Hey ya’ll, I just want to say that it is DEFINATELY worth questioning any of your bills that you feel are unusually high.

I have a $79 cap plan with a phone company for my mobile phone which I have maintained within those limits for many months.

Last month I got a whopping bill for over $700 for 1 months usage!!!!  Arrrrrrrgh!  How does that happen?

I nearly paid that amount thinking I’ll be extra extra over careful with my phone usage over the next month, but then rationally thought how could it possibly be that much!?   So, I spent the time and called the phone company in question who put my account on hold while they investigate.

I am currently on the phone to the company whom, true to their word, have followed up with the investigation.  They believe that I exceeded my cap by over $600 worth of phone calls.  Not convinced, I have asked them for a detailed bill which they have agreed to post to me.

THEN, with very little discussion the operator has offered me a $500 waiver ‘this time ONLY’ from my bill.

WOW!  That’s cool!

I am a little skeptical though…………. why did they casually offer me $500 off? I have checked next months bill and it seems I have exceeded the cap again….  Strange?  I haven’t exceeded the cap on this plan before then all of a sudden I am consistently exceeding the cap….

What is your experience with phone company’s and the inconsistency in your phone bills?

On a positive note, I feel like I have earned my money today through a simple phone call!  $500 in our pocket, NOT the phone company!

Whether it’s decluttering, spending time with the kids or just chilling out AWAY from technology, everyday in September we are going to set a challenge at 8pm the evening before to complete the following day.

Are you up for the challenge?

All challenges are set by a ‘REAL’ Mum living in the ‘REAL’ world bringing up 6 children from Toddler to Tween.

You can either follow our challenge here on our blog, join up to our Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=204310609636256 or follow our #SeptChallenge on Twitter

Read more about the challenge here http://www.familyvalue.com.au/home/200-september-challenge.html

 We have so much going on at our Facebook [Family Value & Large Families] and Twitter [Family Value & Large Families] pages and we realise not all our readers are a member of these 2 social networking avenues, nor do we expect them to be, so here it is - the week in review….

Things to do at home with the kids

• Nicole at Planning with Kids has inspired with some Christmas Themes and planning for Christmas 2011
• Catherine at Squigglemum has an awesome idea having a Backyard treasure hunt
• Childhood101 has listed Playopedia Picks : Play Ideas for BIG Kids
• Tricia from Little Eco Footprints via Childhood101 has written an inspiring article on Creating Children’s Spaces in Every Corner of Your Home
• How to make magic sand
• Lego Quest Kids is a blog dedicated to children and validating their lego creations & imagination.
• Jean has written an article for Toddler Times 11 Activities to try with your toddler
• Ohdeedoh home, design & children has presented a wonderful article on How to make ‘clean’ play slime
• Grace has a step by step guide on how to make Fizzy milk bath bombs

Recipes & Cooking

• Chicken Balls by Planning with Kids
• Nicole has suggested ‘baking days’ with the kids to fill the freezer with lunchbox snacks (yes! we have learnt muffins CAN be frozen)
• Vegie Smugglers is a new blog / website we have discovered which has lots of recipes (lunchbox stuff too!) to sneak the good stuff in!
• The Organised Housewife has a very yummy recipe for Choc Coated Oreos, Oreo Cookies & Carrot Muffins
• Childhood101 has a recipe for a different brekkie Bacon & Egg Muffins

Things to do out and about

• To spend or not to spend on school holidays……… do school holidays have to be expensive?
• Family Capers has listed a comprehensive list of zoos around Australia.  What to do this weekend - playing with animals

General issues & conversation

• Jane from My Life At Home has written a timely article 10 Things I consider in buying toys for my (young) kids
• Awesome article by Kate at Picklebums on Won’t they miss out? , discussing about our children and whether or not they need to do extra-curricular activities.
• Moving Smart has an easy explanation why You can’t run uphill indoors
• Treating worms
• WifeSwap Australia is coming soon to our TV screens, and although I won’t be applying, FYI applications are due by 15th July.  All details for applying are here
• Motherhood the Musical is currently touring, soon to be in Sydney and we have secured a very special offer especially for our readers.  For more info click here
• WIN a night out with your Mothers Group to Motherhood the Musical

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: [5 year old boy]”There’s one thing good about having lots of brothers and sisters!” [Proud Mum] “What’s that?’ [5 year old boy] “Because I get more presents!”

Today was a ‘first’ for me.

While I slept after night duty - the 4 middle kids went out with friends and relis, which left me with the youngest (21 months) and my eldest (11 years - girl).  Always scamming to make my life as easy as possible I decided that it probably wasn’t too much to ask my daughter to care for my 21 month old IF she had a friend come over and help her!  My daughter didn’t complain about the idea and really ’stepped up’.  The only proviso B1 had was that she wouldn’t change a pooey nappy - fair enough I guess!  And lucky for me he saved his pooey nappy AFTER I awoke from my slumber!  Overall, B1 was a credit to herself and did a wonderful job entertaining K6.

They ate chocolate, watched DVDs, played ‘hairdressers’ (with K6 -boy copping hair clips & hair ties in his hair), made smoothies, played games, made their own lunch and played the Wii.  They had an awesome time and I reckon they would easily volunteer their services again!

Do you employ the services of the older siblings to babysit?  Is it right or wrong?

So last night it was ‘date night’ with the hubby and today is was my ‘date’ with K5. 

As many of you whom have large families would understand, spending one on one time with each child is a difficult task.

Definately we manage odd moments during the day where we read a story or do a craft activity, but more than likely one of the other siblings will make a disturbance usually highlighting the fact that they are feeling left out at that particular time.  In the second half of last year I realised that the children were starting to grow up quickly and it was time to factor in ‘time’ with each of the children.

Hence, the Family Value ‘Time’ Plan has been devised!

THE PLAN

Each year Ian & I are to spend time with each of the children individually doing whatever they choose (within reason).  This means 12 days in a year are taken up for ‘date time with the children’.

When I explained this idea to the children they responded extremely positively and are constantly dreaming about the ‘dates’ they are going to have with each of their parents.

The plan kicked off last year with Ian taking K5 to BEN 10 LIVE, Me taking K5 to The Pancake Parlour for breakfast & Build-a-Bear Workshop, and Ian taking B1 to dinner and to see Hairspray The Musical.   So, this year L2 has been to see MSO Disney in Concert  & ACMI Disney’s Dreams Come True exhibition . 

And today……. K5 & I went to see the Yogi Bear Movie & went shopping at the Chapel Street Bazaar in search of a retro Yogi Bear item, which we found - check out the tin lunch box!

Advantages

• The children don’t get jealous of each others outings
• It takes out the obligatory factor of purchasing a ticket for everyone, hence sending you broke!
• Most importantly, allows for the one on one time you need to spend with your child
• Allows each child to express their individuality reflected in their choices

AND before you think we’re playing favourites with ‘K5′, the children whom didn’t get a chance last half of last year make up for it this year, then in 2012 we’ll be up to date!

So, what do you think?

Would this be beneficial in your family?

‘Date Night at Gold Class Doncaster - The Tourist’ 

Back in the infantry years of mothers group I remember one of our guest speakers - a psychologist, and the one piece of advice that stayed with me is to make time for our relationship and one way to do this is to diarise regular ‘date nights’.

Over the years we’ve managed to find time for ‘us’ as a couple however this has become an increasingly difficult task as the children have multiplied to 6 in 10 years!  Always valuing and believing in the advice of ‘that psychologist’ 11 years ago we have made a concious effort to continue our date nights.  Whilst the children are extremely important to us, if we, as parents feel under pressure we find that the children reflect our stress by way of misbehaving which causes the cascade effect of one very stressed family!  Do you relate?

So it is, we have a ‘date night - out’ approximately every 2 weeks, and a ‘date night - in’ every other week.   Whether it be to see a movie, go out for dinner or simply have ’secret takeaway’ after the children have gone to bed.  This time is very important.  We look forward to these nights and value the ‘couple time’ that they give us.

So, who will babysit? 

• find some teenage girls known to you (family friends, work colleagues, children’s friends older siblings, local church teens, coaches at local sporting club)
• ask the grandparents. aunties & uncles
• swap with another family and do the same for them

Points to Note 

• even if you just get 2 hours together, that time proves extremely important!
• factor in the babysitting money into your weekly budget
• don’t be late coming home if using family members / other couples (everyone is usually happy to help if they know exactly what time they will be required for)
• settle the children into bed (or the majority of them) before you leave

Do you do ‘date nights’?

Have you seen ‘The Tourist’? 

With the bushfire season upon us, and living in a bushfire prone area, this mother of 6 is beginning to feel quite a responsiblity with her young brood.  So it was, I insisted that we decide on a definate fire plan and practice it with the children,  and this INCLUDES me learning how to use the fire pump associated with our dam!  Our plan is of course to leave as early as we can, however, as we have been made aware by Black Saturday this is not always possible if the fire is imminent and we can see flames closeby.  So we now have a plan and now I KNOW how to turn the fire pump on!  It was quite a sight tonight when I got saturated after being successful in my first attempt!  Gave the children quite a laugh in an otherwise serious excursion to the dam!  Do you live in a fire prone area?  Do you have a plan?

Costco Australia

Discounts at Docklands in Melbourne as Costco Opens

How Costco Will Change Australian Retail

US retail giant Costco opens Docklands store

Costco opens at Docklands

I wouldn’t even have KNOWN about Costco if it wasn’t for the media hype!  However, I believe the media did their job well because when there is something new & exciting happening, I don’t want to miss out!  So it was, within 1 week of Costco opening I signed up with this Giant Warehouse for $60 online and lured my husband and 6 children into Docklands at 4.30pm on Saturday afternoon.  The parking was easy!  Straight into a car park, but then we walk up the stairs in the direction of the Costco entrance and we become overwhelmed with giant trolleys, lots of people, a large lift and an extensive queue for people to gain entrance.  Ian & I just look at each other, take a deep breath and continue on our journey.  We spot a Costco worker and ask him what we should do.  He suggests we go and find a trolley then we can gain entry via a ‘one day only’ coupon, as although I have signed up membership online I haven’t received any form of membership card.  We feel very important as we gain entrance in the shorter queue.  There are hundreds of people lined up in the ‘long’ queue waiting to sign up for membership!

On entry into the store we feel extremely overwhelmed.  The baby is strapped in the baby bjorn and B4 & K5 fit nicely into the ‘trolley seats’.  B1, L2 & C3 walk alongside the trolley but I think they are also overwhelmed and a little ‘freaked out’ that they walk very close to the trolley and have several ‘run ins’ with us, each other and the trolley!

So our Costco adventure begins.  We pass mixmasters, cooking appliances & accessories, jewellery, storage boxes, and car accessories - seemingly everything but the car!, The first item I throw into the trolley is a bulk box of freezer storage ’snap lock’ bags!  I LOVE my snap lock bags - I almost feel I’m in snap lock heaven!!!  Batteries, basketball rings, clothing - K6 strikes it lucky with a very cute (and extremely affordable) Osh Kosh B’Gosh tracksuit and bodysuits!  Crocs are $24.99, Diesel Jeans are $129.99, Huggies Box of 185 is $67.99 (Bargain!).  The children get very excited when they spot large gumball machines, bulk jars of bubblegum, a tin of 1000 Chupa Chups, boxes of twisties, twin packs of Nutella & Honey.  And the up and coming ‘mini-chef’ of our family, B1, is very excited when we find a 1.5kg block of Western Star butter.  I was extremely excited when I found a large bag of Baking Soda - I LOVE Baking Soda for cooking and CLEANING!  It’s the BEST!  We load up the trolley with canned tomatoes (12 tins), tomato paste (12 tubs), peanut butter (very large jar), burritos (twin packs), pizza bases (twin pack), dishwashing detergent and a massive bulk lot of 60 rolls of Kleenex toilet paper!  The list goes on….and…….on………..and………..on………and……..on.  The children ‘want’ a lot of things.  DVDs, Nintendo DS games, books, lollies, cubby houses, Diego cars and so much more.  I ‘want’ a lot of things including bulk camembert & brie.  I managed to sneak a bucket of basil pesto into the trolley and abstained from putting a jar of Kez’s cookies in my trolley - wouldn’t last long in our household.  My mind begins to ‘wander’ as I dream of hosting dinner parties and I even spot the outdoor BBQ & stainless steel ‘outdoor kitchen’ for just over $3000!  This place has everything!

We had to give much of the ‘freezer section’ a miss as we didn’t come prepared with eskys to keep our purchases frozen for the trip home.  We also abstained from stocking up on Flour, Rice & Sugar as we would also need to invest in some ‘big buckets’ to store the bulk amounts in.

Eventually we make it through to ‘checkout’ with the final ‘bill’ totalling to just over $500.  Not bad for a family of 8 and we’ve stocked up on lots of things!!!!

We then look forward to having Costco HotDogs and unlimited refills for ‘dinner’.  A cheap meal that should total less than $20 for our whole family!  We were disappointed to find out that the ‘eatery’ closes at 6pm, the same time as the store.  Pity, because there are still hundreds of shoppers to leave the store.  Would have been great if they were open a little longer than the store. 

Overall, a great place to shop for a large family.  In years to come I can envision Costco becoming a valuable asset to us as our family ‘grows up’ and so do their appetites!  Costco stocks many of brand name items we have learned to trust.

Family Value Advice

• Go with a list
• Go on a full stomach
• Go when you are in a happy mood
• DON’T impulse buy 
• Know Your Prices
• Take some eskys or cool bags
• DON’T  go by yourself if you plan to stock up - another person to help stack the car is always handy!
• Look out for discount coupons
• Leave the children at home if possible
• If taking children, ensure they go to the toilet before entering store!

Overall, a favourable, happy experience!  Our pantry is now full!  I do think that perhaps our local supermarkets are going to ’suffer’ because of Costco, however, with a family of 8 we need to shop where we are getting value for money.

From where we live, the travel is 40 minutes.  Is it worth the trip?  Absolutely!

Been to Costco?  Don’t like Costco?  Tossing up whether to sign up for Costco membership?  I would love to hear your opinions & questions.

So I did the hard yards and lined up for the new iphone on Friday.  It’s only been 6 days and already the iphone ‘freezes’!!!Grrrrrrrrrrr………. sometimes technology can be your best friend at other times extremely frustrating!  So, there is good and bad….. lucky I have the laptop on holidays - a simple search for ‘latest iphone troubleshooting’ and ‘voila’, I discover the information I am required thanks to Sam Costello’s article on How to Reset or Reboot iphone .  Just the info I wanted and it worked!  “Reset the iPhone by holding the sleep/wake button at the top right of the device and the home button at the bottom center of the face at the same time. Hold them both until you see the screen go black and the white Apple logo appear. When this happens, you can let go - the iPhone is rebooting.  Resetting the iPhone should not remove or delete any data or settings.” 

Hoping this info will be helpful to someone else one day!

Today was spent with the whole family in ‘domesticated bliss’.  I decided it was time to work as a family and clean the bedrooms TOGETHER as a family, and today was also declared a ‘NO Nintendo DS or computer technology day’. So it is with the voices of Justine Clarke ‘I Like To Sing’, SNACK ‘Oh Have You Heard?’ and the CD ‘When I Grow Up’ by ABC in the background we began & completed our tasks with TOTAL SUCCESS!  3 clean bedrooms, a kitchen, a laundry and a living area. 

So how did I do it?  With the promise that if we all helped each other we would celebrate at The Pancake Parlour.

And so it was we enjoyed a meal at The Pancake Parlour.  We highly recommend the Pancake Parlour for kid friendly fun with the ‘funny mirrors’, the ‘pancake train’ that runs on the hour every hour, colouring pictures for the kids with crayons to use, and fast and friendly service.  We had a lovely time and it was a lovely reward for all our hard work.

The Pancake Parlour is exclusive to Melbourne with the exception of one in Canberra.  Also, we managed to get 25% off using our Entertainment Book coupon.  Bargain! It’s also worth subscribing to the Pancake Parlour e-newsletter for exclusive member offers.

• Have you been to the Pancake Parlour? 
• I’d love to hear your experiences and your favourite ‘family eating hang outs’

P.S.  Hoping today’s exercise teaches the kids that rewards do come with hard work…….