharing (also known as “donating or making charitable contributions”).

So what’s the easiest and simplest way to teach children about money?  I have learned that kids respond well to hands-on experience.  Whether it’s dropping a quarter in a jar, watching a virtual piggy bank grow or playing a game about paying bills and living within our means, they can learn about money by taking part in different activities.

Not just your ordinary piggy bank

Moonjar Moneybox, is an upgraded version of a standard piggy bank.  While it looks nothing like a pig, it’s three boxes that become one (from the top it looks like a hexagon) and essentially has three goals in mind, “Save, Spend & Share.”  It’s very easy to use and your kids can take complete control over their goals.

To save money, you can get three glass jars and label them “Save, Share, Spend.”  Get your children involved by decorating the jars as snazzy as they would like it and explaining to them what each jar represents.  With younger children, you’ll need to give them a jump start by helping them set goals and teaching them where each dollar goes to.

Read the rest of the post at Savings.com.

When I received Brush with Genius courtesy of University Games for review, I knew my daughter would be the coolest kid in preschool. After five failed attempts at trying to impress her friends on “Share a Toy” day, I knew this would be THE toy that would do the job. Just like its name, the idea is pretty genius and I couldn’t wait to test it out.

The battery-operated brush makes a sound with each stroke. As you get better at using the brush, you can make different sounds like making a kitten “purr” or the river “whoosh” (both are examples right off the box). The brush comes with a pad of watercolor paints, but you only need water to make magic happen.

How does it work? You create a brushstroke and then place your fingers on a metallic strip and use your other hand to touch the line which then creates a sound. It’s pretty amazing and addicting. But I have to warn you: Some of the sounds can get pretty annoying if you’re not into those high-pitched squeaky type of noises.

Is it age appropriate? While it’s recommended for kids ages three and up, my almost two year-old figured it out immediately and my five year-old was using it to create all sorts of sounds after only using it a couple times. Both my kids have good fine motor skills, so this wasn’t really hard for them to use–but I read a review from one parent saying that their three year-old had issues using it and another parent who said it was way too easy for their ten year-old, but that she still enjoyed it, so the results will vary from child to child.

Read the rest of the post at Savings.com.

The ankles are getting swollen, the belly is getting larger (by the minute) and you feel like an extra large stuffed turkey — Does that sound familiar?  While you do undergo drastic physical changes during pregnancy, it’s probably the most magical and beautiful thing one could experience.  So how does one capture the beauty of being a pregnant mom without looking like the entire Thanksgiving feast?

Heather Hart of A La Mode Photo shares some of her tips with you and let me tell you, I’ve seen her work and she is amazing.  Sometimes taking photos can be a stressful thing, but Heather makes it simple and easy for you.

Heather Hart’s Top Pregnancy Photo Tips

 Whether indoors or outdoors, pick a natural, tranquil scene as your background.

• Tip: Heather’s personal favorite is the beach. Try to find a place with very few people.  Be careful of trash cans and other items in the background that might detract focus from you.

 Wear something that shows off your pregnant belly and will look good in both color and black and white photos.

• Tip: Heather likes to wrap her pregnant subjects in material to accentuate the belly while the excess fabric flows romantically in the wind. Visit your local fabric store and pick up 6 yards of chiffon material.

 Change up your poses. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

• Tip: Pictures where the mom-to-be is looking down at and holding her stomach always look beautiful.

 Relax

• Tip: Ask a friend or loved one to shoot you. Knowing that someone who already sees you as beautiful is taking the pictures is enough to put your mind at ease.

 Have fun!

• Tip: Enjoy the moment. Heather understands that when looking down at your pregnant self, you feel very wide.  Just remember how stunning you’ll feel looking back at those pictures.

So what are you waiting for?  Go out and take some beautiful photos and send it my way. Like Heather said, have lots of fun and enjoy the moment!

“Sunny day. Sweepin the clouds away. On my way to where the air is sweet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street.”

Growing up, Sesame Street was my ‘hood.  Every morning, I would sit in front of the TV with my bowl of cereal and wait for Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster to entertain me.  While I was being entertained little did I know I was also learning all sorts of lessons on life.

Every positive message and life lesson was conveyed in a fun way for a five year-old me to comprehend.  With those lessons, I took away the message to always have respect for others, which was one of the biggest things that I learned and continually use in my life (it’s so important to know that what you learn at a young age, you carry on throughout your life).

Now that I am a mom, it’s exciting to watch Sesame Street with my kids, when I occasionally catch it on PBS (I get to share a piece of my childhood with them–there was no Nickelodeon back then).  The closest my kids get to Sesame Street is the annoying Tickle Me Elmo doll, my best friend bought a couple years back (I’ve already attempted to throw him away a few dozen times and have been unsuccessful).

Now Sesame Street and PNC Bank have teamed up to teach children about spending, sharing and saving money in a fun way with the For Me, For You, For Later initiative. 

Read the rest of the post at Savings.com.