Family Archives - Page 3 of 11

Monica’s Weight Loss Update After 2 Months on ‘The Plan’

May 22, 2019 No Comments

On March 16, 2019, my wife struck fear deep into the depths of my heart when she said, “Honey – I need help losing this baby weight. I’m starting this weight loss journey and I need your help… Please.” I wrote about how she had asked for fitness help in the past, I got a little too ‘agro’, and she ultimately quit working out with me for… oh… 7 years after that ‘incident’. So when she reached out 2 months ago for some help losing the baby weight, I told you all how I was both terrified and excited at the same time. I’ve worked with folks who’ve lost hundreds of pounds and also managed to lose 65 pounds – forever – myself. So, we had a bag of tricks to pull from… Which was nice. Well – we came up with a plan and […]

Business, Family

How to Live ‘Happily Ever After’ and Work With your Spouse

May 15, 2019 No Comments

“Mom and dad were arguing so I just left the room.” One of our employees was relaying the “discussion” to another and although we were all laughing about it after the fact, neither my wife nor I enjoyed that this took place. We’re hyper-conscious that the “freedom” to work with your spouse can have catastrophic consequences, which is why we’ve implemented the tactics below to make sure that becoming business partners didn’t get in the way of ‘happily ever after’. I had the great pleasure in talking with Tom from Maple Money all about working with your spouse and the do’s and don’t’s based on my family’s experiences. In fact, this post comes directly from that conversation. I was lucky to have the opportunity and I’d really recommend you heading over to listening to Tom’s podcast then stopping back here to read more of the details. […]

Family, Finance, Personal Development

10 Best Work from Home Jobs for Stay at Home Parents in 2019

May 1, 2019 No Comments

I am very excited to welcome Ben and the team from Dollar Sprout to the blog today for 2 reasons. 1) They’re phenomenal to work with and 2) they know their stuff. So, when they asked to write about the best stay at home jobs, I thought you guys would love to hear what they have to say! Take a look at the 10 best they’ve outlined below and let us know which ones you’ve tried or which you’re stoked to try in the comments section. 10 Legitimate Stay at Home Job Ideas for Parents in 2019 The best part of being a stay-at-home parent is the fact that you have the opportunity to spend more time with your kids and witness more of their developmental milestones first-hand. Still, taking care of your kids and managing the household can definitely seem like a full-time job […]

Family

I’m Not Allowed to Say “Jiu-Jitsu” for the Next 4 Months…

April 29, 2019 No Comments

My wife had a point… There was work, our daughter, ‘the project,’ my daily workout, life, the blog, and now I come to her with a detailed, concise, and targeted pitch about why I (and we) need to start training jiu-jitsu. She stared through me with a bewildered look on her face, let me finish through my rehearsed closer line, and simply said (I’m paraphrasing), “You’re not allowed to say jiu-jitsu for the next 4 months. Don’t think it. Don’t say it. And you know exactly why.” I didn’t take offense. The comment wasn’t made in a condescending or exasperated tone. It was matter-of-fact. Cold. Straight. Truth. So in order to see it as such in the moment, I had to detach from the situation and see her point of view, because very rarely will she put the foot down so emphatically. “She must have good reason to do so,” I thought to myself. […]

Finance, Family

Mortgage Free or Huge Investments – Which is Best?

April 24, 2019 No Comments

I am thrilled to welcome back Jon to the blog! He’s written before about non-traditional wireless phone plans, financial resolutions for the new year, and paying off $89,000 in student loans with his wife – and living to tell about it. And today he has another treat in store for us! Jon and Heather (his wife) recently purchased a home, and in the time since that big-ticket buy, they’ve been weighing the pros and cons of paying off the mortgage early vs. investing their extra income (they were debt-free, after all…). In this post, Jon breaks down all the components of which is best – mortgage free… or huge investments? Mortgage Free or Huge Investments – Which is Best? When it comes to getting a mortgage, in the personal finance community I’ve heard everything from: “Pay off your home as early as you can,” all […]

Fitness, Family

How Not to Have a Stress-Induced Heart Attack Before Age 35

April 22, 2019 No Comments

How NOT To Have A Stress-Induced Heart Attack #Stress #anxiety #calm #meditate #peace

Sweaty palms, elevated heart rate, and the constant stream of incomplete yet highly punctuated thoughts… All the while, I was lying in bed thinking, “It’s 0200… GO TO SLEEP!” Which provided exactly 0% help for the situation. Here we were with another one in a string of sleepless nights where it’s not an uncooperative child or a specific argument that’s got me all ‘riled up’ and thus not sleeping. Nope… What’s happening is an accumulation of 1,000 tiny stressors over the course of an extended period of time all compounding to produce what seems like immediate proximity to the breaking point. Whatever that means… I didn’t know how to characterize that point, just that it was near. And what seemed present on the other side didn’t sound so appealing. (Photo courtesy of MKulp Photography) I felt unhealthy and I needed to do something about it. But I […]

Finance, Family, Personal Development

So you Want to Teach your Kids About Money but Don’t Know How?

April 5, 2019 No Comments

In this Current Events Friday’s Post (CE-Friday’s), I’ll be letting you know about a brand new way to help parents teach their kids about money – and have fun doing it – with Family Money School. CE-Friday’s – “What you need to know today in less than 500 words” Alright, Team, one thing to mention up front – if you like what you see in the product below and decide to make a purchase through one of the links in this post, I’ll get a small kickback for referring you to the course at no extra cost to you. Why do I mention that? Well, a couple of reasons… I’m next to positive it’s the law, I value your trust and try to be as transparent as possible with all the content on this blog, and I’ve never directly pitched a product on the […]

Fitness, Family, Personal Development

“I Need to Lose 25 Pounds of Baby Weight – Help!”

April 3, 2019 No Comments

“I need to lose this baby weight but I have no idea how…” Her words both excited and terrified me at the same time. You see, my wife had asked me for fitness help in the past. And while things were great at the onset, I became more like “hardcore drill sergeant” and less like “caring and supportive husband”. Ultimately she started doing her own thing, we quit working out together, and my workouts haven’t been as spicy or fun since… That was about 7 years ago and stasis has persisted from that moment forward. Until today. Today my wife was able to overcome the memory of me being an overly intense coach and the one who drove her away from P90X3 for good, all because she now faces an obstacle she’s never seen. The woman was a track star, college volleyballer, and has […]

Family

The New Dad Survival Guide you Didn’t Get at the Hospital

April 1, 2019 No Comments

You leave the hospital after 9 months of preparations, hormones, long nights of crib construction/nursery preparedness, breast pump assembly, car seat checks, YouTube parenting video watching, and – oh – watching childbirth (bonus points if you’re in the O.R. for a C-Section – I’ve got 2 of those badges, thank you very much), and you’re smiling ear-to-ear because that baby is finally in your arms. But let’s get real… You’ve got no clue what you’re doing. But don’t worry – I got you. This is the New Dad Survival Guide they didn’t give you at the hospital – that you so desperately need. Do you remember that time you were watching that movie with the Navy Seals and you were thinking, “Man these guys are tough. They never lose, they’re all rock solid, and they always kill the bad guy. I mean, I know it’s the movies […]

Finance, Family

Was it a Terrible Time for a Mortgage Refinance??

March 13, 2019 No Comments

Well, slap me twice and call me ‘Mikey’, because I went and out-thought myself again – (just like when I lost 66% of our net worth). I got a little too cute, played a little fast and loose, and lost sight of the bigger picture. Or did I…? In December, 2018, I thought it was the perfect time for a mortgage refinance. Was I right, was I wrong, and is my wife still talking to me? All this and more – below! (Photo courtesy of Al Emmert) First, the mortgage refinance “before” details so we can set up the “after picture” you’re all waiting for In 2015, we purchased our home on a 7 year ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage) at a 4.15% interest rate. (Translation: We were locked into the 4.15% interest rate for 7 years, then our rate would have the ability to […]