Dinner Co-op

"Dinner’s Ready!” are beautiful words to hear. Especially if they came from someone other than yourself. Consider this ideal picture: You have dinner on the table every night, only that one night during the week, the dinner was actually cooked by you. This is possible only from the result of a glorious Dinner Co-op. This type of co-op group can work in several different ways depending on what you want to get out of it. Get together with your friends to decide what will benefit everyone most. Option 1: Assign one night of the week to one family (Monday-Thursday should each have a different family in charge). Whatever night is yours to cook for all families/friends involved, that’s the night you arrange the meal and deliver it to the front door of all participating. Basically, you will only be cooking one night of the week! Option 2: Enlist a group of 12… this could be individual friends (this is great for singles!) or families. Assign each family/friend one month. During your hosting month, you host the other families/friends to your home for dinner.

*Let us know if you get one started and how you did it!

Child Care Co-op

Despite how much you love your little darlings, child-rearing is exhaustive work. It would be nice to have a little break every once in awhile, even if it’s to go to the grocery store alone or plan lunch with a friend that doesn’t involve Cheetos and Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches. However, to get that “break” you have to hire a babysitter, which can get ridiculously expensive. To get your break AND save money, start a Child Care Co-op. A Child Care Co-op is an informal organization made up of parents in a community which allows each of the members to achieve some time to themselves.* Generally these groups consist of stay-at-home mothers, although working moms and dads are invited to participate as well. Child Care Co-ops are great for the pocket book because no money is exchanged, only a trade of services. To begin, let your friends and neighbors know that you are starting this group. As the leader, collect schedules from all who want to participate (find out who is available when). Compile a list and set a meeting date (while most organizational work can be conducted via email or phone, why not make a meeting and get a chance to see your friends?). At the meeting, set participation guidelines and start scheduling babysitters! Tip: Consider making an empty chart that shows everyone’s name so that each mom can keep up with who babysat for her and vice versa. This way, everyone is coming out fairly.

*Source: www.associatedcontent.com

*Let us know if you get one started and how you did it!

Job Search

If you are in the market for a new job in our area, try looking at the following websites: www.beaumontenterprise.com, www.madnonnie.com, www.southeasttexas.com, and www.monster.com. Beef up your resume (as in make sure it looks great, not is lied about… wink wink) and put yourself out there! Let everyone you know that currently works in the field of your choice know that you are in the market for a new job. You just never know who knows who!

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