“M is for the many things we've made her....”

Mother's Day is May 10th this year, and Mom likes nothing better than homemade gifts from the heart.

Here are three crafts that are flexible enough that small children, teens, or adults can make them.  And all are quite inexpensive as well. 

Shredded paper seed starters   Mom won't know whether to plant these small works of art or keep them. Either way, they're very easy for little ones to make with a little help, and all the supplies are easily obtained at the local dollar store.

Personalized candles   This craft is sure to inspire the artist inside anyone who tries it. Stumped for ideas? Recreate a child's drawing, write a poem or love letter, or simply doodle. While small children will need an adult to etch onto the candle, they can easily apply and wipe the paint themselves. Once again, the supplies are available at the dollar store.

Homemade Shrinky Dinks  Make your own Shrinky Dinks with recycled plastic (read the directions carefully, and children MUST be supervised while working on this craft). Make jewelry, bookmark charms, keychains, plant markers—you're only limited by your imagination! Again, if you need any extra supplies, you can find them at the dollar store. Along with markers, scissors, and a hole punch, you might want to purchase beads, elastic, etc. 

(The real Shrinky Dink sheets and kits are still available in craft stores and online, too.)

Happy Mother’s Day.

Are you looking for ways to incorporate more exercise in your daily life? 

Walk.

If it seems like you never have the time to go for walks, here are some ideas on how to fit walking in every day:

• Lay shoes and clothes out at night so you can walk first thing in the morning. 
• Instead of meeting friends or co-workers for a cup of coffee, meet them at the park for a walk.
• When you are on the phone, stand up and walk around. Remember, any movement is better than none!

Save five minutes circling the parking lot for a “good space”and park further out. Get into the habit of returning the grocery cart to the store instead of the cart corral in the parking lot, too.

Do your chores.

Maybe you find yourself putting off exercising because you've been neglecting the house. Tackling those mundane chores around the house can feel a lot more productive if you consider them part of your workout routine. Washing the car, sweeping the sidewalk, mowing the yard, cleaning the bathroom, carrying laundry up and down stairs—these activities all use different muscle groups and burn calories. 

Watch TV.

An hour spent watching your favorite TV show can burn around 60-70 calories.  If it's a comedy, laughing could help you burn an extra 70! Get more out of your TV-watching time by standing up periodically, stretching and walking around the room. Throw in a few arm circles and toe touches; not only will you use a few more calories, but you'll be helping your posture.

By the way, you just burned 3 calories reading this article! 

Your neck and shoulders are so stiff you’re convinced they’ll crumble to dust if you try to move too suddenly. What in the world did you do? Maybe the culprit is closer than you think. 

Every year thousands of work hours are lost because of repetitive-motion injuries caused by, of all things: just sitting at your desk.

Here are 4 ways to optimize your workspace:

1. Find your natural posture…and work around it. Ideally, your back should be straight and your shoulders in a relaxed position. Your hips should be positioned so that your spine is lined up properly. Now that you have your natural position, build your office space around it. 
2. Position your keyboard and mouse or other pointing device so they’re within easy reach. They should be set so that your arms are at or below a 90 degree angle in order to reduce strain. The keyboard should be about 1 or 2 inches above your thighs. 
3. Align your computer monitor so that when you stretch out your arm the tips of your fingers can brush across the screen without having to move your shoulders. To adjust the height, close your eyes. When you open them, your eyes should land on the address bar of the webpage you’re on.
4. To help you sustain your natural posture, find a chair that offers good lumbar support. When you sit, your feet should be firmly on the floor, not dangling in front of you.  

Desk ergonomics isn’t just a fancy word. It can save you time and money, not to mention your joints. 

Phones. Clothes. Music. Electronics.

They’re pretty much the same things teenagers have always wanted. And many of those items can come with a very expensive price tag. While we don’t want to deprive our kids, it’s important to teach them how to manage their money.

The old-fashioned allowance goes high-tech.  Unless your teen has a job, it will be nearly impossible for him/her to learn about spending without actually having money. Loading a monthly allowance on a prepaid debit card can give your teen practical knowledge about budgeting and spending. A good rule of thumb for both adults and teens is the 40/30/20/10 savings plan.

• Forty percent of the allowance is for spending,
• 30 percent goes towards short-term savings goals (a smartphone, for example),
• 20 percent towards tong-term savings goals (such as college or a car),
• and the final 10 percent goes to charity.

Let your teen in on the family finances.   Show them how much a car costs for one month. A trip to the grocery store to purchase one meal for the family with a set amount of cash can be a real eye-opener.  

Encourage your teen to research.   Whenever you’re planning to make a purchase, ask your teen to go online and look for the best buy. If you’re planning a vacation, involve your teenager with the budget and hotel, plane, and car reservations. 

While teaching your teen about money might not make them a multi-millionaire, it can give them a head-start to a brighter financial future.

Tax professionals get asked this question more often than you might think. Pet owners spent $15 billion on veterinary bills in 2014, so it’s no wonder the question comes up at the tax desk. This might have you envisioning a spoiled poodle in a designer sweater, munching expensive dog treats all day, but many times when a tax preparer is asked about deducting pet expenses, it’s followed by a story about a costly surgery the animal had the previous year.

Is it possible to claim deductions related to pets? Surprisingly, sometimes the answer is yes.

• Service animals According to the IRS, you can include in medical expenses the costs of buying, training, and maintaining a guide dog or other service animal to assist a visually impaired or hearing disabled person, or a person with other physical disabilities.
• New home If you’re relocating and can claim moving expenses, you can deduct the cost of transporting your pets to your new location. 
• Volunteering  If you volunteer at an animal shelter or rescue group and offer your assistance in the form of fostering abandoned animals, any unreimbursed expenses can be deducted.
• Pet employees  If you’ve put your animal to work for your business, for example, in the capacity of a guard dog, you can deduct certain costs related to your pet. 

But what about the average Joe with the average Fido? Can he claim his dog? The answer is usually no. Unfortunately, the IRS sees pets as personal property, and only persons get the personal exemption. 

Be sure to contact your tax professional for more information. Time is running out! Have you filed your return yet?

April was once called Eostre-month, named after a pagan goddess, who could turn into a hare at will. The story goes that she came upon an injured bird, which she turned into a hare, as it was a stronger animal. The grateful former bird could still lay eggs, and laid colored eggs as a gift to the goddess. 

So THAT’S what colored eggs and the Easter bunny have to do with each other! (Maybe.)

Easter stories are as plentiful as traditional Easter foods. If you are looking for some recipes to try this year, here are a few:

Ham  Spice things up with this Easter Ham with Chipotle-Pineapple Glaze or go the traditional route with a Slow-Cooked Honey-Glazed Ham. However you cook it, buy at least 1 pound of ham per person so you have plenty of leftovers. Cooked ham freezes well and you can make ham steaks, omelets, and sandwiches.

Chicken Chicken Cordon Bleu is surprisingly easy to make, and you can’t go wrong with Garlic-Herb Roasted Chicken.

Side Dishes  Making a healthy dinner couldn’t be easier than with these recipes for Glazed Orange Carrots and Roasted Asparagus. This Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese recipe may very well become one of your new favorites.

Bread  They’ll think you spent all day in the kitchen making these Easy Parmesan-Herb Rolls. These Mini Cornbread Puddings are straight from Martha Stewart’s site.    

Dessert This Rainbow Ring Easter Basket Cake is probably the most festive cake you’ll ever make. Fifteen minutes prep time is all you need for this Slow-Cooker Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Bon appétit and happy Easter