tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132590112024-03-15T18:11:41.293-07:00Chief Family OfficerDaily tips on family finances, parenting, cooking and more!Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.comBlogger1756125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-55030657285787814602024-03-04T22:35:00.000-08:002024-03-04T22:35:21.286-08:00Weekly Roundup: Appreciating Pioneer Women Plus New Books and Shows<p>Happy March! My oldest turns 19 this month, which is crazy, because it means <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2005/06/welcome.html" target="_blank">CFO is almost 19</a>. How can that be?! Enjoy this week's roundup (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfntTzEyzVp3fjrZ9ZyK4ueM1kqOPe_tZiqqyvGvYp0NQ9wb3w__KEwAx5qm67zByJABY6h31LghymqhjLnm8YS9RuYNRU2w7Ead7P3YAkXNc8RAMolMIptc9llGuXzbTwdtZkQ4SnQk0z3pLjArfVfr_GA7UEQrNtq7cc2z6YZEY6FwqqAmFkYQ/s640/3-4-24%20roundup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfntTzEyzVp3fjrZ9ZyK4ueM1kqOPe_tZiqqyvGvYp0NQ9wb3w__KEwAx5qm67zByJABY6h31LghymqhjLnm8YS9RuYNRU2w7Ead7P3YAkXNc8RAMolMIptc9llGuXzbTwdtZkQ4SnQk0z3pLjArfVfr_GA7UEQrNtq7cc2z6YZEY6FwqqAmFkYQ/w640-h426/3-4-24%20roundup.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>As a sports fan, I appreciate the best sports-writers. As a woman, I have a deep appreciation for those <b>women who paved the way in all fields</b>, but especially in male-dominated fields, the way Helene Elliott did. <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2024-02-27/helene-elliott-farewell-column" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">She just retired</a> from the <i>LA Times</i>, in large part to save the job of another, younger (male) writer. She doesn't know me, but I wish her the best, and she'll always have my thanks and admiration for the way she did her job. (Especially considering a Scottish soccer coach <a href="https://eplindex.com/105804/brendan-rodgers-good-girl-comment-ignites-controversy.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">responded</a> "Good girl" to a female reporter just this past week.)<br /><br /></li><li>Along the same lines of appreciating women who paved the way, <b>I enjoyed reading</b> Victoria Thompson's <a href="https://amzn.to/3V3yepE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Counterfeit Lady series</a>.* It's set around the time of the first World War and the protagonist becomes a suffragist. It blows me away to think that in the same century in which I was born, women didn't have the right to vote! Even knowing the outcome, I had to finish the series in the car at Whole Foods because I just couldn't stop reading.<br /><br /></li><li>I've been looking for new <b>freezer meals</b>, so this week I'll be making RecipeTin Eats' <a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooked-shredded-beef-ragu-pasta/" target="_blank">Shredded Beef Ragu</a> and <a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/japanese-salmon-mirin-soy-sauce/" target="_blank">Japanese Salmon with Mirin and Soy Sauce</a>.<br /><br /></li><li>If you're looking for <b>new shows to watch</b>, I just started watching the CBS series <i><a href="https://www.cbs.com/shows/fire-country/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fire Country</a></i>, and I can understand why it's my son's favorite show because it's sooo good! I can also recommend the new CBS series <a href="https://www.cbs.com/shows/video/QqqxRRV4X7zVSwP6vRSbrAlvfm_IviFA/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Elsbeth</i></a>. which has the best Columbo vibes.</li></ul><p>Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">monthly email newsletter</a>!</p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-48620702963811057502024-02-26T16:23:00.000-08:002024-02-26T16:26:59.441-08:00Weekly Roundup: Cheap Puffs with Lotion, Copycat Red Lobster biscuits, Eclipse Tips<p>If you happen to be a Leap Day baby, let me wish you an early happy birthday! A friend's wife was born on Leap Day and I've always been a little envious that she can claim to be so young 😂 Also, I sent out the February edition of the email newsletter on Friday, so if you haven't seen it, please check your spam. On to this week's roundup (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioa-y_pdaumvBTmL0E2OrWOP4Assbf6Y5_O7-9Rjy84g9satK1382L2YvhldryEhlJZ48CLRpHMslxbWd_qa8UweQeclDner6snlnxk2vzfNNwNe5vkx19ptQ6G0tb-BPcao31xiUwsnRt_rd0g6UVwUdAV-eS4M8QnvOCm5VtCsb_1Iz1f-VhTw/s640/Weekly%20Roundup%202-26-24.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioa-y_pdaumvBTmL0E2OrWOP4Assbf6Y5_O7-9Rjy84g9satK1382L2YvhldryEhlJZ48CLRpHMslxbWd_qa8UweQeclDner6snlnxk2vzfNNwNe5vkx19ptQ6G0tb-BPcao31xiUwsnRt_rd0g6UVwUdAV-eS4M8QnvOCm5VtCsb_1Iz1f-VhTw/w640-h426/Weekly%20Roundup%202-26-24.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>If you need tissue and prefer the lotion variety</b> like we do (my son in particular has been going through a <i>lot</i> of tissue lately - I think it's a combo of allergies and a cold): Target has a very good deal when you buy 4 <a href="https://brandcycle.shop/22bu9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">8-packs of Puffs Plus Lotion</a>* at $13.49 each. You'll get back a $15 Target gift card, making your cost just $0.97 per box, which meets my rarely-met target price of $1 or less per box. Amazon has an even better deal if you <s><i>don't</i></s> qualify for the 15% off Subscribe & Save discount: Buy 4 <a href="https://amzn.to/3Tb0cOQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">8-packs at <s>$12.72</s> $11.38 each</a>* when you Subscribe & Save at <s>5%</s> 15% off and get a $15 promotional credit, making the price just <s>$0.90</s> $0.76 per box!<br /><br /></li><li>I made <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/copycat-red-lobster-biscuits-recipe-23574961" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these</a> <b>Copycat Red Lobster biscuits </b>for dinner last night and they were delicious. I especially liked the dough, because I have a tendency to overmix biscuit dough and this dough came together super quickly and didn't need much mixing.<br /><br /></li><li>A tip for those who have <b>Coverdell Education Savings Accounts</b>: <i>Keep track of contributions.</i> I filed our taxes using TurboTax, and it's the first time I've had 1099-Q forms since our oldest is now in college. I took distributions from his Coverdell ESA, and the program asked how much basis was in the account. Um ... I don't remember! Luckily, I had the records to reconstruct all of our contributions, but it was stressful for a while.<br /><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RealMickFoley/posts/919626926199845?ref=embed_post" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This story</a> from a WWE hall-of-famer is the <b>best Taylor Swift story</b> I've ever heard.<br /><br /></li><li>Maybe because LA isn't in the path of the <b>upcoming full eclipse</b>, I didn't know anything about it until recently. And then I came upon <a href="https://iamafoodblog.com/2024-eclipse-guide-everything-you-need-to-know/" target="_blank">i am a food blog's comprehensive eclipse guide</a>. If you have any interest in eclipse viewing, it's a great place to start.<br /><br /></li><li>Has anyone been to a <b>Cream Pan bakery</b>? It was named <a href="https://rafu.com/2024/02/cream-pan-named-best-bakery-in-california/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">best bakery in California</a>, so I can see myself making a special trek to one sometime (there isn't one particularly nearby, unfortunately).</li><br /></ul><p></p><p>Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">monthly email newsletter</a>!</p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-11618872946059829282024-02-19T08:33:00.000-08:002024-02-19T08:33:24.741-08:00Weekly Roundup: Best Cooking Shortcut, JANM Educator Workshop and (Sorta) Free Money<p>If you're local, I hope you're staying dry because that rain is coming down - stay in and enjoy this week's roundup with a hot drink! (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkuV2q7bPNW9CdseYSYnFnWFn1cE_j62oPhNjC3cayVWsuG0ztGISczYfZNsC242kcO8kmFZPkbRTfsKIrCF_l6vCOJQ0RGUWVh23VY3etIeXD_NP3fXrrmq2RUCJJLPSdhUG7isNgplwjMHNwYJ-47LsGibE3Yj2UgNDdmG5pjmkiZdkPYVgpA/s3794/Weekly%20Roundup%202-19-24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="3794" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkuV2q7bPNW9CdseYSYnFnWFn1cE_j62oPhNjC3cayVWsuG0ztGISczYfZNsC242kcO8kmFZPkbRTfsKIrCF_l6vCOJQ0RGUWVh23VY3etIeXD_NP3fXrrmq2RUCJJLPSdhUG7isNgplwjMHNwYJ-47LsGibE3Yj2UgNDdmG5pjmkiZdkPYVgpA/w640-h434/Weekly%20Roundup%202-19-24.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I thought I would share what might be my <b>best kitchen shortcut</b>: I've mentioned before that my husband and I dislike onions, but I discovered through the years that <i>caramelized</i> onions are acceptable. So what I do is chop a whole bunch of onions (you can do it by hand or with a food processor), and then cook them over low heat for a few hours with some olive oil and salt. When they're super soft and lightly browned, I let them cool and them put them in quart-size ziptop bags like the one in the photo below and freeze them flat. When I want to use them, I just snap off pieces, like you see in the pan next to the bag. You'll want to be sure to keep the bags fairly thin and not put too much onion into one bag - if the onion layer is too thick, it will be difficult to snap off pieces to use. (Ask me how I know 😂)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKvbWIGTKhPUPv5rPwq0BzjfxMa60EIxRZ6ucmALLR4Y0wNCRekJCukAdt4HCfCYhingNAXpgHAyaRVSFayq82V9y0mEsqIePqhT2kXwiBXy3-fWc1DEJGgEqOGKkglXKgPVHHurFoiXlVluzgig51yWt3Bign_ysoWroHNEYVLnLZylERJNkRA/s4032/IMG_0996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKvbWIGTKhPUPv5rPwq0BzjfxMa60EIxRZ6ucmALLR4Y0wNCRekJCukAdt4HCfCYhingNAXpgHAyaRVSFayq82V9y0mEsqIePqhT2kXwiBXy3-fWc1DEJGgEqOGKkglXKgPVHHurFoiXlVluzgig51yWt3Bign_ysoWroHNEYVLnLZylERJNkRA/w400-h300/IMG_0996.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></li><li>Here's a tip for when you have major work done on your house: <b>Revisit your homeowner's insurance policy.</b> Since we remodeled our kitchen last fall, we just increased the coverage of our homeowner's and earthquake policies. Obviously, we hope we'll never need to tap the insurance, but there was a <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/earthquakes/earthquake-shaking-los-angeles-malibu/3335663/">fairly substantial earthquake</a> a couple of weeks ago. (And with all this rain we're getting in Southern California, don't forget about <a href="https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/140-catastrophes/upload/ConsumerFloodMudslideLandslideSinkholeFactSheetCSD01252018.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">flood insurance</a> if you might experience resulting problems. Damage from mudslides may or may not be covered.)<br /><br /></li><li>It's <b>Girl Scout Cookies time of year</b>, and I've supported the daughters of a couple of friends. But if you don't have a local troop or scout you want to support, you can always order cookies from <a href="https://www.girlscoutsnyc.org/troop6000" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New York City's Troop 6000</a>, which serves homeless girls. There doesn't seem to be a comparable troop in Los Angeles.<br /><br /></li><li>Do you know an educator? The Japanese American National Museum is currently <a href="https://www.janm.org/education/workshops/2024/neh/apply" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">accepting applications</a> for a <b>Landmarks of American History and Culture educator workshop</b> titled <i>Little Tokyo: How History Shapes a Community Across Generations</i>, which is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. There's a $1,300 stipend and a trip to Manzanar National Historic Site.<br /><br /></li><li>Finally, I just wanted to note that it's worth claiming your portion of a <b>class action settlement</b>. Sometimes the payout is a measly $1.07 (I'm not kidding, we actually got a check for that amount once). But sometimes it's over $100. We've already received over $300 in class action pay outs this year (and it's only February). It's not exactly <i>free</i> money, but it's close! I do recommend checking to make sure the notification is legitimate when you first receive it, if you're not the one initiating the claim.</li></ul><p></p><p>Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">monthly email newsletter</a>!</p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-7173391060533870062024-02-13T09:47:00.000-08:002024-02-13T09:47:29.832-08:00Weekly Roundup: The Best Chocolate Dipping Sauce, Recommendations for a Book and Cards, College Admissions Info<p>Oops! I forgot to post this week's roundup yesterday, and now it's a day late - but not <i>too</i> late! (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SwcZsFUseA73D50XxuwgiZl1GX34SL8L6kmLbjyht7gLI9bfo0yUnKtrm_gnKfj7xP-jGglxCVDPuUWjZia22B6J-kdwG6wACu-BKQhVEPIzAVuqPYHy4ZtSysBZ4zOq40Dg2TRk-8ugEDOldVZcphyqb6dsQkcgznkUhHwzR1h-zc2JhcjLjQ/s5005/Weekly%20Roundup%202-13-24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5005" data-original-width="3337" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SwcZsFUseA73D50XxuwgiZl1GX34SL8L6kmLbjyht7gLI9bfo0yUnKtrm_gnKfj7xP-jGglxCVDPuUWjZia22B6J-kdwG6wACu-BKQhVEPIzAVuqPYHy4ZtSysBZ4zOq40Dg2TRk-8ugEDOldVZcphyqb6dsQkcgznkUhHwzR1h-zc2JhcjLjQ/w426-h640/Weekly%20Roundup%202-13-24.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Tomorrow is <b>Valentine's Day,</b> so I have to recommend my <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2016/02/easiest-gourmet-chocolate-dipping-sauce.html" target="_blank">Chocolate Dipping Sauce recipe</a>, which is super easy (all in the microwave), and totally delicious. If you're the creative type when it comes to your kids' Valentines, there are lots of ideas on my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/cfoblog/valentine-s-day/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Valentine's Day Pinterest board</a> (plus <i>many</i> dessert recipes).<br /><br /></li><li>I just <b>finished reading</b> <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3I09oiK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo</a></i>* and it was surprisingly compelling. I did not see the twist coming <i>at all</i> - all of my guesses were completely wrong! This would be a really fun book club read.<br /><br /></li><li><b>One product I've come to love</b> in the last couple of years is <a href="https://brandcycle.shop/fpsrr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lovepop cards</a>* - they're high-quality greeting cards with fun pop-ups, which makes them special. They're not exactly cheap, but you can get 5 for $50 - and they're way cheaper than sending flowers or a gift, which makes them perfect for friends' and aunts' birthdays (for example). There's also a limited selection of pop-up notecard packs, which are great for "I'm thinking of you" notes. There are more expensive pop-up products too, including fancy bouquets, which make a nice, long-lasting gift.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Important information for high school seniors</b>: Because of the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-02-13/feds-announce-more-steps-to-ease-fafsa-financial-aid-chaos" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">delays in processing FAFSAs</a>, colleges (including UCs and CSUs) have begun to extend the traditional May 1 deadline for students to decide where they will attend. <i>However</i>, not all colleges have done so, which makes it incredibly important for students to know exactly what their deadlines are.<br /><br /></li><li>Speaking of <b>college admissions</b>, I think I've mentioned this before, but I want to give another shout out to my favorite podcast on the subject, <a href="https://getintocollege.com/Resources/Getting-In-Podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Getting In: A College Coach Conversation</a>. Their advice is spot on, and they cover just about every topic.</li></ul><p></p><p>Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">monthly email newsletter</a>!</p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-45542754777769900062024-02-09T15:57:00.000-08:002024-02-09T15:57:22.304-08:00The Hardest, Most Frustrating Thing I've Learned From College Counseling<p>I've been on the college counseling journey for a while now, and the most frustrating thing about the profession is this: <b>You'll never know why a student was not admitted.</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2fMCQ8_IyE_OzuRqCr81kpr0T9pTIWkvhVDzhO8QckU5YDyIr8Ny0CSvOO0tbVexrAKuX3SQzXmW0AglBus-r4diP-V-L3196REkz8zN9XljR9pU0GLxledY1Wvuh9nYTj3Kw9Bk2uTPm7SS5GfIRKRQ-yIG-RkiHlVpIMn9pYGx-NWnGPQVqg/s640/Hardest%20Thing%20Learned%20from%20College%20Counseling.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2fMCQ8_IyE_OzuRqCr81kpr0T9pTIWkvhVDzhO8QckU5YDyIr8Ny0CSvOO0tbVexrAKuX3SQzXmW0AglBus-r4diP-V-L3196REkz8zN9XljR9pU0GLxledY1Wvuh9nYTj3Kw9Bk2uTPm7SS5GfIRKRQ-yIG-RkiHlVpIMn9pYGx-NWnGPQVqg/w640-h426/Hardest%20Thing%20Learned%20from%20College%20Counseling.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>(I've marked affiliate/referral links with an *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>)</p><p>This can be a hard and confusing time of year for high school seniors and their parents: Peers who you <i>know</i> have a lower GPA and weren't as involved at school get into a school that waitlisted you. A friend's child who seemed as competitive a candidate as your child but <i>not</i> more so gets in at schools that don't admit your child. A friend who gets into an Ivy League school gets waitlisted at a state school. Friends with better GPAs than yours <i>don't</i> get into the school you get into (who are you going to room with?!). Your younger child doesn't even get admitted to the school that offered your older child a full scholarship - even though they went to the same high school, got the same grades and ACT scores, and had similar activities.</p><p>All of these scenarios are drawn from my real life experiences. And there's no explaining these decisions, because you can't track down the specific admissions officers who made them and demand answers. (As appealing as that thought may be.)</p><p>There are so many possible reasons for the decisions, particularly at schools that use a holistic review process that includes not just a student's academic record but also essays and/or letters of recommendation. It could come down to a student's essay being compelling, or students selecting a major that's super competitive or not competitive at all. Maybe a college is protecting its yield (the percentage of students admitted who commit to attend), prioritizing geographic diversity, or needs a whole lot of violinists.</p><p>I'm not the only person who wishes the process were more transparent. In fact, Jeffrey Selingo, who writes about education for the <i>New York Times</i>, suggests in his book <i><a href="https://amzn.to/42l7MsU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Who Gets In and Why</a></i>* that college admissions should move to a matching system so students are paired with the school that fits them best. He doesn't offer a lot of practical ideas on how such a system could be implemented, and I don't think it's realistic, but it has made me wonder why the admissions process isn't more transparent.</p><p>A friend reached out to me over winter break, after her daughter had gotten decisions from multiple colleges that she'd applied to via early action. My advice was:</p><p></p><blockquote>You'll never know why the admissions committee decided the way they did, and it's not worth trying to get in their heads. The best thing you can do is focus on where your daughter has gotten in and not where she hasn't, and on making sure she feels good about the options she already has.</blockquote><p></p><p>And so here is the most important advice I can offer: <b>Make sure you and even more important your child feels excited about <i>all</i> of the schools that they're applying to. That way, every school they get into - whether it's one or twenty - will be a good fit.</b></p><p><br /></p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-54336733906777887872024-02-05T15:51:00.000-08:002024-02-05T15:51:25.371-08:00Weekly Roundup: FAFSA update, Super Bowl appetizers, No-show socks and more<p>Wow, it's February already! And it's time for another roundup (I've marked affiliate/referral links with an *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDDifQTDeEyHRvdWVTTMLdSsnvaZyF42ky-bHgWJ7AveNn1_3Ec5LqCmGGAaBHP-ZXXeGvrA5k_c64xTZ2GvSdHZ58Fae1ceaAUXVJWKZUexjUYP2FzfKnpoxYgNzjdlLnak0pW6v8GrL2NTn9Z8iDHgclAmlfSf09keTBWM90OMoFd3FmSFfpg/s2687/Weekly%20Roundup%202-5-24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1803" data-original-width="2687" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDDifQTDeEyHRvdWVTTMLdSsnvaZyF42ky-bHgWJ7AveNn1_3Ec5LqCmGGAaBHP-ZXXeGvrA5k_c64xTZ2GvSdHZ58Fae1ceaAUXVJWKZUexjUYP2FzfKnpoxYgNzjdlLnak0pW6v8GrL2NTn9Z8iDHgclAmlfSf09keTBWM90OMoFd3FmSFfpg/w640-h430/Weekly%20Roundup%202-5-24.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If you've filed a <b>FAFSA for the 2024-2025 school year</b>, the <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-announces-more-31-million-fafsa-forms-successfully-submitted-and-update-student-aid-index-calculation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Department of Education says</a> your information won't be sent to colleges until the "first half of March." Unfortunately, that means colleges can't start preparing their financial aid packages until then ...<br /><br /></li><li>The <b>Super Bowl is coming up on Sunday</b>, which means I'll be making a bunch of appetizers to munch on during the game. Here's my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/cfoblog/appetizer-snack-recipes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pinterest board for Appetizers</a>, which has lots of fun recipes, although I haven't settled on what I'm going to make. I'm getting inspired by the board below, but I'm thinking more of a true charcuterie board so it can be a meal:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe frameborder="0" height="532" scrolling="no" src="https://assets.pinterest.com/ext/embed.html?id=59954238817528289" width="345"></iframe></div><br /></li><li>The massive amount of rain we're getting in LA right now has led to mandatory evacuations in some areas. It's reminded me that I need to <b>double check our emergency kit</b> and to remind you that if you don't have an emergency kit, <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2019/08/why-you-should-have-emergency-kit-and.html" target="_blank">you should</a>. If you're already prepared, here are some suggestions for <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2019/10/the-upgraded-emergency-kit.html" target="_blank">upgrading your emergency kit</a>.<br /><br /></li><li>A new-to-me <b>cozy mystery series</b> I enjoyed is Maddie Day's <a href="https://amzn.to/42vsGG2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Country Store series</a>.* (I particularly love the punny titles, like <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4956Qvo" target="_blank">No Grater Crime</a></i>* and <i><a href="https://amzn.to/49sdFqR" target="_blank">Four Leaf Cleaver</a></i>.*)<br /><br /></li><li>I like to wear <b>no-show socks</b> with my tennis shoes, but I have the hardest time with them slipping down. I finally found <a href="https://brandcycle.shop/kwij1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these socks from Uniqlo</a>,* which actually stay up. They're 43% acrylic and only 28% cotton, but even when my feet are sweaty from working out, they feel comfortable (which is not always the case).</li></ul><p></p><p>Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">monthly email newsletter</a>!</p><p><br /></p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-54386621693928909272024-01-29T11:33:00.000-08:002024-01-29T11:33:51.532-08:00Weekly Roundup: Free books from London Lovett, Two gift ideas, and a Tip for resolving a twitchy eye<p>Monday means it's time for another Weekly Roundup (I've marked affiliate/referral links with an *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVHo8_maleEfalIxZZ4Ezub3jAukyF8DXcYKIzzoN4qHIBzWnz2nMVEm9TLlOOj7TRXQu-g5kpJKuJdP-Y7-TC5VU__PM-MYdBoVEF79BjRrI1FWkHm1wbdsfp7d3DfS1WFWBS6HY4gQtBmmOqVVpuqLL8TvIabSUK8xqtrjF-CBpz7Z76gPJFQ/s550/Welcome%20to%20the%20New%20Chief%20Family%20Officer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="550" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVHo8_maleEfalIxZZ4Ezub3jAukyF8DXcYKIzzoN4qHIBzWnz2nMVEm9TLlOOj7TRXQu-g5kpJKuJdP-Y7-TC5VU__PM-MYdBoVEF79BjRrI1FWkHm1wbdsfp7d3DfS1WFWBS6HY4gQtBmmOqVVpuqLL8TvIabSUK8xqtrjF-CBpz7Z76gPJFQ/w640-h480/Welcome%20to%20the%20New%20Chief%20Family%20Officer.png" width="640" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.londonlovett.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">London Lovett</a> writes some of my favorite cozy mysteries, so I subscribed to her newsletter. The best thing about her newsletter is that she regularly links to <b>free books</b> - usually her own, but she often teams up with other writers, as she did last week. Her <a href="https://amzn.to/4bdjkm6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Port Danby series</a>* is one of my favorites.<br /><br /></li><li>I really enjoy <a href="https://characterlab.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Character Lab</a>'s tip of the week email, and last weekend's was particularly insightful - or maybe just a timely reminder that <b>"[a]nything seems obvious, after the fact,"</b> and therefore you shouldn't blame yourself for seems like a stupid mistake.<br /><br /></li><li>A <b>gift idea</b> for someone who might not be too easy to buy for: A <a href="https://brandcycle.shop/42y1q" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">reusable photo bag</a>* with a pet's photo. I've done this a couple of times with my childhood dog's photo, making bags for my mom and aunts (who owned the dog before he became mine/ours). I need to get my hands on my husband's childhood dog so I can make a bag for my mother-in-law, but I'm not quite sure how to do that ...<br /><br /></li><li>Another <b>easy gift idea </b>is ordering <a href="https://sovrn.co/o3qenn7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">flowers from Costco</a>* - I've done it many times now, because they're reasonably priced (there are quite a few options under $50) and come well-packed. In fact, they also seem to last <i>much</i> longer than the bouquets my husband buys from the warehouse. Recipients have told me the flowers are still blooming after two weeks. Pro tip: You can pick your delivery date, but perhaps more importantly, you can add a gift message - but it's easy to forget to do it because it's at the end of the checkout page, so <i>don't forget!<br /><br /></i></li><li>Last year, <b>my eye kept twitching</b>, and I was starting to worry that something was wrong. It turns out I have diplopia, or double vision, which my optometrist described as my eyes not being able to communicate well with each other. She added a prism to my glasses, which has made all the difference - I can only describe it as being able to see easier, like those eye muscles aren't having to work so hard to see together. In fact, I just went in for my annual exam and decided I want/need a little more prism in my new glasses. So if you happen to have a twitching problem, instead of freaking out (I didn't <i>quite</i> get to that level), just go see your eye doctor.</li></ul><p></p><p>Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. I sent out my revamped <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">monthly newsletter via email</a> over the weekend, so if you're signed up and didn't get it, please check your spam folder. Have a great week!</p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-51898034354119141992024-01-22T11:33:00.000-08:002024-01-22T11:33:16.950-08:00Weekly Roundup: Volunteering, a nice Nestle rebate, and cooking thoughts<p>The weeks sure are flying by! Another Monday means it's time for another roundup (I've marked affiliate/referral links with an *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuzgC_eWHwnFOWKdNEoOlHJ6XbQgeN6iPaIYVjoRnzZHXaVnbOYnEZEw_Wgf3KA-Zhj8X3AH8NDkWt0ESsWOobrnrAFUnKWSgQSw8YgfFR00JlrM4PF4PeGE4ndKSUIPScHVtwaafsiAvpwXCoLu40Gjm_ya83DSTGFpx8VRc-OM0pFsDQlleGw/s640/Weekly%20Roundup%201-22-24.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuzgC_eWHwnFOWKdNEoOlHJ6XbQgeN6iPaIYVjoRnzZHXaVnbOYnEZEw_Wgf3KA-Zhj8X3AH8NDkWt0ESsWOobrnrAFUnKWSgQSw8YgfFR00JlrM4PF4PeGE4ndKSUIPScHVtwaafsiAvpwXCoLu40Gjm_ya83DSTGFpx8VRc-OM0pFsDQlleGw/w640-h426/Weekly%20Roundup%201-22-24.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If you have a child who needs an <b>easy volunteer activity</b> (or you're looking to do some volunteering yourself), check out <a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/projects" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zooniverse</a>. As a college counselor, I'm always on the lookout for opportunities for students, and this is a favorite because it's all online and there are a variety of projects to choose from.<br /><br /></li><li><a href="https://www.verybestbaking.com/toll-house/recipes/original-nestle-toll-house-chocolate-chip-cookies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nestle</a> has a nice <b>rebate deal</b>: Buy $40 of participating Nestle products and get a $20 Visa Rewards Card (or get a $10 Visa Rewards Card when you spend $25; the <a href="https://www2.activaterewards.com/nestlerewards/offer_details#participating_products" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">list</a> of participating products is quite long!)<br /><br /></li><li>I had a surprising <b>recipe fail</b> this week. Usually I love RecipeTin Eats recipes but this recipe for <a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/braised-beef-short-ribs-in-red-wine-sauce/" target="_blank">braised beef short ribs</a> was disappointing. Partly it was because I don't like short ribs, and it turns out, neither does my husband! Apparently I'd misunderstood him years ago when I <i>thought</i> he said he loved them. <span class="emoji emoji-large">😂</span><span class="emoji emoji-large">😂 </span>But the problem wasn't really the short ribs but the sauce - it just never cooked down to a saucy consistency, and didn't have much flavor. <br /><br /></li><li>Notwithstanding that recipe, I did want to report that <b>I <i>love</i> my new induction range</b>. I got this rather more expensive <a href="https://brandcycle.shop/qvitt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bosch model</a>* because I <i>really</i> wanted the edges that go all the way to the counter, leaving no gap for food to fall in. (This is where I admit that I'm not the neatest cook.) I have no complaints about adjusting the heat (it's actually easier on this stove than my very old gas stove, on which I could never really manage a very low heat), and water boils so much faster now.<br /><br /></li><li>My older son will be living off campus next year, so I'm compiling a list of <b>no-cook and super easy meals</b> (because he doesn't cook yet, and I don't know how much he'll want to). For example, one snack I've prepared for him in the past is crackers with cream cheese and lox, which would make a decent meal with some carrot sticks and fruit. I'd love any ideas you want to share - thanks in advance!<br /></li></ul><p></p><p>Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And I'll be sending out my revamped <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">monthly newsletter via email</a> later this week!</p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-92111464806791538962024-01-16T12:08:00.000-08:002024-01-16T16:04:04.374-08:00Weekly Roundup: Free Yogurt, Book and Dessert Recommendations, and More!<p>Welcome to this week's roundup! Let's get right to it (I've marked affiliate/referral links with an *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NHrdp4YD08q1ANKi6x7ho8sKWNb9Wn_Q462nP0bqH_aR-1LFOUcRY6fEVrnjO5YrwLpJz6flvTOAlhymKblK9Yc6Q9C6l2slRnMhMA9nqxeZEXEK5UiobVrVn5NXF7VQ5XjDxIWEXehOM5pdi-nmH8VLUJWHDZ6eniZkD8mencaVoZ6jn33niQ/s1080/Roundup%201-16-24.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NHrdp4YD08q1ANKi6x7ho8sKWNb9Wn_Q462nP0bqH_aR-1LFOUcRY6fEVrnjO5YrwLpJz6flvTOAlhymKblK9Yc6Q9C6l2slRnMhMA9nqxeZEXEK5UiobVrVn5NXF7VQ5XjDxIWEXehOM5pdi-nmH8VLUJWHDZ6eniZkD8mencaVoZ6jn33niQ/w640-h640/Roundup%201-16-24.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A <b>frugal tip</b> I picked up while watching an episode of <i>Baking with Julia</i>: Buy the cheapest eggs, and use them by volume. Most recipes call for large eggs, which measure about 1/4 cup each. But if medium eggs are cheaper, you can buy them and just measure out what you need for your recipe. Medium eggs aren't <i>that</i> much smaller than large eggs, so you might not even need to use any extra eggs if your recipe doesn't call for that many.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Recommended book</b>: <i><a href="https://amzn.to/48q5afS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Inheritance Games</a>*</i> by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - I couldn't put it down and read it in a day, and am on hold for the next book in the series at the library.<br /><br /></li><li>Another <b>book recommendation</b>: <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3Sd55WY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Killers of a Certain Age</a></i>* by Deanna Raybourn - It was intense enough in parts that I had to take short breaks, but it was an entertaining, excellent read.<br /><br /></li><li>A new recipe I made this week was <b>Skillet White Beans "Caesar"</b> from Deb Perelman's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3Hk6YuQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Smitten Kitchen Keepers</a></i>* - It wasn't quite perfect, but it was a nice and easy two-person meal, plus it's meatless, making it ideal for those times when I'm cooking for just my husband and me. Next time I won't overcook the aromatics (I got distracted, which was bad timing), and I might add a little extra olive oil, pepper flakes and Parmesan. I served it with some toasted sourdough slices, which went perfectly.<br /><br /></li><li>I've been using a <b>Swiffer Sweeper</b> to mop my new kitchen floor, but instead of using the <a href="https://amzn.to/3S4s2KC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">disposable wet cloths</a>*, I bought these <a href="https://amzn.to/3Sis6YL" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">compatible mop pads</a>* that have been working well. For a cleaning solution, I use a mason jar with the second all-purpose cleaner in this <a href="http://www.iheartorganizing.com/2017/04/my-favorite-homemade-cleaning-recipes.html" target="_blank">I Heart Organizing post</a>.<br /><br /></li><li><a href="https://hip2save.com/deals/dannon-yogurt/" target="_blank">Hip2Save</a> has the deets on a coupon for <b>FREE Dannon yogurt</b>. It's the first time in ages that I've actually printed a paper coupon to use at the grocery store.<br /><br /></li><li>The <b>ube cheesecake</b> from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cheesetella/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cheesetella</a> is one of the best desserts I've had in a long time. It's particularly delicious warm, but almost as good cold. It has the lightest, fluffiest texture, and a delicate flavor (I usually don't care for ube, but this cheesecake may change my mind).</li></ul><div>Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And I'll send out a <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">monthly newsletter via email</a>, which you can sign up for. </div><p></p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-22031080766587629882024-01-08T09:37:00.000-08:002024-01-16T16:04:13.782-08:00Weekly Roundup: Lazy Susans, recipes worth making, and more!<p>Hello again and welcome to this week's roundup! Let's get right to it (I've marked affiliate/referral links with an *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5obT8erZ9Q9xU3h2t_AJq9O9Mxr7QQiF8-O7TNQUrFTD2Y-XceinZP6-W17eoaHPNmTC-Mhm3CCT2n0E9BVwzQHORTya0K1V1fcJaiTM_xM4hrQ7q7s78VvJyG-k6QQVzqGme0QBhLgM4r5xCv0uc0Uf_-BNccOduQO2AB7EgFQvZZzwE3KTh-A/s1920/1-8-24%20roundup.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="1920" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5obT8erZ9Q9xU3h2t_AJq9O9Mxr7QQiF8-O7TNQUrFTD2Y-XceinZP6-W17eoaHPNmTC-Mhm3CCT2n0E9BVwzQHORTya0K1V1fcJaiTM_xM4hrQ7q7s78VvJyG-k6QQVzqGme0QBhLgM4r5xCv0uc0Uf_-BNccOduQO2AB7EgFQvZZzwE3KTh-A/w640-h418/1-8-24%20roundup.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>We recently remodeled our kitchen and <b>I've discovered lazy Susans</b>. I'm not sure why I doubted their usefulness before, but I bought so many <a href="https://brandcycle.shop/4sfm0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brightroom products</a>* at Target while kitting out my new kitchen, including <a href="https://brandcycle.shop/3meey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this lazy Susan</a>,* which holds salt, pepper and my most-used spices. I got a larger lazy Susan that I can't find online to hold my oils and vinegars. The best part? I spotted lazy Susans in Bullseye's Playground this week. (Is that area still called that?)<br /><br /></li><li>If you're in the market for <b>TurboTax</b>, Costco seems to have the best price so far. I bought the Home & Business version for $75.99, which is the same price I paid last year at Amazon. Last year's came with a $10 Amazon credit; this year's comes with a $10 in-product credit that I will use toward our state filing. FWIW, Home & Business is $75.99 at <a href="https://amzn.to/4aJsTJp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>* right now, but without the $10 credit.<br /><br /></li><li>If you have a child heading off to college for the first time, <b>I recommend planning something big and distracting</b> for the first month or two that they're gone. As mentioned above, we remodeled our kitchen, and it was the best thing I could have done to keep myself from dwelling on my son's absence. There were still tears, of course, but for the most part, I had so much to think about that I didn't spend nearly as much time thinking about how much I missed him as I would have. <br /><br /></li><li>I've been meaning to try <b>chia seed pudding</b> for a while, and my first venture was an orange and vanilla version from <a href="https://cookieandkate.com/chia-seed-pudding-recipe/" target="_blank">Cookie & Kate</a>. Add some maple syrup and it's <i>delicious</i>!<br /><br /></li><li>Another favorite breakfast treat is the <b>peanut butter acai bowl</b> from Whole Foods. It's a bit of a splurge at $10, but I don't keep peanut butter in the house since my son is allergic so once in a while, I like to pick one up.<br /><br /></li><li>For a <b>New Year's appetizer</b>, I made a variation of these <a href="https://giveitsomethyme.com/cheesy-prosciutto-puff-pastry-twists/" target="_blank">Cheesy Prosciutto Puff Pastry Twists</a>. I used sliced Swiss cheese, since I needed to use some up, slices of prosciutto (instead of tearing them into pieces), only one layer of puff pastry, sprayed the twists with some olive oil instead of egg washing them, and just sprinkled some fresh thyme on. They would have been prettier with two layers of puff pastry, but I liked the higher ratio of "stuff" to pastry, and they were absolutely delicious. They would be a perfect for a Super Bowl party - a bit fancy, but easy finger food.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Another recipe</b> I made recently was <a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/croque-monsieur-french-ham-cheese-sandwich/" target="_blank">Croque Monsieur</a>. I had some trouble with the amounts and ended up with way more bechamel, ham and cheese than bread, but I just bought more bread and made extra sandwiches the next day. Those are in the freezer, which I am super excited about. (I love <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/search?q=freezer+meal" target="_blank">freezer meals</a> - they make life so easy!)<br /><br /></li><li>While my son was home from college, I also made <b>tempura</b> using my favorite <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2010/06/recipe-gluten-free-tempura-batter.html" target="_blank">gluten-free tempura recipe</a>. I'd forgotten how messy it is to deep fry, but it was <i>so</i> good. (You can't see all of the splatters and drips on the stove top in the photo below.) I just cooked shrimp and acorn squash (because I couldn't find kabocha wherever I was shopping). We toasted the leftovers the next day and those were good too. (I picked up the wall of foil at Daiso - it's a common sight in Japanese kitchens and great for protecting the backsplash.)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nQP9XXRXVfC9igQqnz7HnDCnoTF25NGsyHuSF7RKmjBupdUbp8-_VzGId5asFJaf56p45jwnwFcpkMupRlV4RPDkF3rP7SSFyYmRlWBOb9FkzkPguuFfoRH90fy7UBEF64QWPQLqsRwMoTG93w0Cv3ZoIrWyJJbZAr6HE5b8F1AToBayXPW72Q/s4032/IMG_0933.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="messy tempura frying" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nQP9XXRXVfC9igQqnz7HnDCnoTF25NGsyHuSF7RKmjBupdUbp8-_VzGId5asFJaf56p45jwnwFcpkMupRlV4RPDkF3rP7SSFyYmRlWBOb9FkzkPguuFfoRH90fy7UBEF64QWPQLqsRwMoTG93w0Cv3ZoIrWyJJbZAr6HE5b8F1AToBayXPW72Q/w320-h240/IMG_0933.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSAu7W-eJ5BlL6nUc06gG32KdjDrXpCAzw2O5YyZprVBP0JXpa1-Jz_DBjvB0MVbVKeAk00OIpT4dldDx3IfWGHTyALyjkuHK6J2qBqXzOHE52fM32_4PSVjtXDnNZUlKfxIpyTSDVl54mzfmtCeuXUeTX9ytU7T8llIF5oCFMJO-ozR9cJUPdw/s4032/IMG_0934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tempura shrimp and squash" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSAu7W-eJ5BlL6nUc06gG32KdjDrXpCAzw2O5YyZprVBP0JXpa1-Jz_DBjvB0MVbVKeAk00OIpT4dldDx3IfWGHTyALyjkuHK6J2qBqXzOHE52fM32_4PSVjtXDnNZUlKfxIpyTSDVl54mzfmtCeuXUeTX9ytU7T8llIF5oCFMJO-ozR9cJUPdw/w320-h240/IMG_0934.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p>Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And I'll send out a <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">monthly newsletter via email</a>, which you can sign up for. </p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-5004660131351882022024-01-01T16:55:00.000-08:002024-01-01T16:55:31.883-08:00Happy New Year! (and a plan)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pjbdy3pPlVJjih6p859n9Hjuu9VDKC0zY7DYF-4CzxFVHQwrMvHcJd2PuCHNxgCRhDE0xKf_cDdfMGak_NJuTbWpftwcUpoq4yOW7MKLnSn02fdLm1chXZ8gQ46_w3kCjekQaLgdVf-oW8cQnflVQdMhIFkN-_IKYmCAhB2w7WvMGfFQJ5lHwA/s2718/Happy%20New%20Year!%202024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2370" data-original-width="2718" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pjbdy3pPlVJjih6p859n9Hjuu9VDKC0zY7DYF-4CzxFVHQwrMvHcJd2PuCHNxgCRhDE0xKf_cDdfMGak_NJuTbWpftwcUpoq4yOW7MKLnSn02fdLm1chXZ8gQ46_w3kCjekQaLgdVf-oW8cQnflVQdMhIFkN-_IKYmCAhB2w7WvMGfFQJ5lHwA/w400-h349/Happy%20New%20Year!%202024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Happy New Year! Thank you for (still) being here. I wish you and yours a healthy and happy 2024!</p><p>I haven't posted consistently the way I meant to, and I realized that years ago, when I posted a daily roundup, was one of my happiest blogging periods. So I thought I'd go back to that, although not on a daily basis, more like once a week. I'll share useful tips, recipes I've tried or pinned to try, and any other info I think you might find interesting. Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And I'll send out a <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">monthly newsletter via email</a>, which you can sign up for. So for now, here goes (I've marked affiliate/referral links with an *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - <i>thank you!</i>):</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Starting with a life update: I'm officially a <b>Certified College Counselor</b>, having completed the certification program at UCLA Extension. Just so you know, the certification doesn't actually mean anything except that I completed the program. If you're in the market for an expert to help you/your child navigate the college admissions process, it's much more important to learn about the expert's philosophy, experience, and references. The certification is nice, but far from the most important factor if you're looking to hire someone.<br /><br /></li><li><b>FAFSA update</b>: If you are or have a student in college/grad school or one who's about to be, know that the <a href="https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FAFSA is now available</a> although they "may occasionally pause access to the form." I'd say give it at least a week, and try to fill it out in the second half of January. That will give the Department of Education time to work out the bugs in the system, but still leave plenty of time for the financial aid offices to process your information and provide a financial aid package around the time acceptances go out.<br /><br /></li><li>Need a <b>new chicken recipe</b>? Try RecipeTin Eats' <a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/vietnamese-caramel-ginger-chicken/" target="_blank">Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken</a>, which was <i>so</i> good. The technique to create the glaze was a new one to me, and the chicken did come out a bit overcooked, probably because I cut the pieces too small. But I liked them small, so next time I will just remove the chicken while the sauce is reducing, and then add it back later.<br /><br /></li><li>IKEA makes some nice <b>pots and pans</b>. This <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ikea-365-frying-pan-stainless-steel-non-stick-coating-30484690/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">non-stick frying pan</a> is a nice weight but it's 11 inches and I wish it were smaller. It doesn't seem to come in an 8-inch size, which would be perfect. Nevertheless, I use it almost every day. <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/hemkomst-pot-with-lid-stainless-steel-glass-00578082/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This 5.3-quart pot</a> is my new favorite because it's a great intermediate size.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Book recommendations</b>: I'm currently reading the <a href="https://amzn.to/3vlGwyk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bibliophile Mystery series</a>* by Kate Carlisle and the <a href="https://amzn.to/3S28DLF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Her Royal Spyness</a>* series by Rhys Bowen<br /><br /></li><li><b>More book recommendations</b>: If romance is more your thing, I recommend pretty much all of the novels (especially the historical ones) by <a href="https://amzn.to/3NLXAUr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grace Burrowes</a>* (just keep in mind, some are a little more <i>spicy</i> than others).<br /><br /></li><li>This is going to sound sacrilegious to some, but <b>I've come to prefer reading e-books</b> to paper- and hardbacks. I think it's because my vision has been bad since I was eight years old, and now I have to wear progressive lenses, which means reading on a device is just easier. Being able to adjust the size of the text helps a <i>lot</i>.<br /><br />And wrapping up 2023:<br /><br /></li><li><b>My favorite restaurant meal</b> of 2023 was at Michelin star restaurant <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shinsushicorp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shin Sushi</a> in Encino. Absolutely, stunningly delicious. But at over $250 per person after tax and tip, it's definitely a very occasional splurge.<br /><br /></li><li><b>My favorite way to earn free money</b> in 2023 was <a href="https://rewards.bing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Microsoft Rewards</a> - I redeemed enough points for $115 in Starbucks gift cards, which helped fund my Pumpkin Spice Latte addiction.<br /><br /></li><li><b>My favorite in-store rebate app</b> remains <a href="http://ibotta.com/r/pQ7FUA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ibotta</a>.* I submitted fewer receipts than I did to Fetch Rewards, but got more money back. (Sign up for <a href="https://www.fetchrewards.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fetch here</a> and use referral code R4NDF for bonus points.)</li></ul><div>It's good to be back! <i>Thank you</i> for sticking around, and let's "see" more of each other in 2024!</div><p></p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-65722634662387675452023-07-08T13:57:00.001-07:002023-07-08T13:57:39.879-07:00Paying for College: Make a Four-Year Plan (at least!)<p>Since my oldest is heading off to college next month, I've been deep in the weeds of figuring out how we're going to pay for it. And one thing I've come to understand is how important it is to plan not just for this first year, but for <i>every</i> year that he's in college. On his college's parent Facebook page, I've been seeing posts from parents who are confused, so I thought a post about this topic would be timely.</p><p>Here are some things to think about when planning out how you'll pay for college:</p><p><b>- What is the actual cost of attendance?</b></p><p>Every college will list an estimated cost of attendance (COA) on its website, but now that your child has selected a school, you'll want to figure out what your actual cost will be. That estimated COA should be accurate as to tuition and room and board, but the estimate will probably be off for costs like transportation. If you live far away, you can expect to pay more; if you live close by, your cost may be less. Other costs to evaluate include loan fees (I see a lot of schools including this in their estimate and they may not apply to you if you're not taking out loans); health insurance (many schools automatically bill for this but you can get a waiver if your child continues to be covered by your family policy); and lab fees (you may be paying a lot of these if your child takes a STEM-heavy course load).</p><p>It may be difficult to figure out the final, actual cost of attendance at this point of the summer, but just know that the estimated COA on the college's website is <i>not</i> the exact amount you'll be paying.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyzCyURuof8UEvfrkSaMx9oD-5stj0O3th4hrmYs1YFxe1bC4OX6J0-Yg-kLBXxZKlnuycljBls23WGPRRsgo_5MRf8D8z-NFS3cZy4yYz5duaJcOpxRA4O-8O1bN8PFnfKfxYXMCAgrfZL3B1eiDFWq_OnjEXe0buLbSJzHTukkPIZMxf_IbSg/s600/Paying%20for%20College%20Four%20Year%20Plan.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="600" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyzCyURuof8UEvfrkSaMx9oD-5stj0O3th4hrmYs1YFxe1bC4OX6J0-Yg-kLBXxZKlnuycljBls23WGPRRsgo_5MRf8D8z-NFS3cZy4yYz5duaJcOpxRA4O-8O1bN8PFnfKfxYXMCAgrfZL3B1eiDFWq_OnjEXe0buLbSJzHTukkPIZMxf_IbSg/w640-h446/Paying%20for%20College%20Four%20Year%20Plan.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>- <b>How long will your child be in school, and what will the total cost be?</b></p><p>Sometimes students can't graduate in four years and need an extra year. Hopefully my son will graduate in four years, but he'll have the option of staying a fifth year to get a master's degree. Graduate school, possibly in the form of law school, is also an option he's considering. These are factors to consider when planning out payments. With graduate school on the horizon, there's no pressure to spend out the college savings accounts. A friend's son changed his major after two years, so he spent a fifth year in college to get his degree.</p><p>It's important to remember that each year, the COA will go up. It goes up more at some schools than others - my son's college's COA went up about 5% this past year, while the COA at a friend's son's college went up less than 3%. So when projecting the total cost, you'll need to factor in year-over-year increases.</p><p><b>- What are your sources of funding?</b></p><p>College savings accounts like 529s and even "regular" savings accounts are obvious funds to tap to pay for college. So is your current income, which I'll refer to as cash flow.</p><p>But other sources of funding include Roth IRAs (earnings can be withdrawn without penalty to pay for qualified education expenses), U.S. Savings Bonds (if you qualify, you don't have to pay taxes on the interest), home equity, and other loans. As one personal example, we <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2021/09/why-we-refinanced-our-mortgage-again.html" target="_blank">re-financed our mortgage</a> a couple of years ago to lower our monthly payment and free up cash we could put toward college instead.</p><p>Keep in mind that you should always consider the pros and cons of using various funds to pay for college, especially the long-term consequences, such as the risk of losing your house if you fail to make home equity loan payments.</p><p><b>- Are there benefits to paying out of pocket?</b></p><p>Even if you have the savings to pay for a full year or a full four years of college in a tax-advantaged account like a 529, there may be reasons to pay at least some of the expenses out of "regular" savings or cash flow (i.e., out of pocket). The most common reason is likely to be the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), as long you qualify. I'm finding that things get tricky here: for AOTC purposes, qualified expenses are tuition, fees, books, supplies, and necessary equipment. Expenses <i>don't</i> include room and board, which <i>are</i> qualified expenses for other purposes like 529 accounts. For the maximum AOTC credit, you'll need to pay $4,000 out of pocket.</p><p><b>- Which savings should you use first?</b></p><p>You'll want to think about which accounts you want to empty out first. If you have younger children, any accounts that can't be redirected to them should probably be used first in case you're lucky enough to have money left over. In our case, our children have custodial 529 accounts whose funds can only be used by them, so we'll use those up before we tap 529 accounts.</p><p>If you have a Coverdell education savings account, you might want to use that up first because those funds <i>have</i> to be distributed when the beneficiary turns 30, unless the funds are transferred to a qualifying family member. (There are no such age restrictions on 529 funds.) </p><p>If you have a college savings account and a Roth IRA, you'll probably want to use the college savings before tapping into retirement funds.</p><p><b>- Should you take out loans?</b></p><p>When deciding whether to take out loans to pay for college, <i>always</i> keep your eye on the total amount borrowed. A student who takes out the maximum federal loan each year (discussed below) will graduate with $27,000 in debt - that's a $293 monthly payment for 10 years at the 5.5% <a href="https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/interest-rates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">current interest rate</a>. A parent who borrows $20,000 per year will have $80,000 in debt at the end of four years - that's a monthly payment of $973 for 10 years at the <a href="https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/plus/parent" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">current 8.05% PLUS loan rate</a>. You'll want to make sure any monthly payment is manageable before committing to loans.</p><p>Moreover, you might be able to pay for the current year of college, but what about later years? If you're likely to need loans to pay for future years, it might make sense for your student to take out the federal loan available to your student this year, because the loan won't be available in the future. </p><p>To make sense of this, you should know that every student who files the FAFSA is eligible to take out a <a href="https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">federal Direct Loan</a>. Depending on your financial aid eligibility, the loan may be partly subsidized (meaning the loan does not accrue interest while the student is in school). The loan amounts vary by year: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>First Year - $5,500</li><li>Second Year - $6,500</li><li>Third Year and Beyond - $7,500</li></ul><div>If a student opts not to take the $5,500 loan their first year, they can only take out $6,500 the next year (<i>not</i> $5,500 + $6,500 = $12,000). These federal loans are almost always the lowest-interest loans available, so it probably makes sense to take out the federal loan in the first year at that low rate (even if you have to pay the interest on the full amount), rather than take out $5,500 at a significantly higher rate in a later year.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are loans available to parents, such as the <a href="https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/plus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">federal Direct PLUS loan</a>, and private loans (which will have the highest interest rates, and if you go this route, you'll definitely want to shop around for the lowest rate). Some families take out home equity loans or utilize a home equity line of credit, especially during times of low interest rates; just remember that you're borrowing against your home when you do this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another thing to keep in mind before you borrow is that the money needs to be repaid even if your student does not graduate, so if you're uncertain that your student will stick with college, it could make a lot of sense to make sure the school is affordable without loans.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>- Do you have younger children who will also be attending college?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>This question is especially important if you'll have multiple children in college at the same time, because unless you're paying for college entirely out of savings, your cash flow will be impacted when you have to pay for more than one student. You might decide to pay more out of pocket now and save the money in the college savings accounts for the overlapping years. Or you might realize you need to take out loans.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, this question ties in closely with the previous question about loans because as a parent, you're probably not going to want to take out $20,000 per year for one child and then add on another $20,000 loan per year for another child. While this is a question that would hopefully be addressed before your child commits to a college that requires you all to take out significant loans, if you find yourself heading down this path, it's a good idea for a full stop and re-evaluation of your family's financial circumstances. Your options include contacting the college's financial aid office to see if they provide additional information, ideas or funding; taking a second job; having your student(s) work while attending school; or even having your child attend a different, cheaper college.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>- Should you sign up for the college's payment plan?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Every school should have a payment plan to help you cash-flow your way through the payments. The plan will allow you to make monthly (or at least some form of installment) payments instead of paying the full cost at the beginning of the term, and you can decide how much you want to pay monthly. For example, you might pay $10,000 before the semester starts, and then use a payment plan for the remaining balance. These plans are particularly helpful if you plan to cash-flow payments, but even if you're using savings, you can keep earning interest/income. There's often (but not always) a fee involved, and the amount varies by plan. Information about payment plans should be readily available on the college's financial services page.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another, but in my case, I started by creating a spreadsheet. I estimated the COA for future years at about a 7% increase per year, to be conservative. Then, for each year, I plugged in how much money we would use from each account to pay for college. Our kids have several different college savings accounts, so I figured out the order in which I wanted to use up the money, and estimated a <i>very</i> conservative growth amount for future years (since the investments are age-based, they are all conservatively invested, which protects the capital but minimizes growth). I also calculated how much we would be cash-flowing each term.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll be honest, it's a sobering exercise. But it gives me the peace of mind of knowing how we'll pay for four years of college, and especially, that <i>we can do it</i>. I don't have to worry that three years from now, I'll be pulling out my hair wondering where we'll find the money not just for my son's last year of college, but also his brother's second year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know this was a loooong post, but I hope it was helpful. If there's something you'd like me to discuss further, please let me know!</div><div><br /></div><p></p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-17229450595663215932023-06-03T13:43:00.005-07:002023-06-03T13:43:40.271-07:00I'm back! Updates, Favorites, and a new Freebie!<p> Well, hello there! If you've been a long time CFO follower, <i>thank you</i> for still being here. It's been over a year since I last wrote, but would you believe this little old blog is now 18 years old??? It all started back in 2005, when I was on maternity leave with my oldest. He's graduating from high school in just a few days and will be attending college in the fall. Where has the time gone?!</p><p>That brings to mind my favorite quote by <a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/" target="_blank">Gretchen Rubin</a>, "The days are long but the years are short." Those words have always resonated with me as a parent, and no more than now, when life is about to change so much!</p><p>In the last year, I've walked with my son though the college application process (actually, he mostly ignored me until the very end, at which point it was nice to be needed). I watched as he and his peers got their acceptances, rejections, and in-betweens (aka the waitlist). We went to one accepted student day and were blown away. That is where he will be attending, and we're all quite thrilled, which is a wonderful place to be. The school is going to be a fantastic experience for my son and affordable for our family, so deposits have been paid, email is being monitored (so important and not something high school seniors are used to doing), hotel reservations for parents weekend have been made, etc.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFRFqfcECXL4xj9N660bRH-vLe119E9p8kOR2zbZNct7QqTnnPW5I0ZeVCGZgmkKZ7iazesvz8_E_3Jwi4km3fae8lc0TD1865o2BM1DqJQczpipUD9EpfQmFHzwJvMU_gP74Kfb1lzIO7hE_Ckw80lsi0qvYv6U9PVeMeXHQw49HGMKpMug/s1080/Im%20Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFRFqfcECXL4xj9N660bRH-vLe119E9p8kOR2zbZNct7QqTnnPW5I0ZeVCGZgmkKZ7iazesvz8_E_3Jwi4km3fae8lc0TD1865o2BM1DqJQczpipUD9EpfQmFHzwJvMU_gP74Kfb1lzIO7hE_Ckw80lsi0qvYv6U9PVeMeXHQw49HGMKpMug/w400-h400/Im%20Back.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Unfortunately, there are students who didn't get into any schools that satisfy them. Or their families can't afford the school they got into and want to attend. This upsets me so much that I will be getting certified as a college counselor by the end of the year. I still have to figure what life will look like beyond that. Do I want to be an independent counselor (aka, an IEC or independent college counselor) - working alone or for an already-established company? Do I want to work at a school? I can't work at a local public (LAUSD) school because they require all counselors to have a teaching credential (though <i>not</i> any counseling experience, which makes me want to bang my head against a wall), but I could work at a private or charter school. There are also some nonprofits that hire college counselors, or I could simply volunteer to help students somewhere. I have some time, but I do think college counseling is in my future in some way.</p><p>Where does that leave CFO? I'm not sure, but I've missed this. I've missed <i>you</i>, our shared conversations and especially the helpful tips that go back and forth.</p><p>So I plan on resurrecting CFO, although I won't commit to a posting schedule. And a lot of the upcoming content is going to center around our kitchen remodel. As soon as my son heads off to college, we're going to start a full remodel of our galley kitchen. We're talking new floors, new cabinets, new appliances. I'm even switching from a gas stove to induction. It's going to cost a <i>lot</i> because we are not DIYers. I'm already stressed about it and I haven't even officially hired a contractor yet! I'm open to any and all tips you want to share with me.</p><p>As for my younger son, he's wrapping up his sophomore year and I am focusing on his college application readiness. I'm hoping to be able to take him to look at some colleges this summer, but we'll just have to see how things shake out.</p><p>In the meantime, let me share some of my favorite things lately:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Fresh Hawaiian lychee from <a href="https://www.hulabrothers.com/products/lychee" target="_blank">Hula Brothers</a></b> - this was my Mother's Day gift from my husband and sooo much better than flowers! A 10-pound box of just-picked lychee from the Big Island, which took me only three days to eat (I shared some with my son, who's the only one who likes lychee besides me, but I ate most of it and I could easily have eaten more!). It's not cheap, but this is what I want for Mother's Day <i>every</i> year. 😂</li><li><b>Cozy mysteries by <a href="https://amzn.to/3OOTXhV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rita Mae Brown</a></b> - I started with the <a href="https://amzn.to/3qnmq4d" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mrs. Murphy series</a>, and am now reading the <a href="https://amzn.to/3Cs8R6t" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sister Jane series</a> (all of these links are Amazon Affiliate links, meaning I get a small percentage of the sale price at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase using them - thank you!). I barely knew the term foxhunting before reading these books, and now I'm actually looking up riding lessons near me and hunts in California to see if there's any within driving distance that would let me join their hill toppers (the slower group geared toward beginners). I'm also getting more desperate for a dog, which I was already thinking about for when my kid(s) head off to college.</li><li><b>Formula 1 racing</b> - <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80204890" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Netflix</a>'s <i>Drive to Survive</i> docuseries about F1 racing was something my husband and I both enjoyed watching. They seem to have changed the format this last season so we didn't get through more than a couple of episodes, but our love for the sport itself continues and we watch it every weekend there's a race. It's one of the reasons we maintain our ESPN+ subscription (others being University of Hawaii sports, tennis, and European soccer).</li><li><b>Gymnast <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ian.gunther?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ian Gunther's TikTok</a></b> - I've laughed so hard at so many of these videos, which is crazy because they're doing extremely difficult things. But they make it look so funny and they seem to have a good time doing it.</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3MPyqCW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gotham Greens Green Goddess Dressing</a> (also an Amazon Affiliate link, because I buy it at Whole Foods) - I've been eating a lot more salad, and my younger son actually eats them too. This is by far our favorite dressing. I've tried other brands, and I've tried making my own, and nothing's good as this. It's quite natural, which means it expires quickly, which isn't a problem if you just keep eating salad. (It would also make a good dip for crudite.)</li></ul><div>Finally, I want to offer up a freebie: the 2020 edition of my book, <i>LAUSD Magnets Handbook: A Guide to Getting Your Child into an LAUSD Magnet School</i>. I know it's not relevant to everyone, but I've never offered this for free before and it's a project that's near and dear to my heart because I had to work hard to gather all of the information in it. 2020 was the last time I updated this book, which until now has only been available at <a href="http://amzn.to/2wqSp3l" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a> (another affiliate link). I plan to update the book for fall 2023, but in the meantime, the information in the 2020 edition remains fundamentally sound (most especially the strategies for getting your child into the magnet school of your choice). To download the book (via Google Drive), <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wus_rveWnK93_Ks6NLDQ7MWyFjgKqDI3/view?usp=drive_link" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you again for still being here, and let me know how you're doing!</div><p></p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-66533547994961779492022-05-09T22:25:00.001-07:002022-05-09T22:25:08.927-07:00Easy Faux Boston Cream Pie (including a Ganache Recipe)
<p><small><i>This post contains affiliate links that help support this site
at no additional cost to you. Thank you for using them! You can read
CFO's <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/p/terms.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">full disclosure here</a>.</i></small></p><p>I wanted an easy dessert to take to dinner at my in-laws' house for Mother's Day yesterday, and I spotted Ina Garten's Boston Cream Pie recipe on my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/cfoblog/dessert-recipes/" target="_blank">Pinterest Desserts board</a>. But I didn't feel like making pastry cream or even a new cake recipe, so I improvised an easier pseudo-Boston Cream Pie.</p><p>I started with my <a href="https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2021/07/my-best-yellow-cake-with-chocolate-frosting-recipe.html" target="_blank">favorite yellow cake recipe</a> from Michelle Lopez's excellent book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3FCj80A" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Weeknight Baking</i></a>, which I baked in two 8-inch round cake pans.</p><p>I whipped up a package of organic <a href="https://amzn.to/3Fw1trb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vanilla Instant Pudding</a> using whole milk to use as the cake filling. It's nowhere near as pretty as a good pastry cream, and actually not as delicious either. But it's still pretty darn good. </p><p>And then I made the chocolate ganache (recipe below). Nothing was difficult, and you could even use a yellow cake mix if you didn't want to make a cake from scratch. The hardest part was the assembly, and that was mostly because I didn't let the ganache cool quite enough so it was a little too thin when I poured it on. (My kitchen was pretty warm, so trust your senses rather than the time.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJjStA7DniLNWteHzKSqNivlGLXbG-I32CgtJNFa9namB_9HckCjWDWD3KEW7n08sNBn8cd9V-jkKS_pQfcemQoycgY_x9Pc_gE4bTn2mb5B_05e8iuSk9JKmjFqE_18MRc7_UWaENKYeO6omuX601sQ-hPTFnWQMB89he3adBsNiWbcLKhU/s3024/IMG-9739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2121" data-original-width="3024" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJjStA7DniLNWteHzKSqNivlGLXbG-I32CgtJNFa9namB_9HckCjWDWD3KEW7n08sNBn8cd9V-jkKS_pQfcemQoycgY_x9Pc_gE4bTn2mb5B_05e8iuSk9JKmjFqE_18MRc7_UWaENKYeO6omuX601sQ-hPTFnWQMB89he3adBsNiWbcLKhU/w400-h280/IMG-9739.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Here's a step-by-step process for clarity:</p><p><b>Easy Faux Boston Cream Pie</b><br />Serves 8-12</p><p>1. Make your favorite yellow cake in two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans. Bake according to directions and let cool completely.</p><p>2. Make a package of instant vanilla pudding. Use whole milk for the best consistency and let chill for at least one hour.</p><p>3. Make a simple syrup: In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup cold water. Bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes to reduce the amount of liquid. Let cool. (Note: Simple syrup is just a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water, so you could easily make more and save the extra to sweeten iced tea or coffee.)</p><p>4. Approximately two hours before serving time, make the ganache (recipe follows). Let cool for 20-40 minutes, until the mixture is slightly thickened and falls in ribbons.</p><p>5. To assemble the cake, use a long serrated knife to split each cake round in two to create four layers. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving platter, cut side up. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the cake with simple syrup. Spread one-third of the vanilla pudding over the cake. Repeat with two additional cake layers. Place the final cake layer on top of the last layer of vanilla pudding cut side <i>down</i>. Slowly pour the ganache over the cake, allowing the chocolate to drip down the sides. If you made an 8-inch cake, you will have enough ganache to fully cover the sides if you wish (though you might need to use an offset spatula to push the ganache off the top in some directions). Let the chocolate set at room temperature for an hour before serving. </p><p>Store leftovers in the fridge. Since my cake stand didn't come with a cover, I use a large mixing bowl turned upside down to cover my cakes. (Plastic wrap would stick to the chocolate and ruin the look but would work also.)</p><p><b>Chocolate Ganache</b><br />Makes enough to cover one 8 or 9-inch layer cake<br />Adapted from <a href="https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/boston-cream-pie" target="_blank">Ina Garten's Boston Cream Pie recipe</a></p><p>3/4 cup heavy cream<br />7 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate*<br />2 ounces bittersweet chocolate*<br />2 tablespoons of corn syrup<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1/8 teaspoon kosher salt<br />1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules <i>optional**</i></p><p>Combine all ingredients in a double boiler, or a medium heatproof bowl set over a small pot of simmering water. Once the chocolate starts to melt, stir until the chocolate is half-melted. Remove the bowl from heat and stir until all of the chocolate is melted and the ingredients have combined into a smooth mixture. Set aside and stir occasionally until it cools enough to thicken slightly and falls in ribbons.</p><p>*I <i>really</i> like <a href="https://www.guittard.com/" target="_blank">Guittard chocolate</a>. I always have their chips and wafers on hand - they are high-quality and free from peanuts, tree nuts, and gluten. Best of all, their chocolate is fair-trade certified, which is no small thing - according to the <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/our-work/child-forced-labor-trafficking/child-labor-cocoa" target="_blank">U.S. government</a>, over 1.5 million children work in dangerous conditions on cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. And Guittard chips are widely available, including at Target!</p><p>**If you don't want to taste any coffee in the ganache, use a scant 1/4 teaspoon. Use the full 1/2 teaspoon if you don't mind a hint of coffee.</p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-24325880431973838962022-04-06T22:02:00.002-07:002022-04-06T22:02:26.504-07:00Book Review: The Price You Pay for College by Ron Lieber<p><small><i>This post contains affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/p/terms.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></small></p><p>I just listened to Ron Lieber's book, <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3Jdujgd" target="_blank">The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make</a></i>. It's a great book, and one that every parent who wants their kid to go to college should read. I wish it had been around when my kids were little, or at least when they were in middle school. But even now, with as much as I've learned over the last five or so years, I picked up useful information that I'll be implementing immediately.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMtJg4A9PYXwrkv88uxe97rgTUoq15AdlYxoE-H_Of80sBaKdWw5V6gOJc1H8x5g6r4uHaEfPZBjxF-RS8gc8XctLpmDTEyfoPonbi9R4NKvoTDyPycJS8WX5laMXmB6zlKMdxwz7gwCQ0KNRSoaKIrhr7IgtkKKTUfWHMindV-nEWPzSunI/s640/Price%20You%20Pay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMtJg4A9PYXwrkv88uxe97rgTUoq15AdlYxoE-H_Of80sBaKdWw5V6gOJc1H8x5g6r4uHaEfPZBjxF-RS8gc8XctLpmDTEyfoPonbi9R4NKvoTDyPycJS8WX5laMXmB6zlKMdxwz7gwCQ0KNRSoaKIrhr7IgtkKKTUfWHMindV-nEWPzSunI/w640-h426/Price%20You%20Pay.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>The book covers a <i>lot</i> of ground in five sections:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Part I: The Price and Cost of College and the Systems Behind It - This includes discussion about why college costs so much, an explanation about the <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2020/01/simplifying-fafsa.html" target="_blank">FAFSA</a> and <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2019/12/thoughts-about-efc-and-how-to-graduate.html" target="_blank">EFC</a>, and different kinds of financial aid.</li><li>Part II: The Unhelpful Feelings You May Feel - The feelings are fear, guilt, and "the pull of snobbery and elitism." </li><li>Part III: Value - I loved this section, because it asks what is worth paying for, which will differ by family and student. Some families might find it worth paying for a women's college. Others might want to pay for small class sizes at liberal arts colleges. Still others might shell out for robust mental health programs, and so on. The chapters on different considerations contain questions to ask so you can get deeper than the college's public relations message.</li><li>Part IV: Money-Saving Hacks That Will Tempt You - The "hacks" include community college, honors colleges, college abroad, gap years, and athletic scholarships. I appreciated the hard truths in this section, such as the rarity of getting an athletic scholarship (particularly at one's first choice school), and the importance of immediately identifying one's desired four-year institution upon starting community college in order to be able to transfer in two years (you have to jump through the right hoops). I was pleasantly surprised by the data about gap years. The information in this section is all couched in terms of financial value, which is a different perspective than you'll find elsewhere.</li><li>Part V: The Plans - The plans include a "big financial plan," talking with your child about money for college, and "shopping" for college. There is also information on college savings plans, when and how to find professional help, appealing financial aid awards, and the basics of student loans. The chapter on "shopping" for college has some very practical tips that I hadn't come across anywhere else, which is saying something.<br /></li></ul><div>There is so much information in this book that after listening to it, I got the written version so I could easily make notes on the ideas I wanted to make sure I keep in mind. I especially wanted to get down the questions to ask of colleges to find out where they stand on the considerations that are important to my children and our family, and of course, the "shopping tips," including how to find merit aid data.</div><p></p><p>Because the focus is on paying for, rather than getting into, college, the book doesn't get into the nitty gritty of the application process. But it <i>does</i> cover a lot of the initial phases of the process, particularly list-building. (In college application parlance, "the list" is the list of colleges a student will be applying to.) For most families, I think this is one of, if not the most, difficult parts of the process because it's just hard to know where to start.</p><p>I had listened to a <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-price-you-pay-for-college/id966714421?i=1000552857324" target="_blank">podcast</a> about this book before I listened to the book itself, and there had been a mention that the book includes tips for talking with grandparents about whether they plan to help pay for college. I couldn't help but start at that chapter (Chapter 28, in case you're like me), but it turned out that the conversation was aimed primarily at parents of young children who were just starting out the college savings process. Which made me think at first that the book is aimed at new parents, but it's really not. </p><p>Chapter 28 and Chapter 30 (which is all about 529 plans) are definitely relevant to parents with very young children. But the rest of the book is more useful to parents of middle schoolers and up, especially if money is an issue. Even if money isn't a factor, however, the book would be helpful in identifying schools that are a good fit for a student.</p><p>Verdict: I am adding this book to my list of must-reads for parents planning to send their children to college.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3KhU7cl" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOXGcklgjNC2VB5NKiXDACUKt8L40o5C_AWTDrYjzQ1AX2cHCekT6kxxow6rRI-EMXYrGhi-uM2qeMs8RoWU_uKdXtNxu6IWPJvB6LeNVh8GYUxR6z1tXxaqs82USv6AbgPnjxttm-3AELVa5slGTi6sJ0Y8KwfpZx3PLKxQANNpTzOfi298/s320/Price%20You%20Pay.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-31751718977011753912022-03-26T17:59:00.005-07:002022-03-26T17:59:31.481-07:00Recipe Roundup: Fish Tacos, 2 Cakes, 3 Dips<p>It's been a while since I've posted, and even longer since I shared a recipe roundup. So here are some recipes I've made recently that I would make again. Let me know what you've made recently that I should try!</p><p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238811478358/" target="_blank">Fish Tacos</a> - Fish tacos often seem to feature breaded fried fish, so I loved that in this recipe, the fish was marinated and then seared. I was surprised at how much my husband liked the fish, and I loved the red cabbage slaw that goes with it. I'm definitely making this again, especially because it worked great with frozen defrosted tilapia.</p><p><a href="https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2022/03/chocolate-stout-cake-with-irish-cream-frosting.html" target="_blank">Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting</a> - I've been a Patreon supporter of <a href="https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/" target="_blank">Hummingbird High</a> for a couple of years now, and it gives me access to exclusive monthly recipes. I made this one for St. Patrick's Day, and it was a hit with my family. I think I overbaked the cake a little because it was a bit dry, and I discovered that I don't love Irish cream. So in a way, it was the perfect cake for me - my family ate it all, and I wasn't tempted!</p><p></p><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPSleGq9xar3vFER9ylVUhu4HPK2xGvqMWW2OgG2Nmi3sT3I9pyXr72FsvIRwKeDefLINvnAIy65cFTDfI3LrcK9sW8Kk7lXq2zk5erfpK6OrjAwJ7UnBIbd521cdAyxhoNsF_QFvPBcaPyVU_W9YX3Y1bvKBY6OvLBx_brI_mVkzpidg78uU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3435" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPSleGq9xar3vFER9ylVUhu4HPK2xGvqMWW2OgG2Nmi3sT3I9pyXr72FsvIRwKeDefLINvnAIy65cFTDfI3LrcK9sW8Kk7lXq2zk5erfpK6OrjAwJ7UnBIbd521cdAyxhoNsF_QFvPBcaPyVU_W9YX3Y1bvKBY6OvLBx_brI_mVkzpidg78uU=w352-h400" width="352" /></a></center><p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238812035192/" target="_blank">Pineapple Upside-Down Cake</a> - As classic as this dessert is, I'd never made one before. <a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/" target="_blank">RecipeTin Eats</a> is one of my go-to sites, and as usual, her recipe was a hit. I loved this cake - it's not one-bowl easy, but there's nothing difficult about it. I did have to get a <a href="https://amzn.to/3tGSteq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">9-inch cake pan</a>* because I only had 8-inch pans, but that worked out because I used the 9-inch pan for the Chocolate Stout Cake too. Usually, I only love cake with chocolate, but I will definitely make this one again. <i>(*This is an Amazon affiliate link so I'll earn a small commission if you order anything using it - thank you! Read my disclosure policy <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/p/terms.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.)</i></p><p></p><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHLpjsaFckZaar2JU7MyeLTLWUJLkuWoRM8cgZRiV5ERx8cG9oTScvB193C3yYH-wgs_NtP6auaSNlmzhmtfRQoAbSJcDX6F9urlbzUJnH0TyYYOjxCbkoFPL_JFCpq2xuuVpZQ_uVt-yBIIL-aD7F-DbUCJVLzbTXISepjCzws3KAJJ_OojQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3040" data-original-width="2794" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHLpjsaFckZaar2JU7MyeLTLWUJLkuWoRM8cgZRiV5ERx8cG9oTScvB193C3yYH-wgs_NtP6auaSNlmzhmtfRQoAbSJcDX6F9urlbzUJnH0TyYYOjxCbkoFPL_JFCpq2xuuVpZQ_uVt-yBIIL-aD7F-DbUCJVLzbTXISepjCzws3KAJJ_OojQ=w368-h400" width="368" /></a></center><p></p><p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238806956933/" target="_blank">Cannoli Dip</a> - I think this is one of those recipes that's more fun in theory than practice. It tasted good, but you can only eat a little bit. So maybe what I really mean is that this recipe is for a party, not a small family. Even though the leftovers last a while, we didn't finish them. But I could see this dip being a hit at parties, with cookies and even fresh fruit.</p><p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238801792634/" target="_blank">Buffalo Chicken Dip</a> - This dip was, not surprisingly, on the spicy side. The teenager who loves spice liked it. The teenager who doesn't like spice hardly touched it. I froze the leftovers and gave the container to my in-laws, and my father-in-law loved it.</p><p><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238810911210/" target="_blank">Spinach and Shrimp Dip</a> - Recipes from TikTok usually aren't easy to follow, unless there's a link to a full recipe or it's written down in the comments. So I used this video as more of a guide (e.g., I cut the shrimp into bite-size pieces instead of putting them down whole). But it was quite tasty, and I would make it again - it's great as an appetizer or a main dish.</p><p><br /></p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-16642240695857685922021-11-19T10:11:00.000-08:002021-11-19T10:11:02.036-08:00THANK YOU for reading CFO! (What are you cooking for Thanksgiving 2021?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51wptszq_kQL1cno2p6O46SbAJvDDarKx0CPBBH6Y8fX1B_jPHTs4vQxoSzONcld2OfTLNOHosi7md8FukpR5rNrRiniswypnSUbkVJt7P2eGOekWvNyxXdRPPZ3PDJuFXJNuEA/s550/Thanksgiving-2019.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="550" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51wptszq_kQL1cno2p6O46SbAJvDDarKx0CPBBH6Y8fX1B_jPHTs4vQxoSzONcld2OfTLNOHosi7md8FukpR5rNrRiniswypnSUbkVJt7P2eGOekWvNyxXdRPPZ3PDJuFXJNuEA/w640-h424/Thanksgiving-2019.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><div>I know Thanksgiving isn't until next week, but I <i>love</i> cooking for Thanksgiving, and usually I've planned my menu by early November. For some reason, this year, I haven't been able to get into it until now, but I've finally figured out what I'll be making. </div><div><br /></div><div>As always, we'll be eating our main Thanksgiving feast at a relative's house so I don't have to cook a turkey. Since we don't get leftovers, for the last few years, I've made a turkey just for our family anyway. But if I'm being honest, no one in my family actually loves turkey - so I'm going to skip it this year, and make a beef tenderloin or ham instead. </div><div><br /></div><div>I will, however, be cooking up a storm for the big day. Since we don't come home with leftovers, I like to prepare all the sides because we do enjoy those - and it doesn't really feel like Thanksgiving without them on Friday and Saturday. Here's what I'm thinking: </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238767231495/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole</a> - I've been making this every Thanksgiving for 20 years. I'll be doubling the recipe, because we'll take one to the family dinner and keep one for ourselves.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238767231493/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zucchini, Rice and Cheese Gratin</a> - I've recently gone gluten-free on my doctor's orders (a "let's see if it makes a difference" kind of thing), so I can't be eating traditional stuffing this year. I'm thinking this casserole will be a satisfying substitution. (But I'll probably pick up a package of traditional stuffing for the rest of the family, and maybe make some chicken gravy to go with it. Or maybe I'll give <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238800315088/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">traditional stuffing</a> a try with gluten-free bread - <a href="https://breadblok.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breadblok</a> is always at the farmer's market, and my friend says their bread is pretty good.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Aunty Toki's Cranberry Sauce - I promised to share the recipe last year, but never did. Instead, I just posted a photo of it on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChiefFamilyOfficer/posts/296422512487546?__cft__[0]=AZV1vJomLw5aDhf77KzEPJilsdoy2yT3hQNa46RlQsquYveYJjTvU6zLJOuFP9-qftdGEXWEJWWwLdTfOBeVMrBSOZBKh3QsI0-Mo7pUbCbLnYVdfOcKVECQVKg4eGAArYo&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CFO Facebook page</a>. Not surprisingly, I didn't follow the recipe exactly, so I shared the changes I made to create the best cranberry sauce I've ever had.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238761488809/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pumpkin Flan</a> - Over the last few years, I've really come to love flan, and this will be a perfect Thanksgiving dessert.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238789238026/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spinach Artichoke Dip</a> - I've been asked to bring this to the family dinner also, and this is my go-to recipe.</div><div><br /></div><div>I might also make some <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238800029952/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes</a>, mostly so I can use the leftovers to make cheesy <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238769714135/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mashed Potato Puffs</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>And of course, I'll make some green vegetables, probably some roasted Brussels sprouts and maybe some roasted carrots.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>What's on your Thanksgiving menu? Anything I should add to mine?</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Most of all, I want to say <b>THANK YOU</b> to <i>YOU</i> because you are what keeps this site going. THANK YOU for being a CFO reader!</div>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-49653164946448475692021-10-29T09:49:00.000-07:002021-10-29T09:49:04.383-07:00Why We'll Pay for Our Kids' College Education + Tips for Paying for College Without LoansMy oldest child is now a junior in high school, so many of my friends also have juniors and seniors. Not surprisingly, a common topic of conversation is college. What does it take to get in, but especially, how are we going to <i>pay</i> for college?<div><br /></div><div>Most of my friends seem to feel the same way I do: we'll pay as much as we can afford for college, but we don't want to take out loans, and we'd prefer that our children not take out loans either.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some friends have saved some money in a 529 account, and don't intend to contribute any more toward their kids' college expenses. A few of my friends take a more hardline approach and have told their children that they won't pay for college at all. </div><div><br /></div><div>From talking to my friends and researching the subject, there are a lot of reasons why parents don't contribute, or contribute <i>more</i>, to their kids' college education. Among the most common reasons are: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Not being able to afford it (and not wanting to take out loans themselves)</li><li>Feeling that graduation from high school is the demarcation for adulthood (therefore, college expenses are the student's responsibility)</li><li>Believing that kids need to have "skin in the game" - i.e., if they don't bear the financial responsibility of college, they won't take it seriously and will waste their time there</li></ul><div>I think how a person grew up has to do a lot to do with how they view paying for college. Talking with other parents, it seems like those who had to pay their own way through college or couldn't afford to go (or didn't view it as an option for themselves) are more likely to think their children should at least contribute to their college expenses. Although there are parents who paid their own way who are happy to be able to pay for their children's education, because they remember how hard it was for themselves.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BuS_2fW6Isi4mdl6qfUsSBZMYn4SGOymyN7mbCDqDj1VsZH62w-O-c40x1QAkf4EDRz8Y9l32-2bqFaUp9964GtJF6QRHPkzLrhfzNCO5i4STquTy-40YxL7qE8dkzDYWIwtNQ/s640/Why+We%2527ll+Pay+for+Our+Kids%2527+College+Education.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BuS_2fW6Isi4mdl6qfUsSBZMYn4SGOymyN7mbCDqDj1VsZH62w-O-c40x1QAkf4EDRz8Y9l32-2bqFaUp9964GtJF6QRHPkzLrhfzNCO5i4STquTy-40YxL7qE8dkzDYWIwtNQ/w640-h426/Why+We%2527ll+Pay+for+Our+Kids%2527+College+Education.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In my own family, my husband and I were both fortunate enough to have parents who paid in full for both of our college educations, and that's a big part of why we want to do the same for our own children. We know what a gift it is to be able to go to college and not have to worry about where the next tuition payment is coming from, and to graduate without any debt. We also know what carrying student debt feels like, because I took out loans to pay for law school.</div><div><br /></div><div>We also remember how immature we were when we graduated from high school, and how college was an integral part of our maturation. Because of our own experiences, we really want our kids to have the opportunity to go away and live in a dorm their freshman year. </div><div><br /></div><div>Paying for college is obviously difficult, so we've been planning for many years now. We even <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2021/09/why-we-refinanced-our-mortgage-again.html" target="_blank">refinanced our mortgage</a> recently to bolster our cash flow. Nevertheless, we haven't saved up enough to pay for <i>any</i> college our kids might want to go to. So finances have been a part of the college conversation in our house from the beginning.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's <i>really</i> important, because the last thing any parent wants is to never talk about money but then break their child's heart in April of senior year and say, "I know you worked really hard to get into College X but you can't go because we can't afford it." The better way to do things is to talk about cost <i>before</i> the student even starts putting together the list of schools where they'll apply. And then incorporate cost into the application process, so that the student isn't applying only to schools that are academic and social fits, but also a financial fit.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's no way to know for sure if a school is a financial fit before you receive the financial aid package, but there are ways to roughly predict if a school will be affordable. Here are my best tips:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Start by assessing your finances. You can't know if a school is affordable if you don't know how much you can pay.</li><li>Determine your family's EFC, or Expected Family Contribution (soon to become the <a href="https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/electronic-announcements/2021-06-11/beginning-phased-implementation-fafsa-simplification-act-ea-id-general-21-39" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Student Aid Index</a> in 2024). Read <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2019/12/thoughts-about-efc-and-how-to-graduate.html" target="_blank">this discussion</a> about EFC first so you don't go into shock when you do this.</li><li>Understand the different types of financial aid - schools may offer need-based financial aid and/or merit-based financial aid. There's more information in <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2019/11/things-to-know-about-paying-for-college.html" target="_blank">this post about paying for college</a>.</li><li>Run a college's Net Price Calculator (NPC). Every college is required to have one on their website, so a search for the school name and "NPC" or "net price calculator" should take you to that page. Unfortunately, not all NPCs are built the same. In general, the more information the NPC asks for, the more reliable the result. Note that most NPCs don't seem to include merit scholarship information, so you'll have to dig deeper for those.</li><li>Create an account at <a href="https://tuitionfit.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TuitionFit</a>. This is a new site and should become more reliable as more people use it. The site collects information from financial aid offers, so you can enter a student's stats and get information on the offers received by students with similar stats. The last time I checked, there was a free version and a premium paid version, but that was about a year ago when it first came out.</li></ul><div>There are also paid services like Road2College's <a href="https://www.road2college.com/product/college-data-spreadsheet/" target="_blank">College Insights</a>, which purport to show you which schools offer the best financial aid packages. I've followed the site's founder, Debbie Schwartz, for years, but I can't endorse the service since I've never actually used it (although I'm considering it for next year when my son is in application mode).</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, there's no way to know for sure how much a college will cost until a student is admitted and has received the financial aid package. I know families who have gotten shockingly generous aid that they didn't expect, and families who were deeply disappointed at the lack of aid offered. Again, the best thing you can do for your child is make sure they know that cost is a factor that has to be considered in deciding where they will ultimately attend.</div>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-11635309553528986932021-09-28T11:09:00.002-07:002023-07-07T15:50:44.671-07:00Why We Refinanced Our Mortgage Again (Should You?)<p>My husband and I just refinanced our mortgage for the second time. We started the process back in May, so it took four months - these days, that seems to be typical. I have friends who've been in the refi process for months, too. I thought I would share our reasons, because it goes beyond straight finances, and has a lot to do with planning ahead.</p><p><i>First, the basics: What is a refinance? It's when you pay off the existing mortgage by taking out a new mortgage with new terms, especially a new, lower interest rate. This should lower the monthly payment. It also resets the clock - so if you had a 30-year mortgage and refinance to a new 30-year mortgage, you have another 30 years to pay it off. In order to refinance, you'll likely have to pay closing costs, which can be rolled into the new mortgage so you don't have to pay it out of pocket.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiT7EEDVqiGA08XGnTyPm4-3EFk7_pn8ZSPYRqq71rKsFf7yBXyvdb-7CoRNrt67wjipY91CG_Gd4o0BN2QsUEjfwmKkjjupspOtYSktBaznK_b192ui4rWPtWe705b76IHyfwzQ/s600/Why+We+Refinanced+Again.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="600" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiT7EEDVqiGA08XGnTyPm4-3EFk7_pn8ZSPYRqq71rKsFf7yBXyvdb-7CoRNrt67wjipY91CG_Gd4o0BN2QsUEjfwmKkjjupspOtYSktBaznK_b192ui4rWPtWe705b76IHyfwzQ/w640-h446/Why+We+Refinanced+Again.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>The most common reason for refinancing a mortgage is to lower payments and save money in the long run. And of course, that was a huge motivator for us. Our interest rate dropped from 4.125% to 2.875%, lowering our monthly payment by over $300. </p><p>There are calculators that will help you figure out how long you need to hold a new mortgage, but basically, you take the closing costs and divide by the amount you're now saving per month. The result is the number of months you need to hold the new mortgage to recoup the amount of the closing costs. Once you do that, the monthly savings are just that - savings.</p><p>In the case of this refi, our closing costs totaled $2,340. (We didn't have to pay almost $600 for an appraisal because the loan amount was so much less than the value of our house.) If you divide $2,340 by $300, you get 7.8 months. So after 8 months, we will pay less with our new mortgage than we would have with our old mortgage.</p><p>That makes it easy to see why people refinance - who wouldn't want to end up paying less in interest if you can?</p><p>Sometimes it takes longer to recoup the amount of the closing costs. The first time we refinanced our mortgage was back in 2010, when I quit working as an attorney and <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2010/09/big-announcement.html" target="_blank">cut our income in half</a>. If I recall correctly, we reduced our monthly payments by $200 but paid between $4,000 and $5,000 in closing costs - so it took us between 20 to 25 months to recoup the closing costs.</p><p>If we had planned on selling our house in less than two years, refinancing wouldn't have made sense because we never would have made up the closing costs. But since we knew we were staying put, I wanted that extra $200 per month for the sense of security. (I knew we could get by on just my husband's salary. But I also knew that "things happen.")</p><p>The main reason I wanted the current refi to go through is that our oldest child will be heading off to college in two years. And his brother will follow two years after that. An extra $300 per month will obviously be helpful - especially because I will probably sign up for the college's payment plan, which lets you make monthly payments instead of paying the full bill all at once at the beginning of the semester. (I don't know where my kids will go, but as far as I know, every college offers a payment plan.)</p><p>The kicker is that we've always paid extra on the mortgage to pay down the principal faster. So if we start paying just the minimum on our new mortgage, we'll actually be paying $600 less per month. That's an extra $7,200 per year to put toward college. That could end up being the difference when it comes to choosing one school and its financial aid package over another.</p><p>If you're wondering if you should refinance your own mortgage, here are a couple of questions to ask yourself:</p><p><i>Will you hold onto the property long enough to recoup the closing costs?</i> Keep in mind that you can shop around for the lowest rates <i>and</i> lowest closing costs.</p><p><i>What will you do with the monthly savings?</i> I think it's important to have a plan for the money. I've always continued paying the original mortgage amount, which means that our monthly expenses stay the same and the mortgage just gets paid down faster. However, if the boys' college costs mean we need the extra $7,200 per year, I can lower our mortgage payment to the minimum and put the difference toward college. Other ways you might plan for the savings include building your emergency fund or putting the money in a 529 plan for your child's future college expenses.</p><p>I also want to note that because it took so long to process the refi, the amount we borrowed ending up being several thousand dollars more than the total payoff of our old mortgage plus closing costs. I was told that lowering the loan amount would result in the loan being sent back to the underwriting department, which would basically start the process over again. I wasn't doing that! We ended up getting some of the extra money back as cash (even though it wasn't a cash-out refi) and some of the money was applied to the principal of the loan. I was told we couldn't avoid the cash back - I could have made an extra payment on the loan to pay down more principal, but I just put the money in savings, since the whole point of the refi was to have money available to pay for college.</p><p>It was a four-month odyssey, but it was well-worth it. I'm happy we're maximizing our ability to pay for the kids' college educations - and in my next post, I'll discuss <i>why</i> we're willing to pay.</p><p><i>(Note: Apologies if you got a notification about an old post about looking forward to March. I'm doing some housekeeping and accidentally republished a post from 2005!)</i></p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-57192485066119537622021-09-09T10:29:00.003-07:002022-03-26T21:40:30.741-07:00How to Enroll in Los Angeles Community College Courses While You're in High School<p>Are you a high school student in Los Angeles, or do you have a child who is? If so, did you know that you can take community college courses for free?</p><p>I've helped my son through the process several times now, so I've put together a step-by-step guide to walk you through the process.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj607ZFPrfVGLwOVcoMGu60E0UfcoiDFgv7GuegJiIYySl1AMMWTCxzb1xzxsc1P_r80Xh56Vex4CjCW5ATskHkGPaeTpMlAFx37oYPi30cOCR9rOzM0upvnv8KLYNisWMBYfTM4Q/s2000/Enroll+in+LACCD.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj607ZFPrfVGLwOVcoMGu60E0UfcoiDFgv7GuegJiIYySl1AMMWTCxzb1xzxsc1P_r80Xh56Vex4CjCW5ATskHkGPaeTpMlAFx37oYPi30cOCR9rOzM0upvnv8KLYNisWMBYfTM4Q/w640-h456/Enroll+in+LACCD.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>1. <b>Create an OpenCCC account</b> <a href="https://www.openccc.net/uPortal/p/AccountCreation/normal/render.uP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. You’ll receive a CCCID number, which you'll need for the next step. </p><p>2. <b>Apply to the community college that you want to attend</b> at <a href="http://LACCD.edu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LACCD.edu</a>. A few days after you’ve submitted the application, you’ll receive an email with your Student ID number and LACCD email account info, which you’ll use throughout your community college experience. </p><p>3. <b>Activate the <a href="https://student.laccd.edu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Student Portal</a></b>. The login information will be in an email you receive after submitting your application. </p><p>4. <b>Submit your K-12 Form</b> for dual/concurrent enrollment using the college’s website. You'll be directed to an online portal called Dynamic Forms (search the college's website for a page for high school students or dual/concurrent enrollment). The K-12 form must be submitted each term at each college you plan to attend. Once the student completes and submits the K-12 form, their parent/guardian will receive an email and need to electronically sign it. The form will then be submitted to the high school counselor. Once the counselor has signed it, the form will be submitted to the college. Once you receive the email that says “Your school has completed their portion” of the K-12 form, you are able to enroll in the classes listed on the form. </p><p>5. <b>Clear any prerequisites.</b> If you want to take a course that has prerequisites that you took in high school, know that those need to be cleared separately from your K-12 form before you will be allowed to enroll in the class. Each college has its own way of clearing prerequisites, so you'll need to search check their website. </p><p><b>Other things to know:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Once you have an LACCD Student ID number, you can take a class at any of the Los Angeles community colleges without re-applying. Just log into the Student Portal and click on manage classes. You'll be able to search for a class at any of the LACCD colleges.<br /><br /></li><li>You need to complete a new K-12 form each semester or summer session, and you'll need a separate K-12 form for each college you attend. For example, if you want to take a class at Pierce College and another class at Valley College in the same semester, you'll need to fill out K-12 forms at both of those schools.<br /><br /></li><li>If you want to talk to someone at a college, use the Online Services & Chat link in the Student Portal. LACCD uses a system called Cranium Cafe, and it actually works well once you get used to it. Depending on your needs, you can choose to chat with someone in a specific department. If you need to talk to someone about your K-12 form, chat with someone in Admissions and Records. If you need help clearing a prerequisite, chat with someone in the Counseling department.<br /><br /></li><li>You can take classes for free! As a high school student taking community college classes, you don't have to pay for tuition, but you may have to pay for books. <br /><br /></li><li>Keep in mind that unless the textbooks/material are digital, it can take some time to get them, whether you order them from the college bookstore, Amazon, or elsewhere. Textbook information is often listed in the Details section when you look up a class in the "Manage Classes" section of the Student Portal.<br /><br /></li><li>Information listed here is subject to change, so you should always check with the college and/or your high school counselor for the latest.</li></ul><p></p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-78960527976489320142021-08-30T22:04:00.001-07:002021-08-30T22:04:44.016-07:00Heads Up: If you want to get Chief Family Officer posts via email, you'll need to subscribe to the newsletter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr4sgNUhf0Z-k9qoGF2Kyg4_J821vSEmY6z-r7qeEYfq6msObHQ2uknK1srYGDgSH5038NwJycEoyRBNCruuMVqV2uBQWmDsl0Uak3fNZvLjx_wd490b-7hWrvLqLXFM3r5K1bA/s1280/CFO+posts+by+email.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr4sgNUhf0Z-k9qoGF2Kyg4_J821vSEmY6z-r7qeEYfq6msObHQ2uknK1srYGDgSH5038NwJycEoyRBNCruuMVqV2uBQWmDsl0Uak3fNZvLjx_wd490b-7hWrvLqLXFM3r5K1bA/w640-h426/CFO+posts+by+email.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>I've used Google's Feedburner service to send out new posts by email for well over a decade. But Google is terminating that service, so if you want to keep getting CFO posts by email, you'll need to <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">sign up</a> for the CFO newsletter if you haven't already. Just <a href="https://mailchi.mp/195f27d7d6d3/chieffamilyofficernewsletter" target="_blank">go here</a> and input your email address. Rest assured, your email address will <i>only</i> be used to send you CFO news. Thanks as always for reading!</p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-5657210963929829482021-08-01T21:59:00.001-07:002021-08-01T21:59:39.985-07:00Random Roundup Catch Up Edition: Books, Shopping, School and More<p>Hello, stranger! I hope you and your loved ones are doing well.</p><p>I didn't mean to take a nearly three-month hiatus, but it happened. And so has a lot of life, which I'll catch you up on below. But first, just me say <i>THANK YOU</i> for being here - it means so much to have friends in this little corner of the internet!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGqzPWiuWWgFW4wOVVD1ye8jVEMDHbz9dg-gFmcrD0mobIBFwS6T5FYq3jzah15JdfSlqPF5Swy5sJiyFKjAgMMrmxj_FmLmLBejJYZeW90oirf0M2HIKPVVPB4S5skf0lcUmzw/s640/Random+Roundup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGqzPWiuWWgFW4wOVVD1ye8jVEMDHbz9dg-gFmcrD0mobIBFwS6T5FYq3jzah15JdfSlqPF5Swy5sJiyFKjAgMMrmxj_FmLmLBejJYZeW90oirf0M2HIKPVVPB4S5skf0lcUmzw/w640-h426/Random+Roundup.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><i>Some of the links below are affiliate links that help support this site
at no additional cost to you. Thank you for using them! You can read
CFO's <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/p/terms.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">full disclosure here</a>.</i></p><p>***********</p><p>I continue to read <i>lot</i> thanks to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/read21in21/" target="_blank">#Read21in21</a>, and my Instagram feed is basically all the books I've been reading. I mentioned the <a href="https://amzn.to/3vwV0Gu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Book Collector mystery series</a> in my last post, and because of it, I started reading the <a href="https://amzn.to/2TXQgfA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peter Wimsey series</a> by Dorothy L. Sayers. It's set in the early 1900's, so it's something of a history lesson on what society was like then (it seems like every day, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be a woman today and not at a previous time in history!). The stories are quirky, and it took me some time to get used to the style, but I'm enjoying myself as I slowly make my way through the books. (I'm apparently not the only one reading the series since I have to wait for each book to become available at the library.) I'll also give a shout out to the <a href="https://amzn.to/3yeLJo2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bakeshop Mystery series</a>, which is light and fun.</p><p>Speaking of the library, I can't rave about it enough. I just love being able to <a href="https://lapl.overdrive.com/" target="_blank">borrow e-books</a> and read them using the Kindle app. I can also borrow audiobooks, which I listen to using the Libby app. It's all free, and they've been quite good about acquiring books that they don't have that I "recommend" (it's an option that usually pops up for a book they don't own).</p><p>If you're not in Los Angeles, your public library probably offers the same or similar service for digital content. Look for a link on their website about borrowing digital material or even just a "get a card" link.</p><p>***********</p><p>Now that my entire family is fully vaccinated, I've been going out more. I eat outdoors with friends and I go shopping! I always knew I enjoy shopping, but having to take a long hiatus from doing it in person as opposed to online has given me a new appreciation for it. I know lots of people don't like it, but I love perusing the different options and picking out my own products. (Although now that the delta variant is so prevalent, I've been double masking and getting in and out quickly.)</p><p>I've been going to the farmers market every week, which always makes me feel good - I get to buy great produce and prepared foods, and support small business owners and local farmers. (A few weeks ago on Facebook, I shared a link to an article about how over <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChiefFamilyOfficer/posts/206448898151575?__cft__[0]=AZX8qPntRUB0tO-KNHUq2S5XL4fxe4Tuy4JR2EtRsGw-VcVsEmeN01iTvThvRzswxw5Pl6GuRM_QNCf78S4E-kjOhZF_4gi3liBhPA0I58k-sgjyvmJa2qlb9kzTkc8SZ2HUHt5qP8EkNk7lsdyqdsAp&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">half the products in a supermarket</a> are made by just four companies.) I've also checked out the new Pavilions and Whole Foods markets that opened in my neighborhood during the pandemic, and they're great. My friend's son is actually going to start working at the Pavilions, so I'm looking forward to seeing him there. </p><p>We're saving money compared to when I ordered everything online, because I don't stock up unnecessarily, the way I did when I wasn't sure if something would be in stock the next time I needed to place an order. I can also buy in quantities that work for me (e.g., a quarter pound of deli turkey instead of the full pound Ralphs made me buy for a pickup order).</p><p>And I've rediscovered the joy of a great deal. Over on Facebook, I shared the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChiefFamilyOfficer/posts/197581965704935?__cft__[0]=AZU7V684KlqNz-vfWy56uji3FB3Cok2Q5sgQkZk-xeJP3S6JcIV2Wyv1jjxfXhYK_tdOKX-NjOtY7xbG55G-QOq5s3C5Q2DN_zhsZnGptxkHAX4UPivggM-AuCFK1yjXLAEjUmxma-HTLnLNXrqCmIEG&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">moneymakers I recently picked up at Whole Foods</a>. (By the way, even when I was only buying groceries online, I consistently used the Ibotta and Fetch apps to <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2019/01/grocery-rebate-and-coupon-apps-you.html" target="_blank">earn free money</a>.)</p><p>***********</p><p>I spent a the first half of the year starting to work toward a certificate in College Counseling. As you might recall, I've spent a lot of time the past few years learning about the college application process and especially, how people pay for college (aside from loans, which I really want to avoid). As my kids and my friends' kids have gotten older and my friends and I talked about college, I realized I had so much knowledge that I could use to help other families, so I decided to try a course in the certificate program at UCLA. So far, I'm really enjoying the classes (although I'm taking the summer off).</p><p>Since my goal is to help other families, please let me know if you'd be interested in a video series that gives an overview of the college application process, and then goes deeper into different areas, like what to think about in middle school, what to do junior and senior years (with a timeline), and explanations about various aspects of financial aid. I had to make a slideshow for my final project in one of my classes, so I'm envisioning a slideshow with my voiceover, giving more details about what's on each slide. If that's something you'd be interested in, please let me know! (You can fill out the contact form in the right sidebar at <a href="http://chieffamilyofficer.com">chieffamilyofficer.com</a> or email me at cfoblog@gmail.com.)</p><p>***********</p><p>A word about going back to school: If you liked school when you were younger, you'll probably still like it now. I was nervous about taking classes again, but it didn't take me long to remember how to study and although some things are different (no face-to-face time with professors in my online classes), the rhythm is mostly the same. It feels good to learn new things and analyze and explain them. And I have to say, the big benefit of taking online classes is that you can do the work on your own schedule and not worry about getting to class on time. If you've been thinking about taking some classes but have been hesitant, let me encourage you to take just one class and see how it goes.</p><p>***********</p><p>I also want to share one of my favorite resources when it comes to learning about applying to colleges, the <a href="https://info.getintocollege.com/getting-in" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Getting In: A College Coach Conversation podcast</a>. I listen to it every week when I'm vacuuming, and I always learn so much. I love that they cover every facet of the college process, from what eighth and ninth graders should be thinking about to how to write essays for specific colleges to applying to a military academy or to college as a veteran. They also talk about paying for college and what students should do to prepare to be successful when they get there. They answer lots of listener questions, too, so if you have a specific concern, you can submit it to them and get expert advice.</p><p>***********</p><p>It's hard to believe that it's August. My cousins' kids in Hawaii start school this week (!) and my kids start in two weeks. Not only is waking up early again going to be a <i>major</i> adjustment, I've been trying to remember what my morning routine on school days was a year and a half ago - things like what time I used to wake up, when we used to leave the house, and what time school started and ended. They seem like such fundamental things that I can't believe I forgot them, but the fact that I did is just another indication of how bizarre life has been for the last 17 months.</p><p>The craziest thing is that I'm about to have <i>two</i> kids in high school. My older one just got his driver's permit, and I'm hearing that if you drive your kids to school, then it's common to have your kid drive to and from school when they're learning how to drive. I'm not sure I'll be doing that.</p><p>***********</p><p>I'm heading over to Costco tomorrow. My younger son has fallen in love with Dubliner cheese, and they sell giant blocks of it there. I also realized that I would love to have some <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/search?q=freezer+meals" target="_blank">freezer meals</a> again to make dinner time easier. Because I've been <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2020/08/random-roundup-time-keeping.html" target="_blank">getting my meat from ButcherBox</a>, it comes frozen and I can't meal prep the way I used to (since you can't re-freeze raw meat that was already frozen). So I'm thinking about buying some meat at Costco and prepping some meals for the freezer, like chili and meatloaf. What are your favorite freezer meals?</p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-54100645249140095862021-05-09T21:30:00.002-07:002021-07-09T10:46:31.806-07:00Random Roundup Mother's Day Edition: Books, Recipes & Meal Ideas, Work Outs + More<p> It's been a while! (Again.) Things have been kind of crazy, but I'm thrilled that my husband, my oldest son and myself are vaccinated now (we just got our second doses). I've got my fingers crossed that my younger son can get his first shot this week! (We experienced almost no side effects from the first shot; we all got Pfizer. I had about 12 hours when I felt like I was coming down with the flu, and my son had a headache and a little nausea for about 24 hours. My husband was perfectly fine.)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDy_ht8yXy88fj7VdwLWNsvvphXKIBcveIoMymgZFxOjJvYGooA9ovPp2X0p9OXal4pi3MvR3Eiw8wC4iJSDcJuFk5KjCzgpJztTV7TzsL589_fvsJFrpzkJ1ujvHLwj4T-pQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDy_ht8yXy88fj7VdwLWNsvvphXKIBcveIoMymgZFxOjJvYGooA9ovPp2X0p9OXal4pi3MvR3Eiw8wC4iJSDcJuFk5KjCzgpJztTV7TzsL589_fvsJFrpzkJ1ujvHLwj4T-pQ/w400-h266/Random+Roundup+Mothers+Day.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />At the end of April, we had another stretch of adaptation because our school district implemented a new hybrid schedule. The schedule for middle and high school students involves staying in homeroom and attending virtual classes, so my kids chose to stay fully virtual. But their schedule still changed because the bell schedule changed, and I had to spend some extra energy trying to remember when lunchtime is, when they get out of class, etc.<p></p><p>During this pandemic, I've really noticed that sometimes little things suck up my energy, which explains why I don't have the will to do things I normally get done. Sometimes I just accept it (especially if they're temporary), and sometimes I try to figure out ways to eliminate the energy drains. With the schedule, I did both - I accepted it the first week, but as soon the final schedule was released for the following week, I printed out several copies and posted them where I can easily see them so I don't have to keep checking my email.</p><p><small><i>This post contains affiliate links that help support this site at no additional cost to you. Thank you for using them! You can read CFO's <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/p/terms.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">full disclosure here</a>.</i></small></p><p>Here's more of what's been going on ...</p><p>*************</p><p>Thanks to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/read21in21/" target="_blank">#Read21in21</a>, I'm still reading a <i>lot</i>. I haven't done book roundups the last couple of months, but I do post every book I finish on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cfoblog/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Thus far, I've read over 50 books, which has got to be a personal best for me in such a short time span. (At least as an adult. As a child, I was a voracious reader, and I wouldn't be surprised if I used to read 50 books every month or two.)</p><p>Some highlights have been the <a href="https://amzn.to/3vvpMQ0" target="_blank">Port Danby</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/3vwV0Gu" target="_blank">Book Collector</a> series - lighthearted mysteries that are easy and fun to read. But the book that has had the greatest impact on me was <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2PynxMf" target="_blank">The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias</a></i> by Dolly Chugh - it helped me understand systemic racism in an articulable way for the first time. It also gave me motivation and tools for continuing to learn and grow to be the person I mean to be.</p><p>*************</p><p>Like a lot of people, I'm still cooking a <i>lot</i>. For Easter, I made these Bunny Cinnamon Rolls:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmBFsqbGXv06ELdQn7CIYIoXyWIipReQ2XldbIGi5hSKptOUR36KaWXTg8ssWVkByjUu6iNNxqEogqEJxzW7v8GwgAxrW9u7_NGK_XkOaxYtdzd4fOuCwim906rRCJncpiTcs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="2048" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmBFsqbGXv06ELdQn7CIYIoXyWIipReQ2XldbIGi5hSKptOUR36KaWXTg8ssWVkByjUu6iNNxqEogqEJxzW7v8GwgAxrW9u7_NGK_XkOaxYtdzd4fOuCwim906rRCJncpiTcs/w400-h251/Bunny+Cinnamon+Rolls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I got the idea from Instagram, although I can't find the post that inspired me. These are just Immaculate Baking's <a href="https://amzn.to/3vRNFBk" target="_blank">cinnamon rolls in a can</a>. All I had to do was pull them apart, then unwind each roll a little bit to form the bunny ears.<div><br /></div><div>For Passover, I made this <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238790704489/" target="_blank">4-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake</a>, which my husband said was the best cake I've ever made because it was crunchy on top and soft inside. That's not exactly <i>my</i> ideal cake, but I'm probably going to make this every Passover now.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Recently, I made <a href="https://www.justonecookbook.com/buri-daikon/" target="_blank">Buri Daikon</a>, which is yellowtail (hamachi) simmered with daikon radish in a soy sauce mixture. It was quite good:</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9k2WcpL9oMnzlcTYf68inRHxQxMr5OLZKDDey1Ic2MLH81ta4UbjgHW2YXod-tDCjpsuJ0Ai2a9nahhZNFEx3jcXiiXLuINQqYI4F2KA6fmq8euLjKqkO3P7I2nNgD4DgSKW/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2025" data-original-width="2048" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9k2WcpL9oMnzlcTYf68inRHxQxMr5OLZKDDey1Ic2MLH81ta4UbjgHW2YXod-tDCjpsuJ0Ai2a9nahhZNFEx3jcXiiXLuINQqYI4F2KA6fmq8euLjKqkO3P7I2nNgD4DgSKW/w320-h316/Buri+Daikon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Some super easy meals I make involve cold cuts - either sandwiches or a charcuterie platter. The freshly prepared pasta from <a href="http://truffledealers.com/" target="_blank">Truffle Dealers</a> is delicious, although a little pricey (I order them as add ons to my <a href="https://ediblegardensla.com/" target="_blank">Edible Gardens LA</a> weekly delivery). My favorite ramen is now <a href="https://amzn.to/3eW1nfR" target="_blank">Sun Noodle Miso Ramen</a> - it's particularly delicious with some greens and a poached egg. (Their other flavors are good too. My only complaint is that I can't made heads or tails of the expiration date sticker.)<br /><p></p><p>*************</p><p>I signed up for the Peloton app after reading <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/23/briefing/the-weekender.html#card7" target="_blank">How to Trick Yourself Into Liking Running</a>. I realized that I too would like to have someone encouraging me to push myself, and it's been awesome. (I will admit that the cult-ish way the overall group is referred to as "Peloton," as in, "So glad you're here today, Peloton," is a little off-putting.)</p><p>*************</p><p>I can't wait to go to the farmer's market in two weeks, when I'm fully vaccinated. I've really appreciated being able to get deliveries from Edible Gardens LA, and I'll probably continue to order from them at least periodically. But I am so looking forward to picking out my own produce, and buying my sons' favorite tamales and croissants!</p><p>*************</p><p>It's Mother's Day, so I can't sign off without wishing all the moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day! But I still remember how hard this day was the year I had my second miscarriage, and I know some have lost their mothers, and others have strained relationships with their mothers or as mothers. If this day is hard for you, please know that you're not alone!</p></div></div>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-49735784270979103932021-03-15T08:47:00.001-07:002021-03-17T09:26:30.609-07:00Shop, Play, Win! Monopoly at Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions: $230,000,000 in prizes! + More Ways to Win<p><i style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;">This post is sponsored by Sivan Social. All comments and opinions are my own, honest opinions. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px;">Read my disclosure policy <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/p/terms.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nCAJjRVI6C_rvtzvFu0SYD1PbfAu0Q2g740GIKZUthlSFfMo-CvKY9fMNIRhaMo7hzIWAzwwyNjQG-g9oGcwdfdoj9pWoO1ejNCpdp7nTzfsWfweu5dsCBVWsLk90YPeeJ4RjA/s2065/Monopoly.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="2065" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nCAJjRVI6C_rvtzvFu0SYD1PbfAu0Q2g740GIKZUthlSFfMo-CvKY9fMNIRhaMo7hzIWAzwwyNjQG-g9oGcwdfdoj9pWoO1ejNCpdp7nTzfsWfweu5dsCBVWsLk90YPeeJ4RjA/w640-h312/Monopoly.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>If you're an Albertsons shopper, you probably already know about the <a href="https://www.shopplaywin.com/" target="_blank">Shop, Play, Win! Monopoly game</a> that's happening now through May 4th. (Albertsons is the parent company of Vons and Pavilions here in Southern California.) There are over $230,000,000 in prizes and money-saving offers this year!<p></p><p>Every time you shop, you'll earn 1 game ticket for every $25 you spend on qualifying purchases, PLUS 1 ticket for every featured item. Each ticket contains a code that you can scan to win prizes. Download the new Shop, Play, Win! app to easily scan your codes, or enter the codes in your Shop, Play, Win! account. You'll also need a Just for U account, which is free and gets you extra savings. Store level prizes will be loaded to your Just for U account, so you just need to scan your card at checkout (no coupons necessary). For more info, check out the <a href="https://www.shopplaywin.com/faq" target="_blank">Shop, Play, Win! FAQ</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUHbigsyBuL5rqucXOAYRVofkVNzZw_FDbb5alZuQWo_waIFZUuRpXh9OuxaYFmijg5pvumIt4NOXEsRyO1GbPyG-ki67zlP2Nb0W8axSwCFmarp1pdx_DhcBM-QPtoInw23Vig/s2048/Monopoly+How.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1503" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUHbigsyBuL5rqucXOAYRVofkVNzZw_FDbb5alZuQWo_waIFZUuRpXh9OuxaYFmijg5pvumIt4NOXEsRyO1GbPyG-ki67zlP2Nb0W8axSwCFmarp1pdx_DhcBM-QPtoInw23Vig/w470-h640/Monopoly+How.png" width="470" /></a></div><p><b>There are more ways to win!</b></p><p>🠊 Be sure to check your blue Valpak envelope when it comes in the mail - you might be the instant winner of a $100 gift card, plus you'll get details on how to win free groceries for life!</p><p>🠊 Enter <a href="https://www.savings.com/coupons/albertsons.com#i-4878125" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Savings.com's #GoShopPlayWin gift card giveaway</a> for a chance to win one of SIXTY $100 gift cards to spend at Albertsons Companies stores (ends 3/31).</p><p>🠊 RSVP for the <a href="https://www.savings.com/info/social/goshopplaywin-twitter-party/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#GoShopPlayWin Twitter party</a> at 10AM PT/1PM ET on Thursday, March 25th. You can chat about the game, plus you'll have even more chances to win a $100 gift card!</p><p><i>Good luck, and be sure to let me know what you win!</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.savings.com/info/social/goshopplaywin-twitter-party/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwxOLdCOVcAtf0tDGhrz7HiJeQ5XLTpYpRCXTmHIXK89hs6v9ELpjkviqvEC_Djq58U-5BvVvZxgm4IrxPo_SsrZbvWu9nOEdKjDn0mPtMypyrhhNY4mm9JYWhc57Nd4v3koiRg/w640-h320/4966061.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Game tickets end 5/4/21. Must be resident of an
eligible U.S. state listed in rules; 18+. Visit www.shopplaywin.com for
full rules, incl. how to enter without purchase. Series MON-14.
MONOPOLY™ & © 1935, 2021 Hasbro, Pawtucket, RI 02861-1059 USA. All
Rights Reserved. TM & ® denote U.S. Trademarks. Hasbro is not a
sponsor of this promotion.</p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13259011.post-52118482535662803132021-03-11T10:14:00.000-08:002021-03-11T10:14:13.239-08:00Random Roundup: An Update, Advice, Tips, and More!<p>Hi, how are you? I apologize for being the friend who says "I'll call" and never does. The volume of posts has plummeted without warning here at CFO, mostly because I find the days just speeding by. I've begun getting certified as a college counselor, so that's taking up some time - in new and challenging ways. I haven't been in school for 20 years, so it's been weird having real homework. But it's also been good: I enjoy what I'm learning, and I'm excited at the prospect of creating a new career for myself. With my youngest being in eighth grade, I want to set myself up for the inevitable time when he goes off to college, and I no longer have the active role of "Mom" to keep me busy every day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNWzgfGfoiySE6t9oyax28bCWE9VfHOLKqOXGx_h2UWkZElstExXHapBAbv56-Eo4HzeA04JDjT7LC1h7soE3w_UL8CwEcb3v2NPC5Xt3LBrWlS6aAKDSbPOL5zsOR2RUPysv8A/s640/Random+Roundup.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNWzgfGfoiySE6t9oyax28bCWE9VfHOLKqOXGx_h2UWkZElstExXHapBAbv56-Eo4HzeA04JDjT7LC1h7soE3w_UL8CwEcb3v2NPC5Xt3LBrWlS6aAKDSbPOL5zsOR2RUPysv8A/s16000/Random+Roundup.png" /></a></div><p>So that's what's been going on with me, and along the way, I've found some things I want to share that I think you'll find useful and/or entertaining:</p><p>*************</p><p>If you'll have a kid in college in 2023 or after, you should know that <a href="https://waytothequad.com/resources/big-changes-coming-on-the-fafsa/" target="_blank">big changes are coming</a> to financial aid. In the second pandemic relief package passed by Congress last year, they tacked on the <a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Student%20Loan%20Repayment%20and%20FAFSA%20Simplification%20Act%20One%20Pager.pdf" target="_blank">FAFSA Simplification Act</a>, which reduces the number of questions on the <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2019/11/things-to-know-about-paying-for-college.html" target="_blank">FAFSA</a>, what counts as income, and more. The changes take effect in October 2022, which is when you can file the FAFSA for the 2023-2024 school year. </p><p>*************</p><p>Thanks to <a href="https://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/2021/02/tips-for-reading-more-what-i-read.html" target="_blank">#Read21in21</a>, I've been reading a <i>lot</i> this year. Check out my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cfoblog/" target="_blank">Instagram profile</a> to see all the books I've finished. (I've started quite a few without finishing them - they count toward my daily reading, but don't make it onto the list of "books read" this year.) If you have a book recommendation, send it my way!</p><p>*************</p><p>I recently came across this insight from writer Annabelle Gurwitch, in an <a href="http://gretchenrubin.com/2021/03/annabelle-gurwitch-author-interview/" target="_blank">interview</a> with Gretchen Rubin:</p><blockquote><p><span face="Merriweather, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">I had a close friendship that hit a snag. At first, I thought I couldn’t get over the hurt I believed my friend had caused. Then, I realized my own responsibility in the situation, but I was still upset and thought it was unsurmountable—this is a friendship-ender. I just couldn’t land on how I wanted to proceed, but then I asked myself, “How important is it?” The incident and the bad feelings that resulted were upsetting, but not as important as our long-standing friendship, which I decided was an essential part of my inner circle. Now, that question didn’t resolve our issues, but it allowed me to focus on repairing the relationship and by asking the same question of other situations I was facing, it eliminated some other challenges I was spending time on that weren’t worth my attention.</span></p></blockquote><p>She's articulated a process I went through last fall when a relative deeply hurt my feelings. Like her, I concluded that the relationship was too important to forfeit. But I wish I'd been as articulate about my conclusion.</p><p>*************</p><p>Almost exactly a year ago, not knowing what to expect with the impending quarantine/lockdown, I stocked up on canned tuna. As I was planning my menu for last week, I thought I should start using the cans, when David Lebovitz fortuitously published a <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238802854303/" target="_blank">recipe for tuna melts</a>. I didn't take pictures, but they were delicious. (I skipped the capers because I didn't have any, used parsley instead of dill because that's what I had on hand, and mixed the gruyere with some shredded mozzarella for extra meltiness.)</p><p>*************</p><p>It looks like my kids will be heading back to school at the end of April, or at least, we'll have the option to send them back to <a href="https://www.dailynews.com/2021/03/10/some-lausd-parents-welcome-elementary-reopening-pact-but-others-criticize-middle-high-school-plan/" target="_blank">do their classes online in a classroom</a>. No, that's not a typo. Apparently, they can go back twice a week with half of their homeroom class in their homeroom teacher's classroom. The teacher will provide some social, emotional and college support/instruction/activities, but most of the day will be spent doing what they do at home - attending class through a screen, while their homeroom teacher teaches their own classes. It's not ideal, but we'll probably do it since the kids could really use some time outside the house, and they would at least get to see a few friends. Which isn't to say I don't have anxiety about this, because I do. It would sure make me feel a lot better if vaccines were more widely available by then.</p><p>*************</p><p>My oldest turns 16 this month! We're not doing anything big, and we're definitely not getting him a car, but he asked for a surprise cake, so I decided on a rolled ice cream cake, a mashup of this <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238791019002/" target="_blank">Smitten Kitchen recipe</a> and this <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238803033995/" target="_blank">Barbara Bakes recipe</a>. My plan is to prepare the cake according to Smitten Kitchen's directions, use Cherry Garcia ice cream, and cover it with the Barbara Bakes ganache. I'm going for an result reminiscent of Baskin Robbins' Roll Cake with Cherries Jubilee, which was my mom's choice for a birthday cake when I was growing up. (I did consider <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/59954238801582356/" target="_blank">this money cake</a>, but decided it was a bit much. Maybe for high school graduation, though.)</p><p>*************</p><p>I really enjoyed <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/grocery-budget-during-covid-19-23139167" target="_blank">this insight</a> into how one family's food expenses changed from 2019 to 2020. I haven't tracked my own family's expenses, but I'm sure ours have gone up too. For one thing, I'm not shopping around for deals much, and I hardly use any coupons. My pantry is also more fully stocked than it normally is, because I'm never sure when I can get something if I run out. Has your food spending changed since the pandemic started?</p><p>*************</p><p>I'll leave you with a link to the <a href="https://twitter.com/CFOblog/likes" target="_blank">tweets I've liked</a>. They're mostly cute animal videos, and the perfect way to get a feel-good fix when you need one! </p>Chief Family Officerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320154821990804327noreply@blogger.com0