Mari Inshaw
Consider an FSA for You and Your Family
I had been enrolled in the FSA FEDS program since before I was a mom, and enrolled in the DCFSA since becoming a mom. Both are offered to federal employees, working parents may be...
Audiobook Review: How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen
I'm going to be real with you. I did not read the book How to Talk so Little Kids will Listen. Audiobooks are sometimes easier when you have kids. I engaged in one of my book...
Have High Childcare Expenses? Take advantage of this before June 30th!
Earlier this year, I heard news that the limit for dependent care FSA (flexible spending account) would increase from $5,000 to $10,500. If you, like me, work for the Federal government, this benefit is...
3 Things We Did to Sell Our House in a Pandemic
About 2 months into the pandemic we realized our wonderful little DC townhouse wasn't for us anymore. With parks closed, we needed a yard. So we decided to move, and we managed to sell...
The Adoption Process: Start Sooner Rather Than Later
A friend of ours, who adopted using the same agency we used, told me if I wanted to adopt again, start as soon as possible. When I reached out to the agency, the social...
Why You May Want to Move Out During Home Renovation
I've renovated my house 4 times and we're on the verge of a 5th and final bit of construction. What I've learned is staying in the house during construction might save you money, but...
Getting Away From Most of It All: A Teleworking Vacation
After two months of trying to telework and care for a toddler, I'd had enough. The parks were closed. The libraries were closed. We weren't supposed to visit nearby friends and family. The lockdown...
Paradise is a Parking Lot
This article contains a sponsored link from BetterHelp.
Yes, this is a play on the song Big Yellow Taxi's line "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot." Another part of the song has...
Hunting for Diapers and Wipes in the Time of COVID-19
When the coronavirus or COVID-19 crisis began there was a run on the toilet paper. Then later I noticed that there was going to be a problem getting my regular Amazon delivery of baby...
Get Help With a Sick Kid Fast: Why We Used an Advice Nurse Service
Our health insurance's advice nurse services were a much-needed lifeline when we became brand new parents. "Is that normal?" was a frequent question. In Junior's first year, he was sick—a lot. And we called...
Surviving the Baby Shark Attack
Our son Junior, is a Baby Shark fan. It is a really popular song among the toddler set. Junior will sing his punk/metal version of Baby Shark at home, at church, anywhere, and at...
Working Mom vs COVID-19
So this is happening. And everything keeps changing. The plans for work and school and every other place that existed last week for COVID-19 or the Coronavirus, have changed. Whatever I write here could...
Saving for Education: My 529 Experience
This year we finally got around to setting up a DC College Savings Plan, a 529 plan, for Junior. I really didn't think too hard about it, as this is not my first experience...
Lessons from EdFEST: Post-School Fair Notes
Well, I survived EdFEST. It was informative, busy, and crowded, and I'm glad I went. EdFEST is the District of Columbia's annual public school fair, where families can talk to representatives of public and...