Weekly Roundup

Blog Round-Up: Week of June 16, 2014

Favorite posts for the week of June 16, 2014

It’s been a busy, but good week at The Heavy Purse and in the Ryan household. The girls finished their last week of school, so there were plenty of year-end school activities to keep us busy. Plus, we had to figure out the schedule to make sure the girls are supervised and get from point A to point B. It’s funny — you can’t wait until your kids sleep through the night, eat real food and are potty-trained because life will be so much easier. But once they’re big, they have so much going on! I need to add chauffeur to my resume. 🙂

Before school was dismissed for summer vacation, I had the chance to read my new book, The Lemonade Stand, to Taylor’s class. It was so much fun, and her classmates enjoyed seeing Taylor as a book character. It particularly warms my heart when I see kids excited to learn about money. I say this frequently, but it bears repeating — kids are hungry for this knowledge.

reading The Lemonade Stand by Shannon Ryan at Pacific Elementary School

Empowering Mothers Benefits Brunch Video

Some of you asked about the Mother’s Day brunch I spoke at last month, and I wanted to share a short video from the event. It’s more of a highlight/promotional video than tactical information, but I thought some of you may be interested in seeing it. And be sure to visit Christine Havey Smith for more information on From Three Feet Off the Ground. It’s a beautiful book and I highly recommend it. And Stephanie at VeegMama where she shares great tips to eating healthy and some delicious vegan recipes.

A Quick Recap

This week I talked about legacies, specifically the personal legacy each of us leaves behind. We often put more emphasis and effort around our financial legacy, which certainly matters, but the personal mark we leave behind us is far more powerful. I don’t take mine lightly as it acts as a guiding light for me. Every day I am reminded of those who have made a difference in my life and want to be sure that I am doing the same, which is one of the reasons why I wrote The Lemonade Stand.

The comment section overflowed with your well wishes and support of my new book, which means the world to me. I’ll be sharing more details over the next couple of weeks and reaching out to many of you to review the book as well. And thank you to those who already reached out offering your support and your blog as a launching platform. I appreciate your support so much.

On Wednesday, I also had a great guest post from Vanessa who represents half of the Cash Cow Couple. She shared how money secrets from her childhood affected her relationship with money as a young adult. Many parents choose to withhold money problems because they want to protect their kids. I understand their desire to do so. But as I have shared and Vanessa experienced, kids already know something is wrong, and without you to help them understand what’s happening, their imagination runs wild. They can develop false beliefs about money the way Vanessa did. Yes, there is a delicate balance to strike between too much information and not enough, but strive to find that place. Your children will thank you.

Thank You for Your Support

The Heavy Purse was mentioned in several places last week. Special thanks to Young Adult Money, Enemy of Debt, Money Saving Dude and The Frugal Farmer. I appreciate your support!

A Few Good Reads

Here are my favorite posts from the past week. Enjoy!

Laurie from The Frugal Farmer made a great case for You’re Not Done Learning Yet. We all reach a saturation point where we think we know all there is to know until someone comes along and proves otherwise.

Mr. CBB over at Canadian Budget Binder shared Why We Budget an Adult Family Allowance. Whether you are in the midst of getting out of debt or enjoying financial freedom, it’s important to budget some fun money (obviously relative to what you can afford and your other goals) where you and your spouse can spend guilt-free on wants.

In his post, No Effort, No Results, Travis from Enemy of Debt shared a thought-provoking story of a women recovering from the same surgery his mother recently underwent who would rather give up her love of gardening, than complete the necessary exercises that could help her continue gardening. It may seem crazy from our perspective, but as Travis reminded us, we often make similar excuses when it comes to our finances and health. Great post!

Joe from Stacking Benjamins reminded us that Happiness is a State of Mind. Too often we spend our money on things, hoping they will make us happy but it rarely does long-term. Fortunately, we have the power to create happiness ourselves. It’s a belief I share and strongly advocate.

Hayley over at Disease Called Debt had a wonderful post on How Paying Off Debt is Helping Me Change My Life for the Better. Even though Hayley is working hard to be debt-free, she is also embracing and grateful for the lessons debt has taught her, and the person she has become, thanks to her newfound financial smarts.

Well, that’s a wrap for this week! Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!

Shannon

Photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net.

The Heavy Purse Store is now open! My new downloadable Money Club Workbooks are now on sale. Each workbook provides five targeted lessons to help you raise Financially Confident Kids. Please check them out in The Heavy Purse Store.

June 20, 2014  •  28 Comments  •  Weekly Roundup

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Comments

  1. Friday, June 20th, 2014
    Thank you so much for including me Shannon, I really appreciate it! Have a lovely weekend. :)
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      You're welcome, Hayley! I hope you had a great weekend too!
  2. Friday, June 20th, 2014
    I definitely enjoyed Travis' post. One of the best ones I read this week. I'm glad you got to read the book to Taylor's class, based on the pic it looks like she enjoyed it! I also don't know how parents do it in the Summer. Kids these days have so much going on the transportation and supervising logistics alone seem like a nightmare!

    Hope you have a great weekend!
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      I agree, DC. Travis had a great post - definitely thought-provoking. We had so much fun reading the book together and those memories will last forever. It takes a lot of organization to make sure we stay on top of the girls' schedule! Some day you'll be able to experience the joy of scheduling too, although knowing you - you'll just create a fantastic spreadsheet to keep everything organized. :)
  3. Friday, June 20th, 2014
    I LOVE the picture of you and Taylor reading your book together!! That is priceless and a memory you will both have for a long time. And I completely agree with you on the chauffeur. I also need a personal assistant for the house to keep up with everyone's activities. I feel like Will has a better social life than I do with all of the playdates he has. I hope your girls enjoy their official beginning of summer! Ours will start next week. Have a great weekend!!
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      Thank you, Shannon! It is such a priceless memory that is deeply engraved in my heart. LOL! I agree - the girls have a very active social life, which is fun but a little chaotic some days too! :) Have a great weekend!
  4. Friday, June 20th, 2014
    "It’s funny — you can’t wait until your kids sleep through the night, eat real food and are potty-trained because life will be so much easier. But once they’re big, they have so much going on! I need to add chauffeur to my resume." We're slowly learning this ourselves! Our oldest turns 7 in a few months, which by the way how on earth did that happen, and we're already starting to see it. While it's fun to see the new friends she is making and things like that, it reminds us that time goes by so fast and thus the importance to teach them about money matters. Very cool you got to read the book to Taylor's class and looking forward to reading it myself. :) Have a great weekend Shannon!
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      I'd like to tell you it gets easier, but it just seems like it gets busier. :) But they are having so much fun so it's hard to complain too hard. :) It's amazing how fast they grow. Lauren hit double digits last year and Mom had to take a few deep breaths when that happened! Taylor was so proud to share the book with her class and had the biggest smile on her face. It's a memory I will always cherish and hope she will too.
  5. Friday, June 20th, 2014
    I love the look of joy on your daughter's face while you are reading the book together. That's awesome! I'm glad her friends enjoyed the book. Have a great weekend! :)
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      As soon as I saw that picture, I knew it was a keeper. THe look on her face is priceless to me. I hope you had a great weekend too, Kayla!
  6. Friday, June 20th, 2014
    Beautiful picture of you and Taylor! And congratulations on launching a new book. I'm sure it was a lot of work, but well worth it. I love the title of the book too.
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      Thanks, Sicorra! It was a lot of work but it's funny how quickly you forget all the work when you're holding the book. It's a little bit like childbirth. LOL! Thanks for your support, Sicorra. I appreciate it!
  7. Friday, June 20th, 2014
    LOVE, love, love that curly hair!!!! How fun that must've been for you and Taylor. :-) I can't thank you enough, Shannon, for all that you do for our family and the rest of the world as you endlessly work to teach financial literacy. You are indeed making a difference. :-)
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      Taylor has really begone to embrace her "Ryan" hair too. :) It's very, very curly and I'm glad she's getting comfortable in her own skin. And thank you so much for your kind words. They really made my day. And you, my friend, are also make a huge difference by sharing your story too. :)
  8. Friday, June 20th, 2014
    Looks like you're having a blast with the new book! I put the Doug Lennick quote in there as "Shannon-bait." Works every time.... ;-) Ha! Have a great weekend.
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      Well, Joe – you're "Shannon-bait" definitely works. :) We are having a blast with the new book and I appreciate your support so much! I hope you had a great weekend too!
  9. Friday, June 20th, 2014
    Awe that must have been a really special moment! How cool to be in your very own book! BTW, I LOVE your dress in that video! Hope you have a great weekend!
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      It was a really special moment, Tonya. I love how that picture captured Taylor's joy and excitement. Chris did a great job! I will remember it forever. And thank you - I love that dress too! :)
  10. Saturday, June 21st, 2014
    What a sweet photo of you together with your child in reading your book :) It is such a memory worth reminiscing for in the future. :)
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      Thank you, Marie! It's definitely a moment I will remember and a picture that I will treasure forever.
  11. Saturday, June 21st, 2014
    Thanks for spreading financial literacy to the young ins, love the picture!
    • Shannon Ryan
      Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
      Thanks, Stefanie. It's been my honor to educate the young and old about financial literacy. I appreciate your work in doing the same. :)
  12. Sunday, June 22nd, 2014
    Your book looks great and it's so neat that your daughter is a part of it. She is definitely proud of somethin' in that photo, either herself or her Momma or both. Tickled pink springs to mind.

    I really loved the post from Vanessa and I linked it in my Saturday post below. It was really touching and an important message for parents to hear about what they are saying or not saying to their kids.

    Going to check Travis' post out now. .... Toodles ~ Debs
    • Shannon Ryan
      Monday, June 23rd, 2014
      Ticked pink is a great way to describe how both Taylor and I felt. :) Thanks for linking to Vanessa's post. She did a great job and shared a very important message. So often we don't tell our kids things believing we are protecting them (money-related or not) when we are in fact scaring them more by what we don't say. Definitely check out Travis' post - it's a great one! :)
  13. Monday, June 23rd, 2014
    I'm a big fan of volunteering in schools - I chaperone for my kids' field trips until they're totally embarrassed to have their dad come along (my son won't allow it anymore, my daughter however still loves Dad to come with). When both my kids were in kindergarten I volunteered to monitor their computer lab - loved seeing my kids in a school setting! Thanks for the shoutout, Shannon!
    • Shannon Ryan
      Monday, June 23rd, 2014
      My girls are still young enough where they are okay with me volunteering at their school when it fits into my schedule. I know that day will come when they won't. :) It is so much fun to see the kids in a school setting and learning. You're welcome for the shout-out - it was a great post!
Shannon Ryan SHANNON RYAN, CFP®
  • Meet Shannon

    "As a Certified Financial Planner, it is my passion to help individuals and families build a healthy relationship with money. I look forward to helping you raise financially confident kids.” - Shannon Ryan