The most obvious benefit, and one that is confirmed by research, is that exposing infants to a foreign language can help them master that foreign language later on. In well-documented but very accessible book on baby brain development “What’s Going On In There?”, author Lise Eliot explains that babies are born being able to hear sounds of every language in world. However, this ability is subject to “use it or lose it” phenomenon. If baby is not exposed to foreign sounds, she will lose ability to distinguish those sounds. For example, on page 368, she reports:

«Infants’ ability to discriminate foreign speech sounds begins to wane as early as six months of age. By this age, English-learning babies have already lost some of their ability, still present at four months, to discriminate certain German or Swedish vowels. Foreign vowels are first sort of phoneme to go. Then, by ten or twelve months, out goes ability to discriminate foreign consonants, like /r/’s and /l/’s for Japanese babies or Hindi consonants for English-learning infants.»

Another benefit of exposing children to another language that is starting to be recognized, is that of increasing their proficiency in their primary language. It may be that brain exercise of sorting out multiple languages gives that brain a deeper proficiency in language and grammar overall.

So next time your infant has opportunity to be exposed to a foreign language in a suitably fun setting (which is how all activities should be presented to infants, isn’t it?), then jump at chance!

Save a dozen blank pages after price pages to use for menus. When your grocery store circulars are distributed each week, sit down with your journal and create week's menu around meat that is on sale. This will make cooking very easy.

For example, if chicken is on sale, serve baked chicken on Monday. Toss leftovers in a casserole dish with a can of cream soup on Tuesday. Marinade a few a few pieces of chicken on Wednesday, then grill and slice them to serve over salad greens. Use leftover grilled chicken to throw over pasta smothered with your favorite sauce on Thursday. The menus will become easier to create over time. After you create four or five weekly menus, you can simply alternate them.

Use all pages remaining after menu pages for grocery lists. Date each list. Determine best deals for breakfast, lunch and dinner by checking sale items in your grocer's weekly circular against your price book and your coupons. When you find coupons for items, paperclip them to your grocery list page.

Stick to your notebook grocery list when you are shopping. Don't be tempted to buy other specials at your grocery store. Grocers know how to influence consumers to buy on impulse. That's why fresh baked goods are often displayed in front of store.

Remember, you don't have to create your journal in one day. Simply leave six to ten blank pages in front of your journal for your price pages, and start creating your weekly menus on next dozen pages. Take your notebook with you every time you do your shopping for one month and price pages will create themselves. If you have grade school children who shop with you, they might stay busy helping you look for prices instead of begging you for newest, sugar frosted breakfast cereal. You can also save your grocery receipts and fill in your price pages while you are watching television.

Saving time and money is a cinch with a grocery journal!